Truck overturned in wind across from Wasilla Lakephoto taken by Nicole Gayman Gdula early this am
What's it going to take to rebuild the world into manageable sustainable communities? Experts. Lots and lots of well paid experts from someplace else. Locals never lead Local Agenda 21. More often than not, locals don't have the first clue about LA21, and citizen participation is a sham.
Agenda 21 is an action programme that has to be implemented by governments, UN agencies, local and regional administrators, organisations in the community and the general public. Governments are required to promote the dialogue among these players. But local government, too, closest as it is to the public at large, has a responsibility and has been allocated a major role in providing information, education and mobilising the general public to achieve sustainable development. One of the objectives of Agenda 21 is that every local government in 1996 should draw up its own Local Agenda 21 in close consultation with its citizens.
The Hague's Local Agenda 21 Plan
Safeguarding the environment is a key feature of Agenda 21, including issues like pollution, waste management and the protection of the oceans and freshwater resources. Agenda 21 also recognises the interdependence of environmental, social, health and economic issues, emphasising that all people have the right to food, health care, shelter and education. Agenda 21 suggests new ways in which different groups can be involved in the decision making process. Glasgow, UK - LA21 Plan http://www.gdrc.org/uem/la21/implications.html
I'm taking advantage of the fast internet here and still revising and updating portions of our books. It's been hard to focus being away from home but I'm getting it done. As always, ergh, we thank you all for your patience! :) Found a bunch of eye opening, highly relevant facts about President McKinley and his staff and their role in setting up the global court at the Hague (which somewhat modifies my opinion of him in the ACM). I'm changing the LA21 chapter too, looking up various plans to compare the different ways they're being introduced.
Palmer's plan looks totally benign, possibly because the MatSu Borough Plan is so thorough. So tonight I asked my hostess (whose parents homesteaded and farmed here since the 1950s) if she participated in Palmer's Community Vision, and she replied, "No." I then asked her if anyone she knows here went to any citizen planning meetings, and she replied, "No." I guess not all local citizens participate at the same level as the Anchorage Citizen's Coalition. In fact, I don't know one Alaskan who would envision our lives in the same way the Oregon/Ecotrust people at ACC do:
"It is essential that transportation programs and projects fulfill Anchorage 2020 by building the urban core into an active city center with sidewalks full of people going to work, shopping and to the park. Cars will move slowly through downtown, and transit is fast and convenient. Neighborhoods maintain their value as good places to raise children, and neighborhood centers attract families walking to convenience shops and businesses. Transit provides a true alternative to driving, and children walk safely to school."The winds have been blowing gusts up to 90 and 100 mph for the past 24 hours. When it goes away we're expecting more snow. Nobody I know wants to walk to work or school in the winter. I, like most moms I knew, didn't even make my kids ride the bus to school because I didn't want them standing at the bus stop. What part of Alaskan weather don't these "expert" advisers from the Lower 48 understand? I'm sure they ALL drive to their little meetings here. Well, maybe they envision a future where only the new class of leaders (like themselves) have the "right" to drive to work and the masses stand huddling waiting for buses whose drivers can't see the environmentally friendly passengers waiting behind huge piles of snow.
Check out the salary level for this position. Do local property taxes pay for it?
Community Development Manager (Palmer)
Date: 2010-12-15, 2:19PM AKST
This is highly responsible administrative program management work. The employee occupying the position of this class is responsible for planning, developing, coordinating and managing the various programs, services, and facilities of the land management, parks and trails, recreation and library services divisions to include coordinating various activities associated with the Borough's community development.
Bachelor’s degree in public lands, natural resources, parks, landscape architecture, recreation or business administration is required. Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the development, operation or management of public lands, parks, trails, recreation facilities or programs, including two (2) years of supervisory experience. Some experience in library work, or successful completion of library courses is desirable. Incident Command System classes required within one (1) year of hire: ICS-100 and IS-700. Valid Alaska driver’s license and a clear driving record and criminal history.
To Apply:
Submit applications to the Human Resources Office. Applications are available online at www.matsugov.us or at the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Building, 350 East Dahlia Avenue, Palmer, AK. If you need reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 746-7404.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Location: Palmer
Compensation: $74,987.00 to $102,045.00/year DOE
PostingID: 2114957582
What's the Incident Command System?
"NIMS: The National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides a systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life and property and harm to the environment." http://home.fema.gov/emergency/nims/AboutNIMS.shtmPalmer is a rural agricultural community. What's the 1996 Farm Bill? See Agenda 21 USA: http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/usa/natur.htm
Department of Community Development: http://www.cityofpalmer.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={0FB38086-26A1-4B00-AB94-A72E10DE2E84}
2006 Palmer Community Vision: http://www.cityofpalmer.org/vertical/Sites/%7BCEEE28AE-9003-4337-8BE2-A1961FF16E3D%7D/uploads/%7BFC975D68-325F-41A5-B69F-93A9618CA4ED%7D.PDF
Green collar workers? http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/white-blue-green-collar/
What's an Economic Ecosystem?
Agenda 21, Chapter 15 Conservation Of Biological Diversity
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/Trialogue/a21-ch15.html
