Abridging the freedom of speech

I don’t like attending choreographed “PR events,” and when I do it’s like the person who has no great love for NASCAR or the Indy 500 but grudgingly goes simply hoping for a spectacular car crash.

But I do indeed love, respect and will fight to the death to protect the First Amendment. And this staged event at Umass was, after all, a rally to support our rights to say whatever the Hell we want.

It brought together the student Democratic and Republican Clubs who normally mix like fire and gasoline. And of course the same nitwits who shut down Don Feder’s speech three weeks ago attended with their signs and banners--but a lot less vocal this time around. (The bright glare of national publicity will do that).

Last week Sheila Bair, former Umass professor and now Chair of the FDIC (and “second most powerful woman in the world”) spoke at the Isenberg School of Management about the financial meltdown and the resulting federal bailout. Not a peep out of the standing-room-only overflow audience.

If I had the time (which most protesters obviously do) I would have attended with a large sign reading “Are you out of your mind!” Bailout the poor schmucks who need it, but put all the other idiots in jail.

Ahhh but she’s a middle aged white woman—and a very successful one at that. Don Feder is this aging Jewish guy who used to write a column for—gasp—The Boston Herald.

After all, this is Umass--located in the People’s Republic of Amherst.

This student is probably thinking if he knew Ch 40 TV was coming with such a cute reporter he would have dressed better. Or maybe not.

The burly guy with a beard gets around. But they could have used another volunteer or two on the bottom corners.

(March 11 at the Don Feder speech fiasco.) Hey at least they believe in recycling.

UN flag to be retired

The faded tattered United Nations flag that has flown in front of Amherst Town Hall since the very early 1970's (soooooo long ago that even Vince O'Connor was not around) will be permanently retired into the new landfill at the former Cherry Hill Golf Course.

Since town officials are squeamish about the American flag, the Committee to Abolish Imperialistic Banners (co-sponsored by the Amherst League of Women Voters) decided to alternate the Puerto Rican flag, Rainbow flag, People's Republic of Iran and North Korea at that flagpole over the next generation.

Cherry Hill Golf Course: sunk in a sandtrap

After costing $2.2 million to acquire by eminent domain (in 1987 dollars) and another $1 million in tax dollars for operational losses over the past 22 years on the glamorous game of golf, the Town Mangler today announced he's throwing in the sweat towel.

Amherst's white elephant is closed, and will soon become a landfill.

"Garbage pays more than golf" said Laurence Shaffer. And he should know!

Heading South

Yeah, I'm still mad as Hell but I just can't take it anymore. You win, my spouse wins, maybe even my young kids win. We're packing up the bikes, computers and kitties and heading for South Hadley.

Hell, they have all the really easy targets anyway (not counting Anne Awad since she seems to have gone into private hibernation.) Barry Del Castilho and Gus Sayer--the two highest paid town employees and previous long-time Amherst trough suckers, a municipal golf course that generates more red ink than a Chinese flag factory and my abolute favorite lame FAT duck target, Representative Town Meeting.

They even have TWO Fire Departments in a town half the size of the People's Republic (our little abode is exactly half-way between them so in an emergency maybe they will both come) and good old Skinner Mountain where I can train once again to bike up Mt. Washington. And their High School even has a marching band!

Besides, they could use a slight increase in their Asian population.

Breaking "news" (9:30 PM)

Soooooo with four Precincts (out of 10) reporting we can conclude: T=P (Turnout is Pathetic)

Precinct 4: 7.9%
Precinct 5: 13%
Precinct 7: 13%
Precinct 10: 7.7%

Looks like Rhodes and Rivkin are our next two new School Committee members.

Scary race at the moment is for Amherst Redevelopment Authority with anti-development, tree hugger Rob Kusner leading former business owner, former Chamber of Commerce Director (and most importantly, Dad to Princess Stephanie)John Coull in a squeaker: 261 to 258.

UPDATE: 10:15 PM: Whew! According to the Springfield Republican John Coull pulled it out for ARA 909 to Rob Kusner's 832.

And naturally Gazettenet is reporting the School Committee race ass backwards showing Rivkin #1 with 1,454 votes and Rhodes #2 with 1,153 votes when those numbers should be about reversed:
Irvin E. Rhodes 1,564 , Steven G. Rivkin 1,240

Freudian slip?

Click to enlarge

So notice how Mr. Kusner ties his name more closely with "authority." Yes, this from the guy who as a cycling Selectman slammed his hand on a car he thought cut him off and shouted for them to pull over under his authority as "Select Man". Maybe we should issue them badges and guns; after all, we only pay them $300 annually.

Of course aligning his name with Redevelopment is a big stretch. This from the guy who received a -24 as a Town Meeting member (the lowest score in his Precinct) from 'Sustainable Amherst', those middle-of-the-road, sensible center types who want to have their cake and eat it to.

Yeah, I scored a +17, second highest in my Precinct, but then I was not in Town Meeting in 2004 and 2005 (showing support for the Charter Commission Mayor/Council initiative) so just for fun I looked up the 8 votes they rated back then and found I would have scored another 7 out of 8 in agreeing with them.

But the one where I would have been penalized is a tad troubling. The Town Meeting vote supporting the "recommendation" to the Select Board to roll back the Town Manager's sudden mid-year pay raise in order to keep up with the new Superintendent's pay jump over the previous one.

The real budget buster in this town is the pay scale and all the associated costs of employees. Just a tiny giveback from the unions can save millions (in fact completely solve the current crisis).

But when it goes public that the new Superintendent is coming in at almost 20% over the previous SUPERSTAR and another 10% over with housing/auto allowance, the union give backs are dead in the water.

So if the Select Board forces the Town Manager to take his COLA this year (which in an unusually statesman like move he decided to forgo) and Town Meeting hears a advisory article this Fall against it, 'Sustainable Amherst' would support spending more?

Doesn't sound very sustainable to me.

What if they gave an election...

Crocker Farm Elementary School/Voting Precinct 8:00 AM

(Yes, I violated my Trespass Order)

So it's going to be a beautiful day in the neighborhood--should help voter turnout, eh? Nah! The excuse will be that it was such a nice day we would rather spend it playing ultimate Frisbee, hacky sack or contra dancing on the town common.