True North

“ISAIAH and it’s transportation allies were successful at the state capitol this past month when the Legislature overrode Governor Pawlenty’s veto and passed a comprehensive transportation funding bill.”

That is the first paragraph of a section of my church’s newsletter on “serving”.They go on with the usual boiler-plate crap about not having a gas tax increase in 22 years like that’s some kind of sin.Gee, have the revenues from the gas tax gone up in twenty years?Just a bit?Inconvenient truth.Also conveniently ignored by the faithful is the fact that this is a regressive tax that will fall most heavily on the lower classes that they profess to champion.Stupidity at it’s most basic.

The ISAIAHites go on to talk about their “Building Just Communities” effort and the plan for a May 2008 Northwest Caucus meeting where they will be holding a business roundtable for leaders in the northwest suburbsto “explore the possibility of our cities adopting a policy of mandatory inclusionary zoning”.Inclusionary is a word they made up.“An Inclusionaryzoning policy would provide that whenevera city provides a developer or builder with any type of governmental assistance or zoning approval, the city would require that a percentage of the new units built be made affordable to those making 60% of the medium area income (approximately $43,000/year for a family of four)Built into such a law would be various incentives to protect the builder’s profitability.”

ISAIAH claims it wants to “build our community by acting out of hope, not fear, by moving from isolation tocommunity, rejecting the “myth of scarcity” and recognizing we must share God’s abundance, and moving toward greaterm economic, social and racial justice for all.”They have become a bit more sophisticated than the good old days of “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

I honestly fear for my country, my home and my world.This type of ignorant good will is exactly the poison that kills democracy.It destroys economies and condemns millions to poverty in the name of altruism.It creates a death spiral of degeneration.It seeks the power of government to enforce unnatural law.God protect us from the well intentioned.

Cross-posted at Anti-Strib. Comments welcome.