August 28, 2018
Letters, Minnesota

Failed VA wind turbine will continue to cost taxpayers

SC Times | St. Cloud Times | Aug. 28, 2018 | www.sctimes.com

It was good to read that the decision to take down the VA’s wind turbine was finally made. It was a disaster from the start. Now,almost eight years later, it is finally coming down.

Trying to minimize the blame on the VA, Barry Venable, public affairs officer, said the VA”only” paid the contractor $2.27 millionand received $450,000 back. Additional costs include the$300,000 study just completed onwhat to do with the turbine, plus the fact that the structure is not going to take itself down. Someone is going to get paid handsomely to do it.

Let’s look at the numbers: $2.27 million, minus $450,000, plus $300,000, plus unknown cost to dismantle.The cost to taxpayers will be ONLY about $2.3 million. How many more veterans could have received proper care in a timely fashion with those taxpayer dollars?

Robert Schwegel

St. Joseph

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/08/28/failed-va-wind-turbine-will-continue-to-cost/