Report on Amherst City Council Meeting, February 5, 2024, Part 1
This meeting was held in a hybrid format and was recorded. You can see from here.
the current
Mandy Jo Haneke, Andy Steinberg, Elisha Walker (General), Freke Ette, Kathy Schoen (District 1), Lynn Griesmer, Pat DeAngelis (District 2), George Ryan (District 3) ), Pam Rooney, Jennifer Taub (District 4), Anna Devlin Gauthier and Bob Hegner (District 5). Absent: Hara Road (District 3)
Staff: Paul Bockelman (Town Mayor) and Athena O'Keefe (City Council Clerk)
The Town Council voted 11-1 in support of the CHERISH Act, which affirms the right of all people to higher education. The bill is currently filed in the state Legislature as Senate Bill 816 and House Bill 1260. The Town Council resolution was sponsored by Councilors Pat DeAngelis (Ward 2) and Elisha Walker (At-Large) and community sponsor Ian Rodewoldt.
Cherish method
The CHERISH Act has 107 sponsors in the Massachusetts General Assembly, including Sen. Joe Comerford as the primary sponsor. This includes supporting debt-free higher education for vulnerable students, prioritizing the hiring of full-time (rather than part-time) employees, and building state-funded buildings on college campuses. The House bill is sponsored by Amherst state Rep. Mindy Dom.
Mr. DeAngelis suggested adding the following two paragraphs to the beginning of the resolution:
Meanwhile, the CHERISH Act establishes a blueprint for a world-class public higher education system that is urgently needed to achieve widely shared federal goals.
and
Meanwhile, the CHERISH Act, if passed, would enable people of all backgrounds in all communities to build successful and fulfilling lives, address economic, social and racial equity disparities, and address climate change in our state. It becomes like this. The goal is to create a quality workplace with fair wages and benefits to attract and retain faculty and staff.
These were included as amendments to the motion.
Of the 27 people who spoke during the public comment period, 20 spoke about the urgent need for the CHERISH Act. [see below]. He also advocated amendments to a bill proposed by Rep. Natalie Higgins (D-Leominster) to extend the bill to make public higher education tuition free for all Massachusetts residents, not just the poorest. Some people claimed that. Higgins' amendment was not included in the resolution proposed at this meeting, but DeAngelis said a second resolution would be presented to council if the sponsors agree.
council discussion
George Ryan (District 3) suggested removing the word “disruptive” from the second paragraph below. “Public universities educate the majority of students of color and first-generation college students, and in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's devastating ruling on affirmative action,” it Access may be compromised… ”
The proposal was withdrawn by Assembly Speaker Lynn Griesmer before a vote could be taken.
Kathy Schon (District 1) asked how this proposal would be funded. She said the Fair Share Amendment passed in 2022 would provide additional state funding for education and transportation, but very little of that money would be allocated to K-12 education in the first year. he pointed out. She wanted to know how the CHERISH Act would impact K-12 education.
Walker said the Fair Share Amendment and the CHERISH Act have separate funding sources, but Andy Steinberg (At-Large) moved to postpone consideration of the resolution, calling for Congress to respect education for all. and proposed adding a statement in support of education to the resolution. Increased state funding for K-12 education. Ryan disagreed, saying he didn't see the point in delaying the vote. He noted that it is legislators, not the Amherst City Council, who need to think about CHERISH Act funding, and that both our senators and representatives support this bill.
The vote to postpone was rejected by a 2-10 vote, with only Steinberg and Freke Ette (Ward 1) voting in favor. His original motion to pass the amendment then passed 12-1. Haneke was the only vote against.
Passionate appeal for higher education funding during public comment
In general public comment, 20 people spoke in favor of the CHERISH Act. Most were students or alumni of the University of Massachusetts and spoke about the debt they took on while earning their degrees. Many people also supported Higgins' debt-free future amendment proposal.
Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page said the measure is one of organized labor's top priorities. He argued that higher education in Massachusetts is “severely underfunded,” and that in addition to student aid, that includes fair salaries for employees and state funding for university construction. It pointed out. Community Sponsor Ian Rodewoldt pointed out that the debt that public higher education institutions incur to construct the necessary classroom buildings and dormitories is passed on to students in the form of higher tuition fees. He said the average debt for 2023 Massachusetts Amherst graduates is $36,000.
Stephanie Marcotte said she graduated from Hampshire College and her husband graduated from the University of Massachusetts. They live as renters in Amherst, have a 2-year-old daughter, and have $227,000 in student loan debt. She said the $1,000 she pays each month for her loan could instead be invested in her own business or home. She wants her daughter to be able to go to college without debt and be able to plan for her retirement.
PHENOM, the Massachusetts Public Higher Education Network, issued the following statement regarding the CHERISH Act:
February 5, 2024, Massachusetts Public Higher Education Network (PHENOM) and
Allies from the Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, and Hampshire College communities
We once again asked the Amherst City Council to support the Debt-Free Future Act.
(H.1339 / S.829) Adds existing resolution proposed by Elisha Walker and Patricia DeAngelis.
Supports the Cherish Act (H.1260 / S.816).
Students and community members testified in support of the Debt-Free Future (DFF) Act for the following reasons:
Thanks to our promise to make college truly affordable. Many also highlighted the importance of Cherish.
A bill that would significantly increase funding for public universities and create their own debt-free universities.
university program. But the future debt-free law will go one step further and make everything public.
Tuition will be free at in-state universities, allowing poor and middle-class families alike to save money.
Thousands of dollars each year.
under consideration 56% of Massachusetts college graduates had student loans in 2019-2020
(Average over $33,000), we work with Cherish Law
End the student debt crisis by enacting the Debt-Free Future Act.
“I know many students who have had to drop out because of these financial constraints,” said Liam Love, a student at Hampshire College. “My friend Tara is worried about her school fees because she has already paid off all of her loans. It’s allowed,” said Nick DeBenedictis, a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts. “Right now, I'm having trouble finding a gainful job to help my girlfriend attend college. What should I say to her?”
They successfully passed a resolution supporting the Cherish Act, but the Town of Amherst
The City Council has alienated countless students who make Amherst what it is today.
Think about a future without debt. “We Amherst students make up almost half of Amherst’s population; It helped many of you vote for president. But we remain an underrepresented group; said Cairo Serna, a Massachusetts State University student and Massachusetts student representative. Democratic Party. “The Law to Cherish and the Debt-Free Future Law are two sides of the same coin.” As Amherst City Council, you can advocate for representing and protecting your constituents. ”
Others support more funding for senior centers and Gaza ceasefire
Jeanne Horrigan said thanks to a van donation from PVTA, the senior center's silver shuttle van provides transportation for seniors Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. . ARPA funds pay the driver's salary. Since its launch in May 2023, this van has provided her with over 600 rides. He said without additional funding senior centers would not be able to continue their services, “given that nearly every senior center in Hampshire County has a full-time driver and at least one ADA van. “This is very unfortunate,” he added. She asked the City Council to “please fund this important service.”
Mark Barrett also spoke in favor of more funding for the senior center, saying it is just one of five departments at the Bangs Center and is “outdated and not up to code.” he pointed out. He lamented the lack of a functioning kitchen, lack of surveillance cameras, lack of ventilation, and a fully equipped but unusable training room.
Josna Rege, Jerry Weiss, Jennifer McKenna, and Ashwin Ravikumar all said they support a ceasefire in Gaza (add link). A resolution supporting the ceasefire will be discussed at the GOL meeting on February 8th.
