Its tough in small communities to avoid conflicts when something as big and lucrative as a wind farm comes to town...but newly released data shows extensive relationships between those holding local office and the financial benefits of a farm.
When these conflicts occur, there are a couple of ways lawmakers and board members can handle it. One way is immediate disclosure of the relationships as soon as they occur or could occur. Do not wait until some industry disclosure later.
If the financial relationship is direct and significant, it may require recusal......That means more than just saying "I abstain" when a vote comes around.
Recusal means not participating in all discussions and debate on the subject and in fact leaving the room when the subject comes up. This is hard to do with an issue this large.
Usually, disclosure is adequate as it allows the public to judge the context of decisions. In projects like wind, in some communities , outright recusals could leave a board with too few members to act.
Watertown Daily Times Iberdrola lists wind conflicts
9 comments:
So it's ok to hsvee a conflict of interest as long as the board can function? How about resigning from the board completely? Not an option? When the hell are politicians going to act ethically?
that's HAVE a conflict
There are some conflicts where recusal and abstaining are not enough. For example- if a business owned by an elected official is doing business with the government entity that official sits on. There it involves a choice- be on the board and not do business with the government entity- or get off the board if the business is preferred.
While I have heard a lot about recusal, it would seem to me that with the value of these contracts, this falls extremely close to choosing one or the other.
It's always the money and greed and a way to make a fast buck on the voters' dime and time ... whatever, it stinks.
As far as I can tell they would be making a fast buck with their own property. You might call it free enterprise if it were not for the governments heavy hand in wind subsidies.
I can see where Dan would think they are making it on the voters dime though, because he thinks, "this land is your land...this land is my land"
I don't worry so much about the voters' money, as half the voters don't pay taxes anymore. That's what makes class warfare possible. I'm more worried about the taxpayers themselves.
nothing against "free enterprise", but if that's the arena they want to participate in, they can't be casting votes to pave the way.
it's not free enterprise when your holding public office and are in a position of advantage because of that position or may have your vote influenced by those with whom you're doing business.
It's called redistributing the wealth. And just what's wrong with that? The Church has always done it, all governments have done it. Pay your tribute, you get to keep being a slave. These CV town officials have worked long and hard to screw you over, and they have the force of government, giant corporations, and lawyers who resemble Jaws behind them. If a new Corvette gets their pants tingly, so what? They won't be any smarter, they won't be any healthier, they will have convincingly demonstrated that their self-interest far outweighs any attempts at community service. And the gov't you think will defend you is letting you down. What's Cuomo going to do in an election year?
How about Wm. Burke? How much money has he made on this sweet deal? Has he sold land to them? How much did he get? The whole family on the payroll? Is he on the zoning board of appeals? Is he a legislator? Is he on the school board? No ties to the wind mills now is there! We need the Attorney General Here.
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