From the book published in October of 1995 – in celebration of the UN’s 50th Anniversary – titled Our Global Neighborhood - The United Nations Report of the Commission on Global Governance:
"REGIONALISM - The UN must prepare for a time when regionalism becomes more ascendant world-wide, and even help the process along. It is committed to doing so; the Secretary-General has called repeatedly for a strengthening of regionalism in global governance, in development no less than in peace and security."
"The development of global governance is part of the evolution of human efforts to organize life on the planet, . . . we are convinced that it is time for the world to move on from the designs evolved over the centuries and given new form in the establishment of the United Nations nearly fifty years ago."
Regional governments, and their initiatives, are driven by government, not by the people. Government, by its very nature, seeks to increase its power and overcome any obstacle in its path. Local governments, like individual neighbors, often disagree on how best to resolve a common problem. Consequently, governments, especially the executive branch, look for ways to get around the obstacle of disagreement. One successful method is Regional Governance, which diminishes the power of local governments by conferring increasing levels of authority on the executive branch, which implements its authority through appointed bureaucrats. In very short order, it is the unelected bureaucrats who wield the power, elected officials become little more than a rubber stamp whose approval provides "official" respectability to the bureaucracy.
Some of our local elected representatives are enabling a shadow government for northeast Ohio. It covers 12 counties from Elyria County to Ashtabula County. They have received federal funds to implement some policies associated with Agenda 21. Check the link below to learn more.
You can find more about our shadow government at the following links:
http://www.noaca.org/ North East Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina Counties.
http://vibrantneo.org/ Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium Initiative (NEOSCC) Using a $4.25 million grant from HUD for a sustainabliity plan for Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Summit, Stark, Trumbull and Wayne Counties.
NEOSCC has engaged consultants, one of which is Fregonese Associates of Portland, OR. The state of Oregon, and Portland in particular, is known for agressive implementation of sustainable development, smart growth, etc.
One of the highlights of the Oregon program is the creation of "urban growth boundaries" as a means of forcing development and growth into urban areas. Is that coming to northeast Ohio? Take a look at the Urban Growth Page for more information.
Here's the press release in Feb. 9, 2013 about the NEOSCC/consultant plans:
http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2013/02/neoscc_planning_project_could.html
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