Turbines pitting neighbour against neighbour 

NIMBYism… you all hear it.

There is an entire industry supported by your tax dollars determined to push privatization of energy production down your throats.

You are supposed to embrace this green energy as the next coming. And those that oppose it are evil.

I admit I’m totally opposed to going towards private business making money on energy production when it comes to wind and solar. The GEA pits neighbours against neighbours.

On the one hand a person can sell or lease their land to wind or solar developers and the poor saps that happen to live around it live with that decision for the rest of their lives. For many, money trumps ethics.

Double speak the issues all you want, anyone willing to lease or sell their property to wind and solar developers knowing full well what their neighbours are in for and the possible health issues that could ruin their neighbours lives for a few dollars, leaves me wondering how they sleep at night.

And hoping that there is Karma. That’s McGuinty’s Ontario vision. I have a different one.

It doesn’t involve pitting people against people, nor does it vacuum your disposable income out of your pockets to pay your energy bills. And the great thing is your future isn’t freezing in the winter and sweltering in your homes in the summer.

It’s a simple idea. A new frontier for Ontario.

One the McGuinty government would never think of.

Providing truly affordable subsidies for all of us to adopt renewable energy.

Solar for our rooftops, barns, businesses, farms can install a few small wind turbines, ground-source heat.

I’m thinking along the lines of 90-95% subsidies. For seniors for example… free retrofits. They have paid their dues long enough in my opinion.

Whatever new party is in power come this election can keep the much hated “debt retirement charge” plus HST and use this money to pay for this.

It meets anyone’s clean air agenda, provides long term, local jobs in a new sector and cuts energy demand, leaving room for future growth in our economy.

It’s a win win for the average person from my point of view.

The only problem I see is, there is no room to make profits… the McGuinty vacuum is turned off.

You may actually have some disposable income left in your pockets.

We won’t eliminate the need for nuclear, hydro electric or gas generation, maybe not even coal. Because energy demand breaks down this way: 30% home owners and 70% business.

Some of you may remember we elected the McGuinty government to stop the privatization of Ontario Hydro by the old Harris government. Isn’t McGuinty doing the same thing Harris tried to do?

In a 1 1/2 hour drive around you there are 300 people that have fallen ill due to too close a proximity to wind turbines. The Ontario government won’t acknowledge the facts.

There’s a place for small scale renewable energy for Ontario. There is no place for large scale wind or solar that lays waste to so much land.

And there’s no place in this country that considers itself to be a free and democratic society for a political party that would pass the dictatorial Green Energy Act taking away, no stealing, our rights to have a say in our communities.

They’re trying to steal our freedom from us, and they send us coupons for light bulbs.

Ernest Horvath RR4 Meaford