The Crooked Road and the Tea Party
Photo by Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times
The Crooked Road (or to use its official title, “The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail“) is up for consideration as a National Heritage Area.
According to the National Park Service (and via a Tad Dickens news story), the National Heritage Area designation means the 19 counties and four cities that comprise the Crooked Road region would be eligible for “public-private partnerships, leveraging funds and long-term support for projects that support historic preservation, conservation, recreation, tourism and educational projects.”
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, favors the effort, as does 9th District Congressman Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.
But there’s opposition, too.
We received a news release from the Liberty Confederation, a self-described “coalition of liberty groups from across Southern Virginia” that condemns the proposed National Heritage Area designation.
“We must ask Congressman Griffith and Senator Warner — is this is an order by decree?” asked Liberty Confederation Chairman Phil Spence in the news release. “Our own Virginia Declaration clearly says that there must be consent of the governed. Here we have a situation where the governed know nothing about what a National Heritage Area designation entails, not to mention that such a designation is bearing down on their right to use, enjoy and make their livelihoods in the manner in which they are accustomed on their own land.”
The group also included a link to this 2007 paper on the Heritage Foundation’s page, entitled “National Heritage Areas: Costly Economic Development Schemes that Threaten Property Rights.”
We also received a summary of comments collected during 12 public meetings across Southwest Virginia about the proposal. This came from the Crooked Road group and includes several references to opposition to the proposal.
You can read the entire summary here:
Crooked Road National Heritage Area – Preliminary Summary of Public Comment 8-22-12
But in the interest of brevity, we’ll reprint the paragraph about opposition:
Opposition to the proposed designation was expressed by commenters at the Abingdon, Marion, Tazewell and Wytheville meetings, primarily by attendees who indicated they were either members or supporters of local Tea Party organizations. some of those expressing opposition attended multiple meetings to express their opposition. The primary basis for their opposition appeared to be their belief that a Crooked Road National Heritage Area designation would result in land use restrictions that would infringe on private property rights. They also indicated that they felt a decision to pursue a National Heritage Area designation should be made by referendum, i.e., it should be voted on by residents of the 19 county, four city region covered by the proposed designation.
Later in the document, the Crooked Road group responded to the concerns, acknowledging there had been impacts on property owners within a the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area in Arizona, but arguing that the issue there was “action at the local level and not based on any federal action.” The group wrote that based on its mission, the Crooked Road “has never been involved in owning, managing or controlling property and has no plans to do so in the future.” And it wrote that the public input meetings were intended to collect the feelings of residents and that no referendum is required.
What do you think? Should the proposed Crooked Road National Heritage Area be a concern to property owners within the region, or is it a non-issue?
– Mason Adams
August 22, 2012 - 3:22 PM
Bahahahaha. Deep Southwest turning away economic development money. Go back to eating mud you morons.
If it’s about promoting national culture and heritage I’m all for it, but if you read about it one of the benefits is “sustainable economic development” which is very similiar to UN Agenda 21.
Ok, when did Marion or Abingdon become part of Southern Virginia? I thought Danville, Appomattox and Keysville are part of Southern Virginia. I assume these Tea Partiers are transplants who are not literate in the cultural and geographic differences between Southern, Southwest, Central, and Western Virginia.
And what’s wrong with embracing Virginia’s musical and folk culture? I’m a Republican and I support this effort.
I think that the “TEA Party” and “liberty lovers” who see a conspiracy behind every tree is who should “be a concern to property owners within the region”. What total bunk!
Not for nothing, but I bet there are plenty of Native American, immigrant, share-cropper and slave ghosts who could speak to the current owners abuse of the system to gain “their land” too! If you cannot handle progress, join Darwin.
Yeah, we must have “un-sustainable” development instead. We’ll show these darned U.N. interlopers.
Christopher, The places you name, Danville, Appomattox and Keysville, have long generally been known as being part of “Southside” Virginia, although the county of Appomattox could also be assigned to Central Va.
Southern Virginia is both entirely accurate and also appropriate to describe an area that encompasses Marion and Abingdon. Don’t be so quick to publicly assume anyone is a transplant when you make such obvious mistakes yourself. Guy Fridell you ain’t.
Larry, you do realize that sustainability in agriculture is a good thing whether its in “agenda 21″ or not. If “agenda 21″ advocated wearing pants would you automatically discount it?
Larry, you know rural conservation programs, historic town revitalization efforts in rural towns in Virginia (i.e. Staunton, Marion, Martinsville) and rural economic devlopment programs which have been occurring across Virginia localities since the late 1980s are considered sustainable development programs for promoting economic development without spoiling the historic architectural or cultural character of communities and ensuring economic vitality in the long term.
Or: sustainable development is actually a conservative idea by generating economic development that looks ahead towards the future by not putting all your eggs in one basket (i.e., Mattinsville and Danville’s dependence on furniture manufacturing and tobacco prior to the 1990s and Deep SW Virfginia’s currnt dependence on the coal industry–nothing wrong with coal, but hate to see whats happens to those communities when coal is gone).
Bsides, sustainable development is a broad term used in economic development programs by the public and private sectors. The term is not and has never been owned by some supranational organization like the UN.
The Tea Party is giving the GOP a bad name, stop developing conspiracy theories after every three words you read.
*Besides not bsides– please excuse the typo.
Or the many typos–I hate typing with a phone.
non-issue
The UN black helicopters are about to swoop in and take over the rest of the state now that Roanoke County didn’t stop them in their tracks as the local TP psychos demanded in their ruckus over the ICLEI/Agenda 21 fiasco.
These guys are as bad as this Texas judge:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/texas-judge-warns-possible-civil-war-president-obama-230545603.html
I’m convinced that the com in Roanoke.com stands for Communist. I curse the day I once delivered it !
You can’t fix stupid.
#13 I can get you a really good deal on tinfoil, Peppers.
I favor making crooked road a national heritage site. It will greatly enhance free enterprise in this area.
Peppers Ferry, what on earth are you talking about? What in this article is communist? Do you know what communist means?
SWVA is so booming economically that they certainly have the option to turn down any funding that supports and promotes the region. After all, who in the country isn’t just dying to drive down to Tazewell and drop some cash.
You worked really hard to drag the Tea Party into the article. Some people said they supported the Tea Party? That’s it? If they also said they were Baptists, would the title be “Southern Baptists Oppose Crooked Road”.
Why didn’t you just post an accurate title? “The Crooked Road and the Liberty Confederation”. Or was it necessary to demonize the Tea Party specifically?
What a polarized discussion this has become. Most of you sound like a bunch of extremists–both left and right. Where has common sense gone?
Yes, the proposal seems to reflect a respect for private property rights on its face. On the other hand, one of the two goals of this initiative is “to become eligible for a federal source of funding” in order to achieve “economic development” objectives. This isn’t a red flag? Really? When state and/or federal funding is at stake, the usual outcome is that the drive to secure funds tends to overcome private property rights. And yes, it makes me feel better that in Yuma at least, property rights prevailed. However, real damage was done in the short term.
I’ve had my turn with historic districts and “economic development” projects of a historical nature. Federal and local government power exercised over these districts can be, and usually is oppressive. And of course, some of these projects go nowhere, and the taxpayer is on the hook for all that wasted money. Right here in Roanoke, for example, is the infamous $2 million “bridge to nowhere” that federal tax money purchased to link Explore Park to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Explore Park failed. Now what?
Another example: Nevada City, California is a cute, touristy historic district that protects the local mining town heritage of the Sierra Nevada region. And it is a very attractive tourist destination. Talking to the local business owners gives one a very different set of concerns, though. Local restrictions have placed such severe limitations on businesses that many of those shops have had several owners–all driven away by a local government that rules by decree rather than working with the businessmen and businesswomen.
I’m a history guy. I love history. I want to protect history. In my view, we Americans understand almost nothing of our own history. But we get nowhere when we use the police powers of our government to protect a heritage that placed huge emphasis on the importance of maintaining private property rights.
Possibly I am the biggest fan of “The Crooked Road”…earlier this summer I drove my visiting 13 yr.old grandson over 2000 miles in Southwest Virginia, following The Crooked Road much of the time. My grandson is interested in Old Time Music and history…during the 2 weeks he visited me, we visited Ralph Stanley’s museum in Clintwood, The Carter Fold in Hilton’s, the Cumberland Gap (both the National Park in KY & also the State Historical Park at Martin’s Station), Natural Tunnel State Park, Heartwood in Abington twice, Galax, The Blue Ridge Parkway from Galax to Floyd, the Blue Ridge Music Center near Galax, the Heritage Festival in Abington, and the Floyd Country Store. We also attended three Old Time Music Jams (2 in Blacksburg & 1 in Pearisburg) where my Fiddler, fiddled with the best and adored every minute. We also stayed in a B & B in Nickelsville, kayaked on the Clinch River nearby, went Tubing on the New River in Radford, and attended 3 live music performances. And, I might add, I bought lots of gas, food, & music CD’s & gifts everywhere I went.
Did we support the local businesses everywhere we went? You betcha!! Will my Grandson want to do this again…no question there…he LOVED it all! I was also able to show him my family’s old home place (built in 1847), my Father’s grandparent’s home, outside of Gate City on Copper Creek. My Grandson went back to W. TX, knowing where his family came from, with a new understanding of the difficulty of settling this land & a validation that loving Old Time Music is something he shares with folks back East where the mountains are green.
Words do not do justice to how much the above experience meant to me. My Father loved Scott Co, VA and his family with a loyalty that is unusual these days. The Crooked Road allows people who were once very isolated to realize that their music and their lives were & are very important…hopefully the positive economic opportunities will help the residents of SW VA, preserve the music and history, and enrich the lives of the local population.
The criticism expressed by the folks who gave negative comments at the public hearings sound like they are “back in time” when “feriners” were suspect law men, looking for moonshine & stills. The need to protect what you have is understandable, the fear that is still there, because of so many difficult times after the War Between the States, is understandable…but, I am thrilled that I was able to go on a “Roots” experience and I thank the organization and people behind The Crooked Road effort, because they created the infra-structure & venues that made our trip exceptional.
@Bill VanV – you are absolutely correct. There is no such thing as a free lunch and when money comes from government, it comes with strings attached and you can bet property rights are exposed.
If it’s for the greater good, you as an individual must hand it over – we need those two acres for wetlands or tree buffers, don’t think about letting one of your children build a house next door to help you in your golden years, the building permit will never be approved.