On Local residents concerned wind bill would wipe out their work

Posted on April 19 at 3:32 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Whatever your views are on the particular subject of Wind Turbine Siting, please consider this particular Bill's larger impact of an erosion of citizens’ opportunity to participate in their democracy. From all accounts, the process the Town of Union and its residents followed in writing its Large Wind Turbine Ordinance was transparent and open to all (including EcoEnergy). Decisions were based on legitimate research, scientific evidence and the open, participatory debate thereof. Isn't this what the democratic process should be?

If the democratic process is to be changed, as it will if this bill passes, then please consider the potential consequences of that change. Who will benefit and who will lose out by limiting access for local citizens to participate? (By the way, all of us are “local” someplace. By advocating for the limitation of rural, Township residents participation in this particular situation, you may well be pushing for a limitation of your own democratic participation opportunities in your own “local” area in the future.).

Why limit ideas and debate, as this legislation proposes? Why accept the Bill’s underlying, unquestioned assumption that local, rural peoples’ ideas are less worthy, less informed or less reasoned than the ideas of corporate representatives or lobbyists (who stand to profit handsomely if this legislation passes). Why accept the Bill’s assumption that “local” people are not up to the task of studying, debating and deciding complex and important issues.

Who is "our government" if it doesn't include us, the local citizens? Regardless of your particular opinion on Wind Turbine siting, please consider where the removal of local citizens from actively participating in the democratic process will take us as a society. Changing the democratic system is not something we should take lightly or allow powerful corporations and their lobbyist to do simply because they do not like the outcome of our longstanding and well established democratic process.

We can simultaneously solve our energy issues AND preserve our democratic process and principles - unfortunately the State Wind Siting Reform bill will do neither. Please advocate for keeping "we the people" included in our democratic process by calling your state legislator and asking them not to support the State Wind Siting Reform bill.