With all the Federal tax credits, shifty LLCs, and Stimulus Subsidies, I'm beginning to suspect this is all a large corporate/government scam.

What we need is for our state Attorney General, Janet Mills, to make First Wind sign a Code of Conduct. That's exactly what they had to sign in NY State, after NY's Attorney General began investigating them for bribery and intimidation.

That investigation continues.

Also in NYS, US Congressman Eric Massa (D) has requested of President Obama that their stimulus gift (a total of $115 MILLION by the way), be revoked and has called for a GAO investigation of them - a company with a business model of LIE, CHEAT AND CORRUPT.

Can you think of anyone in Maine who has been corrupted?

The other investigation of interest is the one that was reported in the Boston Herald on November 15th at http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1212055

This one is about one of First Wind's top directors' longtime business partner, Oreste Vigorito being arrested in Italy on fraud by obtaining millions in public subsidies to build wind farms that either never worked properly or did not supply the promised amounts of energy. The pair worked together for seven years in Italy and even lived next door to each other for a time.

If you study them, you will see that First Wind started in Italy.

Attorney General Mills refuses to make them sign a code of conduct. Her sister, our public health director, Dora Mills, steadfastly denies any health problems caused by the massive 400' tall turbines' noise and deep vibrations. Governor Baldacci's chief counsel of three years, Kurt Adams, runs development for this company. Governor King's son is rumored to run their mergers and acquisitions.

Are you getting the picture? These people work for us and that Stimulus GIFT to them is our money. We hire our public officials and we can fire them. It is time for everyone to start getting involved and take our state back and our country back.

I, for one among many others, am getting some friggin' sick and tired of seeing the huge amount of print/video devoted to perpetuating the Big Wind/Big Lie! Come on, BDN, Portland Press and all you others, try some reporting other than glorifying an industry that wouldn't even exist without taxpayer subsidies.

How about equal amount of space to exposing the corrupt relationships that are driving this folly in Maine: Baldacci--Kurt Adams--First Wind. Juliot Browne (First Wind Lawyer)--her husband Rep. Jon Hinck--Expedited Wind Permitting Law. Larry Summers--D E Shaw--First Wind--Obama's $40.4 million gift to rescue Stetson II. Ad nauseum!

How about equal space to exposing the true ramifications of the goals for industrial wind sites that were incorporated into that unconstitutional Expedited Wind Permitting law? 45 to 50 more projects the size of Stetson Mt. Blasting away some 350 miles of ridgelines for at least 1800 industrial turbines, permanently clearcutting at least 50,000 acres of forest. Contaminating our streams and ponds with silt and herbicides, fragmenting wildlife habitat, killing birds and bats, and ruining the peace and quiet and health of people in the noise impact zone.

What about a true discussion of the facts here and questioning why the politicians of the state decided without asking the citizens to go down the road to this folly. Maine gets nothing from this except a handful of temporary construction jobs and some promise of some property taxes. But wait, not too much taxes because this stupid state grants TIFs to these thieves! We get no electricity from these and we don't need them anyway. How about exposing the real reason why ineffective, unreliable industrial machines will be cluttering up every vista in the state?

Try some real reporting. Try some digging into some controversy. Try some reporting on the real impact of these. I could give a damn about tower training. Another waste of taxpayers dollars. I do give a damn about why these ugly, useless machines are being planted throughout my beautiful state!

So... you are against a citizen's right to develop his or her own private land? These developments are all on private land. What is your concern about how an individual decides to do with their own property? Shall we use your same level of scrutiny every time we see a ski company develop a mountain with those eyesore lifts going up the hill? Or better yet, a golf course... a more useless waste of acreage the like I have never seen.

How about disconnecting from the grid. That'll give you a solid footing for your grievances. Only in America do we have people that over consume electricity, yet manage to complain about the means in which it is produced. What a bunch of hypocrites.

Goheels said: "Only in America do we have people that over consume electricity, yet manage to complain about the means in which it is produced".

Sorry Bub - worldwide people are lining up against these turbines and the Mafioso's who are bilking the people and destroying our serenity.

goheels...Out here around the wonderfrul Steson Mt windfarm...the electricity is off. so of course the turbine blades cannot turn. I guess there is no wind. At night the flashing red lights do not blink. Life flights fly right over the mountain....as it is a long ways from a hospital. The FAA says it is not their responsibility. Call the owner of the wind farm. Nobody knows who that is. Credit Suisse forced First Wind to sell at the first of the year. Under threat of foreclosure. Guess this is a trade secret.

This has been going on for over a week. If there is a plane crash at night...do you think the BDN and all would ever report that the lights were off?

This also puts to rest any propaganda that Stetson Mt wind farm is actually producing electricity. The turbines used at Stetson were some of the early defective GE models.There has already been a rumor there was a fire in the circuit board. Since we have a volunteer fire dept. , we are at risk in many ways. LURC did not arrange for this area to get TIFs like the towns got. Mars Hill got 5000 dollars for their fire dept. Wonder how much money First Wind paid LURC in fees? The one reporter at MPBN who will cover this story is unable to get in touch with First Wind. They must all be taking a Christmas break.

Although a code of ethics would be nice...that is like getting fire insurance when your house is on fire. At this point, we need the Justice Dept. to investigate the gov.'s office, the AG office , LURC and DEP.

In Italy , the founder of First Wind's former wind farm business partner has been indicted for taking tax money and building wind farms that are not used. But getting the tax money anyway. BRIBERY. And those who took bribes have been indicted as well. This former business partner,Oresto Vigorito, also would start a wind farm and then send the rest of the money to the US.

Maybe because the US does not prosecute large corporations for bribery and taking bribes.If they did , I have a hunch Augusta would look like the second coming. As in absence of people.

Have also noticed that reporters have no interest in printing both sides of this story. You should hear the people in Vinlhaven who's lives are ruined by living close to turbines. Same as the people who live in Mars Hill. The only reason the people around Steson Mt wind farm are not complaining is the blades turn so slowly ..there is minimal noise. Defective turbines and nowhere for the electricity to go.

It isn't just govt. that gets bribes. Business leaders get them too.

Kirk Richie got a donation for the Springfield Fair. He is co owner.He speaks up for wind farms every chance he gets.

The man who leases his land to the Mars Hill wind farm got a new van and a ski lift. He owns a ski resort at the mountaine. His grandson came to the LURC hearing for STETSON to talk about how great wind farms are.As did Kirk Richie. Neither one would be impacted by the wind farm. But they felt the need to push wind farms.

All the organizations who get "gifts" like the snow mobilers are right there at the hearings to talk about the wonderful wind farms. That kind of balances out the people who effected talking about how their lives are ruined. Then the newspapers print all the testimony from First Wind and the ones who have received gifts.

It seems that all you have to do is wave a dollar bill in someone's face and they immediately love a wind farm. Selling off your state for money?

Oakfield is suing them!

Here are the two very powerful videos from Vinalhaven.

Part I

http://www.windtaskforce.org/video/voices-of-vinalhaven-part-1

Part II

http://www.windtaskforce.org/video/voices-of-vinalhaven-maine

Part of their power derives from the fact that the persons protesting supported the turbine project all along, only to learn that they had been lied to. This makes it very difficult for pro-wind hit squads to do what they do best - cast them as selfish complainers.

Another part of their power derives from the heart, from where it is evident these folks speak.

The truth is starting to get out.

Patten-Pete Thanks for posting.

I have seen the videos. Sounds just like the 18 families who live close to the Mars Hill wind farm. "We trusted the govt. and Evergreen to tell the truth."

Evergreen is now First Wind. They change their name frequently . One thing never changes. LLC..limitied liability corporation. gov baldaci's best friends. If they all aren't in jail when he goes out of office...look for him to get a good paying job in that industry.

Google the following:

"Angus King" First Wind

Scary.

Give it up Goheels, the 6 people in Maine that are anti-wind populate these boards all day (aparantly unemployed, which explains their bitter attitude). They are hard-headed idealogues who envision Maine as a jobless cesspool with no industry whatsoever and fervently believe it is their right to dictate what occurs on property they do not have title or rights to. There is no use arguing with them as they have lost sight of the forest for the trees...

LarrySellers..the people who live on vinlyhaven have not discovered the BDN website. They will find out soon enough. When there is nothing positive about the wind energy biz, all you can do is attack the victims. Then you have to worry about looking like a bully. Enron boys come to mind.

Meanwhile the Stetson Mt wind farm owners are faced with a dilema...they are supposed to be making power...but not enough for flashing red lights at night. Although, the FAA does not care or the AG office. ....I am sure there is worry the whole scam will be exposed. Same time as the 1.7 million taken from developers by LURC. The whole thing is hanging by a thread.

Might be a little harder to find good reporters to print the transcriptions by First Wind and govt. Careers can be ruined by the hint that bribery affects a wide range of folks. Reporters have to be trusted, they don't have as much latitude as say a politician.

A neighbor just emailed that the red flashing lights are back on at Stetson. Thanks be to Heaven, there was no plane crash.

Tower rescues...FUN stuff. :) Been there, done that, trained some. Helluva good time.

The Big Lies of Big Wind Job creation in Maine

The way these jobs were created was by

Influence Peddling and Graft. If it weren’t so pathetic, it would be laughable!

To show how corrupt the process of Wind Turbine permitting was in Lincoln by First Wind and others (to create jobs), please note that Brandan Ireland (Larkin Industries) was one of the planning board members who permitted the Rollins project illegally, breaking the ordinance laws in Lincoln. Guess he looked forward to a job being made for himself.

His partner in the “ permitting”, Peter Phinney, was the chair of the planning board, who, even with a direct financial conflict of interest, was voted back on the board in a set-up kangaroo court to permit the project .He then limited citizens free speech in public town hearings. He (Phinney) is a lead broker for Haynes Inc, the major landowner of the project as well. Another job created.

Representative Everett Mcleod has a lease agreement with First Wind for turbines on his land. He is obviously self-employed by First Wind. But what is a poor legislator to do, you have to eat!

This is just the tip of the corrupt process that occurred in Lincoln. Illegal TIF negotiations occurred as well in secret sessions, as well as other negotiations, which also were illegal. But they created jobs for Eaten Peabody as well. Even a Lincoln Council member Rod Carr, a paid lobbyist, was in on the financial fun, for Haynes and Central Maine Power. KaH Ching!

Ritchie, another owned person by Haynes Real Estate, held an illegal town vote approving the Tax Incremental Funding in Lee Maine. They approved it in a farce vote in a town meeting in Lee.

There is much much more to the scamming and bribery and influence peddling for JOBS!

These same people denied citizens their rights to be heard and appeal the illegalities of ordinance law in Lincoln. No wonder they are under suit in good old upstanding Lincoln. Why don’t you have a chat with the Lincoln tax accessor /ex town manager , clerk ? She is a good job creator too, for herself.

But this is the tip of the iceberg. Everywhere First Wind goes, the illegalities and perversion of process follow. It started with the unconstitutional Expedited Wind Law with the likes of Rep Hinck of Portand (chair or Energy and Utilities Committee) and a prime mover in the wind industry in Maine, whose wife just happens to be one of the lead lawyers involved in the permitting process in Lincoln for, guess who, First Wind? Then there is Kurt Adams, ex PUC chair and now a First Wind CEO. Angus King, waiting to sell the Record Hill project to First Wind, whose son conveniently is merger and acquisition expert for, guess who, First Wind…. and on, and then there is Baldacci, soon, perhaps to be employed by guess who?

Wow, what wonderful job creation the Wind Industry is involved in, in Maine!

Bangor Daily, wake up please. Or are you into job creation too with the Wind Industry!

The answer is blowing in the wind.

Unbelievable. Jobs. Training. New skills for people.... to many commenters that is a bad thing.

That looks scarey.....Too high for me. I like the ground..

Tsk Tsk, Larry Sellers! Must we resort to personal attacks? I am gainfully employed and have worked all my life since my first job at 8 years old. I have also lived in this state all of my 60 years. I love this beautiful state and I hate to see what destruction is taking place with sprawling industrial wind sites proliferating in our rural areas. It is criminal, in my mind, to have these industrial machines placed anywhere that they will disrupt citizens' right to peace and quiet and wellbeing.

The imposition of this form of "development" onto the state has been one of the most un-civic processes I have ever witnessed. The self-important people who run Augusta decided to go down this doad without even consulting the citizens. It is clear that greasing the way for First Wind, Angus King, Trans-Canada, Iberdrola and their ilk is more important than what the citizens have to say.

It is bad science, bad public policy, bad civic process that causes me to speak out. There are many others who feel the same way. When I saw a utility scale wind project for the first time, I actually was impressed. But having a precocious mind, I started to research. The more I read, the more I analyzed, the more I saw the plethora of negative issues. This experience is repeated over and over, that most people have a superficial understanding of industrial wind turbines and, due to the Big Wind/Big Lie, they believe its all good. When these same people analyze the facts, they reach the same conclusion that this is just a scam that will cost the taxpayers and ratepayers dearly while having virtually no impact on energy supply or concerns about the climate.

It's not so bad after a few times doing it. We used a 150 lbs dummy for training. The most difficult part would be trying to get a lifeless human body out of the hub of the turbine before being able to lower it down tower.

Geez, Go-Heels, did you try to ski at Big Rock in Mars Hill, take a flip and do a header in the snow, so you hate ski areas? This is the second time you have tried to compare how horrible a ski area is with how much you love industrial wind sites. Fair enough, lets compare.

The towers that support the 2 chairlifts at Big Rock are between 15 and 35 feet tall. The First Wind turbines are 389 feet high from base to apex of the blades. No aviation lights at the ski area; aviation lights required 24/7 on UPC/First Wind's turbines.

The ski area has 200 acres cleared, using 50 yards of width near part of the summit of the mountain and on the west slope; the sprawling industrial wind site traverses the entire summit of the mountain, including a huge blasted hole in the side and a thousand clearcut acres.

There is a clickety-clack of steel cables going through the pullies on the ski towers, when they operate on scheduled hours from December to the end of March. I don't think the folks on Mountain Road or East Ridge Road ever hear this noise. They sure do hear the loud rumble of the turbines whenever they are turning, including the middle of the night when the noise level routinely exceeds the 50 dbA of the license.

The ski area provides a place for people to exercise and be healthful at least part of the year. People who live on Mountain Road and East Ridge Road are suing First Wind over medical problems that have been documented as a result of having turbines built on top of them.

Go-heels, chill out and go skiing! Maybe when you are out enjoying the beauty of Maine while skiing, you might reconsider being such an unabashed shill for the wind industry!

Check out You Tube for the reaction to the turbines on Vinalhaven: (Parts I and II)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtGijb_oNeQ&feature=player_embedded

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw4S98SYHiE&feature=related

What an unnecessary debacle.

Fist let me say, can people get facts correct before they post on here. I myself believe that if you have FAA lights you have to abide by rules set forth with them. If not you are fined or can be. Stetson has been down for a couple of weeks for construction. Construction is over the lights are back on.!!!!!!!

139,300 for training ... now we see why Larkin wants the windscammers. FirstWind should provide the training...oops wait either way it is taxpater dollars so I guess it doesn't really matter. Property rights proponents that goes both ways.. If you do something stupid and it affects MY property values then you should be liable. None of us can do anything we please just because we "own"property. The bloggers who support the windscam are all bought and paid in one way or the other by Big Wind. No one has said windsprawl is worth the noise ,critter kills and sceneic ruination because it makes so much power and we can shut down fossil fuel plant out of state because the power is minimal and the OOS plants will keep running anyway. Take the tax dollar freebies and invest in job retraining for the low paid construction workers, or give them work repairing Maine's roads and bridges before they fall in. Jobs have nothing to do with this. The jobs card is the first one the yuppie developers play as it makes for good PR along with lower elecrtic rates, another blatent lie. Stop the lies and do the science if you dare. BigWind go away. HydroQuebec is coming despite BH and CMP lobbying. Why would BH and CMP want lower elec rates anyway? That is money out of their pockets. Anyway go ahead and train. It sounds like fun and would apply to rock climbing and search and rescue operations elsewhere. Shame on the big landowners for being so greedy and starting this windsprawl foolishness up.