Something wicked that way blows...
At the last stretch of the highway just before the lush oasis that is Palm Springs sprawls outward ahead of you on the horizon, a handful of delightfully-designed windmills spring up on either side dotting the landscape.
And, when the night sky turns full, the whirl of their ultra-thin blades are the only sound that gently whisper in the good night.
No one down yonder has complained the windmills are a blight on the sweeping landscape.
But, an unholy war is raging between country cowpokes and city-slickers over the issue, back east.
For cash-strapped farmers, wind-energy turbines offer an infusion of cold hard cash in tough times.
But, the cry of - "not in my backyard" - echoes across the rugged terrain.
Epecially in the mid-Atlantic regions where the property lines have been quickly drawn in the rich soil.
Yes, harsh words are uttered, and a little name-calling appears to be the order of the day.
In the local farming community, the city dwellers (who have second homes near the turbine farms) are being called "citiots" because of what is perceived as a farcical stand on the terra firma.
The "citiots" respond with fired-up notions that the windmills are an eyesore that blemish the unspoiled idyll they've come to call "home".
Louis Freedman, a public policy consultant in Washington, D.C., opposes a project near his country homestead in Virginia on the grounds that the land is "sacred".
"More valuable than energy savings," he grunts.
With one turbine a farmer is capable of generating about $5,000.00 a year in rent compared with $300.00 in revenue based on corn or soybean crops.
Steven Schwoerer, a dairy farmer in Normal, Ill (whose efforts have been blocked by the opposition) underscores the reality of the situation.
"These people don't understand that they're living in the middle of my business."
He argues that the turbine projects are "good for my community and for my grandchildren, and if they don't like it, go back to town."
Maybe they'd be happier if you installed a rickety old oil rig on the property, eh Mr. Schwoerer?
No, things are not "normal" in Illinois, folks!
