Amherst: Reality Optional

Town Meeting concluded last night and I was reminded that in Amherst the most conservative folks in town are the so-called “progressives”!  The Fair Housing Committee had worked all year on organizing an Affordable Housing Trust so that our town can build more, you know, affordable housing.  But the so-called ‘progressives’ in Town Meeting turned on their previously highly-held morals and voted against affordable housing.  

Why?  Because it would have meant that *every* project would not be micro-managed by Town Meeting, instead being managed by the new trust, which would actually have to, you know, build the housing.

Really, it was astounding to see these folks put bureaucracy and their own power ahead of getting affordable housing built for those in need.  And let’s not forget their distrust of the experts!  Our Town Counsel appeared to deliver her legal opinion, in person and directly to Town Meeting and immediately no less than 4 members got up to say we needed the opinion “Written down” before they could support the affordable housing!

Heh, heh.  Amherst.  Where reality is an option.