Anonymous said...
Article Submission:
MISAPROPRIATION OF TAX DOLLARS?
I want the facts on how Atkinson paid for 1600 rides for seniors on the Elderly Affairs budget of about $19,000 - see Atkinson annual report for 2007. That is not much money to run a commercial taxi service using fuel inefficient police cars.
I believe a full audit is needed given the recent findings by the NH Attorney General's office about the illegal handling of funds by our town officials. As a taxpayer I want someone to check and verify that our tax dollars are being used appropriately and have a thorough audit of the police budget. We'll get to the others, next.
Here is my opinion: I do not believe the numbers add up based on what is commonly known: Cars are expensive to buy, insure, fuel, and maintain. Add in the cost of paying drivers to give people rides. 1600 Rides for $19,000? Really? Show me the money.
A driver, getting minimum wage, and assuming each "ride" is really 2 trips, pickup and return, say about an hour each. That is about $7 per hour for labor times 3200 (1600 trips at an hour each way) = that comes out to $22,400 and we haven't discussed the costs of the vehicle and gas.
I realize this implies that tax dollars in the PD budget are not being used for what they were budgeted. It also implies the town/selectmen/taxpayers would have to approve any changes in spending.
Or maybe the PD donation accounts provide substantial cash infusions to pay for costs? Well then there should be a full accounting trail on all of it, right?
I also am troubled by these donation requests from a man with a gun and a badge. As someone else said, for a police officer to make soliciations to vulnerable citizens that have become dependent on the PD, that can be considered extortion. Our Police Dept should not be allowed to make financial solicitations to people that rely on PD services, rides, free fuel assistance or whatever. No, I don't believe this is right. And shame on me/us for not having done more to protect our neighbors and friends from these predatory practices.
If people need assistance, there are numerous state and local support services that should be explored FIRST. Friends, neighbors or relatives, perhaps? But no, we should not call our Police Dept at the first sign of need. They should be doing Police work, first and foremost.
Have you seen the ads in the Eagle Tribune? "Call the Atkinson PD.....for a ride to visit friends." Sorry, but this is not what I signed up for. Do you see any other towns doing this?
I want to know how those 1600 rides were paid for. I want to know every vehicle cost including gasoline, repairs, insurance, labor, etc. How much have we SPENT on all this? I want to know the exact amount.
The AG already found the donation accounts that Consentino controls has not been handled legally for the past 14 years. So if one were to look further, and think about what it costs to run your vehicle and pay for gas, repairs, insurance, registration, etc, and we are talking about low mileage vehicles, here, and they are taking a lot of trips that are outside of town, not just down the street.
As a taxpayer it is my right to get these questions answered.
Atkinson Town Hall
The Norman Rockwellian picture of Atkinson
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Did you know that:
"failure of a charitable trust to register may result in the imposition of civil penalties up to $10, 000.00?
Under New Hampshire law, charities include private foundations, public charities, town trusts, library trusts,
cemetery trusts, and any other entity soliciting funds for a charitable purpose, whether or not they are a
501( c)(3) organization.
Charitable trusts must file a financial report with the Attorney General’s Office annually, within 120 days
of the end of their fiscal year.
Charitable Trusts with donations of over $25,000.00 MUST file a fom 990 with the IRS and the NH AGO.
A Conflict of Interest Statement MUST be filed annually with the NH AGO.
"Charitable organization'' means the following: ...(2) Any other person or entity that is or holds itself out to be established, in whole or in part, for any benevolent, philanthropic, patriotic, educational, humane, scientific, public health, environmental conservation, civic, or other charitable purpose or any person who in any manner employs a charitable appeal as the basis of any solicitation or an appeal that suggests that there is a charitable purpose to any solicitation.
"Solicit'' and "solicitation'' means the request directly or indirectly for money, credit, property, financial assistance, or other thing of any kind or value on the plea or representation that such money, credit, property, financial assistance, or other thing of any kind or value, or any portion thereof, shall be used for a charitable purpose or benefit a charitable trust. Without limiting the scope of such terms, these words shall include the following methods of requesting or securing such money, credit, property, financial assistance or other thing of value:
(a) Any oral or written request.
(b) The making of any announcement to the press, by radio, television, telephone, or telegraph concerning an appeal or campaign by or for any charitable trust or purpose.
(c) The distribution, circulation, posting or publishing of any handbill, written advertisement or other publication which directly or by implication seeks to obtain public support.
(d) The sale of, offer, or attempt to sell any advertisement, advertising space, book, card, tag, coupon, device, magazine, membership, merchandise, subscription, flower, ticket, candy, cookies, or other tangible item in connection with which any appeal is made for any charitable trust or purpose, or where the name of any charitable trust is used or referred to in any such appeal as an inducement or reason for making any such sale, or when or where in connection with any such sale, any statement is made that the whole or any part of the proceeds from any such sale shall be used for any charitable purpose or benefit any charitable trust. A solicitation shall be deemed to have taken place whether or not the person making the same receives any contribution.
"Trustee'' means:
(a) Any individual, group of individuals, corporation or other legal entity holding property in trust pursuant to any charitable trust or charitable purpose.
(b) A corporation formed for the administration of a charitable trust pursuant to the directions of the settlor or at the instance of the trustee.
These definitions implicate Phil Consentino AND the Town.
7:32-b Criminal Penalties. – Any person who knowingly violates any provision of RSA 7:19-7:32-a shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person and guilty of a felony if any other person.
As a town appointed official this is a felony. Lying to the AGO and telling them that you never heard of these funds when you did is a felony.
Why isn't these facts being reported on the eagle tribune? The fact that the chief lied to the AGO?
Not to worry, the AGO knows as does the IRS.
The shadow he casts over the town is not for long.
4:26 PM: I sure hope you're right. Between Phil who seems to get away with anything he wants, and a water company/builder that feels the same way, a light at the end of this very long tunnel is badly needed.
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