There they go again...

Amherst Town Center 8:00 PM
So yeah, once again I’m not overly worried a sitting President or retired President has died because with Amherst College flying the US flag at half-staff could be anything: the death of a lunch lady, or Pulitzer Prize winner.

Their prominent flag spends so much time at half staff most local folks no longer even notice when it is down in the position of mourning (that only a US President or Governor can order).

Belchertown gets it!

Override saber rattling begins

A Modest Proposal?

Mr. Jackson mistakenly referred to the May 1, 2007 amount as a “modest million”. Actually it was for an immodest $2.5 million. He also suggests s the need for a $3 million Override now and even then that would only amount to $3.3 million in five years. Of course the math he does not do is five years down the road the town will have had over $15 million in additional revenue if Mr. Jackson’s Override passes this spring.

He also mentions the “almost $5 million” we currently have stashed in reserves (not including the over $1 million the Regional School has stashed in their reserves) but, curiously considers that amount “unrealistic to think we can use it to bridge the budget gaps in any substantive way going forward.”

Well if the budget gap for next year is only $2.7 million and we have almost twice that amount stashed in savings accounts then that is a pretty easy gap to bridge.

Curiously on May 1, 2007 our reserves stood at $4.3 million. And the projected revenues shortfall back then was $3.7million (as opposed to the modest $2.7 million we hear about today) and of course after the Override failed the Regional Schools ended up the year with a $1 million surplus that they instantly spent on one-time big-ticket items.

Note to Phil: the sky is not falling and the wolf is not among the fold.

Mixed Message

Yeah, and we know how those folks who dress in white sheets just love Obama. Yikes! Or better yet--Only in Amherst!

UPDATE 4:35 PM Since my long-time subscriber Neil briefly wondered if I were a red neck, racist schmuck let me point out: the photo is what it is--located on a very high profile public entryway to town center.

As fifth generation Irish born and raised in Amherst I’m quite comfortable discussing “race issues.” Remember, as a teenager Emily Dickinson whimsically wrote to her brother requesting he come home and deal with all the Irish that had washed ashore and flowed inland to Amherst (for work on the railroad) suggesting, “To kill some—there are so many now, there is no room for the Americans.”

Yet in her later years she became so impressed with the work ethic of her Irish domestic servants that she requested they escort her to her grave. A role my great, great grandfather was proud to fulfill.

As someone who prides himself on Public Relations and concern for the image of his town or country, I can’t think of anything worse than Mr. Obama becoming a victim of violence (as happened to Dr. Martin Luther King, or John and Bobby Kennedy)

Yeah, watch that criticism

This from tomorrow's Bulletin (headline 'Select Board discusses town manager evaluation'

This year each of the Select Board members will be writing reviews for Shaffer. This is a change from last year , when Weiss synthesized the comments, taking the other beard members' written comments and merging them into an overall review.

Weiss said he hopes this tactic will make the Select Board members increase the precision in their commentary and be more respectful in their criticism"

Hmmm...So I take it last year some Select Board members were disrespectful in their criticism?

But 'His Lordship' does not want to hear a Minority Report from the Facilitation of Community Choices Committee. I guess he considers that committee plain old pawns rather than Bishops or Rooks.

No voices of dissent?

So this from the October 3 Amherst Bulletin:

Select Board Chairman Gerry Weiss said he has been pleased with the work of the subcommittee (FCCC), which has been meeting regularly since April. Weiss said he and Andy Churchill, who are co-chairmen of the Budget Coordinating Group, deliberately selected the 11 members of the panel to represent diverse viewpoints, with people both in favor of and opposed to tax-cap overrides or deep budget cuts.

"I think the committee has gelled and it's in sync," Weiss said.

This is perhaps best demonstrated, Weiss said, in that he doesn't expect there to be a minority report filed by the committee. Both the Bulletin and Daily Hampshire Gazette will feature coverage of this presentation and public reaction in future editions.

We really don't need a committee that is in lock step--errr, I mean "sync" with each other on a fundamentally critical issue like this. What we need is for folks who have a core to stand up and be counted (and I'm not so sure the Gazette/Bulletin is up to covering that in a fair and balanced way).
State slashes CPA funding to Amherst

Umass takes a hit as well

Be careful what you wish for

UPDATE: 4:00 PM So Amherst Select Person Stephanie kind of proves my point over at her blog as she, finally, updated yesterday; and when talking about the vote to increase the CPA tax from 1.5% to 3% (she co-wrote a column for this week’s Bully with Alisa Brewer opposing the tax increase and His Lordship Gerry Weiss and his water carrier Diana Stein writing one in support) blatantly admits:

“If we are going to ask people to accept higher tax bills, I think it ought to be for funding the essentials of Town government, not just open space, historic preservation, affordable housing and recreation. I worry that making this increase now would jeopardize an override later, if one becomes necessary”

Yeah, “IF” (many people in this town never met an Override they did not want to take out for sushi)

ORIGINAL POST 10:00 AM
Subject: big time...
To: FCCC Committee (all 10 other members)
Date: Monday, October 6, 2008, 11:51 AM

OK...we have now made the "big time" in Amherst...we are featured in Larry Kelley's blog. http://onlyintherepublicofamherst.blogspot.com/ I have been monitoring it ever since I emailed him to ask him if he would consider it. I wrote in a comment so that our actual web site address could be immediately accessible...Larry includes a link but the link says "Just Say No!" which might not be what some people want to hear so they might not click. Plus, it never hurts to be able to put a name to a committee. Check it out!

This makes appearances now in Mary Carey's blog, Stephanie's blog, Catherine Sanderson's blog, and Gavin Andresen's blog. But making Larry Kelley's really gives us a lot of visibility. And, at this point, any publicity is good publicity!
Alison Donta


Sooooo, somebody who got this email from somebody forwarded it my way (actually two people). It’s a public document--since it went to the entire Facilitation Of The Community Choices Committee including liaison, Assistant Town Manager John Musante.

Anybody who uses the internet regularly should know that when you send something to a listserve of 10 people (friends and family, committee members, or terrorist cell) chances are pretty good that some of those people will pass it along to one trusted friend, who in turn sends it along to another trusted friend, who….

But of course I’m glad to help publicize their survey--even if I do think it is flawed because of potential ballot stuffing. Over two years ago Select Man Robie Hubley came up with three non-binding questions concerning the beleaguered budget to put before the voters on the April annual election ballot.

One asked if the town should simply implement budget cuts (level funding), another asked if an Override was the way to go and the third asked if a combination of cuts and tax or fee increases (level services) was the solution. A little over 2,500 people showed up at the polls that year and about 1, 800 participated in the survey.

The results were useless to town officials, as the following year a $2.5 million Override went down in flames. Curiously the FCCC’s s three “scenarios” pretty much mimic Mr. Hubley’s previous questions to the voters.

Scenario 1 Level Funding (cuts)

Scenario 2 Level Services (no cuts, no additions) BUT requiring a hefty tax (or fee) increase.

Scenario 3 Priority Restorations/Additions that would require most of the gold in Fort Knox, or a HUGE Override.

The Bully reports

Gerrymandering

And so it begins...

Our entire family attended--and 3 out of 4 of us competed in--the "4'th annual Larch Hill English Style Cross Country Classic Race" directly across the street from our South Amherst abode (with all revenues going to charity)

My almost-two-year old finished last--but hey, at least she finished!