meaningful public participation – Page 2

“The World According to Doctrine” — “The NEW Constitution”

I’ve tried to move things along – bring about a change in the treatment of the rural community documented in Tompkins County and Tammany Hall. I’ve sent emails, letters, and books – to authorities in government, college programs, newspapers, even to investigative media – with one result: nothing. No encouragement, no dismissiveness, no acknowledgement — no response of any kind. It’s rejection beyond rejection: it’s non-existence.

Our whole structure of authority and oversight is not one of a functioning government – but of a gang. And all those who might be able to help: are involved, unwilling, or afraid.

Maybe it’s a good thing that I’m not considered a threat – or I might end up as the victim of a “robbery gone bad.”

You don’t think that could happen? Our lives are of no importance to our government – just ask them — and wait for their answer.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “How does government balance Social Justice?”

If there’s anything we know about “Social Justice” – it’s that we don’t know anything. It’s carried out in secret and justified on the basis of restricted information and selective disclosures. Even the simplest inquiries are hindered by a forest of FOIL forms – breaking any straight forward request into a maze of bureaucratic roadblocks.

There’s only one fact that our government can’t conceal – every program and policy they enact gives them more power and more control — and that’s what government is all about these days, isn’t it.

“The World According to Doctrine” — Equal treatment for all, always

Equal treatment for all always

Martin Luther King, Jr. is under attack, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln and Malcolm X are under attack.

Anyone who believes that equality and individual human worth are absolutes – and cannot be recast, revised, or revoked – is under attack.

Everyone who believes that others are no less than themselves, and no less deserving than themselves – is being disrespected and dismissed by those who see a better world as the reflection of their own gain and satisfaction.

Let’s debate it – and better than that — let’s see who wants to change it, what they want to do, and who they want to do it to: Full Disclosure – Full Exposure — whether they want it or not!

If you feel conflicted by contemporary Social Programs – that’s the big step – now take the little step and come back to where we all belong — where everyone matters.

“The World According to Doctrine” — New Normal Corruption – “Lines of Defense”

In our government’s protective reflex to swat away any annoyance, its first response is to “Discredit the Complainant” who is causing the trouble.

When it comes to discrediting the facts that conflict with and undermine government policy making decisions; authorities can choose from a number of passive and proactive methods. A bureaucratic favorite is to present the public with background information that deliberately misrepresents, and even omits key facts; in order to validate their chosen course of action.

If getting government authorities to admit the facts is difficult; getting them to accurately report a situation and make appropriate policy decisions is almost impossible. Not only do they occupy a “high ground” that allows them to cite everything from jobs to jurisprudence as an excuse; they can change the ground rules to suit their objectives.

An important part of today’s regulatory process is how well it works to protect the interests of those who are regulated. Our government continually legislates ineffectual regulations; that effectively protect the wrongdoers.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “If representative government isn’t dead . . .”

What’s the biggest stumbling block to representative government? Silence.

The first choice of politicians to address any unwelcome problem is silence. The second is to pass you on. The third it to blame someone else. The fourth is silence. The fifth is silence . . .

Tompkins County politicians’ “vision of the future” is “based on a set of principles that reflect the values of the community as expressed by the County Legislature they have elected” – does that sound like representative government to you?

Since Tompkins County residents overwhelming believe that their government is corrupt and there is no meaningful participation – they don’t either.

The response of Tompkins County officials to their decisions is: Take it or leave it – there’s nothing you can do about it. And if you want to question, debate, disclose, or document issues — silence.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “Meaningful Participation Flow Chart”

It’s almost comical how annoyed our public servants are with the public. The last fifty years has seen a steady erosion of public participation in government at every level.

Each new policy and program enacted – streamlines the government process by eliminating the greatest obstacle to their smoothly running rulership — the people.

An informed public are those who read the whole proclamation – and our electorate are more interested in voting self-interest; rather than in self-rule.

Clinging to the robes of the powerful won’t save you; and more surprisingly — it won’t save them.

“The World According to Doctrine” — New Normal Videogame Screenshots – “New Normal Government”

The Pandemic not only gave government greater powers – it let them shut out the public in many ways. And unless we force those doors back open: they will remain shut. It’s a government that continues to disrespect us in the coming elections – running hot button campaigns; and stirring in the hate and fear to a mindless frenzy.

In the sunset of our society – all thoughts of human worth are submerged in a mad scramble to grab everything we can. We are dogs in a pit; who never stop to wonder who built it — or why.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “Survey questions they won’t ask”

When people ask you; “How are you doing?” – just say “Good” or “I’m doing OK” – because most people don’t want to hear your problems — the same thing is true of surveys.

Our Town survey, like everything to do with policy and politics, comes from Cornell. The cold-call telephone questions were loaded, open for interpretation, and asked well in advance of public awareness of the issues they would be used for. When the agenda of the survey emerged – its authors quickly backpedaled in an angry Town meeting: claiming it was only a preliminary indication; and of no great importance — this same survey was later used as the sole determining mandate from the residents for the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and all future development.

Surveys are used to provide an appearance of public legitimacy to the unilateral decision making of Cornell County planners. When residents claim that they are inadequate, biased, or deceptive – county officials merely defend the results; and make no changes,

People may not make the right decisions — and surveys are an important step to prevent that.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “Today is less than yesterday”

It’s as if the world is dribbling out between your fingers – and you can’t hold on to your dreams of building – of achieving. Maybe you’re not using the right measure of success – and maybe that’s not an accident.

In the 1960s: people were taking action to achieve a society of human worth – until the scaffolding began to be kicked apart underneath us; and we grabbed ahold of anything to survive.

Maybe everything that we’re now being told is important; is important to the profit of those who do the telling.

If you could live in a community where you did not fear your neighbor, where you could do things that you thought were worthwhile and at the same time realize who you could be, where people would band together to help those in need of help, and nobody would need to be alone — what more would you want? What accumulation of “things” would you need?

For the people who want to control us — that’s the scariest future of all.