Seems bizarre, but a UN environmental agenda is being carried out right here in Gilroy
Dear Editor,
I care about saving our environment so I attended the Greenbelt Alliance workshop entitled “Wildlands, Food and Your Health.” The Santa Clara County Health Department and the Open Space Authority had representatives who also spoke. At the June 16 workshop in Gilroy I encountered the following:
n The facilitators of the workshop used the Delphi technique (a technique developed by the RAN Corp. to guide recipients to a predetermined outcome) on the attendees to ensure their support.
n Public questions and opposition to proposed plans was limited, marginalizing anyone who disagreed with the facilitator’s plan or asked too many questions.
n Numerous slides of data and statistics were quickly flashed on a screen preventing the public time to discuss, digest, assess, or fully understand the information in order to come to a consensus.
I was so offended at the tactics used at this workshop that I started thinking “why would an organization have to use such underhanded schemes to sell their plans if they are good?”
So I did some research. I discovered that the County of Santa Clara is a member of ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives). ICLEI is a non-governmental organization created to implement U.N. Agenda 21. So what is U.N. Agenda 21?
According to their document “Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment.”
Wow, that’s pretty scary, an action plan that wants to impact every aspect of my life and I know nothing about it? I figured I needn’t worry since this couldn’t possibly effect me since this is a U.N. plan and I live in the U.S. Wrong.
ICLEI has already distributed it’s “Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide” to most local counties and cities across the U.S. In fact, the City of Gilroy paid dues to ICLEI in 2008 and Santa Clara is currently a member (ref: ICLEI’s website)
Once you read these documents (they are all online) you will understand why most Americans wouldn’t openly accept these “global” principles. They contradict the principles of our U.S. Constitution.
So it’s starting to make sense.
NGO’s like Greenbelt Alliance with ties to U.N. (funding from the TIDES Foundation) locally implementing U.N. Agenda 21 principles via planning guides.
But I still wanted to know why these (NGO’s) are so eager to put on these free workshops in our communities? What do they get out of it? Correct, the money. Greenbelt Alliance and other “green” businesses are eager to get government grants and government contracts that pay their salaries with our tax dollars while they manipulate the public into supporting (and growing) their environmental organizations and furthering the Agenda 21 principles, good or not.
What’s worse is that no one is telling you the effects these good intentioned programs are having as they take away your property rights, and other rights.
I don’t recall voting for or against any of this. We didn’t. Seems the only thing they need us taxpayers for is to pay the bill. You can bet I’ll be reporting on the effects of these plans next so stay tuned, there’s plenty more to come.
Georgine Scott-Codiga, Gilroy
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-penned letter.
Piece of American Cold War history could be headed for unfortunate destruction
Dear Editor,
Mt. Umunhum is a 3,400- foot high mountain northeast of Watsonville. Ohlone Indians called it “resting place of the hummingbird” and was once known as home for the Almaden Air Station with it’s associated air defense radar that was in operation from 1958 to 1980 at the height of the Cold War.
Currently a debate is ongoing as what to do with the “cube” which is the five-story building on which the search radar was mounted sitting atop this mountain and the last remnant of this U.S. Air Force ADC (Air Defense Command) & SAGE (semi automatic ground environment) system base that stood watch for Soviet bombers that thankfully never came.
Many folks consider it an eyesore and want it razed. Others like myself, feel it represents a very uncertain time in the history of the United States and Bay Area and should be preserved.
Air Force personnel kept a constant watch of their radar scopes and if a “bogie” appeared, and perceived suspicious or hostile, NORAD (North American Air Defense Command) was alerted and Air Defense command jet interceptors were scrambled and vectored to the threat airplane, be it a Tupelov TU-95 “Bear”, TU-22 supersonic “Blinder” or Myasishchev M-4 “Bison” nuclear bomber.
Back in the late 1950s and into the ’60s, there were a number of Air Force bases with ADC detachments ringing the Bay Area including Hamilton (Novato), Travis (Fairfield) Castle (Merced) and California Air Guard in Fresno. Several types of jet aircraft were used for air defense, however the ultimate all weather interceptor was the supersonic Convair F-106 Delta Dart, armed with Falcon missiles.
Mt. Umunhum with it’s panoramic views is currently off limits to the public, however a plan is afoot to open it up for recreation with hiking and bike trails. This is good, but in my opinion, the historic “cube” must be saved.
Gary V. Plomp, Gilroyan and aviation historian
