Paul Cienfuegos was honored to be chosen to lead this year’s Groundswell half-day workshop at the 88th Annual Wisconsin Farmers Union Convention in Appleton WI.
About 75 participants learned that there are more politically effective strategies available to us than the existing single-issue regulatory or zoning urgent-response activism in order to stop the endless proliferation of corporate factory farms, pipelines and power lines, frac sand mines, and seizure of private lands by corporations using eminent domain. Numerous local elected officials and advocacy group leaders were in attendance at Paul’s workshop and a very provocative time was had by all.
As the convention then proceeded for another two days, it was evident that the Community Rights workshop had helped to spark a different kind of conversation in the hallways of the convention.
We even managed to amend the Farmers Union’s resolution on Eminent Domain, adding the following text to their official platform:
“Additionally, be it resolved that while we wait for years for Wisconsin’s Eminent Domain statutes to be revised, that Wisconsin Farmers Union calls on Wisconsin counties and towns to explore the more immediate option of passing Community Rights ordinances that would immediately prohibit business corporations from exercising Eminent Domain authority over the property rights of private land owners.”
(This news story was pulled from the recent Community Rights US (CRUS) newsletter. For more stories and updates about CRUS and the Community Rights movement in general please click HERE.)