While we do not agree with the author's attempt to link the Obama administration as the sole and original culprit in "Regionalism" agenda, we applaud the author's discussion and the willingness to bring such facts to the mainstream populace, which has heard almost nothing of these policies. We do think that the current administration appears to be ramping-up the regionalism agenda using "hot button" words and topics in an attempt to limit the opposition to a whimper and is using HUD (Housing & Urban Development) as a way to accuse suburbs of violating Federal Housing Laws if they do not buy into the increased densification. With regard to what HUD has done to turn Plan Bay Area into a national policy of regionalism, the phrase from Hamlet comes to mind here: "The Lady dost protest too much, methinks." In this case, "The Lady" represents small cities, free-market proponents, and the citizenry in general (once they really learn about Plan Bay Area/Regionalism and seriously look at this critically.)

Especially exciting for us here at Orinda Watch, a group who has actively been pushing back against this plan, the author deftly explains a broader agenda behind Plan Bay Area. And we know that the impetus for Plan Bay Area (California's Global Warming Law [AB32] and Sustainable Communities Strategy [SB375]) came well before the current federal administration. So, we think this "regionalism" agenda is best described as a non-partisan issue that should be appalling to all citizens.

Selected excerpts from the article:
"In effect, by preventing the development of new suburbs, and reducing traditional single-family home development in existing suburbs, Plan Bay Area will squeeze 30 years worth of in-migrating population into a few small urban enclaves, and force most new businesses into the same tight quarters. The result will be a steep increase in the Bay Area’s already out-of-control housing prices. This will hit the poor and middle class the hardest. While some poor and minority families will receive tiny subsidized apartments in the high-rise PDAs, many others will find themselves displaced by the new development, or priced out of the local housing market altogether."
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"HUD’s new rule gives the federal government a tool to press ultra-dense Plan Bay Area-style “priority development are as” on regions across the country."
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"...using traditional anti-discrimination language as a cover for a re-engineering the way we live."
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"The real goal is to Manhattanize America, and force us out of our cars."
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"The administration’s “sustainable communities” grants generally require recipients to “partner” with local leftist community organizations. Opponents of Plan Bay Area often outnumber supporters at public meetings. Yet such supporters as are present–groups like TransForm, the Greenbelt Alliance, Marin Grassroots, and East Bay Housing Organization–are funded (or slated to be funded) with the help of the same federal grant that backs up the bureaucrats in charge."
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"So when opponents of Plan Bay Area complain about officials simply going through the motions of public consultation, they’re right. The deck is stacked, the fix is in. By way of the federal grant, many of the “grassroots” groups that support Plan Bay Area are actually partners of the decision makers (the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments)."
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