Oppose Scout’s request

To the editor:

Tax abatements are granted based on the promise of significant new job creation. 

Wind energy actually generates very few jobs. After construction is completed, perhaps four or five long term jobs, tops.  

Wind energy was never intended to be in highly populated areas.

Why, you ask? 

The giant turbines are simply not good neighbors. They obstruct country views for miles, they can put off a very irritating noise (that can last for days at a time), they produce annoying shadow flickers and obviously can adversely affect nearby property values.  Who wants such an annoying neighbor? 

Furthermore, many of the above nuisances have been proven to cause troubling health issues.

Many of the supporters of Bitter Ridge Wind Farm have made it very clear — it’s all about the money. 

I have witnessed the Town of Redkey becoming more accommodating and appeasing in recent years, a trend I would like to see continue. Old downtown buildings are being refurbished and new businesses are popping up. How exciting.  However, if the proposed wind farm is a go, I wonder if we will see these new businesses splitting town?  

Is it possible for our county to make more money in tax revenue by not providing the abatement?  As landowners, we are required to pay our property taxes.  Why can’t a major company pay its taxes?

If you care about Jay County, I encourage you to be present at the abatement meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Jay County Courthouse auditorium.

Rachel Price

Rural Portland

Funds are a bribe

To the editor:

In response to Saturday’s letter to the editor, the definition of a tax abatement is the “Reduction of or exemption from taxes granted by a government for a specific period, usually to encourage certain activities such as investment” as stated by businessdictionary.com.

As far as I knew, Scout had already agreed to invest money into Jay County. Why then would Jay County need to give an incentive for them to come to Jay County? Jay County would receive more money from Scout in the long run without a tax abatement than they would with one.

Looking at the situation from afar it would seem that the money that Jay County is receiving from the company, if the county grants a tax abatement, is nothing more than a bribe. According to Merriam-Webster a bribe is “money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgement or conduct of a person in a position of trust.”  In other words “if you give us a tax abatement then you will receive a certain amount of money” which by definition is a bribe. It is a bribe that those that are living in the current wind farm and those that will be living in the proposed wind farm will have to suffer.

We will have to suffer health issues, nuisance (read the gag order in your contract), environmental issues (hello PETA) and lost property value. Who is going to help those that are and will be suffering? When it comes to the almighty dollar, I guess no one.

Jennifer Keller

Rural Redkey

Why give a break?

To the editor:

While some in the community think a tax abatement for the proposed Bitter Ridge Wind Farm is a good thing, my question is, why do they need it?

Scout Clean Energy is already receiving federal subsidies, so why do they need Jay County to give them millions in tax abatements? The abatement was voted on once and denied. What has changed?

Scout stated at the first public meeting that if they did not receive the abatement they would not build the wind farm. Well, they are still here and trying for the second time. 

Have you received your property tax reassessment? Everyone I have talked to says their property value increased. I know mine did.

We are already paying them with our federal tax dollars. Must we give them a break on their county taxes too?

There is a public meeting at  the Jay County Courthouse on Wednesday at 6 p.m. for a second vote on the tax abatement. Let your voice be heard.

Deb Fouch

Rural Portland