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The elephant in the room

To the editor:

As our local elections draw near, the biggest issue is, has been, and will be, the direction that we are heading regarding short-term rental properties in Lake Placid and North Elba.

It would appear that the majority of FULL-TIME residents want this harmful trend to stop, and maybe even roll back. Taxes have gone up, school enrollment has gone down, the quality off life in many neighborhoods has deteriorated, and our local businesses and even government services are finding it more and more difficult to fill jobs with local people – who, in turn, would have a stake in our community and continue the tradition of friendliness and hospitality that impresses so many visitors and gives us good neighbors.

There are some candidates running who have strong ties to the real estate industry either directly, through immediate family, or by way of providing services to absentee property owners. This is not an attack on local realtors, contractors or property managers. I know several and they are decent people who I believe care about this region. But because their livelihood and household income can be very dependent on the continuation and even growth of this civic cancer, will they truly be able to think of the community as a whole and disassociate their personal stake when these tough issues are addressed? There is nothing wrong with having the drive to make a lot of money, but that drive can easily steer decisions. Almost as important as a potential conflict of interest is the appearance of conflict of interest. This election may truly represent a crossroads and we need to think long and hard about how to vote this time.

And ALL of us need to vote.

Sean Donovan

Lake Placid

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