Letter: The Mitch McConnell School Of Undemocracy

This letter appeared previously in the Daily Hampshire Gazette

In the waning days of the third year of what normally should be a two-year term, a lame-duck session of the Amherst Town Council is cynically accelerating its schedule to pass bylaws in direct contradiction to the results of our latest elections.

Apparently modeling themselves on the Mitch McConnell school of undemocracy, they are trying to ram through inadequately vetted zoning amendments, such as reducing retail space in mixed use buildings downtown, eliminating parking requirements and paving the way for a parking garage which may or may not be needed.

To accomplish this, they are meeting weekly, instead of bi-monthly, convening the Monday before Thanksgiving, through the weeks of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, thereby reducing public participation.

In the only two contested district races for Town Council — remember when one of the arguments to eliminate Town Meeting was that a handful of its 240-plus members ran unopposed? — two incumbents who are leading the way for unfettered development were defeated, which speaks volumes since incumbents statistically have a huge advantage in retaining office in elections. Incredibly, both continue to claim they represent a “silent majority” of town residents when what they really represent are the interests of the student housing industry.

Our current Town Council has had plenty of time to enact its agenda — a year extra, in fact. To truly reflect the wishes of their constituents, they should suspend any consideration of zoning bylines until January, when six new Town Council members (of a total of 13) will be sworn in. But I’m not holding my breath.

Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom is former Chair of the Lincoln-Sunset Local Historical District Study Committee and a former member of Amherst Town Meeting and the Local Historic District Commission.