Poverty. It’s the excuse for nearly every government spending program. Help the poor. Tax the Rich. Get the 1%. How dare they get so wealthy while everyone else suffers! And what is the preferred way to eliminate poverty? Redistribution of wealth. It is the force behind the Occupy Wall Street movement; Agenda 21 and it’s Social Justice schemes; nearly every poverty program of the Federal government; and even most charitable poverty programs. These schemes are all the same. Take money from the producers and give it to the non-producers.  Yet, as billions of dollars are taken for the “cause” poverty steadily increases. If one truly wants to help eliminate poverty, perhaps it’s time to rethink the process. To start, ask the question – why are some nations (and individuals) wealthy and others are so poor. There are many efforts underway to focus attention on world poverty. In a world of ...
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As the battle to stop Sustainable Development grows, it is important that activists have clear definitions of their points as they deal with elected officials and planners who are making policy in their community. Below is a start in defining private property rights. In a “Fifth Amendment” treatise by Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Sanders (12/10/97), he writes: Our state, and most other states, define property in an extremely broad sense.” That definition is as follows: “Property in a thing consists not merely in its ownership and possession, but in the unrestricted right of use, enjoyment, and disposal. Anything which destroys any of the elements of property, to that extent, destroys the property itself. The substantial value of property lies in its use. If the right of use be denied, the value of the property is annihilated and ownership is rendered a barren right.” As a Founding Father, ...
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19 counties in Southern Virginia are being included in a proposed Heritage Area called The Crooked Road National Heritage Area. The excuse for this new federal land control program is that it will honor and bring nationwide attention to the rich musical heritage of the area that was home to such famous acts as the June Carter Family. Plans call for a 300 mile Heritage Corridor that will connect nine major heritage venues and more than 50 affiliated music venues.  Tourism and economic growth are the promises. It all sounds so American until you begin to look at the details, including documents not open to the public, refusal to announce the plan to those in the affected area, and a hoard of federal agencies and special interest groups ready to suck up the tax dollars. In desperation, local activists and scared property owners asked me to journey to the area ...
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October 14, 2003 Washington, DC – Leading the fight against the authorization of more "Heritage Areas," the American Policy Center is organizing a coalition of property rights groups to fight four pending pieces of legislation. Testifying last month before the House Resources Committee’s subcommittee on National Parks, APC’s Legislative Director, Peyton Knight, argued against the proliferation of heritage areas, warning that "they disguise restrictive federal zoning practices" that strip local owners of their property rights. Mr. Knight reminded the subcommittee that "the Heritage Areas are administered through the National Park Service which he characterized as being "a federal agency with a history of hostility towards private landowners." Mr. Knight further noted that the National Park Service "already faces a multibillion-dollar maintenance backlog at a time when federal funding is increasingly limited." "One of the biggest problems both residential and commercial property owners face with Heritage Areas," says Mr. Knight, "is ...
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Address by Tom DeWeese These are the founding principles of the United States of America. We hear these words. Yet many Americans fail to understand their meaning - or how they effect our everyday lives. Our founding fathers warned us that eternal vigilance was necessary in order to protect our liberties. They’ve been ignored. And life in America has begun to change. Americans are finding that life is getting harder. There’s less optimism about the future as the phrase "American dream" seems to have disappeared from our vocabulary. Parents worry about a school system that no longer seems to teach basic academics. Rules and regulations seem to pop out of nowhere to control our daily routines. The truth is our lives are getting more stressful and everyday living is getting harder because a revolution is taking place in this country and it is stealing the American promise of unalienable rights ...
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January 25, 2008 By Tom DeWeese In his book, Earth in the Balance, Al Gore warned that a "wrenching transformation" must take place to lead America away from the "horrors of the Industrial Revolution." The process to do that is called Sustainable Development and its’ roots can be traced back to a UN policy document called Agenda 21, adopted at the UN’s Earth Summit in 1992. Sustainable Development calls for changing the very infrastructure of the nation, away from private ownership and control of property to nothing short of central planning of the entire economy – often referred to as top-down control. Truly, Sustainable Development is designed to change our way of life. Many are now finding non-elected regional governments and governing councils enforcing policy and regulations. As these policies are implemented, locally-elected officials are actually losing power and decision-making ability in their own communities. Most decisions are now being ...
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January 21, 2008 By Tom DeWeese One of the dangerous pieces of legislation lying in wait as Congress reopens for business is the "Celebrating America’s Heritage Act." The bill has already passed the House (H.R.1483) by a vote of 291-122 and now awaits action in the Senate. Why is it so dangerous? If passed, it would create six new national Heritage Areas and increase federal funding for nine existing heritage areas by 50 percent. The bill would send over $135 million of federal pork to special interests to be used to influence local zoning laws and help lock away private land in the name of historic preservation. The six Heritage Areas to be created by the legislation include The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National HA, covering parts of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania and West Virginia; Niagara Falls National HA in New York; Muscle Shoals National HA in Alabama; Freedom’s Way ...
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January 14, 2008 By Tom DeWeese In his book, Earth in the Balance, Al Gore warned that a "wrenching transformation" must take place to lead America away from the "horrors of the Industrial Revolution." The process to do that is called Sustainable Development and its’ roots can be traced back to a UN policy document called Agenda 21, adopted at the UN’s Earth Summit in 1992. Sustainable Development calls for changing the very infrastructure of the nation, away from private ownership and control of property to nothing short of central planning of the entire economy – often referred to as top-down control. Truly, Sustainable Development is designed to change our way of life. Many are now finding non-elected regional governments and governing councils enforcing policy and regulations. As these policies are implemented, locally-elected officials are actually losing power and decision-making ability in their own communities. Most decisions are now being ...
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July 31, 2007 By Tom DeWeese There are many efforts underway to focus attention on world poverty. In a world of growing wealth, the statistics on global poverty are staggering. According to the United Nation’s Millennium Project, there are currently 1.2 billion people living in poverty. 50,000 deaths per day occur worldwide as a result of poverty. Every year more than 10 million children die of hunger and preventable diseases. More than half of the world’s population lives on less than $2 per day and 800 million people go to bed hungry every night. To combat the situation, there are massive efforts underway, from churches, to charitable organizations, to local, state, federal and international government programs designed to eradicate poverty. Billions of dollars in foreign aid have been distributed to countries around the world to help feed the poor. Poverty reduction targets have been set. International goals have been announced ...
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October 5, 2006 By Tom DeWeese Politics is a very cynical, sinister business. As Government has gotten ever bigger and further removed from the electorate, elected officials have become more and more interested in image over actual substance in the issues and programs they promote; their messages created for emotional appeal rather than practical or even legal sense. Such is the case concerning legislation proposed in the Senate by Senator George Allen and in the House by Representative Frank Wolf, both Republicans who claim limited government as one of their major reasons to serve in public office. Their actions in sponsoring the “Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area” speak otherwise. This Heritage Area is designed to cover a 175-mile corridor from Thomas Jefferson’s “Monticello” in Charlottesville, Virginia to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Sponsors of the Heritage Area claim the purpose is simply to honor the many historic sites in the corridor ...
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July 27, 2006 By Tom DeWeese It was the front page, banner headline of The Washington Times: "Specter puts border first, Open to deal on illegals." It appeared Senator Arlen Specter had finally come around to seeing it our way. The article’s first sentence read, "Sen. Arlen Specter said he rates border security as the No.1 priority for an immigration bill and said he is open to a compromise that sets goals for border and interior enforcement before a guest-worker program and path to citizenship for illegal aliens kicks in." Such a statement was a far cry from the outrageous bill Specter helped broker through the Senate just a few weeks before. That bill demanded not only guest-worker provisions, but gave illegals in-state tuition for college; assured illegals will be paid a prevailing wage; assured illegals can’t be fired for being here illegally; assured illegals are eligible for Social Security; ...
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June 21, 2006 By Peyton Knight Just one year after the U.S. Supreme Court's dreadful Kelo v. City of New London decision that sparked a national outcry against government eminent domain abuse, some in Congress are preparing to bring a new threat to property owners in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) wants to transform the entire Route 15 corridor, from Charlottesville, Virginia, to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, into a National Heritage Area (the "Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Act," H.R. 5195). National Heritage Areas are best described as preservation zones where the National Park Service and designated preservationist groups team up to influence how an area is developed (or not developed). According to Representative Wolf, "The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor holds more American history than any other region in the country and its recognition as a National Heritage Area will elevate its national prominence, ...
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May 1, 2006 "Fed up" landowners have said "enough" to feeble efforts by Congress to "fix" the Endangered Species Act (ESA). That’s why a coalition of property rights groups, led by the American Land Foundation, Stewards of the Range, the American Policy Center, Liberty Matters, and the PFUSA Grange have now gathered more than 6,300 signatures to a letter calling for repeal of the ESA. The letter is being delivered to Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. His committee will soon consider legislation to "update" and "improve" the ESA. The House has already passed the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act (TESRA). The Senate is considering a bill sponsored by Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) called the Collaboration and Recovery of Endangered Species Act (CRESA). While the House version makes at least a weak attempt to compensate landowners when the ESA is invoked, ...
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August 16, 2006 By Shu Bartholomew A conservative estimate has it that one in six Americans, or over 57 million people live in some 270,000 mandatory membership common ownership developments across the country. These include condominiums, cooperatives, townhouses and single-family homes that are all part of a homeowners’ association. Those numbers keep growing. Today, over half of all new housing built nationally is part of an association. However, many municipal jurisdictions mandate HOAs so in those towns, cities and counties virtually all new housing includes automatic membership in an association. In fact, in some of the fast growing areas of the country it is impossible to buy a house that does not include an association of some sort. Contrary to the glossy ads promising carefree living, recreational amenities for pennies a day and the promise of protected and enhance property values, far from an asset, HOAs are a liability. The ...
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March 9, 2006 ByTom DeWeese It’s unfortunate for property owners that the battle for the right to own and control their land has fallen on the shrugging shoulders of Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). The Senator is Chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, which will decide the fate of the Property Rights Protection Act, (S.1313). That’s why the bill’s future doesn’t look promising. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator John Cornyn, (R-TX) on June 27, 2005, as an immediate response to the infamous Supreme Court decision, Kelo VS New London, CT. That decision said local governments could team up with private developers to bull doze homes in order to build new projects to bring in more tax dollars for the city. The ruling caused Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to warn that "any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party." She ...
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February 24, 2006 By Tom DeWeese I love the Beatles’ music. My respect for individual members of the legendary band end there. Paul McCartney has spent a lifetime making incredible music while uttering pure gibberish on issues that matter. It seems that if he can’t put a rhyme and a tune to it, his brain turns to mush. He has been a major promoter of the animal rights scam perpetrated by PeTA. And he has operated a sheep farm with a “commitment to natural methods, and the farm and produce have gained recognition and designation as organic status,” according to a McCartney spokesman. In other words, Paul McCartney has spent years accepting and promoting the environmental agenda that is based more on political propaganda than scientific fact. Sir Paul has done his best to toe an impossible, anti-human line. Worse, he has used his celebrity status to push that misguided ...
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February 16, 2006 By Kathleen Marquardt PeTA gave Pat Buchanan an award ostensibly because he saved the life of a turtle. In actuality, they are using him and his compassion for animals to promote their sick and twisted agenda. Publicly, animal rights leaders disguise their agenda, distracting misguided animal lovers from their true goals. Would Pat Buchanan be proud of receiving an award from PeTA if he knew their true goals? One has to know what PeTA and the Animal Rights are in order to understand how they are using Mr. Buchanan for their political gain. First, how do animal rightists feel about animals, human and nonhuman? Peter Singer, the “father” of the animal rights movement, wrote in the preface of his book, “Animal Liberation” (the bible of the movement), “We (he and his wife) were not especially ‘interested in’ animals. Neither of us had ever been inordinately fond of ...
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February 9, 2006 By Tom DeWeese Government is to be feared because it has the power to enforce its will on its citizens. It has guns. It has jails. It has money. The average citizen lacks all of these, making it difficult to fight back. The ballot box and the court of public opinion are about our only weapons. Yet, government has grown so large, so distant from the voters, that it frankly fears little from either. So what is left for the defense of our rights and our property? A principled leader is a grand ideal. Such a leader in a position of influence who actually believes in right and wrong rarely happens. When it does, there is no more powerful force on earth. The free market, given a chance, is a potent force; a place where consumers control policy and products with their dollars. No need for government ...
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February 6, 2006 By Tom Deweese Congress is going through the process of trying to fix the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Why do they think it needs fixing? Because, quite simply, the ESA is the worst law ever to be enacted by Congress. For thirty two years the ESA has taken control of private land out of the hands of the owners in the name of protecting endangered species. Yet, the ESA is actually responsible for the destruction of whole industries and the towns they supported, as lumber mills are shut down for lack of cut trees. Farmers and ranchers have lost vital grazing land. Urgently needed minerals are left in the ground and imported from foreign countries because the ESA blocks mining efforts. The ESA has become a very powerful tool, used by radical environmentalists who want to stop literally any use of certain lands for any purpose. They ...
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October 13, 2005 The nation remains outraged over the Supreme Court’s Kelo Vs New London, CT decision, which ruled that local governments can evict homeowners and demolish their homes to make way for wealthy, politically connected developers who promise to use the property to funnel money into government coffers under the excuse of community development. Polls show that 89% of citizens in Connecticut (where the Kelo case was born) fear the use of Eminent Domain and want it stopped. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has called the decision by her colleagues "pretty scary In response to the ruling, the U.S. Congress is moving to enact legislation to restore the property rights protections in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Meanwhile, more than 30 states have proposed or passed to counter the Kelo decision in order to guarantee property rights. ." Yet, the United States Conference of Mayors, in an official statement ...
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