First Wind should pay their bills instead of spreading money around in areas they want to develop...since they have lost several million in the last few years. The town manager of Mars Hill sold his house and rented property to theml. He said it was ok to have a wind farm l without reading the proposal given to the town. Didn't notice there might be a problem with noise. First Wind gave money to a ski resort in Mars Hill. Local residents say he is the grandson of the owner of land leased to First Wind for a wind farm. He was given a new van and a new ski lift. He couldn't pay taxes on it and lost his business.But he showed up at the hearing in Lee to say a wind farm is a wonderful thing. First Wind got their wind farm in Mars Hill. Locally..Kirk Richie was given money for HIS fair in Springfield. Granted businesses are given money all the time by First Wind. (Nice to have local business leaders behind you) Why did first Wind say they donated to the Springfield town fair then? It is Kirk Richie's fair. He proposed as a Lee selectman that Lee pay for a group of lawyers to research ways the greater Lincoln area could make money off of the wind farm.(According to the Lincoln News)To be paid back by First wind of course. That idea was dropped. But why lend money to a giant corporation that is so broke it may have to start selling assets. The vote had to be recounted 3 times before Kirk won selectman this year...by 50 votes just magically turning up putting him over the top. When I told Kirk that Stetson Mt. ,which is a big draw for hunters to the area, would be gated after the wind farm...he said hunters like to walk out with their game. Could you walk miles with a bear or moose on your back? . Rental cabins and convenience stores get a lot of business from them. About the only means for work...we are so isolated. Pro wind farm folks don't seem to care about locals . They usually have received money. see a pattern? Bribery of public officials was one of the allegations leading to the NY AG investigating First Wind.

If it Gobbles like a Turkey, Waddles like a turkey, Flies like a Turkey, and shows up on your table on Thanksgiving DAY......ITS MOST LIKELY A TURKEY....!!!!

You know I don't really care what you say about Ray from Mars Hill or Kirk Ritchie from Lee they are used to people taking pot shots at them. Just a hazard of the job. I wouldn't have a clue who owns Mars Hill mountain or what kind of a van he has, but maybe it was included in the lease agreement who knows, who cares. First Wind if they can't stand the heat they should stay out of the kitchen. My question is, do you realize that you just accused the ballot clerks at that election of stuffing the ballot boxes in Kirk's favor. In our small town the ballot clerks are our friends and neighbors that sometimes give up a day at a job that really pays something to do a job that pays minumum wage as a service to their community. Theres no way that ballots just magically turn up. When you go to vote your name is checked off a list and you are given ONE ballot. They are required to and do keep a very accurate count. It's not a game and they don't keep opening the ballot box all day to see who's ahead now. The box is open and the votes are counted at the end of the day, there are no hanging chads like FL. I respect your right to vent about your beef with Ray, Kirk & First Wind but reallly think it's to bad to drag innocent people into it. Come on they didn't do anything to you. FYI I have never been a ballot clerk and never plan on being one, day is to long, pay to little.

It seems to me that if a company is under investigation for illegal activities, their large projects should not be ushered through the system until they have been cleared by that investigation. The charges are serious, and if they are found to have merit, it is not a company that we want around - regardless of whether they provide handouts to the locals. Throwing money around to a few of the locals is not the determining factor of whether they are "good corporate citizens". I understand that that with heating costs so high right now, any help that is available is greatly appreciated. However, Maine citizens deserve to have corporations in this state that have integrity.

Mars Hill has noise levels that are too high, but they are allowed to expand before this issue is resolved? Does any one notice that we are being steamrollered and our local councilors and selectmen do not seem to care? Why let a company into the community which has a track record like First Wind? They are in a big rush because eventually towns will zone them out but they caught Maine unprepared to deal with them. They are ugly, noisy and do not make much power. Their prime locations are offshore, but they sniff TIF breaks which is proving to be the biggest mistake the Great State of Maine ever made. TIFs are attracting the wrong businesses and the greedy Town Officials want their share of new money to blow. If you think your taxes will drop or your electric rates will go down you are dead wrong. Kick these flatlanders back to Mass or Texas or wherever they are from. Save our scenery, keep Maine beautiful.

Ah yes like the good socialist state that we are let's demonize the corporations so we stay the poorest state that we can possibly make ourselves.

Stick to the socialist party line. Good work. :-)

Alexander-Hunt..........Why do you say we are demonizing corporations? Do you know that not wanting a criminal crporation in your community is different than socialism? I cannot comprehend your thinking. Do you like the fact that tax payers are going to bail out Wall Street and banks that have used criminal business practicies? We get nothing for it. true socialist countries get free health care , education etc. for their tax dollars. We in America don't get much for ours. Except corporations bribing govt. officials and taking over our commuities and ruining them.