Since he has become the focal point for the anti-wind crowd, Jefferson County Legislature Chairman Ken Blankenbush may be watching his prospects for a NY Assembly seat fading fast.
As an apparent supporter of the Galloo Island wind project, Blankenbush is in a pickle. Because he alone can deliver the verdict of a deeply divided County Legislature, the Chairman is highly vulnerable should he seek higher office.
Support of a PILOT agreement invites future opponents to ask,...."why did you vote to give away $60 million of the people's money ?".....or "why did you support the seizing of private property for a transmission line that benefits rich investors elsewhere ?".
Shepherding through an unpopular PILOT has no downside to the agencies and bureaucrats who operate away from accountability to voters.....Not so for Mr. Chairman. He has ambitions and this issue could easily change that.
The waters are choppy on the way to Galloo Island for this veteran lawmaker.....and the same may be true for fellow Legislator Barry Ormsby, who openly admits interest in the GOP nomination for State Senate.
Meanwhile the anti wind folks continue with television ads pinning Big Wind to the Chairman of the Legislature.....And don't look for Big Wind to pay for the commercials to refute the claim.
15 comments:
Not only are Ken's prospects for a NY Assembly fading but also Phil Reed's.
Is this a pet project of one of the legislators? if so it will fly. We spend on what ever they want too but when it comes to things we need forget about it. The old saying step over dollar bills to pick up pennies is what this leg. is all about.
Blankenbush is a mile wide and an inch deep on issues. He could never get elected to a state office.
Sure he could...it happens all the time..
Yes if he seeks state office, the big wind folks will bankroll his run, He'll be elected, cause as voters we tend to forget.
Don't forget Barry Ormsby. He wants to roll in the mud with Darrell Aubertine. Watch his vote on Tuesday.
If Barry votes yes on the Galloo PILOT, he will be crushed by Darrel. The problem is not just that he is jumping in bed with Big Foreign Wind and downstate power interests. It is also that he does not have the political savvy to recognize the multitudes of voters who are not interested in crapping up Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
Oh, it is sweet to have the big money behind you. it is even sweeter to have the votes. But, Barry needs more than the backing of the Sackets Harbor PTA and the Sackets Harbor fire dept. it is even sweeter to have the votes.
The invasion of Big Foreign Wind will turn some heads this November.
The Coaltion for the Preservation of the Golden Crescent and 1000 Islands region will be watching carefully each and every Legislator and how they vote.
Consider that those who vote yes support
1. exporting US$200 million to foreign corporations
2. spending US$54 million of Jefferson County taxpayer's hard earner money
3. placing the county in substantial risk dealing with a business partner who refuses to provide financial data, and can default on PILOT payments at anytime
4. destroying one of the last unihabited Lake Ontario islands, containing Nationally Historic Registered Lake Ontario's FIRST lighthouse
5. allowing the destruction to remain permenant and further place the county taxpayer at risk to pay for land reclaimation (read the DEIS developer proposes to pay costs net of salvage value, and leave foundations in place)
6. a generally bad deal, one that will become the template for future delas once the floodgates open (fools rush in)
The PILOT as structured is a bad deal for the county taxpayer, has no gaurantees for job ceration. Upstate NY Power mangement has not made an attempt to talk with Jefferson County, they refuse to provide financial data. Lastly, how can the JCIDA and the Developer lawyer craft any deal that can be considered at an arms length as they both profit handsomely (by spending our money)
This whole deal needs to revieve scrutiny by the County Legal staff -- it smells bad.
on top of that by REA, Alexander and Co pocket a milliom two just for agreeing that the county will forego collecting anywhere near the tax bill that any other business would have to pay. The point of a PILOT (yes, I read the municipal law) is to create jobs in , not just temporary jobs, but PERMANENT JOBS!!!!!! Galloo may (MAY) add 8-10 permanent jobs at a cost of hundreds of millions of your dollars in lost taxes. Not to mention all the subsidies. Want to create some jobs? Tell your congressmen and /women that you want the $150,000,000 in up front money to go toward replacing the bridge in Massena that's about to fall down, the bridge in Chaumont on Rte 12E tha was just inspected, and the Champlain bridge that was just blown to Kingdom Come. It's infra structure repairs we need, not this magic act stuff with windmills that can't live up to the hype.
Mr Alexander should be ashamed of himself for falling under the spell of Burgdorf and whatever was promised.
One million two in payoffs to the IDA just doesn't seem equitable when we lose an island and we have all the bad feelings afterward, does it?
There's no shame in Don Alexander, he and his partners "bled" Brownville Speciality Paper, ignoring safety concerns from OSHA, until there was nothing left, then shut it down, putting people out of work, he sat on the JCIDA board ensuringan access of low interest loans for the various businesses, After all of this he is handed a "cushy job". This man does not have the interests of the taxpayer at heart.
Anti Wind is on this blog for sure, looks to me that they are informed....
Better believe it.
everyone ought to read today's WDT article on Maple Ridge carefully--if the courts side with the developer, the towns could be liable for a huge refund. Is this the business "partner" we want?
Doesn't Don Alexander's son work for Maple Ridge. Funny thing Maple Ridge, did a promo film that was shown between each show at the Lowville Theater.
you are all haters, hate change, hate to move forward, and feed on drama. And its obvious you are all morons.
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