The Environmentalist Duo of Kathleen Falk and Dave Cieslewicz apparently have decided that now is the time to bum’s rush their New Urbanist makeover of Dane County. The tool they covet is a Regional Transit Authority with taxing power. Let’s remember our history. One of the first things Dave Cieslewicz does after his initial election is to pull Madison out of the US Conference of Mayors and create his own more progressive organization, with University of Wisconsin assistance.
New Cities Project: The Mayor Innovation Project was launched in February 2005 by Madison, Wisconsin Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Joel Rogers, professor at UW-Madison and director of COWS, the national high road service center.
Even a cursory glance at the New Cities Project Meetings makes it clear the agenda is predominantly about using local government to combat the dreaded projected climate change, and that means using any means available to get people to reduce driving. The detailed presentation by the City of Madison gets to their core belief that modern society is hurting nature.
As time marches on, population growth and consumption habits increase the demand on natural resources and the environment. Simultaneously, the capacity of natural systems to accommodate that demand is shrinking.
Because resources like fossil fuels, metals and minerals are finite and damage our environment if allowed to accumulate, the City will reduce its consumption of materials extracted from the Earth’s crust.
I completely disagree that modern society and nature are incompatible, or that nature is a fragile static construct incapable of adaptation. I reject the Malthusian doom and gloom of their simplistic extrapolations of incidents and locations. The oil economy and the freedom of personal transportation creates this unique achievement that is America. We should be working towards expanding this success story rather than retreating in fear from imaginary catastrophes. My new motto: Oppressive Government is not Progressive Government.
