Which Right Removed By Cuomo Is Worse????

There is lots of controversy over gun legislation right now and particularly Cuomo’s new gun law setting himself up for a presidential run. But like anything else you have to get away from the hype on all sides and look at it carefully.

So in that context let’s not forget he has already taken away your community rights in CV and other NY communities on critical zoning issues on behalf of large foreign and other wind corporations so you no longer have the full right to determine who and what comes into your community, and determine your community’s future.
So which is worse, all the argument over gun rights, or the removal of your community land use rights? Which has the more direct and immediate impact on us.

Now I am not going to get into the gun control issue here, but let’s look at the actual facts as to the above question. It isn’t the central point.

Please keep in mind as you read I am NOT an advocate of Cuomo or his new gun legislation.

The day after Cuomo passed his reactive gun control legislation what difference did you notice other than the hype in the media etc? Did you still have your guns…will you still have them tomorrow and the next day? It’s doubtful anyhow that anybody who feels so strongly about their various weapons and ammo is going to run right down to the local police station and turn in their guns and ammo clips just because Cuomo said so in his new law. Point being that at least in the near future in reality today and tomorrow your guns are going to be in place just like they were last week or last year. You are not going to go to your gun safe and see them gone. No Albany committee is going to come to your house and hold a hearing as to whether you can keep your guns or not.

Now ask yourself…is your life as an average citizen and financial well being, going to radically change or be impacted soon because of Cuomo’s law? Not likely. Is anything in your actual day to day living going to radically change? Not likely either other than being upset, and realizing that your rights may have been violated by this guy. But you will still get up in the morning, go to work or whatever, come home eat dinner, have a beer, and maybe watch some TV and go to bed, etc etc etc. And even if you are a target of a home invasion or attack you will still have your weapons and ammo. So the question is, as much as you don’t like Cuomo’s slick quick gun law, is it going to be a radical change for your actual day to day lives?

Now let’s look at Cuomo’s Art X removal of your community rights to land use decisions with the ability to override your choice in zoning for wind energy to determine your community’s and your future and well being.

If an Albany Art X board decides that they are going to preempt our zoning on behalf of BP’s massive wind project, what impact could that have on your day to day life in Cape Vincent? It will have a dramatic impact on the entire community. And you better have a grip on the fact that unlike the gun issue a bunch of Cuomo's bureaucrats from Albany ARE actually really coming to CV to see to it your rights are removed on the land use issue!!! Let me correct that, they already removed your rights, they are coming to make the decision for you because the did remove your right to make that decision!!!

Well you better hope you are not a non- participant with property anywhere close to these 124 - 500 ft. BP wind turbines. Just the decision by Cuomo’s Art X board to preempt our zoning rights for BP could significantly reduce your property value, not to mention when the turbines are up and running where it could rip 50% or more from your property value, and like in some cases you might be stuck and not be able to sell your property at any price. Hell…just the possibility of wind turbines in CV has already impacted the housing market. And even if you live somewhere in town not directly close to the turbines you are likely to see a reduction in your home value as well. And the reality is like many Americans your home may be your prime long term investment that will be attached directly to your family’s long term financial health and well being, like access to a home equity loan for example to help pay bills or for a child’s college education

And what about your physical health and the health of your kids if you live in close proximity to the turbines and suffer from the stress and numerous health conditions from low frequency noise and other related issues?

And what impact will it all have on the local community economics when all the turbine construction workers leave and the community is an industrial energy zone, while the community is still socially ripped apart? What family is going to want to settle into this mess, and make a long term investment here with their kids? What does that do for the long term health of the schools. And what does all this do to the local economy, especially if new businesses look at this CV wind mess created by Cuomo’s removal of our community rights with Art X and decide to locate elsewhere in a more economically viable and friendly place? A place where they won’t have to fear retribution for taking a stance on the wind issue.

So Cuomo’s removal of some gun rights and his removal of our rights to determine our community’s land use future on probably THE most important issue the community will ever face…which is actually worse with a more personal impact?

In the end any removal of important rights should not be tolerated and BOTH political party have been guilty.

But it seems to me, especially in CV, when you step back and evaluate it, Cuomo’s removal of our community rights is far more devastating and more far reaching to us personally and community wise that the gun rights issue, and we should be just as upset about it. But on the removal of our community rights issue we just go merrily right along with it, when in fact it may actually have a more direct, severe and immediate, as well as long term impact on us.

And in the end if you have decided you are not going to abide by Cuomo’s law on the gun issue, which I hear whispered among some gun owners, maybe we should also take the same approach on Cuomo’s Art. X rights elimination scheme and not let Art X into our communities or participate in it and truly defend our right to determine the land use in our community and our zoning law.