To the Editor:
For quite a while, some responses to stories about the high school’s athletic field undertaking refer to “overwhelming support” or “we should vote,” or “the towns have voted” (quotations are mine, since I’m speaking in general terms).
I think it would be of interest to review the data of one of the claims: The towns have voted. At annual Town Meetings in Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury, voters acted to zero out the high school’s budget, thus nullifying its passage at the time. Aquinnah’s 97 registered voter attendees (out of a total of 413) voted 50-47 in favor. Chilmark’s 217 attendees (out of a total of 1,131) voted 114-71 in favor. West Tisbury’s 142 registered voter attendees (out of a total of 2,796) voted unanimously in favor. Interesting. And, separately, a sad commentary on voter participation in government, and an example of how public discourse is so influenced by loud and repetitious voices.
Maura McGroarty
Oak Bluffs
