Thursday, May 14, 2009

Steven R. Kula Letter to the Editor - May 14, 2009

Steven R. Kula

11470 Davis Road
Prattsburgh, NY 14873
(607)522-3377
steve.kula@yahoo.com
May 14, 2009

To the Editor:

I began to provide an overview of the unethical behavior that has taken place in Prattsburgh over the last few years surrounding the wind turbine issues. Unfortunately, as I finished my second page, I realized that I was only about half done. In light of space considerations, I will confine my remarks to the present issue, and hope that the voters have been paying attention to the events leading up to the present.

I have a clear record of speaking out about the blatant corruption that I have seen. I have been quite vocal about the conflicts of interest and the misappropriation of tax dollars. At one point developer Tom Hagner, of Ecogen, told me that it would be better to work on an agreement without including the whole town board. He thought that since I had experience in highway matters, we could work something out between ourselves and the highway superintendent, and then present it to the rest of the board. It should be clear that I am not one of the members of our board that has chosen to work privately with Mr. Hagner. This is why I am completely astonished at the deal that has been offered to me by Mr. Hagner, and town attorney John Leyden.

Mr. Leyden believes that I should recuse myself from “official participation, action and duties in connection with the Windfarm development”, as “one of the qualified local contractors…which Ecogen desires to use, is ‘Kula, Inc.” There is no matter before the board at this time. I am not being requested to recuse myself from any particular vote, but to stop working to expose the truth about this project and the corruption surrounding it. The inference is clear- if I stop making noise, and stop doing the job that the taxpayers have hired me to do, my father’s company may receive contracts worth potentially millions of dollars.

Mr. Leyden and Mr. Hagner, I will not negotiate behind closed doors. Consider this my response. Neither my vote, nor my silence, is for sale.

Steve Kula
Town Councilman
Town of Prattsburgh

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