MAcciard said...
ARTICLE SUBMISSION PLEASE:
A Budgetary Education
As we approach town meeting I would like to educate my fellow townspeople on the budgetary process, and where their tax dollars go.
First, RSA Chapter 32, is the State Law controlling the budget. Budget committees are SOLELY responsible for preparing the budget. Governing bodies(selectmen and school boards) ONLY have authority over the budget AFTER it is passed by the voters and enters the spending phase.
RSA 32:5 states that it is the duty of all governing bodies and dept. heads to provide the budget committee with any and all information the committee feels it needs to prepare the budget.
It is the job of the budget committee to research, and verify all numbers furnished by the dept heads, and decide if those amounts are appropriate. For example; The Town of Salem, 4 years ago, decided to hire their 61st police officer. The budget committee decided that he either wasn't needed or couldn't be afforded, and refused to fund the position. The budget committee does not attempt to "run" a dept. they merely decide if they are going to fund the dept head's wishlist.
There is a marked difference between how the town budget committee works, and how the school board budget committee works. The town budcom follows State law. The SB budcom does not.
The school board allows the superintendent to prepare their budget drafts and they pass them. SB budcom members have even been heard to say, in the past, that it was their job to "sell" the school boards budget to the people! It is not! It is their job to tell the school board how much they get to spend. Further the RSA's also provide a formula for figuring out the default budget. The Superintendent does not follow that formula either. He includes cost items that he and the SB feels are important, but are not enumerated in RSA 40:13.
In short we as taxpayers should pay ultimate attention to these two budget committees as they are solely responsible for how much our tax burden is.
It appears that our school budget(which makes up about 80% of our tax burden) will be up about 3% this year. I find this amazing as enrollment is down, infrastructure costs are down, as well as fuel costs, and the teachers raises will be in a contract warrant article this year, so why the increase? How about this; The school district budget this year will be about $64,000,000. There are 4400 kids in the district. This means you are paying $14,545.46/ kid! Yes I know that the "official" figure is $9,600.00 or so, and that follows the state formula, but what they don't tell you is that formula omits some costs that you are paying for. The $9,600 is supposed to represent the educational costs. If that is so, how do YOU feel about paying a 51% premium for the quality of education your children receive.
I prefer to be blunt, transparent, and honest rather than obfuscating the true figures.
Let the discussion commence.
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147 comments:
Very well done. I have a lot to think about before I write.
I agree. That formula thingy has always pissed me off! The simplest way to figure out the spending is to divide the budget by the number of students. That includes everything were paying for.
14,500 per KID?????? Are you Fing kidding me? One of my boys goes to Pinkerton, gets a first rate education, for $8,900 per yr. I have a friend whose kid goes to St. Thomas Aquinas and her tuition is only $10,000 per yr. What a savings, and a first rate education if we didn't have to pay for Timberlane AND our kids education.
School Boards default budget this year will be higher than the real budget
Don't forget one other school board matter. Right now Atkinson has no one on that board representing Atkinson. Not only do we get to pay Timberlane, we have no say in how the money is used. Don't know about you, but I think that is wrong.
Why don't we have a substitute on the board so that we don't lose our voice?
There is no such thing as a substitute under state law.
Mr. Baldwin would have had to resign and then a replacement be named. But Mr. Baldwin decided not to do that...
So our police Lt. refused to let someone fill his seat on an interim basis, that is what was asked of him by the SB. Even though he is going to be gone for a year! We have no representation, and we have an out of control budget, and the school board doesn't do anything to reign in their superintendent.
AND WE GET TO PAY FOR IT ALL!
It is SO easy to be generous with somebody else's purse.
Who's on the TRSD Budget Committee?? If the seat is vacant, someone can send a letter in and apply. That happened to Plaistow last year and they ended up with a pretty thoughtful guy...
“Thanks for your $100 contribution to the Police Department Fund. Enclosed is our check to you for $5,500 to help with your granddaughter’s asthma. Hugs and kisses.”
Thanks Lt for thinking of just yourself and not your constituents. I don't care what your reason for leaving is.
signed,
Sick of being PC
We deserve a better quality product in return for the premium price we are paying!
It's my understanding that one can ask the court to appoint an interim Atkinson School Board rep. for the town.
December 30, 2009 3:34 PM
If this is true it me appropriate for the BOS to do this.
However, the point is, it should not have come to this. Someone said Bill was being selfish. I call it being irresponsible.
I call it representing Bill Baldwins best interests at the cost of the towns best interests!
Is there anything we can do about the $14k per student? Holy Shit!
My daughter is in all AP classes at TRHS, and they are no harder than the normal classes I took 20 years ago.
Yes you can do two things. get to SB deliberative session and ammend the budget down. and vote people onto the budget committee who will do their jobs.
Mark,
You always seem to have a good handle on the towns budget and budget law, is there any way we can cut our town budget this year?
At 4.1 million I don't see that the town budget is out of line. Hampstead has a budget over 5 million. Yes I know they have more residents so it would be higher. People tend to look at small areas of spending trying to squeeze a nickel out of a quarter when the focus needs to be on the big areas like our school system. That's where most of our taxes go and that's where the main focus should go. The Timberlane school district spends too much money and they need to be reigned in.
We have two problems; A school district that is way out of control. $14,500/kid! and a shitty education to boot.
And our police dept. who did all their work last yr. for $643,000 and this yr. they spend $779,000! And next yr. he wants more money AND another car! 12 cars for 1 patrol officer per shift!
Don't forget the Elderly Affairs budget. $40,000.00 and we don't know how it is spent. The top 3% get fantastic services while the remaining seniors get nothing.
If this isn't true, then why are they hiding behind a false claim of "privacy." Let us know exactly what kind of services are provided by elderly affairs.
If this was the highway budget, the selectmen would be all over the road agent.
NEWSFLASH: The Elderly Affairs/police department has officially MORPHED into the Atkinson ANYAGE Care Group.
Yes, they are an investment group folks. AMAG. All you need to do is invest your $$$$ into his donation slush fund and PRESTO, you qualify for beds, dialysis, even eye sight correction.
My 28 year old Mexican wife, while not a legal citizen, is thrilled that she gets free dialysis and the machine is transported in the wheel chair van to her home every week.
THANK YOU Atkinson ANYAGE Care Group WE LOVE YOU! Yes we do.
We save 50% over what we would spend at Parkland. WHAT A GREAT INVESTMENT. We also thank all the Atkinson taxpayers who so generously fund the generosity of Phillip Consentino.
OFFICAL PROCLAMATION:
"I am not aware that the PD's services, ....., as is, or was, the case with John Mangini, is reserved for the elderly exclusively."
Well THAt sure is funny.... The chief has ALWAYS said those services are only for elderly.
Remember when Acciard tried to get the town to give $10,000 out of the donation account to the Laphams, when John died. Chief said that was not what that money was for, it is for the elderly only.
And how much of the dispatch line in the PD budget pays for officers to work for Phil's private business? ans isnt that illegal?
If I used the people I supervise at Raytheon to work for a private business, I would be fired on the spot!
But it is ok for the police chief to screw his employer, a few well placed rides to the polls and it will all be forgotten.
Why would the selectmen allow him to get away with that? If thi is true, and police officers are working for his private charity while being paid by the taxpayers, that is the same as stealing from the taxpayers as far as I am concerned!
This is the problem when you have the police dept. elderly affairs, and a private business all being run by the same guy out of the same building!
So much for that separation and transparency he talked about, another lie!
Its not just the dispatcher. It is the ink, toner, paper, police dpt. computers, mailings, time, and the town owned elderly affairs donor list.
In other words, the taxpayers are funding EVERY ASPECT OF HIS PRIVATE BUSINESS!
Hey, Mr. Friel...
What would you do if one of your foreman, took the crew that you are paying off a job that is costing you $800,000. and used those people you are paying to build a house for his brother? Would you be pissed? would you fire him? Would you prosecute?
This is the same thing!
No it is WORSE! This is a position of public trust, a chief of police! He lied!
Riddle me this, Batman...
If this is no big deal, why was Phil's FIRST REACTION when this was complained about to PUT REFLECTIVE MIRRORED FILM ON THE DISPATCH WINDOW SO NOBODY WILL EVER SEE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN?
Because that is what thiefs and crooks do.
jmo
Some people spend to much time worring about other peoples business instead of taking care of their own. Over weight people cost taxpayers more money then the elderly. Fat children are a sign of neglect and a form of child abuse. We all pay for the cost of this unhappy, unhealthy children this misrable adults are producing. We will help the elderly you get your children help so they can grow old.
It isn't haling the elderly that we are complaining about, it is our corrupt police chief who misappropriate funds by having police officers on duty for the town of atkinson working for his private charity, using police computers, police ink, police paper, police time, the police building and town PO box. in other words he started a business, that is TOTALLY paid for by the taxpayers! Pretty good, huh?
Contrary to Phil's usual lies, nobody has ever tried to cut or end elderly affairs, but Phil has stopped every attempt to make it open and transparent. Now ask yourself why?
Oh! It must be all the money the chief is making off elderly affairs. We spend less on the elderly budget then you spend on you family food budget. Who cares if it's coming out of the Pd it's all coming from the same tax pool. Money and time well spent for each department. It beats the fire departments coruption. That department is a joke. But most of you are making money off of it so it's not discussed.
Who cares about ink and a few minutes of Cunninghams time. SHUT UP. If you don't like it then goto deliberative session. But you won't you ou got your ski weekend birthday party. Get your facts straight. PD does what it does. You pay.
Idiot, nobody is talking about elderly affairs, we are talking about a town employee using our tax dollar funded equipment and personnell for his own business!
Would you be mad if Friel was using town employees while they are on the towns clock to work for his construction co.?
Hey what do you think Phil would do if Acciard was using town employees on the towns clock to work for his cleaning co.?
Or how about if Boyle while he was a selectman used town employees on the town's clock to build houses for his co.?
What is the difference? Phil is in my opinion stealing from the town. But hey, isn't this similar to what Happened his first couple years as chief when Peak sued the town over Phil misappropriating funds?
I highly doubt it is a few minutes of her time. This is a regular occurrance, if you don't believe me just ask her. Don't believe Phil when he says it was just this once, He is a liar!
If you think that is harsh, there is a video on YouTube of him lying to the town and the selectmen about the grant equipment. And he has the nerve to say that Brian Kaye was lying when he revealed it. What hypocracy
Elderly Affairs is not the PC's personal business. It is a town funded service. Get it. I thought your new years resolution was to stop complaining and be a part of the solution not the usual problem you have been.
Lady Ann is the New mole and feeds Consentino confidences to the circus and Snitcher can't fathom the change in status quo. Shortly she will have to walk the blue bridge to us. The ground is cut away under from under Snitcher. She traded beauty for love.
If this is true, why haven't we heard about it in a meeting? When Ted does something wrong we all have to witness his public humiliation with him and I feel for him. I think that Phil and maybe even Cunningham should get letters of reprimand in their personel files. Hell, lets fire 'em all.
If Cunningham knows that this is still happening she has a moral obligation to come forward and say something to the board or her union about this.
There's all kinds of illegal stuff happening that we pay for. My neighbor plows for the town but takes lots of breaks at home and at cares. This is no different except he thinks it funny and says everyone does it. I guess that makes it ok.
Will there be cooperation in her interrogation with the AGO or will the dossier go straight to Superior Court via Bill Hayden? He is anxious.
Let Toby handle the watergate when the circus convenes M-day at 4. The other matter bigfoot & kewpie doll are drawn in. Toby has a handle with implications. Not sure when it will spring.
G.S. will be there. E.N.
OK, 7:17 maybe you are dense but we will try again.
We are not talking about the Towns elderly affairs dept. Phil is trying to spin it that way, but he is lying.
We are talking about Phil's PRIVATE CORPORATION, The Atkinson police charitable fund. This is a Private corporation just like any other business, it is registered with the NHSecState office. The papers list Phil Consentino as President of the corporation, and ALL of the other officers are people who work for him in the PD.
NOW DO YOU GET IT?
This is about phil using police personnel to work for his PRIVATE BUSINESS. While they are being paid to work for the town of Atkinson.
The Fire Chief has a charitable fund. I donate to both the PD and the FD every year. It is used for the departments not a private business. They both use their employees to run the charities.
You are the same group always on a witch hunt. You pick your targets and relentlessly slander them. Your are inconsistent, harmful and damage our town.
Always looking for someone to sue. Cant you find something more positive to do with your time.
You are all hypocrites. Do you hate your lives so much that you want to destroy others or is it just plain jealousy!
Wow, you still don't get it. The Fire dept. donation account is operated by the Fire Association. It has a board, and every expenditure is voted on, and spent on the fire dept. This donation account paid for a goodly portion of the new ladder truck. It is open and above board.
There IS NO POLICE DONATION ACCOUNT ANYMORE. Last year, Phil started up a private corporation called the "Atkinson Police Charitable Fund" He Owns and controls it. Nobody knows what comes into it, or where it goes. The town has no ownership, and no control. THERE IS NO OVERSIGHT, and NO TRANSPARENCY! Phil set it up this way purposely. It is his slush fund and he does what he wants with it, no more coming before the selectmen to lie about what he is going to spend money on, no more official questions about where the money goes, no more budget committee trying to spend it on police stuff, no more people like acciard asking for money to be spent out of it on Cpl. Lapham's family! NOTHING!
And this private business operations is being TOTALLY FUNDED by the TAXPAYERS.
We know what the fire Association donation acct. has done, can you tell me one thing the Atkinson Police Charitable fund has done? Other than put mirrored film on the dispatch window so that nobody can see the dispatchers working for the company.
Yes, it buys votes from the needy elderly for Consentino selected projects and Selectmen. In other words, he pays to take your rights away. What else does Consentio stand for? Nothing.
jmho
@8:47,
You make it sound like the Chief started this corporation "out of the blue." Let's not forget this corporation's origins came from the investigation of complaints about how the funds in the police donation account were being used. Despite all of the negative publicity (in an article about the investigation, the ET even referred to the beating PC took on the "Atkinson blog"), an investigation by the state found no wrongdoing and made suggestions as to how to better administer the funds. He opted for a non-profit organization, which is perfectly legal. Check and mate as they say!
So, there is a certain group in town partly responsible for the situation we are in now.
"Let's not forget this corporation's origins came from the investigation of complaints about how the funds in the police donation account were being used."
The investigation determined that he was running several ILLEGAL slush funds without any transparency, taking out whatever money he wanted, for things that were never publicly disclosed. This was all totally illegal, unethical and inexcusable. He was forced to shut down the ILLEGAL slush funds and operate in private or public but it had to be legal.
He chose to operate in private. This fund is in NO WAY associated with the town but is MISLEADING because of the name.
He was forced to stop operating illegally but he should have been fired.
He continues to use his tonw jobs to get people to work on his PRIVATE CHARITY.
THIS IS ILLEGAL.
The state investigator DID find wrong doing that's why he is HIDING behind a film at the PD right now.
I heard PC lied and said she was working on elderly affairs but the dispatcher told the truth that she was working on things for him and she still is.
they are corrupt
I hope the board decides to get rid of him before any more of these shameful actions are disclosed. There have been numerous rumors of corruption over the years and it's only a matter of time before more of these scandals are revealed.
If they don't do anything, we will be hearing more jaw-dropping stories of his embarassing actions.
To Anon @ 11:19am;
What actually happened, was that Terry Knowles of the NHAG Charitable Trusts unit, found that the police dept. was managing a number of donation accts. illegally. Her job is not prosecution unless her recommendations to make them legal are not followed. Her job is to help them become legal, which she did. She offered two options for the main donation acct.;
1.) Turn it over to the Trustee of the Trust Funds for management. This position is held by Mrs. Childs, who takes her role very seriously, and does an outstanding job maintaining the towns trusts. This would have made the account open, transparent, and above board, accountable to all. Ms. Knowles said at the time that she expected this to be the course the town would take.
2.) Create a private charity, properly registered with the NH Secretary of States office. This is the option our chief of police chose. By making it a private charity, it has no reporting standards. He made himself "President" of this charity, and all the corporation officers work for him outside of the corporation.
As to the separation, Ms. Knowles said she wanted to be able to clearly see where the police chief's duties ended and the elderly affairs director's started. She demanded that the chief keep a time card, to account for the hours spent on each job.
The problem here is very simple. It is not a problem with Elderly Affairs, it is that the Chief owns a business that uses taxpayer paid people as it's personnel, uses taxpayer paid for computers, ink, paper, time, buildings, post office boxes, mailings, and probably most importantly, uses a town developed and paid for list of people in town aged 55 and over, and those who donate to the town in the past to do it's fundraising mailers.
Just as an aside, I administer a non-profit as well, it totally funds NH's ONLY special needs cheerleading team. The team has a number of girls from Atkinson on the team, and they compete at National Competitions, and are recognized National Champions! If the chief is allowed to use these taxpayer funded resources including the elderly affairs list for fundraising, if this is acceptable policy for the town, then the non-profit that I established should have the same right to use the same resources at taxpayer expense. Right?
My point is that a town employee can not use the monies budgetted to is dept. for ANYTHING OTHER THAN that depts. duties. And surely not any private concern. The selectmen and budget committee should be yelling loudly about this.
Tell me, as someone earlier put it, how upset would you be if Bill Friel or Brian Boyle, as selectmen, used town employees to work for their construction companies, while those employee were being paid to work for us?
OMG, Phil chose the path that would HIDE EVERYTHING???? NO!!!!!!
Of course he did! What else would you expect from him, why do you think he never would give the selectmen or budget any verification of his wild ass guesses of how many rides they do or how many people take those rides?
When you have something to hide, sunlight is the worst policy! Of course if what you are doing is honorable and the right thing to do, then sunlight doesn't bother you at all.
Draw your own conclusions about Phil's honesty
Honesty??? The guy who a year after becoming chief has a selectman investigating him for misappropriating town funds? Wayne Peak found out that fees that the PD charged for acident reports and the like wer enot being given to the town bookkeeper as they should have, but were put into a private donation account operated by the police association. Peak demanded the selectmen fire Phil over it, and when they wouldn't, he resigned and sued the town to get them to do their jobs. Phil never denied doing that he just screamed that Peak "had a vendetta" against him, and was "smearing his good name", and that "no town official should have to put up with this". 6 years and hundreds of thousands in legal fees later, the Town settled with peak for an undisclosed amount.
The results should have been Consentio being fired, but he lives on doing unspeakable things. For God's sake how long will this go on before the Selectmen fire him Enough is enough already. Consentino HAS to be fired NOW.
Mark,
Thanks for responding to my message at 11:17 a.m. It appears to me there are two separate issues here. 1. How the funds are handled, which was resolved. 2. How personnel is being used. I would imagine that despite the creation of the new non-profit, nothing much has changed with respect to day-to-day activities. The question is, once the two depts. were finally separated (on paper), what else, and how much more, was the BOS expecting to change?
I think the problem is not with the alleged separation, nothing was separated and I never expected it to be. That whole discussion was a joke, and the $5,000 "separation costs" a waste of taxpayer money.
However, No one would be complaining or even discussing elderly affairs if there was any transparency to that dept.
Do you know that when I was on budget committee, it took 4 years of us asking how many resident used the program, and how many rides they gave, before the chief would divulge that information? He would flat out tell us we couldn't have it. Why? What is so secret about that? Do you know how we started getting that info.? Bill Anderson was giving the elderly presentation in 2005, and I asked him at the end of his presentation; how many people got rides, and how many rides did they give? And he answered; 61 people, and 583 rides. After that we got a number every year, and it increased dramatically every year, and every time the chief is asked about it, or volunteers that info. offhand, the number changes. Make of that what you will.
The problem with the Non-Profit is that it is a private corporation. The town has no ownership, oversight, or control. And yet the official address of this corporation is 27 academy ave. Atkinson, along with the Town's PO box. The computers it uses to send out its fundraising mailers are PD computers. Dispatchers do these mailers while they are in uniform and on duty police officers being paid by the taxpayers to do police work, not work for a private corporation. The paper, ink, time, resources are all police dept. resources working for a private corporation.
The problem with this is the once again blatent conflict of interest, and the basic dishonesty of this enterprise. The police budget is SUPPOSED to fund the police dept. NOT the chief's private business.
And you know damn well that if it were Teddy doing this,anyone else they would be summarily fired.
Oh Mark you are so wonderful, you've got him now! The board will have to fire him for you. Maybe you can sue the town for this!
If the Town won't fire him and want another lawsuit, then so be it. Consentino has to go and go now.
jmho
The scandal is terrible. The BOS doesn't fire this thief and get a qualified police chief they can be impeached for conspiracy. At deliberative session this month I intend to speak my mind regarding this scandal and Friel, Bill, and Fred will have to answer to me personally. And I won't stand for any bullshit.
NH doesn't have a recall statute.
The AG bagged the Chief of Police in New Castle for corruption related to a charity. Not new news but there is an interesting article in the Portsmouth Herald today and there are links to all the previous stories related to his arrest.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100105-NEWS-1050388
I think the BOS should call these guys in Kennebunk, ME and hire them to do a review of the Atkinson PD. The money would be well spent.
I have a recall statue of my own and I am going to call for their impeachment for conspiracy at deliberative session in front of God and everybody.
They BOS (and Chief) are not above the law. They are just as guilty for hiding theft of town services. If this is not true and this theft did not occur, then let them make it known publically on Monday night on TV so I can see it. And they better tell the truth.
I agree with Mark.
Anyone who runs a non-profit in town should be able to access the donor list, just as the Chief does. He has no more right to this list for his own PERSONAL use than anyone else in town.
Also, this is not covered by HIPAA laws anyway. HIPAA law covers only health information protection and security. It does not cover a list of residents who sign up for services who need only to prove residency. No one seems to know what the official age requirement is for elderly service so there is no need to supply your age. Is there?
HIPAA laws
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html
Read it. Phil's donation list is not protected and this is another case of us being lied to.
Not to mention that HIIPA doesn't protect information about the taxi service that transports people to doctors offics, shopping malls, beauty salons, etc.
Thank you Mark for your explanation. This is outrageous. I am not paying my taxes to support his extra curricular activities! As far as I am concerned this is the same as embezzlement! And for a police chief??? This is unbelievable! He should be fired!
It is a conflict of interest for him to be using the list of elderly residents for his private charity.
"Use any proprietary information acquired through or by virtue of his or her official position for his or her financial benefit or for the financial benefit of any other person or business.
"
Raising money for a private charity certainly is a financial benefit.
Anybody see the budget meeting last night? Valerie Tobin was GREAT! She was asking hard questions about police budget, comparing it to other towns, and the chairman, Blackadar didn't want to hear it. He asked her if she wanted to discuss anything else and she said point blank, "whats the point, you wont listen to it anyway". She said she spent over 30 hours analyzing the major budgets calling other towns and finding out how they handle things, and our library , and police budgets were out of control. Blackadar wouldn't even discuss it.
That's because Blackadar is in the TANK with Consentino. Now you know why the Police budget is so high and going higher unless we stop them.
Doesn't our conflict of interest law prohibit using town stuff for private business?
Somebody should file a complaint on this!
Yeah OK! That worked out really gr8 for Accard and Grant didn't it?
I'm not making my family a target of this bully. I won't put up with him following me around town and giving me stupid tickets!
Besides, that committee didn't do anything when he was paying himself extra money that he didn't derserve, why would you think they would do anything now?
Ya, I remember Acciard filed an ethics complaint against Selectman Consentino for approving his own request to take money out of the donation account. Acciard told him he couldn’t do that, and the ethics committee said “But it’s the Chief” and wouldn’t do anything about it. Acciard took Consentino to court and the court told Phil to knock if off. Acciard’s house and car got vandalized right after that. What does that tell you?
Let’s face it, nobody is going to stand up to this “Bully with a Badge” for fear of retribution. Isn’t that just great that the taxpayer’s have to fear their own Police Chief? He’s an absolute “Head Case” and must be fired.
There are many courageous people in this town who are not affraid of bullies with a badge. Time for you to come to deliberative session and vote. Stop hiding in fear under your bed.
Fear is the bullies tool. Look at the lady who uses her camera or her lawyer to intimidate.
You stop being a coward and afraid of a bully and fight back and eventually they go crying to their mother.
You got to stand up and be counted. You want to be a WIMP all your life? Noes your chance. Take it. Come to deliberative session on January 30th.
You can also vote for the moderator who violates citizens rights to step down as moderator. That will be a huge improvement as he promotes the other bullies. He is chair of ZBA and that must change as well. Otherwise more Osborn type builders will run our town.
I think that it would be beneficial for people to talk to the Selectman of their choice if they think the Chief should be fired and tell them why you think this.
The CONFLICT OF INTEREST COMMITTEE needs to hold a meeting. They are an official town committee voted into office for a reason. They can discuss these conflicts of interest and do their duty.
The conflict of interest committee should make their findings and their votes known to those who voted for them!
The conflict of interest committee doesn't meet unless a complaint is filed.
Look here is the root problem;
In April of '05, I filed an ethics complaint against the chief because he made a request of the selectmen, as police chief, to withdraw money from the donation acct., and as selectman, voted to approve his own request. Fred Childs was the second vote on that. Brian Boyle walked out of the room, after being told by the chief that his opinion didn't mater because he had two votes. Brian Boyle demanded it be put on the record that he felt this action was illegal.
The code of ethics committee did nothing with it. Rockingham Superior Court, on the other hand Ordered the chief to stop it, and recuse himself from dealing with any police, elderly, or town employee matters. He ignored the Court, and three months later was found in Contempt of Court.
The second ethics complaint I filed against the chief was in Dec. 2005, when he paid himself $1,300 "union benefit" over and above his pay. The union contract stated in paragraph 2 that the Chief of police was not included in the provisions of the union contract, as he was management. He paid himself anyways. The conflict of interest committee chair, Dick Smith, when I asked why they ignored a legal opinion on the matter from NHMA that they requested, told me that "we only listen to legal opinions that confirm the way we are already leaning."
Those are the two ethics complaints that I filed against the chief, and the circumstances involved, so that there is no misunderstanding. By the way, the Chief sued me personally for stating to the committee that he lied, when he told them that he had "RECEIVED that benefit for 3 years, since before he was a selectman". I found out that he had only received it the one time that I complained about.
This committee has done nothing, and through their inaction caused the town and some of it's residents alot of expense and pain. And for what? So that they do not offend friends?
If you are an elected official and can not perform your duties with neither pride nor prejudice, then you should resign.
Mark,
If the Chief sued you for stating that he received that benefit, what was the result of that case? Seems like that was a slam dunk for you.
Sound to me like Dick Smith and Consentino are joined at the hip. So much for Dick Smith being able to serve at any position in Town politics.
jmho
Consentino dropped the suit. I guess he knew he was wrong and knew he'd lose.
People should use the avenues they have. File a complaint if you think there's a problem. The committee dynamic changes each year so you will never know unless you try. Raising awareness of the existence of problems is also helpful.
How many times does Consentino need to be proved a liar, before he is fired? Is there a limit in the Town employee handbook or something?
Does that make Consentino a lying Lion, that Sapia is so proud being a part of? That must be some organization to belong to.
jmho
To Anon @ 1:19pm;
No he filed suit against me for slander, libel, defamation, diminution of earnings capacity, alleged physical and mental stresses because I wrote in a letter to the committee that he had lied to them. He withdrew the case 2 weeks before trial date. You judge his motivations. I was prepared to prove that he lied.
It was on the ethics complaint about the $1,300 payment to himself on Dec. 1, 2004. He stated to the committee that he had received that benefit three times, for three years, since before he was a selectman. Dick Smith asked me if, in light of this "new evidence" I would withdraw my complaint. I responded "give me a day to verify that, and if it is true, I will not only withdraw my complaint, I will publicly apologize to the chief." The next day I checked with the town bookkeeper, and she told me that he had only received it once, the time that my complaint referenced. I wrote to Dick Smith that his committee had been lied to by a sitting selectman for the purpose of dismissing a complaint against himself, and what were they going to do about it? True to form, they did nothing. Chief filed his suit against me bragging that he was going to "own a cleaning company". He withdrew the suit 2 weeks before trial.
WOW I never heard that Phil sued you, I heard Jack say at meetings that you were suing Phil.
Mark,
So you are telling us that Police Chief Consentino intentionally used the court system as a weapon to intimidate you into submission. It that correct?
So let me get this straight. Phil Consentino first used his power to fraudulently pay himself town money he wasn't entitled to, accepted that money, and then tried to crush you through the court system for bring out the truth about his actions? He then tried to intimidate you by saying he was going to own your cleaning company so you wouldn't be able to make a living? Are you telling us that the Selectmen and Ethics Committee in the name of Dick Smith allowed this to happen to a taxpayer, and stood by and did nothing?
If so, what to hell are these people doing in office? If they got caught doing all this, can you imagine just how much more money they a skimming off hard working taxpayers? In my opinion, that makes them all nothing more than common thieves and it’s disgusting.
Why would you believe ANYTHING Jack Sapia says, knowing he has repeatedly lied to the public in the past? He's one of Consentino's lap dogs for goodness sake. Everyone knows that. That should be a lesson for you for the future.
That's my opinion.
Starting to look like Consentino has caused or allowed more crime in this town than he has solved. With him gone, we should be able to measure by just how much.
Hey, Consentino and Osborns are friends. Could it be that is why they are still living illegally in that house on 8 Valcat Lane?
How about it selectmen what is being done about their living conditions. We haven't heard anything for awhile. Care to update us next Monday night? Is Consentino using his influence to cover for them? Inquiring minds would like to know.
To Anon @4:41pm;
The "own a cleaning company" comment was not made directly to me, but was said in the lobby of the town hall, and overheard by a number of people who told me about it.
As to his lawsuit, Yes! I firmly believe it was an attempt to intimidate, harrass, and cost me money, and make me back off the ethics complaint. He was very quick to go to the papers, and let everyone know how "he had been wronged". I also know that as a public official it would have been all but impossible for him to PROVE any of his allegations, some were just false on their face, like the diminution of earnings capacity, he was making the same money as before the letter, not to mention that I had the documentation to PROVE that he only received the money the one time I was complaining about.
As to the rest of your comment, Yes, he submitted a voucher as police chief for $1,300.00 "union benefit". He authorized it to the selectmen by initial as police chief, and signed the voucher as selectman paying himself money that he knew the union contract forbade him from participating in.
Draw your own conclusions.
By the way, his lawyer, Giarusso, approached me a couple of months before he withdrew with a settlement offer from the chief, he said that the chief would drop the case if I paid him $15,000.00. My response was "tell your client that if he pays me I won't have to air his dirty laundry in open court. A month later he dropped the offer to $10,000. I still refused, and later he withdrew the case shortly before trial.
I WILL BE SHOWING UP AT THE NEXT MEETING AND I WILL ASK WHY ARE THE OSBORNS BEING HANDELED WITH KID GLOVES IF IT WERE ANYONE ELSE THE COPS WOULD BE AT OUR DOORS FORCING US OUT . THIS TOWN AND IT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO STOP DOING INSIDE FAVORS AND SCAMING PEOPLE AND JUST GET THE JOB DONE!
Hey Mark,
Tell how the selectmen paid Phil's lawyers fees on this case.
Actually it wasn't this case, there were no fees on this one. Jack and Fred voted to pay when the chief was called as a witness in Carol Grant's case against Fred and Jack! She filed a petition to remove them from office for violating their oath of office. Chief was a witness, but evidently felt that he needed legal advice. His guy, Giarusso was there, and when Carol asked chief about his tape recording her in non-public session, even though that is prohibited by law, he, on Giarusso's advice, "refused to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate" him. 21 times in a row, about the illegal recording he took the 5th. When it was all over he came into a selectmen's meeting to ask for the town to pay his lawyers bill, $900.00. Sapia and Childs voted to pay it! They SHOULD have recused themselves as he was a witness on their behalf in a case to remove THEM!
Mark,
So this is another example where our selectmen voted to pay legal fees that the taxpayer wasn't responsible for right?
1/6 at 8:02am -
I just watched the budget meeting tonight. It said it was "previously recorded." I couldn't find it the other night to watch live. Only the planning board's public meeting was televised Tue night I think? Did you attend in person? What was that like?
Unfortunately, and as much as it pains me to say this, I guess my take on the meeting isn't the same as yours. Seems to me she was on a witch hunt and wasn't being backed up.
She had legitimate questions;
1.) why does the Pd spend $30,000 on gas, when Kingston spends $30,00 on gas and they have twice as much road, twice as many officers, and twice as many mile driven?
2.) Why do we pay $75,000 for dispatching, when Kingston uses Rockingham county sherrifs office to do their dispatching for free?
3.) Why do we pay Plaistow $31,000 to do ALL the fire dispatching, ALL the highway dispatching, and 77% of police dispatching for Atkinson, and then we pay $50,000 to have dispatchers on duty from 8-4 M-F?
4.) Why do we have 8 police cars for 5 FT officers, when Kingston has 8 Cars for 9 FT officers?
5.) How much of our dispatch budget pays for dispatchers to do mail outs for chiefs private business, on the towns dime?
6.) Why is the donation list kept on the dispatch computers, but our dispatchers HAND WRITE OUT CALL LOGS? What are we paying for computers for?
7.) Why does the PD budget 18,000 patrol man hours, when there is only ONE patrol officer on every shift(8,360 hours)?
Anybody have answers?
I still want an answer to the question some guy at town meeting asked in March;
He said; Last year the PD did everything it had to do, and spent only $643,000, why does it NEED $779,000 this year to do the same exact job?
Valerie Tobin is doing a great job asking the tough questions that we all want answers to.
Yeah but budget chair Blackadar made it plain he doesn't want to hear any questions about the most bloated budget in town, the PD
It pains me, when I hear that people think of Valeries questions as a witch hunt. She is looking for backups but if you really looked, you could see she was left hanging out to dry.
At least she has the courage to ask questions and I hope someone will finally see what it means to show integrity and not just go along with the status quo.
The people want to know what their tax dollors are going for but so far she is the only one looking for answers. I hope she will get the support she needs.
Witch hunt my a--. That's spin. Lots of tough talkers on this blog but I bet none of em back up Mrs. Tobin. She's has some guts that's for sure. No wonder Phil tries so hard to make sure his guy wins elections!
She's saying what everyone's thinking and wants to ask. But nobody's got the GUTS to back her up.
I think she's Phil's worst nightmare. Thank you Mrs. Tobin for standing up to the big bully who can't handle the truth.
I would just like to advise Valerie, to be careful. It is not popular to ask the questions she is asking, speaking for personal experience.
So Phil misappropriated funds 30 years ago, and got away with it, and he did it again recently and is getting away with it again. What is wrong with this picture is this is a position of public trust. If he was younger I would fire him immediately, but I suppose it would be better for everyone to demand his resignation and be done with it. Has this happened before in NH?
Valerie for Selectman!
She has my vote. I bet all the chickens on the budget committee would secretly vote for her but tell Phil they voted for his candidate.
ANNOUNCING THE STEEL CAGE MATCH
VALERIE BUDGET BUSTER TOBIN
VS
12 CAR PHIL CONSENTINO
A NO HOLDS BARRED POLITICAL SLAMFEST COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM ATKINSON NH. THE ATKINSON DELIBERATIVE SESSION JAN 30 2010. GET YOUR TICKETS NOW.
Leon's on the loose again. Look out Valerie you don't want this guy on your side!
I WANT Leon Artus on my side. He helped me get a $1,200 rebate check from the town on my taxes and $100,000 off my assessment. I never could have done that on my own.
If it weren't for Leon Artus a whole lot of us would be paying tax dollars this town isn't entitled to.
THANK YOU LEON
I look at it this way; Leon helped me file an abatement on my taxes that reduced my assessment by $80,000. and got me a refund of $980 on my taxes.
by contrast all the chief of police has done is cost me money. more and more every year. Same with Sapia, and Polito, and all the other hacks who screw up and let us foot the bill for it.
Check this out...
The state is blaming Plaistow Police Chief for the missing Atkinson Grant Equipment. How much do you want to bet it's because someone in town set up Savage?
http://www.atkinsontaxpayers.org/atkinson/2010/01/09/atkinson-police-chief-denies-receiving-federal-homeland-security-grant/
click on: First Responder Grant Documents II [PDF]
The warrant articles were a joke last night. Do these departments know what they are asking for, they are giving themselves a stimulus package. Vote all of them down or we will have nothing left.
Please budget committee put a stop to all of this. Do something. We should not be in the voting booth reading these articles. I am over this town!
The first step to take to resolve all town issues is to have a town moderator who does not play fast and loose with the rules and RSA laws at deliberative session.
Polito considers himself a LAWMAKER and this has to change. Instead of moderating he conspires to encourage hacks at deliberative session to turn valid citizen articles into meaningless garbage.
You think your trucking article is not going down to the same fate as all the other Citizen Petition Warrant Articles signed by hundreds of others? If you are not at deliberative session January 30th then you can watch your article go down in flames on TV. That's if the chief or another town official has not called your supporters and asked them "Why did you sign this SHIT" an hour after it is submitted.
You want to take back control of town government and see real transparency and punishment for theft of town services?
Then you must come to town deliberative session, January 30th and vote to strike evil at its core.
Vote for Frank Polito to step down as moderator for violating the Public Trust, legal RSA Rules and his own Moderator Rules. If the moderator says he can’t be removed and you are HELPLESS…then you need to decide if the town belongs to you, the honest citizens, or to THEM. If it belongs to the honest citizens and all of you SHOW UP then he will be the one who is HELPLESS.
A new moderator must give individuals ample time to explain ALL SIDES OF THE ISSURES with no heckling like Polito allows. Not to mention… follow the laws of public meetings.
To remove bullies and to protect your state laws and Constitional rights you must strike evil at its heart.
Come to deliberative session and vote for the moderator to step down. Then you can:
1. Freely discuss and vote on the theft of town services
2. Misappropriation of Homeland security grant equipment (we are now asked to buy a second time
3. Failure to supply legally required police reports
4. Failure of the ZBA board chairman Polito so that "loopholes" allowed the theft of Carol Davis land
5. The Lack of true separation of elderly affairs from the police dept sufficient to result in police staff in fact and by admission…working on the town clock illegally (“double-dipping”)
As to the last issue the selectmen know about the “Double-Dipping”, and asked IN SECRET for a check back for the money...then hid the facts from all voters so voters can issue reprimand at deliberative session January 30th
No more needs to be said. You know your responsibility. You will come to deliberative session January 305h…and hold them to account. You will vote to prevent rampant spending such that your property taxes double….or will you opt to spend your day shopping at Kittery only to find out later you can't AFFORD the luxury of living in your own home!!!
Really want change? You have to get involved and volunteer some of your precious time to be on the budget committee or other committees.
People waste time venting in cyberspace. Volunteer and make change happen. Tis the only way. why do you think consentino tries to stack every committee under the sun with cronies? To beat them at this game you got to PLAY the game. Volunteer. Its not that tough. Make a difference. Or nothing will change.
And if we could only find a good candidate to run for moderator. If you are out there, PLEASE we beg you to run. You have to be good at debate and a quick learner of NH law. You have to be good with a microphone or at least unafraid to be challenged in public while running meetings.
GO TO DELIBERATIVE SESSION FOR CHRISSAKE. Learn how they manipulate the game to beat them at the game. Otherwise just shut up.
"GO TO DELIBERATIVE SESSION FOR CHRISSAKE. "
I mention this in another post. You, like the person I was responding to, are preaching to the choir.
Begging here for people to attend the session is not going to do it. The only way to get other than the regulars to attend is for them to feel that there is a warrant that is going to directly affect them. That is what got me started.
The unfortunate problem is, not enough people care how this town is run to get involved.
The real problem is this form of town government. The current method does not work. That is why other towns are giving it up. Time to set up a Charter Commission.
anonymous is another word for coward isn't it
"anonymous is another word for coward isn't it"
I guess you would know.
Angela, you must think we are stupid, your post was Anonymous. Just because a name is written doesn't mean you are who you say you are.
If you are trying to prove something! It didnt work.
Angela, you must think we are stupid, your post was Anonymous. Just because a name is written doesn't mean you are who you say you are.
If you are trying to prove something! It didnt work.
And then there was silence....:)ahhhh!
There's more than one Angela. One on Hemlock Shore and one on Parish Sq. Might be others so you're still anonymous.
Ok smart as# let's get one thing straight. I keep my last name private, Because Atkinson is no longer a safe place for family's .I am protecting my family by not sharing my last name with you. I am not going to fall victim of my house being spray painted or my family being harassed by crazy lunitics or the "ATKINSON MAFIA";).And judging by the way you keep pushing me for my last name tells me you may be one of thoes people so my name is Angela and if that is not good enough for you then that's your problem stop making yourself look like a fool!
Okay, we'll just call you Angela Anonymous. LOL. Yes Angela, I have nothing better to do than to go around and engage in petty vandalism. Pay no attention to those black helicopters that are hovering over your home. It's probably a figment of your imagination...
OK see you still have to make fun! It is obvious to me that you think that this is some kind of joke! If you cross the wrong people in this town you or your family could pay greatly. I have seen it first hand unless you have pull in this town you can consider yourself a target I choose not to endanger my family or make them have to suffer harassment from the chief of police or his minion's.It's not a figment of my imagination it's real.It's very real
What's life without humor Angela? I only come here for the amusement...
I can tell lol!
Angela, Welcome to the conversation. Whether your own name or a psuedonym, it is nice to finally see someone with a name.
And, to your comment about being in the line of fire for complaining, I can personally attest to the truth of that statement.
It is a sad state of affairs when reasonable criticism of an improper action of the police chief will lead to you being slandered in selectmen's meetings, and the privelege of having your house and car vandalized with the chief's title.
I fully understand your reticence to give out your name.
Again welcome.
Thank you much appreiciated ! I am glad some one understands .
I also welcome but caution you. The person baiting you seems a bit scary, a wise guy or maybe a wisegirl. Don't encourage people who want to know where you are.
There definitely are possible consequences from sticking your neck out and being visible.
But the drawbacks to holding your tongue out of fear are much more costly.
Angela,
Interesting favorite books you list. The Turner Diaries? Yikes!
Hi Angela Welcome to the debate.
You are not the only one that understands on this blog. Most feel just like you and understand that we must do something about the injustice of certain town officials.
Phil Consentino is the biggest threat to our rights, and there is a movement to get rid of him. As long as he is allowed to be a part of the political establishment, he will continue to use his position to intimidate, threaten, and yes even arrest innocent people to protect his power base. Hopefully, you will continue to tell your friends, family and relatives of town issues, and get them to join together and bring this "Bully" to his knees.
The more people that show up to deliberative session get involved in taking our town back, the sooner he will be gone. It's just a matter of time, and the sooner more people become involved, the faster that will happen.
Congratulations on raising your own awareness. Look forward to more of your postings.
THE TURNER DIARIES YES A VERY INTERESTING BOOK!!!!!
The person baiting you seems a bit scary
Boo!
You would think that Angela's Ashes would have been on the list.
Wow, that could me construed as a threat to Angela.
I object!
Oh calm down. I don't even know what the book is about. Just a play on the name.
I just think that this town is to far in the whole to get out there are not enough people with a back bone to actually stand up and make things right.Let's face it some things will never change.
With all due respect to those who wish to remain anonymous. There is strength in numbers. If you show up to deliberative session, much can be accomplished, and you get a free lunch out of it. Try it you might have some fun. I enjoy the debate, when it isn't cut off.
Call to question.
My goodness the Osborn's have got themseleves in quite a mess over there on 8 valcat I was just reading about there police report they filed and come to find out it was a private eye...wow talk about being caught in the act and poor Mrs.Davis .
The whole situation is unfortunate. I feel bad for Mrs. Davis as well. What a horrible thing to be taken advantage of the way she has been by the Osborn's.
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