[Capr-announce] CAPR News August 2009

[Jeff Wright]

CAPR NEWS

 

THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM CITIZENS' ALLIANCE FOR PROPERTY RIGHTS


August, 2009

 

 

Huge Crowd Attends Whatcom Kickoff

 

Nearly 500 people attended the kickoff meeting for the new Whatcom Co.
chapter of CAPR on August 11th.  Land-use attorney and Chapter president
Roger Almskaar and others worked hard to publicize the event but the turnout
exceeded expectations.  The official tally was 453, but there were many
others who attended who did not sign in.  The overwhelming response shows
that CAPR is needed in Whatcom.

 

The event was held at Meridian High School in Bellingham.  Speakers included
Almskaar, CAPR Executive Director Steve Hammond and others.  Local issues
including their Critical Areas Ordinance, septic and farming issues
dominated the meeting.  Click here <http://www.lyndentribune.com/node/4753>
to read a media account of the meeting.

 

 

New CAPR Board Appointments Made

 

Preston Drew has been named President of CAPR to fill the vacancy left when
Steve Hammond resigned to become Executive Director.  Preston was previously
Vice-President and has been a key figure on the Board since the early days.

 

Scott Shock has been named Vice-President.  Scott was previously a Director
and provides dedication and a keen analytical mind plus a much needed urban
perspective.

 

In related developments, Jeff Wright was named President of the Legal Fund
and Darol Johnson was named to the Vice-President's position.  

 

 

Keeping It in Perspective

 

Those who work for property rights know that it is normal to get caught up
in the day to day fight at hand to the exclusion of all else.  That is a
pretty obvious statement but even veterans need to remind themselves to step
back occasionally, not only to be sure you've covered all bases but also to
recharge the soul.

 

Jefferson Co., Washington has been going through the process of updating its
growth rules for an extended period of time.  An unusually large number of
citizens have participated in county with a very small populace.  They have
offered excellent comments and testimony and, more importantly, good science
to back up their views.  They have also had significant points of agreement
with the county Planning Department which should have significant influence
in the debate.  Regardless, the Board of County Commissioners appears ready
to bow to the edicts of the Washington Dep't. Of Ecology and extreme
environmental interests.  Even though state law mandates that these
decisions are to be made locally.

 

The following comments were written by CAPR past-president Rodney McFarland
in response to that situation: 

 

One of the most deeply rooted principles in American jurisprudence is the
concept of due process of law, which is enshrined in the Fifth Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution: "No person shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty,
or property, without due process of law." 

Due process of law actually stretches back to the year 1215, when the great
barons of England extracted an admission from their king that his powers
over the citizenry were not unlimited but instead were limited by
fundamental principles of fairness and justice. Included among the
restrictions on power to which King John acceded in the Magna Carta - the
Great Charter - was a prohibition against the exercise of arbitrary seizure
of people or their property by government officials: 

No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or
possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other
way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so,
except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land. 

Over the centuries, that phrase - "the law of the land" - gradually evolved
into the phrase "due process of law," the same phrase our American ancestors
insisted be made part of the Constitution through the adoption of the Fifth
Amendment. 

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson set forth the rationale
for the establishment of government in a society: to secure the fundamental,
inherent, and preexisting rights of the people. The idea was that the
monopoly force of government was needed to suppress the likes of murderers,
rapists, robbers, and other violent criminals.

What the good folks of Jefferson County have just participated in is the
modern bastardization of due process. The "government" that was created to
secure the fundamental, inherent, and preexisting rights of the people is
now the agent that is used to deny the people those very rights. And the
courts, whose job it is to ensure executive department adherence to the
constitutions, have given the politicians and bureaucrats currently in power
a free pass to steal the fruits of your labor as long as they follow the
correct "process;" The very clause that should insure justice is now used as
the tool to cause injustice.

 

Modern "Due Process" has nothing to do with justice, fairness, or community
will. It is a years-long charade of Delphi technique meetings, studies,
testimony and pretending to listen to the "people."

 

But, in the end, the powers that be will do to you whatever they were
planning to do to you from the beginning. 

 

The "Process" is used to wear you down to the point you can convince
yourself that you followed the process but lost and should quit fighting.

 

In order to have a chance at real due process, we need to change the
judicial system by electing judges that will move "due process" back to its
intended purpose. We just need a vote or two on the Supreme Court to
accomplish that.

 

Valuable comments whether you are a grizzled veteran or a newbie in the
fight.

 

 

King County Board Members Needed

 

Since the inception of CAPR, the Executive Board and the King Co. Board
have, for the sake of expediency, been one and the same.  With the expansion
of CAPR and the expanded work load on the Executive Board, it is time for
King Co. to "make the break" and become a true chapter board.  If you are
interested in becoming a King Co. Board member or volunteering to help that
board, please contact Jeff Wright at darcors at comcast.net or by phone at
425-503-6456.  While being a board member can be a lot of work at times, it
is also a rewarding and uplifting experience.  It's time to serve!

 

 

New Ventura Chapter Website

 

The Ventura Co., California chapter of CAPR has launched an excellent new,
stand-alone website.  Noteworthy are the Professional Referrals page with
links for land-use and related consultants and the Resources page which
contains everything from links to like-minded organizations to civil grand
jury complaint forms(!)  Coming soon are additional legislative, news and
calendar pages and a blog.  The site looks to be a valuable reference, even
for those outside of California.  These folks aren't waiting around.  Check
it out at www.vcpropertyrights.net <http://www.vcpropertyrights.net/>  . 

 

 

Meetings and Events

 

CAPR King Co. Monthly Meeting 

The next meeting of the King Co. Chapter of CAPR will be held at 7:00 PM,
Wednesday, September 2nd.  The meeting site is Lombardi's Italian Restaurant
located at 695 NW Gilman Blvd. in Issaquah.  This month's guests will be
candidates for the Samammish City Council.  Consider coming early for dinner
and conversation.

 

CAPR Pierce County Monthly Meeting

The Pierce County Chapter holds its monthly meetings at 7:00 PM on the
second Thursday of every month.  The meeting location is the Paradise
Village Bowl Conference Room located at 12505 Pacific Ave. S. in Tacoma.
For more information you can send email to piercecapr at yahoo.com or call
President Wendy Birnbaum at 253-677-0612.

 

CAPR San Juan Monthly Meeting

The San Juan Chapter holds its monthly meeting on the first Tuesday of the
month at 6:00 PM.  The meeting is held at the San Juan Grange Hall.  The
September 1st meeting will feature Washington Supreme Court Justice Richard
Sanders.  There will be a BBQ Tri Tip dinner at 5:30 with donations for
dinner accepted.  Please RSVP to iwp at rockisland.com .  For more info on CAPR
San Juan, visit www.CAPR-SanJuan.org <http://www.capr-sanjuan.org/> .

 

 

 

Donate to CAPR Online

You can now donate to CAPR online.  Go to www.capr.us <http://www.capr.us/>
(same as proprights.org) and click on the DONATE tab.  Even as a volunteer
organization, the level of funding available determines what we can
accomplish in the fight to preserve and protect property rights.  Help us
help you.  Donate!

 

 

Matching Contributions

If you work for a company, which adds matching funds to charitable
contributions, remember the CAPR Legal Fund.  All donations to the Legal
Fund are tax deductible and the additional contribution by your employer
makes leverages your contribution towards protecting your property rights.

 

 

 

 

Jeff Wright

Secretary, CAPR

E-mail:        darcors at comcast.net 

 

 

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