Friday, February 17, 2017

Incomprehensible Collectivist Mindsets Always Leads To Corruption

The incomprehensible collectivist mindset always leads to corruption.  Now, before we begin, we need to establish some basic facts.  The United States of America is not a capitalistic country by any means.  It is a socialist nation with near zero capitalism left to be found anywhere.  I can already hear the screams, but the facts are very clear on this.  Giant multi national corporations.  Who can compete against them?  Only other giant multi nationals.  You and I can not do it.  At best, all we can do is carry goods or provide services that the multi nationals deem unpopular or unfit for their venues.  Try and carry what they do and you can not get it at the prices they can.  That means you have to sell at much higher prices.  That folks is not capitalism.  That is control.

  In fact, socialism is the best friend to multi nationals for a number of reasons.  To begin with, multi nationals like everything from their layouts to their store fronts must be very consistent for quality purposes as well as for cost effectiveness,  A uniform look from one store to the next makes it easier for the consumer to find goods and or services.  These areas make sense.  Operations are consistent from one location to the next allowing for a very deploy-able national and or international work force.  Departments are broken down to very specific jobs and duties as well as basic pays.   Multi nationals determine how each department's work assignments are allocated and these are consistent in all locations.  Yes, that is efficiency.  However, there is usually little to no room for innovation and better ideas that could prove to increase efficiency, improve customer satisfaction, and or increase sales and or improve safety.  The system is usually locked to these ideas.  In fact, anyone who considers themselves free thinkers are usually viewed as rogue mavericks that are despised and disruptive to the cohesiveness of the structure.

  The low level worker is gutted down to a mere drone worker bee with very poor pay and limited opportunities.  At the other end of the spectrum is the head drone overseer or general manager of the local hive charged with making sure the worker bees get everything done in a timely manner with little to no incident.  These overseers are usually paid a fair to decent living wage depending on the size of the hive workplace.  Again, even these folks have limited to almost no opportunities for advancement unless a higher up worker drone dies or becomes incapacitated or falls out of favor with the master drone bee keepers.  Innovation is highly limited at all levels and must be justified and quantified for approval, many times by those with little or no clue as to how the real world will perceive the end results.

  Innovation today is a rare commodity thanks to the collectivist mindset.  Innovation is also very expensive today thanks to the collectivist tax structure where everyone and everything is taxed to the hilt and government keeps seeking more ways to grab more money for whatever reason they care to justify.  This is the communist utopia?  The left believes that a private entity does not have the right to make money on any endeavor and that government should control all aspects of life and work.  The right, not a capitalistic right, but a collectivist right, believes that corporations do have a right to make money and have influence over government.  The left wants government to control all capital and entity's private and or public.

  What is called right wing today is bullied by the left as Nazi fascists, and they are correct based on an understanding of the above.  The Nazi socialists believed that corporations did have a right to make and control certain aspects of money.  But there was little to no room at all for the capitalist at any level.  The collectivist mindset is destructive to most forms of innovation and buries as much innovation as possible through the use of taxes and restrictive regulations.  Only the rich few may innovate and that is also highly controlled.

  So you think capitalism still exists in the United States?  Can someone please show me where?  When was the last time you tried to price shop a TV?  I mean take the actual model number of a TV and check from one store to the next and try and get a comparison price?  You can't.  A trick has been played on everyone that few have actually ever caught.  Try and find 50 TV's in the US with the same model number and same size.  You can't.  Donald Trump tried to do just that.  He wanted 50 TV's of the same exact model and size for one of his corporate projects.  He contacted every retailer and wholesaler in the nation and not one could do it.  He had to buy all 50 TV's from the source of manufacture to get 50 of the same TV's.  From one Wal Mart to the next, they do not carry the same models in any of their stores.  Price shopping no longer exists.  The only time this game does not apply in the electronics field is in the mass sold game systems.  Sony, Microsoft Xbox and so on are the same price no matter where you buy them new.  There are no deviations unless you are buying in a large city from a questionable small retailer where the merchandise may just be a bit on the warm side.

  So much for competition.  Ever try and start a business in the US?  You have to go through zoning, apply for a license and all sorts of other crap.  Wait, I thought starting a business was a right?  Why are there so many fees for something you already have a right to?  Or has your right been taken away and now made into a privilege for which you must now pay a fee for.  Not Constitutionally legal by the way.  The government does not have a right to take away your rights and turn it into a privilege and charge you a fee for that.  But did you know that and are you willing to fight government for your rights all the while risking not being able to take advantage of a good business idea?

  Capitalism was removed from the public starting back in 1913 with the introduction of the Federal Reserve.  Neither part of the Federal government and there is no reserve anywhere.  By 1932 the Federal Reserve was a major factor if not the only factor in the complete destruction of capitalism in the US when the US was forced into declaring bankruptcy in the world court.

  Okay, I hear you.  You have never heard of nor do you wish to believe the US has ever been bankrupt.  Well here you go, a 1932 Congressional report that proves that the US did in fact declare bankruptcy, but we have also been in bankruptcy ever since and despite the fact you think you own anything, you own nothing.  You have partnership rights with the US government and or state government that controls all the final rights on all property in the US and held for the bankruptcy courts.

    

Mar 9, 1933 Congressional Record h.r. 1491 bottom pg 75 then McFadden pg 80 from Chuck Thompson

Okay, you are going to have to read this congressional report to find the fact that the US was in fact declared bankrupt and went into international court over such.  It's all above and a matter of public record.  You just never heard about this.  Now Senate document #43, Senate Resolution No 62, (Page 9 paragraph 2), April 17th, 1933, "The ultimate ownership of all property is in the State, individual ownership is only by virtue of Government and must be in accordance with law and subordinate to the necessities of the State".  As already stated, you do not own anything, you have user rights only, the state is the ultimate owner of everything.  But, this is a violation of the Constitution, provided you think that still applies.

  The IRS is the collection agency for the Federal Reserve, again not part of the United States Government, and yes, I have the congressional record on that as well.  There is only so much space on here.  Your Federal tax dollars do not fund the Federal Government, it funds the debt on the funny money the Federal Reserve prints for the Federal Government on contract.  The Federal government works on credit granted to it from the Federal Reserve.  Your children's children's children's future was already spent ages ago.  The reason the Federal Government keeps taking things such as the social security fund and robbing all the funds out of that was to use money that did not have fees attached to it already or had lower fees for payback that can not ever be paid back,.  So yes, we have all been robbed and there is no chance whatsoever of ever getting any of it back.

  It was not actually yours to begin with despite whatever you were told.  The government is bankrupt remember?  The reason why so many rights have been converted to privileges and you are charged a fee for it is because even the State government is broke thanks to the Federal government.  Judges will never discuss these issues with you, many today do not even know it.  They are all expected to uphold robbing you and charging you insane fees for not following the directives that violate your rights because we are broke and you and everyone else here is owned by some foreign power.

  Now, this is the type of information that can cause a revolution as these truths have purposely been withheld from the masses.  If it were to get out, well I already know the results.  That is also why I know this article will be suppressed in the search engines and may even get taken down for whatever reason.  It is much safer to sell everyone on the concept of communism or socialism where the state is the owner of everything, which they already are because it's all held as collateral for our bankruptcy.

 We are not the only country this has happened to.  This also happened to England, Germany, and many other countries all at the same time and none of them are out of the bankruptcy either.  Canada has also been ruined this same way but I have not yet found where they were forced into an International bankruptcy court.

  Now, let's take a look at countries such as China, Russia, Cuba and certain South American countries where communism is stated as the rule of government.  Corruption is rampant in those societies as it is here as well, because in order for people to survive and have a little something, theft is required because the government takes the majority of everything and in the countries where communism is the stated rule of government, no one has any form of property rights and government can come and take whatever it wants at anytime.  What we have had here in the US is really consumer communism.  Looks something like capitalism, but it's not.  Price controls are not a capitalistic ideal.

  Ever wonder why the police keep getting more confiscation rights to property here in this country?  They understand that we here in the US really do not have property rights, only user rights.  The state is the major holder of all property.  You have to pay for user rights.  One can just about justify criminal activity under these conditions.  The question really does become, what is theft then?  Because somewhere along the lines, all of our rights and property has been stolen from us by a very elite few whom we are now controlled by.  The question is why do we allow this?  Because most do not know this and it is kept hidden from you despite the fact it is a matter of public record.  But you have to know where the needle in the haystack is.



Federal Reserve Act of1913 from Chuck Thompson

Above is the congressional report from 1913 showing the federal reserve act and how it is a private entity.  And everyone thought that was just a conspiracy theory.  No reason to make this stuff up when you can show the truth about it.  Again, it's public record folks.  It's just not what you are ever taught in any schools.  You are kept dumbed down for a reason.  Now if you ever understood how money really works and what your taxes are actually paying for, you would be getting your guns out.

  The American revolution started on issues much smaller than what we face today.  Again this is in most countries around the world.  Anyone want to know the real reason we are in the middle east fighting?  It's not oil.  It's for putting a Federal Reserve type banking system into each of those countries where they do not have them in place.  That's what all the wars are truly about.  It's not about freedom and it's not about religion per say.  It's about legalizing theft of those entire countries by the puppet masters.  Propaganda is very powerful stuff because everyone actually buys the main stream media stories.  The conspiracy theories are mostly wrong.  Those countries are trying to stop the theft of their freedoms and property.  They know what is really going on and we are the puppets being used to perpetrate that theft.

  I support our troops, but not their missions.  Our troops are under false information as to why they are there.

  Now here is why religion, especially Christianity is such a threat to the collective mindset.  Under collectivism, everyone is subservient.  When you study Christianity, no one is subservient, ever.  You may be made a slave, but that does not make you subservient and Christianity teaches you how to claim your individuality and certain freedoms even as a slave.  Sounds like an oxymoron, but it isn't.  Christianity shows you that you are still equal to your master.  That does not work well for the collectivist mindset where you must be controlled.  The sectors where many people believe are Christian sects, such as Mormon's and Catholics, these are not true Christian religions and subservient practices are taught against the true Christian teachings and why there have been centuries of fighting in Ireland between Protestant's and Catholics.  Catholics and Mormon's incorporate a lot of Pagan rites, rituals and teachings mixed into areas of the Christian faith.

  I was raised Catholic and struggled with it until I was of legal age.  Then I ran from it as fast as I could.  It never felt right to say the very least.  Many Muslim teachings, and they share this fact freely, you are subservient.  The Muslim religion is a better choice for those who are truly in control as they have a built in war against true Christians.  If the puppet masters can ever destroy Christianity, then the Muslim religion will eventually also be destroyed at a later date.  Christianity is the biggest blockade against the collectivist mindset.  Catholics though are welcome due to their subservient teachings.

  If the world is left with religion, it will most likely be either the Muslim or the Catholic religion.  That is the end game plan.  You will be told what to think, how to act, where to live, what work, if any you will do, who to fight, how to fight anyone who does not believe what the official line is and how to turn those people in for retraining or death who do not follow the official line.

  It now takes 2 people working full time with one or both working another part time job, to try and keep up with all the bills.  You have no time for political nonsense that is very dirty and or corrupt.  Let someone else figure that out.  People have little free time anymore and the constant rush is ingrained in most now.  Free down time feels unnatural.  The facts are above mixed with other research for making conclusions here in this article.  You may have different views and can even call me nuts despite the facts because it does not match the official propaganda you have been taught.  You are free to buy the official propaganda and ignore anything not in the mainstream that is designed to keep you away from the facts.  It's up to you.  I am only trying to present what I have learned over the years and what my views are based on the facts.  The facts themselves can not be denied the conclusions can be argued.

  We can only try and figure out how to protect ourselves when we know what the real facts facing us are.  

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Gloucester County, Virginia; Votes Made In Congress By Our Elected Representatives

presented by:
Military.com
February 13, 2017
In this MegaVote for Virginia's 1st Congressional District:
Recent Congressional Votes
  • Senate: Prohibit Sen. Elizabeth Warren to Speak on Senate Floor When Debating Sen. Sessions Nomination to be U.S. Attorney General
  • Senate: Confirmation of Sen. Jeff Sessions to be U.S. Attorney General
  • Senate: Confirmation of Rep. Tom Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • House: Disapprove BLM Land Use Planning Rule
  • House: Disapprove State Education Accountability Rule
  • House: Disapprove Teacher Education Program Rule
Upcoming Congressional Bills
  • Senate: Nomination of Steven Mnuchin to be Secretary of the Treasury
  • Senate: Nomination of David Shulkin to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • House: Texas-Oklahoma Border Lands
  • House: Disapprove Unemployment Benefit Drug Testing Rule
  • House: Disapprove State Retirement Plan ERISA Exemption Rule
  • House: Disapprove Local Government Retirement Plan ERISA Exemption Rule
  • House: Disapprove Alaska Predator Control Rule
  • House: Disapprove HHS Planned Parenthood Funding Rule

Recent Senate Votes
Prohibit Sen. Elizabeth Warren to Speak on Senate Floor When Debating Sen. Sessions Nomination to be U.S. Attorney General - Vote Sustained (49-43, 8 Not Voting)

The Senate voted to sustain the ruling of the presiding officer (Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines) in which he prohibited Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren from speaking on the Senate floor for the remainder of the debate concerning Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions' nomination to be U.S. attorney general. The presiding officer ruled that Sen. Warren violated Senate rule 19 prohibiting senators from "imputing" one another. 

Sen. Mark Warner voted Not Voting
Sen. Tim Kaine voted NO

Confirmation of Sen. Jeff Sessions to be U.S. Attorney General - Vote Confirmed (52-47, 1 Present)

The Senate confirmed Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions to be U.S. attorney general.

Sen. Mark Warner voted NO
Sen. Tim Kaine voted NO

Confirmation of Rep. Tom Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services - VoteConfirmed (52-47, 1 Not Voting)

The Senate confirmed Georgia Republican Rep. Tom Price to be secretary of Health and Human Services.

Sen. Mark Warner voted NO
Sen. Tim Kaine voted NO

Recent House Votes
Disapprove BLM Land Use Planning Rule - Vote Passed (234-186, 12 Not Voting)

The joint resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Dec. 12, 2016, which modified the process under which BLM develops plans for the use of the public lands it manages, including by considering a wider variety of issues and possible impacts.

Rep. Rob Wittman voted YES

Disapprove State Education Accountability Rule - Vote Passed (234-190, 8 Not Voting)

The joint resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Education Department on Nov. 29, 2016 which addresses implementation of a state's accountability systems when receiving federal education funding under the Elementary and Secondary School Act (ESEA). Among other things, the rule requires states to identify low-performing schools for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement, and requires that each state's statewide plan use multiple indicators of student success that are the same for all public schools (including charter schools).

Rep. Rob Wittman voted YES

Disapprove Teacher Education Program Rule - Vote Passed (240-181, 11 Not Voting)

The joint resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Education Department on Oct. 31, 2016, relating to teacher preparation programs that require states to annually evaluate the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education and to publicly report this information, including the job placement and retention rates of graduates.

Rep. Rob Wittman voted YES

Upcoming Votes
Nomination of Steven Mnuchin to be Secretary of the Treasury - PN26

The Senate is expected to take up the nomination of Steven Mnuchin to be secretary of the Treasury.


Nomination of David Shulkin to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs - PN39

The Senate is expected to take up the nomination of David Shulkin to be secretary of Veterans Affairs.


Texas-Oklahoma Border Lands - HR428

The bill would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to pay for a private survey to identify the south boundary line along the Red River separating Texas and Oklahoma with regards to land title and ownership, with the states of Texas and Oklahoma to determine which lands are federal lands and which are private.


Disapprove Unemployment Benefit Drug Testing Rule - HJRES42

The resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Labor Department on Aug. 1, 2016, that defines the occupations for which states can require individuals applying for unemployment benefits to undergo drug testing.


Disapprove State Retirement Plan ERISA Exemption Rule - HJRES66

The measure would disapprove the rule issued by the Labor Department on Aug. 30, 2016, that exempts state-administered retirement plans for workers at private sector businesses and nonprofit entities that don't offer retirement plans from certain restrictions and requirements under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).


Disapprove Local Government Retirement Plan ERISA Exemption Rule - HJRES67

The measure would disapprove the rule issued by the Labor Department on Dec. 20, 2016, that exempts local government-administered retirement plans for workers at private sector businesses and nonprofit entities from certain restrictions and requirements under ERISA.


Disapprove Alaska Predator Control Rule - HJRES69

The resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Interior Department on Aug. 5, 2016, that prohibits certain predator control practices in national wildlife refuges in Alaska (such as the taking of mother bears and their cubs, the killing of wolves and their pups at den sites, and aerial shooting).


Disapprove HHS Planned Parenthood Funding Rule - HJRES43

The resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) on Dec. 19, 2016, that modifies eligibility requirements for Title X grants for family planning services to specify that states awarding funds cannot prohibit a health care provider from participating for reasons other than its ability to provide Title X services.

http://www.military.com/

Monday, February 13, 2017

Mr. Howard Mowry, Gloucester Point, Virginia

Image result for chuck thompson images gloucester va. courthouse

Mr. Howard Mowry, Gloucester Point, Virginia

We would like to introduce Mr. Howard Mowry of Gloucester Point, Virginia. Many of you already know Howard and his long record of following our local government and speaking out during public comment periods of Board of Supervisors, School Board and other public meetings pertaining to our local governance. Howard shares the following with us:

    I moved to Gloucester eighteen years ago and continued my hobby of following local Counties’ government for ten years. If the citizens do not follow their governing’s actions they would be in deep trouble. The process of tax and spend is an ongoing annual onslaught against the citizens net income. Most do not care especially in small counties where the largest employer is the Government. The nepotism, inter-relationship to business creates a system of quiet do not disturb mentality that has a wide range of negative impacts to those who are not a part of the system.

    This process is slowly changing in Gloucester as the population grows and more "outsiders" are moving in and becoming pro-active to their local government’s fiscal and managerial practices. Some very positive changes have occurred in the past four years but there is still a long way to go to make the process self-sufficient.    

    Since 1999 I have been a small voice at the local Board of Supervisors and School Board meetings, some suggestions have been implemented many haven't.  Many of ones suggestions that can save funding (tax increases) will go by the wayside since it may affect a retirement pension or become a cost effective solution. God forbid we don't want to go that far in creating a lean and mean cost effective government.

    Consolidation has always been one of my prime positions, the need to have sixteen department heads in-lieu of eight could save up to one million a year, also providing a ladder for promotions that is now almost non-existent unless you leave the county.

    I have written many articles over the years pertaining to government and some with spreadsheets to emphasize rising costs or lack of annual changes in doing business the same as usual.

    Time does not stop for no one but time should be able to provide the incentive for the young to step up to the plate and follow their local government. The regulations and policies they put in place annually may in their out years become the foundation where you are no longer a free person or country. Will I or we see change as the annual process of budgeting and taxing of your net pay takes place over the next several months? Without an increased showing of citizen participation at the meetings it will be hard to determine.

    One thing for sure the special interests will stand tall asking for more; and will want to raise taxes to fill their individual needs. 

The following are Howard’s public comments during the February 7, 2017 Board of Supervisors meeting. We will gladly publish any and all public comments made at public meetings as they are submitted to us at Kennysr61@Gmail.com
·      
Mr. Chairman:  Members of the Board, Mr. Fedors & Mr. Wilmot.

Howard Mowry, Gloucester Point

            As promised to a few folks I recommend you follow through on this topic since you have already have had a discussion on the subject in the past. Over the past eight years, the working force has seen their economy and jobs decrease to the point where they have to work multiple jobs to stay afloat. This in turn decreases the amount of time they can donate to critical positions required in the county.

          I am speaking about our Rescue Program in the county; many hours are required to learn and become a licensed EMT by the state and be able to operate the vehicle. With this in mind and you should never be caught where you cannot answer the bell.

          I recommend you proceed to have all ambulance movement in the county be a paid for service and all employees receive a salary. There are provisions that can be accomplished for those who lack the insurance for payment as covered by law.

          To make this process work I would suggest you send a small group to Richmond County and be briefed on how they operate and collect their funds for a successful rescue operation in their community.

          I have attached a copy of a redacted billing that provides how the process is billed and what the individual pays, depending on their policy.  The winner now in Gloucester is the insurance company, a profit to the shareholder. 

          With billing to insurance, you free up a large possible budget allocation for items necessary to upgrade and maintain your existing excellence service.

          A process worth tackling immediately and implementing the first of July 017.

2.      The subject of proffers ties into the above subject, a positive use for these funds. Connecting to a shopping center is a disaster, look to Newport News and the carts are left strewed all over the place, especially in the housing areas. We also do not need to waste funds on sidewalks that parallel interstate 17. This highway will eventually become eight lanes wide and the jackhammers will only remove them. Short lane is also a waste of money since it could also become a four-lane road interesting with a four lane T.C. Walker extension towards route 14. I do not believe you are at the 12 year markers, so keep your money in investment until you can spend it wisely.

3.      The change in the real property tax year may well pass tonight, but keep in mind to eliminate stealing from the public the tax rate change should only occur on the first day of the new fiscal year. The windfall then is non-existent; this process should also apply to personal property. If not the need for a balanced budget is only an exercise in balancing numbers to meet state audit regulation, the taxpayer is the loser.

4.      You need to push the buttons at VDOT to have Route 17 re-painted, the lines are just about gone creating a driving hazard at night. Appreciate all you can do to correct this safety hazard.

I thank you for your time.

The following are the public comments Howard made at the Public Hearings on the County Administrator’s proposed list of Capital Improvements (Buildings, parks, parking lots and such they want to build or fix), and on proposed changes to our local government’s ordinance (Local law) on Noise Control. These public hearings also took place during the February 7th meeting:

1.CIP

          Politically you all have major needs at the taxpayers’ expense. The best way is Pay as you go.

          The most critical at present are the software programs that interact with all departments including all public service equipment both audio and software.

School HVAC units have been neglected for more than 40 years now is the time to upgrade without debt.  Buses are an annual requirement by regulation. Millions have been spent on school roofing, the need to have in-house engineering or high school seniors or juniors using a CAD system design truss systems for all the schools similar to Page, along with metal roofing applied. A major cost savings over time.

          Debt needs to be restrained for the next five years at least. Paying down the existing 50 to 60 million unfunded and obligated debt is necessary.

          Consolidation of transportation, facilities, and utilities on one site at T.C. Walker road is a must.

          What has happened to the utility funds outside of the consent order? What is left and why can it not be obligated and utilized now?

2. Noise Control: 

Sitting on my porch today, it was vehicular noisy, are you going to build a wall to suppress this discomfort? I think not.

Noise is music to one’s ear, some for the good and some an irritation. You need to be selective in government control of private property including the individual.

Noise suppression from 10 to 6 AM is a norm. All areas that have condensed housing may have logical restrictions

If you live in the boonies with acreage, you need no government interference unless you are exceeding logical noise decibels.

Animals and fowl talk at all hours of the day or night. Neighbors need to communicate with each other if a problem arises. Most can be resolved without a government rule or the sheriff showing up at the door.

Only the elderly hear some noise so an ordinance would not apply. Loud could be soft who knows.

Let us put logic into the government’s methods as they try to control the mass, which will not work in the long haul.

We thank Howard for his efforts and for his submission. We encourage other Gloucester residents, landowners and businesses to actively follow our elected and employed local government representatives and administrators, and to help hold them accountable for their actions. Remember, all levels of government belong to We The People, but that ownership becomes compromised and weak when We consent to their actions by our silence.

The following web address is to the video recording of the February 7th Board of Supervisors meeting:
http://gloucester.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&clip_id=1667

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Draining The Local Government Swamp

Gloucester, VA - Picture taken for the new Gloucester Links & News website.  Gloucestercounty-va.com

Draining The Local Government Swamp

Our new President promised that if he were elected he would drain the federal government swamp and return power to We The People. So far President Trump appears to be living up to his promise, but he cannot do it alone and our federal government is not the only place where the government swamp needs to be drained. Our Commonwealth government (I emphasize “Common”), needs some draining and so does our local government and many other local government’s throughout Virginia.

One of the biggest issues of government overreach in Gloucester County, Virginia is land use zoning. Gloucester has been driven onto the path of the local government telling land owners what they may or may not do with their property. That is not the Gloucester I and many others grew up in. Our local government and elected representatives have passed local laws and adopted policies that require land owners to comply with “their” restrictive zoning requirements. In fact, our current Board of Supervisors has passed local law prohibiting certain styles of buildings because they do not like how they look. Further appalling is the fact that one of our elected Supervisors has publicly stated during a Board of Supervisors meeting that he believes they sometimes need to tell land owners what they may or may not do with their property. In my opinion Gloucester County “is” the definition of United Nations Agenda 21 micro-zoning.

Several years ago our local government began to implement what they refer to as the “Village Plans”. These plans constrict growth within the Hayes/Gloucester Point and Courthouse areas. They want retail and other business, medium to high density housing and other such growth restricted primarily to these areas and are making a concerted effort to develop every space possible. 

Recently our Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning request so a developer can build an apartment complex next to the York River Crossing Shopping Center. This complex will contain around 120 apartment units and will share parking with the shopping center. The apartments will also share the existing entrances to the shopping center, as there are no plans to construct additional entrances. In this instance our local government made exceptions to their zoning restrictions in order to accommodate the developer even though, People spoke against the apartments at the Public Hearing and there will be traffic and other impacts that will negatively affect a significant number of us. Yet, they would not approve a small developers request for an exception to their zoning rules so he could build a single duplex apartment unit in a Courthouse area neighborhood.

About three years ago our local government approved a developers request to rezone land behind the American Legion Hall so they can build around 260 apartment units. This land is well outside of their Village Plan development area, but the rezoning request was still approved. Recently a developer requested our local government to rezone five and half acres of land so he can build five, four unit, apartment buildings; for a total of 20 apartments. This developers rezoning request was denied.

Recently a Gloucester land owner spoke publicly at a Board of Supervisor meeting about his dismay at not being able to rent out a house located along Route 17 because the house had not been occupied for two years or more. As it turns out, some years ago our local government implemented a local law that rezones residential property within the Development District to commercial property if the residence remains uninhabited for two years or more.

Our local government would like us to think they are taking steps to accommodate growth in Gloucester, when in reality they are just hand selecting what they want to see in Gloucester and continuing to follow the United Nations micro-zoning path created by their predecessors back in the 90’s. I believe the village plans and other constrictive zoning and zoning associated laws and policies should be scrapped. I believe land owners should be given their property rights back. If it does not pertain to health, safety or security, our local government should refrain from interfering in what landowners do with their land. Getting rid of micro-zoning practices will save a lot of tax dollars and will also generate additional revenue from growth.
Do you agree or disagree?

Comments about articles and submissions for publication on GVLN may be emailed to: Kennysr61@gmail.com
Let your voice be heard on any topic pertaining to our community.
We will publish many opinions the newspapers will not.

Kenny Hogge, Sr.
Gloucester Point, Virginia

Kennysr61@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Where Do Your Local Tax Dollars Go?


Gloucester County, Virginia is once again entering into the annual budget building season. Last year there were folks who wanted to see a seven or more cents increase in real estate taxes. After efforts by several conservative minded Gloucester People and a lot of deliberation by the Board of Supervisors, the increase turned out to be ½ cent. Let’s review what I suggested to the Board of Supervisors during the public comment period of the meeting in which the Board voted, in a three to four split decision, to increase real estate taxes by ½ cent. I began my suggestions with: Any tax increase is unacceptable considering last year’s increase, the repeal of the boat tax and the amount of money irresponsibly spent year after year. I then made the following suggestions.

-Parks and Recreation funding should be limited to what it takes to operate and maintain our most used parks and programs and the lesser used (over half of them) should be closed. Manpower should be limited to minimum operational requirements. All parks and recreation capital projects should be frozen until financial ability and growth trigger further expansion. This will save over $250,000 annually.

-We pay over $250,000 a year to rent our libraries. The rent arrangement for the Main St. Library is an unethical back door funding mechanism for a non-profit organization (That organization is the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust) and is not a fair and transparent way to spend tax dollars. As a first step, the library at Hayes should be closed and funds normally appropriated for its operation and rent should be diverted to a library construction fund. Owning our libraries will save over $200,000 annually, after depositing $50,000 annually into a maintenance and expansion fund.

-Last year I called for the elimination of the Community Education Department. (Instead of eliminating it, more money was dumped into it and the name was changed to the Department of Community Engagement.) I also called for returning the department’s functions back to schools, social services, County administration, human resources, IT and the various non-profit organizations the department supports. I suggested moving the director to the planning department. (I now feel the position should be eliminated all together.) This will yield an annual savings of at least $350,000. (If the director position is eliminated the savings would be over $100,000 more than the $350,000 I suggested last year.)

-Animal Control should be reorganized into a reactionary department and patrolling should cease. This will make the department more citizen friendly. Staff should be limited to two officers. The Sheriff’s dept. dispatcher should receive incoming calls and dispatch the officers as needed. This will save over $100,000 annually.

-What to do with our bus garage and old Page properties is being considered. It has been rumored that selling all or part of the properties is the best option. Considering our substantial infrastructure needs and need for consolidation, any option to sell the properties does not seem to be fiscally responsible, in the best interest of managing our assets or taking care of our employees.

These properties afford us the ideal location to consolidate county and school functions. We should expand our bus garage and consolidate all school and county transportation functions under one fleet director employed by the County. We should consolidate all of our school and County public works, buildings and grounds and janitorial type functions under one director employed by the County. Utilities has money to purchase property for of a new yard and office. It should be used to begin the consolidation process by moving Utilities to the old Page property. (The County and our public school system continue to kick this can down the road. Someone wants the old Page and school bus garage properties and Gloucester taxpayers are going to end up on the short end of the stick if we allow the property to be sold. As it stands now, tens of thousands of dollars have been spent to do a study on where a consolidated facility should be located. The County and schools have limited the amount of land that can be used at the old Page and bus garage properties by focusing the study on using only ½ of the property. Even after imposing that restriction, the study determined that the old Page and bus garage property is the most economical location out of three locations that were considered. I have been telling them for three years for free, what they have now spent tens of thousands of our local tax dollars to learn.)  

-All IT and financial functions should also be consolidated under one director per department and employed by the County. All of the mentioned consolidations will lead to a savings of over $1 million annually. (I now believe these functions should also be consolidated on the old Page and bus garage property.)

Total potential savings from these few suggestions would be in the neighborhood of $2,000,000 annually. Unfortunately, not enough People in Gloucester are speaking out against the unnecessary spending of tax dollars. There is an ongoing effort to bring industrial and other types of businesses to Gloucester. They claim we need to generate more revenue to ease the tax burden. Generating more revenue in the manner they are attempting will result in more local government and higher taxes. Gloucester enjoys one of the lowest real estate tax rates around, but it continues to inch up. When government grows, taxes rates generally increase in feet instead of inches.

The County Administrator will eventually release his proposed budget for next year. I will let you know when he does. I bet they will be asking for seven or more cents again. In the meantime, here is the web address to the County budget that was approved last year.
http://www.gloucesterva.info/Portals/0/finance/documents/FY17AdoptedBudgetandFY17AdoptedCapitalBudget.pdf?ver=2016-08-19-125753-407

Keep following and please share with everyone you know in Gloucester County.

Comments about articles and submissions for publication on GVLN may be emailed to: Kennysr61@gmail.com
Let your voice be heard on any topic pertaining to our community.
We will publish many opinions the newspapers will not.

Kenny Hogge, Sr.
Gloucester Point, Virginia
Kennysr61@gmail.com

My experiences while serving as an At-Large member of the Gloucester County, Virginia Public Utilities Advisory Committee (PUAC) (The 5th in a series of articles about my experiences and findings)


Our Public Sewer Collection System

Like our public water system, parts of our public sewer collection system are very old and in need of attention sooner than later. Our sewer system is made up of a series of underground pipes, manholes and pumping stations; with some components in the Courthouse area dating back to the 1950’s.

Many of the Courthouse area sewer components and components in other areas of our sewer system are not sealed to prevent rain and ground water from entering the system and to prevent sewer water from escaping into the environment. In fact there is at least one building in the Courthouse area that has its storm drain pipes connected to our public sewer system. When rain and groundwater enter our sewer system it greatly increases the amount of sewer water that must be treated before it can be released back into the environment. Rain and ground water infiltration also increases the workload on our pumping stations, causing some stations to be flooded and overwhelmed during heavy rain and flood events. Because sewer pumping stations are typically built on low land, overwhelmed and flooded sewer systems have the potential to cause negative environmental impacts to our creeks, rivers, streams, etc. All of these negative impacts equate to a lot of tax and utility customer dollars being flushed down the drain.

Environmentally sound, operationally capable and dependable pumping stations are necessary components of our sewer system. Some of our older pumping stations pose significant operational and environmental risks. At least two of our pumping stations need to be completely replaced due to their age, size and the way they were built. We also have several pumping stations that need to be upgraded because they are so old that it is impossible to obtain repair and replacement parts. These stations typically contain two pumps, but some of our stations only have one operational pump. Not having an operational backup pump significantly decreases dependability and greatly increases environmental and other risks. It will cost a substantial amount of money to upgrade the pumping stations that need it, but it will cost far less than complete replacement of the stations. The needs of our pumping stations are all part of normal public sewer system operations and maintenance and should have been financially planned for years ago.

Employee safety in and around sewer pump stations, manholes and other such high risk areas should always be a high priority to those we hire and elect. Sadly and alarmingly that is not what I found to be the case in Gloucester County. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Sewer pumping stations pose numerous health and safety risks to those who operate and maintain them. Sewer gases can form in pumping station tanks that will incapacitate a person within three seconds. Imagine climbing down a ladder into a tank 15 feet deep with liquid several feet deep below you. Imagine becoming incapacitated after you take one or two breaths. You will fall in and die if you are not already connected to a retrieval system and someone uses it to remove you from the tank immediately. It has happened, many, many times all over the world. In fact, in September 1996 four construction workers died on the Navel Weapons Station pier in Yorktown. One man entered a pumping station tank and became incapacitated. Another man entered to help the first man and he too was knocked out by sewer gas. Another man went in to help, he too fell out. A fourth man climbed in and he went down too. A fifth man called for help when he discovered what happened, but it was too late. All four men were dead within minutes because mandated employee safety procedures were not followed. What is even worse is they had an air quality tester and a retrieval system right there with them, but chose not to utilize them.  

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA has established mandatory employee safety procedures for entering confined spaces like sewer manholes and pumping station tanks. Failure to follow OSHA mandated permit required confined space entry procedures can result in injury and death of employees; and fines, jail time and lawsuits for supervisors, executives, businesses, counties, cities, etc. Utilities has a portable tripod and wench retrieval system that can be connected to a single person when they enter some types of confined spaces. This system does not work at some of our pumping stations because of they way the stations were built and how much room the tripod requires. I suggested constructing a fixed retrieval system at these pump stations, but do not know if anything has been done as of yet to protect our employees and comply with law. Utilities also has air quality testers, but it appears they started using them only year or so ago. For years our elected representatives, hired government administrators and leaders of our utilities department have been allowing our labor level employees to enter potential death traps, on almost a daily bases, without testing air quality, utilizing adequate retrieval systems or following other workplace safety laws.

Over the years a heck of a lot of what I have shared in this and other articles about my experiences on the PUAC has been made known to our elected representatives and hired administrators. Over the years they have all continued to kick the can down the road. Well, the can has become thin and the road short. Before our current elected representatives throw more money away on pipe dreams of industrializing our County in support of turning it into a retirement community, they need to rectify our infrastructure deficiencies and set in place ordinances that will provide the necessary mandates to prevent further neglect, fraud, waste and abuse of our public water and sewer systems.

Keep following and please share with everyone you know in Gloucester County.

Comments about my articles and submissions for publication on GVLN may be emailed to: Kennysr61@gmail.com
Let your voice be heard on any topic pertaining to our community.
We will publish many opinions the newspapers will not.

Kenny Hogge, Sr.
Gloucester Point, Virginia

Kennysr61@gmail.com      

Friday, January 27, 2017

Who Owns Your Land; You Or Our Local Government?

Gloucester, VA - Picture taken for the new Gloucester Links & News website.  Gloucestercounty-va.com


Another Rezoning Request
Here goes Gloucester County, Virginia down the rezoning road again. Gloucester resident and businessman, C.W. Davis is asking our local government to rezone 5.4 acres of land on Short Lane so he can build five, four unit, apartment buildings; for a total of 20 apartments. Mr. Davis’ land and the land surrounding his are currently zoned for single family homes only. Our county government is recommending the Planning Commission deny Mr. Davis request which will be deliberated during a Public Hearing at the Planning Commission meeting on February 2, 2017.

Over the last couple or three years there have been numerous requests submitted to our local government to have land rezoned to allow the construction of approximately 440 apartments or apartment like units. (i.e. condos, town homes, etc) Of those requests only one has been denied by our Board of Supervisors; the request of Gloucester resident and businessman, Tabb Bridges. Mr. Bridges requested that a single lot located in an established single family dwelling neighborhood in the courthouse area be rezoned so he could build one duplex rental unit (two apartments). One of our elected supervisors had this to say about the Board of Supervisors decision to deny Mr. Bridges rezoning request.

“First, the proposed development was right in the center of a cluster of single family homes.  A duplex would look out of place in that subdivision, would you not agree?  It would have caused a slippery slope of events going forward, and I am opposed to "micro zoning".” 

“Second, we believe the Comprehensive Plan incorrectly classified this subdivision as multi family use (we will be correcting that).” 

“Thirdly, while not all of the residents appeared at our meeting, we were inundated with an overwhelming number of residents opposed to the proposed development.”

The following was my reply.

As I understand it; micro zoning is the detailed preparation of land use maps by local bodies and public authorities, fixing specific land uses for each site (such as residential, educational, commercial, etc.). Micro zoning also details the density of land uses at particular sites. In other words; micro zoning establishes a detailed land use pattern.

I too, am against micro zoning, but it appears we may interpret the words “micro zoning” somewhat differently. In my simple mind I believe Gloucester County is micro zoned and such zoning is further micro managed when requests like Mr. Bridges’ are denied and others are approved.

Basing decisions on “how something looks” is micro managing micro zoning to the extreme. What you find acceptable from a “how it looks” standpoint may not be acceptable to others and vise versa. As I shared in my article on GVLN, there are duplex units within multiple neighborhoods here at Gloucester Point that cause no negative impacts on any of the surrounding single family dwellings. Most people don’t even notice they are duplexes. So I guess my answer would be; no to your question about the duplexes “looking out of place” within the courthouse area neighborhood.

As for potential errors in the comprehensive plan; I don’t know what to tell you other than it is the BOS’s plan. I am of the opinion that local and other government involvement in how a landowner uses their property should be strictly limited to protecting the health, welfare and safety of the citizenry. Nothing more, nothing less. No level of government within the United States should have the power to prevent any land use based on how something will look or whether or not it will aesthetically fit in with surrounding properties. I also believe no level of government should have the power to restrict growth to predetermined areas as is the case with the “Village Plan” and “Development District” concepts our local government has adopted without consent of the people.

It is great the people of the neighborhood at the courthouse successfully rallied together to exercise their 1st Amendment rights, but they are not the only ones to speak against such rezoning requests. I would be willing to confidently bet that if the voices of every person in the Gloucester Point, Hayes, Guinea and Wicomico areas (primary users of the shopping center) were heard, there would be overwhelming opposition to the 120 apartments that will now be constructed as part of the York River Crossing Shopping Center. I would also be willing to bet that if all of the responses the BOS received, in one form or another, pertaining to the YRCS rezoning were tallied, we would find there were more voices who spoke in opposition of the rezoning than who spoke in favor of it. We just were not as organized and public about it as the folks in the courthouse area neighborhood were.      

Personally, I believe we have more than enough existing apartments and apartments approved for future construction, but who am I to say what Mr. Davis or any other land owner may or may not do with their property? How will our Board of Supervisors “Rule” on Mr. Davis’ rezoning request? Will the “good ole boy” system come into play? Will they continue to support United Nations land use agendas on American soil? Or will they begin to return Gloucester to the Republic land of freedom that it once was? At this point, your guess is as good as mine. We will continue to follow this story and provide you with updates as necessary.

Email your comments to Kennysr61@gmail.com

Kenny Hogge, Sr.
Gloucester Point, Virginia