No! I’m not talking about that 1974 toe-tapping song, Waterloo, by ABBA. I’m talking about one of the most famous military losses in the history of the world. Every 200 years or so, something so unexpected and historical occurs that it shocks the world. I believe the years 1815 and 2012 may be linked together in eternity if Kentucky Senator Damon Thayer’s bill (BR62) becomes law.
In 1815, France’s invincible Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, stunningly lost at the Battle of Waterloo. After a three day battle, he was captured and exiled to St. Helena where he died six years later. His loss was unthinkable at the time.
In 2012, the politically all-powerful Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission (NKAPC) is considered undefeatable in Kenton County and for good reason. The NKAPC’s enabling legislation in the 1960s, required that they operate in two adjacent counties (they only operate in one) and that they contain a city with a population of 50,000 (they don’t comply with that provision either), yet they continue to exist. Why? They exist because the local political machine enables them to exist.
In 2011, NKAPC withstood an attack by 24,000 Kenton County petition-signers. NKAPC defended their illegitimate ground with half-page ads lambasting the integrity of the Home Builders Association and the Northern Kentucky Tea Party. They even threatened and have filed legal action against petitioners.
Regardless of NKAPC’s intimidation, the on-charging petitioners marched forward and collected 24,000 signatures. The NKAPC was able to win a shocking victory when the Kenton County Clerk’s Office mysteriously refused to validate thousands of signatures. Lawsuits were filed. NKAPC appeared to have defeated the will of 24,000 Kenton County voters and hung on to their taxing power. All seemed lost, but now it gets interesting.
Then, out of nowhere, a new Duke of Wellington, Senator Damon Thayer, stepped forward on January 3, 2012 and again gave “We the People” hope by submitting the following legislation:
“BR62 – AN ACT relating to planning commissions. Amend KRS 147.620, relating to the dissolution of an area planning commission, by changing the petition signature requirements from 25% of the number of registered voters who voted in the last presidential election to 10% of the number of registered voters who voted in the last regular election.” What an amazing turn of events.
Thayer was quickly joined by Prussian General Gebhard von Blucher (Senator John Schickel) as they have rallied the troops for one more battle against the Army of the Northern Kentucky Political Country Club. Could these two leaders defeat this powerful army or will they too surrender and live out their political lives in exile in St. Helena or Rabbit Hash?
What does this legislation mean? Based on the 25% requirement in the last presidential election, the petitioners against NKAPC were required to secure over 17,000 validated signatures from Kenton County citizens. The proposed legislation, based on the 2011 general election, would drop the required number of validated signatures to 2,600. Is it possible that Kenton County taxpayers will finally experience the tax freedom enjoyed by their fellow patriots in Kentucky’s other 119 counties?
I’m confident the Army of the Northern Kentucky Political Country Club is irate and will mobilize their nameless attack dogs. I wonder if they will first try to invalidate Thayer’s and Schickel’s signatures as unreadable. That seems to be the way Team NKAPC Supporters play.
Let’s take a moment and remember what this contest is all about. Kenton County petitioners want the future of the $3.4 million NKAPC to be placed on the ballot for “We the People” to decide their fate. Thayer’s proposal permits a reasonable petition threshold for the people to achieve that goal. Then, the voters of Kenton County will decide NKAPC’s future. I know! It sounds so American!
Did you know that Article II, Section 8 of the California Constitution requires signatures of 8% of the number of votes cast in the most recent Governors race in order for a measure to be placed on their ballot? Is 10% reasonable? I think so. What do you think?
Please stay tuned to learn how NKAPC’s Waterloo Campaign turns out. I don’t know yet if the supporters of NKAPC will use half-page ads to attack Thayer and Schickel. Remember on July 8, 2011, NKAPC supporters ran the most over-the-top factually false ad I’ve ever read. Here’s part of the ad they ran against your family, friends and neighbors who work in the building industry:
“For years, lobbyists for investment banks and financial institutions on Wall Street worked hard to eliminate government oversight of their industry. These efforts paid off handsomely for these institutions and their executives, who earned billions of dollars in profits and bonuses. The only problem is that scheme led to the subprime mortgage crisis and the greatest financial failure the United States since the Great Depression. Millions of Americans lost their jobs and their homes. Our government bailed out several of these companies that were ‘too big too fail.’ And once again, American taxpayers were left holding the bag. Now an industry is trying to do the same thing in Kenton County.”
What a shameless misrepresentation of the facts! The housing crisis was caused by government’s requirement that loans be given to unqualified candidates. So who do you trust? Do you trust your family, friends and neighbors in the building industry or NKAPC’s greedy, self-centered politicians and bureaucrats who fight to protect their sweet financial nest-eggs and lucrative pensions?
I urge you to contact your Kentucky Senator and House Representative and encourage them to support BR62. If this heroic legislation is successful, 200 years from now our ancestors will be talking about NKAPC’s Waterloo Campaign. Let’s make sure history remembers our fight as a successful one. Please get involved.
Next article: January 11th – FDR’s Internment Camps & The National Defense Authorization Act
Tom is a constitutional-conservative living in Fort Mitchell. This article may not be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of Tom Wurtz Consulting. To read more of Tom’s articles, please visit TomWurtz.com & click on Poli-ticked. New articles are posted every Monday, Wednesday & Friday.