We Must Leave NOACA: The Folly of Negotiating with Tyrants

by Skip Claypool, Former Geauga County Commissioner/NOACA Board Member

What you will hear from the commissioners in this event is that they think it is better to try and work with NOACA and that playing the game in a different way will deliver better results.    Let me offer you this thought.   You cannot negotiate with or work with tyrants… Our founders thought that using logic and trying to work with a tyrant (King George) would succeed.  They sent him multiple letters appealing to logic.  They attended court.  Nothing worked because tyrants are without honor… In dealing with NOACA it is best to follow Ted Roosevelt’s tactic:  Carry a big stick.  

To all those who were at the Lake County Meeting the other day thanks for attending.  For those who weren’t there it is worth watching the replay.  You will find it informative.  (Fast forward a couple of minutes to get to the actual NOACA discussion.)  https://rumble.com/v2ndb2g-noaca-townhall-meeting-lake-county-liberty-coalition.html

I would like to offer a few comments.   

I found it interesting that more than once I was referred to as a constitutionalist.  Shouldn’t all elected officials be constitutionalist?  After all everyone says an oath to uphold and defend the constitution.  Do they not take that oath seriously?  If you say the oath and don’t mean it what does that say?  I am left wondering.

It is interesting that both Lake County Commissioners commented that our attendance is making a difference.   That is good.  They encouraged everyone to keep showing up.  I agree.  But we need to do more.  Our elected officials work for us and as such should heed the public sentiment.  

I have done everything I can provide a credible and doable way to leave NOACA and form another MPO.   We have a cost model that shows the estimates of the funding a Lake Geauga County MPO.   This model was signed off by ODOT.   We have the steps to create a new MPO.  Those steps have been vetted through three different sources.   We can see that it is in fact possible.  Let me highlight this.   YES it is possible.  Here is the link to the federal law covering creating a new MPO: 23 ecfr 450.310.     Reading the federal law misses some important nuance.  According to the County Engineers of both the counties we receive very few NOACA dollars and on the flip side a separate MPO would provide an estimated 7.5 million dollar working funds —  7.5 is bigger than 0 to a few hundred thousand.     It appears clear that a separate MPO would be in the best interest of our counties.   And yet there is reluctance by the Lake County commissioners.    Geauga County Commissioners are on board if Lake County will join us.

What you will hear from the commissioners in this event is that they think it is better to try and work with NOACA and that playing the game in a different way will deliver better results.    Let me offer you this thought.   You cannot negotiate with or work with tyrants.  They are NOT honest and they are without integrity.  Our founders thought that using logic and trying to work with a tyrant (King George) would succeed.  They sent him multiple letters appealing to logic.  They attended court.  Nothing worked because tyrants are without honor.   Most everything NOACA does is based on NOACA’s objects and Saul Alinsky is their guide.   I can support these claims with evidence and many examples of behaviors by NOACA that underline their practices.   In dealing with NOACA it is best to follow Ted Roosevelt’s tactic:  Carry a big stick.  

Think about the conversations that our founders must have had.   Yes only about 10% of our population is with us.  Yes Great Britain is the biggest baddest county on the face of the earth.   And yes we are surrounded by loyalist that will betray us.   It is not possible.  The only way this might work is if King George resigns.    That thinking is similar to what we heard in the meeting the other night.   But, even though there was very little chance that our founders would succeed they prayed and stood with courage to do the right thing.    They knew that the only true course for their future was defeating a tyrant and charting a new path.   We cannot change NOACA or the progressives serving on the board.  They will continue to undermine everything conservatives try to do.  There is really only one course.   It will take a strong spine, conviction, faith in God, and the will to act.

To everyone reading this:

There is an old management saying.  There is only 4 ways a person will change.  

• A significant religious experience
• A significant emotion experience.
• If they decide to change
• Or with a lobotomy.

We are not qualified to do lobotomies, and I have provided as much information as I can to educate folks about reasons to promote a change and a way to change.   It is impossible to change the minds of those who are unwilling.   However, it is possible to create an emotional experience that forces a change in thinking.  

Attending meetings, demanding change, restating the facts over and over and over may be the catalyst to change.  

Interesting side note:   In the last subcommittee meeting in NOACA there was a a proposal to spend 1.7 million to track people on their cell phones to develop habits and patterns of travel.   Sounds kind of Orwellian to me.   What do you think?  Good expenditure of your tax dollars?   This won’t be abused I am sure.   Time for Lake Geauga, Medina, and Lorain to leave NOACA..

Just saying……

Skip