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Conflicts of interest a serious matter in Montcalm County
Credit: February 12, 2022, Public Forum, thedailynews.cc ~~
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Dear Editor,
The pressure to force communities to embrace industrial wind turbines has caused a serious schism within those targeted communities, including Cato Township. It is not between differing political views or socio-economic status, or racial differences but, I believe, between those that love their community on the one hand, vs those that love money more, on the other.
The strategy of turbine pushers, like Apex Clean Energy, is to identify those that can be bought out and capture their support with financial incentives (ie bribes) so that their own lust for profits is fulfilled. Apex certainly does not love this community, and is working hard to make millions at our expense with no regard for the consequences, and must be stopped.
Anyone with a desire to know the truth can find ample information to discover just how damaging it is to industrialize rural communities with these turbines. They are unnecessary, a health hazard, an ungreen environmental disaster, they are supported by subsidies because they are economically untenable, they destabilize the power grid due to intermittent production, they require full gas backup resulting in higher electric costs, they significantly devalue area real estate and ultimately divide and deconstruct surrounding communities. One can only conclude that it is the money, not any community benefit, that is attracting support for them.
What is especially egregious is when decision-makers on planning commissions and boards are on the take with Apex leases and good neighbor reimbursements and refuse to recuse themselves from the decision-making process. If any decision-maker or close family member is benefiting in any way from Apex, it is their moral and constitutional and fiduciary duty to recuse themselves. There are laws on the books at all levels of government requiring recusal for those with conflicts of interest.
In Montcalm County, some with conflicts have done the right thing and recused, for which I applaud, but I understand many have not. Having a conflict of interest is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly. The big question is, why are some fighting so hard to not recuse themselves? It ultimately exposes selfish ambitions.
When conflicted individuals can influence decisions there is a clear breach of the democratic process that not only undermines public trust, but also the constitutional right of the rest of us to have a proper role in community decisions; and I for one resent that.
Charles Curtis
Rockford
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