Voter suppression in Amherst?
Here, in the People’s Republic of Amherst, we had a revolution a few years ago. Or was it a counter-revolution. The broad based Representative Town Meeting of 240 members was thought to be cumbersome and inefficient, with some even saying that it wasn’t representative at all. In the name of efficiency and effectiveness, the voters of Amherst agreed to a charter that called for a city council type government for the Town of Amherst. The legislative agenda for the town would now be set by 13 Councilors who would elect a Chairperson and hire the City Manager. The town has a hefty capital improvements program on the table. At the head of the list is a $36 million improvement to the beloved Jone Library. The argument goes that the library needs $15 million in improvements, so if you can stitch together a grant from the state and some contributions from those who can afford it, that leaves only about $14 million in bonds to be paid off by the town’s taxpayers. So what the heck, the town...