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The proposed Greenville County Tree Ordinance is part of a much larger agenda. While the benefits of trees and other plant life to the human race are undeniable, those benefits may be achieved and maintained without depriving property owners of their God-given constitutional rights.
Despite the participation of a number of well-meaning people in the development and support of the proposed ordinance, advocates have been organized and propagandized by highly skilled facilitators that totally ignore in their rhetoric the negative impact of the proposal on the constitutional rights of property owners. The leaders of the effort have a clear agenda that seeks to control their fellow- man and is not in the best interest of property owners or any free American.
America is undergoing a massive shift from a manufacturing economy based on free enterprise, individual freedom and personal initiative, to a service economy and a government-controlled form of socialism. The redistribution of wealth and power necessary to achieve success without alerting the population to the agenda being imposed on the people must be accomplished gradually without creation of a counter revolution.
In order to identify the County Council members who are proponents of this abominable ordinance that, if enacted, will virtually price first home purchasers out of the market, one must only look at the campaign finance reports of candidates for Greenville County Council. By examining the list of heavy campaign contributors, it becomes readily apparent that some members of County Council owe their elections to economically powerful individuals and organizations that have a tree ordinance as part of their agenda.
Ownership of private property is one of the constitutional guarantees that have kept our republic free for more than two centuries. Real property ownership and control is a source of wealth and power.
Socialist and communist governments do not protect individual property rights. In order to control the people, communist governments seize and control the use of real property. That is the direction in which the proposed tree ordinance will force Greenville County.
The 22-page proposal is a far-reaching, comprehensive attempt to seize control of private property, by limiting the usefulness of the property to the legitimate owner. And, therefore, redistributing the economic and political power of property owners to government agencies, bureaucratic enforcers and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs).
Fortunately the word is out. Readers of The Times Examiner, listeners to Talk Radio WORD and those who put forth the time and effort to attend Council meetings and monitor the activities of elected officials are reacting to the proposal.
It has been referred back to the Council Committee on Public Works, Planning and Development, chaired by Councilman Jim Burns. While Burns is seen as a chief advocate for the Tree Ordinance, he did not put the subject on the agenda for the August 6 committee meeting.
Although it may be several weeks or months before the Tree Ordinance comes out of committee again in the face of strong public opposition, advocates for the ordinance will be pressuring Burns and members of his committee to do whatever is necessary to bring it before the full Council for a vote.
Whenever the proposal surfaces again publicly, opponents must be prepared to react quickly if they are to achieve success. Advocates are well-organized and can be expected to show up at Greenville County Square with hundreds of their members and supporters on short notice. Their efforts to force passage of some version of a Tree Ordinance will be supported by much of the local media at the time they deem appropriate.
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