Editor
To date 16 towns have withdrawn their support for the New England Clean Energy Connect Project. This past Monday night Jay residents turned out to present their petition to the Jay Selectman. But a funny thing happened on the way to democracy. Apparently not being able to distinguish between their personal views of the project and their roles as representatives of the citizenry, the selectpersons saw fit to reject the petition for no good, articulated reason. Certainly, the people did their work, collecting the requisite number of verified signatures, and we deserved our due. This is not the end of our work, and we plan to force the town to put this to the popular vote we are asking for.
Right now, this process is admittedly a gesture since the decision on the powerline is still a purely administrative decision for LUPC, the DEP, and the PUC. But the conditions on the ground are changing and chances are good this will yet go to the legislature where the demonstrated popular sentiment will be very important. So too will be a study of what the benefits of this powerline really will be. Through a shell game type analysis, CMP assures us this is green power but take a look at the just publicized loophole in the Massachusetts contract that omits this very guarantee. Green power or a pig in a poke?
Steve Bien, Jay
What democracy? Do you think you can compel the town to listen to you? This not about some poorly written town ordinance that people have a grievance with that the town has refused to address, the town can’t do jack about the NECEC even if it wanted to. As for the other towns on the line who don’t support it, they are still going to get tax money from it, just as Jay will. So quit whining the town did this the town did that, because even with the notary calling for a town meeting should they choose to, the town can still refute the petition, and the citizenry can take the town to court and let them sort it out, it is called checks and balances.
Hrtlss, what planet are you from?
I’m glad that even though the elected officials in Jay ignored the people there is still some listening. LD 1363 – a bill that would require local town approval of the corridor before it can be built, and would put a moratorium on the project till the end of next year. The townspeople of Jay should remember the actions or a few next election cycle. Also the governor should enjoy her one term.
To help clarify my last comment this is an email I received explaining a little bit of LD1363.
This week the fight against the CMP corridor got even more intense. We won a major victory in the Energy Committee with the passage of LD 1363 – a bill that would require local town approval of the corridor before it can be built, and would put a moratorium on the project till the end of next year. Here’s how the Bangor Daily News described it:
“After Maine’s public advocate warned that it could “kill the project,” a legislative panel endorsed a bill on Wednesday that would mandate local approval of Central Maine Power’s proposed corridor despite a deep split on the issue that crossed party lines.”
LD 1363 is a no-brainer: CMP should not be able to run this project through towns against the will of the people. Maine has always respected local control as a core value of our way of life, and LD 1363 prevents CMP or any other utility from leveraging their million-dollar Augusta lobbying budgets to squash the voices of local citizens. It is our voices, not the voices of the giant international utilities who fly in private planes, that should determine our future.
This is a big win, but we still have a long way to go. The bill passed committee on an 8-5 vote, and now moves to the legislature for several more votes in the House and Senate. It’s critical that we keep the pressure up to get this bill over the finish line.
We need to make sure we thank those who stood with us. Below are the legislators who voted for LD 1363 and for local control. Please reach out to them and let them know how much you appreciate their support:
Sen. Mark Lawrence – Mark.Lawrence@Legislature.Maine.gov
Sen. Dave Miramant – David.Miramant@legislature.maine.gov
Rep. Seth Berry – Seth.Berry@Legislature.Maine.gov
Rep. Vicki Doudera – Victoria.Doudera@Legislature.Maine.gov
Rep. Chad Grignon – Chad.Grignon@Legislature.Maine.gov
Rep. Nicole Grohoski – Nicole.Grohoski@Legislature.Maine.gov
Rep. Christopher Kessler – Christopher.Kessler@Legislature.Maine.gov
Rep. Tina Riley – Christina.Riley@Legislature.Maine.gov
We also need to keep the pressure on the legislators who sided with CMP on this vote. Below are the lawmakers who voted against local control and LD 1363, please contact them and urge them to stand with the 72% of Mainers who oppose the CMP corridor:
Sen. David Woodsome – David.Woodsome@legislature.maine.gov
Rep. Jeffrey Hanley – Jeff.Hanley@legislature.maine.gov
Rep. Steven Foster – Steven.Foster@Legislature.Maine.gov
Rep. Deane Rykerson – Deane.Rykerson@legislature.maine.gov
There’s one thing we’ve learned from this fight so far — if we stand together, and if we raise our voices loud enough, we can overpower the high-priced CMP lobbyists. We’ve won every vote so far, but each day CMP keeps adding to their army. It’s estimated they’ve got more than a dozen lobbyists working in Augusta right now, paying more than $100,000 a month to defeat these bills. We can’t match their money, but we’ve got the people of Maine on our side.
So far, that’s proven to be more powerful. But we need to keep the pressure on.
Thank you for all you’re doing to help stop the corridor. Please enjoy your weekend, and let’s keep the fight going next week!
Just Wow to HB,,
Ok I finally figured out what’s really going on with the HB,,
Here it is,,. The Dark Money is actually being paid to HB by the opposition knowing that there is nothing more effective at boosting the opposition than these increasingly hysterical Rants against the people,, by the one and only Hrtls Bstrd.
It’s a win win,, He gets to spew his smelly material and people turn the other way..
BRILLIANT!!!
I gotta say,,, Even if this corridor gets forced down our throats against our will, ANYONE who has a problem with any town putting this to a town wide vote is a dictator.
It’s a Pig.
It’s not Green.
What possible reason could anyone have to be against a town wide vote?
Other than hate or fear.
Thank You all for your work fighting this corruption.
Let the people be heard.
That’s what this is about (hello Janet).
The ironic part of this whole situation is that while the petitioners call foul and say the select people should do what they want and that they are being coached by cmp, who are those against it being coached by and who is funding all the signs and mailings? I feel the people that have been elected to make decisions for the town have done just that. They have researched and gotten information from different places and voted in the best interest of the town. It is the liberal way. If you don’t like what others do, just insult them and put them down.
Hrtless,
But the town of Jay can do jack about the NECEC. Just like the other 16 towns have.
Please take a moment and research Senator Seth Berry’s bill LD-1363.
This legislation if passed, will allow all municipalities through which a high impact electrical transmission line will pass to hold a local referendum and thus certifying to the commission that a “majority” of the voters at the election voted in favor of the construction of the line through that municipality. In other words, if this passes, Jay will get their vote, as the 16 other towns have. A definite check and balance, don’t you think? Democracy in action. And the best part is well, we know the line isn’t coming through if this bi-partisan bill passes.
Steve Bien is right, there are changes on the ground, bi-partisan changes. And eventually, the voices of the people impacted by this line will be heard.
One more thing, let us flip your statement “as for the towns on the line who don’t support it, they are still going to get tax money from it, just as Jay will.” Lets instead say ” as for the towns, in this case SelectBoards, that support it (the Corridor) they are still not going to get their tax money from it, just as Jay won’t.
You know, I’ve often said this isn’t a done deal, but it is. CMP has multiple hurdles now, multiple. And a growing backlash of criticism coming from all sides, and it’s bi-partisan too boot. The company just needs to pack up those mono-poles and move on. This issue has caused enough grief and division.
So…..
CMP, kill the project. The majority of the people don’t want your Corridor here.
Nell,
As in the case of the Jay SelectBoard and any other board that gets their information from CMP officials behind the scenes, that’s not research, its bias. And excepting favors and invitations to social events from CMP is not acting in the best interests of a town. It’s acting in the best interests of oneself.
Selectman of Jay and Hrtlss Bstrd,
The laws are written and the peoples wishes need to be respected. This project will be stopped whether it will be by public outrage, litigation or legislation or the simple fact that it is an outright PORKING! of our state and citizens FOR NOTHING. The towns can refute the petition but the law is crystal clear on what comes next. The fact that the people are sick of their elected representatives acting like they are our leaders when they are not should be a sign that change is coming and the swamps will be drained to below the local level. If the corruption doesn’t stop the people are waiting to do what is right. Elected officials seem to take their oaths as just a formality when it is truly the higher standard that they need to conduct themselves by on our behalf. Every single day the grass roots of this opposition grows deeper because of the corruption that is coming to light and how bad of a deal this project is for our state. The legislature is in the process of passing bills that will in fact give our local governments power over this project being constructed. This project is doomed to go the way of Northern Pass…
Awww, Do you seriously think LD 1363 will pass when half of the 151 dems in the house and 15 in the senate and the governor are backing some half-baked green new deal propositions. Mills is putting solar panels on a 158 year old state historical site, do you think she cares about some dropped trees? Mills has always been a supporter of the NECEC she will do her homework and she will see that if LD1363 passes, the NECEC will not pass town muster so she will not sign it, she is going to see the same thing most dems see, the words “green energy” and dollar signs. If you haven’t figured out that Mills and our other elected officials are going to use Maine as a half-assed litmus test for the things that the federal dems are proposing, you should make the coffee a little thicker and wake up. I support the NECEC for reasons that are my own and because it will be providing power to Massachusetts isn’t one of them, I don’t care for MA very much to be honest, if the Bruins and Pats were in Maine, I’d have no reason to go to MA at all.
@ Nell don’t label people liberal if you don’t know them. I’m far from liberal and so are MANY people that oppose this corridor. How about you educate yourself on this topic instof siding with elected officials that aren’t doing the peoples will. Many of todays politicians forget theywork for We the People not themselves and greedy corporations.
Steve, no doubt, pig in a poke.
Nell, interesting comment. If you had been to any of the dozens of meetings going around, or part of the grassroots group Say No to NECEC, you would realize that opponents represent a diverse group of people from all political persuasions and walks of life. We are republican, democrat, rich, poor, tall, short, skinny, fat and passionate about one thing- Maine and Maine’s future. On the other side you have, almost universally, paid suits and conflicted stakeholders.
It is also interesting that the obviously conflicted proponents current arguments have digressed into smear tactics “they are in favor of pollution and funded by dark money” when it should be obvious to any objective critical thinker what is really going on here.
#iamdarkmoney
Just Wow,,
from hrtlss bstrd, to John Carroll to Doug Herling to the Jay officials I feel like they are so bad they are good for us. No Corridor!
On the WCSH show this morning “political brew” Winners of the week- No NECEC; losers of the week- see above
#wearewinning
Neil,
You mentioned that the selectmen did their research and voted in the best interest of the town…ok.
Does that include the 2 that voted to let it go to a town vote??? Lol..
You act “as if” it was unanimously voted down.
Far far from it.
The 5th wheel (Judy Diaz) was forced to not vote for to her alliance with CMP.
This smells worse than the pulp mill on a bad day!
The tide has changed,,and you all know it.
Otherwise,, what would be the harm in letting this go to a town vote???
Any guesses on how that goes..YES!
Hasn’t anyone noticed the sudden resurgence of “wind power” advertising and articles???? The CMP thing has nothing to do with civic or environmentally minded folksy folks. It’s about a couple local folks looking to profit by winding up the wind industry lobbying again for a potential project pay day…
Weirdly stupid how the State of Maine had gone around testing down dams the last few years,,,
But we have no qualms about supporting hydro dams elsewhere.
Maine State Government,,, No Too Bright.
We vote for a Selectman to be our voice. Not the voice of CMP. Maybe it’s time for the taxpayers to have a no confidence vote for the three selectmen who denied us our right to vote. The CMP ad that Judy Diaz is in depicts the town has being in favor of the corridor. Nothing could be further from the truth. Is she working in the interest of the town or as a mouthpiece for CMP? We would like to know how CMP is putting billions into our state.
I live in Portland, which is experiencing rampant growth and development, to the detriment of the remaining green space and the regular working class people (and the poor). I am continually amazed at the tactics of
big business to frighten, bully, coax and sway voters to their side regarding projects that truly only benefit
the few, who desire material gain.
We just rec’d a mailer from the NECEC, which is on card stock, full page sized and full color. Front page, “Say yes! to 1600 Maine jobs. They don’t mention that those jobs are temporary. And they call themselves clean energy. Well, we know that the power is coming primarily from hydro-power in New Brunswick. The over enthusiastic damming of the waterways up there has destroyed habitat and adversely impacted Indigenous peoples, to say nothing of the creatures trying to survive altered environments. And they say “learn more at goodformaine.org. Really? On the back page the headers are in deep red (read “stop” in media psychology).
They call the opposition “nonsense.” I have to say, whomever is working on these campaigns must be very well paid because they are impressive lies. Now I have to go and get myself OFF the NECEC mailing list. I saw this type of thing in action here with regard to zoning changes. The developers told the immigrant communities that blocking the zone change for development would prevent them from accessing “affordable” housing in Portland. With a baseline starting price of 350K. Scare tactics and half truths, IMHO.