News Alert - Federal Zoning Vote scheduled for April 18 - 
Land use bill would fund localities to comply with federal 'guidelines' - includes 'social equity' but no mention of private property rights

From: Forest Glen Durland <glen@bayarea.net>
Subject: S   975
Posted April 16, 2002


******************************************************
Here is the scoop on S 975.  Please email the above letter to ALL of the
Congress Critters listed below, ESPECIALLY the swing votes.
**************************************

S. 975 was expected to sail through committee with very little objection -
until Senators started hearing from YOU. Then several Senators objected to
the bill and it began losing support. Thursday morning it was pulled from
consideration for ONE WEEK.

The committee is expected to vote on S. 975 next Thursday, April 18.

WHY is this such a terrible bill??? HERE is why

The Clinton Administration paid $2 million for a "Smart Growth Legislative
Guidebook" that is intended to "guide" counties, cities and towns on how to
update their zoning. That's right folks - Big Brother Knows Best - local
zoning directed by Washington, DC.

S. 975 offers grants that will pay 90% - that's right, 90% - of the cost
for localities to update zoning plans - BUT ONLY IF they do it the way the
feds want them to!

HERE is what S. 975 says, and what it will do

* Offers to pay for 90% of the cost of updating zoning plans - ONLY if
localities do what the feds say.

* Requires land use planning to "promote social equity." SOCIAL EQUITY???

* Requires localities to "conserve historic, scenic, natural an cultural
resources." What about people? * "Integrate local land use plans with
Federal land use plans"


***** The term "private property rights" appears NOWHERE in the bill! *****

WHO is behind this disaster? An outfit called the American Planning
Association (APA). Check them out at www.planning.org. They are great
supporters of the Endangered Species Act and all federal land grabs.

This is the arrogant "professional" career planners who believe they know
best - and elected and appointed zoning boards, city councils, county
commissioners can all TAKE A HIKE.

They are great supporters of S. 975 because it takes power away from
elected local governments and puts it into the hands of regional and state
boards and commissions. Oh yes, one other thing - S. 975 hands out money as
well as power to APA members, by requiring "consultation and cooperation"
with "nonprofit organizations that promote land use planning" - in other
words, APA!


WHAT SENATORS support this disaster, and who needs to be contacted?

Here are BILL SUPPORTERS on the Environment and Public Works Committee

#1 - SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON - do you need any further evidence that S. 975
is a disaster for private property rights????? Hillary Clinton supports it!

#2 - SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN - Al Gore's running mate is one of the prime
movers of this mess federal power grab!

#3 - SENATOR HARRY REID - he steered the "Son of CARA" Land Grab bill
through committee and through the Senate with NO debate and NO recorded
vote! Now he wants to do the same with S.975!

ALSO -

Sen. James M. Jeffords, Vermont - Independent Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon -
Democrat Lincoln Chafee, Rhode Island - Republican Barbara Boxer,
California - Democrat Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania - Republican Thomas R.
Carper, Delaware - Democrat Jon S. Corzine, New Jersey - Democrat

***** As usual, you can't tell the difference between the two parties - the
Republicans are nearly as much to blame as the Democrats. *****

SWING VOTES - it is especially important to contact these Senators below,
in particular if you are from their home states - but please email ALL OF
THEM regardless of where you live

Max Baucus (Democrat), Montana -- phone(202) 224-2651 -- fax (202) 228-3687
-- Emailmax@baucus.senate.gov

Christopher S. Bond (Republican), Missouri -- phone (202) 224-5721 --
fax(202) 224-8149 -- Emailkit_bond@bond.senate.gov

Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Republican), Colorado - phone(202 224-5852 --
fax(202) (202) 224-1933 -- Email go to http//campbell.senate.gov/

Michael D. Crapo (Republican), Idaho - phone(202) 224-6142 -- fax (202)
228-1375 -- Email go to web to send an e-mail http//crapo.senate.gov/

Bob Graham (Democrat), Florida - phone(202) 224-3041 - fax(202) 224-2237 --
Emailbob_graham@graham.senate.gov

James M. Inhofe (Republican), Oklahoma - phone(202) 224-4721 -- fax (202)
-228-0380 -- Emailjames_inhofe@inhofe.senate.gov

Bob Smith (Republican), New Hampshire - phone (202) 224-2841 - fax (202)
224-1353 -- Email opinion@smith.senate.gov

George V. Voinovich (Republican), Ohio - phone(202) 224-3353 -- fax (202)
228-1382 -- Emailsenator_voinovich@voinovich.senate.gov

John W. Warner (Republican), Virginia - phone(202 224-2023 -- fax (202)
224-6295 --Emailsenator@warner.senate.gov


Please contact all the swing votes listed above!!!


STATUS

Opposition to S. 975, Federal Control of Zoning, is building. The votes of
most Senators on the committee are questionable now, several are
considering no longer supporting the bill.

The vote is now scheduled for Thursday, April 18th.

The above information came by way of the following email:

Hi, Folks,

If you WANT big government to control all your land, even to the zoning
control of our homes, then please delete this message.  I do not wish to
offend those on my list.

But if you would prefer that federal government get back the original
Constitution with the original intent of our Founding Fathers, then please
read on.  You will be interested.

In an effort to be inoffensive, I seldom send material reflecting my
personal views.  But times are drawing to a head, necessitating action.

Over the past two months I have been extremely busy writing a thesis, a
book, a paper and a song to help the farmers and loggers in the Klamath
Basin, Oregon and Siskiyou County, California.  (I do not profess to be a
great writer -- I picked up the pen in desperation.)  The documents needed
here are KBD (Klamath Basin Document) and Constitution Trumps Treaties
(ConTrumps for short).  They are extremely well documented.

In the Klamath Basin Crisis, a bloated bureaucracy went far beyond it
limits.  That situation boils down to three simple facts:
1. The federal government is limited in land control and use.
2. Treaties can NOT supersede the Constitution.
3. People have the right to be let alone.

Since the Klamath Basin problem is similar to areas all over America,
winning this one will help everyone.  So when S 975 reared its ugly head, I
was decided to take action.

S 975 is in the Senate and promises to take federal control right into your
back yard, Folks.  This one needs to be stopped, and stopped
right.  Following is a sample letter I hope you will copy and send.  It
tells it all.
******************************************************
Dear Senator:

I object to federal government stepping into my backyard. Supporting S 975
is asking for long stay in prison for violation of Constitutional
law.   The Supreme Law of  the Land -- the Constitution, the Federalist
Papers and the Rulings of the Supreme Court -- very plainly state that
federal government land control is limited to Post Offices and post Roads,
the capitol, Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful
Buildings.  That same authority is unwielding in stating that treaties can
NOT supersede the Constitution.

For thorough documentation I direct you to <www.uhuh.com>.  Click on
Klamath, then click on KBD (Klamath Basin Document).  Before clicking on
Klamath, you will find Constitution Trumps Treaties right there waiting for
you.

Thank you for NOT supporting S 975.

Yours truly,

[Sign your name here]

***********************************************

Thanks for you support of America.
Forest

 

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. [Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml]

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