Free Republic

SANTA CRUZ — Downtown property owner Ron Lau vows he will fight the city’s attempt to seize his land for redevelopment. "That’s unfortunate and misguided and just a flaw in how we as human beings operate," Lau said of the city Redevelopment Agency’s plans to condemn his Pacific Avenue property that has been sitting empty since the Loma Prieta earthquake leveled much of the area in 1989. A Hawaiian native who lives in Watsonville, Lau is a self-described free spirit who doesn’t like to be told what to do or when to do it. He owns the gaping concrete pit...

The European "solution" to the threat of Iranian atomic bombs bids fair to join the "peace process" as the most boffo running gag in the history of show biz. Every few months, the elegantly dressed diplomatic wizards from London, Paris, and Berlin race across a continent or two to meet with Iranians dressed in turbans and gowns, and after some hours of alleged hard work, they emerge with a new agreement, The European posturing is the Western counterpart of the Iranian deception, a ritual dance designed to put a flimsy veil over the nakedness of the real activities. The old-fashioned...

From the Catholic Citizens of IllinoisJust How Bad is the Campaign For Human Development? Thirteen News Reports With Information You Need To Share With Your Fellow Catholics 11/19/2003 8:35:00 PM - Assembled by Kevin Killion Thanks to our friend Kevin, below are several stories designed to tear back the curtain on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, or CCHD, or as I call it, Catholic Cash Helping Democrats... ### http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9908/public.html#timeTime for a Step Further, by Rev. Richard John Neuhaus The criticism of CCHD is fine so far as it goes, says an old hand at inner-city community organizing here in...

Iran, Great Britain, France, and Germany agreed in principle this Sunday to a nuclear non-proliferation pact that might dramatically change the complexion of the Middle East as well as the War on Terror for decades to come. Certainly, there are issues yet to be ironed out, and the whole package is contingent somewhat upon American approval and involvement. However, Iran has temporarily accepted a list of requests by the European Union that include a continued suspension of all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities. Iran has also agreed to restrictions concerning the production and purchase of centrifuges, plutonium separation, and the...

TOKYO, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - The administration of Japan's Toyota car-maker has received more than 20 proposals regarding a possible location of a car assembly line which is expected to be built in Russia in the near future, St.Petersburg governor Valentina Matviyenko said in an interview with Itar-Tass. Matviyenko, in the course of her visit to Tokyo, met with leaders of many large Japanese companies, including Toyota officials. Toyota apparently made a corporate decision to build an assembly line in Russia, she said. The governor said the rivalry between Russian regions to host the assembly line was a normal thing....

CHONGQING, south-west China’s largest municipality, plans to relocate 400,000 farmers, or 120,000 households, out of impoverished mountain areas in an unprecedented anti-poverty programme. People who will be relocated mainly fit within the following three categories: those living in high and cold remote mountainous regions with harsh climates and barren land; those households that are far from towns and transportation lines; and those living in regions where geological disasters are frequent and where diseases often break out. Located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing covers an area of 82,400sq kilometres with a population of 31 million. For hundreds...

Leading representatives of the political, business and scientific worlds say innovation must become Switzerland’s “number one strategic priority”. The appeal, which came at the annual meeting of the Swiss Science Forum in Bern, was accompanied by calls for reform of the country’s higher education system. “Innovation in Switzerland is stuck in a rut,” Charles Kleiber, the state secretary for science and research and director of the Swiss Science Agency, told the opening session on Monday. “This matters because 60 to 70 per cent of economic growth is fuelled by innovation, and 45 per cent of the companies that will be...

"Private property [shall not] be taken for public use without just compensation." So says the Constitution's Fifth Amendment. In other words, your home is your castle and the local government must pay you a fair value if it puts a new road through your backyard for the public good. But some states have stretched the meaning of the phrase "the public good." Last year, city fathers in Alabaster, Alabama in suburban Birmingham wanted to condemn 10 homes to make way for a shopping center. Two years ago California's Cypress City leaders tried to seize church property so that Costco would...

Future's cloudy for Placer farming as land prices soar By Mary Lynne Vellinga -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, October 3, 2004 The way John Bakos sees it, California agriculture won't suffer a body blow if his 500 acres north of Lincoln are developed. "This farmland here is not critical, in my opinion," he said. Bakos quit growing hay and raising cattle 10 years ago when it became too expensive to pump water to irrigate his pastures. His current business, raising pheasants and letting people hunt them on his land, produces just enough income for him to...

U.N. ignores pro-Life and anti-cloning references in its report on speech NEW YORK, September 24, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco gave a spirited defence of the right to life before the United Nations General Assembly Thursday. However, without an actual transcript of his talk the world would never know about it. The notable speech called for international protection for life "from the moment of conception." The United Nations press release covering Pacheco's remarks totally omitted this call as well as his call to join the comprehensive ban on human cloning. President Abel Pacheco told the UN, "As...

Senate passes water plan But differences with the House's Cal-Fed bill still must be resolved. By Michael Doyle and David Whitney -- Bee Washington BureauPublished 2:15 am PDT Thursday, September 16, WASHINGTON - The Senate on Wednesday approved a multimillion-dollar California water bill that's been perplexing lawmakers and Central Valley farmers for years. The deceptively quick Senate approval doesn't resolve the long-running debate over California's future dams and river protection. It does, however, mark the most significant legislative progress to date for the so-called Cal-Fed program. "Passage of this legislation was a long time coming, and it is the result...

People from all walks of life keep asking me the same question: “Are there moderate Muslims?” I know myself that there are, but… Many of the moderates are faced with intimidation by militant Muslims (“Islamists”). Muslims also have to contend with their own old cultural habits, hateful religious leaders, a bigoted press, and schools that teach hatred and homicide bombings. As usual, just as things seem the darkest, I happen upon something that brightens my spirit -- at least a little. Last week, FOXNews mentioned the organization “Free Muslim Coalition Against Terrorism” (FMCAT). I immediately went to their website, and...

Summary: KING COUNTY, Wash. -- Are gardens and ecosystems mutually exlcusive? King County's 65-10 rule denies future generations the American gardening tradition. Full text: Every American town has one -- sometimes more than one. They can be young, impulsive and creative, or older, practiced masters. Most towns encourage them. "They" are the local artisans and craftsmen that give your town interest and bring a beauty to everyday things that is shared by all. The color and character of a town is enhanced by its artists, and they are often encouraged by townspeople and patrons. But America is changing. In the...

Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Though Congress never voted to support and implement Agenda 21 -- and its implementation has been accomplished through executive orders and the activities of NGOs -- there is evidence that some representatives tried very hard to push it through early on. Full text: Why didn't the American public find out a long time ago how some members of Congress are pushing for the United States to submit to an international regime of comprehensive control? After all, the evidence is in the open -- all congressional bills are in the public domain, along with a list of...

Plan prompts look at tree ordinance Sun City Lincoln Hills residents take issue with the loss of oaks. By Jennifer K. Morita -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, September 12, 2004 Residents' concerns about a plan to chop down nearly 100 oaks for a road in Lincoln's Twelve Bridges community have prompted some officials to look at strengthening the city's tree ordinance. The City Council on Tuesday will consider approving a tentative subdivision map, specific development plan and permit for B&Z Properties' 63-acre subdivision called Camino Cielo. The project, in the northernmost corner of Twelve Bridges, consists...

Public officials have absolutely no excuse for implementing Sustainable Development. ...especially once you've given them a copy of the document I'm asking you to download today! ------------------- Dear friend of liberty: We've talked about it on our radio show... We've mentioned it in our writings... We presented it at the Freedom 21 National Conference in Reno in July... Now, the much-anticipated Guide for Public Officials is here! The full title of this powerful document is Understanding Sustainable Development (Agenda 21): A Guide for Public Officials. In just fourteen pages, you'll have the most concise and comprehensive single document outlining the...

OAKLAND, California — The largest, least expensive, and most environmentally sound source of water to meet California’s future needs is the water currently being wasted in every sector of our economy. That's the message of a new research paper by the Pacific Institute, a leading nonpartisan research institute based in Oakland, California. The report identifies a range of worrisome trends that impact businesses in almost every sector and recommends steps that companies can take to meet these challenges head on. "Water scarcity and other water-related issues already pose a serious threat to many businesses around the world," said Jason Morrison,...

FOREIGN direct investment (FDI) has certainly played a vital role in the economic progress of most developing countries in Asia. One good example is China, which absorbed US$53bil worth of FDI in 2002. The growing inflow of FDI has helped fuel economic growth over the past decade. However, India - another economic giant in Asia - has lagged behind China in terms of attracting FDI. In 2002, only US$4.7bil worth of FDI flowed into India - worlds apart from the amount of FDI received by China. Economists and policy makers have said that the Indian government should learn from China...

Japan Defence Ministry wants more funds for missile system It wants 35 per cent more funding in return for less money to buy conventional tanks and ships TOKYO - Japan's Defence Ministry yesterday pressed for a 35 per cent increase in spending on missile defence while cutting funds for tanks and ships in a budget request made ahead of a major overhaul of the country's defence strategy. The budget proposal, approved at a Defence Agency meeting yesterday, plans total military spending of 4.93 trillion yen (S$77.3 billion) for the fiscal year beginning April 2005 - an increase of 1.2 per...

Roseville, developers reach pact on habitat By Jennifer K. Morita -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, August 18, 2004 The city of Roseville and developers of a 3,000-acre housing project have reached a settlement with environmentalists that could raise as much as $85 million to protect Placer County habitat. "In many ways, the agreement is a model for the region," Sierra Club Mother Lode Coordinator Terry Davis said. "We're having difficulty finding funding to preserve natural habitat in western Placer County before it's consumed by growth. This is a way we can do that." Roseville officials earlier...