Analyst's note: Absolutely must read. Thanks again to the blog "Stand Up America" and to Vicky Davis for this article. Lets hope that together we can keep our eye on the "money trail" on this one. You just can not make this stuff up.
"Ports, Inland Ports and Hubs
For the residents of Idaho, except for Lewiston, which is on the Columbia-Snake River, it would never occur to them that their city might be defined in law as an inland port. In fact, I read this section in Idaho law (1) probably 4 or 5 times without grasping the significance of “land-based port”:
- Title 70 Watercourses and Port Districts – Chapter 22 County-Based Intermodal Commerce Authority
- 70-2201.COUNTY-BASED INTERMODAL COMMERCE AUTHORITY AUTHORIZED. The county-based intermodal commerce authority, hereinafter referred to as the intermodal authority, is hereby authorized to acquire, construct, maintain, operate, develop and regulate rail, truck, and other on-land transfer and terminal facilities, buildings, warehouses and storage facilities, manufacturing, industrial and economic development facilities and services, reasonably incident to a modern, efficient and competitive land-based port, and may be established according to this chapter in any county.
The rest of the sections in Chapter 22 define a new political subdivision that is in effect, a land-based Port District. I suspect the authority defined for Idaho’s Intermodal Commerce Authority was modeled after the Port Authority of New York-New Jersey. (2)
Even though Idaho’s Intermodal Commerce Authority is county-based, the law allows this new political subdivision full power to contract with other entities in carrying out their business of facilitating intermodal commerce.
Intermodalism
The Grand Plan for America’s transportation system for the 21st century was defined in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). The Declaration of Policy (3), Section 2 (excerpted):
The National Intermodal Transportation System shall consist of all forms of transportation in a unified, interconnected manner, including the transportation systems of the future, to reduce energy consumption and air pollution while promoting economic development and supporting the Nation’s preeminent position in international commerce.
The National Intermodal Transportation System shall include a National Highway System which consists of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways and those principal arterial roads which are essential for interstate and regional commerce and travel, national defense, intermodal transfer facilities, and international commerce and border crossings.
The National Intermodal Transportation System shall provide improved access to ports and airports, the Nation’s link to world commerce.
…The National Intermodal Transportation System shall be adapted to “intelligent vehicles”…
The National Intermodal Transportation System must be the centerpiece of a national investment commitment to create the new wealth of the Nation for the 21st century.
Definitions:
- Intermodal
- The connection point between two modes of transportation for the same trip
- Intermodalism
- A system designed around the concept of intermodal efficiency for all modes of transportation – truck, train, air, ship, bus, vehicle, etc.
According to Wikipedia (4), Delta Airlines pioneered the hub and spoke system in 1955 in an effort to compete with Eastern Airlines.
Hofstra University – Geography of Transport Systems (5)
The implementation of the hub and spoke system as it pertains to surface transportation and facilities, is the beltway concept:
Source: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH (6)
In transportation systems design, obviously, the intent is to link up the different modes of transportation to maximize the efficiency of movement. From a design standpoint, it would be logical for the idea of the Intermodal Commerce Authority (Port District) to be the territory inside the beltway hub.
“The Core”
What precipitated this research into the arcane world of transportation systems was an article in the Idaho Statesman newspaper regarding a 23-person delegation from China to tour a location in Meridian, Idaho for possible investment opportunities.
Meridian is just outside Boise, not too far from the Boise Airport. The location they were visiting is called, The Core (7). According to Brenda Sherwood, the Economic Development Specialist for Meridian, the name “CORE” derives from “corridor” because the The Core is located in transportation hub – an intermodal commerce zone. She said they were considering applying for a Foreign Trade Zone designation but hadn’t decided at that time.
Source: “The CORE” website
The Statesman article described The Core as “a local health care, technology and industry-related growth corridor”. A map of The Core was found on their website (8):
The map insert shows the area plan
The last line of the Statesman article said, “Chinese businessmen investing $1 million for five years in American ventures are eligible to obtain visas granting them permanent status in the United States, under rules established by the United States Customs and Immigration Service.”
Brenda Sherwood had said that the “The CORE” was an EB-5 Regional Center and is a 501-C6 organization. It turns out the EB-5 visa is effectively the sale of American citizenship.
EB-5 Immigrant Investor
The fifth employment based visa preference category, created by Congress in 1990, is available to immigrants seeking to enter the United States in order to invest in a new commercial enterprise that will benefit the US economy and create at least 10 full-time jobs. There are two ways to invest which you may use within the EB-5 category and they are: creating a new commercial enterprise or investing in a troubled business. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (9):
New Business Enterprise
To qualify you must invest or be in the process of investing at least $1,000,000. If your investment is in a designated targeted employment area (discussed further below) then the minimum investment requirement is $500,000…. A Targeted Employment Area is defined by law as “a rural area or an area that has experienced high unemployment of at least 150 percent of the national average.” For further detail click on the Laws section of this website and access section 203(b)(5)(B) of the Immigration Nationality Act (INA).
The entire state of Idaho has been designated as a Targeted Employment Area (TEA Zone).
This map was found on the Idaho Department of Labor website for “Market Information” (10).
Areas in gold are Targeted Employment Area designations ($500,000 EB-5). Colored areas represent metropolitan statistical areas or larger rural cities ($1,000,000 EB-5).
So basically, they are trying to sell the entire state of Idaho to the Communist" Chinese.
Sources:
1 – State of Idaho, Statutes, Title 70, Chapter 22
2 – Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, About-History section
4 – Wikipedia, Transport Hub
5 – Hofstra University, The Geography of Transport Systems’
6 – NIH, Map of the beltway location for National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
8 – The Core Idaho website, Downloads
9 – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, EB-5 Immigrant Investor, Fifth Preference
10 – Idaho State Department of Labor, Market Information, Targeted Employment Area Designation
