Who Is Helping Who??? What Does The Actual Record Show???

There is a discussion that cropped up on the Pandora blog about me.  I did  not initiate this discussion, but it prompted one such comment from one of her rabid Hirschey supporter readers.

Very, Very clever of Mr. Pundt. Have you ever read the hundreds of stories and seen the movies about how industrial giants take a town. They always have one or two who infiltrate the local opposition pretending to be with them but then doing crazy things that obstruct them at every turn much to the delight of the industrial giant? sure does make you wonder why a guy tries to the rug out from everything but then turns on everyone and sure does make you wonder why Harold Wiley wanted to meet Art Pundt.

Although this is an out right lie, it has become a common theme among the supporters of the current Cape Vincent govt. that I am somehow in bed with CFG BP and helping them.  I don't know why the current govt. and its supporters feel a need to spread this type of lie to support their agenda...but that is apparently what they feel is appropriate in an election year. And the Pandora blog is more than happy to include these outrageous comments that are outright lies so as to further her Hirschey govt agenda.  You would have thought one law suit would have made her be a little more careful!

But like everything there is usually a record one can turn too to find the truth of who is helping who in this issue. 

So what do you say we stop the lies and look at the actual documented record.  Let's do a side by side comparison.

Pundt:  Has been consistently and very very publicly anti BP, and anti wind since 2006, 7 years.

Mr. Hirschey:  Mr. Hirschey when asked on TV  if his victory was a win for anti wind, he said that wasn't fair he wasn't against wind, which one would have to assume meant he is not against some BP wind development in CV.  In fact the law the Hirschey Govt. wrote after they were elected would allow some BP wind development. Mr. Bragdon of the Hirschey govt. is on record saying that if BP abides by our law he is fully ready and willing to work with them!

Pundt:  Once again consistently anti wind for CV and the region.

Mr. Hirschey: Over heard in public saying... wouldn't a few wind  turbines be OK! Apparently he feels a few BP 500 ft. wind turbines would be OK! And that is what our law allows, so I guess Hirschey got his wish!

Pundt: 100 percent and very publicly opposed to the Art X process that stripped away our home rule rights and willing to take significant steps to oppose it. Supports the official unanimous County resolution in opposition to Art X. and removal of home rule rights. Not willing to appease or enable or validate the state Art X system.

Hirschey Govt:  Twice refused to pass a resolution to oppose Art X and support the County position on removal of home rule. Steadfastly refuses to say anything negative about the Art X process that stripped away our home rule rights.  Obediently is willing to follow the process with BP and in fact next week  is willingly entering into the process to consider negotiations with BP. Although they may defend our law, it is on the agenda list in this negotiation.  In official town documents also called the Art X process that has remove your home rule rights  as fair, impartial, even handed and balanced!!!
The Art X process may allow BP to preempt our zoning law, and the willingness of the town to participate in this process gives BP a significant leg up to override our laws. Wrote our zoning to appease the state and Art X system. This gives BP a significant advantage.

Pundt: Fought for a CV zoning law to outright prohibit BP wind development in CV.

Hirschey Govt.:  Wrote a zoning law that actually would allow some BP wind development in CV.

Pundt:  Wants BP with their dismal record completely out of our community after they have already destroyed our small peaceful town.

Hirschey Govt.  Fully knowing the BP record in our community and around the world they are still willing to do business with BP by requesting  BP  put up a large solar complex instead of wind.

Pundt: Fully opposed to any local PILOT tax subsidies for ANY BP or other CV wind or solar development.

Mr. Hirschey:  Sat on a JCIDA committee to form the language for a resolution  to let the county determine the PILOT agreements and take that power away from towns. This would have included PILOTS for wind developers.  This would have been a reversal of previous JCIDA policy to allow towns to approve the PILOT agreements. Hirschey then voted to approve the resolution, and only at the last minute reversed his vote as County Legislature Docteur voted against it.  Docteur was not willing to take that power away from elected town officials.  Apparently Hirschey almost did!  This can be documented in the WDT.

Pundt:  As above fully opposes local PILOTs and Fed. PTC tax subsidies for wind and solar.

Hirschey Govt:  Wanted BP to put up a solar project which would have required both a PILOT and Fed PTC tax subsidies.

Pundt:  Fully supports banning industrial wind development in CV to equally protect all CV residents and those of neighboring towns.

Hirschey Govt.  Wrote a zoning law that allows some wind development and pushes that development back from the river onto the interior residents of the town. Apparently they don't pay high enough taxes such as the water front people do!

Pundt:  Believes the CV comp plan should be highly protective of the scenic beauty of the town, and the only way to not violate the intent of that comp plan with the zoning as NYS requires is to prohibit wind development.

Hirschey Govt.  Wrote a comp plan very protective of the town's scenic beauty.  Violated the intent of the comp plan by writing a zoning law that could allow some industrial wind development that in any form would be very detrimental to the scenic quality of the town and region.  The Hirschey candidate campaign platform said any zoning law they wrote would be in compliance with the comp plan.  They did not keep that promise since the zoning allows wind development which in any form would violate the comp plan intent to preserve the scenic quality of the town.


Pundt:  Worked hard to  expose and oppose the ethical conflicted mess of the previous town govt. This started with a petition to... and meeting with the Jeff. Cty DA. and proceeded to the NYAG.

Mr. Hirschey: Refused to sign the DA petition or attend the meeting. Then ironically ran twice for election  on an ethics platform.  Yet appointed a wind lease holder to the planning board, and a former very wind conflicted PB member as an alternate who is still under investigation by the NYAG's office for CV wind conflicts of interest.  In addition in 2010 as supervisor let highly wind conflicted town officials participate on a wind zoning committee.  And in 2012 apparently was willing to discuss appointing a very wind conflicted person to the town board to an empty seat to be "fair"

Pundt: When BP visited CV to a large public meeting with CV and Lyme officials on Oct 23rd 2012, I thought we should stage a large aggressive protest and shut down the meeting and not listen to BP officials. Why should we make the people who already destroyed our town feel comfortable?

Mr. Hirschey: Said we had to be respectful to BP and not bring the protest inside the meeting.
That would be the same BP that has already socially devastated our small community.

Pundt:  Thinks there is no traditional zoning approaches or setbacks that can protect the scenic resources of the  town from huge 500 ft. industrial wind machines.

Hirschey Govt.:  Thinks 1.25 miles is an appropriate distance for massive  BP wind turbines to protect the 12E scenic corridor and historic resources from the invasive visual impact of wind development. This is an absurd concession to BP!

Pundt:  Thinks we should go to serious all out zoning efforts to protect the unique and precious scenic beauty of the town and region.

Hirschey Govt:  On the advice of their zoning attorney says they can not defend a law that would prohibit something to protect the scenic  beauty.  As result the 2 mile setback from the shore is not about scenic protection for the town or region.  It is for other criteria. 

Pundt: (With others)  Helped write and circulate an 800 name petition with CV citizens calling for a one year CV wind development moratorium.  Better yet believed in  the 3 year moratorium to support the Save the River position on bird impact studies was even better.

Hirschey Govt:  In a panic over and to appease Art X, and under pressure from BP passes only a 6 month moratorium and rushed into a wind law that in the end resulted in them allowing some possible BP wind turbines.  And now there is evidence that in the rush they haven't even applied the law they wrote correctly.

Pundt: There should be NO compromises with BP, any other wind developer or the State.

Mr. Hirschey: ( on video record) He believes there will be compromises.  In addition when Mr. Hirschey originally took office he made a public statement that the anti wind people would not get everything they wanted and he wasn't the pro wind side's worst nightmare.

Pundt:  Said Zogby poll would be an expensive  waste of time and money. Take a stand against wind and defend it.

Mr. Hirschey:  Does the poll.  Poll shows more people in favor of wind than not.  Hirschey supporters then work overtime to discredit a poll they paid for and supported which came out to favor BP's position! And supposedly I am the one helping BP????   Go figure!

Now I could go on but it's getting late.  Take a hard look at the facts and decide how  many concessions Mr. Hirschey and this govt have given to BP, CFG, VFW and the State.

So I will let the record speak for itself as to who has, and who hasn't helped the BP and State cause!!!