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This is such important information. Thank you for posting.

Now about regional government. I'm going to capitalize stuff for emphasis so please don't take it the wrong way---

PEOPLE WATCH OUT FOR YOUR COUNTIES. The county system, which existed before many territories becames states, will be WIPED OUT by the regional councils lodwick talks about in the previous post. Counties (or parishes in some states) were created as the way to bring constitutional government closest to the people and give the people the greatest control over elected officials and paid bureaucrats.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT DESTROYS THE COUNTY SYSTEM. Unlike the mantra Gov.Schwazenegger in CA is chanting, streamlinng government and replacing counties with regional councils and bureacracies DESTROYS FREEDOM AND ACCOUNTIBLITY. IT DILUTES YOUR REPRESENTATION AND YOUR SAY IN GOVERNMENT.

Ultimately the destruction of the county will result in the destruction of our electoral system. ALL representation from local, state to federal government is based on the PRECINCT or WARD system which is set up BY COUNTY. IF COUNTIES GO AWAY, OUR ENTIRE ELECTORAL SYSTEM IS BUSTED TOO. The census which operates out of county precincts to determine how many representatives will be sent to Washington will get busted too.

The UN push for regionalism, bioregionalism, whatever kind of regionalism, is expressly designed to bust America into little globally controlled pieces. Be on the watch in your county, and see how many councils and regional governments and cooperatives your elected officials participate in. They probably don't know it, but by participating in, and giving these groups authority by their presence, your constitutionally elected representatives are putting themselves out of a job and taking away your Constitutional right to elected representation.

Your points about our counties are exactly correct: they are the LAST line of defense for us (unless you count our front porches.)

An elected County Sheriff can just say No, to the feds, or any of their agents, or agencies from coming into his county - most are either unaware, or have been bought off with grants, JointTaskForces, weapons, gear, or any combination thereof.

In CT, the elected sheriff has gone away, and now the appointed post only serves as a paperwork pusher and deliverer for the system. Fedgov is working dilligently to see that this occurs across our country, one county at a time.

Like many here, I did my decades of work, paid my taxes, and trusted my government to do right...I was here with you when the abomination aka BentMember ruled the roost, and I was rightly outraged, as was every thinking or caring American, and then was seduced by the thought of all the good things that W would do to return us to our Constitutional Republic.

What a wet-dream that's turned out to be.

The information's out there for us to inform ourselves, and others, if any changes are to be made for the better.

One of the ploys I have heard rumors of in Missouri is that some rural countys do not have the financial resources to operate county government. (Salaries are mandated by the state for county officials). So if the county cannot afford to operate the courthouse, we will build a new "regional" court house so as to pool the resources and still be able to provide "services".
And along with that a regional jail etc.

Centralization of government is a dangerous trend. As your post points out, regional planning alliances are good ideas in the eyes of county officials who are strapped for cash.

Another trend. Rural schools are consolidated because tax levys are too high to keep small rural schools in operation. Of course, teachers salarys are mandated by the state also. So small districts have to pay city scale in many cases to compete for teachers. So much for budgets.

So look at the problem from this angle. The state mandates county officials salarys and teachers salarys. When districts or countys cannot perform to state imposed standards, the state takes over one segment at a time. Local government and local school boards lose control.
The people lose control over cirriculum. They lose local law enforcement and they lose judges. Road maintainance falls behind. People have to travel further to pay taxes or attend public hearings. Elected officials are no longer in your neighborhood, or your community. Some officials are appointed by political affiliation.

Regional government is dangerous. Keep in mind most of the financial problems in countys are imposed unfunded mandates by the state. Mandates are usually slipped into a large appropriations bill after a makeshift hearing is held. Strange thing is that when makeshift hearings are conducted, the people who are in favor of the mandate always seem to get a few representitives to the hearing, but for some reason the press never made it known the hearing was to take place.

It is especially good to watch certain state committees, especially appropriations, education, and social services.
It is not hard to find the committee hearing schedules.
It is not hard to find drafts of proposed legislation either. But the fine print will make your eyes blur.
That is it's intended purpose. Usually the kicker is the one sentence or a phrase that makes all the difference.