I am awake at three in the morning, ill, and sick of writing and thinking about the politics of school.

Instead, I am thinking of the post from last week that detailed the Builderπs Association meeting at the J.C. House. Apparently they laughed the Westmoor out of the room and the various BOS candidates followed the crowd. Now, the BA are a loud, boisterous, raucous group. Building is a high profile, lucrative business in the winter and, as such, they seem to have a lot of coffee shop influence. They certainly have a lot of sandwich shop influence.

But I donπt think they control a lot of votes. At town meeting or at the elections, I donπt know how many of them actually show up or pull the levers. The last vote I can remember the BA having a serious effect on was for the building cap. The BA has a lot of money and bravado, but I donπt think they get out the vote.

On the other hand, the realtors get out the vote. While the business of Nantucket may seem to be building, I believe it is truly in real estate. I think most Nantucketers, when they think with their wallets, think with houses and land in mind. They are concerned about the resale value of their house, the rental prospects of their property, and the prospects of buying more property. When we think money out here, we think land. And the realtors think long term while the builders are more worried about next month.

So, Finn and all the other Westmoor supporters, gird your loins and walk into a Realtors Association meeting. Get your best arguments out and the four color brochures and some serious forward looking ideas and sell them to the realtors. Convince them why this purchase will make property more valuable on Nantucket all around. Explain why it is a good deal for us. Walk them through the property (and bring Geno and his camera)

You probably wonπt win. They wonπt carry you out on their shoulders and sing huzzahs on the street. At best, you will win some new converts and some long term money thinking out of them. Hopefully, if the case is good enough, you will get them thinking and de-fang them. Their opposition will kill, but their neutrality may let the project live. Their support (unlikely) will carry the day.

But the arguments that might work for some of the realtors will work for most of the rest of the voters of the town. Employee housing, sheep farms, junior proms, central town square all sound good, but almost every voter at town meeting will be thinking with their wallets. And, on Nantucket, our wallets have shingles.

Next, visit the Saltmarsh Center and anywhere where the retired folks go. Use the same arguments on them as you use on the realtors, but make sure you have someone who can look back to the start of the land bank, missing the Wannacomet land, or the Miacomet Racetrack. Have cookies and listen. A lot. Be honest and ask for support. Use the past and the tradition of preservation.

From a look at those Census numbers, the island is skewed older. And from a quick view of voters at town meeting and during the elections, they voters are much older. The BA may not vote, but the Saltmarsh Center does. Work for those votes. Westmoor can win with support from older Nantucketers.

One last note. In the talk against Westmoor, I am surprised at the level of anger. I expected to read and hear comments more along the lines of ≥it would be nice, but it costs too muchä≤ Instead, I am hearing ≥%$#@ No.≤ from certain quarters. Ask yourselves why these people are that angry. You wonπt convince the ≥%$#@ No.≤crowd to support it, but if you can get them not to intimidate the fence-sitters, you may have a deal.

I think the anger comes from the fear that the town may actually go for the Westmoor. I think they, and others, see it as a close thing. It may not be in reality, but many people see it as a possibility.

As for the BOS candidates, ask them about their vision of the island for the next ten years. What overrides or cuts would they support? (Because we are going to have to have them.) Saying No is not enough. When do you say Yes?

P.S. I hope tonightπs SC meeting will be televised. If it is anything like the Budget Sub-committee meeting I walked past, it will be a doozy. Fellas, fingerpointing and name calling (≥racist??) doesnπt help the cause right now. Get together and save the 7% increase. Now. The 2003-4 Budget is over and it isnπt in your hands anymore. You are now arguing about the 2004-5 budget. Really.

Itπs time for someone to be a statesman.