Recently, Rob Allan wrote a letter in this paper saying that I am busy establishing a “shadow government” in our village [“Shadow Government,” Letters, October 29]. I would like to applaud Mr. Allan for uncovering my plot!
Few people have realized the raw ambition behind my volunteering to serve in an unpaid position on the village’s Budget and Finance Commission. Even fewer have twigged that my fiancée, an election lawyer serving on our Board of Ethics, is part of a devious conspiracy to, um, do something …
And I am fairly certain that only Mr. Allan connected the dots when Mayor Jesse Warren hired someone whose father I know for an entry-level assistant job.
Mr. Allan also was able to determine that, despite my being a lawyer and businessman, I am unable to read the village’s audited financial statements (now posted on its website), which unambiguously show that we have $101 million of long-term debt.
Finally, kudos to Mr. Allan for explaining that those who volunteer their services to an administration that does not include Mrs. Allan must inevitably be forming a sinister shadow government.
Dane Neller
Southampton Village
Ferry UsWhy don’t we have “inter”-village ferries, similar to the Amalfi Coast, that run along our bays and can port at each village? Imagine the reduction of summer traffic if you could ride in a great ferry from Southampton or Sag...
A WarningThe June 24 Southampton Village Board of Trustees meeting was brief but telling [“Southampton Village Will Start Two-Week Pilot Program Closing Off Ox Pasture East of Halsey Neck,” 27east.com, June 25]. First, Mayor Bill Manger got caught hiding the payment...
Not So BeautifulPresident Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” includes provisions to reduce Medicaid recipients and spending. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office was asked to review those provisions, and these are two key findings: • The number of people without health insurance...
No PlanMost Southampton Village business owners have said this June was historically soft. While rain and hot weather played a role, East Hampton and Sag Harbor performed better. Commercial real estate professionals have echoed this, noting that even popular restaurants, typically...
Fight BackAs we approach July Fourth, let’s remember that America has suffered through dark and divisive times before. It appears as if we are there again. While there are always those who capitulate, our history shows that we remember those Americans...
Don't Change ItAs a Sag Harbor native in my late 30s, I’ve seen the East End fully transform into the Hamptons — and it’s not a pretty picture. A village resident, I’m constantly reminded of how I don’t make enough money to...
Time for ChangeRegarding your editorial, “Dangerous Liberty” [June 26]: We are of like minds on some issues — government overreach, the founding fathers’ understanding of the dangers of democratic process and of the dichotomy created by a two-party system. It seems important...
Support ShelterI am a volunteer at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, and I see the valuable work they do. The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, open-admission, no-kill shelter that relies on the generosity of donors to care for the...
