Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy and Elvis Live!

Since His Lordship Gerry Weiss, the highest ranking elected official in the People’s Republic of Amherst, considers 9/11 an inside job it should not surprise me that he also thinks Umass is going to provide the town electricity when the new co-generation Powerplant comes alive this Spring.

Kinda makes you wonder if he even read the overly hyped Umass ‘Strategic Agreement’ before flushing away hundred$ of thousand$ in free fuel for the new Powerplant?

The following exchange occurred this morning on the privately owned Amherst Town Meeting Listserve with about 100 members of the 240 body subscribing. I was given a “time out” last year for a few months for calling former Select board Chair Anne Awad a “czar”.

To: amhersttownmeeting@yahoogroups.com
BUT, how much will the Town save on electric bills when UMass gives us free power off the new plant?? That cost has to be factored into the equation also. Hilda Greenbaum

In a message dated 10/24/07 7:57:49 AM, gerryweiss@comcast.net writes: Excellent point Hilda, thank you.


From: "larry kelley" amherstac@yahoo.com
Article #20. Did His Lordship actually read the Strategic Agreement?

So...the highest-ranking elected official in Amherst actually believes Umass is going to give us “free power off the new plant”? That’s scary, very scary. Somehow I missed that in the “Strategic Agreement.”

Just for the record: the new Powerplant will supply about 80% of the electricity needs of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; and not one kilowatt to the town. Yikes!


In a message dated 10/24/07 10:06:01 AM, mlwentworth@comcast.net writes:

Larry, There is no excuse for addressing anyone in the way in which you have addressed Gerry. You need to stop lashing out at people when your thinking or your computations are questioned.
Mary Wentworth

From: "larry kelley" amherstac@yahoo.com

Mary, If my sources are correct, Mr. Weiss was recently introduced at a Chamber Of Commerce public event as "Your Lordship."

Larry

FUNNY UPDATE:
In a message dated 10/24/07 10:54:58 AM, greenbau@history.umass.edu writes:

I have heard that UMass. intends to give us power off the plant and that AC is doing likewise. It may not be in THIS agreement since the plant isn't on-line yet. Hilda

My Response (so I guess I have not been given a "Time Out" just yet):
Don’t believe everything you hear. The Powerplant will not satisfy 100% of the energy needs of the campus at current population. So when Umass grows by 5,000 or 10,000 students it will fall even farther behind.

Besides, if they ever did have excess capacity they could easily sell it to the utilities. The chances of Umass giving us electricity in the future are about as likely as the town voting Republican in the next Presidential election.
Larry

4 comments:

O'Reilly said...

Civil discourse has its place. "Czar" can be disparaging in some contexts and complimentary in others.

I think some people in Amherst have a high expectation for respectful discourse and hypersensitive sensibilities. Knowning that, you might as well be heard ather than be silenced.

So much of the discourse surrounding the issue is off topic.

The town has a budget crisis. How will it raise the revenues it wants to be able to spend?

Larry Kelley said...

By becoming more businesslike. And when you have been anti-business for a generation or two, that can be hard.

The switch to Mayor/Council will be one giant step forward towards that end.

O'Reilly said...

Ahh a revolution! Gor fot it.

O'Reilly said...

that's: go for it.