Is the Daily Hampshire Gazette Fair and Balanced?
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I’m grateful for the Amherst Indy. It is, after all, independent, and a valuable source for information that some would rather see suppressed. However, I often feel like it’s preaching to the choir. Unfortunately, our local mainstream newspaper, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, is anything but independent. Where Amherst is concerned, the Gazette has a reporting staff of one. Scott Merzbach is continually proving himself to be an apologist and cheerleader for the town’s power structure, which was put in place by the developer-backed political machine Amherst Forward. There is the occasional nod in the opinion pages to voices of opposition, but by and large, the insults and misinformation coming from the power structure go unchallenged and are generally reported as “news”.
The recent article headlined “Amherst officials highlight achievements, look ahead in State of the Town” is a case in point. It lists several of the recent developments in the town, many of which are laudable, but fails to even mention that some are controversial. It even resurrects Destination Amherst, a subject that we haven’t heard anything about in a while. The closest the article comes to acknowledging that there is any opposition to some of the town’s actions is quoting the town manager saying that “it’s all too easy to take potshots”. Is this letter that you’re reading right now a potshot, or is it a sincere and considered critique of the journalistic integrity of the Gazette?
The effusive praise piece in the Gazette fails to mention Amherst’s terrible roads, the laying off of teachers, the lack of a desperately needed new fire station and DPW building, for which shortcomings we pay the highest taxes in the region, nearly the highest in the state. The president of the Town Council has acknowledged that “budgeting is going to be tough,” but spending money on unnecessary projects like the destructive dressing up of the Jones Library and the North Common is going to make it tougher. Sure, the new North Common is nice, but I’d rather have foreign language instruction in the middle school.
Lou Conover
Lou Conover is a resident of Amherst
In my time as an employee and resident of Amherst I had experience with 4 different town managers prior to the current one. As memory serves, I don’t recall ever reading a quote from any of them disparaging those who stood-up to disagree with them on anything. Although not surprised, I am saddened and yes, angry, that our town manager holds such public distain for fellow residents. His demonstration of concern for those on his team (perhaps wielding power is a tough job, but one they willingly accepted) is undermined by his clear animus for those unwilling to be blindly led over a cliff.
Sure, the new North Common is nice, but I’d rather have foreign language instruction in the middle school.
Hear, hear!!!