Letters to the Editor: Pine Barrens 11.05.15

Right to Free Speech

Manorville

October 26, 2015

Dear Editor,

On Oct. 20, Richard Amper, executive director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, had his attorney send me a cease-and-desist letter stating that I “effectively charge . . . Richard Amper and the Long Island Pine Barrens Society with accepting donations from Caithness L.L.C. in exchange for alleged support for construction of the proposed Caithness II plant.”

This statement is not only nonsense, is false. In my recent letter to The Star, I wrote that “Dick Amper has refused to reveal the amount of money that Ain (Ross Ain, president of Caithness Long Island) and his affiliates Caithness Energy, Caithness L.I., and any other L.L.C.s have been donating or investing in the Long Island Pine Barrens Society. . . .”

I am questioning Dick Amper’s financial relationship with Ross Ain, president of Caithness L.I., and whether that relationship has led to Mr. Amper’s deafening silence on the proposal to build a monstrous gas pipeline through the Pine Barrens to feed Caithness II. I say nothing about the construction of the Caithness II plant. This is an example of Richard Amper’s word-twisting ability trying to create a false reality. Can he no longer be questioned? Is Richard Amper now King Richard? Can you believe that Dick Amper, in a chilling assault on democracy, is trying to deprive me of my First Amendment right of free speech? Does the Long Island Pine Barrens Society board of directors approve of this action?

Andrea Barracca, in her detailed, well-researched letter published in last week’s Star, points out Dick Amper’s declaration that “the Pine Barrens Society doesn’t do energy” is another false statement.

I will take Ms. Barracca’s comprehensive letter exposing Dick Amper’s doublespeak and false statements, as well as my own statements regarding Dick Amper’s deafening silence on the monstrous gas pipeline needed to feed the Caithness II plant, plus Mr. Amper’s threat to deprive me of my First Amendment Rights, to a lawyer versed in civil rights and free speech issues to secure an appropriate legal opinion and response to Dick Amper’s threat to my freedom of speech.

What is so upsetting to Mr. Amper about someone questioning his silence on the Caithness II gas pipeline slashing through the Pine Barrens issue, that he is acting as an arrogant, anti-democratic bully? I ask all activists and others concerned with freedom-of-speech issues to call or email the Long Island Pine Barrens Society (369-3300 or info@ pinebarrens.org) and demand that Dick Amper respect the right to free speech.

Sincerely,

PETER MANISCALCO

Caithness II

Riverhead

October 26, 2015

To the Editor:

We don’t much appreciate Peter Maniscalco trying to poach our executive director.

Mr. Maniscalco wishes to stop Caithness II from opening, but is making little headway. He hasn’t even succeeded in persuading his fellow clean-energy advocates to join him. Whose fault is that? According to Mr. Maniscalco, it’s Pine Barrens Society Executive Director Dick Amper’s. Mr. Maniscalco is outraged that Dick does not stop his work on land preservation and water protection issues to take up Mr. Maniscalco’s cause.

We’ve explained that we don’t work on energy issues unless they impact land and water. Last week’s letter from Andrea Barracca tries to refute this assertion by listing several issues the society joined in the past that involved energy. Every one of them involved a land or water issue that coincidentally had an energy nexus.

 The Pine Barrens Society has been working effectively on this organization’s issues for many years. This is what we hired Dick to do, and we think it’s in the society’s interest, and Long Island’s, for him to keep at it.

We appreciate Mr. Maniscalco’s implicit recognition of Dick’s effectiveness. We share his appreciation. But Dick doesn’t win battles for land and water just by saying, “I oppose this.” He does it by strategic thinking and painstaking, well-organized, sustained effort.

If Mr. Maniscalco wishes to be more successful in his efforts, he might try that. Trying to gain attention by wild innuendo — directed at someone who is not even a party to the energy debate — is a poor strategy for advancing renewable energy.

Sincerely,

ALAN SINGER

President

Long Island Pine Barrens Society