Letters to the Editor: Greenport ‘scandals’
Greenport
Greenport ‘scandals’
There’s something compelling about Greenport’s “scandals” that invite a “thoughtful” commentary. The story, as reported, includes a default of payment for taxes and utilities by a village trustee, the personal financial difficulties of the mayor with collateral claims of mismanagement, the unanimous board-driven termination of a code enforcement officer for obscure reasons and an election that seemed to divide the vote in favor of the incumbents, compounded by voter apathy.
All of this probably points to future community problems, a general lack of competent management and a prospective lack of success. There are several things that serve any organization in pursuit of competence. The primary element is training, followed by experience. intuition and determination. First line supervision is essential, and executive leadership is the core of establishing “unity of purpose.” Greenport lacks all of those essentials. Add to that, if one believes the fired code officer, there is some level of political bias, and you now invite a low level of corruption. Ethics and fairness are imperative in government.
This problem will never solve itself. Good management is good people employing good politics and good policy. The time-tested principles of management and supervision are foreign to the unskilled and deeply political. The lack of delegation, and a clear chain of command, as well as no unity of command — where each employee reports to only one boss — portends failure. The answer is the steady replacement of all the elected officials over time and the vetting of candidates by zealous journalists in the future.
Michael Butler
East Moriches
LaLota has a lot of nerve
Despite his vote for budget cuts that lost his district $30 million in funding for earmarked projects, Nick LaLota has the guts to write the March 13 op ed calling for funding from the federal and state governments. Does he think Lee Zeldin gleefully gutting the EPA is going to get him funding for the desperately needed fuel reduction in the Pine Barrens? I wouldn’t hold my breath. Especially since I may not have health care very soon, also due to his vote for budget cuts that will destroy Medicaid!
But despite all his tough-guy bluster in his campaign commercials, he’s too cowardly to hold a real in-person Town Hall and look me in the face to explain why my disability and Medicaid have to go so $400k-plus households can have another tax break.
What a joke.
Tracy Malanchuk
Greenport
Election circus
The Greenport election brouhaha provokes a few questions:
Why was anybody, let alone an incumbent of long standing, running for election as a Trustee without disclosing a massive debt to the village? This is a clear conflict of interest.
Why was this debt allowed to accumulate over several years to the tune of $100,000? Clearly the village bears significant responsibility for this.
As a village resident, if I fail to pay my utility bills I receive a red notice and a disconnect warning after two billing cycles. Is there a different standard for insiders?
If I don’t pay my taxes I get a tax lien sale notice and tax liens are sold but they can be bought back. How many times is that allowed to happen before it becomes such a huge amount ?
Change is needed so we have a transparent system of administration and a code of ethics that requires full disclosure from all who run for office.
M. Frank Macken
Riverhead
No school, no housing
When I first heard about the proposed 170-unit housing development in Northville (“Housing project proposed for Northville oil tank farm,” March 13), my immediate reaction was “No.” Our pristine countryside — a defining feature of the East End — has long been a target for developers eager to cash in on its charm. It’s a value we must protect.
This latest proposal comes with a twist: the promise to build a school. On the surface, it sounds promising, but many residents I’ve spoken to see it as a ploy. They worry that once the housing is built, the school will either be delayed indefinitely or never materialize at all.
For me, there’s only one condition under which I might support this project: The school must be built first. And not just any school — a facility comparable to Riverhead High School, designed to truly serve the community. A small, inadequate building won’t cut it. Without a large school, the housing proposal should not move forward.
This is about trust and priorities. If developers genuinely care about the well-being of our community, they must prove it by prioritizing the school’s construction. Until then, we should remain united in preserving the East End’s unique character and ensuring that development benefits, rather than exploits, our community.
No school, no housing. It’s as simple as that.
Richard Park
Laurel
Democracy
As citizens, not as Democrats or Republicans, we now are called upon to decide who we are and what we want to be as a nation. How do we see our obligations, assuming we do, to assist our neighbors, near and far, in need of health care, accessible hospitals, grants to attend college, access to Social Security offices, Medicare phone service and Medicaid, grants to food banks and for innovative programs for our schools. And how much of our tax dollars are we willing to allocate to fulfill some or all of how we see and execute out obligations to not only our neighbors but to people in all regions of ou country? Do they recover from floods and fires alone or are we there for them with our tax dollars?
Right now the leadership of our country is not eliminating waste and redundancy, it is eliminating services — services for veterans, Pell grants for our students, grants to school, grants for food banks as Cookie Slade pointed out. I assume this is both the administration’s view of government and its obligation to the welfare of its citizens and its plan for a huge tax cut, probably once again for the wealthy. I recommend rereading the Constitution to be reminded of the very limited powers granted to the president. Then we should determine who as a people we want to be. Then become that people and that nation.
Susan Bloom
Riverhead
A premature goodbye
This is in response to Denise Johnson’s March 13 letter, “Goodbye, Yellow Barn.” While we appreciate Ms. Johnson’s long-standing service as a volunteer and her heartfelt reflections on the Yellow Barn’s impact, we want to assure her and the broader community that the Yellow Barn is not closing.
While there may be a temporary pause in operations during a time of transition, Riverhead Free Library fully expects the Yellow Barn to reopen shortly. We continue to view it as a beloved community resource — one that connects people of all ages with affordable books and a spirit of generosity that volunteers like Ms. Johnson helped to build.
We also look forward to welcoming back previous volunteers and inviting new volunteers to join us in shaping the next chapter of this cherished space. The laughter, the discovery and the shared joy that Ms. Johnson so eloquently described will remain very much alive at the Yellow Barn.
Thank you to all who have contributed to making the Yellow Barn such a special place — and to those who will continue to do so. Riverhead Free Library remains committed to transparency and open communication with the community, and we encourage anyone with questions to reach out to us directly.
Kerrie McMullen-Smith
Director of the Riverhead Free Library
Greenport
The Butterfly Effect Project
In early March I had the honor and pleasure as a member of the Unitarian Universalist congregation to hear Ms Fulford speak to us about her amazing project to mentor and inspire youngsters with little hope to achieve their potential given the lack of resources to available to them. Her talk revealed her courage in resisting the hateful comments on their Facebook page and the dignity and humanity required of all people of color living in a racist society. The real tragedy is that she decided to cancel a fundraiser planned to be put on by amazing youth in the program. This she had to do to protect their well being and prevent harm that was threatened in the frightening and dehumanizing comments.
She was inspired to found this program by a woman who recognized her intelligence and humanity and who welcomed her into her family. This mentor also happened to be white. When will we recognize that there is only one race and that it is human. If you care about all humans and want to help offset the damage that has been done by the hateful, please donate to the Butterfly Effect Project, now located in Jamesport
Susan Johnson
Cutchogue
A matter of morals
Our country is going through a dangerous time. Republican congressmen and -women and Republican senators are running scared thinking that they’ll risk their jobs and face Musk-funded primaries if they oppose any crazy thing the Trump administration proposes.
And, as readers who follow the news know, now that he has Congress in his pocket, shaking with fear of retaliation and retribution, Trump is now attacking our judiciary, the only branch of government that stands in his way of declaring himself untouchable. If Congress will not impeach him should he commit crimes, and the courts will not be able to enforce orders against him since they lack an enforcement arm, the remarkably failed businessman who went bankrupt multiple times, will have a clear shot at bankrupting the country without any opposition save for the huge crowds that will take to the streets and possibly face our own military ordered by Trump and carried out by the secretary of defense.
Virtually all the institutions of this nation — Congress, the courts, the media, our governmental departments, our state and local governments —are at risk of destruction at the hands of a Trump/Musk bludgeoning. We will then be at the mercy of men completely devoid of any moral framework or principles guiding their behavior. They will tell us what we can say, and if they have their way, they will even tell us what we can think.
One small institution, The Suffolk Times, has demonstrated the gumption to stand up for principle. I don’t know whether the publisher or editor of this paper is pro- or anti-Trump. It doesn’t matter. The Suffolk Times has done the right thing. It has allowed both sides to be heard despite the implied pressure from Washington to publish only one point of view.
My heartiest thanks to this newspaper. Keep up the good work. You may be the last among few who will remain steadfast in protecting our First Amendment rights.
Michael Levy
Cutchogue
Oath vs. ideology
We have immigration laws passed and “on the books.” As far as I know these immigration laws have never been found to be unconstitutional. The president by the Constitution must take an Oath of Office.
The past four years we had a president who did not live up to the oath he swore to: to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. His policies or lack thereof were minimally held to account by any judicial review.
The law states that if you entered the country illegally, you violated Immigration law. Therefore, a president who does not ensure the enforcement of law by the executive branch has violated his oath to “faithfully execute the Office of President.”.
The wording “comprehensive reform,” used mostly by Democrats nowadays, is used to describe a situation that probably needs change but because no one can agree on the type of change we will just have to live with the situation as it exists.
Change will happen but change is difficult. We are going through that time of difficulty at present. How long this difficulty will last depends on when common ground is found
Certainly no sane American wants a dangerous criminal element who legally or illegally entered the country to remain. This is common ground to build upon.
I am gobsmacked by some judges’ and politicians’ reaction to the expulsion of known criminals who entered the country illegally. What common ground do they stand on?
They are being deported under our law and the expedited removal process found within the immigration laws. The reasoning of those opposed to Trump is nothing more then obstinate political desire. That is ideology and stubbornness — and that is wrong-headed.
Bob Bittner
Riverhead
Truths or consequences
Our presidential truths and consequences can be summed with four presidents: George Washington, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. The legend of George Washington and the cherry tree was that George couldn’t tell a lie. Richard Nixon’s was that he lied, Bill Clinton that he didn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie, and Donald Trump that he doesn’t care if he tells the truth or lies.
Warren McKnight
East Hampton
Disgraceful racist calls
Respect, kindness, tolerance, equality, fairness: Tthese are the signs of a strong and resilient community where everyone has the opportunity to prosper. Hatred, fear, injustice and cruelty have no place in our homes, our towns and our villages. Whether you call it a hate incident or a hate crime, does it really matter?
The recent racist calls to the Butterfly Effect Project, a stellar organization full of positivity and good will that is helping young women achieve their potential, are a disgrace. Every single one of us should be both saddened and outraged. We must stand together. We must raise our voices. We must provide support.
Racism and fear cannot win — not now, not here, not anywhere. When we work together, we send a strong message. Let’s have a community that we can be proud of and one that is safe for everyone. Write a letter, donate, attend an event. Support the organizations that others choose to tear down or terrorize. Our actions in addition to our words must speak for us.
Claudia Pilato
Co-President of The Retreat’s Board of Directors
Southold
Three branches of government
I do agree with the writer who said in last week’s paper that “Democracy is messy.” I, and many other people, have not forgotten that we are supposed to have three equal branches of government. However — and it is a gigantic however — the legislative branch has abdicated their responsibilities. The Senate is supposed to be the keeper of the checkbook, but like a turtle they have pulled their respective heads into their shells and let the executive branch walk all over them. The executive branch is challenging judicial rulings. Calling judges corrupt and wanting impeachments goes against the norms of this country. I’m no fan of John Roberts, but he was dead right when he said disagreement with a ruling is cause for appeal, not impeachment. If I get a traffic ticket I disagree with, I am free to challenge it in court, not to threaten the police officer who issued it. If I threaten the police officer, I will correctly be arrested. That concept seems absurdly easy. A 5-year-old who disagrees with a playmate and pushes him/ her gets a time-out and a lecture on self-control. Threats to judges who rule against what you want is abhorrent to most people.
Rosellen Storm
