Way to screw things up Brownback

[flintauqua]

Rep. Jim Kelly, Dist. 12

Capitol Office
Room: DSOB
Seat: 41
Phone: 785-296-6014
Email:jim.kelly@house.ks.gov

Home Information
309 S. 5th
Independence, Kansas 67301
Phone: 620-331-7874

Business Information
Occupation: Banker

Other Information
Spouse: Eloise Kelly

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sen. Jeff King, Dist. 15

Capitol Office
Room: 237-E
Seat: 15
Phone: 785-296-7398
Email:Jeff.King@senate.ks.gov

Home Information
1212 North Second Street
Independence, Kansas 67301
Phone: 620-331-9888
Fax: 620-331-9888
Email:jeffkingks@hotmail.com

Business Information
Occupation: Attorney
Phone: 620-714-1881

Other Information
Spouse: Kimberly King

[flintauqua]

The actual announcement from the Governor's office:

https://governor.ks.gov/frontpagenews/2011/05/06/road-map-for-wind-energy-policy

[srkruzich]

Red, what does all that have to do with this thread?

Because anytime you lose a right to property, I.E. leasing your land expanding a business like a windfarm, GOVERNMENT ALWAYS has its hand in it.  AND THE ONLY WAY it can get its hand in it is when folks take the trinkets the Government has to offer.  AKA subsidies, welfare, ect ect ect.....

[srkruzich]

Yeah, this is not good for Elk county and surrounding areas... the first glimmer of hope for new economic activity and it looks like it's going to be ending before it even starts.

Anyone talked to Jeff King? Who's our state rep now since King is now in the senate?

I got a question for ya Mark.  OUTSIDE of the landowner making a awesome tax exempt profit, and outside of a few jobs being produced during the construction, and when it is finally completed, what economic activity would benefit the county??  They aren't even selling the power in Kansas, its being piped to TVA in Tennessee, and there won't be but less than 50 jobs for maint folks.  No money is going to be spent in the county unless your only counting the measly million they are paying in lieu of the corporate tax the county could be generating along with the tax increase on the lands that the towers are built on.  

I'd say elk county got the shaft either way.

[flintauqua]

Steve,

1.  The lease payments to the landowners are just like those paid by oil and gas companies - they are taxable income.

2.  I wouldn't call 200 plus construction jobs 'a few'.  Those workers are and will be spending money on food, lodging, gas, etc. while they are working on the towers.  Granted, not all of this will occur within Elk County, but a very large percentage will.

3.  Elk County needs any and all possible employment opportunities.  Whatever the number of maintenance jobs is, they are certainly not to be scoffed at.

4.  Doesn't matter where the power is going, it's putting money into Elk County and the surrounding area.  Westar had their chance to purchase the power and turned it down flatly.

5.  A 'measly million'?  Come on!  It's a hell of a lot more than Butler County got for the Elk River (Beaumont) Project, a sure as hell better than a kick in the pants!  And there is no 'corporate tax', never has been on wind power in Kansas.  That could change in the future, and if it does, then Elk County will collect ad valorem on the wind farm instead of the PILOT.

When is the last time anything brought this kind of economic activity into the county?  Building the watershed lakes did in the 70's and 80's, but there weren't but one or two permanent jobs created.  The workers that built the new K-99 from Howard to Severy pumped a little bit into the area, as was documented by a slight bump in sales tax collections during the period.

[Mom70x7]

One store owner has already told me more money is being spent in her store.

[greatguns]

I agree it is more than the $159,000.00 that Butler County gets.  Just curious which way Dave Murfin owns land from the Elk River Wind Farm.  5 jobs beats none all to smitherines.  I sick of this scenery thing.  Don't put up a new barn 'cause it ruins my view.  GET REAL!  I'm sure someone padded Brownback's pocket.

[Sarah]

I agree it is more than the $159,000.00 that Butler County gets.  Just curious which way Dave Murfin owns land from the Elk River Wind Farm.  5 jobs beats none all to smitherines.  I sick of this scenery thing.  Don't put up a new barn 'cause it ruins my view.  GET REAL!  I'm sure someone padded Brownback's pocket.

I believe Dave Murfin owned land adjacent to the wind farm on the north side or thereabouts.  I used to work for Dave Murfin and remember his secretary talking about it.  He doesn't live out here, but owns, or did own, the land there and didn't want the view ruined with the wind turbines.  He obviously lost that battle because they're there.  But his view would have changed A LOT since he's right there beside them, but since he doesn't live out there, not sure why it mattered other than a drop in property value I would suppose.

[Sarah]

I can see the million dollars that will be paid to the county for the next 20 years to be tempting, but how many people will this employ permanently?  Will the people that are hired to build it even be local?  I realize the wind farm going up west of Howard is bigger than the one by Beaumont, but the one by Beaumont only hired 6 people.  And the reasons they allowed the wind farm is very very much the same reasons Elk county has......jobs, tourism, money coming into the county, etc, etc.  But honestly, I have yet to see very many people go by there to see it, in fact, of all the times I've been over there I never see anyone and the hotel/restaurant in Beaumont still closed over the winter, so it didn't help them all that much.  The building of it won't last forever and so that is a very temporary income.  Even the money coming into the county is temporary when you view 20 years in light of forever.  Just wondering what people will think 100 years from now when the wind farm is still standing there, but there's no more money coming off of it except to the land owners?  Even if that  power was going to the people of Elk county, that would be something.  But 40, 50, 70 years from now, what will it be?  Will it hire enough employees to support the people of Elk county?  Or will they hire people from out of area? 

Just questions. 

[Sarah]

Oh, and in passing, here's the link to the full story posted by the Wichita Eagle on it. 
http://www.kansas.com/2011/05/15/1849731/expansion-of-protected-area-kills.html