The Smoking Gun and the Smokescreen That Brought Death to the Canyon Inn

I feel like I've been playing a game of "Wack-a-Mole" lately!  I was working on this blog post before my post on the "Prison Move", but there is so much going on that I held off finishing it until now, and it seems pretty appropriate given that I found the "smoking gun" in the Cottonwood Heights Incorporation and their Redevelopment Plan in which they awarded Zions Bank, in conjunction with Wasatch Front Regional Council, Landmark Design and InterPlan, money to fund a study entitled Fort Union Corridor Study. 

 

For years, really since Beau Babka's misuse of public funds scandal, I've heard about Cottonwood Heights police corruption, so this has been in the back of my mind throughout the past few years.  The stories that made the news and the "scuttlebutt" on the street just being filed away in my head, but I have to say, after watching ABC4's news story on the heavy handed Cottonwood Heights Police Department and the tyranny against local business owners and residents alike, I saw how this was a BIG Part of their Agenda to bring about United Nations Agenda 21 Sustainable Development Smart Growth to Cottonwood Heights!

Yesterday, October 24, 2015 was the last day the Canyon Inn would do business.  A longtime watering hole at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake County.  It had been generating close to a million dollars yearly in revenue, until Cottonwood Heights Incorporated in January 2005 ,whereby The Plan was put in motion for Redevelopment.  Why?  You say!  Good question!  This is where my investigation began.  While investigating the Wasatch Front Regional Council I ran across some documents that talked about a plan to redevelop the Fort Union area as a main transportation corridor, that lead me to the Cottonwood Heights Wasatch Front Regional Council Fort Union Corridor Study.  I asked myself, "why Zions Bank"?  This piece of the puzzle did not fit for me, and it strikes me odd other people aren't asking why also, but I think it's by design.  Zions Bank has been a Utah Establishment since 1873, Utah's oldest financial institution.  They have made a name for themselves and become a "trusted" financial institution, especially across the Southwestern states.  I've since come to learn that Zions Bank has become a "shill" for the Wasatch Front Regional Council in bringing about their plans to implement United Nations Agenda 21 in Utah.  The WFRC is a non profit, a self appointed governing group, (a COG Unconstitutional Government) for a regional takeover of all levels of government including The State House and beyond.  Zions Bank has been working hand in hand with the WFRC, Envision Utah the Mountain Accord and more in advocating that cities adopt the plan of the WFRC to redesign them to accommodate their transportation "pipe-dream", where every city is redesigned around the Smart Cities/Sustainable Development model under direction of the United Nations and ICLIE, (currently undergoing a major propaganda makeover since people are on to their international agenda to implement the UN's plan locally), where everyone lives in the planned development area where there is lots of high density housing, (the Zions Plan calls for 5 to 6 stories of high density), with local businesses on the street level and residential above.  These developments are built out to the sidewalk 6' to 8' from the curb, very limited parking for cars, because they want you out of your car riding their public transportation, OR on a bike or on foot.  The roads will be narrowed eliminating lanes for cars and given over to the public transportation or for bikes.  This plan is to eliminate the middle class.  Stop your ascension to the top of wage earners and becoming independently wealthy, bringing the top half down to poverty level.  Why would Zions Bank wants to do this?  I'm still working on that one, but logic says "there's something in if for them"...and it's gotta be MONEY!  Maybe it's the financing they will provide to developers and leases, to residents of the high density units alike.  I think a big part of it lies in the windfall coming due them when you are forced off your private property and they repossess it.  Many Utahans have their mortgages with Zions because they are local.  Zions is advertised as financier of some of the high density building projects going on along the Wasatch Front.  One thing is for sure, they are making "big bucks" through being awarded contracts for doing these studies for cities such as Cottonwood Heights, including the recent Salt Lake County Community Preservation Act ballot measure for this years municipal elections.  Here's how it works WFRC, funded by our tax dollars though HUD and dues every city along the Wasatch Front pays do sit on the council among others, puts forth "the plan", offers cities grant money, performs the study/plans. Zions, Landmark and InterPlan supply the plan, the cities pay Zions from the grant money.  WFRC's payoff is to get the cities to adopt their transportation plans which also includes "transportation villages" where people are forced to ride their transportation and everyone has a "warm fuzzy" feeling for saving the environment.  Wasatch Front Regional Council is operating a money laundering scheme and Andrew Gruber, the current Executive Director, and every city council along the Wasatch Front is participating in this scam being conducted on every tax payer in Utah!  What does Andrew Gruber have to do with this scheme?  His "wheelhouse" is Public Transportation "the Chicago way"!  He works with groups like Envision Utah and Mountain Accord, UDOT, UTA and straight to the top...the Utah Governor's Office, to promote the vision of Sustainable Development manifest in cronyism in the private sector as well as public officials in government at every level.  The truth is these "transportation villages" are nothing short of a concentration camp where you are watched, survaled and controlled, where you'll be driven out of your car, pardon the pun, and you'll be on foot, (easier to catch), and you won't be going far because they will provide you a job and a place to eat.  You won't be consuming much either, and that includes nonessential purchases because your living quarters won't allow for it!  If you get to move outside the parameters it will be on "their" transportation vehicles, therefore the name "corridor", a corridor is a hallway that has access to different rooms.  You exit the corridor into the room/confined space and when you're done, you get back in the corridor and continue on your way never venturing beyond.

 

So, let's get back to the "smoking gun"...redeveloping Cottonwood Heights.  The study done by Zions Bank was basically this, "your city is undesirable, unmemorable, you have to many cul-de-sacs and dead end streets, you don't have any car dealerships or high end retailers, no unique dining establishments, you have to much revenue "leakage" therefore, your whole city needs to be redesigned"!  Never mind it's one of the best bedroom communities on the east side!  Property values are high because of the cul-de-sac and dead-end streets, any Realtor will tell you that!  Listen up Zions Bank and Kelvyn Cullimore, residents don't need a car dealership because they can drive a few short miles to Murray or Sandy for that!  Residents don't need any "high-end retailers" because they can drive a few short miles to Murray where you'll find Nordstroms, Dillards, Macy's and the Cheesecake Factory, where you can have your cheesecake and eat it too!  You don't need to have a large furniture retailer because it's a "hop, skip and a jump" over to RC Willey!  And as far as unique dining and eateries, there is the Porcupine Grill, and before Saturday, the Canyon Inn, La Callie, a short drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Snowbird Ski Resort and more!  "I don't think these people get out much"!  But-you can't do ANY of that without a car, and "that's why your whole city needs to be redeveloped"!  Now apparently there have been a set of plans circulated among some business and property owners.  It's really no secret since in the Zions Study they include artist renderings of the redevelopment plan.  These plans unveil the city's plan to eliminate some long standing businesses in favor of "their plan" FOR you.  The plan has been discussed between business owners as they discovered Cottonwood Heights plan to eliminate them, such as the Canyon Inn and the Porcupine Grill.  Well, these business owners didn't take it well, and who should, when government at any level goes about creating winners and losers.  Applying the blanket of cozy cronyism.  Apparently, in the case of these two businesses, and include the 7-11 on the corner of Wasatch Boulevard and Fort Union.  Some businesses were approached by the City Manager "asking"them to go along with their redevelopment plan.  After the business owners exposed their plan, the City of Cottonwood Heights denied the plan to put them out of business and acquire their land to bring about the redevelopment, scraping the existing city en-lue of a new one.  Because the businesses were uncooperative in rolling over and playing dead, or giving up their livelihood for the good of the "collective" the orders were given to the Police Department to make doing business unbearable!  So, the police department targeted these businesses and their clientele relentlessly, even going as far as having police cruisers parked at or near these businesses in order to harass individuals, ticket  and detain them when no crimes where committed.  Now, the police department has numerous complaints from residents and passers by as the harassment and unfair treatment outside what's been happening at the local businesses.  Needless to say, there is a big problem there, but seeing that Beau Babka himself was privy to a meeting where the orders were given to make sure businesses did not stand in the way of the redevelopment plan.  "Where there is smoke there's fire."  And I think Sim Gil, (Salt Lake County Attorney) should launch one of his "Police Investigations" like he did in West Valley City, where a handful of individuals backed by a high priced lawyer demanded an investigation of the department and certain police officers in connection to a case where an individual was killed.  The investigation actually turned out to be a good thing.  Some people were dismissed and the department was revamped and they continue to rebuild, but although the business owners and citizenry of Cottonwood Heights and commuters continue to voice their concerns, city officials are crying "fowl" while there is silence from Sim Gil.  Maybe the area is to "affluent".  Maybe there isn't a "big city lawyer" pounding on their door, but I say The People of Cottonwood Heights deserve to have their case heard and the Salt Lake County Attorneys office needs to launch an investigation of the Police Department, the Mayor and City Manager's involvement in the overbearing and criminal acts of the Police Department.  When a police departs from, or anyone acts in an unconstitutional way, they should be called out for it!  The Mayor has been approached by ABC4 who asked him about the allegations and the treatment of business owners and their patrons by the City Manager and the Police Chief and his department.  The Mayor was quoted and saying, "there are no flames".  The truth is the Mayor is creating a smoke screen to protect the city officials and developers while moving forward his ultimate plan of delivering the city up to the UN Gods of Agenda 21 via the WFRC.  The worst thing Cottonwood Heights did was Incorporate!  Although Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams is "hook-line-and-sinker" for this Sustainable Development Agenda, at least you've eliminated a level of government over you.  Now that people are waking up to this evil plan, maybe they will do more to fight against it!

The good thing about this scenario is that businesses have made the limelight, although under reported by the media, but businesses and private property owners across the United States are being FORCED to close their doors and being chased off their land in an effort towards Sustainable Development.  You see, "your lifestyle is unsustainable", you own property, you have too much freedom, and it's not fair to the "have-nots" in the world.  You have to be brought down a notch, and unless you submit to the plan, it won't work!

There is so much more to this story.  I'm sure we'll cover in subsequent blog posts, but it's a sad day in Utah when another small business owner is put out of business by political/government entities!  Our Governor likes to BRAG about the business climate here in Utah and the economy here, but the reality is it's not so great Governor.  Small businesses are suffering under government taxes, regulation and heavy handed developer types.  When government only favors "cherry-picked" corporations with tax incentives and waivers the little guy always suffers.  If you're not "dubbed worthy" by the Chamber of Crony Capitalism, (Chamber of Commerce) your chances of success are slim to none!

So- the shots been fired by government and it's cronies at the citizens and independent business owners in Cottonwood Heights.  The Mayor creates a smoke screen so the Police Department and Developers can make a clean getaway, while the victim, (at this point) the Canyon Inn, lay lifeless at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.  Who will stand up for property rights, truth and justice?  Who will be their next victim?  Will we just pay our respects at the burial of the deceased and let businesses like the Canyon Inn fade from our memory?  Like the "tea-toddlers" showing support for the endangered business owners raising a glass of milk as a toast, "here's to you, Canyon Inn for being a responsible and viable contributing member of our community for many years."  Cheers!

 

Help get the word out and educate your neighbor about the threat Sustainable Development is to Private Property Rights and the Freedom we are losing bit by bit by an overreaching and tyrannical government.  Share this post:0) 

 

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Links:

http://www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/UserFiles/Servers/Server_109694/File/Departments/Planning/CH%20Fort%20Union%20021015.pdf 
http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/behind-the-badge/Content?oid=2374021&showFullText=true

http://www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/city_services/police

http://www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/community/history

https://www.zionsbank.com/about-zions-bank/about-zions-bank.jsp

http://www.wfrc.org/

http://envisionutah.org/

http://mountainaccord.com/

http://www.wfrc.org/new_wfrc/index.php/component/contact/contact/190-staff/1-andrew-gruber

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld

http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/canyon-inn/Location?oid=2244782

http://porcupinepub.com/

http://www.cottonwoodholladayjournal.com/2015/03/06/64889/cottonwood-heights-plans-development-district

http://www.utahstories.com/2013/04/cottonwood-heights-the-grama-results-are-in/

http://www.utahstories.com/2013/10/cottonwood-heights-residents-protest-against-police-harassment/

http://www.cottonwoodholladayjournal.com/2015/09/10/85706/beau-babka-canyon-inn-was-a-target

http://fox13now.com/2013/04/03/wvc-police-request-fbi-investigation-into-willard-shooting/

http://www.cottonwoodholladayjournal.com/2015/09/10/85706/beau-babka-canyon-inn-was-a-target

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MzxC8Mqupw&feature=youtu.be

http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/conflict-in-cottonwood-heights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVfWbAn0Rno&feature=youtu.be

 

"There's Something Rotten In Denmark" Salt Lake County Community Preservation Act

 

 

It ain't Denmark but it still stinks!  The famous quote from the Shakespeare's Hamlet, I think, depicts this situation.

 

"Hamlet Act 1, scene 4, 87–91

This is one time when the popular misquotation—"Something's rotten in Denmark"—is a real improvement on the original. But you ought to be careful around purists, who will also remember that the minor character Marcellus, and not Hamlet, is the one who coins the phrase. There's a reason he says "state of Denmark" rather than just Denmark: the fish is rotting from the head down—all is not well at the top of the political hierarchy."

Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, (former Senator 2009-2013),  through prodding the Utah Legislature, constructed a bill forcing Salt Lake County residents to decide once and for all if they will remain independent.  Salt Lake County Residents will participate in a, "Mail In Ballot Only" election, November 2015 in which County Islands and Townships will have to choose whether to join an adjacent city or remain an entity of Salt Lake County.  Governor Gary Herbert signed the 236 page bill (SB-199) which passed the Senate (25-5-1) and the House (68-6-1) into action March 30, 2015.  Salt Lake County's first notice to the public was for June 3 and the 30th was the second public notice, of which I received none.  These hearings where to discuss boundaries only, and it has been on the "bullet train" to it's destination ever since!  They waited until September to approach the residents with their "sales pitch".  No public comment was allowed at our meeting at Eastmont Middle School in Sandy.  Hand-written questions only!  Can anyone say "Delphi"?  We have the Utah Legislature to thank once more for "saving us from ourselves" as all government is afraid of "organic government" percolating from the bottom up!  They are, metaphorically, "putting a gun to the heads" of county residents to commit to annexing while putting ourselves out of their misery of thinking we have an ability to come up with a plan of our own.  Before this bill was passed residents could come together and petition the county for annexation into a neighboring city, now they are forcing the remaining islands to decide once and for all this November.  And In my case, cramming to do research from the late date of September 18th!  This effects our personal property rights and should not be taken lightly, but the county is banking on it!  There are many reasons I see for them coming up with this scheme, some of which I'll mention here.

 

 

Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams leads the way on bike path.

 

 

As you may or may not know, Mayor Ben McAdams serves on several Un-elected Boards and Councils of Governments (COG), including Envision Utah (Board of Directors) and Wasatch Front Regional Council, Smart Growth America, Transportation For America among others.  He clearly endorses and advocates for United Nations Agenda 21 Sustainable Development Smart Growth policies.  For example-  He's been seen sporting a bike helmet in a photo op where he reveals the county put up $700,000 in grants to ensure bikers safety on county roads, (that's money raised from motorists mind you).  I think it's his agenda to get the county, including cities and townships, locked up to deliver them as prisoners to the global governance goal of control of every one and every thing!  He, and his cronies, have to cement this plan through planning and zoning, which was required language in the bill.  I have seen him giddy as a school girl "skip" to the podium as he opened the meeting for Wasatch Choice 2040 in which he praises Andrew Gruber and the regional plan.  "Celebrate the end of the beginning", you say?  Maybe a subliminal meaning there?

 

Where the CPA is concerned, I do feel that the islands are expendable as far as the plan goes.  The county could care less about them, with the exception of Willow Creek.  Willow Creek residents, from what I heard in the public hearings on boundaries, has been courted by Sandy City for many years trying to get the high income area to annex into Sandy.  The county, I feel, initiated the "divide and conquer" technique in order to force residents to choose between Sandy and recently incorporated Cottonwood Heights.  Township?  Nope, that's out!  It's rumored that both cities are in need of property tax revenue, and Willow Creek would provide that.  Single family private property owners are the bread and butter that keep cities humming, although a member of our panel made it sound like we are mooching off Kennecott and Snowbird!  "Might I remind you, the residents built the towns."  At any rate, I think this is why the county did not include the islands in the middle of the map in any of the committees and discussions in hopes that we would get mad and join an adjoining city.  I'm irate mind you, but I don't want to be a part of a city that is "hook line and sinker", neck deep in the global agenda, and is waging war against private property rights and individual sovereignty (Sandy City).  They can't make the people comply with UN Agenda 21 (Re-branded 2030 Agenda or Plan 2030) if they aren't a part of these cities.  They have their operatives in the townships, islands are expendable.  At this point it's resist and fight to the death!

 

 

 

 

Now to the process.  The assistant mayor, who ran the meeting, (Kimberly Barnett), bragged about having over 100 individuals participate in the process, but when you consider there are 160,000 property owners effected that is less than one percent!  It's a pittance!  They should be ashamed not BRAGGING about it!  The mayor said, "they advertised for positions on the committee", yet I could only find this where he describes an effort to, "bring peace to a decades-old fight", the old Hegelian Dialectic at work.  And if you watch this, it's almost laughable they couldn't find anyone to participate in an episode of Trib Talk who wasn't "in house", and where no viewers submitted questions.  In short there was a limited few on the committee and no one represented my island, one being a Salt Lake Tribune Employee, makes you wonder about the rest of the appointments.  During this process the committee should have been communicating with the members they represented and I didn't hear one word about it.  Aimee Winder-Newton even admits to "rushing the process so they could control the message".  The first time I heard about it was when I received a postcard in the mail informing me I would be voting on the measure in November by mail in ballot, and that a community town hall would be held in a little over a week.  Needless to say, I was dumbfounded!  I scrambled to find out what in the heck was going on.  In my search I found that Zions Bank was awarded the contract to do the financial study.  I found the report online and several things puzzled me.  Why Zions Bank?  Why not private property rights groups or tax watch dogs?  Why did Zions not do a complete and comprehensive comparison?  Why did they "cherry pick" a handful of line items to feed the public?  I found it interesting that in their report each comparison found a cost benefit to annexing to a neighboring city of an average $115.00.  I did ask a very detailed question at our town hall about Zions Bank winning the bid, but was not given a honest answer.  I asked, "who competed for the contract and why was it awarded to Zions Bank"?  Kimberly Barnett, assistant mayor, basically said, Zions won!  We were informed at our town hall September 28, 2015 that we would receive a pamphlet in the mail before the election in order to provide us with the information to make an "informed decision".  I told Aimee Winder-Newton after the meeting, "I already printed mine off online"!  I did it as part of my research, and as far as I'm concerned it's not worth the paper it's printed on!  And-I've already received my ballot and not the pamphlet!  And that's the plan, to not give residents enough time to investigate and time to protest.  The town hall meeting I attended was a "let's control the agenda so these people don't get any ideas on their own", and "let's go through the motions so we can say we did...this is a 'done deal' these people are going to Sandy City" type attitude.  There was a table set up at the front of the auditorium with a podium.  Three mics on the table and one at the podium.  As far as I remember there were only two council members there, the mayor and assistant mayor, county attorney rep. someone from public works I think, two Zions Bank personnel and other staff members.  One woman was practically laying on the table she was so bored!  John Hiskey, council to Sandy City Mayor, was summoned from the audience to answer questions from the residents.  No other neighboring cities were represented. There was a "supposed" panel of our peers, (2) reviewing our questions before they were given to the assistant mayor for panel answers, but she was monitoring the whole process scrutinizing the hand written questions and instructing them as to what to do with them including altering them with pen or pencil.  Kimberly Barnett did not ask the questions as they were written, and when clarification was needed, she still did not invite us to address the panel members via microphone.  Ms. Barnett and Zions Bank presented power point presentations as "tokens" to the process in which Kimberly Barnett spoke to us like kindergartners and Zions bank tried to make their incomplete report look like they had spent more than an afternoon putting it together.  And if you've ever looked at your property tax statement, it wasn't even close in comparison.  I wonder how much we paid for that study?  This whole thing is a sham!  As was reported at the June 3rd Public Comment Session,

"I don't want to become part of the debt of Cottonwood Heights or Sandy," said Michelle Greer, one of many Willow Creek residents who expressed a desire to keep their community intact and remain part of the unincorporated county.

"Hands off, bozo," added Cindy Deckard. "I am adamantly opposed to the division of our neighborhood and annexation to either of these towns. We don't need to encourage building their mayors' kingdoms." ~ Salt Lake Tribune

Awe...music to my ears!

 

 

 

 

Although our Community Town Hall at Eastmont violated Utah Code I managed to pull out my phone on the fly to try to capture it for the public.  In order to publish it I created a video, which I will display below as soon as it is uploaded.  Leave it to the citizens to do what government won't, as it should be.  Town Halls are also supposed to be a time for the politicians to LISTEN to the citizens, but at this one all they wanted to do is have us ask questions, they did not want dialog!  I won't cover every little detail in this blog post, but I will post links for information that will help you catch a glimpse into their involving, or not involving the public, whatever the case may be.  If you want to listen to the public hearings on boundaries check this link (June 3 & 30 audio).  I also made a video of the comments I intended to make at the County Islands Community Preservation Town Hall, which the public was barred from speaking at, it also gives some insight into other topics I did not include in this post that I think are important to point out.  There is also an effort to petition the County Attorney Sim Gil to have a more comprehensive report done, another thing we'll pay double for for sloppy contract work.  Remember Syncrete?  In short, at this stage in the game, I want LESS government not MORE!  We do have a choice...a choice we are FORCED to make, but "I" for one, am voting to eliminate a level of government...the city level.  I like the idea of the citizens percolating their own ideas, not being spoon-fed by politicians even if, "it's a messy process our founders left us", quoting Mayor Ben McAdams.  That's the problem with psychopaths, they want to make decisions for others, always unaware of how their decisions effect them.  I hope the Islands will Stand With Me and Vote To Remain A Salt Lake County Island this November and help support private property rights and an independent citizenry.

 

Well, I hope I've "cleared the air".  When something stinks, pull out the air freshener.  Enjoy the links and the video!

 

 

 

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Links:

http://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/SB0199.html
http://www.seanet.com/~barkonwd/school/DELPHI.HTM

http://envisionutah.org/about/board-of-directors

http://wfrc.org/committee/Current_Members_WFRC.pdf

http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2014/04/08/salt-lake-county-mayor-ben-mcadams-on-the-challenges-and-opportunities-of-governing-a-rapidly-urbanizing-area/

http://t4america.org/about/advisory-board

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865635875/Mayors-take-a-ride-on-new-Riverton-bike-lanes.html?pg=all

http://www.americanfreedomalliance.org/microsite/global-governance/audio/The-Green-Movement-Agenda21-GlobalWarming-Alarmism-and-Global-Governance.mp3

https://youtu.be/neRp8AeS5xA

http://kuer.org/post/county-seeks-applicants-community-preservation-committee

https://youtu.be/ZPKxI4xkfl4

https://youtu.be/69wR9WAi0BU

http://www.slco.org/community-preservation/Citizen-Committee/

http://www.sltrib.com/news/2580020-155/info-limited-as-county-residents-asked

http://slco.org/uploadedFiles/depot/fMayor/community_preservation/Fiscal%20Evaluation_FullReport_9.11.15.pdf

http://www.sltrib.com/home/2586029-155/community-preservation-or-severation-salt-lake

http://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title52/Chapter4/52-4-S203.html

http://slco.org/council-agendas/CouncilDetail.aspx?id=2147485084&Year=2015

http://agenda21truth.blogspot.com/2015/09/salt-lake-county-community-preservation.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncrete