Extra payments

To The Editor:

A recent Town Council report prompted some thoughts. If one of the motivations for running for elected office is to “serve” the community, then the concept of salary (as opposed to expense reimbursement) may be brought into question. But over and above that, the additional payments made in lieu of unneeded medical coverage is a reach. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way for that money to be donated to needy causes or individuals?

CONRAD POWER, Shelter Island

Happiness is

To the Editor:

The following poem by Kurt Vonnegut [which appeared in The New Yorker] eloquently says what I feel in my heart:

JOE HELLER

True story, Word of Honor:

Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer

now dead,

and I were at a party given by a billionaire

on Shelter Island.

I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel

to know that our host only yesterday

may have made more money

than your novel ‘Catch-22’

has earned in its entire history?”

And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”

And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”

And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”

Not bad! Rest in peace!

—Kurt Vonnegut

JEAN LAWLESS, Shelter Island

In a community of writers and editors, breaking copyright laws is not a smart thing to do. When we asked The New Yorker for permission to use the Vonnegut poem submitted by Ms. Lawless, a staffer (apparently a very young staffer) responded by email that we’d have to ask Mr. Vonnegut directly. The staffer passed on the New York mailing address the magazine had on file for him. Mr. Vonnegut died in 2007. A web search turned up a 2007 blog posting by business commentator Bill Sutton, who reported that he had written Mr. Vonnegut himself for permission to use the same poem. The author sent him a hand-drawn postcard that “not only is in Vonnegut’s handwriting and gives me permission to use it ‘however you please without compensation or further notice to me,’ the entire thing is designed by Vonnegut (and I suspect his wife helped, as she is a designer).” On that basis, we thought it would be ethically and professionally acceptable to reprint the poem here in its entirety.  — Ed. 

East End interests

To the Editor:

Let’s hear it for eastern Long Island! Shelter Island will soon return to normalcy with the redistricting of the New York Assembly. The First Assembly District has once again had lines redrawn based on the latest Census data (2010). Some districts are not thrilled with the proposed redistricting but the shift will be good for Shelter Island.

The adjusted total population was recorded as 128,929, a deviation of -160 (-0.12 percent). The proposal is to draw the First Assembly District line between Laurel and Jamesport, crossing and moving westward to Manorville, the Moriches and then east to Montauk. This means that we will be identified clearly as the East End.

Currently Fred Thiele, Independence Party, is the First District Assemblyman. Our little Island has been tossed about in redistricting for decades on a county and state level. It’s not that all elected officials west of us are less than sympathetic. In 2006, we were fortunate to elect Marc Alessi for the Assembly. His wife Gretchen and daughter Sarah came often to the Island. You saw them at the Boy Scout Lobster Boil, the Arts and Crafts Fair, the Country Fair, the Shelter Island Historical Society and Taylor’s Island. We had an advocate who appreciated us and defended us. Alessi made regular appearances, held Town Hall meetings and championed our causes.

With the cooperation of Assemblyman Fred Thiele [who will become Shelter Island’s assemblyman if the redistricting plan is approved], New York State approved legislation that helped the ferry keep rates down by not having to pay sales tax on the new ferry (rightfully so, since bus and airline companies didn’t have to pay sales tax on new planes and buses). But in 2010, Alessi lost narrowly to Losquadro. It’s funny but I haven’t seen Losquadro on Shelter Island since his election. I don’t think we were high on his list. Anyway, it’s only a proposal, but a good one. We are the East End, not Brookhaven.

HEATHER REYLEK, Chair, Democratic Committee, Shelter Island