Letters

After reading John J. Leonard’s letter [“An Alliance,” Letters, April 11], I immediately thought of a line from Sir Walter Scott’s 19th century poem “Marmion”: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

Let’s start with transparency.

Mr. Leonard does not reveal that he is an attorney, a Democratic Committee member and a member of the Southampton Town Zoning Board. In addition to Mr. Leonard, there are two other founders of his organization: Helene Burgess, an attorney, a Democratic Committee member and a member of the Southampton Town Zoning Board; and Christine Taylor, a member of the Hampton Bays Citizens Advisory Committee and president of the Hampton Bays Chamber of Commerce.

In my opinion, these three founding members of this newly created organization make for a recipe of confusion and conflict. People need to be mindful of a hidden agenda waiting to emerge.

Hampton Bays residents are truly focused and engaged on issues that impact this hamlet, as well as other applications approved by the previous Southampton Town Board: BESS, Bel-Aire Cove Motel, Liberty Gardens, Lewis Road, Hampton Bays Revitalization, to name a few. All have the stamp of approval from Jay Schneiderman, John Bouvier and Tommy John Schiavoni — who never say no to a developer. Follow the money.

I hope Mr. Leonard won’t be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Time will tell.

Barbara Ring

Hampton Bays