Let It Still Be August Slow the spinning planet, so humid nights can hold the stars. The moon still looks for lovers asleep in grass-strewn dunes. Tides now mark the time the blooms have left to cling. The worm is warm in soil, mobius, to be touched. Coy infinity wakens me, contradicts this boundary. The wrinkled light has yet to die; the sun still owns the day. If it cannot be undone, if the sphere must turn, then I’ll not sleep from now to know this August as my own. DEE SLAVUTIN Tried to Contain Us Amagansett August 24, 2015 Dear David, Remembering the Women’s Equality Day celebration in East Hampton: We gathered at the windmill and started marching. I carried a banner I made of napkins Georgette and I had made for our restaurant. The police tried to contain us to the side of the road until at the front of the march I could see Bella Abzug confront them — a forceful woman. Then we marched to the pond and made speeches. It was a glorious, successful day. JOANNA VANDERBEEK The Best Beach East Hampton August 24, 2015 Dear Editor, As one who has enjoyed Main Beach for many, many years, I wish to acknowledge the pristine condition of the beach this season. Thanks go to the considerate daytime beachgoers who make sure that their refuse is deposited in the pails. Also, after the nighttime garbage is picked up in the early morning, the staff empties the pails several times a day, so that they never overflow. The deck area is also kept spotless. The management team of Ed, Bob, and Jim, with the help of Newt and Rose, the office manager, do a wonderful and professional job of overseeing the great beach staff and lifeguards. I’m sure that if “Dr. Beach” could repeat the Best Beach Award to a previous winner, we would get it again. DON BROOKMAN Surrounded by Garbage East Hampton August 21, 2015 Dear David, As I do every morning, year round, I took my dogs to the beach this morning. Lately I’ve been taking them to Town Line Road in Wainscott. This morning when I looked down to the water, I was welcomed by the sight of a lone chair surrounded by garbage. Thinking some person, or people, were having an early morning picnic and would return, the dogs and I began our walk. As I got closer, I realized the debris on the sand was not a morning party, but rather left over from an evening of debauchery. Several people walked by me as I hesitated in disgust. They barely noticed what I saw. Incredible. Before I started on our walk, I decided I had to clean up the mess. Soon after I started cleaning up, some kindly man with two little dogs approached and he and I did the cleanup. Since the bottles and cans were beer, it’s likely the participants were teenagers. There were no classy wine bottles, just beer leftovers. No matter who the participants were, this is disgusting. This past week I have been picking up balloon remnants by the dozens. What’s going on? Is there no way we can police our beaches for human detritus, not dogs’ fecal matter? That’s another story altogether. Hope your summer is going well. Sincerely, SUSAN METZGER Illegal Bottle Rockets Amagansett August 20, 2015 To the Editor, Please, we are begging everyone to please stop setting off illegal bottle rockets and fireworks in Napeague, even on the beach, as we live in a densely populated area. On several occasions it has caused friends’ dogs to panic and run away. Our friends who live on Marine Boulevard suffered tragedy last week because their lovely dog was terrified by rockets and ran all the way to 27 and was killed by a passing car. Blowing off bottle rockets and fireworks is selfish and terrifies animals, and can even cause their death. CINDI CRAIN AT&T Cell Tower Springs August 18, 2015 To the Editor, The Springs Fire District has erected an AT&T cell tower that is in violation of several building and zoning codes. There was no determination by the town that they were exempt. This was done without any notice to the community, and we have a right to be considered. We feel endangered by the tower, it is an eyesore, our property values are threatened, and it taints both the Springs Historic District and the scenic Accabonac Harbor, which the state has recognized as a site of environmental significance. Our elected officials have been virtually silent in regards to this matter, and we deserve more from them. It is their sworn duty to protect us. The responsibility of the fire district leaders is to fight fires and provide emergency services (which they do expertly and admirably), not to unilaterally determine how they can improve our locality’s cell service by leasing their municipal land at a hefty profit to themselves and the cellphone companies. There are alternative plans out there to improve the Fire Department’s communication within the area and with the county — none of these alternatives have been discussed or researched. There was a meeting Monday at the Springs Fire Department, to review and discuss the draft State Environmental Quality Review Act report. Under state law, this review should have been done before the tower was erected. The fire district has violated this law. This is a serious issue that we are determined to pursue to the state level if need be. Sincerely, MARY and PHILIP SPITZER Basements as Bedrooms East Hampton August 24, 2015 Dear Editor, I wish to express my opposition to the East Hampton Town Board’s proposal to eliminate the use of basements as bedrooms in the Town of East Hampton. The use of basements as bedrooms is not a safety issue, because all basement bedrooms are required to be built to specific standards incorporated within the New York State Building Code. If they meet the criteria of the code (proper egress, smoke and carbon detectors, etc.) they should be allowed. To my knowledge, there have been no reported cases in the town of unsafe legal bedrooms in basements. Basement bedrooms can be an integral part of the efficient design of a home by utilizing space that is otherwise underutilized. This is good use of resources and can work to keep the overall footprint smaller by the efficient use of that space. For some residents of East Hampton, the legal basement bedroom is needed to meet a cost-effective housing need for their family. Affordable housing on the East End is in very short supply, and the availability of legal basement bedrooms provides an opportunity for young adults to remain with their parents as they work and contribute to our local economy. The East End, and especially the Town of East Hampton, will continue to struggle with this dilemma and, instead of providing real answers to these concerns, look to the easy way out and just prohibit their usage. This will not remove the underlying issue from the public domain. The exact opposite will become the case. Bedrooms will just continue to be used in whatever manner the homeowner can provide, regardless of whether their usage is legal and safe or not. The best solution is to maintain the legal use of basement bedrooms through the current permit, approval, and inspection process. The New York State Building Code provides a variety of ingress and egress requirements, all of which are incorporated within the code for a specific reason. The code understands that the use of basements as bedrooms can be an essential part of housing needs in the community, as it is often the only place in which our young people can reside. It is essential for many of our residents. I respectfully request that this resolution be withdrawn as quickly as possible. Let our residents of all ages and incomes be encouraged to live and work in the Town of East Hampton without making some of them feel as if they are not wanted. We should be doing more to make it easier for them to continue to contribute to the community, not discourage them from living here. You do not need a bedroom to sleep in a basement. Let’s promote safe sleeping in East Hampton. Tell your town board to withdraw resolution #255-11-67. Sincerely, MICHAEL FORST President Forst Construction Inc. The Taxi Situation Now Amagansett August 23, 2015 Dear Editor, The taxi situation has gone amok. It’s not that I am against taxi companies; in fact, my grandparents Peter and Rose Rana owned one back in the day. At that time there were two main taxi companies: Schaefer’s Taxi Cab in East Hampton and Rana’s Taxi Service in Amagansett. On occasion, my father would drive Marilyn Monroe to her home in Amagansett. These were two local taxicab companies that were part of the fabric of our community, and we all knew who they were. Times change, and East Hampton is no longer the small, bucolic community of years gone by. We now have a gazillion taxi companies vying for our children’s and tourists’ dollars. It is almost criminal the fees that these companies charge. And beyond the outrageous fares, the taxi drivers frequently refuse to transport people from Montauk to Amagansett or East Hampton, leaving these individuals stranded because it is much more profitable for the cab drivers to circle around Montauk driving people between the Surf Lodge and Sloppy Tuna! In order for a taxicab driver to even consider such a trek “all the way to Amagansett,” the person seeking transportation must be willing to shell out $150 to $400, and even then there is no guarantee he or she will accept the fare. My grandparents would never have left someone stranded, nor would they have taken advantage of them financially. Well — I need to revise that statement: My grandfather was known to leave a customer stranded in his barber chair at his local shop if someone needed to be driven from one location to another. I have heard a few stories about leaving a client half-shaved in the chair with a promise that he would be back in just five minutes. While in the past local taxi companies who had a vested interest in our community behaved responsibly, the idea that the “local” taxicab companies of today will do the same has been proven over and over again to be nothing more than a myth. In the meantime, our town board passed local laws to protect the public by requiring background checks of drivers, and other regulations that were intended to protect the public. While the passage of these laws was applauded and publicized, what the town board failed to tell the public was that they had no means or mechanisms to conduct those background checks, and no ability to truly enforce these laws. Where was the press release informing the unwary public that these newly passed laws were not going to be enforced? The town board has an apparent disconnect with East Hampton parents and the community at large concerning this safety issue. We must demand that our elected officials on the town board accept the responsibility to ensure that our children and tourists have a safe, affordable ride to and from desired destinations. Sincerely, DAWN BROPHY Suggestions for Locals Amagansett August 19, 2015 To the Editor: The introduction to the August 2015 issue of Whalebone magazine includes the following suggestions for visitors and guests: 1. Gratitude always wins over entitlement. 2. Safety first. Always take a cab. 3. Pick up your trash. 4. Tip waitstaff/bartenders 20 percent (at least). 5. Spring break is March in Cancun, not the East End in August. Omitted were our suggestions for locals, as follows: 1. Entitlement always wins over everything else. Congratulations! Your parents were smart or lucky enough to move here, so every question of appropriate behavior is hereafter decided in your favor. So don’t just wait ’til some citidiot starts up with you, take it to ’em. 2. Stay grouchy, my friends. Taking it to ’em starts with the right attitude. Don’t wait for Labor Day to approach before getting surly with visitors for liking the same place for many of the same reasons you do. Remember Rule No. 1! 3. If some citidiot insists upon personhood, insinuate violence. As we told you in the August issue, maybe the violent locals in the movie “Point Break” are so busy loving their locale that they don’t have the time for discussion. And what’s better for teaching etiquette than a punch in the face? 4. Spring break is when and where we say it is. Visitors should know that the site of the Surf Lodge used to house the lakeside branch of the local public library, making it a particular affront to our formerly decorous community. Sure, our St. Patty’s Day parade has always been an exception, but those visitors aren’t wealthier, younger, and better dressed. Respect entails never tweaking our insecurities, even inadvertently. CHRIS MANTHEY Former Jersey Shore Local Cheers, Jeers, and Scorn Montauk August 24, 2015 To the Editor: During the first week of September, the East Hampton Town Board will consider sanctions in response to unlawful actions by Ciao, a Montauk nightclub restaurant. This establishment has knowingly and continuously broken the late-night music law in spite of multiple warnings by town officials. Along with Ciao, there are over five separate Montauk late-night establishments with multiple music noise violations, some of which are also eligible for sanction and punishment. One bar has over 10 violations, an enormous display of contempt for the law, town government, and a disgraceful insult to the people of Montauk. As of yet, none of these establishments have been brought to justice. None have been disciplined in any way or manner for their contempt of town government and continuous unlawful actions. On July 14, the town board faced over 500 Montauk citizens demanding change and respect for law and order. The board categorically stated they understood their problems, agreed with their grievances, and promised to get tough on offenders and bring respect for the laws and wishes of the citizens. Now is the time for the board to begin fulfilling its promises. Now is the time to show the courage of their convictions. A simple warning, or to administer a tap-on-the-wrist token punishment, guarantees cheers, jeers, laughter, and scorn from these offenders, for it will have proved once again that it’s business as usual in Montauk and pretty much anything still goes without fear of legal consequence. The board should permanently rescind Ciao’s music license, because, primarily, they deserve it. What would a judge do to a three-time offender of the same crime, brought before the court? A permanent sanction would also be a clear and unmistakable signal to those who believe they are above the law. Do this, and rather than laughter and scorn, there will be silence, fear, and the beginning of respect for the law. East Hampton Town Board, show Montauk that you do what you promise. TOM BOGDAN Montauk United Not Fixing the Problem Montauk August 22, 2015 Dear Editor: Regarding the new East Hampton Town parking ban along Edgemere Street in Montauk, near the Surf Lodge restaurant, I understand that neighbors are concerned that those vehicles may now be forced to park on their streets, causing more issues. There is also concern that the $80 parking ticket fine would not deter people from parking in the new No Parking zone, because the vehicles in violation would not be towed. I believe these are valid concerns, in that for $80 you can park all day, only steps from your destination, and if you have four people in a car, it is only $20 per person. Sounds like quite a bargain to me. I have a few questions that I would like answered. First, why would you not tow a vehicle that is in violation of the law and where a conscious decision to park in a No Parking zone was made, thereby causing a dangerous situation? Second, the town board contacted Suffolk County and asked for a parking ban on Edgemere Street because such parking causes a dangerous situation. Why then would you allow vehicles to remain parked there? And last, if you allow the vehicles to remain and someone is injured or worse due to those vehicles being parked in the No Parking zone, isn’t the town now going to be liable? I believe the job of the town board is to create and enforce laws that keep people safe! Issuing a ticket and leaving an unsafe condition is not fixing the problem. This also applies to the problem of overcrowding in bars and restaurants. Why bother issuing a ticket and leave the unsafe crowding condition? Does this ensure their safety? These actions and inactions by the town board seem to indicate that they want it to appear that they are taking a strong stand against these businesses, but at the same time, they seem to be accomplishing nothing. PAT FLYNN The Amagansett Farm Montauk August 23, 2015 Dear Editor, Carole Campolo seems to be very wide of the mark in her criticism of the town board’s decision to use the community preservation fund to preserve the large field on Route 27 in Amagansett that is now dubbed the Ama gansett Farm. Thanks are due to Supervisor Larry Cantwell, and board members Overby, Burke-Gonzalez, Van Scoyoc, and Overton. Surely a community that prides itself on its farming heritage should be delighted to know that much of 20 acres of open space now has the potential to produce food that would be available to residents and visitors alike, instead of falling prey to an absurd development scheme that would have seen 81 high-priced condos put onto land that is in a farm overlay district. Now that would have been a law-breaker. The fragility of farming in the west should be a heads-up to all of us that our local C.P.F. should do exactly what its name implies: preserve our local farming tradition and support the needs of the future community. And if there is a barn on the property, well, farmers need barns for their equipment and for post-harvest handling operations and offices and seed storage, and, in a perfect world, some farm animals, too. If the structure on the property needs some alteration to conform with C.P.F. regulations, let’s alter it. In and of itself, a barn is a legal accessory structure for which C.P.F. funds may be used. And while we’re in fix-it mode, how about the Republicans come up with some rational ideas about revising the C.P.F. code to allow seasonal rooms on farms for farmhands, without whom food is not grown? Or perhaps we should leave that intellectual exercise to the Democrats. I have managed several farms, and never had to go home to prepare lunch. Anyone see the irony of having all that food out there in the field, but being forbidden to have a kitchen to get together some steamed corn, a tomato and lettuce salad, and some iced mint tea on a hot summer midday break? Cheers, JANET Van SICKLE Candidates’ Beach Party East Hampton August 24, 2015 Dear David, All of your many readers should know that in addition to all the high-priced political events ongoing this weekend, the East Hampton Democratic and Independence Party trustee candidates running on Row A will be having a beach party Sunday evening. The party will be a chance to meet the trustee candidates around a beach fire, on what is predicted to be a wonderful (75 and clear) summer evening. The party will be held at Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett at 6 p.m. Donations are welcome but not required. Please bring your beach chairs and any questions you have about our plans for improving water quality, improving beach access, and preserving our trustee powers in a changing world. We all look forward to meeting you. BILL TAYLOR Running for Re-election Homework Needs Doing Montauk August 21, 2015 To the Editor: In reference to last week’s letter to the editor in The Star by a Ms. Larsen, a come-lately candidate for East Hampton Town office. As a resident, and quite involved resident, of Montauk and East Hampton for over 40 years, I have not met her, seen her, or even heard her name mentioned as one who was involved in town government or politics, or, to say the least, any town crises such as waterfront revitalization, water and sanitation, land use, or fiscal responsibility. Instead her letter dealt with Uber (sounded like a radio commercial), which would only add more taxis and traffic. Rather than give more notice to her sophomoric and overly simplistic view of town management than it deserves, I would have preferred to have read a more thoughtful, mature, and professional program for solving the myriad critical town issues. Ms. Larsen is probably a well-meaning and caring person who would be better served by studying the complexity of the issues, and then honestly asking herself if she is qualified to assume the responsibilities for the serious office that she seeks. There is homework that needs doing. It will speak louder than her rather lengthy but empty introduction in The Star. LARRY SMITH Concerned Candidate Amagansett August 23, 2015 Dear David, Lisa Larsen, who’s running for the town board, finally showed up at a town board meeting in Montauk almost two months after she was designated as a Republican candidate for that office. What did she have to contribute to that important Montauk meeting, her first appearance at the board? Apparently nothing, because she was not one of the concerned citizens who spoke. Where was Lisa Larsen at the seven other board meetings that followed, at which the town board and the community discussed concrete actions to address the problems of Montauk? The “diligently concerned” citizen did not appear. But, in the Aug. 20 edition of The Star, in a long letter, Ms. Larsen claims that “if I do get elected, one of my first priorities is to try to get the situation in Montauk under control.” By November’s election, the summer will be well over! As a matter of fact, at the Aug. 20 town board meeting (the same day as her letter appeared), Ms. Larsen was again absent. This time she missed the public hearing on a subject that is one of her stated priorities: “getting the situation in Montauk under control.” The public hearing was on an amendment to the town code that would clamp down on overcrowding in bars, taverns, and nightclubs by enforcing occupancy limits within the Town of East Hampton, including Montauk. Is it possible the concerned candidate was unaware of the hearing? The resolution was adopted on July 21 at a town board meeting and was published in all the town newspapers. In her long letter, Ms. Larsen admits to never being interested in “being involved in politics or becoming a politician.” But now that she is, it might be a good idea to participate in government by attending a few meetings and sharing her ideas with the public. I can’t imagine why she thinks inexperience is an asset. Does this town need another Theresa Quigley, who learned on the job and never completed a project? Sincerely, RONA KLOPMAN No Experience East Hampton August 24, 2015 Dear David: In her Aug. 20 letter to The Star Lisa Larsen expressed her surprise at being approached by the East Hampton Republican Committee to run for town board. Her reaction appeared to be based on the fact that she has had no experience in town government. We are in a crisis in East Hampton, having to deal with problems such as the need for affordable housing, population density in Springs, noise and water pollution, and the endless party that has become Montauk. We need experienced leaders to effectively tackle these problems, and one must wonder why the Republican Party has chosen someone who, on the face of it, lacks the qualifications to do so. Our current administration has taken steps to address these issues by increasing the number of code enforcers, doubling the number of police and fire marshals, limiting noisy aircraft at East Hampton Airport, proposing plans for affordable housing, and issuing restraint orders against nightclubs and bars that violate safety codes. Come November we need to ensure that this good continues by re-electing Sylvia Overby and Peter Van Scoyoc. SUE AVEDON Trustee Budgeting Springs August 23, 2015 Dear David, The trustees may have a surplus in the bank, but better planning and greater transparency is required in their financial practices. The trustees receive revenue from the town as well as directly from town residents in fee and lease payments. The town’s annual budget details the revenue given to the trustees and documents its intended purpose. A public hearing must be held on the town budget before it can be adopted. Unfortunately, the trustees do not follow these standard municipal procedures for their other revenues and expenditures. The trustees should make their own full annual budget that would incorporate the town revenue with all other revenue. The budget would include an estimate of how the revenues would be spent, from water quality testing to purchasing paper supplies. Both the proposed and adopted trustee budget should be available on their website, and the trustees should allow for public comment before they adopt their full budget. I also recommend that the trustees develop a three-year or longer capital plan that estimates the timing and size of their non-annual expenditures, such as the purchase of boats or trucks. The annual budget would predict whether there will be an end-of-year operating surplus, or a deficit that needs to be covered by appropriating existing surplus. The capital plan would show how much surplus must accrue each year to meet future needs. The budget and capital plan would not only be useful financial documents, they would also serve as policy statements that make explicit the goals and priorities of the trustees. Decisions about what the trustees charge for fees or leases can be based not only upon fairness to all involved, but also upon the actual financial needs of the trustees to best complete their missions. With the confidence that comes with good financial practices, the trustees can take on a more comprehensive role in the enforcement of regulations that apply to their lands, and further extend their expertise and practice in environmental management. ZACHARY COHEN Candidate for Trustee Monday Morning Noyac August 24, 2015 Dear Editor, Sunday evening I fell asleep confident that I had an adequate plan to shield our sleeping houseguests from the Monday morning barrage of early aircraft arrivals and departures at East Hampton Airport. Up very early Monday, I made airtight all our double-glazed windows and doors, and flipped on the air-conditioning in anticipation of the end of the 7 a.m. airport curfew. At 7:04 a.m. the first (or was it the second?) seaplane flew low overhead, startling sleeping houseguests, who had not been warned of the coming aviation assault. I had hoped they might have been lulled into a restful sleep by the profound silence of our neighborhood and further soothed by the A.C. kicking in at 6:45 a.m. Our guests could not believe their ears as, almost in unison and only half awake, they shot out bed and ran out to the garden to learn the cause of the turmoil above our small house. “Have the financial markets totally collapsed in Asia and Europe overnight?” asked a bewildered pajama-clad guest. “Are the well-heeled fleeing to the Caymans to caress their hidden profits?” said another as the second of the morning’s seaplane traffic blasted over us. In rapid succession for the next hour and beyond, seaplanes roared menacingly low over our rooftop: 7:06 a.m., 7:09 a.m., 7:19 a.m., 7:20 a.m., 7:21 a.m., 7:22 a.m., 7:24 a.m., 7,29 a.m., 7:40 a.m., 7:52 a.m. It is Monday afternoon now, and that feeling of imminent threat and looming dread we experienced together this morning has cast a pall over our day. Again I am thoroughly distraught, even embarrassed, as I inform my rattled guests how long this has been happening, how it has increased annually, and cannot even attempt to explain to them why our elected representatives and our courts will do nothing to stop it. Roll on, tumbleweed Tuesday. PATRICIA CURRIE Preserve the Preserve Amagansett August 19, 2015 Dear Editor, I would like to thank the town board for approving the South Flora Nature Preserve and would implore the board to continue their wise decision-making and preserve the preserve. While there is a wide range of differing opinions, we all agree there is a balance we need to strike between rights and responsibility. I respect the public right to access. I think at issue here is a responsibility for life safety: the lives of the families living on and east of the Napeague stretch are at risk. Nature has already shown us the weak points in our coastline. Once in the unnamed hurricane of 1938 when Montauk became an island, again during Sandy when Montauk was nearly separated by flooding. In light of the recent storm activity, much of the Northeast coast is making efforts to make it more resilient by armoring the coast, not to weaken it. Introducing more visitors to the narrowest piece of land separating the ocean from the bay, the very same area that was severed in 1938, would serve to weaken, not strengthen, the land bridge. Since foot traffic would tend to follow the same paths and further erode the lowest points in the dunes, since the primary dunes are only as strong as their weakest point, and since water seeks the path of least resistance, more traffic means less protection. If and when the next hurricane hits, and the Napeague stretch is compromised to emergency vehicles, it’s the families living along and east of the stretch that are at risk. I implore the town board to stay the course and keep the nature preserve natural. Our lives are depending on it. DAVID LING Shoot ’Em Up Types Amagansett August 20, 2015 Dear David, There is controversy about the makeup of East Hampton’s deer management committee; the committee has been accused of tilting toward shoot ’em up, bang-bang types. What I know is that there are no deer on the committee. Fawn: What is it? Doe: Ivy. You’ll like it. Fawn: I say it’s pachysandra, and I say to hell with it! Doe: They say there’s too many of us. Fawn: Racists! Doe: And they foul the groundwater and plant grass. Fawn: Maybe if I eat a live day lily, and then some arborvitae, the ivy will taste better. Doe: I wish my eyesight were better. Is that a bear? Fawn: No, a Porsche. Doe: We’re going to start a human management committee! Fawn: Good luck. And to you, all good things, DIANA WALKER Citizens Climate Lobby East Hampton August 19, 2015 Dear David, Anybody who thinks climate change is about a few polar bears should read Thomas Friedman’s Aug. 19 Op-Ed column in The New York Times. A couple of facts from that column: 1. On July 31, the heat index in a city in Iran reached 163 degrees. One hundred sixty-three. Not a typo, a record. 2. The revolution in Syria was preceded by the worst four-year drought in modern history, driving a million refugees into the cities, where the resulting turmoil has boiled over borders and enveloped a region. If you think America is immune to these processes, consider the drought in California, where half of our food is grown, and the things we know about guns in the American West. Remember the Cliven Bundy standoff where armed militias faced down the Bureau of Land Management? Add to that the ever-widening gap in our populace symbolized by one side wanting Donald Trump, the other side wanting Bernie Sanders, and it is clear that the glue that holds us together is rather brittle. Climate change is, among other things, about fragments of world governments coming unglued, cities (and congresses?) ceasing to work as they once did, food chains collapsing, populations on the move. As you know, America’s “interests” span the globe, so we are involved in trying to glue things back together, even in those cases where we have torn them apart. We don’t do that out of charity. We do it because our way of life depends on the interlocking world-spanning enterprise involving fuels and raw materials and manufacturing continuing to function for our benefit. That’s why the Department of Defense lists climate change as a major threat-multiplier. Citizens Climate Lobby has proposed a major step toward slowing the progress of climate change that is designed to appeal to both parties in Congress. If, like me, you can feel the ground shaking and the edifice beginning to sway, check out the website: citizensclimatelobby.org. Your children will thank you. Or, some day, they might ask you why you did nothing. DON MATHESON Computer Was Hacked Amagansett August 20, 2015 Dear David, Once again my computer was hacked and a desperate message for help sent out over my name. (The Star had kindly let me know the last time I was hacked.) In any case, both Councilman Fred Overton and Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez called me to make sure I was okay (Fred calling around 7 a.m.!). I think they are both great to care about a constituent in such a way. As long as we have people like Fred and Kathee on the town board, Bonac is still in good shape. A poker marketing friend in the Bahamas responded as well. On the other hand, does it mean anything that only they responded? Best to you and yours, LONA RUBENSTEIN The Iran Deal East Rockaway August 15, 2015 To the Editor: Senator Claire McCaskill from Missouri was on “Charlie Rose” a couple of nights ago. A pleasure to listen to bright, intelligent people discuss the topics of the day. The senator is on the Senate committee reviewing the proposed Iran deal. She is in favor of it. She made a number of very interesting points. 1. The constant allegations that the U.S. would release $150 billion to the terrorists is factually wrong. She has done a lot of research communicating directly with the senior financial people of the countries involved. Though not a trivial amount, the actual amount is closer to $60 billion, not $150 billion. 2. Most of the blocked funds are held by Asian countries, not the U.S., i.e., Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea. Further, the actions taken by these countries are controlled by U.N. resolutions, not the U.S. She didn’t specify the amount controlled by the U.S., but not anywhere near the $150 billion we keep hearing from the Israelis. 3. There was little doubt in her mind that even if Congress refuses to approve the deal and the president vetoes it, there are not enough votes to override. 4. She believes Netanyahu did an in credibly stupid and insulting thing going directly to Congress, bypassing presidential protocol. I agree. It was another feeble attempt by the Republicans (i.e., Boehner) to embarrass the president. It failed, as they have so often in the recent past. By the way, where is John, adding to his tan? Has anyone seen him on Main Beach recently? This writer hasn’t. 5. It is a strong belief by knowledgeable scientists that if the “bad deal” falls through (i.e., no deal), Iran will have a bomb within a year. Then what? War? Not one opponent of this “deal” has offered alternatives. As one who has served his country in the military, maybe your grandchildren, but not mine — certainly not over this. Sincerely, STEVE HARWIN The Trump Brand East Hampton August 21, 2015 Dear Editor, I used to believe that only horses and cattle were branded. Now I understand that the king of brands is Donald Trump. Fearful and cautious about investing his own money after getting blasted in the market turndown in 2008, Trump turned to a new, easy way of making money without risk. You build your notoriety, as he did with his bravado and mouth, perhaps even get a TV show, and then seek out owners of realty, builders of casinos and other real estate construction, as well as producers of clothing, perfume, and general merchandise who want and need the stature and publicity that accompanies the Trump brand, and sell your name. Big fees, no liability. Not many people can do that, but Donald Trump fell into a bad market and needed cash to stay alive, so he began selling his name as a trademark. With the buildings and projects of his own having four bankruptcies, he turned to branding and made it his hallmark. The Trump name appears everywhere, and no one knows the particular deal upon which it is borne but it certainly wasn’t the base for hiring people for jobs. Donald Trump says his net worth is $8.5 billion to $10.5 billion, a lot of which is projected brand-income dollars. Forbes magazine, which has tracked his wealth for 15 years, says it is more like $3.3 billion. Either way, it is a substantial amount of money to have made in a country gone to hell, broken‚ and run by idiots and incapable morons. Trump’s main assets these days seem to be golf courses, here and abroad, to which he attributes huge value in his net worth statement. Interestingly, the Trump organization says the 16 golf courses he owns are tremendously successful, in spite of the dour financial history and downward slide of the golf entertainment industry, Turn on the TV and there he is, blustery, cocksure, and full of himself, unchallenged and spewing crass, racist, misogynistic puffery — some truthful, mostly false and misleading — but all of it delivered in a certain, loud, sure manner and calculated to rouse the interest and support of 25 percent of the Republican and Tea Party ultra-conservatives who sop it all up like applauding paper towels. Enough to garner 23 percent of that 25 percent of the white, male Republican conservatives, and be the leader of the pack of whatever’s running for the nomination. So he goes on: “Mexicans are rapists and gang-bangers.” Yeah, you tell ’em, Donald! “The country is going to hell.” Rah, rah, rah, say his rabid followers! “We’ll build a 2,000-mile, 20-foot-high fence across our borders with Mexico and get the Mexicans to pay the $23 billion estimated cost for it.” Right on, go get ’em, Donald! “I am a job-maker, builder, a Horatio Alger guy capable of duplicating for you my own wealth, which I attained in spite, of course, of the country’s going to hell like I described, and after four bankruptcies of my named companies. All according to law, of course.” How does a brand name create jobs? How he gets away with it all is no secret. He is the consummate circus runway barker, a showman, and he knows the media and speaks the language of the common guy on the street and he says just what that guy would say himself if he too knew as little about governing as Trump does. Going to Wharton is nice, but it doesn’t give you the know-how to govern anything except your checkbook, and Donald hasn’t gotten the knack of that yet, what with being unable to govern four wives, four bankruptcies, closed Atlantic City casinos, and financially desperate Trump brands all over the place. So Trump trumpets Nabisco and a Ford plant moving to Mexico as evidence of the U.S. going down. Really? Well, how about this: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, BP, Daimler Benz, Mercedes, HSBC, Volkswagen, Bridgestone, Volvo, Air Bus, Shell Oil, Nestlé, Siemens — all foreign companies — moved to and are doing business in the U.S., and are responsible for 20 percent of all U.S. exports of products made here. Yes, we lost jobs overseas, but we gained more than we lost, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Forbes magazine. Dumb Donald again. Finally, to prove what a jackass he is (and others are), can we keep in mind that petition after petition, outcry after outcry, all commenting on the Iran nuclear agreement, with every known nuclear physicist in the country, astute and knowledgeable experts in the field and in inspection, have backed the agreement as the best thing we can do at this time to prevent Iran from getting the bomb. Yet Donald Trump, bringing to bear his vast knowledge of nuclear science, verification, and the politics (of which he has none) of dealing with a recalcitrant, theologically fanatic government that hates us, says the agreement is “terrible.” Who are you going to believe — him or your lying intelligence? RICHARD P. HIGER Revolution at Hand Sag Harbor August 21, 2015 To the Editor: David, I couldn’t pass this up. Headline on the front page of The New York Times, Aug. 21: “Sanders Draws Big Crowds to His Political Revolution,” echoing Obama 2008 with less hope for a broken system. But Sanders’s movement is closing in on Hillary Clinton, who has run into legal problems with emails and has raised $60 million for her campaign. Jeb Bush has raised $160 million, opening a path for corporate powers. The same old story: Money rules, we lose, while Sanders cries out enough is enough — we’re left out of the election process — 330 million people — the valid reason for the revolution way overdue. Sanders: We will give these guys an offer they can’t refuse, vowing to bust up the big banks, bring down the billionaire class, and smash the political establishment. So I welcome you all, he said, to the political revolution of 2015. Bribery will no longer buy us off. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s message is the same as Mr. Sanders is arguing, the Obama war, naive to even bother with a system that needs to be fundamentally changed. One thing new has developed, much to my surprise: The young people are getting involved. Therein lies the energy. Jane Sanders said after one of the seven appearances her husband made last weekend in Iowa that he was humbled by the success, remained as focused on the issues as ever, and doesn’t believe in the cult of personality. Yet when asked why Bernie was attracting so many people, she added, Because if not now, when? And if not him, who? Well past. It’s been a long waiting period. Sanders, who except for two years held political office continually since 1981, is well prepared and has nothing to lose. We’re going to practice democracy, how’s that? In an environment of ruthless capitalism where winner takes all, called the 1 percenters. Again, people left out. His wife, Jane, added, he has kids, is a father and grandfather who loves kids, immigrated from Poland with nothing. One in four of our children live under the poverty level, an ongoing scandal. When we go to war the first action is to cut food stamps and benefits for the poor. Where’s the morality of our Congress? Shame. Americans, Mr. Sanders says, live under an oligarchy of billionaires, the Koch brothers, Walmart, and Wall Street chieftains who conspire to keep the working man down. Middle class has disappeared. Class warfare no one wants to talk about. A news media that avoids the issues, has become a joke. Sanders would expand, not shrink Social Security. Keep private corporations out of the prison business. Over 2 million in prison, largest number in the world. Back in Burlington after the week, Sanders called his close friend Richard Sugarman, a University of Vermont professor of Jewish philosophy and self-described biblical socialist. Yes, a revolution is at hand, breathe it, see it, hear it. The evidence is there. LARRY DARCEY Blond Underneath Southold August 17, 2015 To the Editor: One sunny afternoon around the south shore, your way, I had the privilege to spend time with my warm friends Betty, Bogey, Steven, and Leslie! They, Steve and his sister, were still little, in a stroller that looked like a big mailbag that you see around the post offices. Someone cut my hair in a crew, probably to look more like Bogey, as I looked like him! I wasn’t wanting to look like a small boy. Later on in high school I was walking down a steep hill after school at Forest Hills High, looking in my mirror. My hairstyle was very nice, like Betty Bacall. Only strange thing, my eyes reflected blue instead of brown like Betty Bacall, as she was behind me, and her eyes bounced off my mirror. I loved the look and it was a funny trick. Shortly my dark eyes returned. My teenage friend was a guy lots know, Rennie Whitehorn, a George Peppard face, who wanted me to have blond hair like his, so I lightened it and liked it. Dad and Bogart had the same hairline as Ronald Reagan’s that surprisingly was blond underneath. Your friend, ANITA FAGAN
Published 4 years ago
Last updated 4 years ago
Letters to the Editor: 08.27.15
August 27, 2015