An abundance of poverty, windy moments in Washington, New York's smart boys, and other matters. TILTING AT IDEOLOGUES
By DANIEL SELIGMAN REPORTER ASSOCIATE Patty de Llosa

(FORTUNE Magazine) – Hey, remember windmills? They were going to help solve the energy crisis. Or at least that's what Jerry Brown said, according to this little mountain of faded clips on the desk. That was when Jerry was governing California and threatening to do the same to the other 49. And not only Jerry was hot for windmills. Gary Hart was a big fan. So was House Banking Committee chairman Henry Reuss. Despite his wife's reservations (she was ''almost hostile,'' he told People), Henry built a windmill on his property. Of course, Bucky Fuller was also spreading the faith. And Jimmy Carter, who promoted windmill pilot programs and pushed windmill tax breaks so folks would capture the wind and conquer malaise. Funny thing about those clips from the Seventies and early Eighties. The stories were all so upbeat. Nobody questioned the need for a government windmill policy or noted that windmills would spring up like beanstalks any time there was a real demand for them. Yes, the more recent clips are different. Sad, really. The stories now are about suckers who took it all seriously and are stuck with windmills nobody wants. The latest clipping, a New York Times ''follow-up on the news,'' has this sobbable tale about the guy who shelled out $28,000 for surplus windmills on which the government had originally spent $60 million, and at that the guy is taking a beating. Wait, here's an upbeat clip. It says Jerry Brown is back. It says he has left Japan, where he was studying Zen, and is back in U.S. politics. It never mentions windmills.