Misty IV

Some of you may have seen this editorial last week, prior to the Jefferson & Oswego County meetings this week. Not sure what paper it was in, as a friend forwarded it to me. Very interesting reading... ******************************************************* To the Editor: Aaron Curtis's recent story on the Oswego County's Economic Development and Planning Committee's vote on offshore wind power omitted several items that are pertinent and important to understanding the con game going on, in respect to that windpower on Lake Ontario. These proposed windfarms can not survive or be feasible unless they receive stimulus funds (30% of the cost up front,$$200,000,000+), and pilot agreements (also our taxes) from affected towns and municipalities. The companies in question, the developers, are foreign. So our tax dollars are being OUTSOURCED to other countries; i.e. foreign workers. This IS NOT the supposed purpose of the huge stimulus money cookie jar that has been created. All this tax money would be much better spent on infrastructure, education, our parks and historic sites, locally. This blatant outsourcing to other countries, of our money is not being contested by our elected representatives in Albany or Washington. In effect our government representatives are playing an Enron/Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme on all of us, the upstate NY and US taxpayer. The megawatts production noted in the article, "between 120-500", "230 at Galloo Island" are based on operating 24/7. Obviously if the wind isn't blowing fast enough, or is at to high a windspeed (turbines shut down at 25-30mph) the blades are not spinning or producing energy. The windfarms would be lucky to get 20% of what they are claiming they will produce. On top of that none of the energy produced is intended for our area. As Legis. Shawn Doyle said there will be "no tax revenue" (Lake bottom owned by NY State), and few long term jobs created locally. The pittance gained for the local area will be far outstripped by the side effects and unintended consequences that industrial windfarms are known to create (see Europe), ecologically and economically. The NYPA is playing tag team with the developers to bring these windfarms into Eastern Lake Ontario; key word being TEAM. The allegiance of NYPA is to ITSELF not the taxpayer, this is a"greed-based" vs "green-based" project. The construction of industrial windfarms in the 50-150 foot deep section of the Lake will have many unintended consequences. Ecologically the disruption and destruction of migrating/spawning salmon, trout, and their feed fish will disrupt and cripple the sports fishing, and tourism industries in Oswego County. The tens of millions of dollars for this part of our local economy is a heck of a lot to risk for a small payback. For the naturalists among us, the inevitable slaughter of birds migrating north AND south along the East end of Lake Ontario will be in the thousands. ONE windpark (Altamont), on a migration pathway in California, killed at least 10,000 birds in one year. Among them were over 100 golden eagles, and hundreds of hawks and owls. Many were carried off by scavengers and predators, so it was even worse than it appears. Five or six of these industrial windfarms will in effect be a huge meat grinder off our shore. Unless highly unlikely, draconian measures are taken, the Asian Carp will inevitably find a way into the Great Lakes Ecosystem. Our last line of defense will become the Welland Canal and Niagara River/Falls. The incredible lack of enforcement by the Federal Gov't, and an oblivious DEC, that allowed zebra mussels, quagga mussels, gobies and a whole goulash of smaller species to get into the Lakes doesn't speak well of our chances to stop this disaster in the making. Both Legislators, Malone and Mulcahey, that questioned the opposition to these industrial windfarms need to do a little research. People don't come to our region to watch windmills, they come for enjoyment of the NATURAL beauty of our Lake and shore. The monies being squandered on inefficient, low yielding wind power would be much better employed to preserve our parks, historical sites, schools, and infrastructure. This would serve our children and theirs much more, than the wind power boondoggle our politicians in Albany and Washington want to foist on us.

I received this letter from a contact I have who is following the windfarm projects very closely. He asked I post it here. This is a very good sign!! **************************************************** Senators seek to block stimulus money for overseas By FREDERIC J. FROMMER (AP) – March 3, 2010 WASHINGTON — A group of Democratic senators is urging the Obama administration to suspend an economic stimulus program aimed at financing renewable energy, complaining that money is going to projects that are creating jobs in foreign countries. The four senators, led by Chuck Schumer of New York, wrote to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday to request a moratorium on the Recovery Act program. They asked that the moratorium remain in place until they can pass legislation mandating stimulus aid flow only to projects which preserve and create U.S. jobs. "A critical Recovery Act priority is investment in the domestic renewable and clean energy industry, not investment in foreign manufacturers," the senators wrote in the letter, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. The letter, which will be disclosed at a news conference Wednesday, was also signed by Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Robert Casey of Pennsylvania and Jon Tester of Montana. The lawmakers cited a report by the Investigative Reporting Workshop which found that a majority of the program's grants went to foreign-owned companies, and that a majority of the turbines purchased with the money were built by foreign manufacturers. "This is not the intended use of Recovery Act funds," they wrote. A Treasury Department spokesman declined to comment Tuesday. Dan Leistikow, a spokesman at the Energy Department, which was copied in on the letter, said the program has helped put Americans to work, and said it funds only projects built in the U.S. He added that the Recovery Act has helped attract more than $10 billion of foreign investment into this country's wind industry, including new manufacturing plants. "It's the opposite of outsourcing, and we should encourage — not discourage — those kinds of investments," Leistikow said. While some of the grants go to foreign-owned companies, the administration argues that more than half the components, measured by their value, are built in this country and all the energy projects are installed in this country. Last fall, a joint venture was announced involving China's Shenyang Power Group, Cielo Wind Power LP of Austin, Texas, and a private equity firm, U.S. Renewable Energy Group, to build a $1.5 billion Texas wind energy project. Because the wind turbines are to be manufactured in China, Schumer wrote to Energy Secretary Steven Chu last November urging him to reject federal funding for the project. "The idea that stimulus funds would be used to create jobs overseas is quite troubling," Schumer wrote, "and, therefore, I urge you to reject any request for stimulus money unless the high-value components, including the wind turbines, are manufactured in the United States." In response, Chu wrote that the program in question is "available to all qualifying entities; it is not a discretionary grant program administered by the Department of Energy." He also said all the money awarded from the program helps put Americans to work. "All of the wind turbine installation jobs are created here in America," Chu said. On Tuesday, Walt Hornaday, president of Cielo Wind Power, said the company has not yet applied for federal money. He said it is looking at several federal grant programs, including one that would provide 30 percent of approved costs, or around $450 million. He took issue with Schumer's characterization of jobs, saying a majority of those created for the project would be in the United States. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press.

The battle continues, and it does seem all those politicians have hit a BIG wall in getting the projects to go through. A huge plus for us who oppose the pinwheels! I received this Email from one of my neighbors at the lakehouse and asked I pass it along to all of you. Mr. Aliasso is the real thing; he does not like the corruption, nor does he like the idea of property value decline, and destruction of environment and aesthetics. If you have an interest, donations requested will be used effectively and at "strategic targets", most bang for the buck. Remember, if wind energy can be stopped, or reformed in Jefferson County, we will be saved a whole world of hurt on the lake. *********************************************** Ladies and Gentlemen We are at our next tee in the road, and have in front of us some of the biggest challenges yet. Galloo Island was a hard battle and relatively inexpensive in actual money invested by the Coalition. The Town of Henderson has invested US$100,000 for a lawsuit, and the Coalition collectively spent about US$15,000 in advertisements’. In doing the advertisements, we started to educate the public of the evils of all wind projects that are ready to attack our shorelines. We have advertisements’ ready to start and enrage the public on the inadequacies of the elected officials that allowing NYPA attack us, as well as on on-shore projects in the Cape and lower St. Lawrence River. To do this, we need the same energy x2 we invested to oppose the Galloo Project. We will also require greater financial backing. I am asking each of you to dig deeply and donate US$10 to US$100 or more. I pledge to personally match the first US$1,000. I also ask other benefactors to step forward and also pledge matching donations. This is a long-road, and we have just started our journey – with increased awareness, and your continued support we will get to our destination. It is essentially important that each of you continue to educate the public, and our elected officials. Now more than ever, we need transparency, professionalism and factual discussion. Thank you each for you continued support, and we hope we can count on you for financial backing as well. Donations can be made by check, or online. IF BY CHECK HHACC-EDC The Coalition PO Box 468 Henderson Harbor, NY 13650 IF ONLINE www.PreserveTheGoldenCrescent.com and follow instructions after selection the Contribute Tab (Green Icon upper right) Thank you. Bob Ashodian – once the first US$1,000 is contributed from today, let me know, and I will hand deliver a check. Rob Aliasso Co-Chair The Coalition for the Preservation of the Golden Crescent and the 1000 Islands Region [email protected] Cell +1 (315) 771-9753 Home +1 (315) 938-7553 www.PreserveTheGoldenCrescent.com

I received this link to an article in the Post-Standard on the windfarm projects in Cape Vincent and the opposition to them. VERY INTERESTING reading!!! http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/windmills_stir_up_a_storm_in_c.html

I agree - very sad day, indeed. What were these politicians thinking anyway? Oh, wait, that's right. They don't think when there is large $$$$ in it for them. I'm still not giving up on this, though. I continue to write my representatives and continue to get different replies from them. All the ones I am in contact with in Oswego County are 100% AGAINST the windfarm project. I hope they manage to put a stop to it before it is too late. I am not ready to sell my boat.....