DANVILLE, IL. (ECWd) –
Some Vermilion County Board members are denying they were invited out to houses to listen to the turbines. Not only were invitations extended during public sessions of board meetings, they were also delivered by email on May 12, 13, 14, 19, 2o, 23, 30 and June 21 just to name a few.
We also understand that there was a hearing in Potomac a few months ago where people could voice their concerns. Hearing rules were broken, and Invenergy was given response chances after the meeting, while citizens were not. To top that off, the board accepted Invenergy’s responses at face value without any followup with home owners. Nice way to do business, isn’t it?
Here is part of a letter written to the board:
…InvEnergy lied to your panel when they discredited our comments at the public hearing in Potomac. They are NOT “taking care of the Hartke family” as their letter claimed. They refused to shut down the turbine which kept us awake all night on Sat night – Sun morning. My 8 year old son was sick from “hurting ears and dizzyness” and vomited. It is true that the worst thing in the world is a sick/injured child. Our Mother’s Day holiday was completely ruined.
It is very unfair that we only were allowed 5 minutes to voice our concerns and then have our comments dismissed during panel meetings which included the improper use of InvEnergy’s letter. The rules established for us were broken. The comment period and written comments were supposed to be finalized at the public hearing in Potomac.
Your group sought out information from InvEnergy afterwards and gave that company a chance to circumvent the system. If you gave them that chance, the minimum step you should have taken was to follow up with the homeowners who invited you to our houses. You and the panel failed us miserably. Your job was to find out information and make good decisions. You gave up way too easily.
Every time I voice my concern and go against the mainstream, I know that I risk potential loss of business from the large population who doesn’t understand what we are experiencing. I am attempting to be selfless and do what is best for my family and my community. My problem will repeat itself as the next wind farm projects evolve, and the pain and suffering could have been stopped by you. I started with you because I was hopeful that you were willing to listen and be a part of the solution. Thank you for your time and service, and I will continue my struggle with the next level of decision makers. I never wanted this issue to define me as an activist, but I cannot avoid it becoming my new label as it has forced a change in my life. I am very sorry to my kids…….for all the evenings and future time I will spend away from them to deal with the problems and helping others with theirs.
And one board members’ partial response:
… have read your email and given it some thought. I certainly understand you are frustrated However my visiting your house has no impact on the decision made by the panel. I am one person. I assume that despite what you said when you first emailed me that you have contacted others. Again I recognize your frustration because no matter what we do or don’t do your situation is not relieved. But the panel has made its recommendations and they go to the full board now for a final decision. At this point the decision is in the hands of the county board
“I am one person” so I won’t visit because it won’t impact any decisions? Nice way to say everybody’s minds are made-up and we are just acting like we are listening just to make you feel better.
When people fail to express their input on a matter, there is no chance of ever opening anyone else’ s mind to the situation. Staying silent because you’re only one person is like taking the position your vote doesn’t count because you’re only one vote. It’s a cop out!
If an elected official wants to take that position, then let him resign so that those willing to participate in the process can be heard and counted!
More to follow…
1 Comment
Ed Schoenbach
Posted at 19:31h, 14 OctoberTypical of the rotten people in politics and how they have a disease called dollar sign blindness. When hogs feed at the public trough they are dangerous to themselves and especially others. Since wind money is nothing more than a scam of federal dollars the feeding frenzy of these nasty unthinking people swallows up friendships and neighbors and tramples them in the dust left as developers quickly move to the next scam scene.