Across America, citizens have been opposing actions taken by their local governments, often getting booted out of the meetings, a questionable violation of the First Amendment. Many years ago, it was the practice of citizens to address the city council and express how they wanted their city to be managed; the city basically took directions from citizen input. No longer is this the case; it has now flipped, where cities are operating as a loose cannon with no adherence to the concept that they derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. There are reasons this has happened.
Across America, cities belong to organizations with various names such as “association of”, “league of”, or “municipal association”. For example, in Arizona, it is the League of Arizona Cities & Towns, in Missouri is the Missouri Municipal League, in Idaho is the Association of Idaho Cities, and in Georgia is the Georgia Municipal Association. The point is, in each state, there is usually a statewide group in which cities belong that is very influential about issues and how they are managed.
Each of these statewide organizations belongs to the National League of Cities (NLC). The NLC organization is “comprised of city, town, and village leaders that are focused on improving the quality of life for their current and future constituents”, another obstruction to constituent representation. Exactly when was this organization elected by constituents to represent them? It claims to also “advocate for, and protect the interests of, cities, towns and villages by influencing federal policy, strengthening local leadership and driving innovative solutions.” This NLC map identifies the name of the state organization that is a member, which can then be used to identify which cities and local officials participate in the state organization.
NLC also has varying levels of partnerships with corporations. Corporatism through public-private partnerships is encouraged along with ideological influences as found on pages 5 and 6. NLC has much larger asset holdings at 19,387,271 in 2023, and the membership dues, again based on population, are more transparent. It is assumed these dues are paid by the state association members, which in turn probably raises those membership costs.
It also has a National League of Cities Institute, providing the research and education component that “equips locally elected officials with knowledge, tools, and techniques to enhance their ability to govern effectively in their communities.” So much for expert citizen voices who know their city better than any outside organization.
From its research, NLC has created an endless list of initiatives to influence how cities are managed for equality, climate sustainability, future cities, and democracy, even though we are a Republic. NLC also accepts grants on issues that can be used to influence cities. Most prominent right now throughout America is the focus on building more “affordable” dense housing, a ruse that originates from the NLC partnership with the American Planning Association.
The issue to be aware of is that NLC is used to influence cities through the state associations, and NLC is a left-of-center organization that uses its Institute to influence how cities are managed. The George Soros, Bill & Melinda Gates, and MacArthur Foundations, along with others, have provided millions to the NLC Institute to influence city governance. In turn, NLC Institute grants have been given to non-profits and local city governments across the United States to promote its objectives.
So confident is NLC that it has even given its own “state of the cities” report as if it were a mayor by declaring the top mayoral priorities (pg 9)(pg 6). It doesn’t get more repugnant than that.
NLC gets its marching orders from none other than the United Nations (UN) as a non-governmental organization that is in consultative status with the UN. In partnership with the UN, NLC has also supported migration and encouraged the integration of biodiversity measures and COP26 objectives into cities. This is easily accomplished through its conferences.
Why would any city council member bother listening to its constituents when they are handed the answers to all problems by these groups? The United States Conference of Mayors offers another opportunity to dismiss citizen input. Any mayor can be searched by typing in the name or all mayors by searching the state. As a declared non-partisan group, there is no difference between parties; they are operating from the same NLC position, as this group also works with NLC. Counties shouldn’t feel left out; there is a national organization for them as well.
Citizens should be outraged that their voice has been removed from local government. Local government officials should be ashamed for being involved in groups that covertly usurp the framework of how our government was designed to work, by consent of the governed. All citizens should meet with any mayor or council member involved in the state organization and demand immediate withdrawal, and educate them about where the real influence behind this organization originates. Most likely, these local officials have no idea how badly they have been led astray.
It is time Americans remind elected officials that their just powers are granted only by the consent of the governed.
