Here's a quick quiz:

What does NIMBY stand for? That's an easy one. It stands for Not In My Back Yard. We all know folks like that. They've gotten theirs, and they don't want anyone else to get what they've already gotten.

What does NOTE stand for? Well, if NIMBY is Not In My Back Yard, then NOTE is Not Over There Either.

How about BANANA? Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.

How about CAVE? Citizens Against Virtually Everything.

I suggest we need fewer NIMBYs, NOTEs, BANANAs and CAVEs. We need more ORDINARY FOLKS who exhibit the following qualities:

O = Organized. ORDINARY FOLKS are organized with people who feel the same as they do.

R = Ready to show up, stand up and speak up on behalf of balanced, well-planned growth.

D = Development-savvy. ORDINARY FOLKS understand the development process, how it works and how to influence it.

I = Inserted into the system. ORDINARY FOLKS run for public office (City Council or County Board), or they get appointed to the Planning Commission or the Board of Adjustment, or they work to get people who agree with them into decision-making positions.

N + A = Not Afraid. Why should ORDINARY FOLKS be afraid? They are organized, development-savvy and have allies in the system.

R = Really Passionate (but pragmatic), Really prepared, and Realize that development is inevitable. Hence, the need for being really prepared.

Y = Yearning for something better. Development shouldn't just be good for the developer's wallet, or just good for increasing the community's tax base. Good development should be economically, environmentally and socially appropriate. If it doesn't meet all three of those requirements equally, it shouldn't happen.

F = Findings of fact. These are used by ORDINARY FOLKS to back up arguments for or against a development proposal. Findings of fact are factual rather than emotional information. Decisions aren't based on who is able to yell the loudest. They aren't based on who is the most intimidating or who appears to be the most upset. They aren't even based on who shows up at a hearing with the most supporters. Good decisions are based on good data and it is the job of ORDINARY FOLKS to discover, interpret and relate that data to a specific development project.

O = Offensive rather than defensive. I'm not saying you should be offensive by calling people names or spitting on the team of attorneys who represent the developer. I'm saying you should be the dog instead of the tail; be the one in control rather than the one being controlled; be proactive rather than simply reactive. You want to be proactive because development is inevitable, but good development isn't. I can guarantee you that a bad development will happen in your community. When that happens, will you be prepared?

L = Lawyer-connected. Your goal isn't to drag the issue through the court system, but an attorney can help ORDINARY FOLKS present valid arguments that specifically address legal issues associated with a development proposal. Sometimes, seeking legal advice early in the process before a public hearing can save the need for expensive legal council later.

K = Knowledgeable. And if ORDINARY FOLKS aren't knowledgeable enough, they seek advice from experts and get them to submit their expert advice in writing and verbally in person so it becomes part of the public record.

S = So necessary. ORDINARY FOLKS are so necessary if Minnesota is to continue to be a place where families choose to live, where businesses succeed, and where our parks, trails and open space contribute to a quality of life that is second to none .

To help ORDINARY FOLKS, 1000 Friends of Minnesota helped create A Citizen's Guide to Influencing Local, Land-Use Decisions. Click on the link to see a pdf version of the guide. The purpose of this guide is to promote good development because it's not "if" development will happen; it's about "where," "how" and "how much" we develop that will determine if we protect or harm the natural resources that make Minnesota such a special place to live. There are some good case studies in this guide. They are about extraordinary efforts by ORDINARY FOLKS like you and me. They were once where you may be now -- feeling overwhelmed, outgunned and just plain ignored. So read the case studies and do something extraordinary that will be an example for others to follow.