It’s all in the details
Sun Journal, www.sunjournal.com 25 January 2011
I was startled at the tone taken in the Sun Journal editorial Jan. 16 about proposed bills that address the state’s wind power siting issues. It was a tone and language I would have expected from wind industry lobbyists and promoters. Using crass rhetoric and unfounded accusations to inflame public opinion should be beneath the Sun Journal editorial writer.
The Sun Journal admitted that the proposed legislation is still taking shape.
No specifics were cited so, apparently, there’s really little of substance on which to comment. Perhaps the Sun Journal should reserve its judgment for some future point at which the facts are known. Labeling developing legislation as “red tape” or “job-killing” is irresponsible when details cannot be produced.
Ironically, wind projects produce so few permanent jobs, the killings would go mostly unnoticed.
It wouldn’t take much imagination to assume that some of this legislation is an attempt to resolve the siting problems that have resulted in noise disputes with every project in Maine built in proximity to people. These disputes are on track to multiply should Maine continue down the path with the same pattern of wind development.
One must assume that, either the Sun Journal is unaware that there have been any problems, or is quite content to encourage permits under the same terms that produced the problems.
Better to be a part of the solution than the alternative.
Alan Michka, Lexington
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/01/26/its-all-in-the-details/