More thoughts on the windmill debate
John Floyd | Kokomo Perspective | June 16, 2014 | kokomoperspective.com
John Floyd | Kokomo Perspective | June 16, 2014 | kokomoperspective.com
An embellishment is called for after the commentary comparing my home town, Gadsden, Ala., with Kokomo in relation to windmill installation. I pointed out the fact Kokomo and Howard County residents have had the opportunity to see the future; the monstrous Frankenstein wind farm in and around Tipton County.
The citizens of Howard County have now been up close and personal. They observed what an undertaking of this magnitude can do to the social and economic fabric of a community. The picture is not pretty.
Wind-supporting politicians in Tipton County have now paid the price. Two county commissioners were not returned to office. The same fate could and should happen to Howard County commissioners who have basically ignored the anguish cries of Howard County citizens.
The commissioners continually use as their defense the signed contract with the wind developer. Has anyone but the county attorney seen or read the contract? The contract in question should be vetted by more seasoned attorneys from law firms in Indianapolis. Few contracts are written that can’t be broken. And if the contract does not have an escape clause for both signing parties, then the Howard County commissioners are complicit in dereliction of duties and should be removed from office.
The contract in question should be printed in both Kokomo newspapers to be viewed by the general public. The Howard County Commissioners’ responsibility should be oriented to the overall good of the citizens of the county. This so-called, iron-clad contract favors and benefits a handful of Howard County citizens and one company.
This question should have been asked many months ago. Is the wind farm a benefit or detriment to the thousands of citizens affected by the wind project? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to formulate an answer to that question. All it takes is due diligence, which obviously was never a part of any deliberations by county government.
A small town, Converse, Ind., will be greatly affected by the proposed wind farm. Town leaders are so upset with the stewardship of Howard County that they requested Howard County relinquish control of planning and development for their area. Converse obviously has no confidence in Howard County government’s ability or focus on issues affecting the majority of the people of Howard County.
Many times I have made the point that politics and political parties have no place in city and county government. City and county government are local. Elected men and women interact with neighbors and friends on a daily basis. Many politicians – a good example is Mayor Greg Goodnight, a Democrat – blur the lines between Republican and Democrat. Goodnight functions as a mayor simply in tune with his constituency, and political leanings be damned. County government is so out of touch with reality, it is doubtful the present politicians controlled by the Republican Party will be anything but dysfunctional.
In a Perspective editorial it was pointed out that Republican office holders have nothing to fear in up-coming elections because Republicans enjoy an overwhelming advantage in voter registration. It is time for the Howard County electorate to eliminate bias for either party. Vote for candidates who address the overall needs of the county, whether Republican or Democrat. Party politics has no place in local government!
To opponents of the wind farm. All is not lost. Although too late, remember what happened in Tipton County. Insist on the so-called, iron-clad agreement county commissioners have signed with the wind farm developer be made public. This will shine daylight on one part of the problem. Other legal interpretations will follow.
If the county commissioners have signed a contract that has no escape clause, then the focus should be on penalties to break the contract. The cost of breaking the contract might be more palatable to the citizens of Howard County than allowing construction of the Frankenstein monsters called wind farms.
If the wind farm is constructed, consequences will follow. The supporting politicians will be voted out of office, but the damage to the landscape, property values, and environment will be permanent. These monstrous windmills will hover over Howard County for decades while the politicians responsible for this rape of Howard County’s environment will be history. The Howard County Commissioners don’t deserve the trust placed in them by Howard County voters. They should be ashamed and humiliated by their intransigence.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/06/17/more-thoughts-on-the-windmill-debate/