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By Ed Rossley

Addressed to the Alliance for Bovina at info@allianceforbovina.org:

I just wanted to let you know I feel as a taxpayer and homeowner in Bovina
that the wind alliance has not been justified in the way they have handled
themselves since our original meeting with the Town. The people of the town
were asked to let the officials study the wind issue for six months without
being interrupted. In turn I feel the people that respected the agreement
have not been heard because the alliance has filled the newspapers, internet
and the Town Board with their own opinions. If the alliance is successful it
only proves the squeaky wheel gets the oil and the other people are unheard
because they respected the Board's request.

I also feel the real estate agents are looking to line their pockets no
matter what the outcome because if wind towers do come and it reduces the
taxes you can be sure they will use that as a sales pitch to move land in
the future. So in turn, I wish you would respect the original agreement and
allow the Board to formulate their own opinions, even if it requires more
time. The outcome could last a lifetime.

I feel your efforts are only separating the town and enlarging the
differences between locals and nonlocals instead of encouraging a true
community spirit.

I respect the members of the Town Board and applauded their time, patience
and careful consideration over this very important matter.

Thank you for your time, I would appreciate if my opinion could be added to
your web page.

Edward T. Rossley

cc: Bovina Town Board
Eric Wedemeyer
County Shopper-Letter to the Editor

To: Ed Rossley

Thank you for sending your e-mail to the Alliance. We welcome more discussion on the wind issue. Some of the points you make are very good. However, none of them deal with the pro’s or con’s of industrial wind turbines in Bovina. But you do bring up other issues on which I would like to respond.

Interrupting the Town Board. The Alliance never interrupted the Board’s study of the wind issues which was exclusively done during its wind workshops. In fact, the Alliance, and others, contributed to the workshops with comments only during the time allotted to the public and by submitting wind-related material. The fact that the few pro-wind folks have not gotten their views out there is not due to the Alliance’s activities. Pro-wind advocates can easily do what we have done to make our views known such as using ads, letters, attendance at meetings, mailings and a website.

 

Real Estate agents lining their pocket. Of all the things we heard about the wind issue, who will benefit and who will not, I have never heard that real estate agents will benefit with and without turbines in Bovina. There is no evidence that turbines will lower property taxes in Bovina. But if this were true, then why are all of the real estate agents completely against industrial turbines? If what you say is true, the real estate agents would sit silently and wait for the dust to settle. I know that Eric and every other real estate agent in the area believes that industrial turbines will not improve real estate sales and in fact they believe to the contrary.

The Alliances efforts separating locals from nonlocals. I am glad you raised the issue of the "local versus nonlocal" separation because it is a very important one, not just to the Alliance and non-locals, but also to many locals who support us. Three points to mention:

We believe we have done nothing to create or worsen this separation. I never heard a nonlocal say they wished the locals would go back to where they came from. And the Alliance has never asked that people identify themselves by their residence status.

The separation issue was recently worsened only when the Town’s survey started off asking your residence status (#2 and #3). There was no need for the Board to ask these questions.

The "local versus nonlocal" separation issue was always in Bovina, long before the Alliance formed. Our efforts have merely brought the issue out in the open with the hope that it will go away, for good. Wouldn’t you like to see it gone?

I am glad that you want your letter posted on the website. I will look into that. We welcome good discussion, like yours, from which we all can try to hear each other, respect our different opinions and clear up misunderstandings.

Larry Karam

Co-Director and Counsel,

Alliance for Bovina

 

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