» Monthly Archives: November 2009
NIMBY Wars: Political approach rouses public to back developers
(Editor’s Note: In recent excerpts from NIMBY Wars — The Politics of Land Use, we explained why alternatives to the political approach often fail to galvanize public support -- whether PR, marketing or the local politicl fixer. They all fall short the advantages of political campaign strategies and tactics in modern land use politics.)
By P. Michael Saint, ...
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High-tech helps developers open doors
November 28, 2009 — The Washington Post — Saint Consulting President Patrick Fox is quoted in a news report about adding the use of social networking and technology to traditional shoe leather political organizing to build citizen support for development projects. (White Flint team goes directly to residents to add them to the lobbying corps)
Link ...
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Public uproar over asphalt plant forces a mayor to back down
By Chris Hopkins,
Senior Vice President, Aggregates and Mining, The Saint Consulting Group
Public anger has forced politicians in Whistler, a small British Columbia city preparing for this winter's Olympics, to rethink the location of an asphalt plant near a new housing development.
An article in Pique Newsmagazine regarding Whistler Mayor Ken Melmed sums up the effect that NIMBYs can have ...
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Saint Model Outcomes – actions speak louder than words in land use politics
By Paul Mindus,
Director, UK Business Development, The Saint Consulting Group
Earlier this year The Saint Report began publishing case studies called Saint Model Outcomes to give some examples of our experience from 25 years in land use politics.
Actions speak louder than words, and to win land use battles political campaign strategies and tactics gain far more leverage than traditional PR ...
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Kansas court rules wind farms can be halted on grounds of ugliness
By Mike Saint,
Chairman and CEO, The Saint Consulting Group
Now all you have to do to block a wind farm is tell the court: “It looks ugly.” The Kansas Supreme Court upheld a county ordinance that bans wind farms on aesthetic reasons.
From Electric Power Daily :
"The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that a county board of ...
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Clear language in ballot initiatives is crucial for voters – get it right!
By Owen Eagan,Senior Vice President, Transportation, The Saint Consulting GroupWhat is the most important piece of information for voters on ballot initiatives? Is it knowing who the sponsors are? Is it knowing who the endorsers are? Is it knowing if there are any tax or cost implications? Is it knowing whether the issue is related ...
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What does it take to be a Saint Consulting Project Manager?
By Anna Dane,
Director of Recruiting and Training, The Saint Consulting Group
Land use politics is a specialized field which requires expertise in political strategy, land use law, and communications. To build a team of Project Managers with the skills to maneuver through the zoning approvals process, we search across the country for seasoned political experts with ...
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Gold mine permits delayed amid rising prices and falling production
By Chris Hopkins,
Senior Vice President, Aggregates and Mining, The Saint Consulting Group
In a recent report, The Daily Telegraph in the UK looked at the decline of global gold production and efforts by Barrick Gold, the world's top producer, to wind down the remaining 3 million ounces of its infamous hedge book over the next 12 months, ...
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Pols who try to take away NIMBY’s rights to say no may face sack
By Mike Saint
Chairman and CEO, The Saint Consulting Group
Politicians set policy on a national or international basis or on a state-wide basis but get elected locally. And therein lies the conundrum.
Congressmen and Governors tell the Washington Post or the BBC or CNN or the New York Times or the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, how much ...
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Waste & Recyling reviews NIMBY Wars: You ain’t seen nothing yet
If landfill developers thought times were tough, just wait, Jim Johnson writes in Waste & Recycling News.That’s because potential project opponents are more easily mobilized with information that can be gained quicker than ever thanks to the Internet, said Michael Saint, founder and CEO of the Saint Consulting Group, a firm specializing in land use ...
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