Up here its the "Grand Vision"

With grand and glorious ideals the visioning claims the consensus of 15,000 on its website heading.  

"15,000 people have spoken, pointing to a future for Northwest Michigan."

How impressive.

Covering a region so broadly to include: Antrim with 23,580 citizens, Benzie with 17,585, Grand Traverse with 86,986, Kalkaska with 17,153, Leelanau with 21,708, and Wexford with 32,735 means that the 199,747 FULL TIME residents of the community are being represented in a faux process.   Apparently 7.5% shall decide the future of zoning, road use, land use, rights of use within a 6 county region.

No wait..  it was 7.5% that merely answered questionnaires.  Well actually 12,000, so it would be 6%, then some other folks who presumably are not counted again and participated in meetings.

This merely offers visioning facilitators who offer leading questions, the ability to draw on a perceived power-through-numbers play.  Non elected facilitators, who by prestidigitation, offer as proof of support for their efforts, the sheer volume of people who have filled out a postcard.  Add to this the even smaller numbers of actual participants who have attended the collaborative events and study sessions and it surely seems as though the people have spoken!

Never mind the simple health and safety that has always been the responsibility of government being addressed by such visionaries either.  Climate change, and the fairness to future generations of land resources must surely be considered.  Justice through the limitation of land use, and certainly urban sprawl through density planning is appropriate, right?

No, not really.  As hard as it is for some people to realize, the limits on investments made in property and the resource management now being crafted through a "democratic" process are a bad thing.  The "future for Northwest Michigan" canard serves as an implied threat that to do without the planning efforts, would be to do without a future for Northwest Michigan.

When one considers that alternative, it rightly appears as a silly statement.  We'll be here, and we'll be just fine.

As I reach this point, I am shaking my head.  It is difficult to fully explain the rip-off that is going on up here.  Lets just start with a timeline from the Grand Vision site.

• 2004: Hartman-Hammond bridge across the Boardman River and around downtown Traverse City, is put on hold
  
• 2005: The Grand Vision originates from a regional, 34-member Land Use and Transportation Study (LUTS) Coordinating Group with the goal of shaping citizen-led, regional land use and transportation vision
  
• 2005: A Federal Highway Association (FHWA) earmark for a Traverse City bypass study is re-authorized by Congress... The Grand Traverse County Board officially appoints the Land Use and Transportation Coordinating Group, known today at TC-TALUS. Its mission: Use a transparent and citizen-led discussion and process to ensure the development of a community vision.
  
• 2007: Contracts are finalized with primary Grand Vision consultant Mead & Hunt, Inc. and subcontracts with Fregonese & Associates, Robert Grow, and Kimley-Horn. $261,351 in local matching dollars are raised
  
• 2007: Grand Vision Public Involvement Committee is formed to get the word out about the process
  
• 2007: A series of public information sessions and 10 Grand Vision workshops are held, where hundreds of citizens turn outfor each to share ideas for the future of the region
  
• 2008: The Grand Vision's geographic scope is expanded from Grand Traverse to include a wider, six-county region. Additional public and private funds are secured to accommodate the growth
  
• 2008: More than 12,000 local citizens "vote" in the Grand Vision Decision scorecard process, which allows the public to decide on priorities for the region's future
  
• 2009: A final "vision" document is presented to the community in May 2009 describing a village and city-centered growth strategy, with six general priority areas: Growth & Investment, Affordable Housing, Transportation, Food & Farming, Energy and Natural Resources
  
• 2009: Collaborative networks are formed around each of the priority areas
  
• 2010: The Northwest Michigan Council of Government (NWMCOG) announces six Community Growth Grants - funded by the Kellogg Institute and administered by the NWMCOG - aimed to help implement the Grand Vision in local communities
  
• 2010: The Grand Vision event in May turns out community members and leaders interested in learning more, getting involved and starting the work on Grand Vision-inspired projects
  
• 2011: Citizen Summits are held by each of the network groups to highlight progress and opportunities to advance the Vision.
  
• 2011: The Grand Vision enters the "implementation phase," highlighted by an annual Town Hall, the first of which to be held September 2011

To date, TALUS has cost taxpayers both locally and otherwise, HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars, with the excuse of it being an implementation team looking out for the Grand Vision.  That, and as the only planner for the GT County Road commission which expends $36,000 a year from an already deficit laden budget for its support.  My effort to strip the county funding that is approved by the board two months ago was temporary, and it resurfaced again this month.  Currently approved in the committee of the whole, it still must pass through the month end vote.

What the Grand Vision in its entirety has cost, will be hard to calculate however.

When such planning is passed through as "the will of the people" to local governments, it requires certain capitulation through those taxing authorities that can tip those who are already on the precipice financially.  Requirements both in taxation, and minor operating changes that a business cannot perform due to a change in rules of land use or outright restriction.

The use of the 12,000 respondents who thought they were participating in a legitimate process was a scam.  But, leveraging 7 and a half percent of the regional population toward a socialist group-think land allocation and permissibility result is an amazing feat and should be respected.