Scrap wind leases and start over in Cape ~ Letter

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009
Opinion Piece Watertown Daily Times
link here
The recent outpouring of support for the local officials of Cape Vincent following the publication of names considered in conflict of interest in the wind-farm debate is very heartwarming but unfortunately not very productive. In fact, by casting the WPEG as villains and invoking the emotions of the recent tragedy in the Cape, these supporters are guilty of the same mudslinging they accuse WPEG of.

The intensity of their reactions brings to mind a quote from Shakespeare that my most revered English teacher Edna Edsall often would turn on her students, "The lady doth protest too much, me thinks." I have great respect for all of our local officials and everyone who volunteers for public service.

This does not in any way imply they could never be faced with a conflict of interest, nor does it imply they are unethical because of it. If anybody truly thinks there is not a conflict of interest at issue in Cape Vincent, they don't understand the meaning of the word. I imagine what is closer to the truth is they don't want to deal with it so they lash out at those who expose it.

This crisis involves far more than just our officials (though they have not handled it very well). It includes every landowner who signed a land lease and was promised wind turbines on their property before there were regulations in place to govern them. It includes every brother, sister, parent, cousin or friend of them, who refuses to consider the negative impact of these turbines on their friends, neighbors and community as a whole simply because they don't want to deny these landowners this revenue windfall. Initially, the only unethical parties were the two developers who came here knowing full well what they were about to create.

Our officials have allowed this crisis to continue to the point we're at now with opposing sides trying to polarize the community. If they don't persist at trying to develop a fair and legitimate zoning law, then they too will be guilty of unethical behavior.

Perhaps the only way to accomplish this will be to nullify all the present leases, throw the two proposals away and start over once we have hammered out a wind ordinance. At least then we could proceed honestly and neighborly and hopefully stop the malice growing in this community.

David L aMora

Cape Vincent