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This article, "Regionalism: Obama's Quiet Anti-Suburban Revolution", by Stanley Kurtz, is very insightful.  Great article and explosive content.   If anyone asks me why I do this blog, I am going to give them a copy of this article.  After that, no explanation should be necessary.  This blog is about connecting the dots and fighting to preserve and protect the place we live.

I apologize to everyone about bringing partisan politics into land use discussions.  I did't title the article, I don't recommend it because it has Obama's name in it, and I don't want to upset people.  Regionalism has been on the rise since before Obama became President - it claims no political party.  The article is about an escallation of the use of regulations through the regional governments to supress the authority of local jurisdictions and impose a certain adgenda.  The land use policies discussed in the article are apparent in the Tri-County area and need to be explored for intent and reasoning no matter who is behind the ideas - Democrats, Republicans, or little green people.

Regional governments cover much of the land in the United States as shown on the map from NARC - the National Association of Regional Councils.  Regionalism is having the effect of rendering local governments more and more powerless, and our democratic process more and more distant.  

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"Early but unmistakable signs indicate that Obama’s regionalist push is well underway. Yet the president doesn’t discuss his regionalist moves and the press does not report them.

"The new HUD rule is really about changing the way Americans live. It is part of a broader suite of initiatives designed to block suburban development, press Americans into hyper-dense cities, and force us out of our cars. Government-mandated ethnic and racial diversification plays a role in this scheme, yet the broader goal is forced “economic integration.” The ultimate vision is to make all neighborhoods more or less alike, turning traditional cities into ultra-dense Manhattans, while making suburbs look more like cities do now. In this centrally-planned utopia, steadily increasing numbers will live cheek-by-jowl in “stack and pack” high-rises close to public transportation, while automobiles fall into relative disuse. To understand how HUD’s new rule will help enact this vision, we need to turn to a less-well-known example of the Obama administration’s regionalist interventionism."