The following was sent to Governor Brownback, Kansas legislators and area newspapers to voice our concerns about the wind farm moratorium. Please share your views with your county Farm Bureau and Kansas Farm Bureau -- We are the Voice of Agriculture!
Governor Sam Brownback's recent decision to restrict wind farm development in the southeast corner of Kansas not only invalidates his promise to help the area boost its economic development, it raises a warning flag about the reach of state powers. Several aspects of the governor's "voluntary moratorium" are cause for concern and need to be addressed.
First, elected officials from the counties involved were not notified of any meeting taking place, nor given the opportunity to express the views of constituents, until after the fact. Many county government leaders learned about the meeting the same way the general public did: by reading an article in the newspaper or hearing about it on the evening news. Those directly affected by potential wind farms – landowners in the counties considered to be in the newly designated Tallgrass Heartland-- had no voice in this matter. While this directly impacts the southeastern portion of the state, everyone in Kansas should take note that under this governor's authority, property rights are apparently up for grabs without any form of legislation taking place.
Governor Brownback earned votes from many rural Kansans based on his pledge to pursue development in economically depressed areas. His development of ROZs (rural opportunity zones) is a positive step toward this goal. Yet his moratorium squelches one of the most economically viable developments available to Kansans: wind energy. He cannot even use the reasoning that the turbines are an eyesore in a region attempting to lure tourists, as there are no restrictions on cell towers, transmission towers or oil derricks dotting the landscape– only on this method of producing clean, renewable energy. We also point out that the wind energy development typically requires no financial assistance from the state and, in fact, has the potential to generate significant revenue for the county and state coffers.
Our county association has no bias against tourism. We also are proud of our farmer/rancher members who are fine stewards of this prairie land we all love and wish to preserve. We believe the region designated as the Flint Hills (which until this moratorium was announced did not include Greenwood, Elk or Chautauqua counties; in fact, more than 6,000 square miles of land now fall under the new designation) play a vital environmental role and deserve protection. However, there is already evidence (the Elk River project near Beaumont, for example) that wind farms can be successful tourism destinations for those who enjoy bicycling, horseback riding, and hiking. The two ventures need not be mutually exclusive. Surely they can co-exist with proper planning and be of benefit to the entire region.
Our disappointment lies not so much with the reasoning behind the governor's decision as much as his disregard for the property owners who have the right to decide how their land is used – or not used. The moratorium effectively denies the counties in the region an opportunity for economic growth through PILOT funds (payment in lieu of taxes) to the host county. Elk County alone expects a 20-year revenue of $60 million to government and private parties. These funds will help our struggling county keep its figurative head above water and perhaps provide tax relief to its citizens. Each county in Kansas should have that same potential for income and the chance to make development decisions for itself.
We are urging the governor to consider the stranglehold his decision places on rural development in this region. We request that the decision be overturned and that a new summit be called – one that includes all entities affected by the outcome. Compromises can be reached, but only when all sides of the issue are represented.
Respectfully submitted,
Bo Downing, President
And Board of Directors
Elk County Farm Bureau Association
Way to go Bo..............good read and if you need a voter to sign a petition you may call on me.
Sic em!
Same here. Just let me know.
Good letter, Bo, and I will sign a petition if one is made.
I agree that the Governor erred badly in this deal. This was, after all, a deal made by mutual agreement with the big (and some multinational) energy developers. It as also the enlargement of an existing agreement started by Kathleen Sebelius.
Where is the outrage at those developers who so readily and voluntarily bought into this deal or at the Democrat governor who set the precedent for this several years ago? Just curious.
Quote from: Patriot on June 26, 2011, 09:31:33 PM
I agree that the Governor erred badly in this deal. This was, after all, a deal made by mutual agreement with the big (and some multinational) energy developers. It as also the enlargement of an existing agreement started by Kathleen Sebelius.
Where is the outrage at those developers who so readily and voluntarily bought into this deal or at the Democrat governor who set the precedent for this several years ago? Just curious.
chirp chirp chirp
(http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/demotivators/teamworkdemotivationalposter.jpg)
What Governour Sebelius started didn't affect us at the time. It was confined to the Flint Hills, which didn't affect us as we are not in the Flint HIlls. As I understand it, Elk County, etc. was made a part of the Flint Hills just recently, by our present governour for the purpose of including Elk County, etc. in the moratorium.
My question is: If we were not a part of the Flint Hill area then, how can we be now. Did we have a giant earthquake that moved the strata and we were unaware of it?
Quote from: Wilma on June 27, 2011, 07:01:14 AM
What Governour Sebelius started didn't affect us at the time.
NIMBY? If the principle of applies here, then it applied there. The Flint Hills landowners are no less protected in their property rights than are the folks south oh US 400.... are they? Or are our property rights somehow more important than those in the rest of the country?
And again, what of those on the OTHER side of that voluntary agreement? It took two to tango.
This half of the two wasn't invited to the dance.
Quote from: Wilma on June 27, 2011, 09:12:02 AM
This half of the two wasn't invited to the dance.
How blind are you? You weren't even half of the two.... you (and all other land owners) were the parties that were jilted at the door to the limo when the whore wearing propeller ear rings and our date drove off.
The fact remains that Elk County was not invited to the governour's conference that resulted in Elk County becoming a part of the Flint Hills and under the moratorium on Wind Farms.
Wilma: You need to pull your head out of your cats' sandbox. Since the new highway north of Howard has been built, on the southbound side coming towards Howard, about a half of mile south of the Greenwood County line, around Turkey Road, there has been a sign welcoming people to the FLINT HILLS. If I'm not mistaken, Kathleen Sebelius was still in office when that road was constructed. You really should get out more and look around. ---Mr. KSH
P.S. I realize you have your own maps and don't need to look at anything on the internet, but here is the link to all the counties of the Flint Hills.
http://www.kansasflinthills.travel/counties/
P.S.S. Here is a link to "Shirley" of Howard who takes care of the HOWARD page of the Kansas Flint Hills website. It also shows that she joined the website in December of 2006 (which by the way would've been before Brownback became governor!).
http://www.kansasflinthills.travel/forums/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=50
P.S.S.S. Explorer Zebulon Pike first coined the name the Flint Hills in 1806 when he entered into his journal, "passed very ruff flint hills". The underlying bedrock of the hills is a flinty limestone. The Flint Hills were created approximately 250 million years ago during the Permian Period. During this time much of the Midwest, including Kansas and Oklahoma, were covered with shallow seas. As a result, much of the Flint Hills are composed of limestone and shale with plentiful fossils of prehistoric sea creatures. (source: Wikipedia). So the FLINT HILLS have been around for quite sometime, stretching from northern Kansas to northern Oklahoma.
How long has that sign been there? Not since the road was finished I can quarantee you. I think Ms. Sebelius left Topeka in 2009, when she accepted a position in the present administration. I don't remember when the sign appeared, but I don't think it has been there 2 years. I got a 2009-2010 Kansas map today and guess what. It has Elk, Greenwood and Chautauqua designated as being Osage Cuestas. Putting up a sign that says different doesn't change the lay of the land. If it was Osage Cuestas ten years ago, it is still Osage Cuestas. I don't know how these things are decided, but I will bet it has something to with the makeup of the land and not just boundaries.
Wilma: I am not a brick wall. I'm not going to argue with you like it will. The damn sign has been there since the damn road was built. Let's just see how many other people have seen the sign!
Quote from: Wilma on June 27, 2011, 07:51:28 PM
How long has that sign been there? Not since the road was finished I can quarantee you. I think Ms. Sebelius left Topeka in 2009, when she accepted a position in the present administration. I don't remember when the sign appeared, but I don't think it has been there 2 years. I got a 2009-2010 Kansas map today and guess what. It has Elk, Greenwood and Chautauqua designated as being Osage Cuestas. Putting up a sign that says different doesn't change the lay of the land. If it was Osage Cuestas ten years ago, it is still Osage Cuestas. I don't know how these things are decided, but I will bet it has something to with the makeup of the land and not just boundaries.
That sign and the one coming into elk county have been there since at least 2007 when i moved here. I remember seeing them both the first couple days i was here and I came up from 160 when i arrived. SO yeah they have been there since then.
Quote from: Wilma on June 27, 2011, 07:51:28 PM
How long has that sign been there? Not since the road was finished I can quarantee you. I think Ms. Sebelius left Topeka in 2009, when she accepted a position in the present administration. I don't remember when the sign appeared, but I don't think it has been there 2 years. I got a 2009-2010 Kansas map today and guess what.
Guarantee all you wish. Those signs went up within 6 months of highway completion. And why not under Sowbelius... She doesn't know shit from shinola, what makes one think she would know the difference between a tallgrass praire and rolling cliffs?
Quote from Patriot:
Sowbelius
Now that's a new one to me. Made me look like an old fool sitting here reading it and laughing out loud :D
Quote from: jarhead on June 27, 2011, 08:50:36 PM
Quote from Patriot:
Sowbelius
Now that's a new one to me. Made me look like an old fool sitting here reading it and laughing out loud :D
You ARE an old fool....you didn't need that to cinch it.. ::)
(http://www.cascity.com/howard/animations/chuckle.gif)
Quote from: jarhead on June 27, 2011, 08:50:36 PM
Quote from Patriot:
Sowbelius
Now that's a new one to me. Made me look like an old fool sitting here reading it and laughing out loud :D
So it was.... mooooving?
Teresa,
I thought you were Ok. wasting ammo. I expected a smart ass remark like that from ol Sarge but not from you. Must be in the bloodlines !!
Quote from Patriot:
So it was.... mooooving?
OK, Fly-Boy---you made me laugh once tonight----don't press your luck !! :D
Quote from: jarhead on June 27, 2011, 09:26:13 PM
OK, Fly-Boy---you made me laugh once tonight----don't press your luck !! :D
Actually, I was going for a laugh so hard that there was a mooovement. ;D
It comes with old age :)
Do Kansas swine moo! I just learned something....not cowbelius?
Quote from: Diane Amberg on June 28, 2011, 09:49:50 AM
Do Kansas swine moo! I just learned something....not cowbelius?
ONLY when they get into Sarges hootch
Quote from: Diane Amberg on June 28, 2011, 09:49:50 AM
Do Kansas swine moo! I just learned something....not cowbelius?
It was probably a genetic defect caused by some strange crossbreeding program involving sowsialist & cowmunist heritage resulting in a pig that moo'd. Ultimately producing a lot of bull as well.
White face, belted or Angus?
Quote from: Diane Amberg on June 28, 2011, 11:28:48 AM
White face, belted or Angus?
Couldn't say as the detailed studies are being withheld by the Obummer administration. But having seen the critter, it looks more like a brain addled dodo bird than a 4 legged mammalian.