Wind power
A recent BDN editorial hinted that a new approach to wind development in Maine might be advisable. The BDN wrote: “Turbines should be placed in areas that make sense to all involved: people paying for them and people living with them.”
The statement could be a simple and better way to approach wind development in the state.
A reassessment of Maine’s current approach has already been suggested in a legislatively required independent review of Maine wind development completed earlier this year.
Several consultants took a comprehensive look at how things have gone since Maine doubled down on wind development four years ago. That 2008 bet took the form of a sweeping rewrite of historic standards and statute. It gave developers the spring they need to leapfrog over the obstacles to their projects that affected citizens might represent.
The consultants wisely concluded that change might be in order. Without change, acrimony and litigation will continue to define our experience with wind power in Maine. Without more reasonable state standards, residents of organized towns will continue to enact prohibitive wind ordinances to protect their communities.
Without change, residents of the unorganized territory, like me, will still have little or no means to preserve community values in the face of unwanted and unnecessary wind development.
A new approach is essential if we are to have any voice in our own township’s future with regard to wind power. Only our residents can, and should, determine if industrial wind development makes sense in our community.
Alan Michka
Lexington Township
Zombie fantasy
Please assure me that the recent “zombie apocalypse” emergency preparedness drill held at a local event center, which was reportedly attended by over 100 emergency responders from eight Maine counties, was, in fact, an entertainment production, joke or hoax.
I cannot believe that intelligent, self-respecting adult professionals would engage in such fantasy with such a serious subject.
If this exercise was, in fact, a genuine public safety drill, then, ladies and gentlemen, we have certainly lost all sight of reality.
Beth Dalton
Orrington
Bully pulpit
I have watched the bullying of the grandmother bus monitor and listened to the media reporting for a number of days and would like to point out another perspective. A bus monitor is there to prevent what happened to her. It was apparent that her mere presence was not enough to prevent the bullying. This raises a number of questions to be answered by the school authorities responsible for the program.
What training was she given after being hired? What was she supposed to do under the circumstances shown on the tape? Should she have been sitting in the middle of the bus unable to observe what was going on behind her? Should she have been sitting at the back of the bus where she would be able to observe errant activity throughout the bus? Was she to have the bus stopped while she and also the driver recovered control? How was she to identify errant students?
As a former school administrator, it was evident to me there are a number of levels of responsibility that may have been ignored. Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call to all boards of education and school administrators to be more actively involved and not think the mere presence of an adult is enough in today’s world.
John C. Ferriday
Sedgwick
War on terrorism vs. economy
I was surprised that a foreign policy story by Michael A. Cohen (BDN 6/11/12) carried the headline “Why Americans love Obama’s kill list.” The proof of that statement relies on the threadbare evidence of a Washington Post poll of last February and another taken last March by an unnamed pollster.
I can agree that younger generations of Americans love anything high-tech and computer-driven, including the unmanned aircraft misnamed drones. Not nearly enough thought is given to American foreign policy and the prospect of using pre-emptive military strikes to carry it out. I fear Mr. Obama, after consulting his hit-list, will continue some plausible pretext for taking out the heads of state of Iran and Syria.
The Obama administration seems hell-bent on creating a permanent “war on terrorism.” And yes, our warrior-in-chief, Mr. Obama, seeks another term as president. The economy can wait; Mr. Obama is busy with regime-change and human rights policies in which political assassinations with collateral damage to civilian populations is to be expected. Already the president has deleted the names of two unarmed terrorists from his kill list.
Mr. Obama may believe that his extended war on terrorism and foreign political interventions are effective distractions from his failure to improve the American economy. If so, it’s not working. American voters know their own sons and grandsons are being killed in undeclared war and misguided foreign adventurism. It is the duty of Congress to represent U.S. citizens and reassert its constitutional authority in matters of war and peace previously defaulted to presidents.
Carle G. Gray
Sullivan
Spreading democracy
Independence Day, July 4, is a legal holiday celebrating the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
That being said, what an accomplishment and example to set for others, albeit Austria was helpful in our endeavour. Could it be that as Americans we remember that and realize it is our responsibility to try and help other countries gain their independence? This could be very altruistic, but have we gone overboard with trying to spread democracy all over the world? My feeling is yes, we have set our sights too high and lost way too much of our treasures, e.g., the men and women of our armed forces, to wars that aren’t really about those countries’ independence but ideological wars created by neocons with other criteria.
Yes, we were attacked on 9/11 and rose to the occasion quickly and paid back Osama bin Laden in spades. Was almost over, but got sidetracked into Iraq by false information and the perpetrator even wrote a book later telling us all how stupid we were to fall for all his lies and misinformation.
It is my hope and prayer that America will elect a president in November who will ease off on our aggressions and by doing so prevent this “holy war” from escalating further. Stay home unless attacked, but if attacked, God help whoever has lost his mind and decides to.
Remember, the best deterrent to an attack is a powerful military and we most certainly have that, but perhaps staying at home will prevent one.
Frank Slason
Somerville
Carle G. Gray – The Obama administration, lead by the President, doesn’t have a clue about foreign policy, the economy, or the importance of the US Constitution. They all need to go, and on the first Tuesday in November, we’re gonna’ send them their eviction notice.
The only way Obama would please right wing nuts in foreign policy is if he sent troops to invade some foreign country and caused the death of a few thousand American soldiers. Other than ordering the killing of Bin of Laden and most of his top commanders, aiding Europeans to get rid of Ghaddafi, and encouraging the Egyptians in their revolution, he hasn’t done much.
Find me a right-winger that wants to see out troops die, and I’ll show you a liberal in disguise. No one on the right wants our young men and women to die.
As for bin Laden, Obama finished the job that Bush started. However, if Bush had finished it, he would never have spiked the football or let anything from the war room leak.
The drone strikes on American citizens would be condemned by the left if a Republican were doing them. And a “Kill List” in the hands of a Republican President would bring rioting in the streets.
Obama took the back seat with the Ghaddafi overthrow. And the Egyptian situation is going to bite us in the butt because Obama and Hillary Clinton are actually backing the Muslim Brotherhood candidate.
“No one on the right wants our young men and women to die.”
Then why do you start wars?
I’ve never personally started a war. But, I’ve always been willing to finish one.
Bush started the invasion of Afghanistan with justification, but then invaded Iraq under false pretenses. By his own admission, he did not care about getting Bin Laden. Obama worked with our European allies to oust Ghaddafi without the loss of a single American life. He showed it is not necessary for Americans to send troops into every conflict to have a satisfactory outcome. In addition the Europeans proved they can solve problems with a moderate amount of help from us.
Bush invaded Iraq under false pretense? Maybe so, but where’s the evidence? Don’t bother bringing up the WMD issue. Our perennial enemy Russia, Germany, Spain, our undependable ally France, and Great Britain came to the same conclusion based on faulty information, that Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was acquiring WMD. And Iraq in the absence of provocation had invaded and taken over Kuwait. Furthermore, it is now well-known Saddam wanted his archenemy Iran to think he had WMD’s to protect his own country. Don’t get me wrong, I was against our involvement in Iraq for fear of our getting into a quagmire like Vietnam. But Bush and the US Congress with the support of both major political parties made the decision to invade Iraq, not just Bush alone.
Finally, Bush did indeed care about getting at Bin Laden. The proof is in the pudding as he did everything he could to capture him. He was however more concerned about this country’s overall effort on the war against terrorism, a point the Democrats have distorted unjustly for political gain. At no point did Bush indicate without qualification that he was not interested in capturing and bringing Bin Laden to justice. This is one of the biggest lies I’ve seen being perpetrated in the liberal main stream media.
How about sending our troop in to a warzone (Iraq) with unarmored HUMMV’s like Bush/Chaney did? It was Democrat’s who fast tracked armored HUMMV’s and money to up armor existing HUMMV’s in Iraq. Oh, and they pushed thru more financing for the VA to help our woulded vets.
Who’s going to replace Ghaddafi who had become an ally of the US in its war against terrorism and had abandoned it’s nuclear ambitions at the request of the US? Now that the Muslim Brotherhood is the ruling party in Egypt what will happen to the 1967 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt the new leaders are threatening to jettison? I think the world was far safer before Obama intervened in the Middle East. Obama doesn’t seem to know how to pick his battles. We need someone with Ronald Reagan’s savvy to lead and keep us out of the war zone.
The new government of Libya will be up to the Libyan people. Any time a dictator is overthrown there is the risk that the successor will be worse. I would not have trusted Ghaddafi any more than I trust the current Russian leadership.
Both the current Iraqi and Afghan governments were put in power by the US, yet they do not seem to really be allies worthy of trust.
I suspect the Egyptian-Israeli treaty will be respected as it is in the interest of both countries. The various nations/tribes have been at war with one another for hundreds of years and I do not believe anyone has a quick and simple solution.
Many of the Arab countries are as concerned about the threat from Al Quaeda as the western countries are , and will work to defeat them.
None of your predictions ever seem to come true.
Foreign Policy–never has the USA been more respected, especially since the war mongers have vacated the White House.
The economy– 4 million new jobs since the mess left to us by GWB.
US Constitution–I guess the ACA being found constitutional shows he know something about the Constitution, even one of your Conservatives was in agreement.
We are the laughing stock of the world. We are weak in the eyes of our enemies. If that’s what you call respect, then so be it.
The private sector has lost nearly 6 million jobs, but I guess losses don’t count for a Democrat President.
As for Obamacare, the President and all of his minions have been lying to us for the past 3 years about the mandate being constitutional under the Commerce Clause. They went around this last weekend stating that it’s not a tax, but a penalty. But, since they’re libs, lying is condoned.
Only your loony media sources say we are the laughing stock of the world.
Obama has created 4.3 million new private sector jobs but we are still climbing out of the mess left by Bush’s failed economic policy, a policy that Romney is likely to follow with the same desasterous results that Bush had.
Like some Democrats did, I don’t think Romney will pressure Freddie Mac and others to buy bad loan packages with no supporting documents from lenders. Loans to people who can’t afford them should not be encouraged. It’s bad economics whose only purpose was to garner election votes.
The President doesn’t create private sector jobs. He creates public sector jobs. And you still didn’t address the lost job since he took office. Or should we only give him credit for the good things?
There are 4.3 million more people working now then there were when Obama took over the Office of the President. When Obama was sworn in (with a Bible) the country was losing 700k jobs per month curtesy of the failed Bush (ie. Republican) economic model.
It takes more than a couple months to fix the enormous mess that Bush left this country in.
Despite the intransience of the Republicans, Obama has turned around this country’s economy even whilepublic sector jobs have decreased by 600,000.
No. You are mistaken. There is a net job loss of nearly 2 million jobs since Obama was sworn in. You have to factor in the jobs lost and subtract them from the jobs created. More have been lost.
You are wrong…
“…According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total nonfarm employment (the standard measure of jobs) declined by nearly 8.4 million between its most recent peak in December 2007 and when the job slump bottomed out two years later, in December 2009. Of those lost jobs, 4.4 million disappeared while Bush was president, and just under 4 million vanished during Obama’s first year…”
http://www.factcheck.org/2011/01/job-loss-health-care-and-bankruptcy/
Since then the economy has created 4.3 million new jobs, unfortunately the economy is stilltrying to replace teh jobs lost while bush was the president.
12/07 to 12/09. Seems to me that the Dems had control of both houses of Congress back then, and Obama was a Senator. But, I suppose he and the Dems had nothing to do with any job losses.
By the way, thanks for the stats. Now you have to credit the Democratically controlled Congress for the loss of jobs. But, of course, you won’t.
Strange how when the Dems own the Congress and that the economy shakes and job creation is difficult. And even stranger is how all is forgotten during an election season.
The mandate under (R)money was a penalty according to his campaign and we know it must be true as (R)money would never lie, but where I run into problems is what is the difference? Either both are taxes or both are penalties.
You say, “4 million new jobs”. Please tell me where they are so I can inform the unemployed. We’ve had worst economic downturns since the Great Depression, yet this one is the longest one on record with no end in sight. Is it possible ACA (Obamacare) is one of the main culprits for the current economic sluggishness? Oh, by the way, what’s the definition of “stupidity?” Answer: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
You are right GWB sure did leave a hell of a mess and now the Republicans are acting rather “stupid” like you say trying to convince the people that if they cut more taxes on the rich and then wiping out all the rules on Wall St. so they can go ahead and do what they want and here we go again heading down the tubes. You are very good at recognizing what the Republicans and (R)money is trying to do. Nice to see such good posts such as yours.
I thought doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result was the definition of insanity….. kind of like cutting the taxes for the richest of the rich and expecting them to create more jobs.
You mean like electing Democrats over and over and expecting things to get better?
You seem to have confused the Bush Administration with the Obama Administration.
I mean invading a country that had nothing to do with 9-11 causing over 4,000 deaths and countless wounded, waging war while giving a tax cuts the rich while at the same time borrowing to fund said war and warrantless wiretapping all seem to fit your definition of not having a clue about foreign policy. the economy or the US Constitution, and you forgot about outing a CIA Intelligence Officer, thus showing a lack of knowledge/concern for intelligence gathering.
Obama – Deaths in Afghanistan are at a record pace, but the left wing media is neglecting the stories because it might damage the president.
Obama – Continued the Bush tax cuts, and is now engaged in a war against the wealthy using lies and threats, when in fact, he is planning the largest tax increase on the middle class in our history.
Obama – The Patriot Act is still in effect. How many times have your rights been effected or your phones tapped?
Obama – Added more to the national debt in 3.5 years than Bush did in all 8 years of his administration. Project debt to raise by another 12 to 15 trillion if Obama gets another 4 years.
Obama – Has, on several occasions, proclaimed that the Constitution is a fluid document and needs to be updated to fit the demands of the times. He has also said that he would work around the Congress if necessary, therefore violating the very document he swore to uphold and defend. That oath, by the way, was taken without a Bible.
Outing the CIA Intelligence Officer? If you’re referring to Valerie Plame, the source that outed her has not yet been identified.
Reading reliable media sources isn’t your thing is it EJ. LOL I could quote every one of your points from a specific Loonycon. media source.
Why don’t you list some “reliable media sources”.
I’m waiting for that reliable media source list. I’m anxious to become enlightened.
Fact – Bush got us into Afganistan then dropped the ball and let just about every Taliban and Al Qieda escape.
Fact – Reagan had the largest tax increase in history and nothing Obama is doing will even be close to Reagan’s.
Supposition – Do you know how many times your phone was tapped or your e-mails read or your rights affected read under Bush?
Fact – 75% of the deficit can be directly attributed to actions taken under Bush. Bush’s tax cuts = 25% of the deficit, two unfunded wars and their associated costs = 25% of the deficit, Medicare Part D = 25% of the deficit. Stimulus money is 25% of the deficit so even if Obama had not done anything the deficit would only be 25% less than it is now.
Fact – The Constitution is a fluid document, if not, why are there 18 more amendments then there were in the original Constitution? Presidents through out the history of the US have worked with, against or around the Congress. Bush used signing statements (unconstitutional?) to negate laws he did not want to follow.
Fact – Nowhere in the Constitution does it require the President’s Oath, or any oath for that matter, to be taken with the Bible; in fact is specifically states that no religious tests are allowed for any office in the US. But to clear up your mis-statement Obama did use a Bible to swear the oath.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/obama-to-take-oath-on-same-bible-as-lincoln/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2007/dec/20/chain-email/obama-sworn-in-on-his-bible/
He did however not use a Bible when he was sworn in the second time because VP Chaney messed up the oath.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012203769.html
Fact – A member of Chaney’s Administration was found guilty of outing Ms. Plame but was most likely the fall guy for Chaney, just because the actual source is unknown does not mean the Bush Administration did not orchestrate it.
Nice try though
Edited to fix grammar and spelling
You should edit it to fix your factual errors.
Please, pray tell, which ones were wrong and why?
According to MSNBC, they’re all correct. But MSNBC is 90 percent wrong.
By your answer you cannot prove any of them are false, yet I proved all of your points false.
Don’t you hate facts?
-Fact – Bush got us into Afganistan then dropped the ball and let just about every Taliban and Al Qieda escape.
Negative – Actions in Afghanistan were never halted, and many of the terrorists were captured or killed. Some got out, and some were already out. The ball was never dropped.
-Fact – Reagan had the largest tax increase in history and nothing Obama is doing will even be close to Reagan’s.
Negative. To date, Clinton owns the largest tax increase in history, followed by Bush Sr. The tax increase coming in January based primarily on Obamacare will make both of those increases pale in comparison. By the way, the tax rates when Reagan left office were must lower than when he took office, so how could he be such a big taxer? It’s nothing buy left wing lies.
– Supposition – Do you know how many times your phone was tapped or your e-mails read or your rights affected read under Bush?
Don’t know and don’t care. I have nothing to hide. By the way, Google and the government are working together on an email and Internet surveillance system that you might want to know about. And GE has a contract with the government to compile medical information on everyone for use under Obamacare. Lastly, Obamcare has a provision for 16,000 additional IRS agents and a 300 million dollar data collection system for the IRS to use to make sure we’re all paying the proper “tax” for our healthcare.
– Fact – 75% of the deficit can be directly attributed to actions taken under Bush. Bush’s tax cuts = 25% of the deficit, two unfunded wars and their associated costs = 25% of the deficit, Medicare Part D = 25% of the deficit. Stimulus money is 25% of the deficit so even if Obama had not done anything the deficit would only be 25% less than it is now.
That is just false. Obama has added nearly 6 trillion to the debt on his own. It’s time to quit blaming Bush and take some responsibility for the actions of your own party. Granted, Bush did allow far too much spending while in office, he is no longer to blame.
Fact – The Constitution is a fluid document, if not, why are there 18 more amendments then there were in the original Constitution? Presidents through out the history of the US have worked with, against or around the Congress. Bush used signing statements (unconstitutional?) to negate laws he did not want to follow.
False again. Amendments add to the document. They don’t make it fluid.
Deaths in Afghanistan have increased at the same time deaths in Iraq have decreased, indicating Obama is doing what should have been done in the first place, fighting the terrorists where they were to begin with, where the 9/11 attack came from.
Few except politicians believe the Patriot Act is constitutional, so we agree there. I assume we also agree both parties are to blame.
The debt has been increased in order to save the banking and auto industries and the related American jobs. Some of it falls to Bush’s administration, some to Obama. Most of the debt incurred in 2009 was from Bush due to the way the federal fiscal year is laid out. Some do not believe it should have been done at all, while others believe it was a necessary evil not enacted with careful consideration. Everyone panicked.
The Constitution is a living document. Many of our technical and social changes in the last century were never foreseen by the designers (automobiles, multi-national corporations, communications, etc.). No where is it a requirement to use the bible for an oath. It is an irrelevant point the right wing bible thumpers like to make. Believing in any religion is not a requirement to hold office. That is in the Constitution. If you had read the Constitution, you would know.
Most of the deaths in Afghanistan are due to improper military operations and so-called friendlies going nuts.
The bailouts are a very small part of the deficit increase. And most of the bailout money is on Obama. I’m one of those that were against bailouts. There’s no such thing as “too big to fail”.
There is more money tied up in failing energy subsidies than in the auto and bank bailouts. And we’re not going to get any of that money back.
The Constitution is NOT a living document.
Every President in our history has been sworn in on a Bible. Obama fudged the oath at his inauguration, and he had Justice Roberts come to the White House to redo the oath. But, for some reason, a Bible could not be located, so it was done with the simple raising of the hand. Funny that a Bible couldn’t be found in the home of a self-proclaimed devout Christian.
And I’ve read the Constitution. I even have a copy on my iPhone just in case someone wants to enter into a discussion.
Dreamer.
EJ I suggest you have a B plan for November and wait for the vote to be counted before starting your victory dance.
Alan Michka – I have a suggestion about where they can stick those wind turbines.
They could be broken up and the material used to plug the leaks in the oil pipelines made by Enbridge, starting with line 6B.
John C. Ferriday, what we witnessed on that school bus was the result of too many years where children are given free reign to do and say what they wish with no real repercussion.
The little darlings apparently have gotten away with more and more bad behavior, pushing the envelope to the point where through their own ignorance, they published their own actions on YouTube.
I would bet that their parents have never really exercised discipline and the schools, as everyone knows, can only bring control by having disruptive students diagnosed with one of the alphabet conditions in order to medicate them into submission.
We can either continue on this road to anarchy or we can bring it to a screeching halt. Someone has to stand up and declare themselves as adults who will not tolerate behavior like this. They have to be willing to bring real and consistent disciplinary action. Action that will get the attention of these children.
We have to bring to a halt the habit of raising children like ferral cats.
Frank Slason, If we still had the will to conduct war in an all out manner 9/11 would have been avanged in short order when we found out that Afghanistan was harboring Osama bin Laden and his organization. They should have been given a short notice to hand him and his band of merry souls over to the world court. When they failed to comply, we should have unleashed our airpower and started carpet bombing the exits from Afghanistan and working our way in land until they complied.
We didn’t pick a fight with Afghanistan. They picked a fight with us by harboring Osama and giving him safe haven.
We blew it. We had the opportunity to make a poster child of Afghanistan to the world that we will not be the punching bag to the worlds terrorists organizations. Any country that harbors one of these groups or people will suffer the immediate consequences.
Aren’t you forgetting to consider the Afghanis in your equation?
Did the Afghanis consider the thousands of people killed on 9/11? Please don’t say it was the Taliban. The Taliban were the ruling powers at the time in Afghanistan and they also are native Afghanistanis.
I also mentioned that they were given a chance to hand over the terrorists who attacked the US. That was their consideration point.
I have to disagree with you on this one.
Al-qaeda were arabs working out of Afganistan and they may or may not have had help from the Taliban. The Taliban are but one group of many groups in Afganistan and do not represent all Afgans no more than Republicans or Democrats represent all Americans.
The Taliban did ask for proof of Osama’s guilt before turning him over but the Bush Administration decided on a different course.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26410.htm
“…On Sunday, Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir told a group of international journalists in Jalalabad that if the US stopped bombing Afghanistan, “We would be ready to hand him over.” Kabir called for negotiations, saying, “If proof is provided, a third country could be chosen which is under the influence of neither the United States nor the Taliban.”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/oct2001/tali-o16.shtml
Though I will take that particular website with a grain of salt there were other sources that agreed with the above statement I just can’t find a link to them at the moment. If my memory serves me right the one I read at teh time was either Time or Newsweek.
The fact remains that the Taliban were taking responsibility for Osama bin Ladden and his organization. They were the defacto heads of state in Afghanistan. With that position comes the responsibilty to act for the best of their nation. They chose instead to harbor a terrorist who used their country as a base of operations. They used that base to plan and implement their attack on the US. That only the few thousand that were killed was not their aim. If the attackers had timed their acts a little later the WTC towers would have had quite a few more thousand people in them.
By going about this operation half heartedly we have prolonged this thing to over 10 years. Frankly I don’t have a clue what we are trying to accomplish in Afghanistan at the present time. I would wager that most of the Afghani citizens have no idea what are aim is either.
On Dec. 7, 1941 we were attacked by the Japanese, which brought us full tilt into a two front war with Germany and Italy in Europe and Japan in the Pacific. 3 years and 9 months later that war was brought to a conclusion. Neither one of those countries has attempted to attack us again. In fact they are some of our strongest allies and trading partners in the world. They and we experienced the full horror that all out, no holds barred war is.
The powers that be in Afghanistan have not felt the wrath of full out war since Ghengis Khans Hordes laid waste to that part of the world. They understood the consequences of defying Ghengis Khan and lived in some peace for quite a few centuries.
Afganistan has been in purpetual war since 1978 when the Russians overthrew the elected government and in stalled a puppet regime. Sound familiar?
Afganistan has a history of fighting off invaders since before Genghis. Ask the British how effective they were in Afganistan.
They didn’t fight off Ghengis Khans hordes. He reduced them to begging his forgiveness. His empire is to date the longest lasting empire in the history of the world.
Oh please, like Romney wouldn’t have the Defense budget multiplied himself.
Thank you, Beth Dalton. This zombie craze is bordering on moronic.
Let’s hear an article on how many Maine townships have attempted to protect their community from industrial wind. Unfortunately the wind companies target plantations, unorganized townships and other regions that are unable to legally enact ordinances.
Worse yet is the fact that, even though the Governor has publicly opposed the priority of wind energy as too expensive and poorly thought out, he also has lent a hand in taking the permitting process away from LURC and the DEP will be doing all wind permitting in the near future. Whatever one thinks of LURC, they provided a thorough, balanced analysis of the project while affording the public full access to the process. DEP, on the other hand, with 2 members with direct ties to the wind industry, offers 2 public meetings, which afford the Maine citizens virtually no place in the permitting process. This has simply added another fast track to the industry.
DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho is on the Board of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (see: http://www.rggi.org/rggi/board/patricia_aho). That’s the group that markets the renewable energy credits on behalf of the wind industry in Maine. The Chairman of the Board of RGGI, David Littell, is also Chaiman of Maine’s Public Utilities Commission. They’re the ones who recently went against all staff and legal advice by approving the First Wind/Emera merger that kept First Wind from the brink of financial collapse.
But I digress…
Here’s an example of how the DEP procedure under Commissioner Aho is biased against the citizens of Maine. This quote comes from a recent DEP Press Release :
“Developed to ensure adequate opportunity for public comment and a
transparent, inclusive review of often controversial wind power
projects, the new process also requires the presence of the department’s
Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner at that second meeting to hear the
public’s comments on DEP’s draft analysis, which for the Passadumkeag
proposal, will be available one week prior to the meeting”
So, the wind developers have as long as they want to prepare their application,
DEP has months to make their decision, and
the public is given access to that draft decision only ONE WEEK prior to the deadline for their comments??? This is insane.
Aho must go.
Ms. Dalton, the zombie apocalypse trend for emergency response is the result of a page the CDC put up last year. It contained lots of quality information about how to survive any kind of emergency. Put up as kind of a farce, it received more traffic than any other information page the CDC has ever put up. The exercise provided all the same responses as any other disaster, with a little tongue in cheek fun added in. Also the media attention was much greater than had they staged some train wreck simulation.
I believe it was President Bush that declared a permanent war on terror not President Obama.
President Bush addresses a Joint Session
of Congress, Sept. 20, 2001.Declares “War on Terror”
President Bush declared tonight that the military phase of the battle to topple Saddam Hussein’s government was ”one victory in a war on terror that began on Sept. 11th, 2001, and still goes on.”
Bush said from the Oval Office in 2006. “We are in a war that will set the course for this new century and determine the destiny of millions across the world.”
The phrase ‘War on Terror’ was first used by US President George W. Bush
and other high-ranking US officials to denote a global military, political,
legal and ideological struggle against organizations designated as terrorist
and regimes that were accused of having a connection to them or providing them
with support or were perceived, or presented as posing a threat to the US and
its allies in general. It was typically used with a particular focus on militant Islamists and
al-Qaeda. from Wikipedia
Just because you dislike the personality and policies of President Obama doesn’t mean he is responsible for every evil you can conjure up. Use some discretion and research in your accusations.
cut, reedited
At the risk of
being “censored” for being off topic or mentioning the mafia (Which BDN refuses
to do:
WIND ENERGY CO2 EMISSION
REDUCTIONS ARE OVERSTATED http://tinyurl.com/7wo5t7m
But a whole new form of wind-power generation has been developed by Mass
Megawatts Wind Power, Inc. Low Height 50 – 80 ft., Durability & Low
Cost Maintenance and Unlimited Potential. http://www.massmegawatts.com/
The Rollings wind development must be stopped immediately to reassess options before FW adds any more to the tower.
Alan Michka, the citizen’s should be voting on these WIND projects. I am from Carthage/Dixfield area and the selcetmen have refused petition after petition to call for a special town meet. They call the petitions redundant and slip and slime their way out of these public meetings.
I still cannot believe so many people are buying into this scam.
Where are the “pro bono” lawyers. Where is Stepeh King’s money to help us out. Oh, maybe his next horror book will take place at his summer home in western Maine. May the turbines haunt him.
I just called and then emailed Eugene, Town Manager in Dixfield and urged him to Please advise:
The town selectmen:
Stephen G. Donahue – Chair
Norine H. Clarke
Malcolm M. Gill
Katherine N. Harvey
Robert V. Withrow
That a whole new form of wind-power generation has been developed by Mass Megawatts Wind Power, Inc. Low Height 50 – 80 ft., Durability & Low Cost Maintenance and Unlimited Potential. This news renders First wind a dinosaur. Now, hold a town meeting to review this and dump First Wind. http://www.massmegawatts.com/
John C. Ferriday – You’re right. The kids were the victims and she was the aggressor.
I agree with Alan Michka but I do not trust our DEP BEP or the wind companies to make those decisions. We citizens should be given our day in court and be heard and the legislation needs to be drastically changed..Many of us simply believe Maine is not the place for any wind turbines as they disturb not only the humans within at least 5 miles but all wildlife nearby..the things Maine stand for are being ruined and made ill..will tourists care to come for that?
“Turbines should be placed in areas that make sense to all involved: people paying for them and people living with them.”
The BDN writer was right on. It is never okay for the government or Big Industry to mandate that which citizens must pay for–whether financially or by sacrificing their health or quality of life. There is an elephant in the room, and no one is acknowledging it…and that is because it is the most important and fundametal issue as pertains to Industrial Wind. The PEOPLE of Maine are being negatively impacted by Big Wind.
That has to stop.
And the wind industry and those who support it will continue to ignore this vital topic as long as they can–because there is no justification for the harm they are inflicting. They will ignore it until the People stand up and require a true and verifiable accounting.
Once that happens–once science and economics and empathy and the FACTS are what direct our energy policy–then the tide will turn and the People who are ‘paying for and living with’ industrial turbines may get some justice.
Respectfully,
Karen Pease
Lexington Twp., Maine