Letters

A few years back, a younger person, new to the community and not even previously registered to vote here, ostensibly gave up a career flogging ladies clothes and persuaded the community to elect this totally unqualified person to the position of Southampton Village mayor.

What ensued as a result of his failing abilities in communication, leadership, organization and generally through any other quarter of his job was that this hamlet lost its experienced and competent chief of police; the total roster of village employees was alienated, with some taking early retirement to escape the burden of working here; and, in the period devoted to actually improving or bettering the village, nothing, nada, nichts has happened.

We have a litigious cauldron of various shapes and sizes, no permanent police chief, the lake is still pea green, the bike lanes are laid under all of the parallel auto parking spots, and the majority of the trees lining our streets are either cut to ugly stumps or are imperiling the electric grid immediately above them.

Houses are still being built that overshadow their neighbors, everyone is now parking in their front yards, and the majority of the streets are nothing more than long corridors of 18-foot hedges and electronically actuated gates.

What is left? Damn little, and if one could sell one’s primary residence without incurring a tax liability, I would be long gone.

What should you do, those still here and thinking about the future? Well, for goodness’ sake, let us get a mayor who is capable, reasonable, admirable and can represent us properly in the next term.

Bill Manger is that choice.

Jim McFarlane

Southampton Village

McFarlane is a former Southampton Village trustee — Ed.