Voters should place 'Amherst first'
SATISH MOHAN Amherst Supervisor
President Kennedy once invited all (about 20) living Nobel Laureates to the White House. He then commented that the presidential house, that evening, had collectively the most brain power it ever had except when Thomas Jefferson alone lived there.

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, which has guided us more than 220 years to the most advanced nation status. His brilliance and his vision are unsurpassable.

This great man, when he was going into politics, thought that political parties were a menace to the functioning of the federal government. However, we had people of differing opinions then as now, and two political parties emerged: Democratic-Republicans and Federalists. Thomas Jefferson belonged to the Democratic-Republican Party.

Political parties have since become a part of life, and most of us have decided to belong to one of them. The Town of Amherst has five parties: Democratic, Republican, Independence, Conservative and Working Families.

I decided to join the Republican Party because of its agenda: fewer taxes, smaller government, strong family emphasis, conservative values and support of business. We can do all that as we do in a family or in a business. To me, a town is an extended family, and we should manage the town as we would manage our family.

Jefferson once said, "The happiness and prosperity of our citizens…is the only legitimate object of government and the first duty of governors." Many of the elected Town Board members have strayed away from this duty. They vote either on a partisan basis, to promote themselves or to benefit special interests. These groups combined make up less than 2 percent of the population, and it does not make any rationale.

Why does this happen? First, the citizens make wrong choices during elections, and secondly, these 2 percent groups are united or unionized. The remaining 98 percent of the citizens don't belong to any union.

Nov. 6, 2007, will give an opportunity for these citizens to vote for Town Board members who will put the people's agenda before their own, and the people's agenda clearly is: fewer taxes, smaller government and job growth in the town.

The town is not for Republicans only, Democrats only, or for any other party only. The Town of Amherst is for all citizens irrespective of party, class, race or religion. In two words, the town is for "Amherst First."

We, the elected officials, face conflicts every day, conflicts between special interests and the area residents, conflicts between business and labor, and conflicts between self-interest and the good of the people. To me, there has never been a state of indecision. I follow Abraham Lincoln's words, "I am for those means that give greatest good to the greatest number." To me, the people of Amherst come first and foremost. To me, it's "Amherst First."