Letter: Town Council Would Benefit from Amber Cano-Martin’s Record of Social and Economic Justice Successes

This year, voters in District 2 will have a choice in who represents them – a change from the 2021 election where both candidates ran unopposed. I’m writing to urge District 2 residents to cast one of their votes for Amber Cano-Martin.

A mother of two and an Amherst resident since 2010, Amber is passionate about issues that other candidates claim to be: affordable housing, racial justice, climate change, infrastructure. She is also a lifelong advocate for workers’ rights–having been both a union organizer and labor educator–and LGBTQIA+ rights. She helped organize the successful statewide campaigns to raise the minimum wage and guarantee earned sick time for all workers.  She worked on the Massachusetts Fair Share amendment and for higher wages for homecare workers in western MA.

In Amherst, what differentiates her from other candidates is that she approaches these issues from an organizers’ lens.  She understands that we must involve those most affected by a problem in working towards its solution, thus increasing active participation of community members in local government. She is fully bilingual in Spanish and English, and is committed to bringing a language justice lens to community involvement in government.

Amber understands that advocating for these issues means making budget decisions that reflect our stated values and priorities. We cannot enact a massive Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, for example, with only one staff person assigned to do everything at Town Hall. We cannot have a successful community-based alternative to policing without adequate funding and leadership. We cannot expect to have good roads and sidewalks when budgeting $2 million per year although an estimated $40 million is needed, and when the majority of our infrastructure budget is going to an oversized library project. Amber supports enacting the portion of the Town Charter that allows for a participatory budgeting process that includes community members.

Amherst voters seem to generally want the same things. If we truly want them, we need to elect leadership to the Town Council that will make those things happen.  Please vote for Amber Cano-Martin for Town Council District 2!

Mary Hoyer

Mary Hoyer is a resident of Amherst’s District 2