Tag: Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan

Tompkins County appears so often in this book; because it is so often what affects my life – and because its causes and effects are both ubiquitous and accessible – although “in your face” would probably be a better description.

Tompkins County is important because of its overwhelmingly Progressive government and policy agenda – in a Liberal dominated county – in a Liberal dominated state — it’s the perfect laboratory to study the reality behind their “Vision” – a dictatorship for the benefit of the Elite.

It is uniformly agreed upon by Tompkins County residents – regardless of political affiliation – that their government is corrupt and that here is no meaningful public participation: everything and everyone who does not conform is at risk to be eliminated.

As I quoted last February: “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

It’s the only playing field left open to rural residents in Tompkins County.

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.