Infill-tration: Charlottesville Democrats organizing to undermine Albemarle County property rights

Charlottesville Democrats are organizing a visit to the June 8, 2011 Albemarle County Board of Supervisors meeting in order to promote the dangerous United Nations “sustainability agenda”—not for themselves, but for Albemarle County!

Malcontent with their city’s ongoing participation in liberty-stealing $1,000,000 central planning exercises—hosted by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC)— Charlottesville Democrats seek assurance that Albemarle County will continue with them in folly.

In an email (full copy below) obtained by The Schilling Show, city Democrat operative, Jason Halbert, encourages Charlottesville progressives’ electronic and physical infiltration of the Albemarle County process through an unprecedented, cross-jurisdictional invasion:

Here’s what you can do:

1. Whether you live in the County or not, you can write to the Board: bos@albemarle.org If you live in or pay taxes in the County, please say so.
2. Attend the June 8th meeting at the Albemarle County office building. WE NEED TO PACK THE PLACE!

Halbert’s missive goes on to praise “Sustainability” as a “good thing,” and the Soviet-styled 1998 Sustainability Accords—the backbone of the TJPDC’s central planning efforts—as “a home-grown result of hundreds of hours by local citizens.”

But which citizens?

Among the “gang of 34” (Sustainability Council members):

• Sally Thomas—Leftist, former member Albemarle County Board of Supervisors
• Al Weed— Enviro-socialist, former Democrat candidate for Virginia’s 5^th Congressional District
• Francis Fife—“Godfather” of Charlottesville’s Progressive movement, former mayor of Charlottesville

What was on their agenda?

• Human population
• Basic human needs
• Economic development
• Transportation
• Land development
• Waste
• Values/ethics
• Community awareness
• Interdependence/balance
• Government
• Natural environment
• Ariculture/forestry

And who else was involved?

Primarily, the 1998 Accords were funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency—an entity now recognized as one of the most formidable internal threats to Americans’ Constitutionally delineated property rights.

While local Democrats rush headlong to embrace local government control over previously ungoverned aspects of citizens’ personal lives (i.e. fertility analysis, population distribution by demographic, nutrition regulation, etc.) they are seemingly unaware of or unconcerned with appurtenant loss of individual liberty. Or maybe—contrary to their “founding” father—they truly believe these things are better handled by government than by individuals.

Thomas Jefferson must be spinning.

“The true foundation of republican government is the equal right of every citizen in his person and property and in their management.” –Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816.

“Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.” —Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XVII, 1782. ME 2:222

Read Jason Halbert’s entire “Sustainability is good” email:

The local Jefferson Area Tea Party has launched an attack on anything labeled “sustainable” associated with local government. They have convinced at least two or three Albemarle County Supervisors that there is “an international agenda” trying to “infiltrate local government” in a “power grab” exemplary of the “Stalin era.” These are quotes from Supervisor Ken Boyd and members of the local Tea Party (source:http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2011/05/boyd-iclei.html). They allege that any effort to address climate change, encourage sustainability, reduce carbon emissions, etc. is part of an international UN conspiracy to control local government. While this may make you laugh, it’s not a joke.

On Wednesday June 8th at 6pm in the Albemarle County Office building (on McIntire Rd) main auditorium, there will be a Board of Supervisors work session on this issue and a vote. They will hear a proposal from Ken Boyd and Rodney Thomas to withdraw from the Cool Counties Program and rescind the pledge to reduce carbon emissions 80% below 2008 levels by 2050. They want to cancel the County’s membership with ICLEI, a non-profit created by local governments in 1990 to champion and accelerate local government success in achieving their own energy, climate and sustainability goals. Finally, they want to cancel a $999,000 grant from the Federal government to the Thomas Jefferson Planning District designed to help UVA, the City and the County coordinate our comprehensive planning documents and create a more sustainable and livable community. A vote to proceed with the grant must take place by June 30th or the grant is in jeopardy.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Whether you live in the County or not, you can write to the Board: bos@albemarle.org If you live in or pay taxes in the County, please say so.

2. Attend the June 8th meeting at the Albemarle County office building. WE NEED TO PACK THE PLACE!

3. Forward this to friends, especially those in the County.

Here are some talking/writing points:

• Surveys of Albemarle County residents show that residents overwhelmingly support spending tax dollars on environmental protection.(http://www.albemarle.org/upload/images/forms_center/departments/county_executive/forms/2006-citizen-survey-report.pdf — 98.2% said it is important to protect natural resources and environment, 96.7% said it’s important to manage growth)
• Sustainability is a good thing. It means we will not deplete natural resources and will leave a healthy planet for future generations Living sustainably protects our air, water, and natural areas. The Sustainability Accords are a home-grown result of hundreds of hours by local citizens. (http://www.tjpdc.org/home/sustainability.asp) The Livability project continues this home-grown effort.
• Coordinated planning by the county, the city and U.Va. through the Livable Communities Planning Project is a good thing. The TJPDC Livability program, funded by a HUD grant, assists our local comprehensive plan updates, especially welcome now that County budget cuts have reduced Planning staff. The County retains the ability to make its own decisions. Common sense tells us that the three entities should plan together for the future of our community. (Project description: http://www.1-community.org/ ). Sign the contract to accept the grant.
• We are proud that the Albemarle County Board unanimously joined Cool Counties and agreed to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. (Fairfax County page regarding the Cool Counties program: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/2007/178.htm) It is intelligent for the County to set goals by which to measure progress. If this is not your goal, what is? The County has been an environmental leader for decades, and now is no time to stop.
• ICLEI provides the County the means to measure progress, learning from other counties and using a computer software program to estimate and track its CO2 emissions. We can take or reject any advice on how we can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas pollution. ICLEI is a valuable tool, and eliminating it will handicap the County’s ability to achieve its environmental goals. (The ICLEI home page: http://iclei.org/). It is hard for citizens to believe the County seriously values the environment if it rejects such a useful tool.
• Americans rise to face challenges like climate change, and we are at our best when we confront them rather than denying or hiding from them. For the past 30 years Albemarle County has made progress in protection of our environment. This is no time to cease or restrict those efforts by refusing to set goals (through the Cool Counties resolution) or rejecting an inexpensive, irreplaceable tool (ICLEI) or refusing a grant to help up-date our Comprehensive Plan (updating is required by state law).

I know you are all super busy! This is a big deal for our community. Please do what you can! Let me know if you have questions.

Thanks for your time,

Jason [Halbert]