 Hello, I'm Bob Greeny. I've lived in Amherst for 24 years. I've had four children go through the Amherst public school system. And I've served on town meeting for about 12 of those years. I'm running for select board in support of democracy. I strongly believe in the power and efficacy of participatory democracy. Government of the people, by the people, for the people. Elections in Amherst too often go uncontested. Last year I ran for select board against two otherwise unopposed incumbents. At the same time I ran for school committee against one otherwise unopposed incumbent. Democracy by voting alone is an anemic and weak democracy. Voting for an unopposed incumbent is no democracy at all. After 10 years of having no suitable choice in select board elections, I decided I should run. The select board can and should be an effective executor of the will of the people. If the people are divided, the select board should cultivate consensus and coordinate collective wisdom. Many failures assigned to town meeting are actually failures of the select board, the planning board, or the school committee. Recent votes on the school and library are good examples. If the people, that is the general public, are not involved in a meaningful and participatory manner in the early stages of planning of any large town-wide initiative, then rejection by town meeting should not be a surprise. Town meeting is a broad representative governing body of all people. I run for the select board to change this flawed planning and policy-making process that provokes division. I run for the select board to cultivate consensus and coordinate the collective wisdom of all the people. The select board makes or approves appointments to many important and influential boards and committees. It is important that those appointments include people with a diversity of views and perspectives. This is one of the many and important ways the select board can put participatory democracy into practice. Economic development needs to be holistic and consistent with our shared values. Economic development should benefit the people. Not just in indirect and hard-to-measure side effects, but it should have a clear and direct benefit. The benefit to the people should be obvious and exceed any benefit to the private sector or corporate entities. If this is not possible, then the town itself should engage in public development projects. The current paradigm of privatization is not able to realize public benefit and proper proportion. I run for the select board to see new and creative housing initiatives that address the broad range of unmet needs in our town. I run for the select board to propose a fresh approach to economic development that is modeled on principles of permaculture. I run for the select board to promote a higher standard of participatory democracy, government of the people by the people. I am Bob Greeny running to participate in this election process to offer another point of view for voters to consider and hopefully in some small manner to contribute to a positive, constructive, civic dialogue in the enhancement of the democratic process.