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Town of Union should quit stalling on battery storage decision
In the April 5 edition of the Press & Sun-Bulletin is a public notice from the Board of the Town of Union that it would hold a public hearing concerning a “temporary” moratorium on battery storage facilities in the town. Supposedly the town needs more time to consider their potential impacts.
But I recall attending a hearing in 2023 about a moratorium on such facilities because the town lacked the expertise to write appropriate regulations. Apparently, at the time no one on the board was aware that the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency, NYSERDA, publishes model legislation specifically intended to fill the knowledge gap for localities.
One wonders what the town supervisors have been doing these past three years that they must once again impose a moratorium on facilities that could contribute to lowering electricity bills, ostensibly because of a lack of local expertise. A cynical person might well conclude that the Republican-controlled board is more interested in joining the MAGA war on clean energy than it is in doing what is in the best interests of its constituency.
Leo Cotnoir
Johnson City
No Kings rallies is part of a healthy democracy
According to multiple dictionaries, the word democracy means “ruled by the people.” Government power is based on the consent of the governed. Equality of all citizens is essential. A democratic society has free, fair and frequent elections. Civic participation ensures that the people are involved.
All government actions should be transparent. The minority must be included in negotiations and debate. Information from the government should be accurate and useful.
A multi-party system maintains democracy. Once the winner of an election is declared, a healthy democracy will accept the results.
In a democracy constitutions define and guide government powers. Governments are governed by laws, which cannot be invented by the government. A “bill of rights” in constitutions, combined with judicial review, ensures that legislation, legal decisions, and acts of government officials do not violate basic rights.
Democracy recognizes all individuals have protected fundamental rights.
Examples of basic rights include: freedom of religion, political freedom, freedom of speech, economic freedom, freedom of individual expression, the right to privacy and the right of freedom of association in public and private and human rights such as access to food, shelter, work and health care.
The No Kings rallies exist because democracy exists.
Frances Tirinato
Apalachin
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Lessons in battery storage and healthy democracies | Letters
Reporting by Letters to the Editor, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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