In a letter addressed to Newsday
dated August 10, 2018, Huntington Town Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci responded
to a misleading article written by reporter Mark Harrington on the LIPA lawsuit:
“I was dismayed by your article on
July 26, 2018, entitled High-Power
Properties, which is emblematic of the paper’s completely biased
coverage of the litigation concerning the Northport Power Plant. Indeed,
while Newsday included a quote, video, and tweet from LIPA Chief Executive
Thomas Falcone in its story, your paper never even bothered to contact the Town
of Huntington for a comment or rebuttal.
“Newsday’s attempt in that article
to compare the taxes paid on commercial properties in Manhattan with those paid
by the Northport Power Plant is misleading and inaccurate and is like comparing
apples to oranges.
“Newsday disingenuously included the
school taxes paid by National Grid for the Northport Power Plant but omitted
the school taxes paid by the Manhattan properties. If an apples to apples
comparison was made, it would be evident that the Manhattan properties pay far
more taxes than the Northport Power Plant. You owe it to your readers to
present accurate information and correct the false impression your paper
presented to the public.
“I was also disappointed to see the
quote used from LIPA Chief Executive Tom Falcone in the content of your
article. Mr. Falcone decided to disparage the beautiful hamlet of Northport
with his sarcastic quote concerning the amount of property taxes paid by the
Northport Power Plant. Northport is a beautiful place to both live and
visit. It has a historic downtown, rich history and beautiful
waterfront. Mr. Falcone’s statement was an insult to all those who have a
deep sense of pride in their community and have made Northport their
home. Mr. Falcone should apologize immediately and I encourage him and
his family to vacation in Northport and if he does, I am sure he will agree
with me that it is a jewel of the North Shore of Long Island. I will even
volunteer to take him on a tour of my favorite places.”
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