EMINENT DOMAIN Threatened in Prattsburgh by Andy Minnig

Friends,

Several years ago the Advocates for Cherry Valley joined with the Advocates for Prattsburgh (Finger Lakes) and several other groups from the Central New York area in a visit to our legislators in Albany. Our purpose was to counter the influence of the energy lobby. Consequently we all learnt to monitor unfolding events in various communities across the state, as more and more have come to be assaulted by commercial wind prospectors.

Nevertheless, there have been many successes. Cherry Valley is one of them. Its progressive administration and forward-looking engagement with energy issues has gathered a great deal of attention in our region.
It is a testament to the best possibilities of home rule.

But now the town of Prattsburgh is faced with a dire threat. Its town board has signaled that it intends to bring a proposed commercial wind farm to completion through the exercise of eminent domain. It has chosen this as the means of bringing to heel several recalcitrant landowners.
This cynical misuse of home rule, especially in the face of some ethical questions over the role of the town supervisor, bodes ill for all of us.

Albany bureaucrats (including NYSERDA)have long been chaffing at the hostility of local communities to a lobby-drafted scheme that would shift control of all energy policy to the halls of the capitol.

Those halls are choked with servants of special privilege. They scurry to and fro, sharing wealth and power. They are the new fifth estate.
It is easy to imagine that, in consort with their friends in state government, they will seize on Prattsburgh's possible example as a precedent in furthering a course charted by their own private interest.

Our friends in Prattsburgh have hired an attorney. He is expensive. The Advocates for Cherry Valley have decided to send a donation of 250 dollars to their colleagues.

But it would be a wonderful gesture of solidarity if a number of us would also consider sending individual donations. No amount is too small to diminish its symbolic worth. All donations should be sent to Advocates for Prattsburgh, Box221, Prattsburgh, NY 14873.