Apex’s continued push in Yates and Somerset, in face of opposition, shows corporate greed

Editor:

What more does APEX need to know?!?

They are not wanted in our town and if they are as community conscious as they say, they should leave.  But they haven’t left. What does that tell you about APEX? I can let you know what it tells me.

It tells me that after:

• all of APEX’s exhortations that they will not stay where they’re not wanted,

• all of the surveys, statements of opposition and multiple election cycles reinforcing opposition at the ballot box,

• all of the multiple invitations and attempts to convince the APEX Clean Energy Principals, Mr. Sandy Reisky, Mr. Mark Goodwin, Mr. Jim Trousdale and Mr. Steve Vavrik to visit our town and discuss our concerns, were utterly and completely rebuffed,

• Governor Cuomo gave all of New York State 30-mile turbine setbacks,

• Lieutenant Governor Hochul went on the record stating that we must protect our Defense bases from encroachment of all kinds,

• Department of Public Service Chief Counsel Paul Agresta admonished Industrial Wind developers in New York that their “get the deal done at any cost” modus operandi was not winning them friends in Upstate New York or Albany,

• the same Mr. Paul Agresta, exhorted those same developers to “Go where you’re wanted”,

• New York State Department of Public Service Commissioner John Rhodes responded when questioned about Article 10 ripping home rule from the people:  “Not under this governor are we going to force people in a police state mode to do anything.”

APEX still darkens our doorstep!

Why do they still darken our doorstep? My personal view is that, even though they pretend to care about our community via:

• free hot dogs and milk after youth sports events,

• attempts (sometimes successful, unfortunately) to give money to local churches, schools and private organizations,

• holding parties for only their few friends and paid leaseholders,

Apex does not give one rat’s behind for the towns of Yates and Somerset or any of the 5,000 or so souls whose lives would be negatively and forever altered via planting of their massive industrial machines in our soil!

They only care about the money they can siphon from our pockets via State and Federal Production Tax Credits.

Let’s not fool ourselves, APEX (Lighthouse Wind) is and always has been synonymous with the Robber Barons of old.

Robber Baron turbine purveyors forcing projects into inappropriate locations and down the throats of residents who, for a myriad of reasons, don’t want them!!!

APEX, you need to distance yourselves from Lighthouse Wind and the Towns of Yates and Somerset. It’s bad for your business. You have enough egg on your corporate face and frankly you are embarrassing yourselves. Get out while you still have some semblance of corporate respect.  Lord knows, you never had any goodwill with the people, except for those you are paying to like you.

Thank you,

John B. Riggi

Councilman, Town of Yates