WHY MAYOR PAUL TENHAKEN WAS RIGHT BY REVISING AND CHANGING THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

We believe the goal of some within the City Government is to promote sustainability in reducing our carbon footprint, this is an "agenda' promoted and supported by the United Nations, and for some people, it was a strategy called "Agenda 21" or today, has become amended as the Agenda 2030 plan.

 

It appears that some residents wish for the City of Sioux Falls to latch onto Federal initiatives that promote electric vehicles, better managing of our waste, thus becoming a 'green city".

 

Sustainability is more than just managing our 'waste' - it's the process that includes the ability to maintain at a certain rate or level, whereas we create public policies with the goals of avoiding the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.

 

It Includes the Following:

 

But something has been added to the previous Sustainability Plan, and it is called Social Equity! 
 
Social Equity is defined as: 
 
"Social Equity is first addressing the disparities and barriers on individual, systematic, and structural levels, then using this information and data to provide opportunities for success to individuals based on their right of access and specific needs." 
 
 When outcomes are prioritized, this weakens equity, because it measures an individual's success over the success of the entire affected group as a whole. 
 
 Underdogs, who have managed to beat all the odds, become centered in the spotlight when outcomes are highlighted. And while amazing for the underdog, they often don't represent the majority of the group or intersection they're a part of. 
 
 This focus on outcomes also shifts the perspective to the individual's specific choices, character, or even luck, removing the issues they face systematically. This leaves the onus on the individual to figure it out themselves and find a way through the barriers built specifically against them instead of dismantling those barriers altogether. 
 
 Social equity is about destroying oppressive structures by focusing on providing the right of access to opportunities first and foremost. 
 
 Based on our definition and previous statements, this may seem contradictory to everything we've been saying. But what we mean by this is that striving for equity is more than providing just one person with the opportunity to become stable and thriving. Social equity is about creating strong, unifying relationships within the collective society by leveling the playing field. 
 
 While yes, the individual's needs are very important when creating social equity, this foundation is really rooted in lifting up all of society to eventually get to equal ground. 
 
According to the USI - Urban Strategies Inc, 

 Become a member of The National American Civil Liberties Union or support your local ACLU. 
 
 Uphold voting rights and promote voter registration by supporting Rock the Vote
 
 Back the Anti-Defamation League by taking action against hate speech 
 
 Protect the rights of all Americans by getting involved with the Center for Constitutional Rights 
 
 Support social equity across the globe by donating to the Human Rights Watch 
 
The USI: Policy & Influence (P&I) sector seeks to address the root causes that impact Black and Brown families from becoming stable and thriving, then utilize the following strategies to assist communities seeking economic generational justice through equitable changes in policy, and practice. These strategies are a core component of our CDFI. 

 

Our CDFI supports minority-owned and women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs focused on revitalization in resilient Black and Brown communities. 
 
 USI's Economic Mobility Pathway to Racial Equity 
 
 USI seeks to alleviate economic insecurity and racial wealth inequality using a restorative healing-centered framework to help all our families become Stable and Thriving. 
 
Is this the future direction of the City of Sioux Falls in helping to sustain long-term economic growth, to utilize these types of programs on the account of Race, Sex, and Minorities to push for better long term programs and services to tear down the barriers between black and brown communities? Is the City of Sioux Falls saying that 'we' have a racial inequity problem today? 
 
When we think of Sustainability Programs, Social Equity, let alone Social Wealth Inequality, we think of a government that wants to create social programs that benefit the less fortunate by over taxing those who have wealth, let alone dividing the community based on race and sex, rather than supporting a "Free Market Economy" where All People have the ability to create for themselves. 
 
Should the Government really be intervening into our daily lives, in order to promote a long-term economic benefit for the collective? 
 
To further understand why the sustainability plan was recently supported by a few residents in 2022, let's expand the search to review many of the concepts in the recently adopted congressional legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act... 
 
THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT IS A MAJOR TAX INCREASE FOR SOUTH DAKOTA CITIZENS is a Law Designed to Cut Inflation - it's really a tax b to Raise Revenue to Restructure Urban Forestry Development in the United States in the name of Land Conservation 
 
Congress, led by the U.S House of Representatives adopted what is billed as a "Inflation Reduction Act" is in reality, a revenue plan to restructure, redevelop, and curb fossil fuel production in the spirit of becoming less dependent on natural gases. The goal behind the legislation is to provide to States, Local Governments, Tribal Governments, Other Subdivisions, let alone Individuals Federal Grants in order to manage their lands in the name of conserving natural resources. The legislation is nothing more than a list of "pet projects" of the Democrat Party ahead of the 2022 Federal Election. 
 
 
BRIEF LIST OF SPENDING: 
 
 $10,000,000,000 for hazardous fuels reduction projects on National Forest System land within the wildland-urban interface; 
 
 $4,000,000,000 for, on a determination made solely by the Secretary that hazardous fuels reduction projects within the wildland-urban interface described in paragraph (1) have been planned to protect, to the extent practicable, at-risk communities, hazardous fuels reduction projects on National Forest System land outside the wildland urban interface that are; 
 
 $350,000,000 for National Forest System land management planning and monitoring, prioritized on the assessment of watershed, ecological, and carbon conditions on National Forest System land and the revision and amendment of older land management plans that present opportunities to protect, maintain, restore, and monitor ecological integrity, ecological conditions for at-risk species, and carbon storage; 
 
 $50,000,000 to develop and carry out non-lethal activities and tactics to reduce human-wildlife conflicts on National Forest System land; 
 
While Congress is promoting that the 'act' alone will not affect Americans who earn less than $400,000 a year, by predominantly increasing the Corporate Excise Tax and removing several tax credits applied to Corporations, the legislation itself has within it several tax rate increases to other Federal Excise Taxes all of which will affect directly, the daily activities of All Americans, such as a tax rate increase on natural resources, energy, telecommunications, while the fuel excise tax will increase. 
 
The new law will allow for the Federal Government to add an additional 80,000 I.R.S agents to the payroll, mostly to seek out audit, review, and ensure that these companies participating in the act are fully cooperating, collecting, remitting, and paying the proper assessed taxes to the U.S Treasury. If Americans believe their 'taxes' are not going up over the next ten years, they are sadly mistaken, this act is surely a major tax bill. 
 
According to the July 28th Edition of the Congressional Record: 
 
Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, minutes ago, new data confirmed what a supermajority of Americans already knew: Democrats have plunged America into a recession. According to official statistics, the U.S. economy just shrank for the second consecutive quarter. Democrats inherited an economy that was primed for a historic comeback and promptly ran it straight into the ground. Of course, working families didn't need any experts or statistics to tell them today's Democratic Party is a walking, talking economic disaster. Democrats' failures are causing working families deep personal pain on a daily basis. Americans know Democrats can't be trusted. They know it every time they fill the gas tank, every time they check out at the supermarket, every time parents stay up late at the kitchen table trying to figure out which bills they can afford to pay this particular month. - MINORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL 
 
If the Democratic led Congress wishes, and desires to curb inflation, this 'act' adopted on August 3rd of the year 2022 is surely not going to help in that department, in fact, when you account for all the tax increases, let alone the federal spending proposed within the act itself, Americans will pay much larger prices across the board on such commodities such as Fuel, Agriculture projects, tobacco, alcohol, let alone their electric bills. 
 
Mitch McConnell goes on to say in July 28th publication of the Congressional Record: 
 
Democrats aren't sticking it to the fat cats. They are sticking it to the same middle-class families they have already crushed with inflation, they want to respond to their inflation crisis by killing jobs. They also want to respond to the global energy crisis by attacking American natural gas. This reckless taxing-and-spending spree includes a massive, massive new tax on American natural gas, our country's single largest source of electricity... Also, Democrats want to drain money out of medical innovation and leave terminally ill Americans with fewer real treatments and cures as a result. The experts say this Big Government money grab will literally cost Americans their lives. But even on legislation this major and this costly, the Democratic leader tried to block the Senate from any semblance of a fair amendment process. Specifically, the senior Senator from Pennsylvania has an amendment that would ensure we do not just apply a financial band-aid to the problem but actually fix the underlying accounting issue. As written, the legislation would not just help America's veterans as designed. It would also allow Democrats to effectively spend the same money twice and enable hundreds of billions in new, unrelated spending on the discretionary side of the Federal budget. There is no excuse why the Democratic leader should continue to block Senator TOOMEY's commonsense amendment. A bill this important and this bipartisan deserves for us to fix the accounting gimmick, and then it deserves to become law. 
 
While the so called "Inflation Reduction Act" is praised as a cost reduction bill for Americans, surely, the full costs of the legislation felt by those same Americans as they actively seek good paying jobs, as well as attempt to feed their families, it will lead to increased state and local taxes as state and local governments struggle already with the rising costs of their own jurisdictional costs of ever rising dependency on their services. 
 
As John Thune states in his message to Joe Biden: 
 
Say it isn't so, Joe. Let me just tell you a few of the things the bill does. It imposes a new tax on job creators. It provides funding to the IRS to harass small businesses and nonprofits. It provides tens of billions of dollars in tax credits for Green New Deal projects and the purchase of costly electric vehicles. It extends increased government subsidies for people on Obama-Care... Well, I think the question you have to ask is, What exactly is any of that going to do to address inflation? How are more IRS audits going to help Americans who wonder how they can continue to afford to pay more than $4 a gallon for gas? How is a new tax on businesses going to drive down the price of chicken or milk or fruits or vegetables? 
 
A brief understanding of this massive piece of legislation will surely affect all Americans, it surely will not curb inflation, in fact, according to the Tax Foundation, it will worsen inflation in the year ahead. 
 
"By reducing long-run economic growth, this bill may actually worsen inflation by constraining the productive capacity of the economy." - Tax Foundation. 
 
The Federal Government is promising to the States, Counties, Cities, Tribal Governments, to Private Organizations, to Individuals millions of dollars in Federal Grants in order to help them each fund infrastructure improvements, develop research and development goals, in order to redevelop our farm lands, forestry lands, to investing in clean air, and water services across the country. Surely, these state and local governments will seek out and grab these funds, but at what cost will all this spending have on our future generations? 
 
Not only do we have this newfound piece of legislation being adopted by the 117th Congress, but when in conjunction with the South Dakota Forest Action Plan which provides a long-term, comprehensive, coordinated strategy for investing state, federal, and partner resources. The purpose of this strategy is to provide a comprehensive management plan for priority areas identified in the assessment. Of which, the South Dakota Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources (SAFR) is a compilation of existing forest management documentation, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, and a state priority area analysis conducted by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA). 
 
 Section I of the SDFAP provides a summary of the extent and condition, values, threats, ownership, needs, problems, and opportunities for each major forest type in the state. The major forest types include coniferous, upland hardwood, bottomland, agroforestry, and community forests; 
 
 Section II of the SDFAP identified several threats and priority areas related to forest management in South Dakota. Analysis for determining priority areas in the state was developed from 11 geospatial data layers 
 
Each of the following ten goals is accompanied by objectives and strategies to accomplish those goals: 

 

Goal one of the SDFAP is to Identify and conserve high priority forest ecosystems and landscapes, where the strategies will also address the threats of fragmentation, inadequate forest inventory, and poor water quality, and where the states population continues to increase which in turn increases the demand for water and land Identifying the high priority forest ecosystems will enable RCF's ability to conserve these ecosystems to the benefit of the citizens of South Dakota. - As Per the South Dakota Forestry Action Plan (page 4) 
 
Goal two is to actively and sustainably manage forests. Using the strategies identified as part of this goal, RCF will work to achieve the objectives listed in the following, thus delivering program services and technical assistance in coordination with partner agencies' and organizations' efforts will increase the impact of achieving our goal. 
 
Goal three is to conserve and enhance trees outside of the forested areas while providing benefits to the rural landscapes, using the strategies as part of this goal, RCF will work to achieve the eight objectives listed below: 

 

Goal four is to protect lives and property by reducing the risk of wildfire. Using the strategies identified as part of this goal, by promoting public awareness and landowner participation through educational outreach and cost-share programs are key factors in accomplishing this goal. 
 
Goal five is to identify, manage, and reduce threats to trees, forests, and ecosystem health, by producing an annual Forest Health Highlights report and staff attendance at the annual Great Plains Tree Pest Council allow for timely information to be shared within and between agencies and the public across the region. 
 
Goal six is to protect and enhance water quality and quantity, by conducting annual monitoring and promoting of best management practices (BMPs) to protect and enhance water quality, educating on the benefits of forest management for quality water and promoting trees as a tool for stormwater infrastructure will allow for timely information to be shared within and between agencies and the public across the region. 
 
Goal seven is to improve air quality and conserve energy, through promotion of renovating windbreaks, the replacement of dead and dying trees in open areas within communities, and education of landowners based around the energy saving values of trees, the importance of air quality and energy conservation can be highlighted for agencies and public across the state. 
 
Goal eight is to maintain and enhance the economic benefits and values of trees and forests, through strategies of which will also address the threats of the lack of markets for wood products, inadequate forest inventory, disengaged public, overgrazing, lack of management, inadequate forest inventory, poor water quality, loss of wildlife habitat, invasive species, lack of forest resiliency, climate change and the loss of trees to development 
 
Goal nine is to protect, conserve, and enhance wildlife and fish habitat. Using the strategies identified as part of this goal by using strategies that will also address the threats of disengaged public, lack of management, loss of trees to development, loss of wildlife habitat, wildfire and fragmentation. 
 
And finally, Goal ten is to connect people to trees and forests and engage them in environmental stewardship activities by using strategies identified as part of this goal, RCF will work to achieve six objectives listed in the following table (Table 1.10). 
 
Through annual public education and social media efforts, the environmental benefits of trees will be explored along with the employment opportunity that the green industry has to offer in the state. 
 
So, as the Federal Government now utilizes H.R 5376, by confusing the people by calling it a plan to reduce inflation, what really will occur by this law, is to allow the Federal Government to hand out billions of dollars in federal grants with the goal to expand upon, and to conserve our natural resources, minerals, fossil fuels, let alone protecting our natural habitats, by investing heavily in our national systems, nature reserves, and allowing communities to invest in buying up tons of land to create public green space, by creating more public parks, with the goal of promoting conservation, and preservation of wildlife. 
 
The overall agenda seems to be in grouping more, and more Americans into Urban areas, by pushing people off the land, and into large metro style cities. This perhaps has been part of the plan all along, since the early years of the conspiracy titled "Agenda 21" promoted through the United Nations, where it is the agenda to control the population, by centralizing that overall residency into large cities, hence we get the final step in the process - the Urban Agenda. 
 
Back in 2016, the National Park Service came up with the concept plan titled Urban Agenda, a call to action plan to promote and to initiate a more healthier lifestyle for those Americans living in the urban areas, by reintroducing them to spending more time, relaxing, and enjoying nature areas, the landscape, let alone getting them out enjoying our National Parks, Nature Reserves, and the Wildlife. 
 
According to the 2016 Urban Agenda Report - It is time that the NPS strategically organize its many urban parks and programs towards building relevancy for all Americans, to connect with their lives where they live, rather than only where some may spend their vacation. Extraordinary innovation is already out there, with mayors and city leaders, businesses and NGOs all investing in new parks, new park designs, and new ways to engage communities in creating healthy and livable cities. This is an exciting time for the NPS to join in this national movement, to offer our assistance and active participation, to listen to new perspectives and help build communities across the urban landscape. There are pioneers within the National Park Service and many partners pushing us forward to embrace our urban mission as a critical component of our second century. I invite you to engage in this Agenda for the benefit of the National Park Service and especially for the benefit of the people. 
 
CRAFTING THE URBAN AGENDA This Urban Agenda is derived from the voices of many National Park Service (NPS) professionals and partners across the nation with deep passion for and experience in engaging with urban America. These voices are represented in this living document and each of us has an opportunity to put these principles into practice in our respective parks, cities, and programs. The principles and priorities of the Agenda originate from those who will utilize it to strengthen the urban parks and communities they serve. The genesis for the Urban Agenda was in 2012 when a small group of NPS leaders met as a caucus at the City Parks Alliance conference in New York City. Together, these leaders identified the foundational elements of the NPS Urban Agenda. That initial group of 39 went on to enlist over 350 people from within and outside NPS, representing almost every state and over 40 park units, to help create the NPS Urban Agenda. This process relied upon highly intentional actions to create channels of connection between urban practitioners. It included multiple modes of communication (websites, face-to-face, webinar, conference call, and social media) and facilitated discussions on key urban topics, beginning with those identified at the initial NPS urban caucus. This Agenda is just the beginning. Continuing to exchange experience and broaden understanding of the full NPS portfolio across departments will help to move the Agenda forward, improve decision making, and enhance problem-solving in times of challenge and change. The team that convened the urban community of practice will continue to provide opportunities to develop skills, curricula, webinars and other opportunities to spread good practice. To activate the Urban Agenda go to: www.nps.gov/urban. 
 
Since the National Park Service was established, the demographics of the U.S. have changed dramatically. In 1916, the nation was 50% urbanized compared to today at over 80%. These demographic changes affect how parks are valued, how they are visited, what kinds of development are appropriate, and who will support the parks. 
 
Indisputably, much of the success of the National Park Service in coming years will depend on its ability to diversify and prove its relevance to new populations. Strengthening the agency's external relationships, diversifying its workforce, and aligning with community-driven agendas that relate to the NPS mission are among the many strategies required to help NPS create relationships with new audiences 
 
The Call to Urban Action - by allowing the National Park System to adopt this concept plan, it then has allowed the agency to develop the following goals as to progress America into the 21st Century, and by initializing the NPS Urban Caucus which had convened in New York City in conjunction with the City Parks Alliance meeting in 2012 at the time, adopted a plan of which reinforced a calling for urban parks and programs to "step into their power." The discussions also revealed some of the obstacles facing the NPS. where leaders crafted out the following list of goals: 
 
 Be Relevant to All Americans 
 
 Activate "ONE NPS"
 
 Nurture a Culture of Collaboration 
 
Progressive cities across America are recognizing the importance that parks, open space, historic preservation and protected natural areas have in elevating economic vitality, public health, recreational benefits, educational experiences, and a sense of place. In places where public spaces are scarce, people are reimagining underutilized spaces for new and creative uses. For example, in New York City, the "High Line," a 1930s elevated freight line, outlived its functionality and became derelict. When it was proposed to be demolished, a group of local activists challenged the proposal and ultimately developed a vision to reclaim the rail line as a public space. Now considered to be one of the great transformations of an urban space in the U.S., the High Line integrated historic preservation and creative design into a remarkable outdoor space. But it was the overarching vision and shared values that made this adaptive reuse approach viable, embracing both change and continuity. 
 
The NPS Urban Agenda recommends an unprecedented strategic alignment of parks, programs and partnerships to leverage the full portfolio of the NPS resources within urban areas, by means of the following strategies:

 

With over 80% of Americans now living in cities, there has never been a clearer call to strengthen our urban presence and broaden the base of understanding and support for the NPS. Connecting with Americans where they live is in the interest of all units and programs within the National Park System, as its ability to engage with urban residents and build relationships with new audiences will affect how parks are valued and supported. Urban areas also represent the clearest channel for engaging with the next generation of conservationists, preservationists, environmental leaders and stewards of the nation's cultural heritage. 
 
By adopting H.R 5376, and calling it a "Inflation Reduction Act" - the Federal Government through means of the many measures written into the legislation itself, now may implement the Urban Agenda concept first put into action by the National Park Service, and by handing out federal grants to states, counties, cities, and tribal governments, it can now put into place that final step in the puzzle, convincing millions of Americans to relocate themselves from Rural America, and into the Urban Lifestyle, of which it now has a greater likely-hood of sustaining, and conserving all the natural resources, minerals, water, by means of transferring thousands of acres of land from private ownership, back to public ownership, with the goal of creating more green space, by establishing new parks, and by investing in rebuilding older parks. 
 
Is H.R 5376 really about reducing Inflation? No - not where you push more Americans into an Urban lifestyle, all of which will drive up the cost of living, and whereas those Americans will in turn pay an increased tax rate to pay for electricity, and higher property taxes, which will almost double as the land values within those communities increase with the newfound developments taking place in those urban centers. 
 
It would appear, that the so called "Inflation Reduction Act", or H.R 5376 is more about relocating millions of Americans from rural areas, to Urban Centers, all of where the government can effectively control their means of production, lifestyle choices, thus collecting more in taxes, from the commercial activity within those areas. In the end, Americans are paying higher taxes, to take advantage of all the commodities of Urban life. Increased 'tax rates' to use natural gas, oils, fuel, telecommunications, and other minerals taken from the earth, means more revenues for the government in order to provide "grants" to the states and local governments to invest in this plan to invest into this concept adopted by the National Park Service. 

 

We are thankful that Mayor Paul TenHaken and his Administration has revised the plan knowing what it all entailed.  The mayor is correct in his position, 'we' should be adopting a policy not so heavily backed by global agendas, but if we are to encourage "Americans' to be more sustainable in their public, and private lifestyles, 'we' should listen to each other, working for a common goal for the community itself, not so much by aligning ourselves with other countries.  
 
In the Mayor's plan - we see a plan which utilizes local involvement here in South Dakota, urging South Dakota Citizens to connect to each other, to help create our own plan, vision, agenda, and not one based on national interests. The mayor's plan is a conservative approach to build new concepts, vision, and plan slowly, by listening to the residents as a whole, not so heavily on national interests.  
 
 
The "Committee" adopted a plan that included outside influence, led by several members of City Managers, Staff, General Workers, all of whom may or may not have the overall needs of the residents in mind, but expressed themselves through a combination of global and national concepts that may not truly represent the 'People of South Dakota'.