Perhaps the most insidious aspect of the left’s current ascendancy, across the US but especially in currently-single-party Minnesota, is the complete control they have of the long-range planning bodies that control the spending of so very, very much money in our society.
And Katherine Kersten is onto the biggest and baddest such body in Minnesota, and their real aim – to take control of life as we know it in Minnesota.
The goal – from the Obama administration all the way down to the State of Minnesota – is to view metropolitan areas as “Regions”, and plan those regions so as to start funnelling people, by means subtle and brash, from the outskirts back into the cities.
It’s called Regionalism, and it’s not merely for your and society’s own good; it intends to set things straight:
Regionalism is driven by a core ideological conviction: The cause of the poverty and social dysfunction that bedevil America’s cities is the greed and racial bigotry of suburbanites — especially those in prosperous, outer-ring suburbs, which are viewed as unjustly excluding the poor. Regionalists believe that financial aid for the inner ring won’t remedy this injustice. A profound change in governance is required.
It’s an authoritarian approach to building Utopia. And like all such attempts throughout history, it requires a villain.
What sort of change? The title of a book by regionalist guru David Rusk puts it bluntly: “Cities without Suburbs.” In regionalists’ view, suburbs with their own tax bases are, by definition, a menace to cities, and the distinctions between the two must be wiped out as completely as possible.
Regionalists’ strategy to effectively merge cities and suburbs turns on two ideologically freighted buzzwords: “equity” and “sustainability.” “Equity” is code for using public policy to redistribute wealth and to engineer economic equality among demographic groups.
Regionalists view metrowide “economic integration” as one of government’s primary responsibilities. Their plan to accomplish it is twofold: Disperse urban poverty throughout a metro area via low-income housing and make suburban life so inconvenient and expensive that suburbanites are pushed back into the city.
So the suburbs – and suburbanites – are the enemy, the Emanuel Goldsteins against whom the Regionalists will muster their side’s ignorant rage.
“Sustainability” means policies that would override market forces to ensure that in the future, the great majority of new jobs, economic development and public works projects are funneled into the metro area’s urban core and inner ring — where, not coincidentally, regionalists’ own political base is concentrated. “Sustainable” policies promote high-density, Manhattan-style living, and attempt to wean us away from our cars and push us to walk, bike or use public transit to get to work.
As one critic — speculating on MSP 2040’s likely outcome — lamented: “Do we all have to live in a 1,500-square-foot condo above a coffee shop on a transit line?”
That’d be the goal.
Of course, if you’re a conservative – at least, a libertarian-conservative – you know that allocating society’s resources via political means, especially to promote political ends, is the least-efficient way to do it. And it’s Economics 101 to observe that “making people pay more, or less, than they naturally would for a good, or service (or, by extension, government) is the road to wrenching unintended consequences”.
But that’s the point – making society, or at least the less-favored part of it, pay the bill for utopia:
Suburbanites will disproportionately shoulder the costs of this socially engineered transformation, paying more in taxes and getting less back in infrastructure and public services…Regionalists’ strategy for imposing their agenda hinges on giving regional bodies like the Met Council the ultimate trump: the power of the checkbook. The Obama administration’s “Sustainable Communities Initiative” (SCI) provides a model. SCI channels federal funds for land use, transportation and housing projects through regional bodies. The catch is that, to participate, municipalities must embrace redistributive “equity” goals.
Kersten doesn’t mention – because it’s outside the scope of the piece – that the “unintended consequences” of this sort of gigantistic destruction of the free market toward political goals are always, always vastly worse than planned. Trying to force people and jobs back into cities at a time when the market is obsoleting the central core city – a concept that never actually occurred in human history outside of the 200-year window of the Industrial Revolution, a period that is drawing to a close even as we speak – is going to cause huge problems.
Kevin Williamson may have been dead right; it may well be that the faster the Federal government goes broke, the better. At least it’ll stymie this sort of authoritarian meddling.
The Powerline guys asked that if the US is overall a slightly center-right nation, then why do Republicans not do well in elections. I would broaden that to comment on most voters being low information voters.
People don’t understand how it isn’t always direct laws, but back door control. EPA law allows unelected bureaucrats to make law. Fine for big pollution that we used to have. But now the EPA has unilaterally determined carbon to be a pollutant, so now has the power to regulate any source of carbon.
Or Obamacare. How many times is the phrase “The secretary may…..” used? It gives almost dictatorial power.
People vote Democrat because they are promised all kinds of free stuff. And taxes will be raised on others to pay for it. Few people really understand how powerful the government has become.
I remember as a kid, watching the mayhem on the TV news that came from Chicago, wondering why people in Illinois tolerated the Windy City sucking up such a disproportionate portion of the state’s wealth. Now, knowing how horrendously inefficient mass transit, skyscrapers, and welfare are, I wonder all the more why we tolerate it.
Great picture of the difficulty; when in California for my brother’s wedding in 2002, I read in the paper how the city of Oakland was planning to build some “affordable” housing for about $400,000 per unit. It struck me that for about a fourth the price, the city could simply pay people to move to a lower cost state. Later that year, I read about how my home city (Longmont, CO then) was calling $250,000 townhomes “affordable housing.” Not quite sure on what planet that qualifies as “affordable”, but…..
Ironic, isn’t it, that liberal elites like Chris Matthews and Thos. Friedman live in lilly-white communities in Maryland? Neighborhoods chosen to enhance their lifestyles at the expense of the greater community, of course. Imagine how Matthew’s upper-class, whitebread presence could uplift the lives of poor inner-city residents! Perhaps we could pass a law compelling people who earn over $100k/year, or possess > $1,000,000 in family wealth to send their kids to public schools and public colleges. Imagine what that would do to ease the problem of intergenerational inequality!
Friedman’s anti-suburb credentials are even more questionable, however, seeing that he married into a family that attained great wealth and social status by financing the construction of suburban shopping malls.
Those ‘pursuit of happiness’ and ‘free association’ things? That’s only for people who have demonstrated the proper attitude by choosing the correct happiness to pursue, and the right people to associate with.
Pow…..I’d like to see some high density, section 8 housing on Summitt Ave in St Paul. How’s that for celebrating diversity.
I think you could say Summit Ave. does feature Section 8 housing – the Governor’s Mansion. That is, if you use the military’s definition of Section 8.
Bravo Night Writer.
As another example of funneling assets into the cities, how about the Viking Staduim boondoggle? The next thing worse than robbing the public to pay for it was wedging it into Minneapolis instead of putting it in the less-vexing to 218’ers Arden Hills site.
Further support is evidenced by the accepted use of “fair”, “fairness,” and all the other unearned entitlements and justifications based on social justice themes.
My favorite is “through no fault of their own,” often used to justify the reason the illegal alien children of illegal immigrant parents deserve the Dream Act.
Grab your piece if the ChemLawn jungle while you can …
Qualitative concepts are sadly so easy to sell to the low information masses.
Bravo Night Writer.
As another example of funneling assets into the cities, how about the Viking Staduim boondoggle? The next thing worse than robbing the public to pay for it was wedging it into Minneapolis instead of putting it in the less-vexing to 218’ers Arden Hills site.
Further support is evidenced by the accepted use of “fair”, “fairness,” and all the other unearned entitlements and justifications based on social justice themes.
My favorite is “through no fault of their own,” often used to justify the reason that the illegal alien children of illegal alien parents deserve the Dream Act.
Grab your piece if the ChemLawn jungle while you can …
Qualitative concepts are sadly so easy to sell to the low information masses.
“My favorite is “through no fault of their own,” often used to justify the reason that the illegal alien children of illegal alien parents deserve the Dream Act.”
Obviously the solution is to send the illegal alien kid and its illegal alien parents back to whatever country they came from.
Inhumane? No more inhumane than making low-skilled and semi-skilled Americans compete with foreigners for work in their own country — so corporations can improve their balance sheet.
From the linked article:
‘Equity’ and ‘sustainability’. In this context, ‘equity’ means the government will decide how you shall live, and ‘sustainability’ means that you cannot change things. Ever.
Low information voters really need a wake up call. Someone should comission bill boards that list the requirements for a *temporary* visa from Mexico [emphasis mine]:
1. VALID PASSPORT AND ONE PHOTOCOPY.
Passport must have at least 6 months of validity remaining. If person is a legal resident of U.S., a copy of the front and back of the alien registration card is also required.
2. LETTER FROM THE BANK that proves a minimum monthly deposit of One Thousand ($1,000) dollars per dependent.
OR
COPIES OF YOUR BANK STATEMENTS for the last 6 months that proves your monthly deposit covers the amount stated above.
3. TWO (2) PASSPORT FRONT VIEW PHOTOS
no automatic machine photos will be accepted.
4. COMPLETED APPLICATION FORM
5. FEES :
One Hundred Thrity Two (132.00) dollars (U.S.) paid in cash only – no money orders, company, personal or cashier’s check will be accepted.
These people ain’t idiots, but they recognize one when they meet ’em.
Mingo, Mexico has the problem of low wage immigrants figured out. They only accept *no wage* immigrants.
They protect their highly skilled work-force especially:
1. VALID PASSPORT AND ONE PHOTOCOPY OF PASSPORT
Passport must have at least 6 months of validity remaining. If person is a legal resident of U.S., a copy of the front and back of the alien registration card (green card) is also required. Check with a Mexican consulate (see below) if from another nation.
2. LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO BY THE AMERICAN COMPANY HE/SHE REPRESENTS, ON THE OFFICIAL COMPANY LETTERHEAD STATING THE FOLLOWING:
A. Specific purpose of the trip in Mexico.
B. That applicant’s salary will be paid in the U.S.
C. Time requested and length of stay in Mexico.
3. A LETTER OR LETTERS FROM THE COMPANY / COMPANIES IN MEXICO, ADDRESSED TO THE COMPANY IN THE U.S.A., REQUESTING THE SERVICE OF THE TECHNICIAN OR ENGINEER AND THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED.
4. TWO (2) PASSPORT FRONT VIEW PHOTOS IN COLOR.
NO AUTOMATIC MACHINE PHOTOS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
5. COMPLETED APPLICATION FORM.
6. FEES:
One hundred and fifty six ($156.00) U.S. dollars paid in cash only – no money orders, company, personal or cashier’s check will be accepted.
7. A COPY OF THE COMPANIES BUSINESS LICENSE. MUST NOT BE EXPIRED.
We are being led by people that are not just willing to sacrifice our economic best interests for political power, they are enthusiastic about it.
I post this because I was unable to get a visa extension while working in Mexico in 2010. I had to leave the country for 30 days, then re-apply.
Yanqui go home.
In Australia they’ve come to an agreement with the government of Papua-New Guinea. Any illegals intercepted are sent to a holding area on PNG. Kind of like Guantanamo. They’ve got about about a billion people living in third world countries within rafting distance.
These days the policy is supported by both the Liberal and Labour parties..
Drove on University Ave last evening. Along the new rail line. I did not see any hipsters, rush hour traffic nor quaint cafes with sidewalk seating, as in all the marketing brochures. All I saw was blight and abandoned businesses. It reminded me of Chicago ghetto. To thinks that businesses would miraculously sprout is a utopian dream that will never happen. For the first time in 20 years I have lived in the Twin Cities I locked my doors when driving on a street. Thank you!
“equity” and “sustainability.” Welcome to the collective, comrade. Now shut up and get in line!
“Regionalists’ strategy for imposing their agenda hinges on giving regional bodies like the Met Council the ultimate trump: the power of the checkbook.”
Defund and disband the MC………NOW!!