Freedom Advocates

The Santa Cruz County Planning Department and most recently the Santa Cruz County Superior Court system have again demonstrated that the environmental movement is: (1) merely a front for destruction of private property and the freedom that private property supports and (2) not committed to improving or “saving the environment.”

Under a benign sounding program called “Pathfinder,” single-family houses in the United Kingdom are targets of the wrecking ball. The aggressive tactic of "public/private partner" redevelopment called “Smart Growth” (rails, trails and high-density housing) is occurring on both sides of the Atlantic. “Eminent domain” and “compulsory purchase order seizures” are on the rise but there is also hope in the form of successful individual resistance.

Private property advocates respond to Los Angeles Times’ missing coverage of the Hollywood & Vine eminent domain redevelopment controversy.

Liberty Garden is a coastal oasis in Central California. It is a demonstration of how private property and ecological stewardship work hand in hand. There a former weed lot now supports a wild wonderland with a plethora of productive native plants, which in turn support an array of indigenous species. Liberty Garden proves that if people are free to create voluntary associations, the laws of economics and the consequence of stewardship will cause the earth to improve.

Property owners need to make a bold statement and a firm stand - no more encroachments on our rights and "taking" of our land - not 200 ft, not 100 ft, not 50 ft, not even one foot!

A true nightmare story of what can happen when you find yourself outside the political “inner circle.” A relative of a disgruntled employee told Hillary Falconer of Briarcliff Farm that she was going to report  Falconer to the county and other agencies.  Shortly thereafter, Briarcliff Farm was inspected by the enforcement unit of the Planning Department of the County of Santa Cruz.  And thus, the nightmare began! 

Santa Cruz "red-tagging" is an experiment in social engineering.  Those in favor with those in power get special treatment.  Those who are not in favor often end up with  alleged building code violations called "red tags."  This is not the story of a free America that has rights protected by the Constitution.  Rather, it portrays the “Gestapo of the West” where only the wealthy or those willing to commit their life savings or retirement funds have a chance to protect themselves.*

When does a voting majority ever have the right to take away legal property from another? According to one of the most renowned U.S. Supreme Court Justices, Robert H. Jackson, the answer is never. According to Jackson, "One's right to life, liberty, and property, . . . and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no election."

Despite what you might be hearing, the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) will not foster respect for private property rights.

Smooth salesmen and lawyers representing land trusts, environmental organizations and government agencies are swooping down upon America’s beleaguered and highly regulated rural landowners. With a smile, some cash and a contract, America's landowners are rapidly losing private control of natural resources. 

Summary:

"Liberty Garden proves that if people are free to create voluntary associations, the laws of economics and the consequence of stewardship will cause the earth to improve."

Michael Shaw, Abundance Ecologist