Recently, Republican legislators in Nashville introduced three separate bills designed to limit or eliminate the insidious influence of the United Nations’ Agenda 21 program on cities and counties within the state. While at this point only a non-binding resolution has passed and other bills have been temporarily removed from consideration, we salute these legislators for having the moral courage to delve more deeply into Agenda 21.

Republican legislators have learned from cities and counties that resigned or are considering resigning from membership in ICLEI, the international association of local governments for “sustained” development. The city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County are members of ICLEI, which has directed the writing of the Chattanooga Climate Action Plan. Even though hysterical assertions by politicians and some publicly-funded scientists about global warming – now the more acceptable global climate change (whatever that means) – the American public has grown increasingly skeptical as a result of recent public scandals involving the manipulation of data by climate scientists to fit a pre-arranged conclusion. Still, many public officials continue to blithely go along with the politically correct plan of Agenda 21 to encourage people to live in high-density communities, de-populate rural areas and fund financially unsustainable public transportation, among other goals.

Our nation’s federalist government gives states legitimate power within their respective borders. Agenda 21 goes around the interests of state governments to deal directly with cities, using a pre-designed program to fill the goals of unelected international bureaucrats, encouraging such things as the direct financing of climate program funding. Among ICLEI’s other goals is a disturbing trend toward undermining 5th Amendment-guaranteed private property rights. 

Tea Party members are among the most responsible citizens when it comes to responsibilities for taking care of the world God created. Compare the aftermath of our rallies compared to those of Occupy, for example.  Many if not most of us recycle and consider it a duty to limit our impact to the environment. That’s what responsible property owners do. People as far back as the pilgrims discovered that privately-owned property is typically better maintained than publicly owned property for a simple reason based on human nature – owners who can increase the value of their property can benefit directly from that increased value. 

When it comes to human rights and responsibilities, American citizens take no back seat to anyone else in the world, most especially unaccountable international bureaucrats. Learning things and sharing best practices is one thing. Implementing a nefarious program developed by others outside the local community is something else entirely.

We respectfully recommend open-minded journalists display a little more curiosity and skepticism about ICLEI, Agenda 21 and similar United Nations’-sponsored programs. We live in a democratic republic governed under the oldest surviving Constitution, not a monarchy dictated by unaccountable “experts.”

Brendan Jennings
Treasurer
Chattanooga Tea Party