Which way is the wind blowing?
In an effort to satisfy my full disclosure requirements, I am a sitting member of the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee (PEDC). The following solely my opinion. While I was not on the committee at the time of the wind turbine generator (WTG) genesis, I am and always have been a supporter of renewable energy.
Over the last two weeks, a lot has been written about the PEDC by both supporters and detractors. I feel it is time to shed some light on the issues at hand.
When Mr. Larry Fitzmorris put the turbine agenda item on the Town Council schedule, it became all too clear to me what his motivation was. I would like to point out that several members of the PEDC, gave him the benefit of the doubt. They were wrong.
As an interesting side note. The PCC did have something to say about the turbine project way back in 2007. “The proposal for the Town of Portsmouth to construct its own wind generator at the Middle School has received a good deal of attention and has been well researched by its advocates. PCC Newsletter 10/15/2007. The actual author? Current Town Council President Joe Robicheau.
The PCC likes to point out opponent’s mistakes, perceived or real, as a weapon. And as any child knows, if you hit someone with a stick, you can be hit with the same stick.
The PCC-led Town Council has made, in my opinion, some pretty big blunders, far exceeding the potential loss of the WTG.
Sewers: “Sewers are off the table.” Remember that comment? Judy Staven wishes you didn’t. Let’s look at PCC-led Town Council strategy, shall we? Fix the original storm water problem. Makes sense, doesn’t it? But then let’s look at the rest of the problem. Small lots in Island Park and Portsmouth Park restrict where ISDS systems can be put. But it’s ok. The PPC-led council has a solution. They will fix the storm drains. And then let DEM deal with the rest. “…DEM is going to be doing their job, which is to manage onsite systems themselves, we will not be taking over responsibility for that. The answer is to allow people to take responsibility for their own systems.” Joe Robicheau 10/11/2012 Newport Voter Forum
Well, that answers the question about sewers. Read between the lines. All you people in Island Park and Portsmouth Park, this PCC-led Town Council has decided, you are on your own.
On to alpacas. That’s right, I said alpacas, the small South American camelid, kind of like a lama. This PCC-led council believes that alpaca farms are a valuable asset to the town of Portsmouth. The Heidi Drive issue is far from over. Eventually it will be settled, but the question is, “At what price to the Portsmouth Taxpayer?” Short summary: There was a paper road, the Town Council “gave” it a way for a few dollars, and now the impacted parties are suing us for damages. But it’s a worthy cause, right? I mean, this town has a rich, wonderful history of farming…..alpacas. It’s only about a million in possible damages, not including the 2 other affected property owners. Fight the good fight PCC! Spend our money to save the alpacas!
For more than 10 years now this town has lived under the shadow of a secret PAC. I say secret PAC because Mr. Fitzmorris himself admits, “I don’t recall us ever claiming to represent all the taxpayers of the town.” — Larry Fitzmorris, ProJo 9/28/07
So, you only represent some of us. Well, that begs the question, which ones? Drumroll please. "I am not sure I am free to say who is a PCC member and who is not." — Larry Fitzmorris, Newport Daily News, 11/3/10
Portsmouth was a friendly, cohesive place to live. Under PCC control, it has become horribly fractured. It’s time for the majority to set things right. There should be only one real voice in this town, and it’s not Mr. Fitzmorris’ ventriloquist act, it’s the voice of the voters. Time for us to take our town back.
J.Lane McMahon
Rage16
9:27 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
WOW! You are right on the money J.Lane McMahon. Thank you so much for putting the information out there and bringing up some, NOT ALL, of the issues with the current Town Council majority. There are other law suits pending, although the one you speak of could be the most problematic for the town with regard to the damages that will most likely be owed to the parties that were on the other side of the "alpaca" decision. The assaults and the lies too.... are all good points and ones I hope people remember when it comes time to vote. Another thing that should be mentioned is that because of this "PCC" led group, and their fighting, bickering, and develing into things they shouldn't, the town council meetings go on, and on, and on. 5 hour meetings, meetings continued, etc. This just isn't right! It's time Robicheau, Staven, Pedro and Kesson move on...go back to the PCC and let others with a real interest in the town and knowledge take over. Yes, quit supporting alapacas over the people, quit putting lies out there before a campaign, quit wasting all of our time.....let's VOTE THEM OUT!!!
Town resident for many years
10:21 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
I totally agree with I C Cearly Now and J. Lane McMahon. The atmosphere in this Town has dramatically changed for the worse because of the PCC backed members of the Town Council and School Committee.
a resident with a watchful eye
11:29 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
yea...you are right.....you can't trust the PCC or the four cronies on the council......look at the leader of their party (Portsmouth Republican Party Chairman), it's all so obvious......check it out, http://www.ethics.ri.gov/complaints/decisions/decisions/Oliveira99-2.htm.
old timer
7:33 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
I thought Jeffrey Plumb was the Republican Party Chairman. I don't know how to post "links" but I'm pretty sure there was an article on this site awhile ago about new leadership for the Ports. Republicans
a resident with a watchful eye
8:07 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
here you go old timer http://www.portsmouthrepublicans.org/
old timer
8:46 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
Thanks resident, I knew I wasn't imaging things so I just searched this site and came up with a March 15, 2011 post announcing Mr. Oliveria stepping down and Jeffrey Plumb taking his place. Now it's back to Mr. Oliveria so I guess there was a less publicized return to the old leadership.My mistake.
nun
4:22 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
This editorial is not well written. Most of those quotes do not explain why the comments were made at the time. A small snippet of anyone's comments in the past can be twisted to look as if they are the birth child of Satan. This kind of mud slinging is not helpful. If you choose to write an article disagreeing with the positions of either side, please do so in a more civil and mature manner.
While not perfect, the republican candidates sitting on the town council have done a great job. Had the democrats continued to hold power, we would be wallowing in irresponsible debt. I'm not surprised to see the liberal conspiracy theorists back at it just as they did in the days of the tent meetings. At the end of the day though, your rhetoric is ignored by the more intelligent and the voters speak in favor of responsible governing just as they did in the past elections and special votes.
J. Lane McMahon
9:33 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
Nun:
If I have taken any quotes out of context I would ask you to please explain where.
As to "responsible government", you must mean like a 1 million dollar lawsuit for alpacas, right?
This group of PPC candidates ran on a platfrom of "No Sewers". Here we are two years later, and there is no resolution to this problem.
What you choose to call rhetoric, I simply see as the facts of the matter; lawsuits, pandering to the PCC, and in the case of one councilor, outright lies on the frontpage of the Daily News.
Rage16
7:34 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Another "blunder" on the part of the four PPCers on the town council. When the appointments came up for the Planning Board, Ed Lopes and Luke Harding were up to be reappointed. Bissonette actually wrote a letter stating that Ed Lopes was a tremedous asset to the Board and the only real engineer they had on the board....The PCCers voted not to reappoint him with out any reason. Actually, Pedro gave her reason and it was because of his support for the opposite side of the alpaca farm case (opposite from what she wanted)! Then she turns around and nominates Ann Fiore the owner of the alpaca farm for the new position!!! Thank God none of the other PCCers showed their lack of intelligence and no one seconded the motion. Ann Fiore?? That would be the biggest confilct of interest in town. Her husband owns tons of real-estate in town and with the whole road abandonment issue and pending law suit that resulted..... You have to be kidding me! Of course Luke Harding who supported the alpaca farm was reappointed immediately. By the way, the rest of the council voted to keep Ed Lopes on the board, but the PCC majority won the vote. A great loss to the town of Portsmouth!!!
Paul Silver
8:51 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
Nun: I notice you do not explain why those comments were made either... Seems to me the essay is coming from someone who is intimately involved with the goings on, yes?
Bill Carson
2:54 pm on Monday, October 15, 2012
Everyone is a supporter of renewable energy. The town made a big mistake and put all its eggs in one basket buying a commercial wind turbine from a company that had never built a turbine before in which it declared bankruptcy almost the day after the wind turbine was sold to Portsmouth. The financial analysis was based on a GE turbine not the one the town bought at basement prices.
It's time to shed some light on the issues at hand over the wind turbine. We need full disclosure of everything that happened in the past three years .
The town should have never gone into the commercial wind turbine business they knew nothing about commercial wind it only sounded like a good idea.At this point there is no corrective action that can be taken. The project failed and that should be the end of it.
Buying the turbine was like asking the voters to go out and buy lottery tickets to make the town some money .Now all the losing tickets are on the town hall floor and you've got residents in town that want to borrow money and go out and buy more scratch tickets.
The wind turbine was a gamble. It was a start up cheap deal company with prices too good to believe. You could say the town got taken in on the wind turbine scam and now your going to buy in for more ?
Portsmouth going into a complicated renewable energy business should be the first and last business gamble for the town. Today's town council is stuck with the ill conceived blunder made back in 2004 through 2006.
Paul Silver
3:49 pm on Monday, October 15, 2012
well, for sure I am glad that BilL carson is not investing my moeny, or my companies monies, as it sounds like if one thing goes wrong with a new line or product, he would shut it down and move on, taking a huige loss in the interim... not only bad politics, but bad business... my vote would be to do a PROPER cost analysis, not only in terms of what it will cost to repair and maintain into the future, but what has already been invested, what returns they have been, and what the loss would be if it was simply turned off and torn down... sometimes Bill, there are good ideas that need some working out in practice... to me, this is one such idea... we need to get on top of this, no doubt, but I would not seemingly randomly decide to simply give it up...; that makes absolutely no sense at all... none...
Bill Carson
4:00 pm on Monday, October 15, 2012
Did anyone on the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee ever contact any groups that provide the dark side of the wind turbine industry ? NO
http://www.windaction.org/
About Industrial Wind Action Group
Industrial Wind Action was formed to counteract the misleading information promulgated by the wind energy industry and various environmental groups. Support for this effort comes from a large and diversified group of environmentalists, energy experts, and ordinary citizens.
The rapid growth of industrial wind energy has been fostered by federal and state policies that, while well intentioned, fail to reflect wind energy's limitations as an energy source, its ineffectiveness in reducing emissions, and its impacts on our environment, economy and quality of life.
Industrial Wind Action stands ready to assist communities threatened with industrial wind energy projects by providing residents, as well as government officials, the information to make informed decisions.
Industrial Wind Action (IWA) Group:
Exposes the impacts of industrial wind energy on our environment, economy and quality of life through fact-based analyses;
Assists communities threatened with unwanted industrialization;
Advises officials at the federal, state and local levels regarding wind energy policy to counteract misleading information from the wind energy industry and some environmental groups.
J. Lane McMahon
4:19 pm on Monday, October 15, 2012
Bill,
You are so funny. Ever hear if sourcewatch? windaction.org and iwa are the same guy, Jon Linowes, a website developer in NH. (company is called parker hill LLC.)
From sourcewatch.org:
Parkerhill Technology Group was founded by Jonathan S. Linowes, a self-proclaimed Tea Party activist and climate change denier.
According to the Wisconsin Gazette, the group "routinely quotes as 'experts' affiliates of various front groups supported by Koch Industries, Charles Koch and the Koch family."
Good Year
8:42 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Thank you PCC for keeping a watchful eye on the tax and spenders.
Paul Silver
10:35 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
While I dont have that much knowledge on how the Town Council has been voting, it does seem to me that the PCC backed politicians are basically T Party types, who refuse to compromise, want to cut spending no matter what the cost, and not advantage the town by having the wind turbine operate... aside from the politics of personal advantage and cronyism, seems a bit over the top to me...
I first noticed the PCC when they were coming out against an increase in property taxes, and thought to get involved, but then noticed that despite the claim to be a non-partisan group, seemed too much like the T Party for my taste...
But I dont have an allegiance to any of that stuff... just want my town to make sense and do the right thing... somehow that seems more difficult with these new council members than it did before...
Bill Carson
10:46 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The math for the wind turbine is simple; The cost a 3 million dollar bond payment by the taxpayers of Portsmouth of which 2 million is still owed. The turbine did make 400 thousand over three years which is positive but the repairs will far exceed the profit by over 600 thousand.
If the gear box is repaired keeping in mind that the 100 thousand dollar blades need inspection and possible replacement you need two maintenance plans on the turbine one for 75 thousand a year on the new gear box and 30 thousand a year on the rest of the turbine and someone qualified to run the turbine when its repaired .The town would have to also vote for a new 0ne million dollar bond to repair the turbine!
The town still has a turbine with shadow flicker ,noise , siting issues with the town water tank and the possibility of ice throw in a residential neighborhood.