Tuesday, July 03, 2012



Wind Farm Opponents File Suit Challenging Town of Morrison's Sign Ordinance

The small town of Morrison, Wisconsin, near Green Bay, has a free speech problem.  The town’s sign ordinance prohibits residents from placing signs with political or religious messages on their own property, and town officials have used that ordinance to stifle opposition to potential industrial wind turbine developments in the town.

Today, with legal representation from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, four Morrison residents – James and Barbara Vanden Boogart and Jon and Lori Morehouse – filed a federal lawsuit (Eastern District of Wisconsin case number 12-cv-491) challenging the constitutionality of the sign ordinance and seeking damages from town officials.  The lawsuit alleges that town officials – many of whom signed financially lucrative contracts to host wind turbines on their property – have used the sign ordinance to threaten and bully wind turbine opponents, like the Vanden Boogarts and Morehouses, in order to silence their voices.

“It's disheartening that town chairman Todd Christensen and other officials spend so much time and effort preventing town residents from putting up 4-foot signs, while out-of-state developers are trying to put up 400-foot wind turbines,” said Plaintiff Jon Morehouse.  “Government exists to protect people’s rights and freedoms, not take them away.”

Source

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Plaintiff Jon Morehouse said, “Government exists to protect people’s rights and freedoms, not take them away...”

He's obviously thinking of America when it was a free country and not simply a herd of sheep.

Anonymous said...

"...while out-of-state developers are trying to put up 400-foot wind turbines.”

God forbid that technology designed to help move us away from our dependence on foreign oil should be promoted.

Anonymous said...

anon109 - The conservative mantra: "Industry always trumps individuals."

Anonymous said...

“Government exists to protect people’s rights and freedoms, not take them away...”

Obviously the plaintiff hasn't read or understood the Federal Papers where the founding fathers laid out the principles of limited government with the clear expectation that a government given too much power would do exactly that.

Anonymous said...

"...while out-of-state developers are trying to put up 400-foot wind turbines.”

God forbid that technology designed to help move us away from our dependence on foreign oil should be promoted.


Oh, you mean things like advanced drilling techniques that would allow us to be entirely self-sufficient WITH OUR OWN OIL and GAS.

Use the Name, Luke said...

God forbid that technology designed to help move us away from our dependence on foreign oil should be promoted.

God forbid that we actually drill our own oil.

Anonymous said...

1:09

And instead rely on foreign wind farm equipment and foreign solar panels? LOL

Anonymous said...

Are Yanks too dumb to develop and manufacture their own wind-turbines or solar panels? Or are they suppressed by their own huge self-interested oil lobby?

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:55..........No, it's more like these so called green technologies aren't commercially viable and can't even survive with massive government, i.e. taxpayer, subsidies. Might as well try industrial grade fairy dust to supply your energy needs. Reference Spain as a shining example of what going green does for a country.

Anonymous said...

I just think the oil industry (US and global) has too much of a financial strangle-hold to protect its existing investment that it will do all it can to undermine any other energy technology, but one day more sophisticated methods beyond just primitively burning-up the planet's reserves of fossil-fuels will simply have to be realized.

Anonymous said...

I for one say that we should burn nothing but fossil fuels. If it is depleted in 100 years, so what? I will be dead and buried. Drill, baby, drill!

Bird of Paradise said...

Wind turbines are Bird Maimers All those who want windturbines need to be tied to the blades of one and that includes many of these eco-freaks

Anonymous said...

"Wind turbines are Bird Maimers"

Screw birds. They carry the flu virus and crap on my car.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:12, speaking of "fairy" dust, apparently, Anon 2:55 is one of those British pansys who wants us to become Muslim'ized socialists like they are.

Go Away Bird said...

Annon 6:42 Go drive off a cliff pig

Anonymous said...

Yep - yet another very "intelligent" discussion on a very important issue from our American friends here (the usual suspects!).
Evidently US power will decline as oil reserves dry out and their power to control it does as well!

Kee Bird said...

Tie enviromentalists to the blades of a windturbine

Anonymous said...

3:34, yeah we Americans are so horrible and stupid that must be why everyone wants to be here. Half of those surveyed in the UK said they'd leave if they could, they still worship a Queen / monarchy for crying out loud - they must have forgotten how ill they've treated every nation in the past.

Anonymous said...

The United States is the largest producer of wind energy on earth. Which is unfortunate, since wind energy is not green (the production of he materials to build and manufacture the darn things is fairly dirty and enviornmentally unfriendly), nor is it efficient, and definately not cheap. All around, it is crap.

Anonymous said...

8:51 AM Your comment is moronic on all counts. The UK is a "consitutional monarchy" if you know what that means. And better to have a figure-head of state who is more or less respected than a political president who more or less than half the population dis-respects (as is suggested here re Obama) ....

Anonymous said...

.... (yep - not "worshiped") As for "leaving" the UK - those interviewed were no doubt typical of the fantasy to emigrate to a sun-drenched idyll, without considering the actual political and economic climate in such places - eg. Greece and Spain!

Anonymous said...

... and you are an obvious victim of the "What did the Romans ever do for us?" - syndrome!!