On a vote of 4-2, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors last night severed ties with the International Council for Local Environment (ICLEI). Supervisors Ken Boyd, Rodney Thomas, Duane Snow, and Lindsay Dorrier all favored ending the association, while Supervisor Dennis Rooker and Board Chair Ann Mallek voted to maintain the county’s relationship with ICLEI.
Socialists, Marxists, Progressives, and Democrats were present in force at the board meeting and were loud proponents of the Internationalist organization’s agenda—but common sense prevailed. With the Supervisors’ vote, Albemarle County joins a growing number of American localities withdrawing from the International Council for Local Environment.
The Jefferson Area Tea Party spearheaded the effort to disentangle Albemarle County from ICLEI. Following is a statement from Tea Party Chair, Carole Thorpe:
Fellow Patriots:
This is a GREAT day in Albemarle County! Last night, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to cancel its membership in ICLEI – International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. ICLEI’s primary goal is to promote and help implement radical U.N. Agenda 21 in local governments in America and throughout the world.
The JATP sincerely thanks Ken Boyd, Lindsay Dorrier, Duane Snow, and Rodney Thomas for seeing through the benign facade of ICLEI and demonstrating strong leadership in the face of a sizable and mocking opposition from Sustainability advocates.
Congratulations and thanks to Dr. Charles Battig who relentlessly led our fight against ICLEI since February with multiple speeches at monthly BOS meetings, countless hours of research and documentation to build our case, and for his presentation at our March 17 forum, “The Deceptive Agenda of Sustainability in Local Government”.
We also extend special thanks to Rob Schilling of WINA’s “The Schilling Show” for numerous radio hours and SchillingShow blog posts devoted to this topic; to Tom DeWeese of The American Policy Center for his presentation at our March 17 forum; to Commissioner Richard Rothschild of the Carroll County, Maryland Board of County Commissioners for his valuable advice and action; to the ad-hoc Sustainability Committee of Dr. Charles Battig, Steve Peters, Carole Thorpe, Audrey Welborn, Clara Belle Wheeler, and Charles Winkler; to John Munchmeyer (Jefferson Area Libertarians) and members of the ACRC Executive Committee for their statements of support; to EVERYONE who attended/spoke at last night’s meeting, wrote letters to the BOS, and in any other way contributed in some way towards this victory.
The vote to determine the fate of “Cool Counties” was postponed due to open questions about its link to a relationship between Albemarle County and some environmental organizations. Some sort of related report is due out in 30-45 days and the BOS decided to wait for that.
The “Livable Communities Planning Project”/HUD grant vote passed unanimously – but only after a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ was reached by which the BOS will monitor and review individual projects as they develop AND can approve or deny a portion of its $161,000.00 in-kind leverage contribution to be spent to fund it. Ken Boyd also raised concerns that the majority of people who sit on “input committees” always seem to be on the Left Side of the ideological fence. He inquired if there may be some way by which at least one JATP person could sit on such a committee to represent our organization, and TJPDC’s Stephen Williams explained there could be a way by which that could happen. Stay tuned.
In summary – while there is MUCH work to be done in our ongoing fight against the radical political agenda of Sustainability, this was a victorious night for the JATP! We succeeded in our primary goal of the last five months to get ICLEI kicked out of Albemarle County. It was unlikely that we could overcome the more recent battle over the HUD grant but an important point was made and heard. “Cool Counties” is still a work-in-progress and could still go the way of ICLEI.
Clearly, to anyone who was listening last night, there is a LOT of education to be done on the oft-repeated claim of “Free Money” from the Federal government…for the disconnect in understanding the difference between the actual United Nations and the policy that is U.N. Agenda 21…for the assertion that we “hate the government”…and the motives and agenda of the JATP (though most of that is something made up for our opposition’s convenience).
But for today, CONGRATULATIONS to everyone in the JATP! If anyone doubted my statement at the beginning of the year that we would turn our focus to and impact local government, they believe us now.
Carole Thorpe
See video of Albemarle County’s historic vote to eject ICLEI (courtesy of Audrey Welborn):
6-8-11 – Board of Supervisors – ICLEI from Audrianne Welborn on Vimeo.
While this is a step in the right direction, it still seems as if the county is continuing down the road of “sustainability” any way. As evidenced by their decision to participate in the “Livable Communities Planning Project” grant. If they carry out the agenda, does it really matter whether or not they are a member of the ICLEI? The results are the same, less liberty to do what you want with your own property. Less choices in the local market do to “sustainability” constraints, etc.
Dear Rob, Why can’t ICLEI’s point of view enter the
“Livable Communities Planning Project Grant” through
staff and input by committees? Please enjoy your victory
Carole Thorpe.
I listened to Rob’s show today during which he said that the purpose of a PSA that supports Michelle Obama’s fitness campaign is actually to teach people to accept our government’s lies. Rob’s outrageously twisted interpretation of the PSA is similar to the irrational distrust of the ICLEI and the UN’s Agenda 21 presented on this site.
If Rob, Carole and the JATP, and the Board members who voted to leave the ICLEI feel that it threatens their individual liberties to do what they want with their property, then I hope that none of them own property on the Rivanna River. I wade fish that river below Charlottesville, and I suspect that they may find that local waste treatment regulations infringe on their rights as well. I understand that Jefferson dumped his waste directly in the river!
[…] A few communities across the country, like Carroll County, Maryland, Amador County, California, Albermarle County, Virginia, and College Station, Texas, have kicked ICLEI out in the past couple of years (http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/33887;https://www.schillingshow.com/2011/06/09/das-boot-albemarle-county-sinks-iclei-membership/;http://www.varight.com/news/another-city-gives-iclei-the-boot-college-station-tx-joins-the-wall-of-honor-thank-councilman-fields-for-his-vision/). They did this because that apparently rare breed of conservatives – informed and willing to actually do more that whine and complain – got involved with their local officials, provided them with information and documentation, and made sure they read and understood it. Then, they made sure the politicos actually took action. […]
[…] and Engineers for Energy and Environment, and a local Tea Party activist, was instrumental in the disentanglement of ICLEI from Albemarle County government, and he has worked tirelessly—on local, state, and federal levels—to dispel “global […]
[…] chair, Ann Mallek, the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) recently was ejected from Albemarle County. Rooker pleaded for the County to retain ICLEI membership, touting numerous […]