Authorities follow doctrine; and their doctrine gives them authority – manipulating symbols of symbols – and deciding which end of the egg to break open. Luckily; their decisions don’t require debate – lucky for them.
Exposing misconduct, corruption, and cronyism in Tompkins County is not just digging into the past – it’s yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
“Tompkins County and Tammany Hall” documented only small piece of the overarching policies and actions that dominate and control the lives of the county’s rural residents – and includes nothing that has occurred since its publication.
An unfinished and unpublished companion piece to the “Truck Route” chapter [Road Weary] has even more jaw-dropping disclosures of the actions of local and County authorities; and their ongoing displacement and oppression of the rural community – actions that only those who feel beyond the reach of social justice and legal oversight would commit.
I have sent copies of the book to many people who, I thought, would be open to change – without even getting an acknowledgement – and bringing readers up to date would do nothing to change the situation – it would only increase the “body count.”
It’s hopeless – but I have a plan – as my cousin used to say: “Don’t force it; get a bigger hammer.”
Who do they think they’re fooling? You, of course. Just as there is public participation and meaningful public participation – there is regulation and meaningful regulation. How can we affect a slowdown in Climate Change – when those most responsible are held the least accountable? When the reduction of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions is due to the production of our goods in other countries – and the shipping of electric vehicles creates more pollution than those electric vehicles actually save.
The word “hearing” conjures up clips of hard hitting, hard questioning Congressional Hearings — but nothing could be farther from today’s local and county hearings. Along with all he public participation of a royal proclamation, and the transparency of bullet-proof glass – government planning is sold with a carefree lack of accountability: Comments from the public are met with an indifference that underscores the absence of any meaningful public participation or oversight.The only hard hitting going on in public hearings is the way their planning hits the public.
It’s not what you do: it’s who you are – never more so than now. In a country that’s still covering up for their biggest polluters; how far away are we from doing anything about it? If they can’t have the world: no one can.
![“The World According to Doctrine” — Form Based Code Cornell [formerly Lansing] NY](https://i0.wp.com/www.ruraltompkins.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/9982_Form-Based-Code-Living-Lansing_FLAT.jpg?resize=660%2C912&ssl=1)
Form Based Codes are a simplified form; for a simplified government: themselves. Form Based Codes bring zoning into line with modern authoritative thinking: 100% public comments – 0% meaningful participation.
Form Based Codes are the perfect tool for Urban Colonialism: the preservation of urban spaces – and the resettlement and destruction of the rural community. A “streamlined” tool for taking.
“The real tragedy of these small enclaves of marginality and poverty is that people are playing a game of life that has been structured in such a way that they are required to play but prevented from winning.” — Janet Fitchen, “Poverty in Rural America”
In rural New York; No one can hear you scream.
It’s not wildly satirical – it’s not even moderately satirical – it’s a projection of today onto the near future. I don’t make any distant future satires; because our future ends before then. “Earth’s poor will be replaced – by billionaires in space.”
The days of freedom are over. The piñata of public participation has only showered us with comment forms and bureaucratic feces. The thrill of eluding oppression has turned into a fear of the open sky: with no safe place to rest.
Everything is gray – without difference or distance – “The party’s over.”
A second collage of selected bumper stickers from the “Cornithaca County” book – or could be used as wall art.
Revisiting bumper stickers in a more compact design – and hoping that people remember to read the fine print before signing off on anything.