Madhatter, how long did it take for you to type this? Or did Madhatter better half type for you?

Here are my thoughts:
1. Neither you or I need the income to have our properties right now. Property taxes as long as they are ag exempt or wildlife exempt is a non issue for anyone in our state at this point.

The income that I do think going forward is important is the income vs the value of the land 20-30-40 years from now for our kids. Now maybe they have good enough jobs growing up that they can continue to afford having properties like ours and enjoying it. Or maybe they decide to be a teacher or some other profession that makes them happy but doesn't pay well. The land value going forward that many years will have to be supported by income for them to possibly pay different taxing at that time or to give them something to consider vs selling and producing the income off the value. At the end of our lives our property although very dear to all of us is still just an asset. If you have the choice of having a ranch that say is worth 10 million and produces no income versus selling the property taking the money and having income off 10 million that is a pretty easy decision. The estate issues I agree with to some point but it depends on the value of the land and the size of the rest of your estate as to whether that might work or not. Please don't think I'm stating that I'm Daddy Warbuck's.

2. I know that I would have bought the property if they were on my place and an income that I deemed worthwhile came with the property. As far as whether I would have bought it if it was on the property next to it? I don't know. In retrospect would I have bought the property w/o the mineral rights and the oil thing again? Yea, I would have but I can't honestly answer the wind turbine ubtil I get a better feel.

3. Jack misunderstood me earlier about the uniqueness comment. I do think our area is unique but no more unique than East Tx, Hill Country, West Tx or any of a # of places in many other states. They are unique in that we all have fallen in love with our own areas. I did not like the comment about the West Tx area being not unique because I think much of that land is beautiful too. The reason our land has increased in value so much is because of the demographics of the population and the supply-demand of recreational land. No different than many other parts of the country. Recreational land will continue to increase at a high rate of return.

4. As I have told you if our family is the decision on whether this goes in or not as a project you have no concerns. If however it is inevitable and we are going to have them in our area we would rather have income off of them and that income could potentially solve an income problem going forward for future generations.

5. For the answer on this you would have to talk to the company. I would suggest you talk to them.
You can tell them that you can't stand what they are doing but would like to hear their story. Just because we are talking to them means nothing. You know me well enough to know that I'm going to extract my pound of flesh out of them and certainly not carte blanche believe all that they are saying.

6. I don't know. We are going to see them in the next couple of weeks around Abilene. I'm struggling with it. Many people like them many people dont. I'm on a fact finding mission here and this is why I thought I would solicit opinions on this site because many share our interests and I respect opinions here.

Just a side note. We do not all agree on anything within the family at this point. Heated debates have ensued and most are undecided. I know at least one that would protest with you. The only difference would be at the end of the protest she would drive her big gas guzzling SUV into the garage on the ranch. Just kidding mom.

Sorry for the long windedness but I felt I needed to answer better what my(and only my)viewpoint is.

Thanks, Buzz