HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY?

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY?
Tom Constantine, USMC (Ret.)
Hanson, MA


The Patrick administration (that’s our esteemed governor) is planning to put the full faith and power of the Massachusetts taxpayers behind Cape Wind, the proposed wind farm in Nantucket Sound. The governor’s office has been very quiet about this—almost in stealth mode. Why? Well for one, the entire project will be financed primarily with YOUR tax dollars ( you know---like the Big Dig) Another reason for the imperceptible publicity is that because of the initial astronomical cost your utility bills will DOUBLE for the foreseeable future---perhaps forever. Yes folks, the rate payers are about to be blindsided---again. There are many troubling aspects of this project that are not being talked about. One is if it falls flat on its face, the leader of the consortium walks away with his pockets full of taxpayer cash and the rate payers get stuck with the white elephant. Another is the physics of wind generation. Wind generated power does not produce high voltage which is required to push electricity through the grid. The consequence of this is that high voltage electricity will be required to be pushed out to Nantucket Sound to push what electricity is generated back to wherever the grid will be located. Another issue not being talked about is that on calm days---Cape Wind will produce nothing and backup coal, natural gas, and nuclear will have to be on line and running to produce electricity and protect the grid. So----what do ultimately save---probably little or nothing or worse, it costs us money, which is the likely scenario. Let’s not even think about hurricanes.
 
Most galling: Hydro Canada has been, for years, attempting to sell their extra electricity, which they have a whole lot of, to us---we the folks in New England. It is alleged that the Canadian electricity will cost HALF what we are presently paying per kilowatt. How you ask? Because the electricity is produced at a fraction of the cost by water going over a dam. Water going over dams is real cheap and CLEAN. It is also alleged that the reason none of this has happened is that the electrical generation companies, here in New England, have very highly paid lobbyists who have been blowing in the ear of our governor ( a democrat), our state legislature (most of whom are democrats) , and our federal representatives ( all democrats) and the congressmen and US senators in the New England states (all but two are yes, you guessed: democrats) Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Governor Patrick has said he doesn’t want to send Massachusetts dollars to Canada. “Are you bleepin me.” Governor Patrick would rather send our dollars to Mid East oil cartels (Saudi Arabia)? Jobs? The turbines and everything else related are made in Germany and other foreign countries. USA no longer manufactures much of anything. Our esteemed political leaders, you know---the ones who have been in office for 10, 16, 20, 30 years, have allowed and encouraged all of our manufacturing to go overseas because of the stifling regulation and taxation of American business. Remember that this November 2. Vote folks. Your wallet depends on it!