It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:
Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.
A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department’s files shows that no permits have been issued Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.
The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2010.
Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action..
We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.
Sincerely, David L. Price
District Representative and Water Management Division.
********************************************************************************
Response sent back by Mr. DeVries:
Re: DEQ File
No.. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr. Price,
Your certified letter dated 11/17/09 has been handed to me. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run, Pennsylvania.
A couple of beavers are in the process of constructing and maintaining two wood ‘debris’ dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials ‘debris.’
I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.
These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.
My first dam question to you is:
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or
(2) Do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?
If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)
I have several dam concerns. My first dam concern is, aren’t the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation — so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.
The Department’s dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.
If you want the damed stream ‘restored’ to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers — but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.
In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers’ Dams).
So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2010? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.
In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step! The bears are not careful where they dump!
Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.
This is part 2 of my coverage on the Liberty Conference. Crowne Hotel, Auckland City. 6-10-12.
Part one: Liberty Conference Here:
Important Note:
This article is ‘the truth’ as seen though my lens. Ie The words used are sometimes virbatim… sometimes my colourful interpretation.
Kiwi Legend and super city councillor Dick Quax speaking at the Liberty Conference Auckland 6-10-12.
Dick jumped in last minute to fill in for Whale Oil Blogger Cameron Slater whom could not make it due to the death of his mother. We at ‘Eternal Vigilance’ express our condolences to you Cameron and regret that you could not be there.
Dick Quax did a spectacular job filling in at short notice… Thank’s Dick!
It has been 2 weeks since the ‘Liberty Conference’ was held in Auckland, and I have been too knackered to write this second half of my review… I can delay no longer.
In this second section I would like to review what was discussed in respect to local body Politics, esp the contributions made by Kiwi Legend and Supercity councilor Dick Quax, and retired city planning engineer and developer David Willmott.
This is a topic of interest to me, having been involved in pubic debates on Local body issues, making submissions on bills, and having stood in many elections for Hamilton City Council, both for Mayor and Council, as a representative of the Libertarianz party and as an Independent.
The Liberty Conference opened discussion on how Liberty lovers ought to concern themselves with Local Body Politics.
Stephen Berry.
Conference Organiser Stephen Berry spoke about his experiences and various stratagems standing for Mayor of Auckland city. Though he confessed that despite his best efforts to Bombing out big time at the polls, and being bitterly disappointed, none the less he is convinced Local Body politics is something that Liberty lovers ought to be involved with both for it’s own sake, and as a platform to increase public profile to boost efforts in National level politics.
Steve’s experiences and emotions, and ultimate faith that any future association of liberty lovers ought to involve themselves in local body politics reflect my personal experiences in Hamilton. I too have suffered miserable results at the polls, yet still believe Rate payers are in dire need of Candidates offering real alternatives to the Big spending tyrannical, Socialist/ United Nations Agenda 21 ideology driven Busy bodies whom have dominated the Local Body politics of our Nation.
Steve did not mention one of the chief reasons why guys like us bomb at the polls is that despite our best efforts we are up against a horrendously un-level playing field in Local body democracy due to the Moral bankruptcy of 90% of the Media whom… unless you are a TV personality or sportsperson… purposely shut you out of Election time discussions, thus utterly failing in their duty to inform voters of alternative arguments, possibilities, and directions to the Status quo.
I discuss this failure of the Media here:
and here:
Yet still the Liberty Conference was convened to rethink our methods, and form a strategy to break through the Media black out and win elections.
More on this in the conclusion.
Dave Willmott.
There were two ‘insider’ speeches delivered at the Conference.
One by Ex City engineer and developer David Willmott.
He stood as a candidate for the Super-city in 2010.
The other was a spectacular Speech from Super city Councilor and Kiwi Champion Runner, Dick Quax.
Both talked on a similar thread but from different experiences and insights.
Both spoke well.
Now I am someone whom has always been scathing of the voting mentality that elects ‘Celebrity candidates’, and so I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed with Dick’s insider view into the mindset of the Super city Council and Mayor Len Brown.
There is certainly more to Dick Quax than Athletics.
Dick decried the Platitude of Len Brown’s “The world’s most livable city”… saying Auckland was fast becoming too expensive to live in!
That Kiwi dream…Home ownership…is dropping at an alarming rate.
What more the planning would increase the evils of inner city life… less room outside for kids to play and exercise… thus more obesity, less nature…more ‘industrial disease’, etc.
David pointed out that ½ a years income bought you a 1/5 acre section in the 1970s.
Both speeches were scathing about the rising costs of building a home. Both speakers blamed the High cost of sections squarely on the shoulders of city councils whom refuse to permit the expansion of the city… by severe restrictions on the development of land on the boundaries.
Dick Quax explained that in consequence of the swamp of bureaucracy, there is currently a gross shortage of New homes being build, thus the high demand for housing in Auckland drives Real-estate prices through the roof!
He explained Len Browns vision was to even further exacerbate this problem.
Dick called Len Brown’s Unitary plan “The Great Leap backwards”, pointing out that though Auckland already had a population density 3 times greater than Perth, that it was the intent of the Leftist’s to further exacerbate this.
He said that Len Brown’s council are consumed with an Ideological vision of everyone living in High rise apartments built alongside a train tack!
I kept waiting to hear the words ‘Agenda 21’ … and was surprised they never came.
Dick’s experiences, and concerns exactly parallel what I have seen going on in Hamilton City… the Leftist Social engineering hell bent on implementing this Diabolical United Nations Agenda… against the dreams and aspirations of New Zealanders. Of course the primary method of establishing this Leftist Utopia is by propagating
Terror of Freedom… Preaching Global catastrophe, and Greed… the selfishness of owning your own ¼ acre… and driving your own car!
Totalitarianism to the rescue!
Dick talked about Len Brown’s determination to re-establish a ‘monocentric’ city via draconian means.
This parallels with Hamilton City councils fixation with the CBD…. wasting millions of Rate payer dollars on ‘Facelifts’ and also via heavy restrictions on business which threatens to drain customer Patronage away from the established/ olde town square.
Their Diabolical plan included ‘Variation 21’… an attempt to resist the natural development of a Polycentric city, buy refusing to grant consent to the construction Malls and development outside the CBD… Blatant protectionism of the ‘Old Boys’ Money interests, and attempting to force the public to patronise the City council Metered Parking, and parking buildings, etc.
Thankfully Hamilton City was Defeated by Tainui, and They developed ‘The Base’… New Zealand’s biggest Mall out North West in Pukete.
Yet still developers face constant resistance from a Belligerent Hamilton City Council.
Read about my proposed solutions as Libertarianz party Mayoral Candidate Here:
In Hamilton Len Brown’s Rail based Hive, has been mirrored in Hamilton city councilor Dave Mcpherson who recently abandoned the Transport portfolio after a decade of attempting to establish City Rail in Hamilton (In particular a rail link between Auckland and Hamiltion).
That it was an economic absurdity that would have driven up an already staggering City debt was of no concern to Big Dave!
Like all Lefties Dave shows complete disregard for how his policies affect Taxpayers and Rate payers. I stood up many times and told Hamiltonians that The grand schemes and promises of McPherson and would be Mayor Julie Hardacre would come to naught.
I pointed out that these sorts of policies had already bankrupted Hamilton city and put us in financial crisis.
When my predictions came true no journalist from the Waikato times has bothered to interview me to discover how was able to predict the current crisis, or to report My honesty at election time, or the dishonesty of the New Mayor.
Read about my attempts to save Hamilton ratepayers from Bankruptcy Here:
Dick Quax exposed the same disregard for Ratepayers was patently obvious in the Super-city. In his words…” How reckless the council is with other peoples money”.
Rates increases for Aucklanders are planned at 2.5 times the rate of inflation, That rates would increase by 56% over the period covered by the plan ($2000 dolar Rates bill will become $3600), and still Len Browne would be borrowing a Billion dollars a Year!
Future ratepayers will be left with a megga debt so that 0.25c in every ratepayer dollar will go on interest servicing the legacy of Len’s Lefties.
And to establish this ‘Schemeo Grande ’ Len Browne is busy accruing Megga powers so that that no appeals can be lodged against Council edicts.
Cheak out the Gatuitous Salaries of the Auckland City exec Here!
Now David Willmott was provoked to wrath in respect to what he saw as Ideological tyranny and foolishness… as opposed to Pragmatic solutions.
And I 100% agree that the Socialist ideology is to blame for this cancer which is effecting virtually every city in western civilization to one degree or another.
It is the UN Driven Agenda 21in action.
I disagree with Dave’s conclusion that this situation proves that All ideologies are to be forsaken in favour of Raw Pragmatism (Ironically that view is a very flawed ideology in itself!) My solution is to overcome the corrupt totalitarianism of the left with a more just ideology which Restores the rights and liberties of the ratepayers, Removes all the bogus regulations which artificially drive the cost of land through the roof and make the construction of new homes unaffordable, and knock the city council off it’s heavenly perch back down to earth… as the janitors of the city… that’s all.
My biggest regret of the conference was that Dick left before I was able to introduce myself, and congratulate him for his awsome insights!
I would have loved to have sat down with a Beer and had a yarn with him.
Peter Cresswell.
Peter Cresswell put forward the proposal the Liberty lovers contest Local body elections under the Banner ‘Affordable Auckland’… ‘Affordable Hamilton’, etc say that this would have great appeal to the hard pressed Ratepayers, and would be difficult for opposition to oppose.
Others stood up and said it would be difficult for a National level campaign to capitalize off Local body activism using that brand, and that any local body activism ought to share the same branding as the National level campaigns.
Others were wondering how ‘the five policies’ (see part 1) of Tax relief, legalizing cannabis and euthanasia, Ending Waitangi racism, and Balancing the budget could be applied to Local body politics.
Obviously some of these would not really fit.
Would Candidates be able to express their personal opinion on broader issues?
Daniel Peterson
Daniel Peterson stood up and made the point that local body politics does get involve in private matters like drinking, and this has been my experience in Hamilton as well, in respect to such things as Opposing Casinos, and The heavy handed prostitution bi law, attempting to stop Boobs on bikes, etc.
I have always spoken out against the City Council playing Moral dictators… like the Taliban.
Just how any New Liberty Party would deal with these issues is yet to be worked out.
That there is a dire need to Reform local body politics and fight the diabolical Lefty Agenda 21 tyranny …there can be little dispute.
I asked Steven berry to include me in the working group charged with coming up with solid proposals for consideration at the next conference 2-2-13.
I have not yet herd anything from Steve.
Anyone interested in these things ought to consider attending the 2-2-13 conference.
John Ansell has just appeared on TV one’s ‘Marae’.
I did not see it, and will either embed it when it appears on You Tube, or post a link to it shortly.
I absolutely Support John Ansell. Race based Law is Morally repugnant. The Privilege he is referring to is the Political favouritism which skews everything in favour of Maori Radicals and racists, eg the Separatist Seats in Parliament and councils, etc… The One eyed Waitangi Tribunal, The special interventional written into the RMA all of which are used as levers to siphon loot into ‘Special interest’ coffers. The benefactors of this filthy lucre is rarely ‘Rangi in Ranui’… but the Tribal Fat Cat elitists and Bureaucrats whom like all socialist politicians use the ongoing misery of their failed Ideology as a Ruse to demand alms… which like rice in Africa… never get past the corrupt officials.
The truth is that Maori will be much better off when Waitangi racism has been overthrown …being liberated from the perpetual ‘victim mentality’ which their leaders foster. Under equality Maori will thrive as they do in Australia etc… where they get no special treatment, and understand that if they are to have a prosperous life they must achieve it via their own efforts… not via political extortion.
The Current Politicized ‘Renaissance in Maori Culture is Fake! I cringe when I watch the pretentious ‘Acting’ of the radicals whom pretend to be ‘Old world Maori’… whom think that you have to be like that to be a Mori today!
And heres the truth! Under Equality… when the Treaty separatism has been Abolished those whom wish to ‘Play Maori’ will still be free to do so! Ie Freedom is no threat to Maori Culture… Real or ‘Idealised’…. It is only a threat to the racists and extortionists whom enjoy using Political means to impose their views upon others, to use the education system as an engine of Propaganda, and to extort loot.
That The racists have been allowed to assume the leadership of the Maori People, has brought shame upon us.
I salute John Ansell for his courage, and benevolence for all New Zealanders…including the Liberation of Maori from Apartheid hatred and greed.
ELDERLY Australians committing welfare fraud on a massive scale are behind the extraordinarily high number of $100 notes in circulation, a former senior Reserve Bank official says.
Yesterday the Herald revealed there are now 10 $100 notes in circulation for each Australian, far more than the more commonly seen $20 notes.
One popular explanation is that they are used for illegal transactions as part of the cash economy, something the former Reserve official, Peter Mair, rejects as a “furphy”.
In a letter to the Reserve Bank governor, Glenn Stevens, dated July 4, Mr Mair laid the blame squarely on elderly people wanting to get the pension and hiding their income in cash to ensure they qualified for the means-tested benefit.
“The bank is basically facilitating a tax avoidance scheme by issuing high denomination notes,” he told the Herald. “They are not needed for day-to-day transaction purposes, or even as reasonable stores of value.”
His best guess is the average pensioner couple could hold up to $50,000 in undeclared $50 and $100 notes to get access to the pension.
Mr Mair said that in 1996 when the green plastic $100 note replaced the grey paper note, the Martin Place headquarters of the Reserve received regular visits from retirees wanting to withdraw large quantities of the new notes. He said the commercial banks had sent them to the Reserve because they did not have enough $100 notes on hand.
Mr Mair said the return for an Australian close to getting the pension who held $10,000 in cash, rather than declaring it, was “enormous”.
“If putting it under the bed or in a cupboard means you qualify for the pensioner card, you get discounted council rates, discounted car registration, discounted phone rental – in percentage terms the return is enormous,” he said.
Mr Mair used comparisons of the holdings of large-denomination currency in Australia and New Zealand to back his argument. “In broad terms the average value of notes held by New Zealanders is about one third of the $2000 held by Australians – almost all of which by value is in the $50 and $100 denominations,” he wrote in his letter.
“An obvious explanation for the difference is means test-free age pensions in New Zealand.”
I’m not at all surprised to read this. Examples of the Law of Unintended Consequences appear in the news on a daily basis. Why? Because unjust laws create perverse incentives. It’s that simple. But not quite as simple as Mr Mair, who really has no freaking clue.
His letter to the governor proposes phasing out the $100 and $50 denominations.
“Cards and the internet have delivered a body blow to high-denomination bank notes. They are redundant,” he said. “There is no longer any point in issuing them except to facilitate tax dodging. The authorities would announce that from, say, June 2015 every $100 and $50 note could be redeemed but no new notes would be issued. After June 2017 every note could only be redeemed at an annual discount of 10 per cent. It would mean that after two years, each $100 note could only be redeemed for $80, and so on.”
The letter acknowledges the proposal would be contentious and says it should not be done “in any way precipitously”, but as payments become more electronic it will become inevitable.
“What would remain in circulation are coins and a modestly expanded issue of currency notes in the $10 and $20 denominations. There is every reason to expect that a national currency issue of this character would soon be adequate.”
How thick is Mr. Mair? How thick is a bundle of bank notes? $10,000 in cash in $100 notes is 100 notes. That’s half an inch. $10,000 in cash in $20 notes is 500 notes. That’s two inches more.
Yet another reason to see the Competition between Republicans and Democrats as being a means of maintaining the Evils of the Status quo.
This proves The Constitution is meaningless.
Freedom is a hollow Plattitude in America.
A vote for either Democrat or Republican is a vote for Socialist Tyranny.
One of the most difficult problems with selling Liberty, equality, for all is that it behooves Libertarians like myself to defend unpopular minorities from ‘mainstream/ popular phobias and prejudice.
So few are the number of people who truly desire freedom and equality before the Law…for everyone.
Most people want liberty for themselves yet also want the state to oppress those groups whom don’t share their personal values.
Yet The truth is I am utterly unashamed of my support for Boobs on bikes.
If I was more concerned about posturing as a conservative…more concerned about winning votes and my personal political ambitions than standing up for justice I would never have walked down that street holding up that sign!
I would never have attended Jay Days.
I would never have made submissions in defense of the rights of prostitutes.
I would never have argued to end the war On drugs for years through letters to the Papers , and on the many election campaigns, etc.
It is true that I would love to get elected so that I could play a more important role in defending Liberty and the rights of individuals from socialist oppression, yet my political aspirations cannot be at the expence of justice…. not at the expence of selling out the oppressed… reviled…Fringe dwellers! I have always subordinated expedience to Idealism.
Im not a Politician!
I’m an idealist.
I dont believe politics ought to be about compromise or expedience….before principle.
The personal cost has been political isolation and redecule from all quarters.
It has been a hard road, yet if Lance thought that this photo associating me with Strippers would embarrass me …he picked the wrong guy!
My life is an open book.
Anyone who doubts this obviously does not know me at all.
Even this Blog is a testament to my refusal to pander to the sentiments of the Herd.
In God I Trust.
What matters to me is that I set a Good example for my children, and that My life has been of service to God my Father.
My teasure is in Heaven.
I wrote this response to Lance…
” Where did you get this Photo of the Hamilton boobs on bikes parade? Do you have any more? I am puzzled why you would post this photo to Treatygate. I can only think it was in the belief that it would somehow discredit me? You…do know that I am a Libertarian Christian… and that as such I have defended the liberty of unpopular minorities from Mob bigotry and oppression.??? Thus I put justice before any concern that my activism may offend the average Wowser.
My intension at this Parade was to explode the myth that Christianity demands prudish bigotry and an obligation to legislate morality…and persecute infidels.
Here you see me defending liberty from the notion that the government/ council has the right to act like the Taliban…”
Thus as strange and contrary to common understanding as it may seem to many… In this Photo I am implementing my Christian ethics… to be quick to stand up for the oppressed, to oppose tyranny where ever it appears, I am testifying to the truth That Christianity is not about Legalistic oppression of Non-Christians… but about ‘Freedom, Grace, and loving my Neighbor as myself…
Like My Savior whom I seek to emulate you will not find me sitting with the self righteous, but with the publicans and sinners… The Pot smokers… The Prostitutes…
And I will be the first to admit I greatly prefer their company to that of the Vipers… The Self-righteous hypocrites… The Anti-freedom Bigots… The Pharisaic Legalists!
On the campaign trail earlier this year, U.S. President Barack Obama said
I hear politicians talking about values in an election year. I hear a lot about that. Let me tell you about values. Hard work, personal responsibility–those are values. But looking out for one another. That’s a value. The idea that we’re all in this together. I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper. That’s a value.
In a Fox News editorial last month, Christian author and political commentator Dinesh D’Souza wrote
A few days ago I received a call from a man I recently met named George. He was a bit flustered, and soon informed me that his young son was sick with a chest condition. He pleaded with me to send him $1,000 to cover the medical bills. Since George was at the hospital I asked him to let me speak to a nurse, and she confirmed that George’s son was indeed ill. So I agreed to send George the money through Western Union. He was profusely grateful. But before I hung up I asked George, “Why are you coming to me?” He said, “I have no one else to ask.” Then he said something that astounded me, “Dinesh, you are like a brother to me.”
I … live in one of Africa’s biggest slums, along with some 4.5 million others. We have little or no access to health care, no welfare, and no free schooling. The average income is less than $5 a day—and that’s for those who find work as servants, taxi drivers, or garbage collectors. For the rest, there is nothing.
Along with some fellow slum dwellers, I set up a youth group for ghetto kids. My passion was football (soccer), which is followed religiously throughout Africa. When we first established the Huruma Centre Football Club, none of our kids had so much as a pair of football boots, let alone any uniform. Some were so hungry when they turned up that they had no energy to play. At other times, the team had to trek for miles to matches because we couldn’t afford any transportation. In spite of all that, our players were passionate, and we started winning. …
Oh The Humanity!
Two adults wasting their own money! … Persuing their own happiness!
Isn’t Liberty Terrible!
Surely this is proof enough that we dont have enough Regulations!
