(Former Governor Thomas P. Salmon (the Elder) circulated a letter-to-the-editor praising Vermont Yankee and its supporters as it nears shutdown. The letter was just asking for a pithy response. Here is one I particularly like! – promoted by Sue Prent)
There is plenty to criticize in Tom Salmon’s ode to Vermont Yankee, but two paragraphs are particularly odious. He writes,
“Eight years ago…I began to notice the heat being turned up on Vermont Yankee. A rather fierce ideological battle from the hard left ensued. Some were Vermonters, but the vast majority lived in other states… However, in Windham County, a hardy band of citizens said, “We want to be heard on these issues.” And so the nonprofit Vermont Energy Partnership was founded to advocate on behalf of public policies that facilitate affordable, safe, reliable, clean power…”
The Vermont Energy Partnership was founded by a “hardy band” of the most powerful corporations, few from Windham County, including IBM, Casella Waste Management, and Pizzagalli Construction, plus business associations like the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association. And, of course, Entergy.
Despite being a former governor, Mr. Salmon conveniently forgets democratic process – unless he believes that our own legislature and towns were infiltrated by the folks living downstream from the reactor. In Town Meeting votes across the state over the years on referenda on the future of Vermont Yankee, 51 towns voted to close Vermont Yankee and only 3 towns voted down the resolution. The Vermont Senate said shut it down in February 2010.
To paraphrase Sen. Randy Brock, a Republican who reluctantly voted against Vermont Yankee, if anti-nuclear activists had infiltrated Entergy’s board of directors, they couldn’t have done more damage to Vermont Yankee’s reputation than Entergy did to itself.
I am always surprised by VY-lovers that claim to be shocked that VY closed.
A) We knew this was coming for 40 years.
B) When Entergy did not buy the $100M condenser (and instead gave that $100M to their CEO as his pay), that made the 20 extension moot.
Everyone that knows anything knew VY was going to close, and not run for another 20 years.
Sorry I’ve fallen down on the job sorry took so long to comment. Great story!
If I’m wearied by this bunch I can only imagine what the faithful activists like yourselves going back decades must be feeling. I haven’t even been standing sentry over this bunch for very long but I did put up a good fight, was virtually brassknuckled & kneecapped by these kind folks & even have a death threat to my cred. I wasn’t one of the well-behaved boys & girls but we all had our stategicly placed trenches & battle positions nevertheless.
– “Five shots couldn’t drop us we took it & smiled” -Tupac Shakur, “Hit ‘Em Up”.
Late Great Julie Waters deserves a shout-out:
http://www.greenmountaindaily….
Was prolific VY/EL critic:
http://www.greenmountaindaily….
And there are more:
http://www.greenmountaindaily….
VEP then VTEP & its faithful propagandists Guy Page & Brad Ferland who carpetbombed VT w/misleading, parently false & completely untrue op-eds in fact served as Propaganda Ministry for its sponsors, yes, none other than Vermont Yankee owners Entergy Louisiana:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/ind…
Until a few loudmouths in the VT blogosphere outed this huge lie they continually referenced them as such, they hid their slanted opeds on the pages of VT’s esteemed news publications under the cover of VT MSM lalaland as a repectable business group rather than lobbyists for Vermont Yankee & sponsored by Entergy Louisiana — all other states with nuke plants also have their local versions.