Letters

Jess McNerney’s Letter to the Editor [“Closer Look,” October 30] aptly pointed to the democratic process here in Southampton Village. Big-money contributions, secrecy of governmental activities, consolidation of power, and other trends have emerged, endangering the abilities of citizens to engage in the operations of the village. We could be reduced to mere observers of the operations of the village providing we were even allowed to be observers, given the attempts at governing in the shadows.

Fortunately, we have been saved in many cases by the valiant efforts of local heroes who by themselves save us from the overreach of interested parties. Otherwise, we would have lost village-owned roads, incurred increased fees paid to entrenched politicians, and emboldened those who would act to minimize public participation in the management of our village.

Relying on these local heroes is not wise in the long run. We need more participation. There seems to be only one group that exerts its influence in the village, and that is the Southampton Association. We can be wary of their influence and even critical of it, but that course is not effective; after all, it is not their fault that they proceed according to their interests. But their interests may not mesh well with the interests of other village residents.

The problem lies in the possibility that other interests are not expressed or considered. People power is needed, and we do not have it anymore. Changing demographics has changed the culture, and with that, participatory democracy has suffered. The result of this change is the diminished influence of sectors of the community. Those who actually live here are often, it seems, left out of political processes as the wealth of part-timers feeds their political power.

The aforementioned Southampton Association can take some of the credit here by taking such care to sign up votes of those who live mostly elsewhere by urging its members to vote as absentees, as they distribute forms to all their members: “Hey, members, sign up all your children as well! Your vote means nothing to the City.” This is Southampton’s version of gerrymandering.

What is to be done? My suggestion is to restore some voting power to the people who actually live here. To accomplish that is to develop neighborhood associations. There could be several in the village, such as the Elm Street Club, the Potato Field Association, the North Halsey Group, Hillcrest, etc. They should meet and recruit, identify issues, inform and educate, and convey concerns to the government. They should include all residents, part- or full-time. Inclusion is imperative. Encourage everyone to get involved and gain a voice.

Use those voices to convey concerns to government. Who knows, maybe send out absentee ballots?

Robert B. Devinney

Southampton