Sunday, April 22, 2012

Commenting to the Commenters


Damn, it's raining again!!!  It has got to be Pundt's fault
People have told me he is always trying to rain on
Supervisor Hirschey's parade, so it must be true!
Rather than use the comment section I will respond here to various commenters who commented on the post below about Cuomo and the AG meeting.


Funny how some of you commenters don't address the real issue.  We have an investigation that was used as a political scam by Cuomo, and that doesn’t bother you?  We have one person technically still under investigation from this investigation that is still sitting on our planning board.  We have another who may have a conflict, and may not have disclosed as per our CV ethics code and per NYS law. So why is it some of you aren’t addressing that issue?  The past election was supposed to be ALL about ethics, or did you forget that, or is it OK to ignore that since now YOUR favorite candidates are in office. I think that is what we call HYPOCRISY. But your biggest concern here is to do exactly as the wind companies and green shirts have done for years...divert the real information and attack the messenger. Wake up…elections are not a feel good pill you take once in a while then go to sleep till the next election.

It is irrelevant really how my name came up or even how I tell the story...I was just always curious about that, and I had never heard it came from someone in CV.  If it did, then so be it, and if it is true then this post has done what I intend for most of my posts...to dig out the truth.   But the interesting thing about that would be...if it was somebody in WPEG or among the people that went to the meeting who did give my name ...why is it then if I had abandon WPEG and I was such a rogue loose cannon, who was nuts  and they wanted a political solution instead… why would they give ANYBODY my name especially the AG.  That is what is driving some of you Ape Poop!!!   They could have proceeded with out me.   The people I called after I got the initial called seemed rather surprised as I was about the call. The very first people I called were in WPEG, I never hesitated on that over big and small personal and approach differences.  If I hated WPEG and Mr. Hirschey and others why would I do that????  None of that matches up to what you are accusing me of now does it. Some of you think I am an ego freak…so why didn’t I just tell Greenberg I was the man, and not suggest anybody else or even that he should meet with other towns?  And talk about discretion  there is a real interesting and not so flattering story that occurred at this point, that many of DON”T KNOW what the hell you are talking about, and upon which I am using a LOT of discretion. Funny how many people don't like me in or around WPEG...at least until they needed some research.  And discretion?    And actually what have I really revealed here?  Not much, especially if people think it is old news. But I thought it might be interesting to some people...apparently it was more of a threat. Even some commenter are saying this is old news...well for old news it sure got some people stirred up. And I have not revealed things I know about the actual investigation. 

One commenter says I have distaste for Urban. Not true. That is always the low level diversion they must stoop to when they get uncomfortable and have nothing else, once again they have to attack the messenger.  I disagree with SOME of Mr. Hirschey's and this board’s decisions and some I applaud. I think that is what you call democracy isn't it, to examine and question.  I believe John Byrne even made a statement to that effect in a blog post when he decided to run for the  CV town board.  I have simply refuse to sign the blind loyalty oath some of Hirschey’s supporters require to be in the club…just like the Voter For Wind loyalty oath. That is in fact dangerous.  If you look in the post above I mention Mr. Hirschey by name exactly one time.  In a post before that about wind history I commend him on some things.  If I have such a distaste for him how come he and I sat together with some other WPEG people last summer and had a long friendly detailed political conversation over some beers at Aubrey's. And it started when he came by our  table with friendly conversation.   I saw him at a party of a mutual friends and again we had a nice long conversation about numerous things.  If I had a personal distaste for the man why would I do that? In fact in one of those political conversations I asked him if he had a chance to read some detailed material I had sent him.  His reply was that he has read everything carefully that I have sent him…maybe he was just being nice. But I appreciate that.  Last fall when Alexander’s private wind turbine  ran amuck and became a hazard I spoke to Mr. Hirschey at his office at length and it was a god conversation and he even took notes on some things I suggested.   He and I have different political views in the CV wind battle, and he may not like me, I don’t know.  But I think it is more Hirschey’s blind supporters who have a problem with that than Urban and I do. Urban is no stranger to controversial politics, I am sure he knows how the game is played and can defend himself just fine.

And finally how do you tell a story that you are involved in without reporting it from the 1st person. If the details relate to something I was involved in 1st hand  should I use my neighbor’s dog’s name?  It’s a story, I was there with other people and as a result have a lot of details.  I think it just bugs some people senseless that they may not have been that close to it or that I was in a group where I was cooperating WITH WPEG that actually may have had an impact on the CV wind battle in a positive way. And if you read carefully you will see the word we used many times.  And some of you might want to consider that I actually am holding back on quite a few things in the events I have experienced in the CV wind issue which would protect some of WPEG’s favorites and others.

But this is all just convenient diversion from the real issue.

But in the end why should we be having a lot of discretion on an investigation that appears to have been a political scam. Then Cuomo instead of  investigating Aubertine who was a key player in creating this CV disaster and destroying a community,  he appoints him to a high State job, then he is going to possibly ram wind development right down our throats, and we may have insights to fight that.  Not one stinking comment above was about that.  One commenter says he can’t see why I would choose to blog about this issue like there is not relevance.  The Governor of the State screws over your town in a political scam, and is about to screw you again…your town board and zoning committee may to try to appease him…and you think there is no relevance????????   Are you deluded???? What planet are you living on?  This is a prime example of how far these people will go to ignore the facts and truth try to divert the issue by using personal attacks.

 And that my friends is the insidious danger of being inside  the CLUB and only reading and considering the comments from the club PR machine!

Now as a follow up, I remember Rick Wiley at the JLL  blog going to Cuomo's campaign stop in Watertown at the Italian American Club that was referenced in my post.  He reported how he was invited in and sat inside with the political big wigs.  And he made a point of telling people how he shook Cuomo's hand and asked him face to face about the CV mess. To which I think Rick reported that Cuomo said something like " I am well aware of CV"  So I guess Wiley is also an ego freak! I remember he used a lot of I's and mes' in his story too. I don't remember anyone jumping on him for that. Rick told me this story face to face back then, and my first reaction was not, Gee Rick who do think you are, what an ego freak!  My first reaction was that this was great news that we now knew FIRST HAND from Rick's story that Cuomo WAS aware of CV, and that was important as a political tool! 

In addition if you really think about it and read the article I linked to the WDT about the announcement of the investigation I haven't really revealed anything more than the article, and I'm sure Wiley and K at Pandora's posted it, and they posted something that said the meeting took place in CV...which it didn't, and they reported that which is inaccurate an could implicate some people. And I'm sure Wiley reported it like he had an inside track.  So I guess they didn't use discretion either and reported incorrect information. So why post it or report on it at all... right?  Besides once this was WDT, and blog news it would not take a rocket scientist to figure out who the other players were unless you have been living in a cave since the CV wind battle started. and why are they hiding from the fact they helped clean up the ethics mess in town.  They should be proud. No... the real problem here is that some club players just don't like it that I question this govt from time to time and want to prohibit turbines, and will not get on the band wagon, and want to marginalize me at every opportunity.  That fact that I AM NOT in the "club" is a prime reason you should be paying attention to this blog about the CV wind issue, even if you disagree, so you can at least see a some perspective...or have we LOST perspective? Interesting isn't it that I list the other CV blogs even thought I have big disagreements with them and who they support, yet they are afraid to list mine or even refer to it, and I'll bet anyone who refers to it on their blogs gets deleted.  Actually I know that last part for fact. 

And once again I note that the negative commenters on my post talk about ego, yet can't scrape up enough of it  to put their own names behind their big talk.  I think that gives some indication of the quality of the negative comments.

Coming soon will be some wind history on a meeting with our Jefferson County DA.
Another local official who should have taken action on the CV wind issue. 

Then  some of you can scream and yell all about how I told that story from the first person too.  My neighbor has a dog named Bob…maybe I should  use Bob’s name and tell it from his perspective! 




4 comments:

  1. Thank you Mr. Pundt for your history and this fine blog. You should be commended for your hard hitting advertisements and bringing in the AG to investigate our town. We are sitting on pins and needle to find out all the other names of people who worked so hard to have our town investigated. Will you publish a list of the people who attended the meetings, worked with the AG and filed complaints? We are looking forward to more of these great stories. You are right. History that should be told.

    Thank you

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  2. Yes, I would like to see something come from the AG apparently stalled investigation. Was that the major point of your post? If so....it was buried in the long winded story....which was interesting. So are you proposing a plan of action for the stalled AG investigation?

    You did not mention the conflicted planning board member in the post about the AG investigation. Personally that is one decision which I disagreed with when the newly elected Town Board made it. However, I recognize - without being a "blind follower" of anyone I will never agree with every decision that is made.

    You also did not mention in the AG posting anything about the other supposed conflicted person....I do not even know what you are talking about.
    So...thanks for your version of the AG meeting story.

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  3. Thanks 4:45 and 6:02 for your support and comments.

    To answer one question, I won’t be divulging the names of others from CVwho were at the heart of the AG thing. At least not now. I may have in the past. I think I did in the far past, but it shouldn’t be rocket science to figure it out if you have been around this issue for a while. And I thought it was fairly common knowledge around CV. Maybe in a damn book someday. Just about every story I tell here has more stories attached to it of equal importance but it may not the best time to tell all of them, because some aren’t all that flattering. Stuff you aren’t going to hear on the other blogs because they simply don’t know or don’t really want you to see it or examine it without their filter to diffuse it. There were a dedicated few at the heart of this AG thing and a lot of people who contacted the AG over time. It’s up to them to tell their story and they are welcome to use this blog.

    As to the other the planning board members it is Karen Bourcy an alternate, and Roche Burns on the PB (not be confused with councilman John Byrne). Instead of here I will promise to examine and elaborate on this issue in another post soon. Mr. Burns had or still has a lease with Acciona, and it may have been bought out by BP. Don’t know what the status of all this is at this point but I think it should be cleared up. I terms of Mrs. Bourcy I don’t think she should be in any official capacity with the town at this point.
    Keep in mind that the other blogs and some other people who regularly marginalize and attack me don’t want you to hear or focus on that story.

    I hope you will keep reading and commenting. There is a lot more wind history to come, and we will look at it from more a historical point of view…I will attempt to show why it is relevant to today’s wind issue events.

    Also I know some post are “long winded”, but I truly believe that to really understand what we are going through and why and connect the dots that it takes longer than some cute snappy one liners as you will see in other blog comment sections sometimes.

    The CV wind issue and it’s problems are not a sound bites, it is a story and in fact we may be entering into another critical point with the zoning and comprehensive plan work to come. It was a long long hard road to get here over 7 years…now we hold the power…in fact super majority voting power. So what are we going to do with it now.

    I hope you will stay tuned.

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  4. Also I did miss one of your question. Yes one point of the AG story was to remind people we should take action on the AG investigation. It will be 2 years in Aug. We could all put some political pressure on. Call the Deanna Nelson asst AG in Watertown and complain and do the same to AG Schneiderman in Albany.

    It has either evaporated or they have hit on something HUGE that takes time to investigate.

    One thing has always struck me. The AG was not the only people we talked to. We contacted the FBI as well and a very few of us interviews with them. The special agent we talked to was struck by the fact that Cuomo's AG office was not talking to the FBI. That struck the agent as odd and me too. Some of you know that I am ona sheriff's search and rescuse team. We work with deputies, the FBI, police, fire, the AZ Highway Patrol, US Border Patrol, Navajo Tribal police etc etc,and the way we get a job done is that we exchange information and cooperate with each other. So this strikes me as real odd that the AG was not sharing info with the FBI.

    Maybe it was just powerful forces making sure Cuomo's election would run smoothly because the CV wind thing was not a good thing for the public to examine if you were running around the State running for Gov. on integrity and cleaning up NY govt, at the same time you are running the game as business as usual!

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