When the argument is made that there is an unholy alliance between our local, publicly elected representatives and Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s), like Sustainable Connections, Futurewise, the Opportunity Council, ReSources for Sustainable Communities (see an underlining theme here?), we were not kidding.
It has recently come to my attention that there was a large hand-out given to “Sustainable Connections and The Opportunity Council” of federal stimulus funds from the Department of Energy (DOE). These funds were tagged for the Community Enercy Challenge (CEC), granted to our Whatcom County government, to be administered through Banner Bank, a local bank. These funds were expected to fly out the doors as small businesses and private individuals scooped up the $467,000.00 of grant money available for Whatcom County. After approximately 2+ years, they had only given out 20% of these funds. So, what did the Whatcom County Council, with the blessings of the Whatcom County Executive do? They gave the remaining 80% of these funds over to Sustainable Connections and the Opportunity Council to give-away.
As I listen to the local radio stations, I hear numerous radio ads telling people how they can get “free” money to use for “green” energy projects and get “free” energy credits for years to come. News flash; “Nothing is free!” This money cost somebody, something and the funds came from the unspent stimulus package, that should’ve gone back to help pay down the skyrocketing debt our local, state and federal government is racking up. Who is going to pay that debt? The politicians who so blithely give it away? No! Those of us who actually pay taxes will be on the hook for every blessed penny.
Now before you say; “So what?” Remember, the Whatcom County Council is obligated to make the distribution of these funds public. Sustainable Connections and the Opportunity Council, are not required to make the distribution of these funds public. Now the DOE has the authority to audit these funds, but that does not make this a transparent transaction for you and I to see that this money is spent as required.
When the public coffers are ripe with mismanagement, we are broke, TEA’d off, and frustrated by the unfettered spending in government at all levels, how come this continues to happen?
Is this crony capitalism, or crony socialism? I say, crony socialism, because these NGO’s are shutting down the U.S. Constitution, the Washington State Constitution, Whatcom County Charter and Bellingham City Charter, as they were originally written to promote growth, freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as inalienable rights of all “free” citizens. How is this done? Through fiscal, social manipulation of the tax dollars, which are increasingly used to pick life’s winners and losers. No longer is it the hard work of an individual that gets rewarded. It is whomever and however you can convince these NGO’s and their complicit political partners (PPP’s) to give tax dollars to the chosen few.
YiT, Shelly
I ask you to decide, did Whatcom County elect a true conservative who is dedicated to protect and defend your rights as a “private individual”? Or, did Whatcom County elect a County Executive dedicated to “the Collective”?
Shelly