Mt. Pulaski CUSD-23 School Board selling its soul to Meridien & Relight Wind Farms –

Mt. Pulaski, IL. (ECWd) –

After reading through the proposed “contract” between the Mt. Pulaski Community Unit School No. 23 School Board and Meridien LLC., it is clear this is no ordinary contract.

This contract was discussed during the May 2015 school board meeting and is presumed to be coming to a vote during the June school board meeting. It is already signed by Relight’s Vice President, Mr. Hakan Baykam.

This contract comes to around $12 million – what public body wouldn’t want $12 million “given” to them?

“Read the fine print” and you will soon find out that this is no gift after all, and it amounts to the school board selling its soul, and selling its voice, to a wind farm company. A school board is there to be the voice of its residents, and your voice will soon be heard as paid shills speaking highly of the proposed wind farm.

Here are some of the requirements (para 9, page 8) imposed on the school board in order to collect on this money:

–> School Board resolution in support of the project, presented to the Logan County Board
–> Send the School Superintendent or Board President to speak in support of the wind farm at any and all public meetings (this includes hearings)
–> Issue press releases, after they are approved by Meridien, in support of the wind farm and in support of the terms and conditions
–>No Board Member may speak in opposition of the wind farm in their official capacity (meaning they can’t say they are board members), and any opposing views cannot be expressed at the same time as the School Board’s expressions of support and favor of the wind farm (1st amendment stripped from opposing board members)
–> School Board cannot sue or take part in a suit in relation to the wind farm
–> School Board cannot pass any law, ordinance, regulation, etc that attempts to regulate, limit, or otherwise detrimentally affect the wind farm project

In my opinion, this is nothing short of bribery of public officials and bribery of a public body.

This school board will vote on placing themselves in the position of advocating in favor of zoning, building permits, etc., and will tie their own hands against saying anything bad about wind turbines – to the detriment of the school district and its students and residents.

They will act as paid shills to speak in favor of wind farms at public meetings and public hearings “on behalf of” the school district and the wind farm, in public hearings and meetings where people will presumably take their “official” word as a bond of trust. I can only presume they will not disclose they are being paid to speak in favor of the wind farm, lest their testimony be stricken and presumed useless.

This is sickening.