Now that’s a quote from a person that I would never agree with, except with the Chevrolet Corvair, America’s first production rear-engine, air-cooled automobile.

I remember driving from White River Junction to Windsor, Vt., in one of those on Interstate 91 and when I turned right onto the exit for Windsor that piece of junk went every which way except straight. It was great in snow and far less spectacular anywhere else.

Other than that I have had nothing in agreement with Ralph Nader. Quite frankly, I find that scary at least and am beginning to wonder if I have the onset of dementia or something far worse, becoming liberal.

There’s a developer that wants to redevelop the old Mallison Falls Mill area located below the prison located in South Windham. As a matter of fact, the Windham Town Council just gave approval for it to become a contract zone. I fully agree with that thought, but history has taught me that taxpayers in Windham might once again be burned by the stupidity stalking the halls of the Windham Town Hall and you don’t have to look any great distance from the mill.

Just take a look at what the property owners of Windham are paying for a sewer to nowhere in South Windham. Remember when Keddy Mill was supposed to be torn down and replaced by 85 condos? We who own property in Windham are paying for a sewer system required by a construction project that never happened. I just wish the town hall could be held liable to pay for it.

I applaud anyone or any company that wishes to redevelop an eyesore such as Keddy Mill or the old mill at Mallison Falls as long as the local taxpayers don’t get burned. Well, that’s already happened once in Windham and I will be damned if it will happen again, and here’s why.

First, which is important, it would really be nice if that area in question could be successfully developed into a residential area. I do know that the developer wants that property to have a historic designation by the state, I presume. Any tax breaks in that regard don’t bother me.

But, and this is the biggest but to me, I understand that they want a TIF zone also, which to me means another tax break for a company that property owners in Windham will once again pay for. As far as I am concerned, every TIF in Windham should be done away with and the taxes returned to the general fund.

The use of TIF money for commercial development is a joke at the taxpayers’ expense. If Windham government wants to have TIF zones, then I feel that every property owner in Windham deserves the same tax breaks, which means no one gets a break. If you have any questions about what a TIF is, please call Windham’s economic development officer because his salary is paid for with funds from a TIF in Windham. Just another reason I have no use for TIFs.

But there is another reason that I see problems with having such a significant residential property located at the Mallison Falls Mill area, and that is the location itself. It’s narrow and sits right next to a river. I have no clue as to what the flood zone is for that area, if it even has one. The biggest problem is the railroad trestle that is in the immediate vicinity of that project. Because of the trestle, Mallison Falls Road narrows at the bottom of a steep hill right by the property in question and I see no possible solution to the limited parking at that proposed site except on the opposite side of that road. One suggestion by the developer was make Mallison Falls Road a one-way road.

Lane Hiltunen of Windham wonders what’s the difference between a contract zone and a spot zone.