Tyranny of the minority in South Hadley

Like Amherst, South Hadley is in the golf course business, and, like Amherst, is losing money.

So how the heck do towns get into the golf course business in the first place? Operating a golf course isn't a core government function. Then again, neither is operating a theatre, but that doesn't stop Northampton from running the Academy of Music theatre.

There's a general problem at all levels of government of a small, vocal minority pushing issues that benefit them. The large, silent majority never speaks out, because none of the issues are large enough to get them worked up. So we all pay a dollar here on a golf course, a couple dollars there to fund a museum in Worcester and a couple more dollars to build some bridge in Alaska.

It's tax time. We need to change our system so that we no longer pay for all the silly things that the vocal minorities want us to pay for.