Dear Assemblyman Barclay,
My wife and I just receive your campaign literature in the mail. It probably was not brought to your attention, but our address is Flagstaff, AZ. This is because we have a summer residence in Cape Vincent. We and many others felt so strongly about this an issue that we decide to give up our right to vote in our home communities. We perceive an imminent crisis in Cape Vincent and Northern New York which will forever change the beautiful character of an entire region. I am referring to the fever pitch introduction of industrial scale wind power with virtually no checks and balances, taking place behind a veil of corruption and unacceptable conflicts of interest.
You are raising a family here, and you say this is where you were brought up. Then you need to carefully consider the following scenario. Northern New York will undergo a complete and irresponsible environmental transformation of an entire region. The towns of Cape Vincent, Clayton, Houndsfield (Galloo Island), Lyme, Hammond, Orleans, Henderson, Brownville, possibly Sacketts, have proposals for massive industrial wind projects. In addition Wolfe Island in Canada has a proposal as well. I'm sure other Lake Ontario shore line towns will also come under wind power scrutiny. It is clear from a wind map that this is the prime wind resource area.
Consider a tourist driving across Wolfe Island, crossing on the ferry and through Cape Vincent, and on down the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. This area will no longer represent one of New York's prime rural and recreational jewels. Instead what will be presented to the observer will be an almost continuous industrial wind facility with 425 ft towers which will be seen for many miles. A boater on the lake and St Lawrence River will be subjected to the same sweeping industrial vista since the visual impact of towers this size can not be mitigated across open water. The proposals in Cape Vincent alone would call for destructive change to the town by covering this beautiful rural recreational gateway to the Thousand Island with 236, 425 ft turbines with flashing night strobes. To put this in context, Cape Vincent Township is only about 12 miles long and 4 to 5 miles deep along the St. Lawrence River. It is the beauty of this town and its outstanding recreational opportunities created by the lake and river that bring in millions of dollars in tourism as well as people seeking a rural slower pace life style. This is recognized in Cape Vincent's comprehensive town and village plan, approved by many of the same town officials who now have conflicts of interest with the wind companies. They are simply blatantly ignoring state law with the intent of financial gain for themselves, their families, and a misguided quick injection of cash for town coffers. To introduce industrial wind turbines into this area is a complete violation of this plan's intent. The introduction of wind turbines or even a wind zoning law without considering the comp plan's intent would be a violation of NY state law, since zoning must be in accordance with the plan once the plan is approved and adopted. This plan is all about rural beauty and small town atmosphere and development that do not hinder those qualities. No stretch of the imagination can make industrial wind turbines compatible with this plan.
Since I live in Arizona let me express it this way. The mass transformation of this beautiful area would have the same impact as putting hundreds of industrial turbines in and along the rim of the Grand Canyon. This would be unacceptable to most people and is environmental insanity. If you are elected and choose to ignore this development, your legacy will be the destruction of this wonderful area from what is essentially a corporate gold rush tax scheme with most profits siphoned over seas, and solid evidence that none of this will have any impact on solving our nation's energy problems or global warming issues.
My friend Mr. John Droz, a physicist will be sending you information on the serious environmental and scientific short comings surrounding industrial wind power. Suffice to say wind power can not stand up to scientific or economic scrutiny. I will leave these subjects to Mr. Droz for your consideration and it is critical you review them and research further. John and I have researched many very credible sources that support our views.
What makes this even more insidious is the conflicts of interest among town officials that are fostered to move these questionable projects forward with little credible oversight. In Cape Vincent five town officials have either direct conflicts with the wind company, or family conflicts. Three are on the planning board which is the lead agency in the SEQR study, including the board chairman, who virtually rules unchallenged by his board members. How fair and impartial can we expect this to be? I could teach a 7th grader in ten minutes the problems with this scheme. Well, the NY Public Service Commission through the voice of Mr. Andrew Davis expressed their doubt as well in a scathing letter to the planning board saying the SEQR DEIS study was so deficient it should be started completely over and they should use qualified consultants. All these officials continue to vote on major wind issues even though they have been told to recue themselves by the Jefferson County Ethics Board. Since this corruption has gone so long unchecked, some have been so bold as to claim they will continue to vote no matter what, and let the legal chips fall where they may.
This has been one of the major reasons people like my wife and I have changed our resident status to vote in NY. Citizens in the Cape have formed a group called the Wind Power Ethics Group, and are forced to raise thousands of dollars to expose this corruption only to watch it continue, with no help from the county, state of federal level.
Now to the reality of politics. I am well aware Assemblyman Darryl Aubertine is running against you. However, as I see it Mr. Aubertine should be asked some very probing questions. The SEQR DEIS shows wind turbines on his property and the property of his family. In fact his farm sits in the heart of the St Lawrence Wind Project. He has been disturbingly silent on the whole issue. You need to make this come home to roost right in the middle of his election bid. The public deserves answers. Your constituents deserve straight answers. Ask him: Question
1, Do you have a contract with the wind company?
2. Does anyone in your family have a contract with the wind company?
3. How do you reconcile the conflict of having a contract with the wind company and sitting on the state energy committee?
4. How do you reconcile the conflict of voting on a new power plant placement bill (the revived article 10 of the public service law) which would expedite the placement of power plants including wind power when you have a contract with a wind company?
5. Why do you tolerate the conflicts in Cape Vincent, a town where you once sat on the board?
If you can't verify he has a contract, drag him in front of the media and ask him point blank. No matter how he answers it is a no win. If he lies he's done, and if he says yes he is done, and if he says no, ask him why he tolerates the blatant corruption in his district and has not spoken out for a fair and reasonable approach on the wind issue in NY.
Here is another political reality. You need to examine carefully the wind power issue. Grass roots opposition groups all over the state are getting savvy about wind power and its scam and corruption. They are increasingly and effectively cutting through the wind company propaganda and town officials corruption and getting the message out. In Cape Vincent I have watched people who where pro wind or on the fence shift to the opposition stance when confronted by accurate information about wind power and the environmental destruction and havoc it will bring to the region. I would suggest that as the wind opposition machete gains strength that you align yourself with a carefully researched and responsible position so you don't get your political legs cut off at the knees. These opposition groups are voters, and many are no longer isolated but are talking and organizing with each other. They realize that they must go up the political food chain and change things with votes, and as you know votes count. The tremendous and immediate effect of email and the Internet is a wonderful and extremely powerful tool. In a recent town meeting in Cape Vincent some 100+ people showed up in an isolated summer community in the middle of winter to comment on the BP DEIS study. Only two spoke in favor of wind power, and they have contracts.
In addition my sources from other wind opposition groups are telling us that the NY Attorney General's Office is starting to take notice concerning the conflicts and corruption and wind company practices. They have been contacted by officials and asking for details. I have written several letters myself.
The time is well past where a Northern New York politician can use a wall of silence to duck the industrial wind issue.
I realize that this one issue is one of many that concern N. NY. However, I believe this is the one that poses the most immediate and significant threat to our region, with tremendous destructive irreversible consequences if wind companies and conflicted town officials are given free reign over New York's treasured places. As a representative, to be silent, or say I didn't understand, or I had no idea, is simply unacceptable and negligent for someone entrusted with the stewardship of such a unique region.
Before I contact the 100's of concerned friends, family, and wind opposition associates, who in turn have concerned spouses, friends, and family in your district to support you I would appreciate a specific response to the thoughts above.
I want to sincerely thank you for your time, and look forward to a further dialogue on the issue. Feel free to contact me any time at the information below. I will also be contacting your office by phone.
This email is also CC to our communication director in the Wind Power Ethics Group, who oversees a wide distribution of other wind opposition groups, and concerned NY citizens.
Sincerely,
Art Pundt
1-928-779-4459
email pundtal@msn.com
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