Progress made can be turned back in a day.  We see it happening before our eyes in our country right now.  Did we ever think we would once again be fighting this level of racism, this level of attacks on our freedoms, this level of rollback of protections on our air, water and environment and even this level of direct threat to our democracy?

“How did this happen?”  I hear that question all the time and it is a question I ask myself when reading the national news every day. The answer is found on election day. It happens because of misinformed choices made in the voting booth or worse, it happens because of voter apathy.  It happens when character assassinations and lies are accepted as “just politics”.

It can happen here in East Hampton in one day too.  The Democratic Primary Election is on Tuesday, June 25th,2019, and our progressive leadership on the Trustee Board is at stake.  The Democratic leadership that has transformed the Trustee Board from an insular, secretive, obstructive board to a televised, transparent board that works with homeowners, government agencies, and the public to protect and improve the fragile health of our most precious resource; water.

Their progressive approach to water protection is evident.  They have initiated new programs, such as the mosquito larvae testing, partnered with private citizens to work to restore the water quality of our previous failing “ponds” such as Georgica and Wainscott, our harbors, and more. They understand the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and look to the future of renewable energy while protecting our heritage of beach access, clean water, and a sustainable future for our fisheries.  Their office on Bluff Road was the first municipal building to install rooftop solar. Their long and thoughtful investigation of our offshore wind resource has made them the targets of attack from climate change deniers and political opportunists, yet  they continue to work for the best path forward.

This progress can be turned back in a day.  The candidates that just say “NO!” to working collaboratively as a 9 member board, who refuse to or cannot see the threats of ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and increasing  temperatures, or the threats to our surface and drinking waters have mounted a challenge to the progress our Democratic Trustee leadership has made.

Let’s not turn back the clock on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.  Please support our 9  candidate Trustee slate, carefully chosen to continue the progressive solutions that restore and protect our water.

Please vote for Francis Bock, Bill Taylor, Susan McGraw-Keber, John Aldred, Rick Drew, Jim Grimes, Mike Martinsen, Tim Garneau and Ben Dollinger.
Sincerely,
Cate Rogers