Letters to the Editor: 09.29.16

From the Arab World

Sag Harbor

September 26, 2016

Dear Editor,

I would like to thank Leila Straus, Andrea Grover, and the entire staff of Guild Hall for hosting the magnificent evening celebrating the Palestinian musician Ramzi Aburedwan.

More than ever, we need to hear authentic voices from the Arab world. The evening’s program accomplished this magnificently. Sandy Tolan, author of the best-selling book “The Lemon Tree,” read from his new book, “Children of the Stone,” about Mr. Aburedwan, a stone-thrower turned musician. While Sandy was reading a particularly poignant passage, of an interaction between young Palestinian musicians and Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint, Ramzi materialized in the background and softly played under Sandy’s words, the same melancholy tune played in the book by the Palestinian girl to the soldiers. The scene beautifully evoked all the sadness and tragedy of a land loved by two peoples.

After Sandy’s introduction, the large, enthusiastic crowd was treated to an extraordinary evening of music by Dal’ouna, Ramzi’s ensemble of talented musicians, with a Tunisian, Ziad Benyoussef, on oud, a Palestinian, Tareq Tantisi, on percussion (of all kinds), and Edwin Buger on accordion. The lovely and talented Moroccan singer Nidal Ibourk introduced us to the haunting beauty of Arab song. The audience was rapt throughout the performance, leaping up in a standing ovation at concert’s end. 

The evening was a remarkable success, showing us yet again the hunger for positive culture from the Arab world. Thanks, Guild Hall, for building bridges, not walls.

Sincerely,

KEN DORPH

An Incredible Run

East Hampton

September 22, 2016 

Dear David, 

As Guild Hall commences its new chapter as the creative heart of our community, I’m reflecting on Ruth Appelhof’s tenure and leadership of 17 years, an incredible run. And it’s remarkable to me that in that time I never once saw her look discouraged, disgusted, or tired. Even in the waning days of August she would be upbeat and looking forward to the next event and show.

Ruth has accomplished so much that is good for our town and for the all-year-round residents. There was a time when the local community felt disconnected and separate from the Guild Hall, as if it were a place for summer people or others. 

More than anything else, Ruth made Guild Hall an artistic and cultural oasis that beckoned all of us. 

I’m pleased that she and Gary will have more time to relax and enjoy our extraordinary place at a slower pace. 

I just sent in my donation to the Guild House for their artists-in-residence program in Ruth’s honor. May I congratulate her and wish her success with new projects, and much happiness here in East Hampton.

With warm regards, 

ELENA PROHASKA GLYNN

The Lobster Bash

Sag Harbor

September 22, 2016

Dear David, 

One of our charity’s most popular fund-raisers — and not too pricey at $50 for a three-course lunch and wine — is the Lobster Bash. Traditionally, it was hosted by Perry (Chip) Duryea III at his restaurant in Montauk. Always at least 100 guests.

Last year, as you know, Perry sold his restaurant to Marc Rowen, but Marc has continued to run it under the Duryea name. A few months ago I spoke with Marc about continuing the Bash tradition, and he very generously agreed. So, come tomorrow, our fund-raiser tradition continues at Duryea’s, just “under new management.”

What seemed newsworthy about this was that Perry has always been so community-minded, giving back and concerned for fellow citizens. Indeed, that spirit seems bred into the bone of most residents of Montauk.

Marc is new to the scene, but the same kind of generosity of spirit is manifest in how he is running Duryea’s. Guess the apples don’t fall far from the tree.

Warm regards, 

DUNCAN DARROW

Founder and Chairman

Fighting Chance

The Dongan Patent

Springs

September 25, 2016

Dear Editor,

As residents of Driftwood Shores, we want to thank you very much for your editorial “Stuart’s Legacy.” What you wrote was the original issue we brought before the trustees the first time we signed in to speak. I think you presented the case for respecting and protecting the Dongan Patent better than we have ever been able to. 

How unfortunate that our residents can’t peacefully enjoy this beautiful beach as they have for the past 50 years.

With great appreciation!

TINA and MAX PLESSET

Car Wash Problematic

Stony Brook

September 22, 2016

Dear Mr. Rattray:

It has come to my attention that there is a proposal to build a new car wash in East Hampton, specifically Suffolk County Tax Map #300-197-1-40.1 in Wainscott. This location is in the rapid recharge watershed of Georgica Pond. Any water recharging from this region will quickly enter the groundwater and would reach Georgica Pond in a matter of months. The E.P.A. has identified a series of contaminants in wash wastewater including the following:

• Oil and grease, which contain hazardous materials such as benzene, lead, zinc, chromium, arsenic, pesticides, herbicides, nitrates, and other metals.

• Detergents, including biodegradable detergents, that can be poisonous to fish.

• Phosphates, which are plant nutrients and can cause excessive growth of nuisance plants in water bodies.

• Chemicals, such as hydrofluoric acid, ammonium bifluoride products, and solvent-based solutions that are harmful to living organisms.

• Chemicals and oils used for the maintenance of cleaning machinery (for automatic systems).

• Debris that can clog storm sewer inlets and grates and thereby prevent storm water drainage to the sewer.

While all of these contaminants are of serious concern, the one that may be of the greatest environmental threat is phosphates. My extensive research of Georgica Pond, supported by the East Hampton Town Trustees, has identified phosphate as one of the key nutrient elements that are promoting toxic algal blooms in Georgica Pond. These algal blooms have created low oxygen conditions that kill aquatic life and synthesize toxins that can be lethal to humans and animals. A dog died after drinking from Georgica Pond when it had an algal bloom in 2012. 

It is for all of these reasons that the location of the proposed car wash is highly problematic for the well-being of citizens living on and around Georgica Pond.

Sincerely,

CHRISTOPHER J. GOBLER

Associate Dean for Research 

School of Marine and Atmospheric 

Sciences, Stony Brook University

40-Year-Old Easement

East Hampton

September 24, 2016

To the Editor:

I read in 27east.com that the lawsuit against East Hampton Village that challenged the legality of last year’s zoning amendments focusing on house size has been dismissed. According to the article, the changes are designed to place limits on the sizes of homes, aiming to maintain the village’s character. I think most village residents and homeowners are happy that Mayor Rickenbach and the village board fought in court for this outcome.

Given their determination to fight to control the density of development in the village, it seems strange that Mayor Rickenbach and members of the village board have decided to negotiate themselves out of a 40-year-old easement on the Cartier property at 105 Main Street in the center of the village and permit development, after having won the enforcement of the easement in court. 

They said that they think it is in the best interests of East Hampton residents to trade a strict scenic easement at 105 Main Street, the Cartiers’ property, that has existed for 40 years covering two acres in the center of the village, for an easement which covers only 25 percent of the same property, thereby permitting the building of two houses on the remaining 75 percent of the property, which previously could not be developed.

There must be a reason or reasons why the village has decided to negotiate itself out of a 40-year-old easement in the center of the village and permit this development after spending a lot of money to win the enforcement of the easement.

GORDON BOWLING

What the ‘Road’ Is

East Hampton

September 26, 2016

To the Editor: 

Did the chicken cross the road?

The East Hampton Planning Board reviews all subdivisions, the focus of which is mainly on proposed mapped roads. The developer then puts up a bond to ensure that the blacktop surface will be built to the town’s specifications and that the easements on either side will be available for providing utilities to all lots within said subdivision, and will contain adequate drainage to deter flooding in the area. A road might be 66 feet wide as shown on the tax maps, but only 21 feet is blacktop. The Town of East Hampton owns the entire 66 feet. 

Many residents think their private property begins at the edge of the blacktop. Not so! The only private thing that can be put on this land is your mailbox and an access drive to your home — even these are considered uninvited guests by the Department of Highways. If and when the town needs this land for improvements it can remove anything that encroaches on that easement. 

So if your berms, plantings, rocks, Belgian-block aprons, and fences encroach and then get damaged or removed by the town (although they try their best not to do so), they are not responsible. Recently, when pipes for public water service were laid in my area, rather than using the encumbered easements, the blacktop was dug up. If blacktop is dug up to provide for utilities, the cost is passed on to the homeowners.

Now that you know what the “road” is, you can answer the chicken question.

JUDY FREEMAN

Short-Term Rentals

Amagansett

September 24, 2016

To the Editor:

Disturbing trends in the local rental market intensified this summer, coinciding with the introduction of the East Hampton Rental Registry. These patterns will significantly impact the local economy (property owners and businesses alike) and, more important, will adversely affect local culture, quality of life, and even traffic safety. The rental registry can be a useful tool to combat these negative impacts — if properly utilized by the town.

Rental websites continue to alter traditional summer rental formats. Renters are often seeking shorter rental periods, measured in days or a weekend, as opposed to more traditional formats of several weeks and months. Some renters even specifically prefer different houses on sequential weekends — “a greater variety of experiences.” Such short-term rentals not only result in significantly higher traffic and congestion on weekends but alter the very nature of the summer experience (for all), as short-term visitors try to maximize their East End experiences in 48 hours. 

For the public, the results are measured in terms of traffic, noise, crowding, and refuse. For property owners, the more transient nature of ultra-short-term rentals can lead to less than respectful treatment of houses, as visitors see them more as hotels. Limited security deposits cover only so much damage.

There are more systemic financial impacts. Both sides save the fees of realtors (undermining an important local industry). More important, weekend rentals reduce total seasonal income for property owners, just as total seasonal service expenses for multiple rentals may in fact increase. Landscape and pools must be serviced for the whole season. “Weekends-only” impacts on local businesses and services are also significant. People load up on supplies in the city, and take their dry cleaning back with them. Weekend business becomes over-saturated and dips during the week.

And, of course, such multiple rentals are illegal.

The new rental registry is meant to control multiple short-term rentals and provide the town with a tool with which to enforce the regulations. The law limits the number of rentals over a particular period: It is illegal to rent a property for less than two weeks more than twice in a six-month period. Property owners are required to include the registry number in all advertisements, including on websites. 

Spending 10 minutes online at airbnb and VBRO shows numerous East Hampton properties available for daily rental. Very few include the registry number as required. And a simple reading of the “reviews” indicates numerous properties rented repeatedly to different renters over the past summer, four to six times over two months. Illegal.

Many law-abiding residents have gone through the process of registering on the rental registry. And most are surely obeying the law. Some online ads include the registry number and many indicate minimum rental periods of weeks and months.

But the many additional East Hampton offerings, without registry numbers and showing repeated daily or weekend rentals, are an affront to those residents obeying the law.

The town should be trolling the websites and taking action against property owners not listing registry numbers and those renting too frequently (owners and renters, as the law permits). A few high-profile prosecutions will do wonders for enforcement.

Furthermore, the websites themselves should be approached. They have the ability to help enforce local laws. They certainly should not be supporting illegal activities. And the state also has a role to play here, as recently evidenced in State Assembly action on New York City rentals. (There is even a Suffolk County hotel-tax angle.)

We should be using the technology to protect the financial interest of East Enders and our quality of life.

I commend the current town board for introducing the rental registry. But a law unenforced is worse than no law at all. Appropriate action will improve quality of life and protect the economy.

DAVID GROSSMAN

Think and Act

Springs

September 28, 2016

Dear Editor,

The rental registry is proving to be a valuable tool for code enforcement. It becomes more valuable when residents fully participate by reporting what we see as code violations. It is unfair to criticize the town board or code enforcement if we don’t do our part. Vans have been seen dropping kids off to get on Springs School buses, suggesting they might not be district residents. So, “if you see something, say something!”

If overcrowded housing issues are resolved we most likely will not need a new $30 million Springs School. This is very plausible.

In addition, it is reasonable for us to resist picking up the tab for people who are illegally overcrowding single-family homes and our school. Furthermore, every effort should be made to ensure that we do support those who reside here legally. We are compassionate people, but we should not be responsible for those who are violating our laws.  Think and act: It’s rational!

Should we then determine that more space is needed, the school board should aggressively pursue what was available at the charter school. Their reason for not doing so is pathetic. They hire lawyers to accomplish things that are difficult or even impossible. So when the school board’s lawyer says this can’t be done — get a new lawyer.

FRED J. WEINBERG

School’s Disarray

Springs

September 25, 2016

Dear Mr. Rattray:

The Springs School is in turmoil. 

Springs School students performed abysmally on the recent New York State-administered exams, scoring at one of the lowest levels among all schools on Long Island. 

Attempting to put a positive spin on the low scores at the most recent school board meeting, the principal created a hypothetical analysis that assumed the students who opted out of the exams were the school’s best. He theorized if they had taken the tests, they would have scored at the highest rates. Combining these hypothetical high scores with the actual low scores predictably elevated the school’s overall total performance. 

The community didn’t buy it, and said so. But the school board and district superintendent seemed just fine with it, remaining mute during the presentation. 

The district superintendent, the school’s C..E.O, never apologized to the parents and community for the school’s deplorable performance, nor did he even pledge to work harder to get those scores up next year. In fact, when the principal took some well-deserved heat from the community for his statistical conclusions and methodologies, the superintendent, the principal’s supervisor, said nothing. He hung the principal out to dry. 

As a former manager, I am disgusted by managers who hide behind staff doing their bidding when things get rough. If honesty won’t allow these managers to defend their staff, then one hopes cashing those big paychecks would stiffen their spines. But in this case, not so much. 

Rather than committing to improve the performance of Springs School students, the school board and superintendent continue to pursue, with dogged determination, building a grandiose school addition.

In July, the board awarded the lucrative architectural and engineering contract to BBS Architects & Engineers (the superintendent’s favored architect). Although BBS had worked on the project for nearly two years without legal authorization, the firm nonetheless was allowed to compete with other companies that did not have the same access to, or knowledge of, the project. Under the board’s and superintendent’s supervision, BBS is moving swiftly to finalize design documents by the end of theyear, in order to ram through a required voter referendum by mid-March 2017. At that time, Springs voters will be asked to approve a construction bond that might be as high as $35 million. This past July, the new school board president signed a contract with BBS that compensates the firm at 5 percent of the actual construction costs. Doing the math, the firm could receive nearly $1.75 million in taxpayer money.

The school’s disarray deepens as an announcement in July by the superintendent that he will terminate his contract early and leave the school by Dec. 31 is now in question. Appearing not even to have begun a search for a new superintendent, the school board members were unable or unwilling to answer a community member’s question about the superintendent’s status. This organizational uncertainty will damage further an already troubled institution. School staff, parents, and community members should be very concerned. 

Springs School students are the tragic victims who are most affected by the school’s organizational turmoil and poor management. The school’s nearly $30 million operating budget is obscene when measured against its return on investment. While return on investment is a fancy financial term, what is really at stake here are the lives and futures of Springs students. 

CAROLE CAMPOLO

Power From Offshore

Sag Harbor

September 26, 2016

Dear Editor,

I applaud Governor Cuomo for announcing the development of a master plan for offshore wind to serve Long Island (“State Releases Plan Harnessing Offshore Wind Energy,” Sept. 16).

But I also applaud the formation of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance to keep the pressure up to achieve a measurable, aggressive goal of bringing online 5,000 megawatts of power from offshore wind by 2030. 

Each year brings new records for Earth’s temperature. Without urgent action now to slow the climate change caused by greenhouse gases, very bad things that have already started will accelerate worldwide in the coming decades. 

But imagine this just on Long Island: Rising seas wipe out much of our coastal real estate, warming oceans further acidify and kill off fisheries, agriculture and freshwater supplies shrink due to saltwater incursions and extreme weather events.  

Unless we take major steps now, our children and grandchildren will live on a very diminished island and in a very dangerous world.

HELEN ROUSSEL

Generators on Flatbeds

East Hampton

September 26, 2016

Dear David,

The opening statement at the Sept. 21 LIPA trustee meeting offered the most encouraging public statement yet on the status of the Montauk offshore wind project. The turbines appear to be acceptable, contract negotiations have begun with the developer, DeepWater Wind. There is one more meeting in December to close on this project before the 2016 applicable federal tax credits expire. Further LIPA delay in approving this project will have serious consequences in maintaining the East End power infrastructure. The East End communities will just have to continue to wait to celebrate. 

During the meeting’s public comment period, I addressed the LIPA trustees about a discussion which opened six months ago as the South Fork project proposals were just under consideration. Six months ago I stood before the LIPA board with more than 500 petitions from East Hampton High School students and 500 copies of letters written directly to Governor Cuomo from the Renewable Energy LI website in support of the proposed DeepWater Montauk Off Shore Wind Farm.

PSEG-LI followed up by reaching out to the East End communities to open a discussion with municipal elected officials and clean energy leadership on how to meet the growing summer peak demand. The PSEG-LI C.E.O., Dave Daly, and his team heard reasons why these coastal communities were not suitable for the traditional energy solutions offered by the fossil fuel industry. PSEG-LI had the audience to test their mid-island $500 million transmission “buried” line and “temporary” “peaker” plant strategy in response to a projected South Fork deficiency megawatt need from 2017 through 2030. 

The East Hampton community pushed back with renewable strategies to meet the goal the town board had approved for a sustainable supply of clean energy, including wind power, to meet demand by 2020. PSEG-LI agreed at the time to respect these East End communities’ demand from this LIPA operator that fossil fuel “peaker” plants had no place in meeting the local communities’ future load demand. We all shook hands — and then PSEG-LI went back underground!

In addition to the wind turbine negotiations, we now learn PSEG-LI is poised to deliver on its own strategy. There is the very “short term plan,” contracting, through 2019, for additional demand response. An “intermediate term green plan” (summer 2018) is folded into capital upgrading of existing transmission equipment as well as installing two storage batteries. Until the first battery is operational, the PSEG-LI solution to the few hours of peak summer demand is to create “temporary peakers,” trailer-mounted emergency generators fueled by compressed natural gas delivered to Long Island in truck-mounted canisters.

The assumption on this “temporary” scenario is that the 90-megawatt wind farm will be approved and operational by 2023. It will be very important for the LIPA decision-makers, using public media, science, and business reports now available, to sharpen their decision-making skill on future options that actually address the East End community, in meeting local and New York State clean-energy goals. 

The New York Times reports, in an article on Aug. 22, that “America’s First Offshore Wind Farm May Power Up a New Industry.” Offshore wind may be on the verge of rapid growth in the U.S. The Times’s editorial board on Aug. 27 reported in an article, “Unlimited Power of Ocean Winds,” that costs have fallen with the installation of larger turbines which can generate more electricity, and that construction firms have become more efficient in installing the offshore farms. In a recent report by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory there are 22 other offshore wind projects in various stages of development.

On Sept. 9 the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of the Interior, in Boston celebrating the Block Island offshore wind farm, announced the publication of a collaborative strategic plan to continue accelerating the development of offshore wind energy in the U.S., “The National Offshore Wind Strategy: Facilitating the Development of the Offshore Wind Industry in the U.S. by 2050.”

On Sept. 12, The Washington Post reported on a study published in the journal Nature Energy. The conclusion from a survey of 163 wind energy experts found “the average offshore turbine” will be able to generate 11 megawatts, more than three times as much as the average onshore wind turbine, by 2030. “These cost declines should drive up the percentage of the world powered by wind by 2030, and even more by 2050.” So Governor Cuomo’s REV policy (Reforming the Energy Vision) is right on target. 

What is not, is the PSEG-LI mindset for Long Island. PSEG-LI continues to hold the South Fork hostage to the fossil fuel industry by offering working solutions, even temporary ones, not acceptable to local communities striving to transform their growing energy demand with clean, resilient sources of power. PSEG-LI now wants to add fossil fuel generators on flatbed trucks to the East Hampton and Montauk substations during summer months while trucking (on the L.I.E. and Route 27) the necessary natural gas fuel (a gas largely consisting of hydrocarbons including methane and CO2) canisters, to Long Island and then between East Hampton and Montauk on a routine summer schedule.

PSEG-LI confirmed in their report to LIPA that the primary “driver” for operations is the weather. In our coastal community we know this, we know what an atmosphere already choking on carbon dioxide means, we live with the extreme weather events — the rising sea levels, the warming oceans, and the eroding coastlines. As the world moves forward in confronting these challenges to the planet’s climate, PSEG-LI, totally disregarding a carbon dioxide impact on blanketing the Earth’s atmosphere, hangs on to the only problem-solving solution it knows, fossil fuels, in generating, even temporarily, the energy Long Island needs to address its future.

The East End communities must remain alert as negotiations continue between LIPA and DeepWater Wind. We are the consumers who today pay the bills for the power supply to meet our energy needs, but it is the next generation that will pay the price if the fossil fuel industry is allowed to continue generating the CO2 that overheats our atmosphere. It is our time, and within our reach, to return wind power to its 370-year East Hampton history. Harnessing the most abundant of our local natural resources can and must supply today’s growing energy technology and the new industry building to provide our community its resiliency in the future. 

LINDA JAMES

Big Fossil Fuel

East Hampton

September 22, 2016

Dear East Hampton Star,

Before I get to the meat of this letter, I first want to say that I’m all for the new wind farm which is being built along the South Shore. To those who think it’s going to spoil the view, I would point out that the oil companies would love to build huge, ugly oil-drilling platforms which would not only really spoil the view but would spew chemicals into the air and risk leaking toxic oil and oil byproducts into our waters. I don’t think we want our beaches covered in oil sludge, thank you. And we will see direct benefits from the windmills, whereas the oil would be taken elsewhere to be sold to other countries. And that oil is best left in the ground anyway. 

There are many different stories about carbon that are being touted as lies on both sides of the global warming fight. But if I had to pick one that is the most heinous and insidious real lie I would have to pick the one touted by environmental optimists which says that we can actually do something to slow or stop climate change. Why is this a lie? Simple science and math. Even if we went cold turkey and stopped using all fossil fuels in every country for every purpose right this second, it wouldn’t really make a difference. There is already enough warming capacity in the greenhouse gases currently blanketing the planet to keep global temperatures rising until at least 2050. And stopping the use of fossil fuels does nothing to curb the transformation of carbon dioxide into methane through poor animal husbandry practices. The agreement recently signed in Paris last fall is completely meaningless in this respect. 

Coal-fired power plants propose to capture carbon by bubbling their emissions through tanks of fast-growing algae. This takes care of maybe 90 percent of the carbon dioxide produced. What about that extra 10 percent? And there’s another problem — what happens when the algae fills the tank? The proposed solution is to feed it to cattle and chickens. But this is not removing the carbon from circulation. Instead, the cows and chickens convert a significant percentage of the carbon into carbon dioxide and methane through respiration and metabolic processes. What’s more, the algae is added to a feed which the cow is ill equipped to digest, and this causes excessive methane production. Thus this process actually produces much more harmful gases than when the power plant simply released the untreated emissions into the atmosphere. 

This is just one example of how Big Fossil Fuel has tried to pull the wool over our eyes. Rest assured there is no such thing as clean coal or a “carbon-neutral power plant” if it is fueled by coal, petroleum, or natural gas. To be carbon-neutral, a plant must never take in fossil fuels in the first place, such as a windmill or hydro-electric dam, or even solar panels. 

Fixing the climate problem is not at all simple. I remember some years ago, there was a short-lived reality program that tried to get homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. The real goal was to make the home carbon-neutral, but that proved impossible. And what they discovered is that all too often it was virtually impossible to make any permanent improvements. It wasn’t for lack of trying on the part of the homeowner; the problem was the lack of actual resources such as comprehensive recycling programs in the community. What this show proved was that humans, no matter how well-intentioned, are going to produce prodigious amounts of waste, thanks to over-packaging of thousands of products. Many contestants had difficulty finding take-out meals that were not packaged in Styrofoam containers, or plastic ones that could be recycled easily. And everyone failed when it came to composting. Even if you put up with the mess and smell, what do you do with the stuff after it’s broken down if you don’t have a garden?

My point, put simply, is that global warming is not a simple problem and therefore it cannot have a simple fix. There are two great hurdles that must be overcome before we can even begin to address it in a realistic sense. The first is that an astounding number of people, especially people who govern our lives, think that climate change is a myth or that it has nothing to do with human activity. If you don’t acknowledge the problem, how do you solve it? The second hurdle is the recognition that we need to act as an entire species. Smog doesn’t recognize borders. Oil spilled in U.S. waters won’t stop at Canadian or international jurisdiction. In a real-world example, mercury and sulfur-laden emissions produced by Chinese power plants burning cheap, “dirty” coal have caused acid rain and high levels of environmental mercury in Japan and along the West Coast of the United States. 

I began writing letters to world leaders, including our own President Ronald Reagan, in the 1980s and 1990s. I stopped when I realized the truth — no one was listening, at least no one important or who could make a difference, and that it was probably too late to stop the disaster. Since Al Gore “lost” his bid for the White House in 2000, I’ve been watching as the problem has gotten steadily worse. One city cleans up its act, but two others give up and go back to old, dirty practices. 

I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but the simple fact is that our wind farm is only a drop in the bucket when we need to turn on the faucet, to make an imperfect analogy. But I still support it 100 percent! And I think windmills are pretty.

As always, thanks for reading.

MATT HARNICK

‘Looks a Little Small’

East Hampton

September 22, 2016

Dear Star,

While still in architecture school in the late 1970s I was hired to be the assistant to the master model-maker at Swanke, Hayden, Connell, a large New York architectural practice that specialized in corporate skyscrapers. Trump Tower, on Fifth Avenue at 56th Street, was our most important job at the time, so the partners instructed us to build a 1/32 scale model of the neighborhood around the building — both sides of Fifth Avenue from 55rd Street north to 59th Street.

When the lacquered acrylic model was finished, Der Scutt, the building’s designer, came to see it with Donald Trump. Looking at the model Trump said, “Is it accurate?” My boss, Juan, a great model-maker who had come from Cuba in 1959, responded with annoyance, “Yes, it’s accurate, we’re all architects here.” Trump then said, “Are you sure? My building looks a little small.” He then said, “Can you make my building taller?” To this, Der Scutt replied, “I’ll ask.”

Two weeks later when Scutt and Trump returned to the model shop, Trump immediately said, “It looks better,” despite the fact that we had done absolutely nothing to the model. Scutt, a bravado kind of guy like Trump, had simply lied to him. Trump then said, “But the G.M. Building, it’s so tall, can you make my building taller?” Der Scutt said, “No, we can’t make it any taller.” Trump thought for a few seconds and then said, “Well, can you make the G.M. building shorter?” Scutt said, “Sure,” and laid a steel ruler against the side of the G.M. building. Trump took a pencil and scored the bottom of the ruler, I got down and unscrewed the building (which was about two feet tall), laid it down on the table saw, sawed off the top third of the building, and replaced it on the model. Trump said, “Great,” and left.

True story.

NORMAN BROSTERMAN

Trump Is Wrong

Amagansett

September 22, 2016

Dear David:

Although this letter is addressed to you, it references a letter by Thomas R. Metz appearing in The Star on Sept. 22, in which he says “Trump is right.” I will reject form, and address Mr. Metz directly.

Tom, you say you are a hard-working man, toiling for most of your life “not less than 60 hours per week.” You put yourself through college working by day and going to school at night. You are rightly proud of the fact that you have “never taken a handout.”

Now let’s look at your candidate for president, Donald Trump.

Trump inherited $200 million from his father, but that was only the beginning. He put his snout in the public trough, and sucked up $885 million in handouts from the government. That’s $885 million of our money, including yours and mine. This is a fact, an indisputable matter of public record; it’s not a figment of the media.

Despite a billion-dollar headstart, Trump failed in the gambling business. e built four casino-hotels in Atlantic City. First one went bankrupt, then a second, then a third and, you guessed it, a fourth. Trump hit the wrong kind of grand slam.

How do you bankrupt a casino? Trump told us. He took millions in salary and bonuses, while the hard-working guys who banged nails to build the casinos got screwed. Instead of a full week’s pay for their labor, they got the usual bankruptcy award: 10 cents on the dollar.

Trump brags, “I made so much money in Atlantic City.” There is a word to describe him, and it isn’t the one you used (“businessman”). 

Trump now proposes to do to America what he did to his casinos. His tax proposal includes repeal of the inheritance tax, elimination of the corporate income tax, and a steep tax cut on the income of the very rich. His plan benefits only multimillionaires, and, if enacted, would deprive the Treasury of funds necessary to run our country. No question, Trump would bankrupt America for his own benefit. Tom, do you want to put the man who bankrupted four casinos in charge of America?

 You single out Trump as being a strong leader who can get things done. You base it on his claim to have a plan to fix everything. He doesn’t disclose the substance of his plans, which leaves most people to believe that he does not have any. He’s all bluster and no substance.

Let’s take a look at one of his claims, a plan to defeat ISIL. Military plans are complex documents requiring input from experts in many different disciplines and collaboration with our allies. Such plans run hundreds of pages, and are beyond the ability of any one person to prepare, even one who has spent his life in the military.

Trump has not spent one day in the service of his country. When it was his turn to serve in the Vietnam War he got a note from his doctor claiming he had a bone spur in his foot. The doctor’s note and family influence got Trump what he wanted, a 4F classification. Although Trump admitted he couldn’t remember which foot had the spur (probably neither), he had the temerity to mock John McCain, whose plane was shot down while flying a mission over Vietnam. McCain bailed out of his flaming plane and was taken prisoner. “I admire guys who were not captured,” ranted that fake 4F coward Donald Trump.

The Times has counted that in addition to McCain, Trump has insulted 238 others. You applaud his rudeness, calling it “refreshing,” but when Hillary Clinton says half of Trump supporters belong in “a basket of deplorables,” you are outraged.

Let’s look at the record. Every leader of a racist, bigoted, hate group has endorsed Trump. He has welcomed their support, and when he repeats their insults, his followers cheer. Is there another reason to support Trump other than the hateful chants he directs at our fellow Americans? I can’t think of any.

Tom, I hope that by the time Election Day rolls around you will discover the real Trump, and pull the lever for Hillary. Trump is wrong for America, and does not deserve the support of decent people.

SIDNEY B. SILVERMAN

We Need a Change

East Hampton

September 23, 2016

To the Editor:

A quote from Gen. Douglas Macarthur: “I am concerned for the security of our great nation not so much from without. But because of the insidious forces from within.”

It is better to be divided by truth than to be united by lies.

We only see two things in H.R.C., what we want to see and what she wants to shows us. There is no responsibility in Hillary’s words. Her actions speak louder than her words. Mistakes are a great educator, when one is willing to admit them and willing to learn from them. Hillary just tells more and more lies, or her other favorite saying is “I can’t remember.” The consequences of today are determined by the actions of our past. The written word can be erased (emails); not so with the spoken word. 

During her acceptance speech the media showed Bill sleeping. Makes you wonder where Monica is when you need her.

I will reserve my loyalty for those who don’t make you question theirs. Truth always matters. 

The only constant in life is change. We can see lessons from our past, but we cannot live in the past. We need a change. I believe that change is not in Hillary Clinton. The statement “you live only once” is false. You live every day, you only die once. If you do not believe this, ask the families of those killed in Benghazi. 

Trump continues to be severely criticized for suggesting that the U.S. limit or suspend the immigration of certain ethnic groups, nationalities, and even people of certain religions such as Muslims. The critics condemned such action as unAmerican, dumb, stupid, reckless, and dangerous. Congress said they would never allow such legislation, and our president called it unconstitutional. There is a law on the books that’s been there for over 60 years, it’s called the McCarran-Walter act, the immigration and nationality act of 1952. It reads in part, whenever the president finds that the entry of aliens or any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interest of the United States, the president by proclamation, and for whatever time he deems necessary, may suspend the entry of any and all aliens or any class of aliens into the United States. 

The law was used by Jimmy Carter in 1979 to keep Iranians out of the United States. Fifteen thousand Iranians were forced to leave the U.S. in 1979. You can bet Obama and Hillary don’t want you to know this.

Outstanding leaders appeal to the hearts of their citizens, not their minds. The best leader is one who has the sense to surround himself with outstanding people and the self-restraint to allow them to do their job. 

We do not need another Obama administration or anything like it.

The main difference between Hillary and Trump in my mind is Trump will abide by the Constitution. Hillary does not even understand the meaning of the words: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States to the best of my ability preserve protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. 

I am not a Democrat or a Republican. But I sure as hell am American. If you want your country back, vote and vote Trump.

TOM BYRNE

He Is Teflon Man

East Hampton

September 20, 2016

Dear Editor,

When the Drumpf family morphed into the Trump family in 1805 Germany, they seem to have forgotten to leave some of their worst Germanic traits behind. They took with them an avoidance of truth like the plague, sneaky tax policies, failure to report illegal activity, perform pay for play everywhere and anywhere, especially with paid-for impunity, buying political contacts, carrying racism, white supremacy, and subterfuge with them and spread it to their children and heirs, who have used it in abundance in Donald Trump’s run for the presidency.

Fred Trump, Donald’s father, denying being German to avoid problems with his many Jewish tenants and claiming he was Swedish was just the beginning. Donald was at his coattails every step of the greedy way.

There is no history we can see of charitable donations by any of the Trump family, unless you count the repay deals Trump worked with his foundation, where money was taken in for the charities and then passed out to the charities without identification as the money of others.

With those traits firmly ensconced in his persona, Donald Trump has embarked on a career of glib doubletalk, including participating in his father’s racist denials of apartment rentals to blacks and Hispanics, promises not fulfilled, of withholding a percentage of apartments in various projects for middle and lower-class tenants in return for millions of dollars of tax breaks for the projects by cities and states. Easier to make a profit if there are no taxes, right? 

Using the bankruptcy laws to avoid personal involvement and gain personal wealth at the expense of creditors, including employees and suppliers, as well as stockholders.

In report after report, Donald Trump has been shown to be connected with every kind of conceivable partner, national and international, known and unknown, benefiting Trump even at the expense of the country he now wants to lead. In every way in “deals” where the Trump name is used for a fee, Trump is absolved of responsibility if the “deal” is fraudulent or criminal.

Of course no tax returns are shown for fear that his massive fraudulent existence would become known.

I just can’t believe the American people are aware of who this man really is. To them he is just a strong man who they believe will change things in Washington. He is Teflon Man all over again. They must wake up. He will destroy this country.

Yes, I know Hillary has an email problem which she has to bear; she has been attacked and re-attacked with phony charges of dishonesty and has been called, by this soulless man Trump, “crooked” Hillary. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. A woman who has given her life for the benefit of others vs. a man who has given his life over to making money at the expense of others.

What a comparison!

So get out there and vote Clinton. Vote for the Democratic ticket.

RICHARD P. HIGER

Nothing but Chaotic

East Hampton

September 26, 2016

Dear David,

I was, and remain, in support of Senator Bernie Sanders. He infused in me a passionate and renewed energy that millions of Americans palpably felt. Not since the first brilliant campaign of then Senator Barack Obama in 2008 had the hope and promise of a better future for all Americans resonated among us. Senator Sanders was in earnest and proved that the race to the White House could be achieved without corporate Super PACs and billionaires’ funds. That Senator Sanders accomplished that alone was testament to the validity of what can be accomplished if the people work toward a common goal. 

When he lost to Secretary Clinton, I felt the country had lost as well. However, Senator Sanders did negotiate and procure a few key commitments from Clinton before he stepped out to urge his followers to vote for her this November. Even so, I didn’t jump on the bandwagon readily. Time and thoughtful reflection has changed my mind. Our country has to move on, but in a positive, not negative way. 

The American people have two candidates to choose from: Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Clinton is a centralist, and Trump, well, no one is quite sure what he stands for as he changes his mind every day, with every tweet. One thing Trump is not; he is not qualified to become President of the United States.

Chaos is not what we need in this country, and Trump is nothing but chaotic. Other adjectives come to mind as well: Unreliable. Erratic. Divisive. Racist. Misogynist. Sexist. Unstable. Narcissist. Childish. Braggart. Misinformed. Uninformed. Terrifying.

America must be careful and elect a person who has real experience — a steady head and hand. We deserve a president who can follow through with meaningful improvements to our country’s security from terrorism, educational systems, immigration reform, economic growth, and environmental protection. We need and deserve a president who has knowledge of and experience with world leaders, to effect mutually agreeable efforts if we are to achieve a peaceful Middle East. 

One of the most crucial aspects of this election is the appointment of a judge to the Supreme Court. I am confident Mrs. Clinton would appoint an extremely qualified justice to the bench who would defend and protect all the people’s interests. Not so, Mr. Trump. 

Third-party candidates are not going to win, no matter what. The reality is, that to cast a vote for either the progressive candidate Dr. Jill Stein (Green ticket) or the Libertarian candidate, former Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico, is to cast a vote for Mr. Trump. People who dislike Mrs. Clinton argue otherwise, but the truth is, they’d be historically incorrect.

Donald Trump reminds me of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” The emperor foolishly paraded himself in all his great girth and nakedness as the people of his country shook their heads in disbelief while they laughed at him. Should Donald Trump be elected president, Americans won’t be laughing.

Let’s stand together and vote for a competent and experienced candidate on Nov. 6. Vote for a future in America. I am confident that Hillary Clinton is that candidate.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 14.

SUSAN McGRAW KEPBER

Not This Woman

Hampton Bays

September 26, 2016

To the Editor: 

As I write, preparations are under way for the “great debate,” as I understand it. Mrs. Clinton is bogged down being coached and she might have health issues she is not fessing up to.

On the other hand, Mr. Trump, our next president, is on the road pressing his case to the public. Mr. Trump has always portrayed professionalism in his attire. Maybe a lot of Americans are turned off by his rhetoric. No doubt he is thin-skinned. But who is perfect? What previous American president has been perfect?

America wanted its first black president (I didn’t vote for him). It wants its first woman president (I just hope it’s not this woman). What America needs is a successful businessman to straighten up the corruption this government has become.

In closing, the great debate is over. Whoever wins or loses, I am still voting for Donald Trump, our next president of the United States of America. 

As always, I thank you for letting me vent.

JOHN PAGAC

Life Before Death?

September 26, 2016

East Hampton

Dear Editor,

It seems like there is always some special observance around the corner. There is even a World Day for Farmed Animals. It’s observed, fittingly, on Oct. 2 (Gandhi’s birthday). It’s intended to memorialize the tens of billions of animals abused and killed for food around the world.

My first instinct was to dismiss it. But, I wanted to understand the impact of my diet and my food dollars on others.

Recent undercover investigations showed male baby chicks suffocated in plastic garbage bags or ground to death; laying hens crowded into small wire cages, injured pigs killed by slamming their heads against a concrete floor, and cows skinned and dismembered while still conscious.

As theologians debate whether there is life after death, I wondered whether these animals have a life before death and why I should subsidize these barbaric practices.

I wonder no more, as I have now embraced a plant-based diet — green and yellow veggies, legumes, fruits, nuts, and some grains. Occasionally, I indulge in nut-based cheese or ice cream. Although I was motivated by compassion for animals, I have since learned that my diet is also great for my health and for the health of our planet.

Sincerely,

EDWIN HORATH

The Truth of Life

East Hampton

September 16, 2016

To the Editor, 

There is nothing more precious and beautiful than a well-disciplined child.

Such is the truth of life. Such is the song and dance of (heaven)?

ANTHONY COLLETTI