When the people lead, the politicians follow

Let’s hope the Peoples Revolt in Amherst fares better than the one in South Hadley.

The ‘Amherst Taxpayers For Responsible Change’, with the key word being RESPONSIBLE, just launched a petition drive to collect 200 signatures to call a Special Town Meeting to “strongly urge” the Select board to “strongly urge” the Town Manager to take the offer of Niblick Management to privatize our floundering golf business.

Town Meeting passed an advisory warrant article last June saying they “strongly urge” the Select board to put Cherry Hill out to bid. In August Mr. Shaffer said he had no problem with issuing the RFP so that the private sector could “save our bacon.”

But Mr. Shaffer must have turned vegetarian as he rejected Niblick Management’s offer of $35,000 a year for three years, preferring instead to risk the loss of many more times that of taxpayer dollars on keeping the White Elephant within the Leisure Services empire.

As I have said so very often: Only in Amherst!