Congressional attempts to advance energy legislation this summer have done nothing to boost America's long-term energy security -- in fact, jeopardizing the ideal of reliable supply. As the only developed country that substantially restricts access to known domestic energy resources, our lawmakers should consider the potential effects that these faulty bills could have on our economy. ...The United States needs all forms of energy. However, Congress is working to advance legislation that sacrifices traditional forms of energy in hopes that alternatives and renewables will somehow make up the difference. This short-sighted approach places politics above sensible policy and America's economic well-being. Both the Senate and House energy bills must be overhauled to realistically provide for America's energy future, or they should never see the light of day.

I am equally saddened to see the sorry, unreliable, expensive substitute - a "wind farm" - being installed just west of Salina. A recent full-page ad in the Journal-World dishonestly portrayed children playing under a wind turbine. Fact is, the noise created by these gigantic turbines will make the land uninhabitable for nearly all forms of life, including people and birds. No responsible parent would allow their loved ones to live or play around these monsters.

In fact, nothing is going to raise our electricity rates faster than the installation of wind power. It is the most inefficient and overpriced form of power currently being flogged to consumers by "green-posing" politicians and profit-hungry wind developers. The real cost of wind power is staggering when you add it all up. ...Higher costs might be socially acceptable if wind could actually replace coal-fired generation, but it can't. Wind power is unpredictable and will always require backup from a reliable, on-demand, source. ...Beyond the direct costs of wind power, we must also factor in the socioeconomic and ecological costs. Foremost among these is the loss of property values, which reliable estimates suggest is about 30 percent, on average, for those unfortunate enough to become wind farm neighbors. ...Due to deceptive government legislation, the high costs of wind power are being temporarily concealed from consumers in order to encourage its public acceptance. But don't be fooled;

For those of us who call this area home, there are real worries about the documented health effects that may occur if such an industrial complex is built so close to our homes. There are concerns about safety during the building phase as well as from the turbines themselves after construction. The wind turbine complex controversy continues to divide our county. This conflict isn't about foreign oil or saving the planet -- it's about location and the proposed location is not suitable. ...There are fears about property and market values decreasing on the biggest investment that most of us have. Some claim that there is no proof to any of these concerns. We can provide ample documentation to show that the county is taking a huge risk if this project proceeds. To the doubters, we say we don't want to be the guinea pigs that find out whether the fears and concerns are real or not. It's simple, move the location of the turbines somewhere where there are not homes and eliminate the risks.

As both of you know, Iberdrola cannot resubmit their application for a year, unless you make a special exception for them. There is research to be read and flaws to be corrected, so all of us probably need at least that year. I urge you, therefore, to learn from your mistakes and take the year to do all of the research that we need you to do.

If indeed the wind farm idea is dead at this point and the company does not reapply in a year, there will be plenty of what-ifs strewn about in the coming days, months and even years. And Henman will always be remembered as the commissioner who voted it down. But Henman is right. The zoning rules and regulations do need revisions before something like this project is approved. ... Zoning is created to protect the rights of citizens from having large industrial complexes built near them, regardless of whether or not it is an environmentally friendly or highly lucrative industrial complex.

The draft agreement contains rather weak provisions for monitoring the wind farm's effect on the environment. We encourage the parties and the commission to strengthen those provisions. Wind farms have a place in the nation's search for alternative energy sources, although that place is far from firm. The economic viability of wind farms still depends on tax incentives. Their long-term profitability in the volatile energy market is uncertain. ...But here we are. A wind farm is on the way. Let's do our best to limit its adverse impact on the land where we live.

Just more than 43 percent of the landowners have signed a formal protest petition stating that they do not want to live in an industrial park. The actual percentage of landowners against this project was closer to 67 percent. ...These are the landowners that live within 1,000 feet of where these intrusive machines are proposed to be built. I use the word intrusive because there is no other way to describe how these 67 percent feel about being forced by others to live under conditions they had not chosen for themselves. Conditions from which the county itself vowed to protect.

There is way too much heat - pardon the pun - and not enough light on the whole global warming discussion. How much power will it take to provide the living conditions the majority of us want and how will we generate it - megawatt by megawatt? Waiting for the unavoidable shortages that will result when the environmental alarmists have blocked all realistic power-generating solutions will certainly solve the air conditioning problem. Only the environmental elites (like Mr. Gore) will have air conditioning!

As I drove on, I was less amazed and more distraught that anyone would call what I saw, a farm. My uncle is a farmer and his farm doesn't look anything at all like what I saw. The words wind and farm conjure up a friendly pastoral connotation. An image that is harmonious with nature. What I saw is an industrial wasteland. Row after row of huge machines placed menacingly along the highway. They evoke images of the future and the "Terminator," a science-fiction/horror film. It doesn't look anything at all like a farm. The vista looks like a factory, a huge money-making, profit-sucking corporate machine. There weren't any farm hands working the area. Machine after machine of cold hard steel and there was no one working.

Neighbors are scared of neighbors. One resident told me he's frightened to ask a neighbor to look over his livestock if he leaves for the weekend because the atmosphere is hostile. This is far from the friendly atmosphere I moved here to experience and make a part of my life, and it makes it difficult to advocate for others to come and experience the city and county I have come to call home...Today, as we stand shoulder to shoulder, watching fireworks and celebrating our freedom, let's add a new word to our vocabulary regarding the wind farm debate: respect.

This editorial is in response to those who have questioned the veracity of viboracoustic disease and ‘wind turbine syndrome', most recently S.R. Zwenger who asked "can anyone provide published articles on this mysterious and elusive disease?".

I feel as if our community has been kept in the dark about the 130-plus wind turbine facility to be located in Ellis County. I am a neurologist in the Hays community, a taxpayer and a voting constituent. After doing a bit of research regarding wind turbines, I believe all of us residing in Ellis County need to be involved in making the decision of whether or not we should permit a wind turbine facility to be located 5 miles from the city of Hays. I am an advocate of wind and solar power. I believe wind power is an excellent manner in which to generate electricity. But, I do not believe it is in the best interest of Ellis County and the city of Hays to have this facility within 5 miles of our community.

Regardless of the fact it will be detrimental to the residents of a small neighborhood, affect the landscape for a quarter of a century, won't reduce the usage of fossil fuels much, if any, and the many other reasons the zoning board could have used to make the decision to tell the salesmen no that just wouldn't have been thinking big. You've got to think big. And even if it all fails, oh well, the Ellis County grade-schoolers of today can clean it up in 25 years. Maybe you should ask them.

The Ellis County Commission should be cognizant by now of the depth and strength of opposition to the wind energy project from those members of the community who would be most affected by it. We continue to educate the community of Hays and collect signatures on our petition for a moratorium, based on the fact that there has been no qualified, independent assessment of either the economic or the environmental impact of this project in its proposed location.

The burdens of this wind turbine project, then, do not fall equally upon all members of society, nor do they fall in rough proportion as the benefits upon those who do stand to gain from the project. Furthermore, those upon whom the burdens fall are not an all-volunteer army. No one who built or bought residential property in the area west of Hays had any idea that they were possibly taking on the burden of health and safety risks and so on. Thus, this project is unfair. If the project is built as it is presently proposed, the non-leasing people who live near the project will bear the greatest share of the burdens without sharing in the benefits in a similar proportion.

For local, heartfelt stories and more information regarding wind turbine issues refer to elliscoalition.blogspot.com. We all need to be educated about this project. Let's keep wind turbines away from families in our community. What is the purpose of the Ellis County Planning Commission? Be consistent and fair when making wise decisions that promote health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the citizens in Ellis County.

I welcomed zoning to Ellis County. It was supposedly established for the protection, safety and well-being of the citizens of Ellis County. Now I find out differently. The regulations written for the wind project were written in a way to favor commercial interest and not for the citizen's protection, safety or well- being. Now who should be scolded? The final example was when one of the commissioners recalled his eighth grade science teacher's prescient thoughts concerning the role of sun and wind to help meet our energy needs. Too bad he was not also taught about proper setbacks for turbines, sound travel, property devaluation for homes near turbines, and honesty in establishing industry in Ellis County.

Why are they willing to pit neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, family against family? Is it all in the name of being earth-friendly and wanting to lessen our dependency on fossil fuel? Or is it the almighty dollar rearing its ugly head speaking loudly and clearly? Sadly to say, I believe it is the latter. Let the Ellis County community stand together and be able to say that we fought big corporate business and won.

A lot of residents living in the proposed wind energy development area are getting really tired of the lies and criminal activities of Krista Gordon and CPV corporation in our neighborhood - and they haven't even built any of their big ugly machines yet.