Supervisors Lovingood and Ramos Join Forces Against Massive Wind Project
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San Bernardino county First District Supervisor Robert Lovingood's
reliance upon inept county staff has resulted in an overall mediocre performance from his
district's seat.
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Supervisor Lovingood gets one right!
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July 27, 2014
With Robert Lovingood's election to the county's First District
seat, we were highly encouraged that a redeeming replacement to the morally corrupt Brad
Mitzelfelt was finally going to represent the will of the constituents of the First
District.
Unfortunately, Lovingood's performance hasn't fully met
our expectation of him. Instead of addressing many of the entrenched
problems of the county, especially with the dysfunctional and
sneaky
Land Use Services Department, Lovingood has taken the easier route of buying
into county business as usual, largely coasting on the coattails of a derelict
and entrenched county staff that he has placed his trust in.
Lovingood's support of a Solar Initiative last year to address industrial
solar facilities being inappropriately placed into residential areas was a good step; but
so far that has only resulted with
defective code language
that leaves
many problems
still unanswered.
A major problem with the county has been the permitting of alternative
energy and other businesses that violate the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA);
and in some cases, the county's own codes.
And let's not forget the county's continued draconic exercise of
excessive construction requirements that has made San Bernardino County one of the most
expensive and unfriendly counties in California to build in; that today highly discourages
major construction, economic growth, and jobs.
North Peak Wind Project
Despite a number of disappointments from Supervisor Lovingood,
he has struck gold with us in his opposition to the North Peak Wind Project that
is planned for over 16 square miles of mountain ridges and slopes in view of the
better part of Victor Valley.
The project's planned disfigurement of the landscape is dependent
upon the permitted use of the land that is principally controlled by the federal Bureau
of Land Management. An entity that we have
previously written about
as being illegal as the land under the U.S. Constitution is supposed to be owned and
controlled by the sovereign state of California.
Artist rendition of the North Peak Wind Project as
it would be seen looking down Central Road (on the right) from the intersection of
Nisqually Road in Apple Valley.
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Robert Lovingood has teamed up with the Third District supervisor,
James Ramos, to send a joint letter opposing the highly visible project to Neil Kornze,
BLM Director. The letter reportedly cites concerns of anticipated drop in
property values, viewshed disruptions, damages to Native American cultural resources,
interferences with radar tracking, and numerous environmental concerns.
It is noteworthy that Lovingood's letter recognizes the anticipated drop
in property values, viewshed distruption, and numerous environmental concerns regarding
turbines on the distant ridge lines but that he was blind to see the same problems to
adjacent landowners in connection to Thomas Stickley's Newberry Springs
Active Towing eyesore.
In a press release on the wind project, Lovingood is quoted as
stating "San Bernardino County has already borne the brunt of renewable energy
projects." "For a wide variety of reasons, this is the wrong location for
this project, and I urge the BLM to reject the North Peak Wind Project."
Supervisor Ramos is quoted in the press release with similar
concerns over the project that was voiced in the joint letter.
Both supervisors are correct that under the Equal Protection Clause and
Due Process, the legal theory of 'reverse incorporation' may support that San Bernardino
county is taking an improper brunt of the federal government's placement of large
scale alternative energy development. Placement of projects that are mostly
not taxable by the county and that are diminishing the county's tourist industry.
Alternative energy projects cripple California.
As more and more of the state's mandated alternative energy
projects go online, they are providing the most expensive source of power.
The cost of this highly expensive power is being totally passed onto the
ratepayers who are having their standard of living lowered.
As developers are chosing inexpensive rural desert sites for their
developments and maximum profits, California electrical ratepayers are also
being forced to pay billions of dollars for new transmission infrastructure to these
developments.
While the progressive Democratic controlled state leaders in
Sacramento are eager to please Obama and his Administration's alternative energy
objectives, the problem of atmospheric pollution (much of the Obama Administration's
pollution models have been scientifically disproven) are skyrocketing California's
power rates.
California's geography and population is only a fraction of the
world's; and represents only a small fraction of the atmosphere that is constantly
circulating in the Trade Winds. While Sacramento is driving manufacturing
businesses that consume great amounts of power out-of-state by skyrocketing power
rate increases, other countries like China, India, Russia, Pakistan,
Indonesia (and most of the remainder of the world), are attracting jobs by building
coal generated electrical plants as fast as possible. China is averaging one
new coal plant per month.
California's warped thinking, supported by the Obama Administration,
is leading the stupidity and decline of the U.S. At least Australia has recently
woken-up and is now starting to abandon the progressive liberials' fear mongering
over a super heated planet.
While most of the alternative energy projects are targeting
BLM land, the county can challenge the projects. If the county can remain a party
in the courts supporting the exportation of 50,000-plus acre feet per year of precious
San Bernardino county desert water to Orange and Los Angeles counties, it can legally
challenge the unfair continuation of alternative power facilities being dumped
in the county; and it can certainly refuse to participate in the
Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP).
These facilities are usually tied to time sensitive financing.
Lengthly legal challenges disrupts that timing and can doom a project, such as the
Tessera, and later K Road Power projects east of Newberry Springs. If the county
started to protect its desert, the word would quickly spread that such projects are
not welcomed. Find another location.
Supervisor Lovingood is correct, "San Bernardino County has
already borne the brunt of renewable energy projects." It is time that he takes
a firm stand against any more being dumped in his district.
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