Wind Turbines Sprouting on Elk County Prairie

[srkruzich]

"Screw off flint You pompous blowhard son of a bitch"
Wow!!! Now that's an excellent example of having a honest, decent conversation on this forum.  No wonder so many readers continue to join in and share their views in these open discussions.

Yup just like the open and honest conversation that ole flintboy there threw out at me.  I've never said i was politically correct.

[Diane Amberg]

How about a time out for all of you and no playground time until after Thanksgiving. Instead write a 500 word essay on what you have to be thankful for ,then free anger management classes for several of you. The self aggrandizement and super egos are beginning to smell less than fresh.

[Ross]

How about a time out for all of you and no playground time until after Thanksgiving. Instead write a 500 word essay on what you have to be thankful for ,then free anger management classes for several of you. The self aggrandizement and super egos are beginning to smell less than fresh.

That's beautiful Diane.
I'm in my corner.
LOL
Urtil you turn your head.

[flintauqua]

I am thankful that Elk County will be receiving $21,867,638 from the Caney River wind project over the course of the next 20 years.  Is this amount less than the approximatly $3,000,000 per year that all the different entities that receive property taxes from the land involved in the Chisolm View Wind project in Garfield and Grant counties of Oklahoma will receive.

Yes.

Is it fair to compare a project in a state (Oklahoma) that does not exempt wind energy projects from property taxes by state legislative edict with a project in a state (Kansas) that does exempt wind energy projects from property taxes, no matter where they are located in the state, via a 1998 act of the legislature?

No.

Did the taxing entities of Grant and Garfield counties have to negotiate a payment from the Chisolm View wind project developers?

No.  The developer is required under Oklahoma state law to pay whatever tax is levied against the assessed value of the project to all of the entities that have taxing authority over the land involved.

Did Elk County have to negotiate a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) to receive any direct monetary contribution to the county budget from the Caney River wind project developers?

Yes.  If they had not, the county budget would have received nothing, as there is no legal obligation on the developers part to pay anything, because there is no enabling Kansas state statute that allows any local or state governmental entity to levy a tax upon the project.

So, again I reinterate.  I am thankful that Elk County negotiated a sizable PILOT from the Caney River wind project developers, one that is more than 4 1/2 times per MW what Butler County will be getting from the Elk river project, and over 3 times as much as Cloud County will receive from the Meridian project.

Have a blessed day!

P.S Yes, I'm 185 words short.  Sorry, Diane. 

[Ross]

I am thankful that Elk County will be receiving $21,867,638 from the Caney River wind project over the course of the next 20 years.  Is this amount less than the approximatly $3,000,000 per year that all the different entities that receive property taxes from the land involved in the Chisolm View Wind project in Garfield and Grant counties of Oklahoma will receive.

Good point, poor negotiations.

But is it:
Good for our country's trade deficit ---- NO
Good for our country's national security ------ NO

How many millions possibly billions will this company and other company's who are building all these wind farms with taxpayers dollars, how much will they take home to their country? How much is too much?

[Diane Amberg]

Ross, you can't find anything good to say about the wind farms?
By the way, teachers have 360 degree vision.

[Ross]

Ross, you can't find anything good to say about the wind farms?
By the way, teachers have 360 degree vision.

Diane, would you consider 360 degrees of open mindedness with that 360 degrees vision?

Diane, First I am an American Citizen and a veteran and a taxpayer and therefore entitled to my opinion just as you are.

And due to the extreme trade deficit of our country that does affect our country's national security and I feel it is iimportant  to bring to light this danger. As well as the problems created locally.

There are organizations that have poped up and apparently do not trust our elected officials to do the right thing. So they popped up to influence and attempt control, in my opinion.

Diane, I think the wind farms would be terrific if the Billions from free generation of electricity was kept here at home. Now isn't that something good to say about the wind farms?

And if that free electricity was sold to the US citizens at a reasonable rate. Just how do/does the average work-a-day taxpaying citizen benefit? How do you benefit personally while your tax dollars are being used to send all that money to foreign countries. You don't, do you? But, commerce does? Commerce is the wealthy? The wealthy benefit from your tax dollars, right?

I see minor benefit to some business for a short period of time, but how are they going to feel when all the work is completed and all the workers and heavy equioment leaves?

We have all been sucked in by the idea of going green to save the planet while our country's taxes are used to build these wind farms allowing the Billions in profits go to other country's and does nothing for our soldiers and veterans or any average citizen of our country.

Again, we have people and organizations in the county lining up to get their hands on the money the county government may get from it? The County Government is suppose to be there to be trusted to do the right thing, however it seems to have been compromised by association with Elk Konnected as two coutny commissioners are associated with Elk Konnected. You would have to be blind not to see what is happening here were you to look at the whole picture. And if it is happening here, what is happening in other communities where wind farms are being built? Perhaps those other counties and communities are not as fortunate as we are enough to have a forum like this Elk County Forum where they can discuss it. But, back to the people and organizations here locally.

Our County Commissioner representing Elk Konnected attended the Red Hats club meeting and asked all the sweet elder lady members what they thought the monies should be used for. When told to lower peoples property taxes the Elk konnected County Commissioner Liz Hendricks (Perkins) told a little old lady who lives on a fixed income, no in a very polite way, that the money should be used for purposes other than lowering her property taxes.  Go figure --- why do anything to help out the average tas paying citizen of Elk County. We have the highest property taxes in the state --- we are number one on the property tax rolls. Elk Konnected provided a whole list of stuff  to the Elk County Commissioners that they want to spend the money on but you don't see that little old lady's suggestion on that list, do you?  

At the Howard Chamber of Commerce the subject of the use of the PILOT money's was discussed and the seed planted to access those money's for their use.

I also, believe all this greed by commerce related to the PILOT is the reason for the development of ECCEF and Elk Konnected.
Sure, they want you to believe these organizations were developed before the Wind Farm. But, they probably won't admit to the fact that they were developed during the process of environmental studies and the wind evaluations and the during the talks and development of contracts with land owners (the Perkin"s and Liebau's and a few others) and the talks with various electrical companies to accept their wind generated electricity. All that did not happen over night and neither did ECCEF and Elk Konnected, although they did happen before the information about the wind farm was released. because they were privy to the nformation.

This is more about the wealthier people in Elk County then taking care of the people like the little lady that suggested they use the money to llower her property taxes. Do you realize that her suggestion to Elk Konnected never made the list provided to the Elk County Commissioners by Elk konnected?  Do you think that is proper? Why?

There has been so much more information about the list and who is involved at http://www.cascity.com/howard/forum/index.php/topic,11780.0.html

There is a lot of contoversy at this link and Elk Konnected refuses to return and continue the discussion, and the only reason I can figure they won't return is because the double talk by them was being exposed. They don't dispute or disprove anything with any facts, anything being said on that thread. My personal opinion.

There is just more bad then good about the wind farms if you just look at the whole picture rather then what you are told to look at.

I hope, I have answered your question sufficiently.

I would love to have a small wind generator on my little bitty farm, that would be terrific. But, I am not a foreign country's company that can get taxpayers money from the federal government to pay for it.

And I can't get any of the special tax breaks they get.

[ddurbin]

Ross,
You appear to be saying in part of your above post that EK isn't interested in or considering doing anything to lower taxes there in Elk County.  Checking back to the link provided (which is your initial post in the whole discussion of EK's presentation to the county commissioners), lowering taxes was the item receiving the most consideration and was the top item in their category of "Fiscal", which they also had at the top of the list of recommendations.  If I am misreading that initial post, please let me know.

[Ross]

Ross,
You appear to be saying in part of your above post that EK isn't interested in or considering doing anything to lower taxes there in Elk County.  Checking back to the link provided (which is your initial post in the whole discussion of EK's presentation to the county commissioners), lowering taxes was the item receiving the most consideration and was the top item in their category of "Fiscal", which they also had at the top of the list of recommendations.  If I am misreading that initial post, please let me know.

Okay I goofed, I make errors because I am human.
So ya all can withdraw your statement that Ros is always right.

However, I was there when the Elk Konnected, County Commissioner Liz Hendricks (Perkins) told the lady at the Red Hat Meeting that te money needed to be spent on somethimg that will last other then lowering taxes.

But pardon my plunder and it's great to hear from an Elk Konnected member.

Have a great day.

[ddurbin]

Ross,
Don't get excited just yet.  As I have mentioned previously, I am not associated with Elk Konnected in any way.  I have never attended any of their meetings or functions, or contributed to any of their efforts monetarily or by service.  I am not saying that I oppose them necessarily, just that I am more neutral where they are concerned.  I'm just trying to see the facts from both sides to get an accurate view of the whole big picture.