Read this week’s ‘Letters to the Editor’
SOUTHOLD
The line’s a trick
Want to save Medicare?
Do not vote on the Save Medicare line on Election Day. It’s a trick to gain votes for local Democrats who can do little to save Medicare, a federal program.
To really help save Medicare, tell Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Representative Bishop, and especially the members of the Congressional supercommittee at www.deficitreduction.gov. The latter group is finding ways to cut the federal budget, including Medicare, by Nov. 23.
No computer? Go your library; the staff will gladly help you send your message.
Gunther Geiss
CUTCHOGUE
Blame Democrats
As an independent and recipient of Social Security and Medicare, I take exception to Mort Cogen’s “Yes, it does matter” letter. Basically, he places the blame for Medicare cuts directly on the shoulders of the Republican Party.
Last year, President Obama and the Democrats were the first to cut Medicare by passing a health care bill which was partially offset by $500 billion in Medicare cuts. Since the Democrats didn’t read the bill — “We have to pass it to know what’s in it” intoned then-Speaker Pelosi — they have no idea where the $500 billion in Medicare cuts will come from.
The Democrats are disingenuous in using the “Save Medicare” line. Southold residents should know that the Democratic Party in Southold belongs to the same Democratic Party in Washington, D.C., that has already cut Medicare.
Further, the Suffolk Board of Elections was wrong in allowing the Democrats to run under the “Save Medicare” line. In 2008, the media hijacked the national elections. Now our own local elections board is trying to manipulate a similar outcome.
Thomas McAdam
SOUTHOLD
Let’s tone it down
The Southold Democratic and Republican parties have offered the voters of this town a choice of several candidates running for several elected positions. Each candidate has a unique perspective of the challenges we face and each has a vision for Southold’s future.
The good people of Southold will choose from the menu of candidates who they truly believe is best suited to meet these challenges and who shares the public’s vision. It is intellectually dishonest for Mort Cogen and Howard Meinke, in their letters to The Suffolk Times, to suggest the local race is somehow going to impact the national debate on Medicare.
What’s more, it is quite hypocritical of Mr. Meinke to lament the loss of the bipartisanship of the past and then try to paint all Republicans with the same broad “Karl Rovian” brush. He goes on to urge the readers to not allow “Fox News … use Southold in their right-wing rants.” Fox News covering Southold? Really?
What’s missing from the national scene on these important issues is dialogue that is civil, reasonable and honest. If tiny Southold has any ability to set an example for the national good, let’s at least set the example of discourse that is reasonable and honest, rather than contribute even more to the overabundance of strident, partisan rhetoric.
Supervisor Scott Russell
Editor’s note: Mr. Russell is seeking re-election on the Republican line.
MATTITUCK
It’s quite stylish
Having envisioned that we were getting a typically unattractive new 7-Eleven in Mattituck, the renovated building is in fact a stylish addition to the Main Road.
I’m not a frequent convenience store patron, but do live in Mattituck and like to see improvements in its appearance.
I’ve also heard that the owner lives on the North Fork, which, if true, is a plus.
The new Asian restaurant is another aesthetic improvement over the formerly vacant building. Having been to Asia more than a dozen times, I can say that the food is authentic and tasty.
I wish both new businesses success.
Joe Pozzolano
GREENPORT
We have 2 markets
Congratulations to Love Lane Market for attempting to offer high-quality fresh food to the North Fork.
As a supporter of local business, I feel obligated to point out that “The Market” in Greenport will be celebrating its 25th anniversary of selling, creating, delivering and supporting local organic fresh foods and quality products for families of the North Fork.
Thanks and best of luck to both.
Nancy Morrow
GREENPORT
Loves the market
This past Saturday the Greenport Farmers Market closed its season with a wonderful fall festival. It was the perfect ending to a very successful first year.
Every Saturday since Memorial Day weekend, the market has offered a wide variety of local fresh produce, baked goods and other items, as well as a venue for over a dozen local non-profit organizations to conduct outreach and fundraising activities.
It has brought a wonderful community-focused marketplace to Greenport Village, a spot where old friends gathered and new friendships among vendors, volunteers and customers developed. Even the village dogs were greeted by a water bowl and treats.
Thanks to the organizers, vendors and volunteers who made this happen. I look forward to shopping there next year.
Margaret Cowden
Mattituck
Let’s hear our kids
On Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., the Town of Southold will conduct a public input meeting at the Human Resource Center in Mattituck, at 750 Pacific S., to address “providing activities and programs that offer recreational, educational and leisure opportunities that meet the needs, preferences and financial abilities of Southold residents, current and future.”
One of my chief concerns has been the creation of a skateboard plaza here for our growing population of youthful enthusiasts who use our streets and shopping areas, much to the detriment of safety, both to vehicles and pedestrian traffic.
In talks with these local youths, they all say, “There’s no place for us to go locally”: Greenport is too far and also Riverhead, ditto Hampton Bays, which all have well-regulated skateboard parks.
I have in the past talked to our elected officials about this subject and the reply has been that money is tight and previous discussions on the subject came to the conclusion that insurance costs were too high. However, if local businesses (wineries, restaurants, etc.) would get on board, consideration could be possible.
I would like to see at this upcoming parks and recreation input meeting some youthful representation on this quality of life issue that is important to them. Perhaps, if they take an active role in civic affairs, they can make things happen!
One tool that can get the ball rolling is through Facebook and emails to their friends who are like-minded.
I would like to add that physical activity should not be only limited to sports that stress teamwork, as not all of our youth can make the team or are interested in that type of activity.
Let’s get our youth away from the computers and out into the beautiful fresh air of the North Fork.
LeRoy Heyliger
CUTCHOGUE
It’s pasteurized
In her recent article, “Health benefits of juice vs. cider” (Oct. 13), Karen Collins writes that “cider, especially straight from a cider mill or farm stand, often is not [pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria].” That is not true in New York State.
Five years ago, in order to assure the public of the safety of cider, the trade association of New York apple growers petitioned the State Legislature to require pasteurization, or a comparable process using ultra-violet light, for all cider produced in the state.
That legislation was passed and as a result all cider producers, mills and farm stands in New York now sell cider having the same health standards as processed apple juice.
All New York cider producers are now licensed and inspected by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets to ensure the processing is taking place and that the public can be assured of the safety of cider.
Tom Wickham, Wickham’s Fruit Farm
Scott Gammon, Woodside Farms
MATTITUCK
A clueless protest
The latest pathetic public display put on by yet another group of clueless Americans inside of the last month is the whole “Occupy Wall Street” movement.
The protests may be a by-product of our president’s ability to alienate those who work in finance, “the fat cats on Wall Street,” as well as the multinational corporations who “don’t pay their fair share of taxes.”
The troops are rallied with full cups of Kool-Aid and are ready to drink.
It’s so hard to take these political zealots seriously because the underlying fundamentals of their protests stink of hypocrisy. I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a checklist of things these rebels need to do in order to regain some credibility so the rest of us can actually take them seriously.
• Rip up your credit cards. JP Morgan is the largest issuer of Visa cards. Let’s not forget, it was the banks that got us into this mess to begin with. Banks are evil. What’s in your wallet, Mr. Protester? Pure evil.
• Pay off your mortgage or don’t use any banks in order to buy a home. Again, banks are evil. Boycott corporate greed. Boycott the banks.
• Stocks are also evil. Surrender all gains in any stock portfolio or 401(k). Take your money out of the devilish hands of fund managers or the exchanges and use it to help Mr. Obama pay down the deficit.
• Hand in your cell phones. Verizon, AT&T, Nokia, et al, are part of the problem.
• Ask Michael Moore to go home. Who can take this idiot seriously? Miramax helped finance some of Moore’s earlier films and his films are distributed by corporate media conglomerates. I guess corporate greed is in the eye of the beholder.
• Take off the footwear used for marching and throw away your Nikes, Pumas or Reeboks. All multinationals, all evil. Let’s take a stand!
• Boycott all media exposure of the protests. The networks are just another embodiment of the corporate enemy.
Americans are not happy. I get this. But the Occupy Wall Street protests make absolutely no sense.
If you’re truly against banks and corporate greed, you need to be true to your stated convictions. When you aren’t, it’s hard to take the matters seriously.
My last piece of advice to this cohort of misguided fools is get a job or get a clue, whichever comes first.
David Muntner
JAMESPORT
Bellone is worthy
The recent endorsement of Steve Bellone by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is proof positive that the current Babylon Town supervisor is the right fit to be Suffolk’s next county executive.
Governor Cuomo has had one of the most successful first years of any governor and realizes that in order to continue bringing New York back, we must have dynamic leadership on the county level as well.
Steve Bellone has experience working with political leaders at every level and can use that experience to bring about improvement. Even at the town level, Steve Bellone has crafted plans that have created jobs and improved the community. The public/private partnership he used to create the town’s green homes plan has created dozens of jobs, improved the local housing stock and has served as a model for the rest of Long Island on how to properly tap into the “eco-market.”
An expansion of this program would create hundreds more jobs and show to the business community that Suffolk County is open for all types of businesses.
Vasso Patrikis
Editor’s note: Ms. Patrikis is a Riverhead Democratic Committee member.
ORIENT
Ignore figureheads
At last the people are speaking.
We have the Arab spring. We have the Wall Street fall. We are heading toward a winter of discontent.
I think it’s time we all started ignoring the institutional figureheads of every variety. We must speak from our own hearts. We must say, without fear, what our own minds are generating.
And we must act accordingly.
Maureen Sanders
