Letters

Do you really think that the members of our Southampton Village government know the laws (federal, state and local) which are meant to inform their decisions? Think again.

Here’s what a couple of Planning Board members asked recently, one publicly, the other one privately: “Does SEQRA (the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act) trump private property owners’ rights?”

Hell, yes. What do you think was the purpose of that law in the first place?

But what do you expect of a board whose chairman walks around with the village code clutched to his bosom as if it were the Bible, rather than it being just the codification of rules that were born in the zoning code of 2005, which violated the New York State law that makes it mandatory to have a full SEQRA review of any zoning change—especially one which has been used to ignore the voice of the residents and ply the spec builders with approvals that destroy the history, charm and quality of life of our village.

Is there any hope for our village residents, whose voices have been unheard, unheeded, unsupported by those paid by these residents’ taxes?

Yes, but don’t count on our village lawyers to enlighten you. Whether paid by spec builders or by our residents’ taxes, our local lawyers appear to share a common goal: collect money for continuing the giveaways to the “developers,” no matter how much you hurt the village residents, no matter how constantly you fail to listen to the voices of our village voters, and no matter how many laws (federal and state) that you trample under your feet on your way to the bank.

Election Day is near! Just remember: Ignorance is curable. Stupidity is not.

And corruption is rampant.

Evelyn KonradAttorney-at-law

Southampton