Click to enlarge/readUnlike three years ago Overriders filed their campaign finance report with the Town Clerk on time.
So counting Ricky Boy Hood's $211.83 for payment of buttons, that makes just a a tad over $5,000 raised thus far for this Override campaign. And I'm impressed, I really am. What a hard sell that must be when hitting up folks for contributions: "Could you please donate money so that we can wage a campaign to raise your taxes?"
Since they have only spent $1991 and have an ending balance of $3073 as of 3/15 (but includes the half-page "signature ad" in the 3 /19 Amherst Bulletin with F-A-R less signatures than three years ago), prepare for a blitzkrieg over the next 72 hours
37 comments:
If I didn't know better Larry, you sound a little concerned or bewildered or ...?
None of the above.
Doesn't surprise me in the least.
There are lots of folks in Amherst with W-A-Y too much $ and even W-A-Y more time on their hands...
I'm bewildered by the stupidity or...
(Question: Who has $100-$1000 to throw into the toilet?)
LarryK says that there are people in town with way too much time on their hands????????
Hmmm.......
Look in the mirror, big fella.
Oh, the usual rogues gallery: Select Board Chair, Finance Committee Chair, Town Meeting members, etc
Aren't those the volunteer citizens who help make Amherst run?
It looks to me like the pro override people have themselves pretty well organized this year. I'm concerned by what I see as an overwhelming pro-override sentiment (by lawn signs) and what that tells Amherst voters. I'm not convinced that Tuesday will be a good day.What can we do to help?
Oh, they were pretty well organized three years ago as well (and raised about this amount of $) but they just let a naive tenderfoot somehow take over command.
Make sure you vote on Tuesday and of course your immediate family.
But you could also make a few calls today or tomorrow to extended friends who live in the People's Republic and let them know this is gonna be close and EVERY vote counts.
I dont think it's going to be that close. The anti-override side is going to overwhelm the other side. Everyone I've spoken to this past week is against it. I see very few pro override signs. I think we got this in the bag.
"The future is now
As she charts the future of the school, Geryk said the district has to think through its public relations protocols, and she plans to make better use of its Web site.
Asked if she'll be a candidate for the permanent superintendent job, Geryk said she doesn't know yet but will think about it and see the level of support she gets.
"I like the job," she said. "I find it challenging but not overwhelming."
Above all, she said, she won't forget about children's needs, and those 64 pairs of eyes on her wall will help remind her.
"We're going to try to be positive and move forward," she said. "We're talking about our babies, not making buttons in a factory. We've been in a hard place, and we need to frame it positively."
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and what else? Spin?
"AMHERST - Potential loss of personnel at the Fire Department is prompting the union representing the career firefighters to formally advocate in favor of passing the $1.68 million Proposition 2½ override Tuesday.
Stephen Gaughan, president of the 44-member Local 1764, said Friday that the union, which gave up $120,000 in cost-of-living adjustments in its contract in February and made concessions in its health plans, is asking residents to help ensure its stability going forward.
"We look at this and say, #This potential reduction puts citizens and firefighters at risk because our staffing levels are already dangerously low,'" Gaughan said.
Though two positions at a cost of $162,799, $6,000 for training and $2,000 for protective clothing are no longer to be cut, based on a list of items to be restored to the town manager's proposed $18.6 million budget, Gaughan remain concerned.
"We are grateful we are the top priority for restoration, but with that we're still on the block," Gaughan said.
He observed that last year's budget was cut in the middle of the year, forcing a reduction in overtime."
Bribed.
Disgraceful.
Bribed.
Disgraceful.
Tax Starved.
Even more disgraceful.
It's a small amount of money folks.
The return on that money will be large.
It's time to lose the "no more" mentality.
Lets pony up for services we care about.
I don't think anyone is thinking we should lose vital services. It's the non-essential services that many people have come accustom to for little or no cost, and want it to continue, that many people like myself have a problem with. There are certain things we will have to cut that we maybe able to re-establish during more profitable times, but for the time being have to go. I'm not talking about the schools, fire, police, etc... Its things like the golf course if it can sustain itself; great but if it continually needs tax dollars then it has to go. And I'm sure there are a few more that should be investigated. I love a good round of golf as much as the next guy but let's face it folks we can't live a champaign life style on a beer can budget. That's just a fact!
Daler
Not making this Override a "menu Override" whereby taxpayers could pick and choose what services to "pony up" for was a HUGE mistake.
What percentage of Union Firefighters actually live in Amherst and will see their own taxes go up? I've heard an increasing number do not live within the borders.
The majority of police, firefighters and probably DPW workders do not live in Amherst (can't afford it.)
"Bribed.
Disgraceful.
Tax Starved.
Even more disgraceful.
It's a small amount of money folks.
The return on that money will be large.
It's time to lose the "no more" mentality.
Lets pony up for services we care about."
Dance spinning snake, dance...
(DO IT)
I think Leisure Services and Amherst Housing Authority could use a little investigation for possible major cuts.
Larry I must admit although I've been posting anti-override sentiment I will not be happy either way the vote goes. I dislike the town feeling it has the right to go to the well each time it wastes our money. I would also feel bad for people being laid off and lives changed and services lost. I also feel the same way about the health bill going up for vote tomorrow. I feel the need for health care for all but at what cost. Who is going to pay for this and do we want the government dictating to doctors what reimbursements they are going to get? Did we hear anything about tort reform or do we know what kind of back-room dealing went on with the drug industrial?
I have a very different take on this.
Google "HAZ inc" and the street address and you will find that it is a "Pharmaceutical Manufacturer"
Now what is a drug manufacturer doing in a residential area?!?!?!? Do we or do we not have zoning in this town? And even if he is just selling drugs (in bed with "big pharma"?) the fact remains that a commercial enterprise may not "live" in a residential area. This comes up quite often with self-employed truckers who can't use their home address for a business one.
Now is the fact that the town got $2000 in donations influencing anything? Inquiring minds want to know....
And rules are rules, aren't they???
I will NOT vote for the override based upon the waste that I've observed in the school system. And that is just the waste that is transparent...to a parent and resident.
So for those folks who feel they have to vote for the override because they have children in the system (a sentiment I've heard)perhaps they're missing a vital point: the $ that are being wasted are NOT helping your child. Financial mismanagement has been rampant. Convenient to blame the economy but....economy was tanking when they hired the super and gave him housing and travel allowances...
Blackmail tactics such as 2 study halls etc. should be seen as such....look at Northampton...are kids there getting two study halls???
I've always liked the idea of taxes being earmarked instead of being put into a slush-fund where there are so many hands reaching in.
This town has some strange zoning laws. For instance it is ok to operate a for profit business out of Amherst Housing Authority buildings on Chestnut Court. This is subsidized housing. This is in a obvious residential area. They only make it difficult to open a doctors office in what appears to be a commercial area. Only in the Republic of Amherst.
"There are lots of folks in Amherst with W-A-Y too much $"
It's called being successful, Larry.
Ed,
That's a $1000 donation (total) inserted at the bottom (see asterisk) and if what you're saying is true, then someone needs to investigate.
It would be VERY bad indeed.
Yeah, I think the NO's have it in the bag too. I'm not even going to bother voting since the Yes's have some tenderfoot the Larry has convinced me is not going be able to handle organizing a strong fight.
-EC
Larry might have had a chance at success if he didn't spend his entire life chasing Leisure services.
Fore!
Don't you Cowardly Anon Nitwits have to be in Church or something?
10:42: " I feel the need for health care for all but at what cost. Who is going to pay for this and do we want the government dictating to doctors what reimbursements they are going to get? Did we hear anything about tort reform or do we know what kind of back-room dealing went on with the drug industrial?"
This is the first time I've heard anti-override sentiment compared to anti-health care reform sentiment and it makes me very very uncomfortable.
Are the no more overriders against health care reform too? Is it the same justification only played out on a local scale? Now that would be a smoking gun.
And one that would convince me to vote for the override.
The high school does not need a full time athletic director @ $95,000 a year.
Can't the schools work with LSSE (or vice versa) to avoid duplication of unneeded services.
Ad exactly what are the current duplication of services between LSSE and high school athletics?
Don't ask for facts anon. 3:18. It just confuses the "no more" mentality. They need to stay on message you know: "schools bad, government bad, taxes bad...." Why should facts have to come into the equation?
LSSE and the schools share facilities (fields, gyms, pool) so the AD and LSSE need to work together.
The AD does not have enough work for a full time position (and is *never* available to students and parents to address routine business or issues that arise)
There is full time LSSE staff available each day at a central location (LSSE office) to assist parents and students.
The positions could definitely be combined.
I think, Anon 4:25, your whole post is entirely incorrect. There is NO overlap between the HS AD and LSSE. They serve 2 completely different populations in town.
I certainly didn't link the override with the health care vote, only my ambivalence to both and my unhappiness with a yes or no or all or nothing vote. I think we can do better.
On the other hand the more I think about it they are somewhat related. Both issues are about services that expect the taxpayer to pay for. Pay for my travel, my housing, my medical and you also pay for yours.
How about if the people in town who want the override (presumably if you are voting yes you can afford it because to vote yes if you can't afford it doesn't make sense - if you don't have the money, you don't have the money, right?) get together and split the cost and leave us poorer folks go back to worrying about our other bills.
By the way, it's not just home owners who are footing the bill. If you are a building owner with tenants, isn't is more than likely that you'll raise rents to cover your share of the override?
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