So the illustrious Amherst Select Board last night approved placing on the town meeting warrant this spring an article increasing fines for all things alcohol related in the People's Republic from around $50 per infraction to a whopping $300. Now that should get the attention of those damn students!After two late night ride-alongs with Amherst PD over the last nine months I would guess well over half of all the activity garnering police attention related to drinking. So this bylaw fine escalation should be a Hell of a money maker.
The same coalition committee of Umass folks and town officials are also considering a by-law before Town Meeting (who has to approve the fine increase on open container, nuisance party houses anyway)enacting fines for "public urination."
What an entrepreneurial concept! Generate municipal revenues via the chaotic byproduct of alcohol via open container and noise infractions and then even more fine revenues for public urination, another natural byproduct of alcohol consumption.
The Umass student newspaper otherwise known as Daily Collegian scoops the crusty Gazette
hope some foolish partyer doesn't find himself in a 'double jeapordy' situation!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think that's what town and UMass officials are shooting for--a fine figure high enough so that bad little boys and girls will have to call home to Mommy or Daddy to ask for a loan to pay it.
ReplyDeleteAt that point they would have some explaining to do.
Of course most kids would rather sell their blood or bodies than admit to Mom or Dad what they were busted for.
Well, I'm not a big fan of this proposal, but it isn't that unreasonable. In Newport RI the fine for an open container is $800!!
ReplyDeleteWhat you folks don't realize - what UM is not admitting (but had to in a sunshine request to me) is that student numbers are already declining. Students are leaving the Amherst area and telecommuting.
ReplyDeleteAre you at all familiar with what Deval Patrick wants to do with UM in Springfield?
And there are two things you will accomplish here. First, you will make it cost effective for students to challenge you in court. That means that you (a) loose the revenue stream, (b) have personnel costs and (c) loose the effectiveness of the ordinances overall.
Second, you make Amherst an unattractive college town in an era of shrinking enrollments. What happens when they all go to BU instead? When UMass goes from 6000 employees to, say, 3500 employees. And property values plumment.
You jokers deserve what is going to happen to you. This is the second time in my life that I have said this, and if you look at what happened to the Southern Aroostook area of Maine, I was proven right the first time...
Well of course, in Newport they have yacht upkeep to worry about.
ReplyDeleteJust ask Rick Hood.
ED -
ReplyDelete1. UMass is actively adding students, has proposals to add beds, housing facilities, etc.
2. UMass and BU aren't in the same ballpark cost wise, they aren't really competing for the same students.
3. Raising drinking fines makes Amherst an unattractive college town? Dont think so...
1. UMass is actively adding students, has proposals to add beds, housing facilities, etc.
ReplyDeleteUMass has many proposals, I am just noticing the 5,100 number - some 400 lower than it used to be. And what is the larger reality it is reflective of?
Remember that the baby boomlet is over, and every college in the country is overbuilt. Do the math.
2. UMass and BU aren't in the same ballpark cost wise, they aren't really competing for the same students.
A few years back, John Silbur pointed out to me that BU really *IS* in the same cost ballpark as UMass. Now as to price, UM is cheaper but at what price? And if it takes you 5 years to graduate, it really isn't cheaper than four years at a more expensive school.
3. Raising drinking fines makes Amherst an unattractive college town?
At some point you will reach the tipping point and then it will be downhill from there.
Get real Ed. Enrollment is up, it is harder to get in because of demand & a stupid local alcohol fine isnt going to change someones mind. You seem to keep coming back year after year after year after year.....
ReplyDeleteI think the pic, speaks for itself...a toilet with paper...LOOKS JUST lIKE AMHEST...AND WHERE THE MONEY MONEY IG GOING TO GO,,,,,,,,,,,,DOWN DOWN DOWN....
ReplyDeleteHOW MUCH MORE CAN YO AFFORD TO FLUSH DOWN THE TOILET? NO MORE TAXES ON OUR ASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!