Neighbors in Northampton, I see in the opinions how much you care about righting wrongs, many of them requiring much effort. It is always easier to say there’s nothing I can do and continue to complain than it is to make the actual effort to change. I write about how your mayor continues to act as though she is all-powerful. when in fact she was elected and can be removed. She disrespects you when she uses an emotional appeal regarding the time and effort put in to wasting your money — $3 million. Saint Mary’s Church, across the street from her planned Resilience Hub, has much more parking and a large area to house people.

Another example of waste and poor decision-making is this Picture Main Street fiasco. I have yet to see in the paper that the ambulance and fire personnel have even been consulted. Picture this on Main Street: a 911 call being answered by a firetruck and ambulance trying to negotiate the street now narrowed and with no lane for vehicles to get out of their way. Whatever town Main Street the mayor wishes she had in Northampton, I am certain it is not the main highway of the area, it is after all Route 9.

I have hope that people can stop for a moment with so many causes and needs to get together and stop the mayor from ruining the town and wasting money, all while raising taxes, with the result of forcing out people who grew up there and deserve to retire there.

Kathleeen Mortimer

Easthampton