The wedge of man-made, drastic climate change will be the dominant 21st century social engineering tool used to force behavioral changes throughout the USA. (Just ignore the unrestricted carbon loading of the rapidly growing mega-economies of China and India.)
All “socially progressive” change can be dictated by invoking the faithful dogma of globally warning about “global warming”. Want to reduce vehicle selection? Say “global warming”. Need to densify housing? Say “global warming”. Care to reduce meat consumption? Say “global warming”. Like to tax all consumption? Say “global warming”.
Facts? Religion doesn’t need facts. Just don’t say one thing to the true believers – “population control”.
It should come as no surprise that the faux environmental political forces in Orange County are pushing the latest social engineering tool to eliminate the dreaded and evil pariah – the franchised restaurant chain.
On 2 June 2009, the Commishes considered banning any further drive-thru business operations in Orange County. The proposed legislative ban, spearheaded by Commish Mike Nelson, was countered by a county planning board recommendation that the Commishes NOT vote for the ban, but instead promote an educational campaign about vehicle idling.
The measure was narrowly defeated (3-4), with Commishes Nelson, Alice Gordon, and Bernadette Pelissier voting for the ban. Never fear, Commish Barry Jacobs voted against the ban, but wants to reconsider it AFTER the municipal elections in November.
According to Mr. Nelson, it was a sad day for Orange County. “Last night the Orange County Board of Commissioners had an opportunity to prohibit new drive thru windows. Why would we be interested in banning drive thru windows? Many folks view them as a necessary convenience of early 21st century life.”
Conveniently, Mr. Nelson omits the part of the staff report recommending “'franchise architecture’ shall be strongly discouraged.” In other words, remove the architectural branding that a highly competitive service business needs to differentiate itself. He also omits the part that considered allowing drive-thrus, but charging an annual “carbon impact fee”. Such a move would open the door also to charging residents such a “fee” (aka a tax).
Opining further, Mr. Nelson states, “There are two reasons to consider prohibiting them (an action, by the way, that Carrboro took over a decade ago). First, we talk a good game about walkability; the county's new comprehensive plan calls for building a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly community. Yet,our planning regulations all too often create the exact opposite. Drive thru windows, by any reasonable definition, do not promote the pedestrian-friendly development our comprehensive plan calls for.
But the even more important reason to prohibit drive-thru windows is to reduce air pollution and to take our community's first steps towards addressing a global warming. When we're campaigning, we local elected officials make all sorts of promises about the need to address global warming and how we'll do our part. But for the most part the rhetoric hasn't been followed up with action.” (See Nelson’s Pearls of Wisdom.)
Mr. Nelson rarely bothers with non-narcissistic concepts such as acquiring supportable technical backup, taking courses of technical study or training, or reviewing alternative arguments. Thus, he sees no problem either with appearing in a national AAR ad wearing the label “environmental scientist” (a collegiate degree noticeably absent from his resume’) or with quantifying what will actually be saved by the ban.
Mr. Nelson seems to be unaware of a comparative report commissioned by a Canadian coffee shop chain (Tim Hortons). That report found that “ [the] congestion that occurs in the parking lot, together with the start-up emissions and emissions from the extra travel distance to get to and from a space, all contribute to produce somewhat higher (CAC) emissions per vehicle compared to a store that has a drive-thru.” The report is based on actual traffic counts and timings. It may not make Mr. Nelson feel good, but it’s called “scientific methodology”.
Apparently, Mr. Nelson is also oblivious of the fact that auto technology has advanced to the point where engines will automatically shut down if the vehicle stays in one spot for more than a few seconds, and then restart when the throttle is actuated. (See more about "mild hybrid" vehicles.)
Displaying his narcissistic crutch, Mr. Nelson seems to forget that a significant part of the population isn't like him. They can’t walk as he can. He seems to want to impose his lifestyle on those with physical disabilities, a telling demonstration of the empathy he possesses. If he can get out of his car and walk, then you can get out of yours.
Handicapped? Just swing yourself into your wheelchair. It's no big deal. Elderly with bad joints? Get walking.
Timing is everything in life.
If a bureaucrat sees an impending disaster on the horizon, retirement is a good option. If a Orange County Commish sees an impending political disaster on the horizon, then delay it until few will pay attention and by the next election cycle it’s “old news”. An excellent example can be found in the latest “shocking” discovery from Orange County, where incompetence rules, and accountability is absent. It’s good to have a one political party system.
Barely one week before the general election in November 2008, the Orange County finance director, Gary Humphreys announces that he has discovered that $15,500,000 is “missing” from county capital project accounts. By missing Mr. Humphreys isn’t talking about embezzlement or theft. No he’s talking about good old fashioned bungling, bad bookkeeping and accounting practices. Apparently, Orange County has booked as “sold” bond monies that have been approved, but haven’t been raised, i.e., sold to the public. In the encouraging words of Mr. Humphreys, “This is like a Chinese puzzle.”
Mr. Humphreys did not explain how $15,500,000 could be “missing” from county bank accounts without anyone noticing it isn’t earning interest or being employed elsewhere.
So when did Mr. Humphreys discover the problem? One month ago? Two months ago? No. He discovered it before the primary election for county commishes. Somehow the news never was made public before current county commishes could waltz to reelection. (Pulpsters know that Orange County is a one-party palocracy where the primary is THE election for local partisan elections.) Could this news have changed the election outcome? You’ll never know, as intended by those in power in Orange County.
Mr. Humphreys somberly reports that all of the discrepancies showed up on the county books before 2003, before he and County Manager Laura Blackmon showed up on the job. Revenues were put in wrong accounts. Anticipated grants were not received. Costs were underestimated. These creative errors occurred under the administration of former County Manager John Link.
Commish response was intense and probing, as befits a governance board made entirely of people who have never created a for profit job or handled a for profit budget. Commish Alice Gordon says “This is all very mysterious the way you have explained it.” Commish chair Barry Jacobs said, “If I were asked to explain it to somebody I might be able to do it. I’m not sure I’d be right. I might be able to sound authoritative, but I’m not sure I’d be right.” Commish Mike Nelson, former pool chemical salesperson and faux environmental scientist, opines, “Now in probably the toughest budget year we’ve had in a decade, we’re going to have to find $5,000,000 to cover these mistakes.”, conveniently ignoring that over $15,000,000 of county net worth doesn’t exist. (See the Chapel Hill News Missing Money Story.)
No one will lose their job. No one will not receive a raise. No one will pay any price. According to your Commishes, that's just like in the real for profit world.
None of the Commishes asked why the discrepancies were hidden for months during the primary election cycle.
None of the Commishes asked why Mr. Link was not asked to attend the bad news presentation.
None of the Commishes asked, how much more than the double digit increase should the ad valorem real property tax rate been raised to fund the “missing” monies?
None of the Commishes commented on their decision to name the new county administration building for Mr. Link upon his retirement.
Timing is everything in life.
County Commishes want a quarter-cent increase in the Orange County local sales tax rate right now. The extra 0.25 percent is estimated to raise an additional $1.8 million to $2.2 million for the Commishes to spend.
The only problem is that in order to get the tax the state legislature requires the Commishes to get voter approval for the tax. The general election this year will be even more highly attended than May’s primary in which voters shot down the Commmishes attempt to ramrod through a local property transfer tax despite a costly re-education campaign. Moreover, the Commishes appear reluctant to spend another $100,000 in taxpayer money to “educate” voters on the benefits of an increased sales tax. Concidentally, some of the courageous Commishes are up for re-election.
In the words of Commish Alice Gordon, ”I think we need the revenue, and I think we need the alternative of taking pressure off the property tax. But I'm not sure we have time to do it right, and I'm not sure it would pass even if it did.”
However, Commish Barry Jacobs is considering the bountiful yield from this local tax versus the harvest from yet another local tax being considered, namely, a half-cent sales tax to help pay for rail, bus and road programs. That tax would bring in twice as much money. As Commish Jacobs says,”There's just so many times you can ask the public to raise its own taxes”.
On 21 April 2008, the Orange County Commishes had their annual legislative breakfast with local state representatives to talk about issues of interest. One of the big topics was economic development, or rather the record of a lack of economic development by the commishes over the past two decades. State Senate candidate, retired tax-exempt publicly funded organization executive, real estate investor, solid waste site expert, school merger advocate, and Commish Moses Carey is quoted as saying, ” ”People seem to think we don't want the money that [economic development] brings in”. Commish Carey apparently doesn’t understand how this “misperception” came about.
The commishes have looked into the political looking glass and don’t see themselves and their record of underachievement and imbalanced growth as the source of the “misperception”. Rather, they look forward as to how they can spin a new “reality”. In the words of Commish Valerie Foushee, ”The new message needs to be that [being against economic development]] is not what we should be characterized as”.
Again in the words of Commish Carey, the taxpayer subsidized Buckhorn Village project is all he wants to talk about, ”People like the Buckhorn idea”. Of course, he doesn’t seem eager to talk about the role of county officials in forcing the Buckhorn Village deal on a landowner and the property into the hands of a selected developer Dream Team. (See Hot Orange Buckhorn Village Story.)
While chowing down, the commishes didn’t miss the opportunity to propagandize about the local home equity/land transfer tax. Ignoring the neutral position of education required by law, Commish Foushee says, ”It's important for us to get the message from our side out there. I'm not sure that the message is balanced at this point.”
Commish Alice Gordon feels that the woefully under-informing commish campaign that cost you $100,000 is a neutral campaign that ”erase[s] the confusion”. Ms. Gordon doesn’t see any reason to mention facts that would persuade you not to support the tax. (See Hot Orange Chilton Transfer Tax Story.)
See Daily Tar Heel Commish Story.
