Amherst Town Council’s response to the recent Department of Public Works union’s request to be heard confirms and illustrates its misplaced priorities. The council always seems to find time to try to affect U.S. foreign policy or make a statement about the wrongful acts of the national government yet it fails to fulfill its primary task of addressing the issues of life in Amherst.
DPW handles the most basic needs of Amherst residents. You may disapprove of what ICE does in Minneapolis (I know I do) but if the supply of water is interrupted or there is no snow removal and we cannot safely get to work or medical care then we will have more immediate and perhaps life-threatening problems.
Town Council always seems to find money for the library vanity project but cannot bring itself to properly fund the DPW so that it can attract and retain the workers it needs. And then, to add insult to injury, the Council President Mandi Jo Hanneke used heavy-handed tactics to avoid discussion. What a disgrace. She should not take inspiration from House Speaker Mike Johnson and take care of Amherst instead. Fix some streets. Fix a school. Fix the DPW. Regardless of their case, DPW workers are an integral part of life in our town and should be heard with an open mind and treated with respect.
David Sloviter
Amherst
