Letters to the Editor: 12.07.17

The Cell Tower

Springs

December 3, 2017

Dear Mr. Rattray,

On Nov. 7, the Springs School had a smoke condition at around 8:15 in the morning. Some students and staff were already in the building. Other children were arriving by bus or with their parents. The smoke condition necessitated the evacuation of personnel and children already in the school. Many children spent hours on school buses while others went to the Springs School pre-planned disaster recovery sites until it was safe for them all to return to the school.

I know this only from attending the Springs School Board meeting on Nov. 20. As Superintendent Debra Winter recounted this story, she also mentioned that responding firefighters from the Springs Fire District had to leave the school to go up to the road to get signals on their phones and equipment. 

How could that be? This is 2017. Cellphones, iPads, and all sorts of technological gizmos have invaded our world. Everyone is connected 24/7. Right?

And then I remembered the cell tower that the Springs Fire District built several years ago has been tied up in court. Selfish, wealthy political hacks, living near the Springs Fire Department, had a temper tantrum over the tower at a zoning board of appeals meeting in 2015. Shockingly, the Z.B.A. ruled against the Springs Fire District and every Springs resident, taking the unusual step of revoking the district’s approved building permits. The fire district went to court to try to reverse the Z.B.A. decision, where the case has fallen into a black hole. 

On Nov. 7, the lives of 750 children, first responders, and Springs school staff were in serious danger. While the smoke condition was minor that day, these children’s lives are in danger every single day that cell tower is delayed. What will happen to them if a serious fire or some other unspeakable tragedy were to occur, and first responders and firefighters were unable to communicate with the outside world efficiently? Springs parents should be very, very concerned, as should also all other town taxpayers about the liability issues.

This case has languished too long and it is time for Springs School parents, staff, and all Springs residents to demand that the town board take every possible action to move this case along and get it out of the judge’s chambers. 

The primary role of the East Hampton Town Board is the protection of its citizens. And right now that board is failing 750 school children and all Springs residents. 

Sincerely, 

CAROLE CAMPOLO

Time to Give Back

Montauk

December 4, 2017

Dear Editor,

My name is Peter Joyce. I have been a volunteer firefighter in this great community for 44 years and have held all the line positions within the Fire Department. I also am the hurricane preparedness coordinator, as well as an ex-chief. I am a third-generation Montauk native and an active firefighter for this beautiful and great community.

At this time in my life with my children off an on their own, I feel that this is the perfect time to give back to the community and run for commissioner of the Montauk Fire District.

What does a commissioner do and why is it important to you? Most importantly, they determine how to spend taxpayer dollars to protect the lives and property of the community. Their job is to maintain the buildings, grounds, and the equipment that the men and women use to save lives and property. I have also been involved in the replacement of several pieces of aging equipment and was involved in that process from start to finish.

It is important to me to follow through on the promise of paid paramedics being on duty 24-7, 365 days, which, to date, is not the case. I will also work hard to get the state government to allow fire departments to charge for ambulance calls, as this is a huge drain on taxpayers.

I have owned my own business for 50-plus years and know how to handle people, equipment, properties, and, most of all, setting priorities. This, along with all of my years and experiences in the fire service, makes me the perfect candidate for this five-year position.

Please come on Tuesday to vote for me at the Montauk Fire House from 2 to 9 p.m.

Thank you,

PETER JOYCE

Come and Vote

Montauk

December 4, 2017

Dear Editor, 

My name is Jim Wright. I’m running for fire commissioner of the Montauk Fire District. My professional experience, military service, and volunteer activities make me uniquely qualified for the position. Currently, I manage and maintain multiple estate properties. I have acted as general contractor. In addition, I owned and operated the Lido Motel. During my service with the United States Army, I was a Black Hawk helicopter crew chief with the 101 Airborne Division. Currently, I am an emergency medical technician and interior firefighter with the Montauk Fire Department. In these various endeavors, I have honed my ability to work with a diverse team to accomplish goals.

I am committed to protecting the lives and property of the Montauk community. To the end, I will support a robust paramedic program, along with providing a safe working environment and the top equipment for the firefighters of the Montauk Fire Department. 

Please come and vote Wright on Dec. 12 from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Montauk Fire Department. 

Thank you, 

JIM WRIGHT

Mulched Greenswards

East Hampton

November 30, 2017

Dear David,

Your “Mast-Head” column on raking leaves and Jack Graves’s “Point of View” on leaf suckers omitted encouragement for another solution to the leaf disposal dilemma: on-the-spot mulch­ing, with special mulching blades on rotary mowers that crunch fallen leaves into instant compost. 

Maybe increased use of this environmentally-sound technique has contributed to the welcome dip you note in leaf-blower racket. All of us should make the gently speckled look of mulched greenswards the sought-after look for lawns of the future.  

CHRIS CORY

Shiny Red Boot

East Hampton

December 2, 2017 

To the Editor,

Tuesday, Nov. 21, dawned cold and clear and looked to be a day like any other in the Village of East Hampton. No one could foresee the drama that would soon unfold and the ramifications it would have.

My name is Linda and for 10 years I have been documenting and keeping a photo journal of a group of dolls called the Silly Sisters. These dolls used to be produced by Hasbro. Because of the mechanism that changes their eye color, they were discontinued because it caused some children alarm and now can only be purchased through Japan. 

On this bright and cold Tuesday I was in the East Hampton Library, where I take many of my photos, particularly in the Children’s Garden. I had taken my photo and placed my girl Holly on a nearby windowsill in the reading room. As I lifted her up one of her little shiny red boots fell directly into a vent hole on the floor. It was one of those I- could-not-do-it-if-I-tried moments. Why should you care? What interest do you have in dolls or a little shiny red boot?

You are intelligent and well read and probably think libraries are for quiet reading and reflection and not for photos of Silly Sisters, whoever they are. You probably think I am off in the head. If so, move on, but you will miss a gripping tale of people coming together.

I had never noticed these circular floor vents. Of the many in the room this was the only one that did not have a mesh over the hole. What are the odds here? I pulled off the wood ring around the vent and peered down the hole. I put my fingers down the hole gingerly. I had left my phone in the car and had no light. It was dark and cold. I put my ear to the hole but could not hear anything. I wondered for a while about where the hole led. Holly looked down the hole. Here is a cute photo of her doing so.

I saw Suzanne, the librarian, talking to Emmie, the librarian, and interrupted them. I knew they would immediately want to know about what had occurred as they both are brilliant and imaginative. Suzanne came over to peer down the vent. Emmie was too sad about the boot to come over. Suzanne did not know where the vent led. She thought maybe a crawl space. Does the library have a basement? A subbasement? One small, dank brick room filled with New York Times best-selling books that had been overordered like “the five people” you meet in heaven or, “I Know This Much Is True” and “Angela’s Ashes.” 

Soon other people wandered by, attracted by the air of excitement. One woman poked at the vent with her cane. This did not do much good and was probably the reason the mesh was missing. Many people suggested that the police be called or the fire department. A crowd began to grow. After a few hours the crowd dispersed and I went home. I did what anyone would do. I went on Facebook and whined. 

My dear friends all over were very perturbed by the loss of the little shiny red boot. Many shared their tales of losing a favorite shoe or doll boot and how the pain was still fresh. Many others wondered where that vent led and the possibility of its being a wormhole that shot the boot into the deepness of outer space. But most important, I reached out to Heidi Corley Barto, who is assistant to the director of the Dover Plains Library. Heidi is well known for her expertise and her blue hair. Dragging other libraries into the situation seemed the most effective thing to do. The Library of Congress, however, hung up on me. 

The next morning I returned to the library to use their archive room to try and view the library blueprints and see if I needed a saw. I also had my cellphone. To my chagrin the archive room was closed. So once again I removed the wood ring and a crowd gathered. This time with the added illumination I saw about 13 inches down the vent and a glimpse of red! The boot was there. The crowd gasped. 

Underneath the boot there was no opening, still leaving unanswered the question about where the vent led. At this exact moment Aida, one of the library workers, offered assistance. She left and quickly returned with a white wire hanger, needle-nose pliers, a screwdriver, a metal rod, a roll of purple duct tape, a tank of oxygen, two warm pretzels, a map of the sewer system, an L.L. Bean catalogue and six thumbtacks. A special phone was set up connected to Heidi to offer advice. Wormhole conspiracy theorists put on foil hats. Stephen Egts, a well-known artist, was on hand for any forensic drawings needed. 

The needle-nose pliers did not work. People began wringing their hands. Aida put the purple duct tape on the metal rod and expertly fished around in the vent. After what seemed like hours but was in reality only a few seconds, she pulled the little shiny red boot out of the vent! Everyone cheered. Some cried. One lady poked at the hole with her cane. That’s when the mesh was found pressed against the side of the vent. The mesh was replaced, assuring that this would never happen again. After much hugging and back patting the crowd dispersed and all that was left to do was return the little shiny red boot to Holly. 

Here is the artist Stephen Egt’s drawing of what it would look like of Heidi retrieving the boot from space in order to shove it back down the wormhole and back into the vent. He is quite talented.

You have heard the expression it takes a village? In this case it did. Despite everyone’s basic lack of interest they came together to help, and succeeded. The people of East Hampton have proved once again their kindness and ingenuity. This is a really caring village. If you see me taking photos of the Silly Sisters, come over and say hello and I will tell you the long version of the story of the little shiny red boot.

LINDA RUEL

Community Comments

Amagansett

December 4, 2017

Dear David,

The Star editorial “Support Warranted for Housing,” regarding the positive effect the affordable housing would have on the Amagansett School was spot on. 

The community is in need of housing that is affordable to keep some of our youth locally. Yes, there are graduates who move away for job opportunities that the East End does not offer, but, on the flip side, what about the graduates who want to remain locally to work, raise a family, and give back to the community by volunteering? They cannot financially breathe between paychecks. 

The school would also benefit from getting a few more students, and the community would benefit with the skills of those who can’t afford to live here now, such as farmers, fishermen, nurses, firefighters, ambulance volunteers, etc.

In 1982, the Amagansett grade school was in a similar situation. The school enrollment had declined over the years, and there was consideration of making the school into a town office building. The community rose to the occasion by submitting a petition of community signatures requesting the school board to include a 3 and 4-year-old pre-K program. This decision raised the school enrollment and gave our young families financial relief monthly. Both being a need in our community. Here it is 35 years later and the community is faced with almost the same similarity: a need.

This is a New York State public school, not a privately funded school. The Amagansett taxpayers are the source of funding, and if we can provide a means for local families to stay in the area, to benefit the school and the community, we should strive to allow them the opportunity. Children learn well one-on-one, but they also learn by being challenged by the talents and knowledge of other children by competing and stretching their abilities to do better. Larger classes help to do this.

On Nov. 28, I attended the 6:30 p.m. school board meeting, but the meeting, once again, opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and the board voted to go into executive session. 

I was told by the school board president, Kristen Peterson, that the wait could be almost two hours for the closed session to be over. I said I would stay and wait for the open public session to resume, but Ms. Peterson replied that when they resumed there would be no community comments and the board would take a vote to adjourn the meeting. After looking at the night’s agenda, there were no community comments listed.

Their decisions are unexplainable in that with only two audience members in attendance we were not allowed two minutes to ask questions. Why would the school board not allow four minutes of questions? This school board lacks transparency, and they are shutting the public down to any questioning or comments.

How do you feel as a community and as taxpayers footing the bill? First, they had no community in attendance for input, and now that they have, they are limiting and shutting down any community comments.

Please make an attempt to come to a school board meeting and see for yourself the lengths they go to avoid answering questions. 

I will end with the same remark as the representative from the advisory committee ended his questions to the board at a meeting four weeks ago: To be continued. . . . 

Best Regards, 

MARY A. EAMES 

Meetings Air Live

Wainscott

December 4, 2017

Dear David, 

In last week’s letters to the editor, you correctly pointed out that anyone can go to LTV’s website and see any of our filmed government meetings, which include all East Hampton Town and Village Board meetings and work sessions, the town architectural review board, East Hampton Village Design Review Board, town and village zoning and planning boards, the town trustees, and the East Hampton and Springs School Boards, either via live streaming, or recall them on video on demand. I just need to make one correction. Our website address is www.ltveh.org — as in LTV East Hampton.

All government meetings air live on LTV’s Channel 22. School boards are not live, but are taped and aired later. If you don’t have cable, www.ltveh.org is a great way to keep up with the goings-on in our town and village governments, as well as watch many archival and citizen-produced shows that air on LTV’s Channel 20, which is dedicated to public access.

Best,

MORGAN VAUGHAN

Executive Director, LTV

Error of Fact

East Hampton

December 3, 2017

To the Editor:

In his letter published in your Nov. 30 edition, defeated Republican East Hampton Town supervisor candidate Manny Vilar accused The Star of committing “errors in your analysis” of the recent local election results. His criticisms included at least one gross error of his own, an error not of analysis but of fact.

Mr. Vilar asserted that the Quiet Skies Coalition is among those of his political opponents “who want the airport closed.” As vice chairman of the Quiet Skies Coalition, I can tell you and your readers that he is blatantly wrong. Q.S.C. has worked diligently for years to promote town policies that would reduce the East End’s airport-related noise plague. In seeking to reduce that source of regional animosity toward the East Hampton Airport, Q.S.C. policies would allow the airport to continue as a local facility operated by and for the benefit of good neighbors, not large out-of-state aviation interests, such as helicopter operating corporations.

Moreover, two of Q.S.C.’s board members serve on the East Hampton Town Board’s airport management advisory committee, working to assure that the airport continues in operation as a financially sound, self-supporting facility.

Finally, I point out that the lead organization actually calling for airport closure, Just Say No to HTO, was founded by former Q.S.C. members because they could no longer agree with Q.S.C. policies that would not close the airport.

Q.S.C. did strongly oppose the election of Mr. Vilar and his town board candidate running mates. And for good reason. Mr. Vilar’s blatant error of fact in his letter to The Star was, of course, only a part of the local Republican Party’s continuing campaign promoting fantasy about local airport regulation, Republican airport policy positions, and Q.S.C.

We opposed the Republican ticket because of that local Republican history, the ticket’s helicopter interest-related financial support, and the candidates’ transparently shallow airport commentary. They opposed the town’s current efforts to seek airport-related noise control and they advanced the myth of solving the East End’s airport noise problem by “cooperation” with the Republican helicopter-interest patrons. 

The totality of the Republican fantasy campaign, including post-election attacks on Q.S.C., has been analyzed, exposed, and refuted elsewhere. I wish only to highlight their latest blatant error of fact.

Sincerely,

CHARLES A. EHREN JR.

Vice Chairman

Quiet Skies Coalition

Not a True Democrat

Springs

December 3, 2017

Dear David,

I have been reading the new version of The Independent marveling at the change, that is until I read the editor, Rick Murphy’s, article about the demolition of a building on the community preservation fund-bought property known as 555.

Mr. Murphy quotes Zach Cohen’s treatise against the town’s right to take this action of demolishing an unwanted structure. We have witnessed the town’s buying with C.P.F. funds properties and then removing existing structures on these properties many times. 

Then Mr. Murphy goes on to cite the Democratic Party’s screening committee’s refusal to choose Zach Cohen as a candidate to run for the town board. As a member of that committee, and without disclosing its private proceedings, which is against our rules, I will just state some of the public knowledge reasons for anyone with a brain in their head to decide not to choose Mr. Cohen to run as the official Democratic Party candidate for town board.

First, Mr. Cohen is not a true Dem-ocrat. Democrats often identify themselves when they are young. Generally it starts as a passion that begins when you witness some injustice that churns in the depths of your soul. For me, it was the Army McCarthy hearings, the actions the Nazis took against Jews, followed by civil rights as I went to a college (American University) in the segregated city of Washington, D.C., in the late 1950s. These issues and others made me a steadfast Democrat. 

When Zach was first chosen to run on the Democratic ticket for supervisor, as his glib tongue can be quite seductive to some, he was not yet a registered Dem-ocrat and switched his political identification for the purpose of the race. He lost that race. 

Then he ran for trustee two years ago when the Dems swept the trustees race and made the sweeping changes that catapulted them to victory again on this Nov. 8. When he ran for trustee two years ago, he proved himself to be a Democrat in name only, those deeply held convictions were nowhere to be seen as he broke with his fellow Democratic trustee candidates aligning with another group.

When Mr. Cohen was not picked by the screening committee, he chose to force the East Hampton Democratic Party into a primary, which cost us an enormous amount of time, energy, and money at a time when any true Democrat would be focusing on winning back our congressional seat from Trump-supporting Lee Zeldin. But Mr. Cohen, in true Trump fashion, wants what he wants and doesn’t care about what true Democrats see as important. He lost the primary but never conceded. 

When the Republicans sent out a letter to registered Democrats telling them that as Zach voters they should now be supporting the Republican candidates, did they have Mr. Cohen’s permission to use his name? Was Cohen complacent in Manny Vilar’s attempt to sway Democrats to vote for him or did Mr. Vilar have his permission to use his name to appeal to Democratic voters? I am still waiting for Zach Cohen to tell us, because if Mr. Vilar used his name without permission I would have expected Mr. Cohen to sue Mr. Vilar. That is, if he is a true Democrat.

Sincerely, 

PHYLLIS ITALIANO 

Marketing District

Springs

December 1, 2017

Dear David,

There are two bills currently pending in the New York State Legislature that I believe will, if enacted, have a positive effect on the residents of East Hampton. 

Assembly bill #A07702, sponsored by Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Joe Palumbo, and Senate bill #S06040, sponsored by Senator Ken LaValle, would allow the five East End towns to create a special tourism marketing district to be known as the “Peconic Region Tourism Marketing District.”

The Peconic Region Tourism Marketing District will have to comply with the New York State general municipal law that relates to business improvement districts, but provisions relating to local legislative powers shall be adapted to allow the East Hampton Town Board to focus on improvements that will restore or promote tourism activity. 

Further, the Peconic Region Tourism Marketing District shall be deemed to be a municipal cooperative district and sets forth provisions that shall apply to the local cooperative operation and management of the district. This law, once passed, will give the East Hampton Town Board the authority to exercise specific powers concerning such tourism marketing district and help create profitable economic opportunities for those who live and work in East Hampton.

The second Assembly bill # A02684, sponsored by Assemblyman Thiele and Senate bill # S03224, sponsored by Senator LaValle, will enable the creation of central East Hampton High School district.

Under current New York State Education Law, school districts can only be created by the conjoining of two or more contiguous districts. This has been an obstacle locally, as at various times changing school boards have shown interest, then at other times withdrawn interest in creating or merging into a central East Hampton High School district. The creation of a consolidated central East Hampton High School district on face value would appear at first blush an opportunity to reduce the crushing tax burden throughout every district that so adversely impacted so many in our community.

As we saw in 2015 when the community preservation fund law was amended to allow up to 20 percent of the C.P.F. revenues to be utilized for the implementation of water quality improvement projects, good legislation in Albany can be vital for our quality of life, and have budgetary and economic implications.

I urge the town board and school boards to back these bills. As always, I remain available should the town board, various school boards, citizen advisory committees, or other civic groups like to discuss or seek assistance.

MANUEL M. VILAR

Nips and Tucks

Amagansett

December 1, 2017

Dear David, 

“Can you tell me, madam, why in America are there so many stupids?”

I thought for a bit, and then answered the Romanian cab driver’s question: “It’s a big a country!” 

Apparently, there are some “stupids” locally (government havens) who bought a beautiful barn building in Amagansett with community preservation funds (a no-no), did not maintain it, and now plan to wipe the memory of what may have been a vaguely shady purchase by demolishing it!

In my view that building could serve the community. We need a hospice. We need job training facilities, work-force housing, artist spaces, etc.

In an area where there are newly wrought, unimaginably ugly, semi-useless buildings, why destroy something that with some nips and tucks (okay, cement and steel rods) could become a town asset? Really?

All good things, 

DIANA WALKER

Cuts to Entitlement

Springs

December 4, 2017

Dear David,

There are many horrible things in the G.O.P. tax scam just perpetrated on the American people, but I want to talk about one that directly affects me: How this bill will hurt me as a cancer patient who depends on Medicare. That’s because the bill will likely lead to cutting billions (at least $25 billion) out of Medicare. That’s what happened the last time a ruinous G.O.P. tax bill happened — and it led to cancer patients losing access to lifesaving treatment like chemotherapy. 

The deficit hole will trigger across-the-board spending cuts. (Across the board only applies to programs that actually help the vast majority of Americans, not to our grotesquely bloated military budget.) So, with the ink barely dry on the handwritten amendments to the Senate version, the G.O.P. congressional leadership is already making noises about how they are just going “to have to” make cuts to “entitlement” spending. That means not just Medicare, but Social Security and Medicaid, affecting senior citizens, children, the disabled, and just about anyone else who is struggling to pay for health care or expects to live to 65 or beyond. 

All this to pay for the $1.4 trillion it will take out of the national budget and transfer directly into the pockets of billionaires like Donald Trump. I don’t think it’s fair that, should my cancer recur, I will likely die so people like Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies can have more.

But it’s not just about me and other seniors. The “G.O.P. Donor Relief Bill” pretends to be about lowering taxes on the middle class. It does no such thing. In fact millions of middle and lower-middle class Americans will see either no tax cut or an actual tax increase.

But even those who pay a little less in taxes will have to pay a whole lot more for health care. The bill repeals the individual mandate, which means health insurance premiums will go up about 10 percent a year more than they would otherwise. Thirteen million Americans are likely to lose the insurance they already have under this tax scam.

I have one question: Why does Congress guarantee itself health insurance while denying it to millions of Americans and threatening to cut lifesaving treatments to people like me? 

FRANCESCA RHEANNON

Brink of Collapse

East Hampton

December 1, 2017

Dear David:

This week the president retweeted anti-Muslim hate videos to his 43 million twitter followers. Reinforcing his racist anti-Muslim beliefs and letting his supporters know that all is well in Trump­land. Unfortunately, the message went out to the 1.1 billion Muslims who inhabit the planet, letting them know that the United States hates them with a passion. The G.O.P. remained silent.

Racism as a source of self-esteem is a cautionary tale for everyone who may some day be the object of this racism and be vilified and denigrated because of who they are.

In Alabama, an accused pedophile, Roy Moore, is running for the Senate and has the president’s unquestioned support. What might normally be repulsive to the Republican Party is far too easily embraced in its desire to retain its majority in the senate.

On Friday the Republicans passed a tax bill that none of them have read and which had handwritten changes that were difficult to decipher. This piece of major legislation, which will completely overhaul the tax code and rewrite Roose­velt’s New Deal (Social Security, Medicare, workers’ rights, etc.) had no Democratic input and was glommed together in a few months. By contrast President Reagan’s tax bill took more than two years to write and was passed by a Democratic Congress.

The substance and ramifications of the bill were small considerations when compared to the Republican need to pass something and to placate its donor base.

That the tax bill is based on outdated and disproven economic fantasies is relevant because it could have been significantly better for the country and might actually have had a chance to help grow the economy.

While it is easy to blame much of the Republican behavior on the outrageous idiocy of the president, it would be unfair to think that Trump and the Republican Party are not in sync on almost everything. The party enables his racist and misogynist babblings, while supporting him in a subtler, less outrageous fashion. The piggery of Donald Trump is very much shared by the party he represents.

As Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein write in this Sunday’s New York Times, the G.O.P. has reshaped the U.S. political landscape and has taken it to the brink of collapse.

Be it a racist, a pedophile, or a gaggle of brain-dead bill passers, what difference does it make as long as we win? In our self-indulgent isolationism, we are rapidly losing the respect of the rest of the world. In the end we will have Putin, Dutarte, and a few other neofascist supporters (even the little “Rocket Man” may come around). The ascendance of white trash in a world that is growing increasingly darker.

NEIL HAUSIG 

Cruel Hoax

East Hampton

November 30, 2017

Dear David:

Remember when Mr. Trump, on the campaign trail, promised to make life better for those he called “the forgotten”? He invoked that phrase again this week when he promised “the forgotten” a huge tax cut — a wonderful “Christmas present.” He also again promised that the rich, people like him, would see no benefit from the tax plan he envisions.

Sadly, this is turning out to be a cruel hoax, with the proposed tax plan victimizing exactly those who can least afford Mr. Trump’s meanspiritedness. The latest attempt, a plan ginned up by the  Senate, punishes the nation’s poorest residents while, contrary to Mr. Trump’s deceit, the rich make off quite handsomely.

As an initial matter, the current Senate tax plan will end the requirement that Americans without health insurance must purchase coverage or pay a penalty. If enacted, government analyses have concluded that this feature alone will lead to some 13 million Americans losing their insurance by 2027. Those who decide to drop insurance coverage are likely to fall in low or moderate income brackets and, if they do drop coverage, will no longer receive the tax credits and subsidies available under the Affordable Care Act. For those who purchase coverage, the elimination of the individual mandate will translate into higher premiums.

When the loss of government health care aid and increased premiums is taken into account, the draconian impact of the Senate tax bill becomes clear. By the 2019 tax year (which taxes 2018 income), Americans earning less than $30,000 will be worse off under the Senate bill. By 2021, those making $40,000 or less will be net losers. And, by 2027, most Americans earning $75,000 or less will be worse off. In contrast, in each tax year those Americans making more than $100,000 a year will hit the Trump jackpot. Don’t take my word for it, these impacts were calculated by the Joint Committee on Taxation (jct.gov) and can easily be found on the internet.

For those who voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 because they felt they were among “the forgotten,” is this how you wanted to be remembered by Mr. Trump? Hopefully, the deception by him, the House, and the Senate will lead to the appreciation that the opponents of Mr. Trump and the G.O.P. might have been right all along.

Don’t forget that you have a voice. Call or email your representative, Lee Zeldin, and tell him to stand up to Mr. Trump for once. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand are already on your side.

Sincerely,

BRUCE COLBATH