Mainebiz: Should Kurt Adams’ actions be investigated? (What do you think?)

Should Kurt Adams’ actions be investigated?

On May 12, 2010, we asked if you agreed an investigation is warranted in the matter of former Maine Public Utilities Commission Chairman Kurt Adams accepting equity units from First Wind, where he now works as senior vice president, while still working for the state.

78.8% of you said yes
17.3% of you said no
3.9% of you are undecided

Reader comments:

Yes, if the units have no monetary value (implied worthless), then why doesn't Mr. Adams return them to First Wind? Yet another person feeding at the public trough.

What a waste of time and money. Those who are against this fantastic source of electricity will do anything to thwart the introduction of wind power in Maine. BAH!

They may not have had any value at the time of acceptance, however I am sure it was expected they would have value - Why accept them unless they have or will have value?

If they had no value, why did he accept them?

Typical for the state of Maine.

Maybe they weren't worth anything THEN, but are they now? In other words, has he realized monetary gain from the shares? If he has - that's a conflict of interest!

If the equity units have no monetary value I wonder why they were given? Somehow I doubt that they have no value...either now or later.

Adams said the units had no monetary value - then what was their purpose? Why were they gifted?

I should think so!

It certainly looks like a conflict of interest occurred and it needs to be investigated.

Receiving "equity units" sounds like an attempt to find a way around the law

Absolutely. This is clearly a criminal act and he should be investigated and tried.

The equity units undoubtedly had a future value or they would not have been given.

Very unethical, his position could certainly make the units very valuable in the future

Of course an investigation is warranted. Transparency is best.

If it violates the rules and ethical code that is part of the political life than the law should apply. If this is ignored, you have set a standard that it is ok to receive gifts (it has no value). It is not the value - it is the act. Send a flag up now that this kind of act IS NOT ACCEPTABLE in public or appointed office. I do believe the local politicians will get him cleared and it will be a little comment in the back page of some obscure newspaper that this has gone away. Mainers are too busy trying to make a living in this state economy.

This seems like anti-wind energy people seeking a scapegoat. Clearly Mr. Adams acted above-board, recusing himself from all matters regarding his future employer while at the PUC. These same people will complain when there are budget shortfalls, and/or fee increases. Save the investigation money, and fix a bridge or two!

Had no monetary value? Do they have value now? It should be looked into at the least.

The entire Baldacci administration is a bunch of political hacks who use their power to enrich themselves personally while the state moves backwards. He has got to be the worst governor in my lifetime. Let's hope the next governor can repair the damage and get this state on the path to prosperity instead of dependency.

Conflict of interest is a huge problem in state government in legislature. The Secretary of State represents the Sportsman’s Alliance, legislators submit bills which give them personal benefit and the head of the Public Utilities Commission takes employment from one of the companies he is supposed to oversee. It goes on and on.

All employees of the state need to keep themselves above any questions of bias. To have the AG clear Mr. Adams will make the taxpayers more comfortable with his hiring by a company who got benefit from Mr. Adams position.

Where can I sign up for this deal?

Mainebiz reserves the right to edit reader content for length, style, clarity and libelous or offensive material.

http://www.mainebiz.biz/your_take/index.html ALSO see the two part investigative report:

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/141729.html

and

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/142846.html

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Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

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(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/

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