Blog-IT-o ergo sum

	9/2/2003

Know Your Ecological Address

Earlier this year, my libertarian minded partner here was using the two sides of this signpost to help point out that government should be as limited as possible in roanokeriverbasin our lives since for its ownself it often can not even decide whether its coming or going. I being more conspiratorial in nature saw something much more sinister.

These river basin signs started cropping up on the interstates of North Carolina over two years ago. Since that time they have spread across our secondary highway system as well. (This in a state that is a billion $ plus over budget.)

If you have a state issued road map from 2000 or later, you will see on it an inset titled Know Your Ecologicial Address that contains a small map of our state's river basins. This Know Your Ecological Address program, like ones in other states, is a North Carolian taxpayer financed endeavor set up to educate citizens on the importance rivers play in our lives and to help us as the State website says, "think about (our) connection to the natural world in everything (we) do."

At first glance it might appear a complex web as to how this River Basin/Know your Eco Address ties into America's Heritage River intiative, Agenda 21 and the Earth Charter. But I am certain it does. Here is a good read from The New American to help connect some of the dots. If you ever thought UN led programs didn't affect you locally think again.

Regardless of your position on the best way to protect the environment and the proper use of taxpayer money, does it make ecological or financial sense to populate our state's roadways with these useless signs?

Meanwhile, back in NC: Though a Republican laden effort in our State Senate in 2001 to designate the Deep River a Heritage River died in the House, they are back this year with a "bi-State advisory commission for the Catawba River Basin." (Go here if the State Assembly website is bogged down like it often is.) While the title of the bill S859 says "advisory" the text detailing the powers of the commission offers declarations like these: "the power to sue and be sued" and "To perform any lawful acts necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of the commission. This bill passed the NC Senate unanimously and is now sitting in committee in the House as of 7/16/03.

There is still time to fight this battle. Let's make sure our state reps are aware that the encroachments of UN initiatives are sneaking their way into NC statues --- to the detriment of private property holders (particularly the smaller ones) in our affected river basins.

1:33:04 PM

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Oh, oh...

Not the best photo here, but let me detail the scene: Our 11 Guilford County Commissioners posing for a photo op in the Old County Courthouse in downtown Greensboro, where they meet in public once or twice a month to discuss the affairs of county government. Each of these meetings begins with a pledge of a allegiance to our republic (not democracy) and, under the current reign of Skip Alston as chair, an invocation prayer which more often than not ends with something to the effect of, "...this we ask in the name of our savior , the Lord Jesus Christ." Yikes! Would the ACLU take on the President of the North Carolina NAACP though?

Also note the large marble plaques in the top right and left corners of the room. These contain a very descriptive version of the 10 commandments...the one where you're not to covet thy neighbor's ass...which I've always took to be an implicit proscription of homosexuality ;-)

Time to get to a County Comission meeting (this Thursday night at 6:30 pm is next), to get a sharper picture of these plaques for posterity before they are outlawed.

10:02:52 AM

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Democracy and God

My progressive alter ego Ed Cone correctly pointed out in his Sunday column that God does not make an appearance in our nation's Constitution. He (God not Ed) does at least show up though as a Creator in the Declaration of Independence who endows us with unalienable rights...and that to secure these rights governments are instituted among Men. That is, while a federal government established by the founding fathers may have precluded a federal State religion, it certainly did not preclude a recognition of God in the affairs of men and their governments. And, it certainly did not preclude the sovereign states from having a declared religion as several of them did at the time the Constitution was ratified.

There is of course another charged word that does not rate mention in either our Constitution or Declaration of Independence and that is, "democracy." And there was a good and properly understood at the time reason why. This being the case, how ironic that some of the strongest supporters for keeping God in our government are equally strong in their determination that we extend the blessings of democracy to places like Iraq.

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. -Thomas Jefferson.

9:38:00 AM

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