Many Congressmen and Senators say they don't know anything about the North American Union and they don't understand how private groups are pushing for the international transportation corridors without congressional approval.  For many of them, it could possibly be true because the Clinton-Gore 'reinvention of government' actually implemented a distinctly un-American form of 'governance'.     

There are two main strategies to this un-American system of 'governance'.  Regionalism is the first.  It cannibalizes existing elected representative government by distributing power among 'regional authorities' which are for the most part, unelected boards, councils and commissions.   The use of public-private partnerships is the second.  The public side of the deal uses the power of government to implement the private agenda.  Grant money is used as the incentive.   The private agenda can be the international agenda of the United Nations as in the case of Agenda 21 or it can be for commercial interests as in the case of the International Corridors. 

The following section is a glimpse at how these strategies are working -  

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 12852 calling for a commission to be established to oversee the implementation of Agenda 21 in the United States.   The Executive Order doesn't specifically name United Nations Agenda 21.  Rather, it calls for implementation of 'sustainable development' which is what Agenda 21 is about.  Because this label means nothing, it can be defined to mean anything - depending upon the goals of the moment.  As you can see from the Goals of Clinton's Commission (below, right), their definition was to includes every aspect of life (same as Agenda 21).  In effect, this Executive Order established the principle of central planning for life in the United States to be promoted and implemented by non-governmental organizations (NGO's).  This is the 'New Federalism' implemented by Clinton and Gore in the 'reinvention of government' program.  

Recall that the ostensible purpose behind the La Paz Agreement with Mexico was to address the common environmental issues of the border region but it was written to allow open-ended expansion.  And the EPA was the lead governmental body to lead the effort on the U.S. side. 

In 1996,  the expansive elements of the La Paz agreement became evident when the EPA published the Border XXI framework to implement Agenda 21 in the Border Region building on the La Paz Agreement. 

"Border XXI in fact "encourages" workgroups "to explore the development of subgroups or other mechanisms to facilitate the participation of border communities in the implementation of the program." But progress in this area is only now picking up speed—moderate speed, at best. B21’s framework document does not articulate a clear vision of the regional subworkgroups, and individual workgroups have been left to figure them out on their own."

History of Border XXI

Also in 1996, the EPA formed the 'Smart Growth Network'

The Smart Growth Network (SGN) is a partnership of government, business and civic organizations that support smart growth. Since its creation in late 1996, the Network has become a storehouse of knowledge about smart growth principles, facilitating the sharing of best practices and acting as a catalyst for implementation of ideas.

In 1998, the EPA's Sustainable Development Challenge Grant Program announced a solicitation for proposals.  [Federal Register: August 24, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 163)] [Page 45155-45161]

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals for the FY 1998 Sustainable Development Challenge Grant (SDCG) program, one of President Clinton's ``high priority'' actions described in the March 16, 1995 report, ``Reinventing Environmental Regulation.'' The EPA has a total of $5 million available for this program in FY 1998.

The Sustainable Development Challenge Grant program strongly encourages partnering among community members, business and government entities to work cooperatively to develop flexible, locally-oriented approaches that link place-based environmental management and quality of life activities with sustainable development and revitalization."
 

1999 HUD Budget includes $100 million for 'Regional Connections Initiative'  and the number of Empowerment and Enterprise zones are increased.

"In light of the long-term shift of jobs and people to the suburbs, regions have become the building blocks of the larger national economy. The challenge for local communities is to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the new regional economies."

On May 25, 1999, Clinton signed Executive Order 13122, "Southwest Border Economic Development Initiative".   This order expanded the border region to 150 miles on each side of the border and it called for the creation of an 'Intergovernmental Task Force on the Economic Development of the Southwest Border'.

"The Task Force will report to the Vice President. The Task Force will enhance coordination among the related economic development institutions, binational efforts such as Border XXI, Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities, and other federal economic development programs and integrate these federal programs with locally led efforts."

"In 1992 leaders at the Earth Summit built upon the framework of Brundtland Report to create agreements and conventions on critical issues such as climate change, desertification and deforestation. They also drafted a broad action strategy—Agenda 21—as the workplan for environment and development issues for the coming decades."

National Policy for Sustainable Development - May 1999

President's Council on Sustainable Development
 National Goals

Goal 1: Health And The Environment
Ensure that every person enjoys the benefits of  clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment at home, at work, and at play.

Goal 2: Economic Prosperity
Sustain a healthy U.S. economy that grows sufficiently to create meaningful jobs, reduce poverty, and provide the opportunity for a high quality of life for all in an increasingly competitive world.

Goal 3: Equity
Ensure that all Americans are afforded justice and have the opportunity to achieve economic, environmental, and social well-being.

Goal 4: Conservation Of Nature
Use, conserve, protect, and restore natural resources -- land, air, water, and biodiversity -- in ways that help ensure long-term social, economic, and environmental benefits for ourselves and future generations.

Goal 5: Stewardship
Create a widely held ethic of stewardship that strongly encourages individuals, institutions, and corporations to take full responsibility for the economic, environmental, and social consequences of their actions.

Goal 6: Sustainable Communities
Encourage people to work together to create  healthy communities where natural and historic resources are preserved, jobs are available, sprawl is contained, neighborhoods are secure, education is lifelong, transportation and health care are  accessible, and all citizens have opportunities to improve the quality of their lives.

Goal 7: Civic Engagement
Create full opportunity for citizens, businesses, and communities to participate in and influence the natural resource, environmental, and economic decisions that affect them.

Goal 8: Population
Move toward stabilization of U.S. population.

Goal 9: International Responsibility
Take a leadership role in the development and implementation of global sustainable development policies, standards of conduct, and trade and foreign policies that further the achievement of sustainability.

Goal 10: Education
Ensure that all Americans have equal access to education and lifelong learning opportunities that will prepare them for meaningful work, a high quality of life, and an understanding of the concepts involved in sustainable development.

That statement in the Fact Sheet on the purpose of the initiative combined the Southwest Border Region Initiative with the redevelopment program for the rest of the U.S. which was based on the definition of 'regional zones'. 

History of Federal Empowerment Zones

"The Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community (EZ/EC) program was established in the Fall of 1993 under the Federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and is the capstone of the Clinton Administration community revitalization strategy. The program is designed to empower people and communities across the United States by inspiring Americans to work together to develop a strategic plan designed to create jobs and opportunities in our nation's most impoverished urban and rural areas."

On November 15, 1999, the Intergovernmental Task Force called for in EO 13122 published an interim status status report that clearly describes the intent of 'empowerment zones'.  On page (5 text: 17).

In April 1997, at the White House Empowerment Conference in Detroit, Michigan, Vice President Gore challenged Empowerment Zones (EZ), Enterprise Communities (EC) and Champion Communities to combine their efforts and adopt a regional approach to revitalize their communities.1 The Southwest Border Partnership was created in response to the Vice President’s challenge. This regional organization of EZ/EC and Champion Communities aims to build a sustainable economy in concert with a sustainable environment.
 

Foreign Trade Zones Report, September 30, 2000

Glocalization

"Glocalization" is an historical process whereby localities develop direct economic and cultural relationships to the global system through information technologies, bypassing and subverting traditional power hierarchies like national governments and markets.

The following link concerns a story of how regionalism was brought to Boise, Idaho and surrounding cities and counties.   The events in the timeline correspond directly to the above strategic positioning for the 'transformation' to the un-American system of 'governance'.     

Agenda 21 in Idaho