Rescuing a Broken America: Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, we discussed the inspiring concept of “coordination” as outlined in Rescuing a Broken America: Why America is Deeply Divided and How to Heal it Constitutionally by Michael Coffman, Ph.D. In Part 2, we will discuss the success stories and how to move forward.

One of the key foundations to liberty is the right to own property. If government has the power to arbitrarily seize a person’s wealth or property, then a person cannot truly be considered “free” in an economic sense. That is why America’s Founders deemed it critically important to protect personal property rights through their enactment of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which states in part: “…nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.”

The “due process” clause of this segment references an individual’s right to notice and a hearing of the issues at hand. The “just compensation” clause has become synonymous with the government’s right to “eminent domain.”

The original purpose of eminent domain was to enable government officials to acquire property to establish places from which to operate the government. While the “public use” and “just compensation” limitations serve as a check on the power of eminent domain, over time the power has increasingly been abused, especially with respect to the concept of “public use.”

The two culprits used most frequently in the controversial abuses of property rights nationwide are the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA).

Success Story

However, both of these Acts have stipulations requiring the federal agencies coordinate with local agencies in the decision-making process “above and before the public input process.” When local communities are organized and prepared, they have the power to stem the tide of abuse and speak into the directives affecting their region.

Sometimes, the opposing force may not be a federal agency, but a state agency in tandem with a federal project. Perhaps the most convincing illustration of how the coordination approach can work within the local community was exemplified in the push-back to the Trans-Texas Highway (originally known as the NAFTA Superhighway).

The planned North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Superhighway was foundational to the implementation plans for the North American Union as set forth by Robert Pastor. [See January 2010 Personal Update article, “2010 and Beyond: North America,” for more information.]

The Trans-Texas Highway was planned as a 10-lane, very limited-access road with five lanes in each direction, in addition to passenger and freight rail lines running alongside pipe-lines laid for oil and natural gas.

The plan would require taking 80,300 acres of privately owned land out of production and splitting communities in half. The billions of dollars budget to complete the project were to be provided by a foreign company, Cintra Concessions de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A. of Spain. Upon completion, the entire Trans-Texas Corridor infrastructure would be privately operated by lease to the Cintra consortium to be operated as a toll-road.

Under the direction of attorney Fred Kelly Grant, a group known as the American Land Foundation and Stewards of the Range (now the American Stewards of Liberty) used the coordination requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in conjunction with a seldom used provision of Texas law—Chapter 391 of the Texas Local Government Code—to stop the Trans-Texas Highway project.

The key to success is the “planning.” Five communities (and some were as small as school districts) joined together. They created a government entity they called the Eastern Central Texas Sub-Regional Planning Commission (ECTSRPC) to demand “coordination” with the state and the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT).

The first item of business on the ECTSRPC agenda was to challenge the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This is the crucial document completed by any agency involved in a NEPA project. To no one’s surprise, the EIS made little mention of the economic and social impact of the Tran-Texas Highway.

The ECTSRPC uncovered a quagmire of corruption, short-cuts, NEPA violations and outright illegal actions by TXDOT to force this project through within established deadlines. The ECTSRPC requested the EIS be rejected because the TXDOT violated the law when they completed the impact study.

In what can be viewed as a victory for the underdog, the ECTSRPC used the federal connection to request the Federal Highway Administration reject the EIS and force Texas to start over with a valid study in coordination with the ECTSRPC. The combined political clout of then-president George Bush and Texas Governor Rick Perry could not move the project forward in its current configuration. The TXDOT project deadline expired and they no longer had the authority to implement the project.

The re-election of Governor Rick Perry will most likely bring a resurrection of the Trans-Texas Highway. It will not happen, however, without the input of the citizens of the ECTSRPC.

The Path Ahead

To work effectively, the coordination process requires local elected officials that understand Constitutional principles, and have the courage to stand up to the “Goliaths” and protect their citizens. Additionally, citizens need to be willing to put in hundreds, and sometimes thousands of hours over a lengthy period of time. This is not a process that can be completed with “instant gratification.”

It is also important to understand that the “elite” will react. The strategy has been the same for all tyrants throughout history—demonize, vilify, and then nullify the opposition when the facts don’t support their agenda.

Challenge what you read or hear in the mainstream media. Beware of manufactured “crises” that require a governmental “cure.” These are often established to keep the local citizenry from challenging the actions of a governmental agency.

While the coordination process will not bring about the end of the globalist schemes, it will help to reverse the encroachment of federal and state powers over local citizens. It will help level the playing field while exposing the plans of the environmental movement and social non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in your area.

Moving Forward

While the coordination model is quite provocative and has been utilized successfully in many localities country-wide, Dr. Coffman provides a caveat:

Whatever is done will take many years to accomplish. In the meantime, the United States needs a plan to stop the usurpation of our liberties while we slowly disassemble the system of chokeholds the global cartel has put into place over the past one hundred years. While Congress could act swiftly to do this, don’t expect it—at least not initially. It can only begin when we elect congressmen and women to office who have pledged to uphold the Constitution. Protection of the local community has to come from local government—using existing federal law. [emphasis mine]

Yes, it will take many years. A simple review of Dr. Chuck Missler’s briefing pack Hosea Can You See? shows how far this country, in general, has fallen from the principles of any semblance of a “moral people.”

Should We Get Involved?

Perhaps we should look at the challenge issued by Winston Churchill upon entering World War II:

If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.

Dr. Coffman states his plea and call to action as:

This country no longer has a Republican form of government “instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Instead, it has an intelligent, but poorly educated and indoctrinated population that a very biased news media and powerful social-environmental lobby can easily manipulate. In turn, political and financial manipulation by the global financial cartel heavily influences public education, the judicial system, the media and environmental leaders...It is a war America is losing unless you make a stand to stop it.

Luke 19 tells the parable of a nobleman, his servants, and the talents he left with them while he went on a journey. Verse 13 says simply, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, occupy till I come.”

This is truly a time to reflect upon the question Dr. Missler often asks: “What is it that God is calling you to do?” The answer to that question is as different as the individuals reading this article. My prayer is that the information provided by Dr. Coffman be an arrow in your quiver to pull if needed in your particular situation. In all situations, may we be a light and an ambassador of our coming King.