NARLO's RURAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE
INTRODUCTION We are, after all, the National Association of Rural Landowners and we are dedicated to the protection, preservation and defense of rural property rights. But why should we, under a constitution that provides specific safeguards to a minority from the tyranny of the majority, have to protect, preserve and defend rural property rights? Isn’t there a clause in the Constitution about equal protection? How is it that only rural property owners are being asked to bear almost the entire burden of environmental protection and habitat preservation, while the city folk get off virtually scot-free? Why do we have 300-foot buffers from wetlands, when there are no wide buffers for streams and rivers inside already built-up cities? Why aren’t city folk being asked to dig up and “daylight” all the streams (fish habitat) that they have buried under city streets? Why isn’t each home owner in the city being asked to set aside 50% to 65% of their property in natural vegetation, as rural property owners are being asked under environmental protection rules in many areas of rural America? The answers are quite simple really; money, votes and political persuasion. First let’s talk about political persuasion and votes. Over a hundred years ago, as the rural character of the nation changed to one of agrarian to urban, millions of the rural population flocked to the cities for jobs. That flood of workers to urban jobs created an adversarial relationship between the worker and those providing the jobs. It was a perfectly natural outcome to the balance of power in the commercial and industrial environment. However, as the workers banded together in groups (unions or worker associations) they become focused on not being exploited by the employer. Again, a perfectly natural shift in the mindset of the worker, because some employers were definitely exploiting their employees. So those city folk (employees) became immersed in fighting the employer by any means and not focused on the basic constitutional rights of each individual. They only cared about salaries and benefits. Since employees as a group are much more of a majority than the number of employers, they were easily manipulated by politicians eager to exploit this large voting block. The politicians just pitted the worker against the employer; WE against THEM so to speak, sometimes by propaganda and distortions. By further extension, the politician then pitted the poor (workers), against the rich and the employers. Then it was the people versus the environment exploiter, the rich and big business. Social equity became the rallying cry as well. Take from the rich and give to the poor. Then it became protect the environment by regulating, restricting and controlling all those rich, rural landowners who are damaging the environment, just by living there. Stop urban sprawl to protect and preserve fish and wildlife habitat. Create the sky-is-falling crises like global warming and endangered species to further control those greedy landowners. After all, rural landowners are a minority and can’t do anything about it anyway. But then there is the cost. We can’t be tearing up city streets to “daylight” streams and forcing people out of their homes for fish and habitat buffers, now can we? The PEOPLE certainly can’t afford the cost in tax dollars it would take to accomplish this environmental protection in cities that is instead being forced on rural landowners by the city folk and the government representatives that they elect. It is just so much easier to push radical environmentalism down the rural landowner’s throat, because THEY ARE a minority. By ignoring our constitution, that protects the minority from the majority, this outrageous injustice will continue un-abated, until the rural landowners rise up and demands their rights. But landowners are confused and don't know what they can do, or what actions they can take to regain those rights. To that end, we have created: NARLO's RURAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE The Project is quite simple and it only takes a few willing volunteers and little cost to accomplish. Government, by its very nature, is the epitome of waste, fraud, abuse and corruption. The bigger the government agency, the greater this waste and abuse. When this waste, fraud, abuse and corruption is uncovered and exposed, taxpayers get riled up and demand change. NARLO's Rural Justice Project is all about uncovering and exposing this waste, fraud, abuse and corruption that we know is everywhere. The process is simple. Look for areas in which you suspect waste, fraud, abuse and corruption in your city, county or state. Don't worry, this abuse by your government is everywhere. (see below for suggestions) 1. Get landowners to provide horror stories of their problems with government agencies in the permitting process, or any other interaction that landowners have had with government. It usually is a negative and many times a very costly experience. Use these horror stories in local or national publications so that others can see what rural landowners in your area have been enduring at the hands of their government and the city majority. Most folks have no idea how bad it can be. It has been said that there are two kinds of people in America. Those that have tried to get a permit to do something and those that haven't. 2. Enlist the help of rural volunteers to take a high profile issue in their city, county or state to investigate. There is almost a 100% chance that they will find mismanagement, waste, fraud, abuse and corruption of the public trust in any one or more of these issues. Use the Freedom of Information Act (5 USC S 552) or other Public Disclosure information-gathering statutes in your state to obtain information about a specific government activity. Governments write everything down, even if it might harm them later in a lawsuit. Oh yes. They are good at hiding the information if it looks like it might harm them. Some agencies charge for making copies of documents, others may not. But the cost is minimal and well worth it. You have no idea what you can uncover that these "children" are doing while attending to the "people's" business. We guarantee that it will shock you. 3. Use as a base for those volunteers, the thousands of rural landowners from all across the country to implement a plan to elevate public awareness of freedom losses due to malfeasance, negligence and outright malice of public lawmakers and bureaucracies. These volunteers could fan out all across the country to local, state and federal governments, searching for sources of waste, fraud, abuse and corruption and then bring these abuses to the attention of the public "eye" by contacting newspapers, radio and TV stations with the information they have collected. Some volunteers could go on to write editorials or letters-to-the-editor in local or national papers. Others could speak in front of community groups about what they have uncovered. The more of you that take up this activity, the more impact it will have. As an example, a friend of ours was enticed by a few folks to investigate a community center being proposed by city officials. He found to his dismay that the community center was going to cost over $400 per square foot. Upon further investigation he found that the city hadn't even done testing on the site (it was steep) and that the costs could go even higher. At public meetings he told them he could build a class "A" office building for $125 per square foot. He was successful in killing the project and was then asked to run for city council. He won. If he can do it, so can others. 4. These individual cases could be used as articles in local or national publications and could be fed to high-profile personalities for dissemination in speeches, radio and TV addresses, all across the country. The information could also be distributed to members of other freedom and property rights organizations for inserts in their newsletters. Here are some areas in which to look for waste, fraud, abuse and corruption in your city, county, state or federal government. Social services (this is a big one) Road maintenance and repair Transportation projects (i.e. light rail, roads, ferries, bridges) Planning and zoning (i.e. permit fees, code enforcement, covert zoning changes, etc.) Fish and habitat restoration (culverts, Indian treaty court decisions, etc.) Endangered Species Act abuses Clean Water Act abuses Army Corp of Engineers abuses Outrageous government employee numbers, salaries and benefits It is your money they are spending and government has a fiduciary duty and responsibility to spend it wisely, account for what they spend and ensure that what they spend is for a clear government purpose. It is an axiom that without oversight from the people, government is naturally prone to waste, fraud, abuse and corruption. Just read the paper every day and there are thousands of examples. When your efforts finally start getting attention from the media and the people, start demanding equal justice for rural landowners under the law and our constitution. If you won't fight for your rights, no one else will. It's all up to you. Go get 'em! |
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