NY Charges Town to Honor War Hero

A New York community that displayed American flags on utility poles to honor a fallen hero is outraged after the Long Island Power Authority sent them a bill – for using their poles.

“I was pretty shocked,” said Peter Reich, a councilman in the Long Island community of Shelter Island. “It’s the most ludicrous thing.”

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The flags were initially erected last year for the funeral of Army 1st Lt. Joseph Theinert. The Shelter Island native was killed while on active duty in Afghanistan. He sacrificed his own life to save his platoon and was posthumously award the Purple Heart for his actions.

Last week, Theinert’s platoon gathered in Shelter Island for a reunion. To welcome the troops, the American Legion, along with the owner of the local hardware store, decided to once again line the parade route with American flags.

Local residents donated the $8,000 needed to purchase the flags and the town’s superintendent of highways posted them on the utility poles. But someone from the power company reportedly saw a story about the flags in a local newspaper and informed town officials of the fee.

“This is done by the Legionnaires who have served the country for the right for us to display Old Glory and here the state wants to make a profit on it,” Reich told Fox News Radio. “At some point common sense has to prevail with these people.”

Mike Loriz, the commander of American Legion Post 281, said he, too, was disturbed by the fee.

“It seems like it’s kind of crazy that state law requires that we pay five dollars to stick an American flag on a public utility phone pole for patriotic purposes,” Loriz said.

The Long Island Power Authority provided a statement to Fox News Radio from Michael Hervey, the chief operating officer of the company.

“LIPA shares the same frustration and outrage as the public regarding the issue of the pole attachment fee,” the statement read. “This matter must be addressed by the State legislature to amend the law that prohibits state authorities to give use of or dispose of their property for free. This law puts LIPA in an unfortunate predicament.”

Last week, I offered to pay the fee myself to support the community and to honor Army 1st Lt. Joseph Theinert,” the statement concluded.

However, Councilman Reich said that’s not the point.

“It’s not the fee,” he said. “It’s the principle of the thing. Getting that money out of us is going to be like getting blood out of a stone.”

Flags were also posted on poles owned by Verizon. However, a spokesman for the company said it typically waives fees for commemorative ceremonies and “we intend on waiving it in this case.”

11 Comments

Jeff Renard

May 24, 2011 at 4:31 pm

Once again policy over practicality reigns. How greedy and uncaring can a company be? Then to hide behind policy as justification. Shame on them!
Vietnam Vet.

May 24, 2011 at 4:31 pm

These are the companies that should be run out of business how do they think they have recieved these freedoms.
It is from the ones who lost there lives to preserve the freedoms of others.
Policies like this are just exactly like the ones OBAMA is trying to implement in this country.
They should wavy the policy after all it is for one of our AMERICAN fallen Heros.
Veterans nation wide should boycott companies like this to put a stop to this suppression of american freedom.
Come on veterans respond and put a stop to this in this country.
We are still strong by numbers and we can still fight this from of Commie thinking.
Vietnam vet!
Ruth

May 24, 2011 at 5:16 pm

Okay…we all write to the clowns that are not patriots and give them a piece of our patriotic minds!!! Google it and get the e-address or mailing address and care enough to write them and spend a stamp, if necessary, to put those that would do such a thing in their place!!
grumpy

May 24, 2011 at 5:52 pm

What State employee has nothing better to do than to look into stupidlaws that are written without specifics just blanket statements.

Do they really expect that there would be no recourse or noted response?????
DAKOTA

May 24, 2011 at 6:39 pm

I TRULY THINK LIPA CHARGING FOR OUR FLAGS IS TRULY DISGUSTING ….SO "UNAMERICAN" TO THE WORD GO ~ LIPA SHOULD BE VERY VERY ASHAMED OF ITSELF ……I THANK GOD I DO NOT HAVE TO EVER USE THIS COMPANY ~ NOR SHALL I EVER … FOREMOST AND ALWAYS … THANK U TO ALL MILITERY WHO PUT THEIR LIVES OUT THERE TO KEEP ME SAFE AND FREE … I THANK U WITH ALL MY SOUL… HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY PEOPLE AND GOD BLESS AMERICA
DAKOTA

May 24, 2011 at 6:41 pm

NOOOOOOOO I DO NOT APPROVE THIS … NOT NOW NOT EVER
chuck

May 24, 2011 at 7:50 pm

Why would anyone be surprized! (BUT SADDENED). I am a life long New Yorker and a combat Vet…All New Yorkers will someday realize how VERY upside down NYS is when it comes to basic common sense! Yes Dorothy, Elections have Consequences! New Yorkers have been suffering these consequences for years!
mcflag

May 25, 2011 at 7:44 am

We do not need the legislature to alter the law.What we need is common sense to prevail .The CEO"S of LIPA should have never allowed the bill to have been sent nor known.Someone should have had the integrity to have quietly done the right thing. Instead apparently someone or some group took satisfaction insulting our military and their families.Verizon stood with honor! Where was Lipa's?
Suzie

May 25, 2011 at 11:47 am

This company sucks!
Bob

May 25, 2011 at 4:10 pm

Does Mr. Hervey really believe the state would find them liable or reponsible for not charging a fee to display an American flag on a utility pole. Mr. Hervey or his writers conveniently place the blame elsewhere to protect the LIPA name and evade the company's disrespectful actions. If Mr. Hervey was so affected by the matter and possessed the insight and common sense to acknowledge the charges as inappropiate, why then, did he or his representatives not seek guidance for a more common sense resolution. I can not imagine a state agency making a case out of not charging a fee for displaying our American flag. Mr. Hervey's explanation appears to be a cover story for the company's dissatisfaction of the law he so eloquently uses in defense of the company's name. As the COO, Mr. Hervey, must surely possess the common sense and business acumen to realize that charging the local community is disrepectful to veterans and all Americans who proudly display American flags.
eli

May 25, 2011 at 5:16 pm

Sadly, Army 1st Lt. Joseph Theinert gave his life for rights of the idiots at the Power Authority! Shame!