Fearing "unintended consequences" former state senator and Frostburg mayor John Bambacus plans to ask Garrett County planning officials for a six month moratorium on applications for wind turbines. The moratorium would apply whether the wind turbines were intended for industrial or residential use, the Cumberland Times reports.
I'll have some more comments on what I think of Mr. Bambacus and the planning officials deciding how citizens choose to power their own homes if a moratorium is in fact issued. What next, a moratorium on new fireplaces? And solar installations? And geothermal heating systems? And new personal wells and septic systems? And back up generators? The list could go on.
We have people all over the Northeast heating their homes with the dirtiest fuel oil and coal systems imaginable and no one has a problem with that, but God forbid they'd want to put up a small wind turbine to reduce their electricity demand. I wonder if the people supporting this moratorium are also the same ones complaining about energy prices. Who can we send to the Middle East to beg for more oil next?
Don't forget to check back to Dan's Deep Creek Blog for future updates.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Bambacus to seek wind turbine moratorium ..
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Apparently Mr. Bambacus is trying to get his name back in the papers following his crushing electoral defeat in 2002. Perhaps he sees riding anti-wind hysteria as his ticket back into elected office.
BM---You may be assured that I have no interest whatsoever in seeking public office. I am a private citizen interested in public policy matters affecting rural western Maryland.
While their certainly may be policy differences and disagreements on this issue an informed citizenry is best for democracy. And, since Garrett County is one of the few counties in the United Staes without countywide zoning, the protection of environment, public health, and safety is paramount. At present there are no safeguards in Garrett County and the planning commission and elected commissioners have refused to enact any such protections.
Thank you for your comment Mr. Bambacus. Like you, I am a private citizen trying to inform the citizenry and enable a public policy debate in Garrett County and Western Maryland that is not one-sided. I encourage you to continue to read this blog and share your comments.
Mr. Bambacus,
If I may a follow-up to your previous comment. Would the countywide zoning and subsequent protection of environment as well as public health and safety also be applicable to property development, coal mining and other industries or only wind turbines?
John,
That's probably a good idea. Few politicians can recover from a 55% point electoral defeat.
Let me also add that it is extremely offensive and insulting for a state senator who in the mid-90s was the coal industry's point man in trying to remove the ban on strip mining steep-slopes in Western Maryland to now claim that their anti-wind hysteria is an effort to protect the "environment, public health, and safety." Have you no shame?
BM,
Send me any info you have on Mr. Bambacus's ties to the coal industry and his lobbying efforts on their behalf and I will create a new entry on this blog if there is a clear history of favoritism towards this industry.
Dan,
Yes. I favor comprehensive countywide zoning that would certainly include, but not be limited to, "property development, coal mining and other industries...."
bm,
Please cease the personal attacks that tend to give blogs and yoourself a bad rap. While I choose to be open and honest in my comments as a private citizen---and sign my name, you hide behind a cowardly cloak of anonymity, fearful that your comments cannot stand scrutiny in the marketplace of ideas.
BTW, I am not the issue---while you are entitled to your own opinion, you are not entitled to your own facts. Having been involved in public service of one kind or another for over 40 years, including the state senate from 1982-90, I voted for thousands of proposals---some of which I deeply regret. I have been out of the senate for 18 years and issues and circumstances change over time, as do my beliefs.
You would do yourself and the blog well by not questionning my motivation through personal attacks. Remember, I am a private citizen still engaged after all these years trying to be a good citizen. I speak for myself, am a long-time taxpayer in Garrett County, belong to no groups,
have never been a lobbyist, and care a great deal about Appalachia.
John Bambacus
Thanks for your follow-up Mr. Bambacus. I can't speak for "BM" but feel that you have done a more than adequate job of explaining yourself here and countering his attack. As you said everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. And as I have said previously all opinions are welcome here.
For my part, however, I can only hope that opinions of others are not being influenced by what I see as an attempt at politics by the "angry mob" in Garrett County where the objections and protests of a few are distracting from the good of all. There is no doubt that your previous public service has also given you a platform from which to influence others, so your name carries with it some implied credibility. Common folks, like myself and perhaps "BM" as well, don't have that name recognition and while I was personally unable to attend the public hearing at Garrett College I am well aware of what happened to those who took positions such as mine. As the Baltimore Sun put it, "it was not pretty."
As I'm sure you are aware, given your previous support for steep slope coal mining when jobs were on the line and it was a popular idea with many in Garrett County and now opposition to wind power when the angry mob is against it, it is very easy to get sucked into the frenzy and side with the mob but at the same time nearly impossible to fight it alone. In writing anonymously perhaps I will survive long enough so that others may join the fight. In talking to others in the community who share my opinion, they are too intimidated to stand up and be heard for fear of retribution and retaliation. That is not the way it should be and that is not the way democracy is supposed to work.
John,
Where to start...
First let me just say that I'm not interested in getting into a tit-for-tat with you here on this blog, but some of your comments really do require a response.
Firstly, you claim that I am making "personal attacks" on you for stating the facts about your past support of extremely destructive coal mining practices, then you proceed to call me "cowardly." Ironic, to say the least.
Secondly, you seem to personify the type of person who doesn't deal well with criticism. Otherwise, I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around your criticism of me for not printing my full name, address, and telephone number along with my comments. Surely you, as a political science instructor, would know that some of the most influential pieces of political opinion in history were printed anonymously (Thomas Paine's Common Sense, for example).
Lastly, while you did a nice job of including a short CV in your comments, you have yet to explain why your past support for destructive coal mining practices (which I'm guessing included coal industry financial support for your campaigns...correct me if I am wrong) should not make us disregard anything you have to say about the impact of wind power and other green energy technologies.
Post a Comment