Legislature candidate says he will fight wind project, wasteful local government spending

Posted 2 November 2015 at 12:00 am

Editor:

The election will be on Tuesday. A huge issue in my very own town is the Apex Industrial Wind Turbine project.

I am running for a Legislature seat in my district so I am doing what the people who will entrust me with this leadership position would expect of me and lead. I do not support this in our community. This has been my stance since the very beginning, not something that was decided with the political winds, so to speak.

The Orleans County Legislature will not take a stand. Your very own legislator, my opponent, has been AWOL and has not given an opinion either way. After all she is the incumbent. She holds the seat. Her lack of leadership on this critical issue is very telling. This is dividing our town. I am seeing folks who were once civil with one another becoming hostile and distant.

I have lived here for 25 years. My children all went to school here. We have roots here. Our family name is reluctantly entombed in our local cemetery. We are here to stay. Over those years I have made friends with many people. The people in this community have stood by my family in our darkest hour.

Some of those people are for this turbine project. You have taken your stand and I as a man have taken mine. You are fighting to win and so am I. No matter how this turns out I will still be your friend and neighbor. Nothing will erase the bond of friendship and community that we have shared. If it does, it will be on your part not mine.

Make no mistake. I will do everything in my power as Legislature to stop this project and bring the fight to Albany to stop Article 10. The people of this community will have a leader and an ally to help them in this fight to stop this project from ever coming to light.

They will have someone to fight the IDA that stands to profit handsomely if this project takes foot. The current IDA leadership, I believe is in a gross conflict of interest with his seat on the Yates Town Board and his job as the head of the IDA. Conflict of interest or appearance of unethical practices have never stopped the Yates Town Board or the county from doing business as usual. Whatever became of the Ethics Committee up at the county?

I hope this project never happens. It is a gross waste of taxpayer money. You can not screen these with a fence or landscaping at 580-feet-plus tall. You can not put distance between you and them. They will always be visible no matter where you are in this town.

You can’t muffle the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh and mechanical grinding of the gear boxes when you step out on nice country summer night to gaze at the stars. You folks in Ridgeway will be seeing and hearing these monstrosities, too.

Turbines this big do not belong in populated areas. Just the production and installation of these things will wipe out any carbon footprint that they will save if you are inclined to believe that.

We must reduce taxes in this county. These are tax dollar hogs that will feed and feed indefinitely. Another green scam to control us. Don’t think that the Orleans County Legislature won’t throw your tax dollars at this project if it comes to be. They have volunteered your money for other foolish endeavors in the past. That’s what they do best is spend other peoples money – $60,000 dollars for a lobbyist, I will not support that.

On Nov. 3 vote for leadership. Vote on the Conservative line for someone who will be ethical, frugal with your money, expose corruption and work for his constituents.

Vote for Paul Lauricella Jr., Legislature District #2 (Yates, Ridgeway and part of Shelby).

 

Paul Lauricella Jr.
Lyndonville