"Agenda 21/Property Rights Bills
*Important Reminder: As of 2010, each bill
submitted costs approximately $3000-$5000 to process.*
I have reported on 57 bills relating to Agenda 21 and/or
Property Rights. There were many more
bills this session that could have been included.
Because the people on my distribution list know about Agenda
21, I am only going to explain my positions on a couple of bills that differ
from Tea Party positions. I am not
saying that the Tea Party Federation is wrong because they have valid reasons
for their assessments. I just came to a
different conclusion based on my bias and what I could interpret.
“Establishes a
special nonreverting fund known as the Wetland and Stream Replacement Fund to
receive moneys paid to the State Water Control Board for mitigation of any
impacts that a project may have on wetlands. The moneys in the fund are to be
disbursed to purchase mitigation bank credits…”
Ø
I oppose all funds that
do not relate to a specific core governmental function and even then I question
the need when a budget would suffice.
Ø
This fund supports the
Agenda 21 tool of wetland mitigation that is in opposition to private property
rights.
Ø
Wetland mitigation
banking is similar to the carbon credit exchange the federal government wanted
to force on us. It is a cap and tax
scheme.
Fiscal Implications: “DEQ anticipates requiring one
position at an annual cost of $80,000 for salary and benefits. If the revenues
derived from this fee are insufficient to cover the entire cost of the position,
the agency will have to absorb the remaining impact, absent some general fund
support.”
Ø
This is an expansion of government that will cost not only those
poor folks whose property has been labeled a wetland but most likely every
taxpayer.
“Establishes the Virginia Nuclear Energy
Consortium Authority as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth for the
purposes of making the Commonwealth a national and global leader in nuclear
energy and serving as an interdisciplinary study, research, and information
resource for the Commonwealth on nuclear energy issue.”
·
“Summary:
This legislation
establishes the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority (Authority) as a
political subdivision of the Commonwealth. The Authority will be governed by a
17-member board of directors, ten of whom are appointed by the Governor, five
representing specific public institutions of higher education, and two
representing the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and the Virginia
Economic Development Partnership. The Authority is required to form a nonstock,
nonprofit corporation, which would be referred to as the “Virginia Nuclear Energy
Consortium” (Consortium). Membership in the Consortium will be opened to both
public and private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth,
Virginia-based federal research laboratories, nuclear-related nonprofit
organizations, business entities with operating facilities in Virginia that are
engaged in activities directly related to the nuclear energy industry, and
other individuals whose membership is granted by the Consortium's board of
directors. The purposes of the Consortium include carrying out the rights,
powers, and duties of the Authority and conducting other activities useful in:
·
making
the Commonwealth a leader in nuclear energy,
·
serving
as an interdisciplinary study, research, and information resource for the Commonwealth
on nuclear energy issues, and
·
raising
money on behalf of the Authority in the corporate and nonprofit community and
from other nonstate sources.”
Ø
This creates a public-private partnership and public-private
partnerships are an Agenda 21 tool.
Ø
This creates an unelected Authority that will affect the nuclear
energy industry.
Ø
This “political subdivision of the Commonwealth” represents an
expansion of government.
Ø
This Authority is going to need money to operate and it would be
naïve to think tax dollars will not be allocated to fund it through grants, tax
credits, or direct funding.
Ø
If Virginia were to become a national and global leader in nuclear
energy, it would best happen through the free market. Government and Academia usually just add
expense and interference.
HB 2190 Stormwater management ordinances; requires localities to
adopt more stringent requirements. “Summary: This bill requires localities
to report to the Department of Conservation and Recreation when a more stringent
stormwater management ordinance or stormwater requirements are developed by the
localities.”
Ø This takes power away from localities.
“Fiscal
Implications: This bill could result in administrative costs to the Department
of Conservation and Recreation resulting from greater regulatory review
requirements. Specifically, the addition of language directing appeals of
locality decisions regarding BMP usage limitations to the Department may result
in additional time and resource impacts depending on the magnitude of such
appeals. Such costs are indeterminate.”
Ø This will be an added expense.
Who will pay?"
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