Resident says SOS has promoted conflict in community over wind energy project

Editor:

Again I read Mr. Riggi’s letter and realize that he’s expressing his own personal opinion, not the opinion of my Yates Town Board. Again I would ask him to sign his letters accordingly.

It’s very obvious to me and others that SOS’s new talking points are twisting Apex Clean Energy’s words once again. SOS is a political organization that has its own PR counsel. And, thank you John Riggi for opening a big can of worms with your most recent letter.

I ask the question, who is harvesting bank accounts with lawsuits? I’d say SOS and ambulance-chasing attorneys.  When a town board unethically denies a permit for two MET towers due to false information, I’d say the town board is at fault as well. The judge’s ruling in this case proves my point.

I find it very amusing that Mr. Riggi can quote Winston Churchill, but can’t remember that on July 6, 2015 there was a lawsuit filed against Mrs. Donna Bane and my Town Board over a MET tower. That lawsuit was filed by SOS and signed Mr. John Riggi, President. That frivolous lawsuit cost my Town Board $15,000 to defend against. Again the judge’s ruling proved Mr. Riggi and SOS wrong.

Your assertions of “continued and massive 70 percent opposition” is just baloney. There’s no way you can justify that figure. For that reason I give you two “Pinocchios.” You and SOS are the ones that have forced our towns into the “gut-wrenching conflict” that you call it. You are the ones that continuously spread fear and insults. It is you that silences others with fear tactics and call Apex the enemy, even comparing them to Nazis.  You should be ashamed of yourself to even mention Apex and Nazis in the same letter. The Apex people I know are good people.

Lighthouse Wind will bring desperately needed economic development and new funds into our towns.  As it has been shown in towns across New York and the United States, wind brings economic development in more ways than one. Case in point, the Town of Sheldon, NY has no town taxes due to their wind farm. Wind energy supports job growth and local businesses during construction and operations. With dropping enrollments at our schools and budget cuts, Lighthouse Wind can strengthen our schools and lower taxes for hard working citizens who don’t have the luxury of living on the lake.

You want to talk about enemies? Representatives that govern for their own benefit, twist information spun by a PR person and SOS has one, and don’t represent all their constitutes – now there is the enemy! John, if you worked as hard to bring sources of revenue into our town as you have against the Lighthouse Wind Project, we would be the least taxed town in the state.

Respectively,

Howard Pierce

Lyndonville