"WIND FARMS" --- YES OR NO?

Special Note: The below expression of opinion was also published as the “2nd article” under Public Mind heading, “On proposed wind farm in Labette County” — Page 4, Weekend, Sat-Sun, April 24-24, 2021 Edition of our local newspaper, the Parsons Sun.

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Wind Farms are likely to be a topic of nationwide fact-based, and otherwise-rooted, pro and con discussions and debates well into the future. 

Whether such facilities are banned, or one day become a blessing or curse addition to the landscape of Labette County, seems to be primarily at the ultimate discretion of three people. Presently, duly elected County Commissioners, Lonie Addis, Brian Kinzie, and Cole Proehl. A matter likely beyond overwhelming in many ways, especially when added to the ever-growing list of county commissioner-related obligations.

And, as our commissioners individually and collectively wrestle with this subject of indisputable complexity and heated debates, a most basic “ethics-rooted obligation” seems worthy of special attention — one no doubt struggling to survive in an atmosphere of ever-increasing demands and complexities. One likely continuing to seemingly whisper in the attentive ears of each commissioner, a very respectful and cautionary reminder.

A likely ever-present memory-jog that they were of course “not” elected to represent the Wind Farm industry of Germany or elsewhere; nor our federal government agencies distributing subsidies from the public taxpayer-funded public treasury; nor self-serving state government agencies; nor Global Warming/Climate Change activists; nor other special interest parties, etc.

They were, however, elected and remain duty bound to responsibly and in good faith do what is in the best interests of — not a selected few — but, rather, the “sum total” of their respective district constituents.

An obligation of considerable short-term and long-term consequences. A crucial responsibility that cannot be honored until our county commissioners are duly provided with — to their satisfaction — a sufficient amount of legitimate research-supported evidence and other essential support.

And, until such evidence and other support have been made available, sufficiently examined, and found to truly attest that the “factual short-term and long-term benefits” of a proposed Wind Farm project to the “sum total” of their respective Labette County constituents, overwhelmingly exceed the “factual negative consequences” to same . . . “how” our commissioners, and applicable others, are duty bound to handle their ethics-rooted approval/disapproval obligation, should not only be conspicuous, but also ultimately evidenced by a duly informed and respectfully responsible “Vote NO.” —William James & Cecilia Ann Moore