East Hampton – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

YAY! I voted!

David Posnett — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 19:23:19 +0000

pink slip

Like you, I have been waiting for this moment for 4 years.

I have never seen voting lines like this, not in 20 years, not in sleepy East Hampton after the summer crowds are long gone. Newsday and the Press were there to document the lines with photos and interviews of voters.

I got in line for early voting at Windmill Village in East Hampton. Polls were open from 10 AM to 3 PM. At 10:30 AM the line snaked around the neighborhood. I heard from a poll official that there were 260 voters in line. They were processing about 1 voter/min by my estimate based on how often a voter entered the actual polling station.

I was expecting a 4 h wait. But it turned out to be just about 3 hours. My friends Nigel and Jane got in line at 9 AM and voted at 11 AM: about 2 hours.

These kind of waiting periods are exhausting for elderly folks. They were for me.

Here is what you can do:

1. you can drop off you mail-in ballot and to do so you can go right to the front of the line and be directed to the correct person in the polling stations. The problem is that your ballot won’t be counted until after Nov 3rd along with all other mail-in ballots
2. if you are in any way disabled you can go to the front of the line. At Windmill Village they have a side entrance (on the right when you are facing the main entrance). I inquired for a family member who is seriously handicapped and she and her husband can use the side entrance thus avoiding the long line.
3. For the rest of us I suggest choosing carefully when you want to try to vote early. As per a prior post here are the choices:

I am thinking that Monday 7 AM might be a safe bet?

Finally, a word about safety.

Every one I encountered was wearing a mask and observing social distancing. Poll workers and voters were disinfecting their hands and the equipment between every voter!

The people in line were courteous and kept each other in a good mood. There were no attempts to threaten or bully voters. The police was stationed at the entrance to the Windmill Village complex to direct cars to park outside the village. They were helpful and friendly. They allowed cars transporting disabled voters to enter and drop them off close to the polling station. My friend Jerry (acting as a Dem poll watcher) confirmed my impression: no shenanigans and no voter intimidation, such as touted by the likes of the ‘Proud Boys’ and encouraged by the President and his sycophants.

I guess we had short lines compared to some polling stations in NY City:

Swastika in the Springs

David Posnett — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 15:35:35 +0000

Springs, East Hampton

A friend of mine found a swastika painted on a rock in her driveway in The Springs. Detectives were called and they took the incident very seriously. An investigation has begun. My friend notified the East Hampton Synagogue and they will notify their congregation. There is some other writing on the rock but do not jump to any conclusions. The detectives sent some folks over to remove the swastika. This is the first swastika incident that I am aware of in the Hamptons. This is all the information that I know of at present.
Rena Rosenfeld

Paul Giardina: proud Zeldin fan

David Posnett — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 21:00:02 +0000

Letter published in the East Hampton Star, Nov 2nd, by one of our R&R regulars (just to remind us of the record):

Zeldin’s Record

According to his Feb. 13 letter to the East Hampton Star, Paul Giardina is a “proud” and “unabashed supporter” of Congressman Lee Zeldin, who Giardina believes “stands up for core American values.”

So what are the values reflected in Zeldin’s record? His 2016 environmental votes are so toxic he merited a rating of only 8 percent from the League of Conservation Voters. He voted for the American Health Care Act, which would have taken health care coverage away from millions; he’s expressed support for a budget that would blow up the deficit and slash Medicare and Social Security; he refused to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey; he opposes Planned Parenthood and has voted to limit reproductive choice; he supports allowing out-of-state gun owners to violate our state’s ban on concealed carry; his votes align with Trump’s agenda 92 percent of the time, and he believes Steve Bannon “got a bad rap.”

While Paul Giardina may find those positions admirable, I believe the voters of East Hampton do not. I urge you to vote for Jeff Bragman, who will make decisions for our town based on values we do respect, among them: protecting our environment, providing affordable housing, preserving our unique historical character, and promoting an economy that works for all.

AMY TURNER

The Party of Trump

David Posnett — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 20:20:39 +0000

Screen shot of the Facebook page of Manny Vilar (before he “cleaned it up”) – he is running to be Supervisor of East Hampton…

Letter to the Editor, East Hampton Star, Nov 2nd 2017

While walking our roads I saw a few election signs. I’m going to speak specifically about the two Republican candidates. Their slogan was something about transparency and putting politics aside for people.

Now to me this seems sarcastic. The Republican Party is the party of Trump. And Trump has revealed very, very clearly what the Republican Party is for. The Republican Party is the champion of misogyny, the hate of brown and black people, the subjugation and punishment of poor people, the outright attack on the sick and disabled, war, complete protection of the top 1 percent who have most of the wealth in the country, the K.K.K. and its splinter groups that are veiled as nationalism, Christianity as interpreted by white men as the only religion that matters, the destruction of public schools, the persecution of L.G.B.Q.T. members of our society, and one other thing — a complete and utter attack and threat to the security and safety of all Americans and our allies.

Look at what is happening in this country, this isn’t greatness. If you believe that this is the way a great leader governs, you need to read European and American history. Search for World War II and its causes: That is very basic and simple. I’m sure I forgot a few things, but these are the issues that pop into my mind when I think of the Republican Party. I’m not a fan and will never vote for a Republican candidate.

Sincerely, ANN CUNNINGHAM