Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
July 7, 2008
Dear Attorney General Coakley,
On May 20 I requested you undertake a ‘quo warranto procedure’ to remove from office Amherst Town Meeting member Robie Hubley. On April 10 Mr. Hubley signed a ‘Homestead’ declaration for a residency in South Hadley and also signed (with his wife) an FDIC mortgage from Florence Savings Bank that also requires “primary residency” at the South Hadley home.
The Amherst Town Attorney wrote to you and politely suggested you stay out of the matter until the local option occurred, G.L.c. 51, 48—a hearing before the Amherst Board of Registrars.
On Thursday, July 3’rd the Board did meet (as I am currently in China adopting a second daughter, I did not attend) and according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette both Robie Hubley and his wife Anne Awad (who recently resigned her Select Board seat) attended but did not speak, because—amazingly--the Board of Registrars did not ask them any questions!
The issue of the “Homestead” declaration was not discussed and the bank mortgage “primary residency” requirement was dismissed as a “private” matter.
One of the three Registrars, Harry Brooks, is a personal friend of Anne Awad and failed to recuse himself from the proceeding.
The Town Clerk (who moderated the meeting) serves at the whim of the Amherst Town Manager. Anne Awad and Robie Hubley were both Amherst Select Board members two years ago and made the decision to hire him. Town Manager Shaffer has steadfastly defended the couples right to declare Amherst their home no matter the evidence to the contrary.
Since this initial July 3 hearing was simply exploratory to ascertain whether “sufficient grounds for an investigation” exists, it is beyond comprehension the Board of Registrars unanimously decided that no such grounds exist —right up there with the earth is flat, Apollo 11 never landed on the moon and Elvis is alive.
Obviously the proceeding was far from impartial and if allowed to go unchallenged will undermine the confidence of Amherst voters in our system of democracy.
Could you now, please, bring your office into this matter?
Sincerely Yours,
Larry Kelley
Amherst Town Meeting
Amherst Redevelopment Authority
5’Th generation Amherst resident
via email
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7 comments:
keep it up Larry... some of us in town apreciate it
If Awad and Hubley's claim of residency in Amherst is pretense, then the residents who elected them to public office have the right to know as well as the right to request their prompt resignation because: Their status as residence of Amherst is a condition for office.
The Board of Registrar's Charles Schultz act, "I see nothing, nothing!" was a pathetic dereliction of duty. If this board will not take their responsibilities seriously, then they ought to be replaced.
Time for the state ethics commission? Seems like there are some conflicts of interest here.
Just a thought.
Ed
Yeah, I'm still working on the Secretary of State, and perhaps the Federal Prosecutor in Springfield.
But today (it's 8:00 am here) with Jada we get take to take the Oath of Citizenship at the US Consulate (unfortunately no cameras allowed)
Thomas, it was Sgt. Hans Schultz that said that. Charles Schultz made another appropriate quote though, "Good Grief Charlie Brown!"
Can't seem to keep my Schultz's straight. Thx maryd
FBI investigation of Amherst....
It would find a LOT, and would kick over a lot of logs with a lot of worms under them, and it could be quite interesting...
Amherst is actually more corrupt than Springfield, it is just smaller and thus not on their radar. Imagine an Awad pulling this stunt down there....
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