Vladimir Morales: Build fiscal and moral framework together

Vladimir Morales: Build fiscal and moral framework together
Published on October 24, 2008

I've been a resident of Amherst for more than 25 years and have been a committed member of the community, serving on the Amherst Town Meeting, since 1984 to present, School Committee for three terms, 1996 to 2005, and other various town committees.

I want the Select Board to be more open and accountable to the citizens it represents. Citizens should be more involved in town decisions. It is the job of Select Board members to encourage citizens to help make these important decisions, and to see that Amherst citizens' participation is considered a right, a responsibility and a top priority of the board. This means citizens' empowerment.

We all want Amherst citizens to reflect the diversity of our ethnic and income groups, which are America's greatest strength. The Select Board has a vital role to play in achieving this end. We need to start talking to each other more and cooperating more. Amherst has been changing, and we, as a town, must respond to these changes responsibly, imaginatively and with compassion. If we resist change while conditions change around us, we will do the citizens of our community a real disservice. We are in a position to improve our community through cooperation and understanding as we work together to develop realistic alternatives to address our problems.

We have reached a critical point in dealing with public funds. We can move forward by addressing problems as an all-inclusive community or we can allow discord, dissatisfaction and frustrations to stall our progress by dividing the community. We need to continue to look at, and take positions on state and federal legislative proposals that may affect town programs and finances. We should continue to support legislation to reduce the need for property tax funding of local education. It's important that discussions include those who feel we are spending too much or too little on our town. We need to include renters, students, people who are retired and living on fixed incomes, and members of all diverse groups that make up the fabric of our town. We need to obtain additional revenue from the colleges and the University of Massachusetts.

I decided to run for the Select Board long before it became clear that our approach to the town's budgetary process would be overtaken by events many levels above that of Massachusetts municipal government.

At this point we must toss out the plans and path we have staked out and focus on how to preserve the good things about Amherst. Any candidate whose platform still includes general Proposition 21/2 overrides or expensive commitments to economic development is someone the voters should reject out of hand.

We are going to have to fight to keep our schools decent and functional, to help our existing local small businesses and banks stay in business, and to prevent families from becoming homeless because of foreclosures.

Please join me in constructing a fiscal and moral framework that will preserve what is good about over town.

Be sure to get a national and local ballot on Nov. 4.

Vladimir Morales is a resident of Amherst and a candidate for Select Board.