For those of us “sitting” in Jefferson County by choice, we like the rural community lifestyle and county landscape.
We want to protect and preserve it for ourselves and future generations. NextEra “sits” far outside the county and sees nothing wrong with their stance of taking portions of our land to erect tall towers and high-power transmission lines across front yards and driveways. Changing the aesthetics along a 176-mile corridor including Jefferson county two-lane country roads to increase profits makes perfect sense from where they sit.
Their representatives have not failed to deceive and intimidate land owners along their desired path to agree to perpetual leases that permit them to do anything above or below ground while permitting the land owner to do nothing but mow the grass and pay the taxes.
We learned of their evaluation of us Thursday night during the remote login period of the online
Jefferson County Commissioners meeting when one of the South Florida elitist referred to our citizens as just a bunch of rednecks.
His open mike declaration, apparently unbeknownst to this sophisticate, clearly showed what we are up against.
For me, if loving my community, its people and its landscape means I'm a redneck; then I will proudly wear the label.
During the commissioners meeting we got a good cop, bad cop presentation from NextEra's point man, Timothy Bryant.
He declared, numerous times, NextEra's desire to be a good neighbor as he listed all the wonderful ways NextEra intends to benefit us, including a $300,000 bribe if our Commissioners would stop being a pest to NextEra.
Basically, he was asking the Commissioners to abandon their previous support of Jefferson County residents for a fee.
He eluded to increasing the bribe if the Commissioners would simply delay their vote on a safety ordnance that NextEra apparently views as an obstacle they prefer not to have to deal with.
Hats off to our Commissioners for not bowing to NextEra bribes and threats.
And, a salute also Attorney Doug Collins for aggressively pursuing avenues to stand up to big money and big power.
Our Commissioners have offered NextEra, via a resolution, an alternative routing to lessen the impact of their power line if it cannot be stopped coming through our county even though no one here gets any power service from it.
NextEra's reply Thursday night was that numerous planning factors negates the rerouting. Well than explains everything. Doesn't it?
I see it as the same old approach we have seen before.
Feed them glittering generalities and if that doesn't work go with the threat and intimidation.
It's a tough fight ahead. A real David and Goliath scenario. But, I feel it's worth throwing a few stones to protect what we have.
Steve Trent
Jefferson County Redneck