Dan’s Papers October 14, 2011 danshamptons.com Page 30
TWENTY SOMETHING by David Lion Rattiner
Could the Occupy Wall Street movement come to the Hamptons? It’s very possible if you ask me. It’s now been three weeks since a group of people began standing around Wall Street, holding up signs and protesting. Nobody is quite sure what it is they are protesting or what they want, but let me tell you exactly what it is they want and what it is they are protesting. Simply put, they are protesting that all of the money that is supposed to be “stimulating” our economy, is really just going to banks. It’s not going to schools, it’s not going to infrastructure here at home, it’s not creating jobs, it’s simply going straight to the banks. They don’t like that, because they are all watching as the
top 1% get richer, while they are literally struggling to put food on their tables just for themselves, even when they are working 40 or even 50 hours a week, if they are lucky to find a job. They are also, just in general, pissed off that there is no real financial future for them and they see that clearly. This is keeping them from having kids, getting married and settling down. So they are protesting. How do I know all of this? Because I have eyes. Look around, just even in the Hamptons. How many 20 or early 30-year-olds do you know who are set up well for a good future financially? If you know more than one, I’d be amazed. An entire generation of young adults cannot afford anything of any real significance without dramatically putting themselves in terribly debilitating debt, whether it’s a college loan, a house loan or anything else. On top of this, those that do take out these loans, become paralyzed financially, and those that don’t, are basically forced to live off the grid unless they find tremendous financial support thanks to a set of wealthy parents. That’s why they are mad. It’s happening all over the world, and it’s spreading. The older group of people that are down on Wall Street are mad for different reasons. They are against the wars (so are the younger people)
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and have seen this rodeo of endless war before, during Vietnam. And they are sick and tired of watching the towns that they come from and grew up in change from being wonderful all-American towns, to towns without schools, with roads falling apart and with factories shutting down and moving to China. This is all very real today for a lot of people, more than I think most of us are willing to admit. I don’t know what will come of Occupy Wall Street, but one thing that I’m sure of, it’s not going to go away until something changes.
Frankl
(continued from page 28)
motivated to run by a desire to serve. Zach Cohen, our candidate for supervisor, is a businessman and financial wizard who, as a citizen, invested himself in thoroughly learning the financial management of the town. As Chairman of the Town Nature Preserve Committee he has worked with people from every part of the community, who appreciate his interest and willingness to take from divergent points of view. His running mates Sylvia Overby and Peter Van Scoyoc are both expert in the town planning law, as Sylvia was chair of the Planning Department and Peter has been a member of for many years. Sylvia, a homemaker, who raised her children in Amagansett and volunteered as chair of the Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee, knows the challenges of families and small businesses and is determined to enhance the potential for local people to keep living and working here. One of her key concerns is the disrespectful way the Wilkinson-Quigley team has treated town employees and their evident attempt to quell professional opinions that disagree with theirs by intimidation and threats. Peter is a local contractor and charter fishing boat owner. Known for his fairness and adherence to law, he has made it his mission to balance the need to protect the environment with the support of local business. This group of three are bound together by mutual respect and admiration and work together consistently in developing platform and policies.” When asked why it is important that Democratic candidates win, Frankl said, “Ideally, the Democrats need a majority of the Board to change the course of the town from a narrow minded and exclusionary body to one that works for the whole town. If Democrats elect one or two of our candidates to the town board, their experience and authoritativeness will undoubtedly improve policy making, but ultimately the Supervisor is key. As for the future and her vision, Frankl concluded, “In this election season, Democrats have recruited some exciting young people to run for trustee and help with the campaign. Disturbed by what they see going on in their hamlets, they hail from all different parts of town. With their help in defining our future agenda and reaching out to friends and neighbors, I hope we will erode the cynicism of many young people about politics and convince them that politics is a vehicle for developing the kind of community they want to live in. My goal is to turn the party over to a new generation that shares and elaborates our long standing commitments.”