A baseless attack

Posted 12/20/11

Thank you, Sandy Long, for making me sound somewhat rational in your coverage of the zoning hearing in Lumberland. I should have known I would stumble if I departed from my notes.

But I was …

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A baseless attack

Posted

Thank you, Sandy Long, for making me sound somewhat rational in your coverage of the zoning hearing in Lumberland. I should have known I would stumble if I departed from my notes.

But I was outraged by the baseless personal attack on attorney David Slottje launched by Earl Colley, a previous speaker who identified himself as a retired engineer from Afton, NY. Citing no science, he claimed everyone knows there is no gas under Lumberland, then proceeded to assassinate the character of Mr. Slottje. This is a frequent tactic of Energy in Depth (EID), whose Rachel Colley (same hometown) was videotaping the hearing while Tom Shepstone took notes and names.

EID’s modus operandi seems to paraphrase the old Southern expression, “When the facts are on your side, argue the facts. When the law is on your side, argue the law. When you have neither, holler!” With EID, it’s: When the facts are not on your side, holler accusations. This time it is “the interloping” Slottjes, who came down here with their “Ithaca agenda” to scare us then sell us “their snake oil.” (Ironic. Is that not precisely what these out-of-town hit men do?)

Repeating for those not present to hear the truth: Hundreds of us were already scared by the gas industry, and we went looking for the Slottjes. I was present around the speakerphone, inviting them to our legal forum last February, then encouraging our officials to seek their legal advice in protective zoning.

In fact, the Slottjes were not the first to advise seeking protections via home rule, but attorney Todd Mathes, writing in a 2009 New York State Association of Towns newsletter.

Oops. Does this mean these EID shills will now go after him, maligning his motives, legal expertise, longevity of practice? I wonder when any of them passed the New York State bar, except those along Route 97 on their way to disrupting democracy in Glen Spey.

Debra Conway

Barryville, NY

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