LETTERS
SEND YOUR VIEWS AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: DON@NANTUCKETINDEPENDENT.COM
DISPUTES "EXAGGERATIONS"

To The editor:

Reading last week's anti-wind farm letters in the paper was like reading bad fiction. It is frustrating that after seven years of trying to disseminate truthful information about the Cape Wind project and the merits of wind energy in our region, misinformation and sensationalism abound.

I object to the histrionic comparisons of the wind farm to Manhattan, as if we will have walls of skyscrapers from end to end blocking views for miles. Yes, we will have 130 pylons in an area the size of Manhattan, which leaves plenty of space for boating, fishing, and even rescue missions, should the need arise. I have utter faith in our Coast Guard, boat captains and pilots and their ability to navigate amongst wind turbines that stand six to nine football fields apart. "The same physical and visual impact as New York City?!" I think not. Let's leave the melodrama to the tabloids.

There have also been concerns expressed over the lights of the wind farm and its effect on the night sky. Having traveled to Denmark to see the effect for myself, I can say that from six miles away, which will be the closest distance of the wind farm to land on the Cape side, I had to squint to see the lights. At 11 to 14 miles away, Nantucket will be hard pressed to see anything.

These tabloid exaggerations do nothing to arrive at honest answers and reasonable solutions to the wind farm question. Yes, we do need to protect our island and the environment for our children and our children's children, and we can only do that by keeping crude oil and toxic waste out of our Sound and fossil fuel emissions out of our air. Let's protect Nantucket Sound by keeping its air, land and waters clean and free from polluting energies.

- Laura Wasserman UP IN THE AIR

To the editor:

As I stated in my original letter concerning Cape Wind, the concerns being raised by local airport managers is purely political in nature. Mr. Al Peterson, with all due respect to his knowledge and experience, has given a fine example of this in the wording of his response. Words such as "land grab," "the size of Manhattan," and "I would like the Coast Guard to be able to go below 1,000 feet in this area" are excellent examples of alarmist rhetoric being used to sway public opinion, by someone in a position of authority who should know better, that most certainly is political.

In their previous "Determination of no hazard to air navigation," the FAA had completed a thorough aeronautical study concerning the height, location and number of turbines proposed for Cape Wind. They found that the wind farm will pose no hazard to air navigation. To better understand this finding one should look at the current regulations regarding aviation:

From Federal air regulations part 91 (general operating and flight rules)

91.3 Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command.

(a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft.

91.103 Preflight action.

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include -

(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC.

To put it simply: A pilot is responsible for his choice of action, and deteriorating weather is not an excuse. Erecting Cape Wind will affect the choices that a pilot will make, this does not make Cape Wind a hazard to aviation. From a safety first perspective choosing to fly 20 miles over open water (direct Nantucket to Hyannis), especially in a single engine aircraft at an altitude of 500-1000 feet, isn't exactly wise. Alternative routes, albeit a few miles longer, would be to follow the shorelines of Tuckernuck and the Vineyard, or closer to Monomoy. Last, but not least, Cape Wind's footprint will be west of a plotted direct route from Nantucket to Hyannis.

- John Canevari LAST CHANCE TO SPEAK OUT

To the editor:

On Tuesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. at the Nantucket High School auditorium, Nantucketers will have their last chance to speak out in opposition to the Cape Wind Project. I am not against alternative sources of generating electricity; however, Cape Wind's proposal is full of flaws and very inaccurate facts. Their financial plan has been rebutted and questioned in an article by William Koch, who has been in the energy business for over 25 years. His article states that Cape Wind had originally projected a cost of $825 million to build and now four years later it will cost $1.6 billion. The original cost to produce a kilowatt hour was 1.8 cents and now it is 6.6 cents. The real stinger is they will have to sell the power at 18 cents per KWH. Currently I am being billed .11672 cents per KWH. This computes to a 35.16 percent increase. That is a huge premium to pay just to say we are "green." I do not feel that any other alternates have been investigated. I'm certain tidal generation could be done at a much lesser cost. And the benefits of being out of sight and considerably more reliable would demand that this source be investigated. Yes, I am strongly in favor of reducing our fuel consumption, however, not at such an outrageous increase in cost to the ratepayers.

Mark your calendars to attend a meeting on March 11 at the High School to voice your opinion at the Federal Government hearing on this subject.

- R. C. "Ted" Taylor

ANOTHER $4 MILLION

The following letter was originally sent to Lee Ann Pasquini, Executive Office for Administration and Finance, County Government Finance Review Board, and is reprinted here.

Dear Chairman Pasquini:

Please add to the original request for $1 million, in letter dated July 17, 2007 for construction of a badly needed Public Safety Facility an additional request for $4 million for that same purpose. This money has been collected and accruing over the years through the deeds excise tax on the sale of Nantucket property and the resulting deed transfers. These funds have been paid for by Nantucket people and should be used toward the betterment of the Nantucket community.

The urgency of this request comes as a result of the Act Transferring County Sheriff's to the Commonwealth proposed by Governor Deval Patrick, a piece of legislation that would take not just a portion but all of the deeds excise money already accrued and all the money that would be collected in the future. This legislation, which has never been put before the Nantucket people to vote on or even discuss, would put a huge tax burden on the very people who have already paid the deeds excise tax to begin with, in that the Public Safety Facility would then have to be paid for completely with an additional tax. Nantucket receives no House Bill 1 money and has not for many years.

Has the Governor been so long removed from the working class, not the ultra rich who visit but the people who actually live here, that he forgets that people work two or three jobs just to pay their mortgage and buy food? I thought the days of Taxachusetts were over. I urge you to approve the two requests for a total of $5 million of Nantucket's own money to be used toward the Public Safety Facility in Nantucket County. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

- Richard M. Bretschneider,

Nantucket County Sheriff