The vote by a handful of property owners over whether they wanted to be next door to a new cemetery..."

This stuff happens all the time.  Remember living in a strata townhouse in Victoria, B.C.  A few owners with little kids wanted the strata to OK (and fund) a sizeable playground on common ground a few yards from the back patios of other (kidless) residents like me.  I stood up in the meeting; said I couldn't support the idea.  Young parent shouted me down, "You just don't like kids!"  

 Strata decided it had to be "fair." The playground was built. 

Anyway, can't believe the Doctor yearns for the golden days of yesteryear when "the overly-excitable activist urge of journalists" was beaten out of them at university, promoting bland, predictable pablum in daily newspapers.  Doc, what are you thinking?