How I will vote in the election and why

Select Board: Blank. To vote is to say in effect “I support,” and I cannot support either candidate. For more on my opinions about the current Select Board, read my earlier posts.

School Committee: Elaine Brighty and Stephanie Gelfan. With these votes, I am supporting both the knowledge that comes with experience, and fresh perspective with new ideas. I would be most happy to have all three women on the School Committee, but as there are only two open slots, my votes will be thus. Also, I was impressed with Stephanie Gelfan’s enthusiastic campaigning, including her brochures and signs.

Amherst Housing Authority: Jean Haggerty. She is an organizer and a community- builder and I think she will be a dynamic force on the AHA.

Unopposed races: I will vote for all of these candidates.

Non-binding referendum questions: I will leave them all blank. I am alarmed that our Select Board believes that it can draw any kind of actionable conclusions from these results. The questions are so broad and simplistic as to be meaningless. And I fear that any majority “yes” vote will be treated by the Select Board as “The people have spoken,” while any majority “no” vote will get “Too bad. We told you it was non-binding.” These questions don’t belong on this ballot and I think that the best response is to pretend they are not there.

Town Meeting: I am voting for myself, and I hope you will vote for me as well.