Article 2 Is David To Article 1’s Goliath

To the editor: So, it seems that Article 2 is expected to get an amendment. Seventy days is now 90, and “peak season” has been trimmed to July and August. Wow, that’s a compromise on steroids!

As someone who has been an intrepid supporter of every STR article since Article 90 back in 2021 in a chilly tent, I can only shake my head. I don’t know what to say today to the folks over there at Article 1. How are you going to spin this?

I can’t imagine telling Nantucketer’s who need/want to rent their homes to care for their families, educate their children, keep family homes intact, pay their mortgages, taxes, homeowners’ insurance, supplement their incomes, even to go on a nice long cruise, shouldn’t be able to do that by renting for 90 days. That’s a lot of money, unless you are not a Nantucketer, unless you are an investor.

If I had had a crystal ball back in 2021, when Article 90 was put before the voters, I would have said, “Good grief, we’ve given away the farm!”

So, I guess my question is to the proponents of Article 1, how much money does a person need to rent in the Nantucket tradition? Or does that phrase really belong in the archives of the NHA?

Supporters of Article 2 are up against a giant force, the real estate machine. It is expected that they will turn out in full force on Tuesday, with their relatives and friends in tow, with every intention of walking away with the prize, never giving Article 2 the chance to even be heard.

Do not underestimate the real estate community; they have a lot at stake. The commissions they are earning selling multimillion dollar houses is staggering. More than most of us could ever dream of. One cannot be surprised at how well funded their campaign has been, print and digital advertising for weeks.

Article 2 is David to Article 1’s Goliath.

Please, if you care about the future of our beloved island, please come to Tuesday's Special Town Meeting and pack the auditorium with ordinary people who don’t want special interests running roughshod over Nantucket, vote a strong, proud no on Article 1, so that the voters may have the opportunity to hear the sensibilities of Article 2.

Tuesday at 5 o’clock, just a couple of hours.

Thank you.

Patsy Wright