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Opinion Piece: Amagansett Vehicle Access Dispute
Perhaps it is time to take back the land and mansions on the beaches for Town Parks.
The arrogance of extreme wealth sometimes knows no boundaries. Many who have either accumulated or inherited great sums of wealth sometimes lose their moral compass unless true north is pointing at only them and their wishes. This is the battle going on to rule beach access for vehicles including trucks and SUV’s. Safety concerns in my opinion are being used to conceal a private takeover of who gets to use the beautiful beaches especially in Amagansett, where for generations families have driven on to the beach, to fish, to surf, and to bath.
I no longer live in the town, so it is with deep remorse that I read the sad reports of the latest issue that has so many hard working local East Hampton Town residents upset. It’s almost a political commercial for Bernie Sanders with the 1% having already taken or accumulated the middle classes money and now wanting to control the public access to their ocean beaches! Saying their right to exclude came with a house they paid $50M for is amazing.
The truth is the time has arrived for citizens of the Town of East Hampton to push back on their rights and way of life that proceeds the whims of the very rich, who if they had their way, would perhaps ban all locals from the Hamptons all summer long.
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It is time for the Town to consider a luxury tax on a nice number like 10% tax on the total value of homes valued over $20M annually. Call it, a “Rehabitulation Tax”, with the purpose being to raise money for safety issues in the town caused by having so many very wealthy in such a small area and their ability to hire lawyers to sue the town for their every whim.
The reports of ocean home owners attorneys's saying they want to take this dispute to State Court to eliminate the influence of the Town Board begs for perhaps some action to create public domain parks stretching the length of the disputed beach. With those homes being taken and down and the land being left pristine for the future children of the Town to enjoy for generations. Now that is just one good idea……LOL