Yates Councilman’s analysis of PSC site is misleading
Editor:
Once again, I read with interest John Riggi’s latest assessment of the PSC comments regarding the Lighthouse Wind Project. Once again, his confident review that he says “show a clear, ongoing and massive opposition to this project,” is again very misleading.
I will admit that the PSC is an important place to voice one’s opinion, but it’s important also to note whose opinion is being voiced and how often. And once again I take exception with John’s analysis of the numbers!
At the end of the second quarter of 2016, when John did an analysis, there were 776 comments with 390 negative comments coming from 40 households (59 individuals), with one individual submitting 35 comments. At the end of 2016, when John has done his latest analysis, there are now 883 comments submitted, 457 (over 50% of the comments collected), were submitted by 40 households (59 individuals) with one individual submitting 36 comments, over 4 percent of the comments counted. Not the great change that John suggests.
The PSC is a voluntary forum for people to express their opinion, with unlimited comments might I add, on the Lighthouse Wind Project. It is more likely many residents of both towns are not aware of the PSC website’s existence.
I would ask that when you consider Mr. Riggi’s numbers, that you think of your many town neighbors. Think of the common folks and especially the farmers. How many hours do they work in a day, a week, or a season? Writing letters at such a statistic-bending frequency requires great amounts of time, time many of us don’t have.
This is and will be a long and hard fight. I feel both sides should be heard, but the misleading and slanted comments should be exposed for what they are.
Howard Pierce
Lyndonville
