In an era grappling with systemic corruption and the looming specter of digital control, the prevailing narrative often points to vast, intractable global or national forces. We're told the tide is too strong, the structures too immense to challenge. Yet, the most direct — and perhaps most overlooked — route to safeguard our future lies not in confronting these colossal entities head-on, but in reclaiming power at the most fundamental level of governance: our local communities.

 

This perspective recognizes that the impending "digital control grid" and the immense suffering it promises are symptoms of a deeper systemic issue. Our society is currently run by a system designed to empower a small, self-serving group, diverting resources and decision-making away from the people’s majority. To dismantle this dystopian trajectory, systemic change is crucial, and its primary trigger point is surprisingly accessible, requiring only a small, dedicated group of community members.

 

The Foundation of Societal Power

While global, national, and even state governments often appear to hold the reins, the one system that underpins and ultimately sustains all others is at the base. The county and municipality are not dependent on the upper layers for their fundamental functions. They can operate as self-sufficient systems, capable of forming the framework for truly empowered communities. They can choose to opt out of centralized control systems, including any proposed "AI digital gulag." Local government is uniquely positioned to assume greater self-governing responsibility, detaching from corrupt upper layers and redirecting revenues to serve local needs directly.

 

The power we can access is not found in the distant chambers of federal legislatures or international bodies. Instead, it resides right where we live, work, and vote: in our county, city, town, and village governments. These local entities form the very base of the governmental hierarchy. In the United States, for example, counties (or boroughs/parishes) are often self-sufficient legal entities. Rooted in principles like the Tenth Amendment, states, and even some counties, possess the power to nullify global and federal mandates deemed unconstitutional.

 

Local Governance: A Framework for Self-Sufficiency

For most of U.S. history, county government served as the core administrative unit, carrying out critical local tasks. These functions include assessing and collecting property taxes, administering elections, providing law enforcement, prosecuting criminals, maintaining roads, and recording legal documents. In more populated counties, this expands to include mass transportation, airports, water supply, sewage disposal, hospitals, building codes, public housing, and environmental programs. In essence, local governments manage the vast majority of our shared 'commons' and already have the basic infrastructure in place to be self-sufficient

 

The Trigger Point for Systemic Change

Concentrations of real, tangible power reside within county, city, and town governance in the legislative bodies that oversee local laws, budgets, and public services. These bodies have the authority to create policies that deliver real benefits (or damages) for citizens.

 

The primary trigger for systemic change lies with the "majority" of the County, City, Town, or Village Board of Supervisors (or their equivalent governing council).

 

Other vital roles include the mayor, the sheriff, and the prosecuting attorney. A local governing council typically consists of three to nine members, meaning securing a majority often requires electing two to five dedicated individuals. It is imperative that a majority of these governing councils are dedicated to the Common Good and Home Rule, serving citizens and the environment, rather than corporate profits and external control.

 

A Grassroots Pathway: Local Political Action Committees

Achieving this critical majority is best accomplished not through the existing, compromised, partisan party system. A non-partisan, independently run, local political action committee (PAC) is a solution. These are not difficult to form and can be started by a small, dedicated group.

 

Each county, city, or town can establish such an organization to actively select, develop, and campaign for candidates who truly support the Common Good. A local PAC fosters collaboration among those who want to disempower the corrupt within the system, transcending traditional bipartisan divides, and ensures that the organization remains independent and directed by its local community.

 

This local government approach offers numerous strategic advantages:

• Direct Relevance: Issues affecting communities are often emotionally charged and demand resolution, providing a strong platform for candidates who champion citizen concerns.

• Reduced External Influence: Mainstream media and big money interests have the least influence on local issues, allowing local independent sources of information to flourish.

• Accessibility: This I where you live. The local legislative body is the most accessible entry point for systemic change, directly impacting local laws.

• Vetting Candidates: The local community can gather information on behavior, contributions, and positions on local issues. Candidates can't easily hide behind PR spin to deceive voters.

 

The Charter: Legalizing Citizen Empowerment and Home Rule

A Charter stands as the very cornerstone of a local government, functioning as the municipal equivalent of a constitution. This foundational document, approved by voters, delineates the fundamental relationships between the government and its community. It establishes the framework for how local government operates, defining its structure, responsibilities, functions, and processes. From the way public officials are elected to the very form of government and the role residents play, the Charter articulates the most important choices that allow a local government to officially control its operations. Local legislatures help form it.

 

Local laws, ordinances, bills, and codes represent a powerful avenue for communities to assert their autonomy and foster self-sufficiency, serving as a vital bulwark against centralized power. This is the true social contract of a community, one that the public actively helps to shape. Crucially, the success of such initiatives hinges on electing local lawmakers who prioritize the common good and support the principle of Home Rule.

 

Maui's Transformation: A Blueprint for Change

The story of transformation in places like Maui, Hawaii, serves as a powerful guide. In 2018, I started a local PAC with eight others, the Maui Pono Network. Our efforts helped elect a majority to the county council who served the people and the environment—the first time in 125 years. This success helped transform Maui County, rewiring it for self-sufficiency; the process is documented in "Reclaim Paradise."(1)

 

In Maui, the 2020 and 2022 elections resulted in 19 charter amendments that have now become integral county law. These recent charter amendments have ushered in a new era of increased government transparency, effectively blocked avenues for cronyism, reformed tax laws to benefit residents, bolstered civic engagement, safeguarded the island’s water system from foreign control, fostered affordable housing initiatives, and boosted local organic food production. These county laws support Home Rule and Self-Sufficiency, demonstrating a clear commitment to serving both the people and the environment of Maui. Here are three significant ones.

• Formation of the Maui Agriculture Department: A successful move to bolster local food security, support sustainable farming practices, and promote economic diversification.

• Community-Directed Water Authority: This critical amendment places the control and management of Maui's precious water resources firmly in the hands of the community, out of foreign control.

• Affordable Housing Department Amendment: To effectively develop and implement solutions for accessible and truly affordable housing for its working families and residents.

Every two-year election cycle for the county council brings new challenges; it is an ongoing process of community engagement. The objective is clear: to elect a majority of the County Council or legislative body, along with key officials, who genuinely represent the people and the environment. This isn't about Democrat versus Republican; it's about identifying individuals of character and integrity who can be trusted to serve the community, not corporate agendas or personal greed.

 

It's Time to Act Locally

The vision of self-sufficient, empowered communities capable of charting their own course, free from top-down manipulation, begins locally. By redirecting revenue and detaching from corrupt upper layers, local governments can become the framework for a new societal paradigm.

​

It is time to look inward, to our neighborhoods and communities, for the power to shape our collective future. By focusing our efforts at the county, city, and town levels, we can control the local narrative, foster genuine representation, and collectively work towards a future rooted in the common good. The local legislative majority is our primary societal trigger; it's time we pulled it.

 

(1) Reclaim Paradise: Reset for the Common Good, Paul Deslauriers; NRG Publishing, Amazon 2021