RutlandHerald.com - We Are Vermont

Wind requires human sacrifice



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Published: June 16, 2009

"... (S)upport proposals like the one to build wind turbines in Ira." This letter appeared in the Rutland Herald. The writer was from Newbury, not Ira.

"Wind power is necessary to save the planet, we must make sacrifices." — public meeting in Georgia, Vermont.

I take issue with the pronoun used in the foregoing; the speaker meant to say: "They must make sacrifices." The use of "we" was not an offer to be a sacrifice victim.

I say we come up with a new label, to stand and face the epithet NIMBY. All those who want to Put It In Their Back Yard will now be called PITBY. This is the sacrifice code of this new cult: the victims have been chosen.

Will they be elevated to sainthood? Or will they be compensated for their sacrifice?

The Aztecs had similar views, that sacrifices were necessary for the maintenance of the culture, and the temples ran red with fresh blood.

And then came the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors and sacrificed the Aztecs.

WILLIAM ROSS

Danby








READER COMMENTS


Commentators, like None None, who hide behind an alias can't be taken all that seriously. At least I comment in my own name and I am not afraid to have an honest opinion, including pointing out contradictions when I see them. Hey, I'm a citizen, too, elected local official or not. Annette Smith has made herself a public figure as an advocate, and thus she and those close to her are notable.

I'm not sure if wind is the right solution for our area, but the hippocracy of some opponents is just mind-bending, or laughable, depending on your mood.

FYI: I voted in favor of the bill, passed by the majority of the legislature, which sent the state tax payments to the towns, making them public record because I support transparency and clarity in government operations at all levels. More people should look at this information in their town. They'd be suprised by it, as it will tell you who is benefitting from state tax policy.
-- Posted by Wendy Wilton on Fri, Jun 19, 2009, 5:09 am EST

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VT is all wind. That's what I've learned in my time of being trapped here. When people arrogantly pat themselves on the back telling you how wonderful they are, be suspicious-- it usually means they are all talk and no action.

VT: We were green before being green was in! Or however it goes. Yeah, right. (Translation: I've got my little slice of green; now YOU keep the hell out!)

Social consciousness my left foot.
.
-- Posted by mark on Wed, Jun 17, 2009, 11:12 am EST

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One of the common complaints about wind power is that the wind turbines will degrade the "Viewscape" of folks who live near the turbines, whether they are residents or 2nd home owners.

While this may be true, every day I see much worse "views" on my 40-mile commute along several VT routes. There are a few "junkyards" right on the side of the road. They have been there for years, and no one seems to complain (as far as I know). There is a large junk yard pile right on Route 11 (east of Andover Road), almost right to the edge of the road. There is another pile on Cold River Rd. Those are just some of the roadside junkyards that I have seen throughout the state.

Even the governor is not keen on wind power, because it impacts our "ridgelines". But he also must see these same junkyards as he travels the state roads!

There is no perfect solution or silver bullet to our energy issue. I realize that wind energy is not base-load power. But, for myself, if there was a wind turbine near my home, I would welcome it. I would rather see productive wind turbines generating electricity and helping our economy, than seeing junkyards, doing nothing along the roadway. Those junkyards don't make a good impression on tourists either, which Vermont depends on (like it or not).

I have seen wind turbines in the Finger Lakes area of New York (along I-90), and also outside of Palm Springs, CA. I think they enhance the view, and suggest a more forward-thinking regional economy.
-- Posted by Ron Pulcer on Tue, Jun 16, 2009, 8:52 pm EST

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Commercial wind:

Electricity when you don't need it, where you don't need it.

Not in Anybody's back yard.
-- Posted by None None on Tue, Jun 16, 2009, 4:14 pm EST

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That's a pretty big stretch, Wendy Wilton, especially for an elected official to be making such allegations in a public forum. From everything I've read about Annette Smith, it's pretty clear she has a mind of her own and nobody else needs to speak for her. I haven't seen anywhere that her organization has taken a position opposing wind. I'm not even sure that letter is opposing wind, it's just saying that wind requires sacrifice, which is what proponents of wind power say. As for the reference to a steep rebate check, who is the strident opponent of the proposed windfarm you're referring to? Even though this information is public record, wasn't it Republicans who were most upset about the lack of privacy? So now you're using it? (not very well, since it's not clear who you're referring to). What exactly are people supposed to beware of? Every time Annette Smith writes something, it seems to be the truth. Not so sure about your motives. Is this really about wind power and green energy, or some private vendetta you're exercising?
-- Posted by None None on Tue, Jun 16, 2009, 10:00 am EST

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Reader beware.

William Ross is the significant other of Annette Smith, opponent of anything she can get paid to oppose. Annette makes a living raising money from VT's trustfunders and millionare NIMBYs to rally the local folks through fear-mongering.
It is the height of hippocracy when Annette's non-profit business--Vermonters for a Clean Environment--opposes green power because she is getting paid to do so.

Here's another tidbit to make you think....of the strident opponents of the proposed windfarm who gets a steep prebate from the state on their property taxes? This information is public record from the town--check it out. This is a double edge sword--the same folks who are pressing others to oppose the creation of jobs and tax subsidies for their fellow citizens are currently relying on the other residents to pay their taxes! If the wind farm gets built--then everybody wins--can't have that! The opponents might not qualify for the state tax subsidy, anymore.

Interestingly, I see lots of support windpower magnets on cars, refrigerators, etc...
Vermonters need to choose--do you want to keep Yankee open, embrace wind, or buy power from mid-western coal plants? Hmmm...how GREEN is Vermont, really?
-- Posted by Wendy Wilton on Tue, Jun 16, 2009, 7:52 am EST

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