OPPOSES SBPF
My View
By Pete Kaizer

I am writing this letter so that the local year-round registered voters can better understand why they have been approached at their residences and asked to give up some of their time to better understand the 'Sconset Beach Devastation Project.

You are basically

being confronted by an off island firm of walking telemarketers who have been hired by S.B.P.F. to persuade the registered voters of Nantucket to put their common sense aside and listen to a sales pitch of half truths and outright lies, hoping to bull their way into capturing a "yes" vote on ballot question number five at the local election on April 15. If this were to happen it would devastate one of the richest marine environments and epic fishing grounds on the east coast.

The response has been one of outrage and disbelief that anyone could stoop so low in the pursuit of votes that would result in the devastation of the very occupation that this proud and inspiring island is known for, its "watermen and women."

If you are approached by one of these traveling salesmen, confront them. They are used to it and more often than not, shown the door and told to vacate the property. It's reassuring to witness that the yearround registered voters are proud and have a backbone and are not readily swayed by these tactics.

When stating that the project is environmentally friendly, they don't mention that, at their own testimony, they admit having to mitigate for 275 acres of habitat, of which they are going to bury alive inshore and offshore habitat and shellfish beds in the borrow site. It appears there are two different interpretations of what environmentally friendly means.

As for being 100 percent privately funded - the fact that S.B.P.F. is a nonprofit and tax deductible organization, the expenses incurred by the homeowners are paid to S.B.P.F. (nonprofit) and then are deducted on their personal tax return at approximately 38 percent, of which this tax liability is then shifted to the rest of the common taxpayer, like you and me. So, I guess we are all being asked to fund this project, which, by their own testimony, is designed to fail and devastate the environment.

What ever happened to common sense? I

- Capt. Peter Kaizer

F/V Althea K