THIS IS THE SIXTH PUBLIC CHALLENGE FOR A PUBLIC DEBATE THAT I HAVE OFFERED WITH NO TAKERS FROM COHOCTON TOWN SUPERVISOR JACK ZIGENFUS, ANY UPC LEASEHOLDER, ANY YES WIND MEMBER, AND ANY PRO UPC COHOCTON GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL TO DEBATE ME. I ASK AGAIN, PLEASE DEBATE ME BEFORE SEPTEMBER 15TH OF THIS YEAR ON THE SUBJECT OF:
IS INDUSTRIAL WIND POWER “AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED” THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR COHOCTON?
I HAVE REPEATEDLY MADE THE ABOVE CHALLENGE AND THEY WILL NOT ANSWER ME. THIS SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE FACT THAT THEIR CURRENT AGENDA WILL NOT STAND PUBLIC SCRUTINY… YOUR SCRUTINY. IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE. CHANGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. NONE OF THE FOLLOWING IS A PERSONAL ATTACK ON ANYONE. THERE IS GREAT CONTRAST BETWEEN MY OPINION OF WHAT IS RIGHT FOR COHOCTON AND THAT OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. POINTING OUT THE DIFFERENCES IN OUR OPINIONS IS NOT PERSONAL ATTACK.
MY NAME IS ROBERT C. STRASBURG II. I HAVE BEEN A 19 YEAR RESIDENT IN THE TOWN OF COHOCTON AND I AM RUNNING IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR TOWN SUPERVISOR ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 AND I ASK FOR YOUR VOTE.
THE LOGIC BEHIND THEIR REFUSAL TO DEBATE ME IN PUBLIC IS SIMPLE. AS LONG AS THEY CAN SIT BEHIND THEIR TABLES IN A BOARD MEETING, THEY CAN CONTROL THE DIALOG. CONTROLLING DIALOG WITH NO BACK AND FORTH INTERACTION ASSURES THAT THEIR AGENDA IS ALWAYS PUT FORTH IN A POSITIVE WAY WITHOUT EXPOSING THE OTHER SIDES OF THE ISSUES. NEWSPAPERS WILL TAKE ANY PRINT. THEY PRINT ONLY THEIR SIDE OF THEIR AGENDA AND WILL NOT COME OUT IN THE PUBLIC DEBATE ARENA WHERE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT WILL PROVE THAT THEY ARE NOT PROVIDING SOUND GOVERNING PRINCIPLES IN THEIR ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF ALL COHOCTON RESIDENTS, THEIR AGENDA WILL BE EXPOSED IN FULL, AS IT IS, AND IT WILL BE OVER IF THEY DO.
IT HAS BEEN CLAIMED THAT I AM OPPOSED TO ALL WIND PROJECTS IN COHOCTON AND THAT IS WHY I AM RUNNING FOR SUPERVISOR. IF YOU HAVE FOLLOWED MY POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET AND THIS PAPER, YOU KNOW THAT IS NOT THE CASE. I AM OPPOSED TO WIND IN COHOCTON “AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED” BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE WE AS RESIDENTS ARE NOT BEING SUFFICIENTLY PROTECTED. IN MY OPINION, THE PROJECT, AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED IS A LIABILITY TO OUR TOWN AND NOT AN ASSET. IT IS BEING SOLD BY THIS ADMINISTRATION AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT WILL OFFER GREAT TAX SAVINGS TO OUR TOWN RESIDENTS.
FACT: THE RESIDENTS OF TUG HILL (THE HOME OF THE LARGEST WIND FARM IN NEW YORK STATE) JUST EXPERIENCED A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE AFTER THE FIRST YEAR OF THE WIND FARMS OPERATION. A SELECT FEW LANDOWNERS MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AND THE REST OF THE TOWN NOW SUFFERS FOR IT! FACT: POLITICIANS FROM OTHER TOWNS HAVE RAILROADED THESE WIND FARMS IN AND THEN RESIGNED
THEIR POSTS IN THE GOVERNMENT AND WENT TO WORK FOR THE WIND FARM!
THE MAJORITY OF PRO-WIND ADS BEING POSTED IN THE VALLEY NEWS ARE FROM PEOPLE IN LINE TO RECEIVE A CHECK FROM LEASING THEIR PROPERTY TO UPC, ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN SURVEYING LAND FOR A FEE FOR UPC, ARE CURRENTLY FAMILY MEMBERS OF LEASEHOLDERS, ARE CURRENT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND/OR ARE ON THE PAYROLL OF UPC. THESE ARE THE THINGS HIDDEN BEHIND THE PRINT YOU SEE. THIS IS WHY NONE OF THEM WILL COME OUT AND DEBATE ME!
THE TEST TO SEE IF YOU ARE BEING TOLD THE TRUTH IS TO DEMAND THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ESPECIALLY SUPERVISOR JACK ZIGENFUS, MEET ME IN PUBLIC DEBATE BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER 18TH REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. IF HE WILL NOT MEET MY CHALLENGE FOR A DEBATE IN PUBLIC, IN FRONT OF YOU AND BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS ACTIONS TO YOU, THEN I ASK YOU TO VOTE FOR ME AND MY FELLOW REFORM COHOCTON CANDIDATES IN THAT SEPTEMBER 18TH PRIMARY. I INVITE ALL VOTERS, NO MATTER YOUR PARTY, TO VOTE FOR MY FELLOW REFORM COHOCTON CANDIDATES (PLEASE WATCH FOR OUR COMING ADS WITH THEIR NAMES) AND MYSELF IN THE GENERAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER AND I PLEDGE TO YOU AN OPEN AND HONEST GOVERNMENT THAT WILL IMMEDIATELY OPEN CHANNELS WITH ALL TOWNSPEOPLE AND BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR ACTIONS IN FRONT OF YOU.
I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME BY VOTING FOR ME, ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES, DUSTING OFF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THIS TOWN THAT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 1970 (37 YEARS!) AND GO TO WORK UPDATING IT TO BUILD A FUTURE FOR THIS TOWN BY PROPER PLANNING, RESEARCH, AND ACTION.
THE REASON THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED IN MY OPINION, IS THE FACT THAT THE LAW DEMANDS THAT THAT PROCESS OF UPDATING BE OPEN TO PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN DETERMINING THE FUTURE OF COHOCTON. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS THE LAST THING THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION WANTS IS THE PUBLIC INVOLVED. INVOLVEMENT MEANS BACK AND FORTH DIALOG AND ACCOUNTABILITY. YOU HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS FROM THIS GOVERNMENT.
THE TOWN OF COHOCTON IS STRUGGLING FROM THE EFFECTS OF NEGLECT. IN MY OPINION, THIS NEGLECT IS WILLFUL BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. POLITICS AS USUAL HAS PRODUCED AN ADMINISTRATION CONCERNED ONLY WITH A SELECT FEW, WHILE THE REST OF THE MAJORITY WATCHES OUR CHILDREN GROW UP AND LEAVE THIS TOWN FOR AREAS OF GREATER OPPORTUNITY. WHY IS THERE NOT MORE OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR THE MAJORITY? THE VERY SIMPLE REASON IT IS NOT HERE FOR THE MAJORITY, IS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT PRUDENTLY PLANNED FOR IN THE PAST FOR THE MAJORITY. WHAT IS BEING PLANNED FOR NOW IS THAT THE SAME SELECT FEW WILL REAP HUGE FINANCIAL BENEFIT, WHILE THE REST BEARS THE BURDEN OF THEIR PROSPERITY.
YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT, ALONG WITH OTHERS CAN PUT THIS TOWN IN THE LEADERSHIP HANDS OF PEOPLE COMMITTED TO SERVING COHOCTON AS A WHOLE, NOT JUST A SELECT FEW.
NOW I WILL PREDICT THE RESPONSE TO THIS ARTICLE FROM JACK ZIGENFUS AND HIS ADMINISTRATION AND THOSE IN LINE TO RECEIVE A CHECK FROM UPC. I PREDICT IT WILL BE, NOT TO ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU IN PUBLIC, BUT INSTEAD, WILL BE THAT OF SILENCE, NO RESPONSE AT ALL, OR PERSONAL ATTACK. ATTACK ON ME, REFORM COHOCTON AND AGAIN… ONLY THEIR ONE-SIDED PORTRAYAL OF ISSUES. THERE IS NOT ONE OF THEM WITH THE COURAGE TO FACE ME (REALLY THEY DO NOT WANT TO FACE YOU) IN PUBLIC WITH ANSWERS TO THE HARD QUESTIONS THEY ARE AVOIDING.
IF YOU CARE ABOUT COHOCTON, LOOK DEEP INTO THIS ISSUE AND VOTE ACCORDINGLY. PLEASE, DO NOT BE FOOLED BY ONE SIDED PRINT! THERE IS NO SPIN IN THIS ARTICLE. I AM WILLING TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU, IN PUBLIC, AND ANSWER ANY QUESTION ASKED OF ME. IS SUPERVISOR JACK ZIGENFUS WILLING TO DO THIS?
Robert C. Strasburg II 585-384-9318 www.reformcohocton.org
A bright future demands new leadership.
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