Accusations against Hirschey just a ruse
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2011
What in the world is going on in Cape Vincent? Three town board members stated publicly at a board meeting the attorney general's Wind Ethics Policy was a waste of time. One member went so far as to state it doesn't apply to "this town."
These same board members, bolstered by their own interpretations on conflict-of- interest laws, have now determined Supervisor Urban Hirschey's release of documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Law illegal. They, Voters for Wind and a defeated town supervisor have demanded his removal from office and want the same attorney general's office they determined had no jurisdiction over "this town" to investigate.
Facts have been excluded from their motivations. Included in the developers' wind contract is a clause that extracts a promise to assist and fully cooperate in the permitting process and obtaining approvals for any environmental impact reviews. Signers legally contract their loyalty to Acciona; they include board members Don and Marty Mason.
Accusations by the developer and his oligarchy that documents released were personal and confidential are no more than a ruse concocted to deflect attention from what these legally released documents proved. The release angered the developer and proved the manipulation and collusion used to hide pertinent sound information from the public. The accusations ensured contractual promises to Acciona were kept.
Supervisor Hirschey ran on a promise to provide open and transparent government. He has a long, honorable history serving the north country in countless volunteer positions. Recognizing unethical procedures used to push through wind development by the oligarchy, citizens organized Wind Power Ethics Group. Urban was not a founding member but recognized the need for organization, a platform and an LLC structure to pursue their ethical agenda.
Since infancy, WPEG was not anti-wind; it was and is purely pro-ethics. It is a volunteer organization. No one is paid or promised monetary reward for involvement. Supervisor Hirschey resigned from WPEG, choosing to serve Cape Vincent as an elected official. He believed it was the ethical thing to do.
His accusers say past membership in WPEG is a conflict. These same officials refused to have or pay for an audit. Supervisor Hirschey did one anyway. This audit uncovered more hidden secrets including payments made through the town by wind developers. His oversight in financial planning uncovered some irregularities, which are now under investigation and so far have resulted in the resignation of the town clerk.
The accusations against Urban Hirschey are just another attempt by the unethical to thwart transparency and subvert our ethics laws from the wind development process.
John Byrne
Cape Vincent
The writer is president of Wind Power Ethics Group.
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