Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Bring On The Consultants

Chancellor Subbaswamy addresses Amherst Town Meeting

If the goal of the $60,000 joint Town/Gown study is to enhance relations between the town of Amherst, founded 1759, and our largest employer UMass/Amherst, founded 1863, then we can save ourselves a lot of money as Chancellor Subbaswamy's nearly ten minute speech before Amherst Town Meeting already accomplished that.

Schmoozing with town officials just prior to town meeting start


But the real goal is to enhance relations between the town citizenry and UMass students, and that's going to take some work.  And you don't build something solid and workable without planning.

The motion to spend $60,000 for the joint study, split evenly between UMass and the town, easily passed  by a recorded tally vote 122-46.

 UMass & Town officials huddle during tally vote count

The overwhelming nature of the vote sends a positive signal about the most controversial and most important article of this entire town meeting -- probably in a generation -- Article #29, Residential Rental Property Bylaw, which brings a permit system to the lucrative rental business.

A market driven by the presence of so very many students.  That article comes up May 20.


7 comments:

Dr. Ed said...

Media is reporting that the seven quite suspicious "Chemical Engineers" arrested at the Quabbin presented the MSP with "two different kinds of UMass IDs."

Hmmmm.... Is UMass going "to take ownership of" this problem as well?

Kinda like UMass Dartmouth "took ownership of" its little terrorism problem....

Do not forget that if a vehicle abandoned at Logan by the 9/11 terrorists was (a) known to been "in the Springfield Area" but (b) "Not in Springfield" itself, where might it have been going? Can we say "UMass"?

Welcome to UMass, the Politically Correct Mecca for Terrorists.

Dr. Ed said...

A 100% sellout of the students. Forget thinking 10-15 years out because there won't be any -- kids who graduated post 2004 aren't ever going to send THEIR kids to that purgutorial cesspool.

Been out to Ware recently? That's what Amherst is going to look like -- soon. Don't ask me to cry.

Anonymous said...

"Been out to Ware recently?"

How about to Williamstown?


An Amherst with Amherst and Hampshire Colleges (and just the Commonwealth Honors College) would be really attractive!

Dr. Ed said...

Words spreading about how fascist and anti-student a place Amherst is -- it might not bite you this ('13) fall but I would be surprised if it doesn't next fall.

And whom do you think have the best opportunity to go elsewhere -- the Commonwealth College kids.

Anonymous said...

The points of comparison do not include Ware.

It's Williamstown, Northampton, Hanover, NH, Oberlin, OH. We have two schools, Smith and Mt. Holyoke, near us. It would be the Four College Area.

We'd survive, despite all the puffing we've heard, much of it from crass students.

If you want to move, move. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Anonymous said...

That sounds quite nice actually. I've always liked South Hadley and Hanover. Many of the shops on Rte 9 in Hadley are the ones who would take the real hit, it's not like the UMass students are walking into downtown Amherst and spending their money there anyway (bar pizza beer and meds at CVS...)

And maybe those houses would turn back into single family with kids.

We may be onto something here.

Anonymous said...

hey Ed: Where?