Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Here in Flagstaff we had a fresh  coating of snow recently in time for a mountain style Thanksgiving.  The San Francisco Peaks right behind Flagstaff also have a fresh coating of new snow.  They are almost 13,000 ft. high and provide a spectacular backdrop rising about 5000 ft. above the city elevation.  They are an old volcano and dominate the skyline from everywhere around the city. 

On a fresh bright blue sky morning (which we have a lot of) driving around town with the "Peaks" as a backdrop and after more than 40 years here I'm am still awe struck by the beauty, especially on mornings like this. 

I'm glad to be back home, and I'm thankful I get to live with my wife in a place like this with so many incredible outdoor opportunities and so much natural beauty all around, and also can enjoy the different beauty of 1000 Islands at other times of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Interstate 17 as it comes into Flagstaff from Phoenix with the San Francisco Peaks on the skyline.

Smart Move

I don't know why they Cape Vincent  Democrats pulled this stunt in the first place...but by pulling their law suit challenge to absentee ballots they did the right thing.

So let's move on.

How Much Is Enough?

Where do you think this law suit by the CV Dems is coming from? 

You really think it's them, a bunch of small town politicians?  If NYS and Cuomo wasn't rabid about renewable energy, and if BP wasn't raping our community with the help of Cuomo's Art X, there would be no voter issue or law suit. None.

I have repeatedly tried to get people and this current govt. to attack the Art. X process mainly because it took our rights to home rule away on an important issue.  So here we are with another attack on the rights of our community...this time the right to vote.

I have also expressed the concern several times that the taking of our rights with no real objection or battle and agreeing with and appeasing the system that did that is a very dangerous precedent on all our rights.  And here we are in this voting mess. Same shit different day!

So CV citizens, local and seasonal,...how the hell much is enough????  How long are you going to sit and take this bullshit and let your govt take it as BP or some other developer rapes and pillages our community.  As the sign says..."Had Enough Yet"!

Just some little politician wanting desperately to gain office by forcing a law suit and attack on seasonal residents???  Get real!

It's what it has always been from the beginning of this battle.  Big corporate power and the big politicians that suck on it for power suppressing your very fundamental rights using local pawns and $$$$ as instruments.

Look at the big Albany attachments to this law suit.  Does the name Aubertine ring a bell?

When big corps and the politicians that help them want to rape a community for whatever resource intrigues them, gold, water, coal, nat. gas. wind etc etc. the last thing they want is an organized voting effort by seasonal (and local) residents who love the area for it's unique scenic and environmental treasures, trying to protect it and changing local govt. to cause problems.  Thus the secrecy of BP and Acciona sliming into town trying to keep it all as quiet as possible inciting locals with leases, and local officials with unethical leases.

You gotta do what you can to crush that little problem because it can crop up anywhere in the world they do business and be an awful impediment to your progress and bottom line.

I have been saying for a long long time that a lot of people don't understand how big the stage of issues is that CV finds itself on.   And appeasing those forces as our current govt. is doing is absurd and dangerous to this community!  And anyone encouraging them to do so is dangerously mis-guided!

And so we have both Art X. and this voter challenge law suit.  Of course Art X we should deny in our community...not go along with it and appease it as the Hirschey govt. is doing.

But it is really the same fundamental issue.  The vote in cases like this is essentially the same all over the country and the world.  This is a vote to protect the environment or not, and how from a distance the corps. and polls can disrupt, distort and abuse that right for their end goal.

So you decide...how much are you willing to take from the politicians in Albany, and their big corporate buddies, and what is next?  This law suit and it's attachments should really tell you something.  Think you are going to win by appeasing and participating in Art X.  That is a fantasy, and this should make it obvious.

Each day in this wind mess we don't really fight it as we should, and each day it gets worse and worse for us and this community. And every day if you understand it, it actually becomes less and less about the wind issue, and more and more about your fundamental rights on many levels.

The picture below of our precious environmental Cape Vincent resources and our right to protect it is what this is all about,  has always been about, and always will be about in issues like this. And a zoning law is NOT going to stop it. As much as our officials and lawyers like to somehow steer it away from emotion with science, property values, zoning, sound blah blah blah.  it is all about what we see, feel, can touch, smell, hear, and feel is essential to the sustain  human condition and spirit.

I knew that early on and it was my fight for NO wind.  Why has it been so hard for people to understand and admit.  Now we have our rights to protect those things directly threatened.  We ARE NOT better off in this wind battle. 

So how much is enough?  Because if we let them, they WILL take it, and remove our rights to do so if they have to!!!

Oh and by the way...what ever happened to all that talk about healing the community?  As I said for a long time...that too is a complete fantasy on the part of both sides!!!

Clayton?...Really????

 

 From the Cape Vincent pages of the TDS phone book.

 

 

 

With careful inspection of a local  phone book an observer would be making a rational conclusion that Al Wood and a number of his family live in Clayton NY, not Cape Vincent.  One could also rationally conclude they vote in Clayton. 

 

Now let me make it clear here that I am not accusing or even implying that Al or any of his family have voted improperly. Actually I know where most of his family resides within the town borders of Cape Vincent.  But I would not swear in court to their residency anywhere.   But this brings up a very relevant and  interesting point to be explored in light of the fact Mr. Wood is attached to a law suit that is basically an effort to shut down seasonal voters in CV.

 

You know it makes me wonder if Mr. Wood who is running for office in CV has to verify with an affidavit who his is on the court petition challenging "outside voters" and asked to verify an address,  would he provide a CLAYTON address????

 

One who is a casual outside observer could also concluded based on the above phone book information...why is Mr. Wood even running for office in Cape Vincent if it appears he lives in Clayton? 

 

 One reader commented that I should know where Al lives, (which I do know where his home is as best I can tell) and that the other proof is he gets a tax bill payable to CV.  However, he probably gets it mailed to his Clayton address one could logically conclude.   But that proves nothing about where Mr. Wood lives.   For example I live in CV and AZ and also get a tax bill from CV since I own 3 small properties  in CV.  Every seasonal who owns property in CV also gets a tax bill and pays CV.  In AZ I get a tax bill on a property I own as a rental...but I don't live there.   This proves nothing about residency. 

 

If I rent a house or apartment in CV, and consider it my residence, and I don't get a CV tax bill, does that mean I don't reside in CV and can't vote there? Nice try!

 

So what other official documents would help establish where my residence is and where I can vote?

 

Driver's license...nope. And Al Wood's case is a graphic example.  It would be logical to conclude that most likely his license and those of many of his family  have a Clayton address if you look at the phone book mailing address.  And if Al has a CV PO box that means nothing, since I could have a CV PO box too and live in AZ or anywhere else.  And if his license somehow has a CV address, then it is in conflict with the phone book and legal mailing address.

 

Of course the absolute riot about the previous CV Dem. illegal voter law is that it required a driver's license with a CV address, and that would probably  have screwed Al Wood and many in his family from voting in CV.  Brilliant move.

 

Birth Certificate...nope, all that shows is where and when you were born.

 

Marriage License... nope, doesn't show where you currently reside.

 

Passport....nope...doesn't show specifically where you live.

 

Tax Bill...nope, all that shows is where you own property, doesn't mean you live there.

 

Utility bills...nope, I get utility bills in CV and AZ and occasionally on my rental in AZ and none of this proves where I live.  One would conclude that Al Wood's utility bills go to his Clayton address as well as many other important mail and documents he might have. So does he live there?  Nope!

 

Tax Return...nope, the 1040 asks for a "home" address, but that doesn't mean you live there, and it gives instruction if you have a vague PO box or are in a foreign country. Again one could logically conclude that Mr. Wood addresses his tax return as Clayton, but doesn't live in Clayton.

 

If you think about it, that is one hell of a lot of official documentation, none of which actually proves what your residence is or where you can vote!

 

So bottom line, what does it take to prove where you live or should vote?  Seems it would come down to hearsay and the testimony of others. Hey...I know Al he lives in Cape Vincent he is a good ole buddy of mine.   But as we can see, if you have a financial incentive (BP leases or a connection to people who have them) to challenge somebody's voter registration, that would be ridiculously absurd to rely on. 

 

So who out there can actually PROVE absolutely to us that Al Wood actually lives in Cape Vincent or anybody else for that matter? When you really think about it, it is absurd! Just as absurd as this pro wind law suit crap!

 

Seems to me NY voting law has already figured this out.  It states:

 

Qualifications to Register to Vote

• be a United States citizen;
• be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you file this form (note: you must be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary or other election in which you want to vote);
• live at your present address at least 30 days before an election;
• not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction and;
• not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court; ( No I won't go there but it is tempting!!!!)
• not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

Note that in line 3 where I highlighted it says live at your present address 30 days before the election.  Doesn't  say residence, primary residence. Doesn't even say 30 consecutive days. Doesn't say you have to pay taxes or own property.

Actually... maybe we should check and make sure BP or the pro wind Dems. didn't recruit people to rent a room in CV establish an address for 30 days prior to the election and then have them vote in the CV elections!!!

 

 

 





Does Al Wood Really Live In Cape Vincent???? His Address Is Clayton???

Since I have been back in AZ I see the Dem. candidate pro wind war on the CV seasonal community continues.  Particularly if you have chosen as a seasonal to vote in CV.  As you probably already know it centers on some absentee ballots and also the question of CV residency.

One of the candidates running on the Dem. pro wind ticket for CV supervisor is Al Wood.  Al is also on a new law suit challenging absentee ballots, many of which will be seasonal voters.

So isn't it really ironic that Al Wood's address according to the TDS CV phone book is CLAYTON, same as a number of his family members! So one of the guys making what we all know is basically a voting residency challenge actually has a Clayton address...Go Figure!   Hopefully someone official or the court will also be checking on Al's voting status and residency in CV.

So let's compare Mr. Wood's status vs. a seasonal voter who has chosen to vote in CV.  I will use Mr. X as a comparison based on an actual seasonal voter.

Wood:  Apparently has a  NY driver's license with what appears to be an out of CV address.(Clayton)
Mr. X:  Also has a NY license out of town  with a Rochester address.

Wood:  Owns property in CV and pays  CV and Jefferson County taxes.
Mr.X:   Owns several properties in CV and pays same taxes as Wood.

Wood:  Apparently has mail and utility bills on his house addressed in Clayton and sent to address apparently of Clayton, NY.
Mr. X:  Has utility bills on house addressed in CV, sent to Rochester address. On this account it appears Mr. X lives in CV and Wood doesn't!

I guess the judge could say show me your utility bills Al to prove you live year round in CV.  But how do we know Al lives in that house year round?  Maybe he goes to Florida for 6   months just like Mr X.  Maybe  someone is renting Al's house or house sitting while he is away and he pays the utility bills and the renter pays him back to keep it simple, or make it look as if Al lives in CV year round.

Of course Wood could say that his a family and pro wind friends will verify that he lives in CV year round, even though he has a Clayton address, and we could take their word for it.

Of course to that the judge or somebody could say..."yeah but weren't some in your family and some of your friends of the former CV town govt. under investigation by the NYAG's office for potential violations of state and CV ethics laws and codes?"  To which the answer would be yes!

Wood: Could choose to vote absentee if he wanted...even with his Clayton address.
Mr. X: Could choose to vote absentee with his Rochester address.

So the bottom line is...how do we know that Al Wood actually lives full time in CV???? Maybe Al rents in Clayton, has a house in CV and for 6 months escapes CV and  Clayton and for Florida...how do we know?

 Al Wood and my seasonal voter example simply aren't that different when it comes to voting, whether it be absentee or otherwise.  So if you are going to challenge one voter's ballot and residency you better challenge Al Wood's too!!!

So like many other things in the industrial wind battle we are once again immersed in the absurd Cape Vincent  industrial wind Bizzaro World.