rural social justice – Page 20 – Rural Tompkins County

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – Sanitizing Urban Colonialism

Urban Colonialism is the tentacle of our City-centric government: rural America is the patsy of urban policy making, and the cesspit of urban waste. Our country’s rural “Ag Ghettos” are decaying communities; lorded over by corporate agribusinesses wielding an absolute political power and entitlement. Communities that stood for centuries; through drought, depression and war – are being crushed by corrupt regulations and Agricultural Law: forced on them by a New Urbanism that sees rural America solely as a source of their food, and their recreation.

Urban Colonialism is the same authoritarian and arrogant model as every other colonialist paradigm: a policy of oppression, marginalization, and use – under the umbrella of “bringing civilization to the natives.”

If you want to see everything that’s wrong with our country; don’t look to the cities – look to the poverty, drug, crime, and ignorance that has eaten up rural America – the destruction of a people that are so unimportant — they’re not even worth thinking about.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “The further you get from ethics” Bumper sticker

Ethics is not the rule – ethics is only a tool in Tompkins County. When the overwhelming belief of Tompkins County residents is that their government is corrupt and that they have no meaningful participation or oversight in that government’s policy and decision making process — there is something Wrong with that government. And when that same government proclaims that they have made every effort to involve the public, and refuse change or do anything to address that belief – that belief is corroborated.

A legal definition of ethics states: “law and ethics are far from co-extensive. . . In much that the law does it is not simply codifying ethical norms.” And when the laws can’t be bent to serve the rich and powerful . . . Well, you know what the residents believe.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Because it’s difficult times” Bumper sticker

“When the times are tough; it’s TS to the little people” is a dictum that suits Tompkins County to a “T”. It’s a county that’s connected at the highest levels; and friends don’t let friends cut profits.

Being at the forefront of political doctrine means that using and taking is the foundation of their policy making. The County’s proclamations proudly announce the burdens and restrictions that are needed to ransom a great and “vibrant” future: All the serfs can do is duck their heads and bow their backs under the load.

In a different world; authorities would embrace compassion and human worth — today; they only embrace each other.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Inflexible Principles” Bumper sticker

There is big push these days to have “workarounds” for every principle that protects us from government tyranny and oppression.

Inflexible principles are not for the benefit of government; they’re for the benefit of the people.

The use of the distinction “greater;” puts the power in the hands of those who will make the decision – to the disadvantage of those who will not.

To put it simply: It would be for the greatest good of the people; not to have the legislative concept of “Greater Good.”

It’s “fool’s gold” for those blinded by their own greed.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Everybody knows who’s pulling the strings” Bumper sticker

“It’s the puppets who are in the shadows.” In Tompkins County; it’s a question that’s very much in people’s minds: “Who are the puppets?”

Some residents would say all of them. While this isn’t true; it would be a bad gamble to trust to chance.

Who is it “safe” to go to?

The helpful and cheerful rural personnel are being pushed out: replaced by those who resent public interference in their workday and workplace. Residents are only entitled to government. To be governed. To be helpless.

The people make no decisions – and the puppet show never stops.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “NYSDEC Water Quality Management” Bumper sticker

“Muddying the waters – with no intention of cleaning them.” My upcoming book: “Tompkins County and Tammany Hall” will document and expose the actions of the NYSDEC at some length – so I will speak to a recent development in New York State: the passing of an Environmental Rights Amendment that declares: “Each person shall have the right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment.” Agricultural groups, the biggest polluters of the state’s lakes and waterways, [and political overlords of the state’s poor rural communities] strongly opposed this Amendment.

The New York State Farm Bureau President made the kind of statement to voters that could only be made when there is no one to challenge it. Hot buttons like “vague Green Amendment,” and “protect family farms from nuisance lawsuits” were freely used – but there’s a world of rural pain and suffering behind the “Berlin Wall” agricultural media: when the toxic fumes of farming practices cause brain damage in one neighboring child, and required the removal of eyelids of an elderly man: “right-to-farm” laws protected the farmer from this “nuisance lawsuit.” That’s just one glimpse behind the wall — a wall the Environmental Rights Amendment threatens to tear down.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – “Form Based Urban Sprawl”

“Form Based Code” advocates always postulate the best of all worlds for their own plans; and the worst for everyone else’s. This follows the modern technique where one side of an argument also presents the case for the opposition – invariably to their detriment. [A real debate, like real public participation, is considered a dangerous throwback.]

These planners use the same arguments as dictators have always used: decision making by citizens is inefficient and contains too many varied and conflicting viewpoints for a properly directed society. And their vision of everybody rowing together under one authority does not preclude the use of galley slaves.

Like architectural drawings; where the buildings come first and the people are thrown in in later – Form Based Codes are all about power of codes; not the lives of people. Their vision is not about making people happy – it’s about making people conform.

In a time when the public has no meaningful say in policy making – it’s beyond foolish to increase the scope of government policy making power.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – “The Puppet Show”

Got me again. Even though I wrote about the bureaucratic trick of referring you to another department – another bureaucrat, and another and another — I requested the support that was promised with petition signatures: and received nothing – no response to my emails at all. It took waiting a couple of days to sink in.

The Holidays are a dangerous time for citizens; the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years are the season for sliding in unwanted decisions and developments – while the opposition is busy elsewhere. Ho, Ho, Holy Cow! What was that resolution!? I thought that was tabled until January!

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – Form Based Evil – “Stone the Unbeliever”

“Everybody must get stoned” Bob Dylan sang; and certainly, today’s societal climate favors gang violence against those who don’t conform – with the hate disappearing back into “normalcy” as quickly as it appears.

“Well, they’ll stone you and say that it’s the end – Then they’ll stone you and then they’ll come back again”

A lesson learned: there is no end to the constraints of conformity – and no constancy will guarantee your safety.

[If you are wondering why the bloodstains are the same in all these images: Form Based Evil is unchanging.]