Letters

I have been a resident of Southampton Village since 1998 and, until recently, have pretty much stayed out of local politics. However, I find the recent deluge of misinformation, truth-bending and outright lies to be so appalling that it just can’t go unnoticed.

What’s most amusing is the mass mailings to village residents that spout such misinformation but without any signature to identify the sender. How cowardly is that?

I mean, how dare Jesse Warren and his supporters in Village Hall reveal the dirty underbelly of unethical dealings and management practices of past administrations. Whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, liberal or conservative, it’s so obvious the village taxpayers have been “taken for a ride” for decades and it has to stop.

And as far at the “save the police” issue is concerned: Save them from what? The controversy has absolutely nothing to do with funding the police, as their budgets are provided with increases every year. The issue is about the allocation of resources in a manner that efficiently serves and best suits the needs of village residents, not the special interests of individuals associated or aligned with the Police Benevolent Association, which everyone knows is using up-island funding to influence our local election. I support the police 100 percent, but not if that means casting a blind eye to an abuse of village taxpayers’ trust. As I mentioned, this is not about funding the efforts of the police department whatsoever.

Let’s put the notion of public service back where it belongs — to the hardworking, responsible, honest and taxpaying residents of the Village of Southampton. Not the special interests who for too long thought they owned the town and could protect their own agendas.

John Gregory

Southampton