The Conservative Edge

This past Friday (February 20), President Obama held a conference in Washington with 80 mayors from various American cities. Present in the group was Rhine McLin, mayor of Dayton, Ohio. She stated that it was “refreshing” that Obama would take such an interest in cities, and how “invested” the mayors feel in successfully implementing the stimulus bill.

This “implementation” isn’t just a casual phrase to make small-town mayors feel good. Rather, it’s part of a strategic plan by the Obama administration. Now is Obama’s time to establish the network that will transfer federal monies to new urban areas that will be redrawn after the 2010 Census. Mayor McLin told the Dayton Daily News that Obama plans on “naming mayors to advisory councils,” and that he would be “relying on them to spend their portion of the $787 billion economic stimulus plan wisely.” Obama said he would use the full power of his office to ensure that federal funds are used properly.

Furthermore, McLin said that Obama had named the nation’s first Director of Urban Affairs. This Director will be charged with working with the mayors, especially those who are appointed to the advisory counsels. Don’t underestimate the power these councils will hold. Obama’s meeting with the mayors was also attended by the U.S. Attorney General, and the Secretaries of Education, Energy and Transportation. Apparently, this network of mayors, through the advisory councils, supervised by the Director of Urban Affairs, will have authority granted by the Attorney General to determine education and economic policies.

And just who predominately lives in these urban areas? I remember seeing the 2008 presidential election results, broken down into county-by-county statistics for the state of Ohio. Most of the counties were “red” which voted for the Republican candidate. The fewer “blue” counties were those which had higher populations concentrated in bigger cities. Cleveland, Dayton, and several other cities all voted Democratic. Now, imagine what could happen if these areas get additional federal money after the Census is taken. Will there be even more liberal changes in school curriculums? Will there be more federal funding of abortion programs? Will there be a concerted effort to ban gun ownership? Will small businesses collapse as government workers become more numerous and authoritative?

I have been sounding the alarm about the grass-roots organization that Obama is building. He isn’t working from the top down; he understands that power is nothing until it can be transmitted. It’s like utility companies that need miles and miles of transmission lines and substations to get the power where it’s needed. When Obama gets his network built, all of the government’s power and authority will begin to move, and we will begin to feel the effects. Personal freedom will fade away. Our subsistence will only come from the government, as it controls what we are taught, where we can go, and what we can live on.

To quote the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce CEO, “This is a slippery slope we’re on and it’s sliding toward a more socialistic state…and that is not a state upon which the United States was founded.” Amen.