Quietgate

A dynamic and critical relationship exists between government at every level and the press. In East Hampton Village just this month, the benefit of their natural pull-and-tug became clear once again.

At a brief work session on a quiet February weekday, members of the East Hampton Village Board made a decision to bring a change to the village proper that would have affected every citizen, taxpayer, and visitor.

As reported in these pages, the story was about a village plan to spend roughly $40,000 on mechanical devices to clock drivers parking in the Reutershan parking lot. For the board's part it was a seemingly last-ditch effort to control the uncontrollable. Many others, however, think it would have created an even greater vehicular morass.

No advance notice or public hearing was required. The Village Code allowed the board to move ahead with only a nod to its public. It was ready to do so, except for the presence of the press at that brief and quiet meeting.

Imagine, if you will, the honking of horns, the undeleted expletives from the mouths of delayed drivers, the barrier-bashing that might have occurred had these village gates been installed quietly.

With the information in hand at the last minute, the public was able to voice its opinion, which, in this case, turned out to be outrage. We don't think the Village Board intended to be stealthy or realized how ludicrous the proposal would seem. We also take Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. at his word that he is "committed to good and open government." To any aspersion that the press fomented trouble for the village, let us say instead that the press helped the village avoid it.

The national media have been taking heat in recent weeks for their coverage of Presidential peregrinations, raising the question of when the watchdog becomes a bulldog. In this case, it was a good thing that the watchdog was on duty.