Roanoke Tea Party

We are faced every day with unpleasant political realities. If you have ever seen The Matrix you will recognize the artwork. Characters in the movie could choose to live in a dreamworld where they were pleasantly enslaved. Or they could choose to live in the real world, which was unpleasant but where they were free. The pill you chose to take would activate your choice.

Our current political situation is akin to this. And these issues are on display at the 2nd Tuesday Constitution Party Meeting at 6:30 PM Tuesday night at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood.

Again and again we see the fruits of our lack of vigilance. And we can choose to face unpleasant realities and stand up for our freedom and liberty. Or we can just meekly accept what is coming and just believe our political masters know what is best for us.

We have 2 good examples of this in local politics that have ramifications on the very core of our freedoms.

Number 1:

In February 24, 2009 the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors approved RESOLUTION 022409-2 ADOPTING A GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET FOR THE COUNTY OF ROANOKE ICLEI PROJECT. In part the document agreed:

“that the County of Roanoke will adopt a community greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 30 percent by the year 2020, or a 3 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions per year. This reduction target will apply to emissions produced by County government facilities and services as well as the emissions produced by the entire County:1NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of Roanoke will undertake to measure the percentage change in Greenhouse Gas Emissions annually and make public the results of the Community Climate Action Plan:BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the year 2020, a complete assessment of the CCP Initiative will be undertaken with the target year and reduction adjusted and renewed as needed consistent with the current state of global climate change.”

Current Board members Mike Altizer, Butch Church, Richard Flora and Charlotte Moore all voted in favor of this motion, committing the county to the agenda of ICLEI. It is well documented by the ICLEI organization themselves that they are a group beholden to the United Nations and the UN attempt to implement the radical and tyrannical Agenda 21 plan.

I am confident, that at the time most of the board gave this little consideration and just thought this was a nice way to “go Green” and ensure they didn’t run afoul of Federal agencies or strident activists from one of the dozens of advocacy groups that promote the Green Menace.

But what they are doing is a clear violation of their Constitutional Duties.

From Article 1, of the Virginia Bill of Rights:

“That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.”

The Code of Virginia’s § 1-248 deals with the Supremacy of federal and state law: “The Constitution and laws of the United States and of the Commonwealth shall be supreme. Any ordinance, resolution, bylaw, rule, regulation, or order of any governing body or any corporation, board, or number of persons shall not be inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States or of the Commonwealth.”

By signing this agreement, they made a pact with a United Nations proxy group, that certainly qualifies as a “governing body…inconsistent with the Constitution…” The stated goals of ICLEI and the UN regarding private property are clearly in violation of our basic property rights. As the UN proudly proclaims:

“Land… cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market… The provision of decent dwellings and healthy conditions for the people can only be achieved if land is used in the interest of society as a whole.” If this isn’t inconsistent with our Constitution, what is?

It gives me no pleasure in calling out some of the Board of Supervisors on this issue, but they have a Constitutional duty based on their oath of office.

“Code of Virginia § 49.1 – “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon me as [your elected office] according to the best of my ability, so help me God.”

They have a way out of this situation. And it is simple. They just need to sever ties with ICLEI. It is the right thing to do and it is their legal responsibility. Starting on July 26, we will have concerned citizens attending every Board of Supervisors meeting until the Board makes the proper decision. Roanoke County’s relationship with ICLEI must be severed and we will use whatever legal and civil means at our disposal to ensure that occurs.

This is not a choice around being ecologically friendly or not. Carbon emissions have no significant impact on the environment. Let the County make good decisions on zoning and regulations based on good stewardship of the County’s precious natural resources. We don’t need help from an organization steeped in tyrannical socialism and one that places the board in direct violation of the Constitution of Virginia.

Sever the ties today and be free. Agenda 21 will be front and center at 2nd Tuesday meeting with a major presentation by Don Casey, well known advocate against Agenda 21. Get armed with the facts and join us on July 26 at the County Admin building to advocate for freedom. The more people we can get there, the more likely they are to do the right thing.

Number 2

As the Roanoke Tea Party has repeatedly pointed out, the democratically controlled State Senate has frustrated many efforts to pass sane laws pertaining to everything from Immigration to Urban Development Areas. And our State Senator John Edwards is front and center in the effort to frustrate the will of the people for liberty.

We have made an issue of replacing Edwards and have advocated at a state and a local level for someone to challenge Edwards, who has gone 3 terms without a Republican challenger. Once we located a candidate, Roanoke’s own Tripp Godsey, who wanted to run as a Republican, suddenly, some influential members of the GOP decided that NOW it was time to find a candidate to run, after 12 years of inaction.

Go figure.

The selection of Dave Nutter, veteran House of Delegates member was hailed by leading Republicans and he became the presumptive nominee despite his late entry into the race.

Never mind that Nutter has voted for the Warner Tax increase of 2004 (the largest in state history) and HB3202 that gave us the state mandated Urban Development Areas. Never mind the fact that he voted for civil penalties for traffic violations without fully understanding that they only applied to Virginia drivers. Never mind he didn’t even bother to vote on the sham of a redistricting plan during the last session.

You can ask Dave Nutter these questions at the 2nd Tuesday meeting as well. Don’t buy into this tripe that only a status quo member of the club can win. Don’t keep putting the same people back into positions of power who will cave into pressure when the going gets tough.  How ironic is it that Dave is sharing the agenda with an Agenda 21 expert, where he will have to explain why he voted for the UDAs that helped forward Agenda 21. In fairness to Dave, he did vote to make the UDAs voluntary in the last session. But how can you trust him in these desperate times when he has caved on two of the biggest state votes this century?

You have a choice and that choice is voting for Tripp Godsey. We can change this by standing up for freedom, taking the proverbial red pill and standing with Tripp Godsey and freedom.

Liberty isn’t always the easy choice. But it is always the right choice.

Chip Tarbutton