rural tompkins County – Page 4 – Rural Tompkins County

“The World According to Doctrine” — New Normal Corruption – “Herbicide Spraying”

This hits home – because I was sprayed with a cloud of Roundup from an agricultural boom sprayer while mowing my lawn – and ended up dazed and vomiting all over myself and the bathroom in the early morning hours.

The investigation of my complaint by the NYSDEC [documented in “Tompkins County and Tammany Hall”] did nothing to help their reputation for corruption in the rural community.

Most rural families are too poor to move and powerless to use politicians; and when the mega-million dollar factory farms took over rural Lansing, NY – they owned us and everything in it.

The only thing worse than the environmental racism of the rural blacks – is the environmental erasism of the rural whites — we have no help, no hope — and no worth.

“The World According to Doctrine” — Tompkins County’s “Separate but Equal” Policy

Important corporations in Tompkins County: like Cargill and Cornell, receive tax cuts — while the rural areas receive cuts in services. Having basic services in rural areas, like Sheriff’s patrols, cut entirely; because they’re “too expensive” – is the definition of “unimportant” in Tompkins County’s Ivy-league-corporate planning – and it helps the bottom line – while the County’s rural tax assessments are the closest thing to Prince John since Robin Hood’s time.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “The Future of Rural New York”

I was talking to a neighbor today about the weather and the state of things – and he announced that his family had made plans for leaving New York State. Since the County removed rural sheriff’s patrols as being “too expensive” – He won’t even let his kids ride their bikes on Lansingville Road. “I’m planning on leaving” is a phrase that crops up in almost every conversation with younger families – while “I can’t afford to leave” is the sad statement of the elderly just trying to survive.

The millionaire farmers who have taken over give criminals free rein; as long as they don’t cut into their profits – and our once neighborly and hard-working rural community has become a dumping ground of rentals for the county’s unwanted: an Ag Ghetto of drugs, poverty, and crime.

New York policy makers are like someone who refuses to learn to swim — but when they start to drown — they pull down everyone around them while trying to keep their heads above water.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “There’s a method in their badness”

The back of the bus – the end of the string – by putting rural people last; they’re able to oppress by exclusion – we get less, or nothing: because there’s nothing left – someone measured wrong – it’s unexpected – there isn’t enough money – enough workers – enough government interest. They always run out of everything; by giving plenty to everyone else first.

There are exceptions: the tax assessors are never too busy to give us the highest possible assessments. Tompkins County’s policies are forcing the same rural families that its roads were named after out of their homes. Does that mean that policies will be changed? Of course not — it means they’re working.

“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” — “Truck Run!” Screenshot

“In rural NY no one can hear you scream.”

When we tried to stop the invasion of large gravel trucks and industrial tractor trailers racing through our rural backroads; by requesting a 4-ton weight limit for through-truck traffic – the County Highway Director claimed they didn’t even exist. And when we documented it with photographic proof – he suddenly put up 20-ton weight limit signs.

But that’s only the beginning of the conduct of officials and their legislative oversight: read “Tompkins County and Tammany Hall” – free eBook download on Smashwords.com and paperback on Amazon.

As they say: “You can’t make this shit up” — and in Tompkins County, NY; you don’t have to.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “Who’s Janet Fitchen?” Bumper sticker

Caring about people because they’re poor, disadvantaged, and underserved is no longer an acceptable reason – they must pass a demographic hurdle as well.

Rural people are too “white,” too different, and too . . . well, rural – to be the objects of anything but urban ridicule, bigotry, and racist profiling.

Rural communities across the country are being destroyed to fulfill the expansionist dreams of the New Urbanism: Urban Colonialism.

Who’s Janet Fitchen? The answer to that; is the answer to many questions.

“New Book” – “Flow Chart Poetry 3”

Like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice; modern science takes great pride in its knowledge of how to make things happen — without the wisdom of learning how to make them stop.

Our world is like a giant Jeopardy show; with scientists guessing at the answers – in a competition for fame, fortune, and the realization of a dream.

And if they guess wrong, and it’s Game Over for all of us — at least they got their time in the spotlight.

“New Book” – “Flow Chart Poetry 2”

It may be pointless bureaucratic chatter to you, but for them; it’s money in the bank – and traditional “Quid Pro Quo” politics. It may be wasting your time – but they’re being paid to waste your time: and the tip they’ll receive is to insure their career longevity.

The real power of public meetings is in the ability of those in charge to delay and deflect important matters with unimportant questions, quibbles, and investigations – and postpone the vital issues that you came to hear and comment on for a month, or two, or six . . . until they can be short-circuited, reimagined, or reformulated.

Unimportant matters are the grit in the wheels of public participation — a grit that’s never allowed in the smooth running machine of power.

“New Book” – “Flow Chart Poetry 1”

It’s all about the process. Whether it’s “Flow charted” or “Templated” – if your ends are relegated to the completion of assigned tasks; you lose half your humanity. And if those tasks can only be undertaken by following pre-designed paths, and through pre-designed forms; you lose the other half.

Work and play is what people do — Art is what people are.