5/10/2009
Editorial Watertown Daily Times
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There have been recent letters in this newspaper from Cape Vincent's anti-wind group, mostly seasonal residents, who want you to believe that Cape Vincent is run by irresponsible elected officials.
Even though our elected officials have put a lot of effort into following the correct legal procedures and respectfully addressing the concerns of the community, the anti-wind group continues to disrespectfully drag their names through the mud.
There's no real need for me to show how the anti-wind group's assessment of our local officials is totally wrong. I know most Cape residents either ignore the anti-wind group's letters or read them to see how low the group will stoop.
Sometimes you have to laugh at how ignorant the self-righteous anti-wind group is.
In a recent letter, the group claims that the town board votes on the Environmental Impact Statement, when most people know the town board doesn't even vote on the EIS. And yet they claim the town supervisor doesn't know what he's doing.
And enough with the conflicts-of-interest accusations. First, it's not illegal for a board member to be related to someone with a wind lease.
Second, any board member
with such a relation consistently and ethically recused themselves from votingThird, the voters of Cape Vincent have clearly shown they don't care about conflicts of interest by repeatedly electing the candidates with supposed "conflicts of interest
The anti-wind group is just getting bitter because they haven't made the wind projects go away. They've tried lawsuits. They've tried campaigning to get anti-wind people into elected positions. They've tried malicious attack ads.
They've even tried sneaking video cameras into board meetings, putting the videos online and disrespectfully making fun of the board members. To their disappointment, all the money they've spent has not stopped our local officials from performing their duties efficiently, wisely and responsibly.
Don't let these anti-wind rants tarnish your view of Cape Vincent. When you visit Cape Vincent this summer, as long as you avoid the handful of anti-wind folks, you'll see that most Cape Vincent residents are friendly, respectful and rational people.
4 comments:
"...the voters of Cape Vincent have clearly shown they don't care about conflicts of interest by repeatedly electing the candidates with supposed "conflicts of interest."
Now there is some original thinking! Should we call it
the "Harvey White Doctrine" or the Tom Rienbeck Doctrine?"
In all the books, laws and regulations around the world that deal with governmental ethics, you won't find any suggestion that the outcome of an election gives an ethical free pass to an elected official.
The only officials elected who have conflicts of interest are Donny and Marty.
That was before the public was fully aware of their wind contracts and that those contracts required them to support the projects in every way possible. This included appointing and supporting a corrupt, wind friendly Planning Board and undermining any attempt to protect the majority from wind's negative impacts.
Being re-elected now? Not a chance in Hell!
I take satisfaction in knowing that these two officals are definitely going to be sued.Either by the wind company if they go against them or the people if they don't. Kinda got yourselves in a corner don't you boys?
Can't blame Harvey. Acciona is his meal ticket to a comfortable retirement. It's human nature to see a good deal and not ask questions, especially if the truth might mean your dreams go up in smoke. Look at the Bernie Madoff debacle, so many people much smarter than Harvey were pulled into the scam, knew better, but didn't want to believe the truth that Madoff's fund was a pyramid scam. Harvey is no better, he's too dazzled by the prospects of having lots of easy money that he can't deny the truth - his wind development is going to hurt many of his neighbors (think townwide not down the street). But of course Harvey, Donny, Marty, Tommy, Richie and Mickey don't give a damn. What is it with the people with "y" and "ie" endings to their names? I guess it's a local thing, kind of reminiscent of Appalachia, helps them identify their own kind and know who ain't one of them.
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