STOP, The regional wind energy industrialization of one of New York State's most beautiful and environmentally sensitive areas, the 1000 Islands of the St. Lawrence River and the Golden Crescent of Eastern Lake Ontario. If you don't think you are seeing the most recent posts click on the current month in the archives to the right.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
NY PSC Responds To Town Concerns of Conflict of Interest - NO PROBLEM!!!
Well...the NY PSC responded to the Town of Cape Vincent's letter concerning the potential conflict relationship of a PSC Commissioner Maureen Harris and her husband the BP lawyer of record for the Cape Vincent Wind Farm. Below is the link to the PSC website where you can see the PSC letter and it is posted on the other CV blogs as well. They got the deatiled "assurances" they asked for...now what?
http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/Common/ViewDoc.aspx?DocRefId={D4B61B06-013A-4326-BC6A-62F4E6440240}
Of course the PSC did what we expected and told us everything is just hunky dory, it's all on the up and up, peachy keen, the bee's knee's blah, blah, blah!!! Now although this explanation is more detailed than BP's response, BP and the PSC are on the same page with the same basic blah blah blah explanation!!!!
Wait a minute...didn't the US Justice Dept. just recently charge BP for not telling the truth about their oil spill? And if you don't tell the truth doesn't that make you a LIAR!!! And they weren't just telling a little lie to some little unknown person they were telling it to the US Congress that represents all the American people. So we have the BP explanation, and now we have the PSC explanation and they are basically the same. Aaaahhhh, yup that sure makes me a lot more comfortable that BP and the NY PSC are on the same page saying basically the same thing!!! So you should all sleep well at night now!
Critical question is...does our Town Board believe it , and what do they do now? As I mentioned in a previous post that Wiley at the JLL is asking the question have people in CV just fallen off the turnip truck? He says this in reference to the BP explanation about the Harris relationship, But the BP explanation is basically the same as the PSC's. Wiley poses a good question and I wonder how our town board will answer it?
Now if you go down a few posts on this blog you will see where I examined the question of what does the town do now that they have a response that assures them everything is all under control with this potential conflict of interest. Like I said do they buy it and charge head long on down the Art X road? Since they had major questions to begin with, do they now accept that everything in Albany is all on the up and up?
And what about the town board supporters who put them in office? Do they swallow the PSC explanation? If they don't and their board does, does that mean they will also commit to accepting that even though we KNOW the system is badly rigged against us that they as well will charge down the Art X road with their board or will they have questions about the Art X system that put them at odds with a board charging ahead in a rigged system? ?
This is going to get real interesting. Watch our board closely and see what they do now. They put themselves in a box by asking for assurances...and now they have them. So what do they do now...say OK, or do they call the PSC a liar?
And notice that Councilman Clif Schneider posed serious relevant questions about BP influencing community opinion by donating to community organizations and that this influence or approach is not listed as outreach in the BP PIP. The PSC says that doesn't mean the PIP is inadequate. NO problem!!! So there you have it Clif...all is just hunky dory. So do you believe them? You cry foul and the PSC says no problem. So what now?
I think the town approached this whole matter incorrectly. I don't think they should have asked the PSC anything. I think they have a prime opportunity to TELL the PSC...
"We now see how this Art X process works and how BP has undue influence over it and is distorting it. As a result NO THANK YOU we are opting out and will enforce our zoning and defend it from Cape Vincent.
The Art X process will no longer have legitimacy in our community due to its significant questionable issues and we are asking other communities to join us in this denial of the Art X process.
Ask yourself...does the PSC letter of "assurances" make you all warm and fuzzy? Does it now make you feel better? Do YOU believe them? Will our town board believe them?
If the town believes the PSC, and most of us don't...how does that play out? Do we just stand by and let them take the community head long into a rigged system! This Harris thing really put a monkey wrench in the system...for both sides!!!
Watch closely to see what the town does next!
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Art,you continue to be an optimist that perhaps the Town will see the value in opposing Art. X and refuse to participate in the siting process.
ReplyDeleteConsider this- Cape Vincent revised their comprehensive Plan and Zoning Law with every intention of having it stand up to the "reasonable" litmus test of Art. X.
Our suggestions to oppose Art. X and concurrently adopt a community Bill of Rights were based on the argument that the Art. X legislation was unconstitutional,and probably rigged to enact Andrew Cuomo's energy policy.
I find it hard to believe that at that time or any time, town officials were unbelieving that the system was probably rigged,yet they still resolved to beat it with their "reasonable " laws.
Now that there is some tangible evidence that the system is tainted and probably favoring wind developers, I doubt town officials will change their approach. If anything, these reassurances by Mr. Cohen from the PSC,will bolster their confidence that our laws will get a fair shake.
If we get an opinion from the AG's office you can be sure it will support the explanations by the PSC, thereby giving the whole process a publicly viewed clean bill of health.
Harris has been on the PSC for several years, Harris has been the Atty. for BP for the entire duration of their application process in Cape Vincent. The rigging of this process has been in action for years,I don't think the simple exposure of this conflict will alter our town council's resolve to see it through. I think they will just see the PSC's response as an assurance of fairness
D L.
Sadly Dave I think you are correct. they will drag our community head long into this system knowing full well that it is badly rigged to defeat us?
ReplyDeleteThat is not what I voted for and I doubt it is what many of us voted for. If they do charge ahead, knowing how badly rigged it is and the significant disadvantage we face in the Art X system...then the entire process to elect them to protect our community was pointless!