Thursday, April 29, 2010

It's Windy...

As you can all probably assume, I have been completely swamped with school and parenting for the last week...so I have been a really bad blogger. Forgive me, please:-)

The babies are awesome, and sleeping a little bit longer at a stretch all the time, which is very good news! The Boy and I are also thinking about what ridiculously giant present we are gonna buy his mother for Mother's Day, but that is another subject entirely (ideas?).

I am completely changing subjects here for a second, though, and doing some politics/public policy stuff. In case you missed it, the wind farm in Nantucket Sound was finally approved yesterday and will go ahead after years and years of opposition from some very well heeled NIMBY opponents.

Long story short, this is the perfect place to build a wind farm, save for one little problem...it will be visible on the horizon from the vacation homes of some of the country's richest and most powerful people. With some well-funded and very well connected opponents, the project ran into a whole series of ridiculous roadblocks and a massive public relations fights.

The key opponent was always Ted Kennedy. The "Liberal Lion, promoter of green energy, opponent of fossil fuels, friend of the environment and Great Progressive Voice" managed to use all kinds of shady tricks and back-room dealings to stall this in hopes that the builders would simply run out of money and give up (he had the authority to issue the permits transferred a couple of times to have the whole process started over again...at various times, it was the province of the EPA, Army Core of Engineers and Department of the Interior, and he filed legislation to change it whenever the project was close to approval).

You see, as it turns out, Mr. Kennedy was maybe just a little bit self-serving from time to time...and maybe didn't believe in liberal causes so much when they appeared in the view from his beloved Hyannisport estate or that of some of his big donors across the Sound. The Great Environment Fraud himself, Al Gore, even refused to stand up to Tubby, once saying that he would defer to the judgement of his friend.

The President finally pulled rank on everyone and basically ordered that the permits be issued, and I think he was right to do so, and I am glad he did. (And yes, in case you are wondering, we will be able to see it from the most beloved beach house). Would he have done it if Ted Kennedy was still alive? I don't know...he went against the wishes of some other powerful people (like John Kerry, for example) but none of them were as vested as Kennedy or as entrenched. I guess it really doesn't matter.

Anyway, I don't laud the President enough, so I figured that I would:-)

4 comments:

Deirdre said...

I heard that your new Senator is opposed to it as well. I wonder if he is in favor of offshore oil drilling in places far from his backyard, like LA or CA! Congrats on your beautiful babies!

Ally said...

Hmm...maybe a day at a spa? I'm so glad things are going well. Thanks for sharing photos!

Anonymous said...

I live out in the Mojave Desert next to, I believe, the largest windmill farm in the country and I think they're absolutely breathtaking! They look great at sunrise, sunset, covered in clouds, in clear skies, surrounded by snow... you name it, they just look magical. Granted I've never been to Nantucket, and I don't own property that may devalue when this happens, and here they litter the mountains... not where the sea meets the horizon. But my guess is that it will be a fabulous sight to behold!

Just ME said...

My bff Amy showed me your blog. I have twins too. They are 2 now... have any questions give me a shout. It gets easier EVERY day.... EXCEPT FOR POTTY TRAINING.