Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25

[Ross]

    I apologize if my attempts at humor agitated you. I'm not making a living as a comedian. 

I may be crazy, but I'm not insane.

I wake up each morning wondering how I have lived so long and hwhy everything hurts?

Then I remember and say thank you Lord for another day.

Why, because it's better then the alternative!

But, I could be wrong, right?

I guess I'm trying to say I don't understand everything but I try no to let things and ideas anger me.

Life is far to short!

And, I don't hold grudges.

Blah, blah, blah !

Just trying to make a small difference by asking a few legitimate questions.

And suggesting people get out and vote, show that majority of Elk County Care's what happens with your tax dollars.

Oh, I found your humor a bit silly but not offensive or aggravating.

Have a great summer day!

[Ross]

Here is some food for thought about bad decissions.

Just a couple of small paragraphs that may tweak your curiosity enough to read the whole story.

Financially-strapped Nevada city declared disaster
By CRISTINA SILVA
Associated Press

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- There are no signs of rioters, wind-damaged homes or flooding. The brand new City Hall features gleaming marble floors and the public recreation centers offer Zumba, karate and Pilates classes.

Despite all of its suburban trimmings, North Las Vegas is officially a disaster area.

There are many cities across the nation grappling with declining property values and growing expenses like North Las Vegas, but few, if any, have declared financial emergency.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/22/3671124/financially-strapped-nevada-city.html#storylink=cpy


Can we afford to give tax breaks to a given few that probably already have plans to build, or just because someone wants to build a new barn?

Is that a good business decision for the county as a whole?

I don't think so with the economy tanking as it is here in the US  and abroad.

Vote for common sense.
Don't vote for rainbow stew and the continuation of false hope.

[srkruzich]

Actually it was I that told them that whoever negotiated the contract got screwed big time!  The oklahoma windfarm information just confirmed my statement.   Like i said if you wanna play with the big boys you gotta have testicular fortitude.  I would have done the research and found out what other sites that company paid fees on and based my negotiations on those figures. Start high and settle around what they are paying other sites.   Looks like this company sent the big city boy in and dazzled the country bumpkins in charge with a bunch of trinkets.  Hmmm didn't the white man buy new york for a bunch of beads one time?

2.  I've never commented on the amount of PILOT being low.  I think that was Ross making a comparison to a comparable project in Oklahoma.

[srkruzich]

Yeah, I'm planning on sticking around. Was really starting to miss this place. Have some interesting things I want to post and get a discussion going about as well... but that will have to wait for another time as I'm getting quite tired. Comfy bed, here I come!

LOL welcome back!   

[Ross]

Actually it was I that told them that whoever negotiated the contract got screwed big time!  The oklahoma windfarm information just confirmed my statement.   Like i said if you wanna play with the big boys you gotta have testicular fortitude.  I would have done the research and found out what other sites that company paid fees on and based my negotiations on those figures. Start high and settle around what they are paying other sites.   Looks like this company sent the big city boy in and dazzled the country bumpkins in charge with a bunch of trinkets.  Hmmm didn't the white man buy new york for a bunch of beads one time?

Yea, Srkruzich,

I made the remark that Enid, Oklahoma had the same company building the same size windfarm paying them $3 Mllion a year. I read it on the Associated Press.

Anyone can google it.

[Ross]

I just stumbled on an article about a church that volunteers to do for their community.
I thought perhaps Elk Konnected, LLC mght find it interesting.
Perhaps Elk Konnected, LLC and all it's volunteers could follow their example and help out the less fortunate in Elk County?
That is if they really want to provide a superior lifestyles in Elk County as stated on their Puglic Square Communities, LLc web site.

I think you have to start at the bottom and work up to make it to the top.

Anyway, here is the link to the story.

Families grow produce to benefit Crisis Center of Johnson County
http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20120624/NEWS01/306240009/Families-grow-produce-benefit-Crisis-Center-Johnson-County?nclick_check=1

Perhaps we can find out itf the volunteers really care about all the citizens of Elk County and what they can do to prove it.

I personally just today gave meat and eggs to a needy person, no strings attached, with out the need of an organization.

Let's see what an organization can do. 
Let's cheer them on folks.

[flintauqua]

The taxing entities near Enid did not have to negotiate a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) from the developers of the wind energy project.  Wind farms in Oklahoma are not exempted from property taxes, as they are in Kansas.  You are comparing apples and potatoes!

I have explained this before, and presented the facts of the matter several times, but since they do not fit Ross and Kevin's preconceived agenda of running down any and every thing that the commissioners have done over the past 5-10 years, what I have presented repeatedly just gets overlooked by them, like I never even posted it.

I encourage everyone in Elk County to contact their commissioner directly and/or go to the courthouse and find out exactly what is going on, not take Ross or Kevin Wray's word on anything.  What they present is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but they want everyone to believe it is.

They present a lot of assumptions and opinions, and when they do present factual information, they usually leave something out, or try to apply the same interpretation to very different situations without mentioning the differences.  That is error by ommission, and Ross and Patriot both have PhDs in it.

[Ross]

The taxing entities near Enid did not have to negotiate a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) from the developers of the wind energy project.  Wind farms in Oklahoma are not exempted from property taxes, as they are in Kansas.  You are comparing apples and potatoes!

I have explained this before, and presented the facts of the matter several times, but since they do not fit Ross and Kevin's preconceived agenda of running down any and every thing that the commissioners have done over the past 5-10 years, what I have presented repeatedly just gets overlooked by them, like I never even posted it.

I encourage everyone in Elk County to contact their commissioner directly and/or go to the courthouse and find out exactly what is going on, not take Ross or Kevin Wray's word on anything.  What they present is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but they want everyone to believe it is.

They present a lot of assumptions and opinions, and when they do present factual information, they usually leave something out, or try to apply the same interpretation to very different situations without mentioning the differences.  That is error by ommission, and Ross and Patriot both have PhDs in it.

Flint

I think you have that all wrong.

I believe I was comparing $1 mllion dollars to $3 million dollars, I wasn't comparing government laws.

I have repeatedly told people not to believe what I say.
You seem to be the one that is concerned about what you want people to believe, IMHO!
I have repeatedly told people to think for themselves.
Mostly, I ask questions. And I believe Mr. Durbin pointed that out today on another thread.

Whether Enid negotiated with the windfarm or not matters little, they still got $3 million a year.
Do you suppose it's possible, if they had been forced to negotiate, they may have gotten more?
But you seem to point out that the $3 Million was freely handed over, how sweet is that?

I believe I documented by use of a web link that Enid was to recieve the $3 million?
Can you do the same, as to whether Enid negotiated or not with the windfarm?
I'm not asking about Oklahoma Law, I'm asking about Enid and the windfarm?

As far as your timely statement, "What they present is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but they want everyone to believe it is.", I believe that applies equally to you and our Konnected Kounty Kommissioners as well.

I was taught very young, believe only half of what you see and none of what you hear.
I believe that properly applies to reading as well.

However, if people think Elk County deserves another four years of Konnected Kounty Kommissioners vote for them, or stay home, they know their choices.

I simply suggest people get out there and vote.
Especially in the primaries.

I will patiently await the results and hope for the best.

And you haven't seen me mention any names of who people should vote for.
Because I believe that is their decision alone.

[flintauqua]

Ross,  There is no web site that talks about any of the taxing entities near Enid having to do anything to collect what the wind farm will owe to them.  And you know it! 

And it has everything to do with differences in state law between Oklahoma and Kansas.  The Kansas Legislature exempted wind farms from property taxes, the Oklahoma Legislature did not. 

So, in Oklahoma, the wind farm gets a tax bill that will vary from year to year based on valuation and the current mill levy, just like you do on your farmette.

In Kansas, the county can't just send a tax bill to the wind farm.  The Kansas Legislature saw to that several years ago.  Instead a Payment in Lieu of Taxes must be negotiated. 

And the PILOT that was negotiated by Elk County was finalized several years before the Enid project was announced, so how can you say Elk County should have tried for the same amount.  Were the commissioners supposed to be clairvoyent and somehow know what would happen in the future?

Why don't you compare what Elk County is receiving with other wind farms within the state of Kansas?  You know, compare apples to apples. 

Oh, wait I know the answer - if you did you would have to admit the Elk County Commissioners did a pretty good job negotiating one of, if not the best, wind farm PILOT agreements in the state of Kansas.

[Ross]

Ross,  There is no web site that talks about any of the taxing entities near Enid having to do anything to collect what the wind farm will owe to them.  And you know it! 

And it has everything to do with differences in state law between Oklahoma and Kansas.  The Kansas Legislature exempted wind farms from property taxes, the Oklahoma Legislature did not. 

So, in Oklahoma, the wind farm gets a tax bill that will vary from year to year based on valuation and the current mill levy, just like you do on your farmette.

In Kansas, the county can't just send a tax bill to the wind farm.  The Kansas Legislature saw to that several years ago.  Instead a Payment in Lieu of Taxes must be negotiated. 

And the PILOT that was negotiated by Elk County was finalized several years before the Enid project was announced, so how can you say Elk County should have tried for the same amount.  Were the commissioners supposed to be clairvoyent and somehow know what would happen in the future?

Why don't you compare what Elk County is receiving with other wind farms within the state of Kansas?  You know, compare apples to apples. 

Oh, wait I know the answer - if you did you would have to admit the Elk County Commissioners did a pretty good job negotiating one of, if not the best, wind farm PILOT agreements in the state of Kansas.

It sounds to me as if though you just want to write the rules for what people think and do.

Sorry my friend. I am still comparing from the same windfarm company with the same electrcal output for both areas, and what they pay Elk County and what they Pay Enid.

Same company, same wattage get it?

$1 million versus $3 million, not apples and potatoes is it?

That was the comparison and remains the comparison for me, sorry!

I hope everyone is able to get out and vote in the primaries.