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1997 Trustee Campaign, Finance 101
 

     I feel it again necessary to respond to a Republican Trustees inability to grasp a financial basic.  Firstly, saving money while still providing services is good.  Saving money just for the sake of saving money or padding a bank account and not providing services to the community that those fees were to be used for is hoarding and is wrong.  Their claim that it's a rainy day legal fund is not only bizarre but is yet another indicator that their lack of coordination among other Town offices has indeed produced the inferior legislation that would require this fund.  Would a reasonable person starve their family by saving money just in case he was sued?  Of course not.  To me, the Republican Trustees just don't get it.  A clear example of this Republican lack of coordination is the Trustee Environmental Resource Permit (TERP).  Proper coordination and planning by not only Republican Trustees but also by Councilman Len Bernard (the Town Board Liaison with the Trustees) would have, or should have, revealed the many shortcomings of this, still proposed, legislation.  This election is a defacto referendum on TERP.  If the Republicans win, the Town gets TERP rammed down its throat.  If (when) the Democrats win, TERP goes post-haste into the trash.  Simple as that.  Mr. Carley, last week spoke of "the hard work the Republican Trustees put forth".  Lots of people work hard.  But being an elected representative of the people requires not only working hard but working smart.  How smart was it to allow the ramp at Lazy Point to deteriorate?  How smart is it to have a governmental body compete against a Montauk businessman?  How smart was it to make an attempt to take over Lake Montauk bottomland or to demand our baymen pay higher fees?  It's our opinion that the current board of Republican Trustees are completely out of ideas.  Has anyone seen a Republican Trustee platform?  Does anyone know exactly what the Republican Trustees stand for other than inane responses to what the Democrats stand for?    Does leadership exist anywhere in the Republican party?  In my opinion, the answers are no, no, and absolutely no.  A few weeks from now we'll all get the opportunity to stand up and say loud and clear, "we're fed up with this, you guys are 'outta here".  I hope a commanding majority of us will do as I'm going to do;  start with Cathy Lester and vote the whole Democratic line.  It's going to feel great.  
 
Barry W. Leach
Democratic Candidate for
East Hampton Town Trustee