Where did this idea of Red Deer’s bike lanes come from? In spite of the danger of mingling bicycles with multi-ton motorized vehicles which has already caused injury to a family friend, I fear this is just the beginning of more hidden social dangers.
In 2011, by unanimous consent of city council, Red Deer joined ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives). On ICLEI’s own website (under Programs), they state, “Our campaigns, programs, and projects promote Local Agenda 21 as a participatory, long-term, strategic planning process that addresses local sustainability while protecting global common goods. Our programs and campaigns aim to link local action to internationally agreed upon goals and targets such as Agenda 21, the Rio Conventions, Habitat 1 & 2.”
So then ICLEI is an administrative organization tasked with implementing Agenda 21’s sustainable development for the UN by hijacking the environmental movement. Cities pay dues to obtain direction from ICLEI in establishing local laws and requirements regarding their environment.
I’ve found that ICLEI’s mandate eventually erases personal property rights and even steals land under a sustainable umbrella at local levels, even though they refute this — because Habitat 1 & 2 determined that privately owned land is a threat to social equity and is not sustainable.
Agenda 21 calls on all governments to regulate every potential impact that humans have on the environment. Are you prepared to be forced to ride a bike and be crammed into congested neighborhoods? Are property owners and businesses prepared to deal with water rights, zoning and land restriction issues? Not to mention new scrutinizing health care panels.
You will have all this and more if radical environmentalists and smart growth advocates have their way and all levels of government impose the policies of Agenda 21.
In following Agenda 21 guidelines, some communities in the U.S. have created radical policies towards land owners and rural farmers making it too expensive for them to maintain their livelihood and land.
During the U.S. Republican race, Newt Gingrich warned that Agenda 21 could potentially be used to seize private property of American citizens and that there are groups who want to take control of private property and turn it into publicly controlled property. So far, 147 cities in the U.S. have rescinded their memberships with ICLIE due to many local groups getting involved to stop Agenda 21 locally.
My concern is ICLEI’s influence will eventually lead to extreme progressive socialist control revoking many of our rights and freedoms. City council needs to look behind this green mask and see who’s there.
David Johns
Red Deer