Well, the warrant has been posted on the Town's website. right on the home page! Thank you selectmen for finally using the town website to disseminate information.
There ARE some interesting points in the posted warrant that should make for lively discussion on Saturday. Please don't forget Deliberative Session is at 10:00am on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010.
The warrant starts out with some petitioned planning and zoning articles, that contain issues discussed and advocated by the planning board a number of years ago, when they ALSO contained language that would have effectively gutted wetlands provisions. These articles are obviously someones attempt to get the good language without the bad from before.
Then we get to our budget. Well it has come down in recent weeks, and now is being proposed at $3,927,687.00. But if you don't like that the default budget is $4,310,598.30 How the hell did THAT happen? Has our BOs taken default budgeting lessons at the Dick LaSalle school of budgeting?
We will put aside the budget questions for this article, but I believe expenditures this years were only around 3.65 million or so. In tight economic times when our fellow townspeople are losing their homes, do we really need an extra $300,000 in the budget? Plus warrant articles?
The next article is the chief's new Subaru for elderly affairs. There is a note at the front of the warrant article that will have to come off it before it goes on the ballot, that would be illegal. And yes, we know that the chief's private business is finally making a donation to the town after a year in operation to buy this car(but only if the voters pass it, otherwise there will be no donation) But do we REALLY NEED a FOURTH elderly affairs car, when there is almost ALWAYS at least two of the elderly vehicles in the PD parking lot( and why are they still there by the way, I thought those two depts. were SUPPOSED to be SEPARATED?) in addition to the EIGHT police vehicles. Surely if we NEED another elderly vehicle, we can give a police vehicle to them.
Next up is the chief's bid to make all of his elderly work pay. We actually think this a good idea. Make the Elderly Affairs Director an official town position at a salary of $100/yr. This should be a paid position. Maybe we can transform it into a true elderly service, rather than a political organization.
Next up is the Fire Dept. capital reserve, again can we put this off for a year? Yes we WILL pay for it down the road, but maybe when we have to buy that new ambulance or truck, Congress will not be spending a Trillion Dollars everytime they take a vote. To give chief Murphy his due, he has presented the town with a 30 year vehicle replacement and refurbishment plan. The capital reserve is calculated to have enough money at each point that an expenditure is needed to pay for it, without loans and leases.
Article 13 is something new this year. An attempt to create out of the general fund surplus, and expendable trust fund that can be used to fund plowing and winter maintenance beyond what is in the budget. A good idea as we saw last year.
The next 7 warrant articles are our Road paving articles. We actually applaude the budget committee and selectmen for breaking out each road this year into separate warrant articles. This should be fun... Leeetts geeeet reaaddddyyyy to ruuuuuummmmmmbbbbbllllllleeeeeeee!
Article 21 is the further development of the East Road Rec area! You've gotta be kidding me! Can our rec dept. take a break from shaking down the taxpayers for one friggin year? First there was the $400,000 to buy the damn land, then there was the study, then the site work done to date, now just another $80,000 friggin dollars, and we can have landscaping and walking paths! HELL NO! NOT THIS YEAR!
Recreation Cap reserve? Again HELL NO! NOT THIS YEAR! What the hell are you going to buy now?
Next we have the Woodlock Park Cap Reserve! NOT THIS YEAR! WE ARE BROKE, GET IT?
Next we have a generator for town hall. Well if the chief got one, then the town hall needs one, what the hell for? NOT THIS YEAR! People gt this through your heads, money is tight, quit asking for more!
Those damn mosquitos are going to cost us another $46,000, guess we can't avoid that one can we.
$35,000 for siding to the kimball house? Can't this wait?
Articles 27, 28, 29, and 30 all have to do with cable TV and shoudl be paid for out of the Cable Cap Reserve, which is funded by the franchise fee.
Those are the important articles, lets hear your thoughts?
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229 comments:
1 – 200 of 229 Newer› Newest»Tim, as Conservation Chair, could you please address the planning board proposals? I want to know if these are truly pro or con conservation in town. Thanks.
Is this "new" EA car NEW or a USED vehicle? Such-a-Deal on a NEW car does not seem likely. The warrant leaves the question open.
It is supposedly a brand spanking new Subaru. The point isn't how good a deal it is, the point is why do we NEED a 12th vehicle in the PD/elderly fleet? 12!
Lets see some ACTUAL verifiable figures on how many rides are given and how many residents use the program.
Most of the vehicles in that fleet were a deal. That's how we got 11! Doesn't mean we NEED 11!
Actually it's a very good deal for the town. The selectmen instructed Phil to keep a fleet of three cars, meaning that if this warrant passes he must get rid of the oldest car. Since three years of maintenance is included in this deal, the operating expense to use this car should be much cheaper than to maintain and operate the old one. For the short money we're looking at, it's really a no brainer.
As far as the two warrants to put the meetings on ACTV, the blog admin might want to educate himself as to what an operating expense is versus a capital expense. These two are not candidates for the cable CAPITAL fund. The other two are and the IT committee was trying to use those funds for it, but Dale Childs shot them down.
If he actually gets rid of one or two, but he usually doesn't that is how the fleet got so big. Not to mention the accidents up there because the parking lot is so crowded.
According to Subaru a New forrester STARTS at $20,000 with only the Top of the line fully loaded version reaching $28,000.
Fuzzy Math again?
Maybe if he got rid of the two "pleasure vehicles" that "aren't suitable for police work". Then we can talk.
Don't let your hatred of the Chief get in the way of analyzing this warrant. The maintenance and gas savings alone will pay for the cost of the new vehicle. Like I said, it's a no brainer.
I think the warrant articles for the IT stuff should be changed to come out of the Cable Fund. Who cares what Dale Childs says? She doesn't get the final say, the voters do.
It may be a no-brainer but the shell game for years on too many cars and all the maintenance costs & gas & insurance are too much to take. He has no credibility left so I don't care if the car is free. NO MORE CARS. GET IT?
The fleet of ships in the PD lot should cut in half. I'm sick of paying for free rides for everyone certain PD officers included who take cars home. That doesn't happen in other towns. Times are difficult for people but some could care less.
"Who cares what Dale Childs says? She doesn't get the final say, the voters do."
Do any of you actually watch or attend any meetings? Do you actually understand how the town is operated? Dale is a Trustee of the Trust Fund. The committee as a whole controls and decides how spending for the reserve funds is used, and if a requested use is appropriate. That committee decided they were not. This was discussed at length during the budget comm's public hearing. I was there in the audience, and it was beaten to death.
Dale Childs we thank you for your past service but its time for you to retire. When you don't understand the technology and arent willing to educate yourself then you've become a liability to the town. Please enjoy your retirement. Good luck trying to use the Cable TV fund for anything besides cable TV equipment. Can you spell PRECEDENT? I didn't think so.
The selectmen told him he had to get rid of the oldest car if this passes so EA will only have 3. Get it? Apparently not...
To Anon January 26, 2010 9:21 AM
I watched it too. The Trustees of the Trust fund were wrong in their interpretation of the use of the cable TV fund. Plain and simple they were wrong. Rather than let it go to the voters and let the voters decide, two people blocked a funds proper use. Time for them to go. Now it will cost taxpayers $38,000 to get things we already had the money for. Stupid is as stupid does.
"The selectmen told him he had to get rid of the oldest car if this passes so EA will only have 3. Get it? Apparently not..."
Your the moron who doesn't get it. Oh, so we'll only still have eleven vehicles, GREAT DEAL. The PD Fleet should be 5 or 6 cars for its true needs. Get it? Apparently not.
The conservation articles, and all warrants that have a Planning Board seal of approval or not, WILL NOT be discussed at the Deliberative Session. These warrants have to be put on the ballot as presented. They can be modified while being presented to the Planning Board, but once discussion are concluded, that's it. All the PB can do is to recommend or not.
It is a great deal. The gas and maintenance costs savings make it worth it. Like I said, try putting your hate for the chief aside for a moment and use some critical thinking skills, if you have any.
Elderly Affairs car warrant article, we need to see the proposed contract. Vote no car.
Why do we need to buy cars for the Elderly Affairs program?
We have volunteers (not paid) who live in Atkinson who transport seniors and others for the Cancer Society, the Salem and Derry Caregivers in their own vehicles. They are indemnified by state law. They can recoup for mileage and gasoline etc., but a lot don't.
Elderly Affairs car warrant article, we need to see the proposed contract. Vote no car.
Why do we need to buy cars for the Elderly Affairs program?
We have volunteers (not paid) who live in Atkinson who transport seniors and others for the Cancer Society, the Salem and Derry Caregivers in their own vehicles. They are indemnified by state law. They can recoup for mileage and gasoline etc., but a lot don't.
Couple of comments.
On the elderly car, I'm positive Phil will get rid of the oldest of the present fleet, as he promised the Selectmen he would. The question is....will he trade in an old cruiser for the new one that's in his budget? I'm betting no. That's yet another way to increase his fleet to 12.
THe siding on the Kimball House. Was that money included in the contract to built a new library?Need to ask that question. I've been told it was. If so, where did that money go?
I want to know if the car gets traded in if Consentinos son will rush on over and buy it for $400 like he did tke last cruiser.
Why bother having a trust fund for cable if the trustees aren't going to let it be used? Maybe they think the money is theirs and they don't want anyone to touch it.
Cable isn't a trust fund - it's a capital reserve. The only way to take money out is by warrant article.
Okay, so it's a capital reserve. There are two warrants that tried to use it and it was blocked by Dale so why bother having it if you can't use the money?
"Do any of you actually watch or attend any meetings? Do you actually understand how the town is operated? '
Yes, yes and yes.
The real problem is that they should have voted to allow IT to use the funds. They don't get it. It will be the cable committee that steams the meetings to the internet so it could easily come out of the cable fund.
Get it Dale?
Then we can ammend the IT article to use the capital reserve cable fund.
I'm all for the IT getting the money and the cable fund footing the bill.
Agreed. It will be great to be able to watch the meetings off the website. I like what their doing with this warrant.
those cars should be sold by the town not the chief on bids taken in by the town high bidder gets it chief should not be envolved.../.........period
Only about half the homes in town have cable so the town is doing a big disservice to the residents by only providing meetings to cable customers.
They wonder why no one is involved but it's really a result of the way they (mal)function.
It's my opinion that unless they start to rein in the budget and the town employees, they will have more law suits and few committee members.
I'd like the IT committee to get up there and make a motion to change the warrant article to use the capital fund.
Go IT.
What the F__k Dale? I have paid into the resevre fund for over 15years. I have comcast cable and internet. I and we have the right to view streaming video of any and all town meetings. Currently I have to wake up at 3:04am on the
4th Friday of an even month to see a rerun. {The point is it currently sucks to try and watch an old meeting}. No DALE, you want me to pay more tax money to watch streaming video instead of using cable funds? Are you for real? Fred, you obviously think the next election is going to be a cake walk and will not support what is right and proper on this issue. The cable fund is obviously outdated and obsolete if all we can use it for is cameras and cables. This is so short sighted that I can no longer support you Fred as I always felt your heart was in the right place but I am obviously wrong. The monies in the reserve should be transferred to the general fund instead of letting it rot at .25% interest {or there abouts}. You can't stifle technology for it will eat you up. The streaming video would be using the cable committee staff and equipment so how is this not one and the same. You are unwilling to change with the times along with your fellow committee members and MUST be replaced so the run up of our tax dollars begin to end.
GOT IT FRED {up for reelection Childs}?
"They wonder why no one is involved but it's really a result of the way they (mal)function."
I don't get this comment. The selectmen put out a warrant for streaming video equipment to fix the problem of residents not being able to watch if they don't have cable and yet you say they don't function well? Am I missing something here??
Yes, you are missing the fact that the BOS did not put this out, the IT committee did.
Then you have Dale Childs telling IT they can't use the fund for this purpose.
The BOS and Dale are always saying people don't get involved and they do this?
This is a big malfunction in our government.
Don't the committees report to the BOS? This was blocked by Dale, not the BOS. Both Bill's were for this. Fred was against it. Time for the Child's to retire!
Who is running for Selectman against Fred? Whoever it is has my vote.
The primary purpose of the cable funde was to build enough money to create some area for the cable crew to work in. What they have now is absolutely ridiculous. Always has been. Dale knows that, and I'm sure that's why she's against it.
Yea right. She has no idea what it is she's talking about. The equipment was for actv and should be funded with the cable capital fund.
Dale we use dees tings called cumputahs dat help us do woik. Teknolgy or sumthin. We downloaf stuff from da intanet and watch you on TV yellin at peoples. I kin watch you in screamin video so I shore plan to vote fo dat warrant.
Screaming Video. Vote for it. Den da screamin will stop sho nuff.
To Dale and Fred:
Unfortunately for you ANON 12:25pm
01/26/10 was right on. It's time for you both to quit playing games and move on into happy retirement.
Happy as in we'll all be happy you have both retired. I have seen enough malarky for a lifetime and I don't need more from you. Fund the IT proposal, it's good for us and your political future.
JMO
she is against it because they, her ad her husband have decided that a better use for that money is building the addition on town hall!
They no longer need an addition to town hall is they throw out the junk in the storage room.
As a long time Historical Society member,I can tell you absolutely that the cost of residing the Kimball House was not included in the dollars for the new library. The only thing included in that were the costs incurred when the old library was detached from the Kimball House and the connecting door was replaced with a window and the clapboards were patched back around it.
An enlarged town hall is an enlarged town government.
They can sugar coat it but it still tastes rotten.
The generator idea for the town hall is ridiculous. Likewise a generator for the police station when they could use the fire station. That was so stupid!
This town of Atkinson government is so in love with itself.
Atkinson town hall mantra is
Gimme, gimme, gimme
How about give it back to me! I need it to feed my family. Lower my tax bill you creeps. You didn't earn the money. I did.
I think your complaint should be geared towards the schools, not the town. That's where all the money goes. The town employees have gone 2 years without raises. What the hell are you looking for?
To DICK Tracy,
"What the hell are you looking for?"
How about addtional wasted local tax money?
Ex: Bloated library scandal
Ex: Block use of cable funds to
keep for future expansion of
Fred's new office via town
hall addition.
EX: Dump situation where 99% of
residents subsidize 1% who
use it.
ETC, ETC, ETC
Where should I stop DICK Tracey for
it all adds up.
I mean in THIS budget dumb ass! The operating budget is going down this year. The employees are on 2 years without a raise. They are your biggest expense as they are in any budget. Get a clue.
Dumb Ass?
Your reply was in regards to a post speaking about blocking cable funds so as to use them to expand the town hall and about "town government". Last I checked "town government" did not refer to town employees. I understand the 2 years without a raise as I am in a worse situation as far as my last raise. I bet a great number of residents in the private sector have not had a raise in a few years. Most have also seen a cut in benefits and a rise in premiums. Its not about the employees DUMB ASS. Next time you post read carefully so you do not misconstrue the meaning of the post.
ps: This post heading reads
"The warrant has been posted!"
it speaks nothing of
" I mean in THIS budget dumb ass!"
So who's the dumb ass?
jmho
Lets talk about the Library using a diesel generator? Why dont they use a gas powered one since they have thousands of gas on site? If there's such a large outage that needs the library to be a shelter, instead of the fire dept, police dept, town hall, or community center - where does the library expect to get diesel from when gas stations clearly wont have energy to pump the diesel either!
Doesnt seem to bright.. There's thousands of LP gas on site, just use that with a generator!
To Jan.26 - the only reason the operating budget is going down is that the fire station is paid off, thus a big interest and principal payment done with. The rest of the minor decreases don't mean diddly squat, and every item is up over what was actually spent in 2009 - just decreased a bit from what was budgeted.
The budget committee didn't ask ANY hard questions and chairman blackadar wouldn't even listen to hard questions from Valerie Tobin on his own committee
Maybe Harold could donate the car to Phil with all that water company $$$$$.
Will Maggie Osborn
be handing out disposable cameras at the door when people walk into deliberative session
in memory of Frank Polito's gifts and guidance with her real estate projects?
If HAWC donates a car you know the air conditioning is going to smell so bad of chlorine everyone aboard faint. I don't want to think about the Radon.
January 27, 2010 12:39 PM
It would be a nice gesture on Harold's part and show he does have soul. Therefore, don't count on it.
"I think your complaint should be geared towards the schools, not the town. That's where all the money goes."
Isn't that the 'wrong turn' you always use to confuse taxpayers when the town goes on a spending binge?
But a $50,000 air purifier system for the PD to get rid of that awful dog smell in there. I'll vote for THAT one.
So people
I don't remember the wording of the original article establishing a cable capital reserve. Whatever it was, it was done so through a warrant article, legally posted and heard at Public Meeting. There are statutory provisions for the daates of those things.
In other words, you can't touch that money this year. A warrant article next year could be necessary.
Don't believe me? Check the RSAs
Isn't that the 'wrong turn' you always use to confuse taxpayers when the town goes on a spending binge?
What spending binge? Show me a town in MA that can operate on a 4 million dollar budget. Fortunately the many volunteers we have keep the town from having to spend far more than if we had to hire people to do the job. From the volunteer fire department to the volunteers who run the town, including the selectmen ($3500 isn't a salary). Now go back and take a look at the entire tax rate and what the distribution is and you tell me who is on the spending binge.
What would it cost get rid of that pet dog?
OR can you just give it a bath once a month and deduct it from the Police Donation Fund?
Don't believe me? Check the RSAs
And which RSA would that be? If you can't show me I don't believe you.
"What spending binge?"
You get everything you want this year my own property tax rate goes up $300.
THAT spending binge!
And you think the town is the sole driver of your tax rate? Even if all of the warrants pass, it's still less than 4.5 million. How much does the county get? How about the schools?
Fred. How much that gold shovel gonna cost taxpayers for the town hall expansion?
Try RSA 34 for starters.
Hey cloud maker. Why don't you spell it out instead of the cryptic messages. RSA 34 isn't small. Give us the exact text you are talking about or you just full of it like the rest of them. Sounds like BS misdirection to me.
I see nothing in RSA34 that would prevent you from amending the warrants to use the cable capital fund. Sounds like bs to me.
If town employees aren't getting raises (except for Mrs. Snicer and her bonus), then the PD should not be buying car they don't need.
The PD is on a spending binge, as usual.
To answer your question; The town raises approx. $15M.
$10.5 to schools
$4.1 to town
Balance to County.
I included state portion in schools.
34:2. For additional information, read the rest of 34.
Every time we have taken money from a CR, it has been done with a warrant article which was in the posted budget and discussed at the Budget Committee public hearing.
There was one recent year when the town voters changed in INTENT of a CR. It was on the posted warrant and discussed at the public hearing. In short....it was done legally.
RSA 34:2 talks about the ESTABLISHMENT of a capital reserve fund, not the ability to amend a warrant at Deliberative session. I see nothing in RSA 34 that states a warrant can not be amended during deliberative. Try again...
The fire department is not volunteer. They are paid call.
Partial volunteer then. If you had to pay them to man the station and take care of the equipment the costs would be much higher.
That's a valid argument?
Not.
What part of it is not valid? Do they get paid to take care of the equipment or have training or meetings? No. They get paid if there is a call. Period. Pay to staff the station and see what happens to the FD line.
Here's a hint to you. If you're going to try a rebuttal, how about putting some substance behind it. Just saying "No it isn't" doesn't constitute a position.
And your position is valid?
You say this is not a spending binge because in your mind the town spends less that an unspecified MA. town, or because $3500.00 per year is not REAL money to you, or that FD empolyees are paid less that you think they should be paid?
It's still a spending binge, stick to the topic and stop putting an irrelevant spin on it.
It's not valid to say that it's not a spending binge because we could have spent more on things.
Ridiculous.
Dale lost my vote and Fred too. Get with the times people. Your out of touch with reality.
Okay, here's a named MA town with a 3 member board of selectmen and a population similar to ours (6500), Berkeley. Annual budget minus education: $5,287,598. Over 1 million more than Atkinson. I'm still looking to see where this spending binge is. You could make a case for recreation and maybe the generator, but that's probably it and even WITH those items and all the other warrants the budget is still under 4.5 million, or 3/4's of a million less than Berkeley MA.
Okay , here's a town "berkeley ma"
with 17.4 square miles and "atkinson nh" with 11.2 square miles. Also berkeley has a 4 lane highway which cuts thru the town.
How about comparing apples to apples? lemme guess, berkely has no industry or commercial property to shoulder some of the tax base just like atkinson? your berkeley comparision looks great about 3 selectman but it stops there. nice try on the spin cycle but its time to quit spinning the B.S.
jmho
Then you pick a MA town that would be apples to apples. I still haven't heard where this great spending binge is. And $3500 to be a selectmen is nothing more than a stipend considering the amount of hours required from them. In fact, I'd venture to say they put in more hours than the amount of time you people spend bitching about the town.
Well, well, well, at least you can admit your example was a bunch of B.S.. I am on your side on this issue, however, it's not my nature to sit idly by when someone {even if I agree with them} spouts B.S. as facts. Find your own to with 3 selectman to compare for I don't give a shit.
jmho
The problem with that argument is that there IS no apples to apples comparison.
It is very difficult to find a town of 6500 people with NO industry, and NO "downtown". Almost no business, other than cottage businesses.
That is why it doesn't matter what other towns spend, it matters what Atkinson Spends.
The question you should be asking is;
If this town could do everything it needed and some things it didn't for $3.7million last year, why does it cost $3.9 million this yr.?
Berkley Massachusetts, 2009 —
Uncertainty within the state budget and lack of local aid has forced the Berkley board of selectmen to postpone the annual town meeting from June 1 to June 22.
The discussion and unanimous vote came during Wednesday night’s selectmen’s meeting, after the board had spent several weeks unsuccessfully trying to figuring out how to work with the town’s current budget.
“It’s a devastating situation we’re in,” Selectman Julie Taylor said. “
This isn’t the first time the town has postponed a town meeting, but this is the first time in many years that the town has felt such a severe financial crunch. “We’ve talked about a 2 percent cut in the town’s expenses,” said Castillina. “But in the past couple of weeks, we’ve also talked about a 4 percent cut.”
Taylor said without local aid and cuts in Chapter 70, the town is really hurting. She didn’t feel right about taking funds from stabilization. “We can’t fix things with what’s in stabilization,” said Taylor. “It won’t be good if we were to dip into it just to make this year’s budget because we’re setting ourselves up for a terrible time next year.”
About Bristol Elder Services, Inc.
Founded in 1973, Bristol Elder Services, Inc. is a private non-profit corporation, designated as an Aging Services Access Point and an Area Agency on Aging. Bristol serves as the entry point for elder services in southeastern Massachusetts.
We are located at 1 Father DeValles Blvd., Unit 8, Fall River, MA 02723.
Programs are funded in whole, or in part, by contracts with or by grants from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
So?
if they bankrupt the residents there'll be no next year
Did Berkley Mass go for the 4% cut in town services or was it much more.
I vote for a 4% cut in the Atkinson budget this year. That's a start.
Make that a 4% cut based on what the town actually expended last year. A real cut is what we need.
The question you should be asking is;
If this town could do everything it needed and some things it didn't for $3.7million last year, why does it cost $3.9 million this yr.?
Why is this a problem? The town comes in under budget and the money according to Fred is used to pay down the tax rate. 200K gives them a little breathing room in case something unexpected happens. If not, then the surplus will buy down the tax rate again so what's the big deal?
Where the money goes is at the discretion of the selectmen. Most years they do use it to "buy down" the tax rate. But the point is that with a narrow budget the selectmen have to seriously look at their spending and that is always a good thing.
It seems to me they have been so again what's the problem?
I don't want to give them breathing room, that the problem.
Force them to watch each and every cent like many residents have to do now.
They already have been. I guess you missed the memo.
If Berkley Massachusetts needs to cut spending. Atkinson, NH needs to cut spending.
Please return a large chunk of money you to the homeowner.
Thank you.
"I don't want to give them breathing room, that the problem."
Is this how you live? Do you not have one extra cent than what you spent last year? What if you had an emergency? Did not one of your bills go up? Did you cut everything back in your house so that you could live on exactly what you did the previous year, exactly what you spent? Highly unlikely, regardless of what you say. Everything goes up, yet the proposed budget is down by 5%. Some of your clowns will never be happy. I plan on attending deliberative session, and I bet the room will have the same folks in it as usual.
Yes, the town need to tighten its belt. $25K for a generator for Town Hall. I'm sorry, but what absolutely essential service do they serve that dictates such a requirement. None come to mind.
However, keep this one very important fact in mind. Most of our taxes goes to the schools, and they seem to think we're the money tree. Add to the fact we don't have a representative on the School Board.
You want to make a serious dent in your property taxes: Don't fuss so much with the town's finances. Go after the really big spenders.
Mark has pointed this out many times. Timberlane is a mess. Timberlane is one reason your home is worth less. Poor schools equal less home value.
I suggest we focus on the real problem. That entity that soaks up the most money and returns less and less value.
So don't vote for the generator. As a voter, we have total control over it. Just vote it down. Heck, reading the warrant, the budget committee isn't behind it. At least they get it, but again, just say no if you don't want it.
Anon@January 27, 2010 2:03 PM wrote:
Try RSA 34 for starters.
Chapter 34 pertains to cities.
Chapter 35 pertains to towns.
Who isn't fed up with binge spending by Atkinson town government. There is no connection to reality here.
Must be nice to have a cushy taxpayer funded job so you can turn up your nose at everyone else struggling like hell to make it month to month, hand to mouth.
January 28, 2010 8:03 PM
The generator is not my point. That was an example.
I don't have the exact figures in front of me but roughly 20% of our taxes goes to the town. Some goes to the county, the bulk goes to the school district.
Don't ignore the forest for the trees. Yes the town needs to get a reality check. But we should also be pouring over the school budget even more closely. That is where most of our money is going, yet I don't hear a peep out of anyone here.
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Just take responsibiliy for your own fiscal Irresponsibility and leave the school part of the problem to a latter time.
This town is bloated and fat.
Your basic opperating principle is that everyone in Atkinson is rich--or should be. And if you are not rich then MOVE!
Read the statistics. Only 1% make over 100K a year.
How many elderly you forcing out of their homes with your bloated budgets and callour regard?
How come everybody knows they are in Big trouble--but you? Could it be you are just too used to sucking on the taxpayer sugar tit?
This town is bloated and fat
Where? You're doing nothing but throwing out unsubstantiated opinion. Back it up if you can.
Earth to January 29, 2010 10:11 AM.
How in the hell do you come up with a reply like yours to January 29, 2010 9:23 AM. He points out the where most of your money is going and you fly off into a rant.
Take a look at your tax bill. It is not the town forcing people out, its the schools.
Penny wise, pound foolish.
Predictions for tomorrow:
Naile and his merry gang will show up with cameras in hand taking pictures and putting on a show. They'll try to attack the budget and will fail. They'll try to attack the EA car and will fail. At the end of the day they'll have their pictures to commemorate their failures and nothing else. The side show will be over and the adults will continue to run the town while the children skulk back to their blog trying to find their next boogeyman.
"Is this how you live? Do you not have one extra cent than what you spent last year? What if you had an emergency? Did not one of your bills go up? Did you cut everything back in your house so that you could live on exactly what you did the previous year, exactly what you spent? Highly unlikely, regardless of what you say. Everything goes up, yet the proposed budget is down by 5%. Some of your clowns will never be happy. I plan on attending deliberative session, and I bet the room will have the same folks in it as usual."
You're kind of a jerk, do you know that?
Bottom line: they work for us, we want them to cut back and they will if they have no breathing room.
Get it now block head?
To help the selectmen cut expenses, I think you should volunteer to plow your own street.
The proposed budget is down 5% from last years proposed budget. It is UP 5% over last years spending.
They do have a TA now to pay for. Other items have gone up in price too. Duh.
Dear struggling taxpayer!
The town budget is NOT down 5%, it will be up 18% over what was spent last year if they get everything they recommended we vote for.
The 5% decrease really means they are ASKING for 5% less than they ASKED for last year. Our '09 taxes were based on what they spent and we want them to meet this in '10.
And do we really need to pay for ANOTHER new car?
Dear struggling taxpayer!
Ed's gang getting desperate. LOL! Looks like an email chain I've seen going around town. I'll give them a A for effort anyway. Of course, they'll end up with an F for execution.
THE EAGLE TRIBUNE:
Our view: Atkinson funds need proper management - August 18, 2008
--
For years, Atkinson, N.H. police Chief Philip Consentino has argued there was nothing wrong with the way he collected and spent donations of money for the Police Department and assistance to the elderly.
Now, the New Hampshire attorney general disagrees.
The attorney general's office said in a letter to town officials that five donation accounts under Consentino's control are being managed illegally. The office's charitable trust unit wrote that the violations were likely due to ignorance of the law and said that the management of the accounts must be brought into compliance with the law.
Consentino has been a focal point for public criticism due to his multiple roles in town affairs and his handling of the accounts. In addition to police chief, Consentino serves as director of elderly affairs. He once also served as a selectman and was reprimanded by a Superior Court judge for presiding over meetings in which police or elderly affairs matters were discussed.
But Consentino is also popular, particularly amount the senior citizens he serves as elderly affairs director.
Consentino conducts a donation drive each year, sending out solicitations on police letterhead, wrote Terry Knowles, assistant director of the charitable trust unit. The money collected is distributed among five funds -- the senior donation fund, "Life is Not Done Group, "The Police Department equipment, DARE and police funds.
The money is spent at the chief's discretion, with the approval of the selectmen. Consentino will make withdrawals from the fund for anything from flowers to fuel assistance for a senior.
There are several problems with this, according to Knowles. First, the chief has sole discretion in selecting who gets money. Knowles recommended that the jobse of police chief and elderly affairs director be separate and distinct and that a system be established for determining who receives money.
Also, Knowles wrote that the accounts need to be placed under the control of the Trustees of the Trust Fund, who would then control who may make authorized disbursements. The trustees would also issue annual, public reports on account balances and activity.
Consentino's methods may have worked well when Atkinson was a sleepy farming town. But it is now an increasingly prosperous residential community, among the fastest-growing in the state. Atkinson officials must act on this report and bring their charitable fund management into the 21st century.
And so he did. so what's the point?
The point is the the chief does things WRONG until he is forced by a court or the state to do it RIGHT because BOOTLICKING FOOLS like you defend him.
Got it now (heh-heh)?
Tomorrow, 1/30, is the delibertive session. Did you get a meeting warrant?
I like food item in the police budget. 200 dollars a month no other department has this line item.
50 bucks a week = over a dozen dougnuts a day.....Hahahahahahaaha
My bad its 1500 dollars more than town hall
Boy, you folks really came out in force today. Nice job!
Now why don't you leave the running of the town to people who actually DO seem to care, after all, at least we showed up...
Actually 6:46
He DID NOT do so. Instead of placing the donation account under the management of the Trustees of the trust funds, where it would have been open and accountable, HE chose to start a private non-profit corporation, the selectmen rolled the donation account money into it, and Phil was off and running with NO oversight, and NO accountability, as usual, except he was doing it legally this time.
Well that is at least an improvement over his usual methods
Anon 5:22,
I was sceered of chiefums! THAT'S why I did not participate in our democracy.
That, and I had other things to do...
there was nothing controversial, except for the 49th car, so we can beat that at the ballot.
Nothing controversial if you don't mind your tax bill just went up $300. Enjoy!
I thought Jim did an excellent job as moderator. I thought it was a good deliberative session.
Why would you want to defeat the replacement car when it will save money in gas and maintenance? That's just dumb.
I to was pleasantly surprised at the job Jim did. Especially when he kept the speakers on subject.
However, do not forget that many of the things voted on are just a blip on our tax bill radar. I don't remember the exact percentage, but 70 to 80% of our bills goes to the school district.
A school district in the bottom 3rd of NH schools. Where the per student costs exceed what a private school tuition would be.
You want to make a real dent in your tax bill, don't look to nickle and dimeing town expenses. Go after the real money. Attend the school district deliberative session Thursday night. There you can make a real difference.
To 11:14 am
THANK YOU for urging voters to attend Timberlane's Deliberative Session. They won't, and it wouldn't do any good anyway. However, this gives me an opportunity to urge a whole lot of post-deliberative anti-budget advertising. With the Timberlane annuel report, you can calculate what your taxes will be (for all 4 towns) and go from there. Same goes for the town.
Three open positions not filled and Fred's running unopposed. You bloggers really stepped up to the plate didn't you! Just goes to show what you're all about. You've just lost all credibility.
Credibility? What credibility? I don't believe they ever had any. No matter what town these folks that supposedly care lived in, they would find a reason to b!tch, but also a reason not to do anything. Did anyone expect any less?
Think about it. All of you worshipers of Valerie Tobin...I counted 5 people at that table, and she wasn't one of them. Where was she at deliberative session? She was a no show, and she's on the budget committee. Good way to show up for the cause, no matter which side you are on.
I was trying to be generous. Personality fault obviously.
Hm, the LIBRARY DIRECTOR is getting A RAISE THIS YEAR! SHE DOESNT CARE ABOUT HER EMPLOYEES, OR ANYONE ELSE IN THE TOWN.. HOW COME NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT THAT?
They have their budget, and my understanding is once they do, they can do with it as they see fit.
Care to share how you would know such a thing?
Regard for the taxpayers pocketbook yesterday. Don't get the message spending is out of control like these bloggers want you to think. That is of no concern. We helped you. It's the school budget that's the problem. Not our tax hike. You won't even feel it.
We can't tell you how many hundreds more
you will pay yet but don't worry about it. You can afford it.
Happy day yesterday for us. Hope your day was fun at the ball game. Thank you.
"ball game" speaking of.
Didn't you just love how Jack got shot down yesterday. First, there are the groans when he steps up. Then, he tries to delay closing the town budget discussion, with no reasons given.
Then, we get his trademark passionate plea, this time for the capital reserve fund specifically for the Pope Rd. park. It's all about the kids. It's all about Little League. Um um, right.
What happened yesterday is monumental. Frank is gone and the meeting goes extremely well. Jack speaks, no one listens. Two down, one to go.
the food item in the pd budget is for the prison trustee they have to wash and clean the cars and station. even inmated have to eat, too.
Wow! A donught joke! That was original! Maybe you could write for Conan when he goes to fox!
Like it or not I have to side with Jack on this one. I couln't believe that selectman bennet suggested it should ammended to zero. That area {POPE} should come 1st. The east rd project is a joke.
jmo
The State is broke and it's not going to get better next year.
State reimbursement dollars have dropped two years in a row, and next year will be worse. Taxpayers will have to pick up the difference.
The oversize budget that just got passed by the town hacks means you get to pick up the whole tab instead of the town cutting back on their spending.
How much taxation can you afford?
Your taxes are going to soar.
Valerie Tobin was attending a ANC meeting up in Manchester.
This in a MLM scam that she is part of, seems to me ripping off her friends and family is more important than us.
Before you get sucked into this "deal" be sure to do your homework. It is amazing that a public figure is involved with a company that teaches it's reps to lie and scam you into buying into ANC.
Do your research before signing. You will be amazed how much you will lose in money, friends and family after you suck them in with you.
This shows that some of our town officials are wolfs in sheep's clothing.
To 2/1/10 2:24am
What do the acronyms stand for?
You lost me.
Are you aware that anonymous slurs on the blog resulted in a court case against the maligner? He lost in court and almost lost his job when his employer confiscated the work computer that he used for slandering...
What I liked most about Jim's approach to the deliberative meeting is that he didn't allow someone to cut off debate before people had a chance to speak to the issue. Last year a motion would be made to amend a warrant and then another to call to question which Frank allowed cutting off the possibility of debate. That's not the way it should work and I was glad that Jim corrected that this year. A job well done Mr Garrity.
Police log
Londonderry
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Criminal mischief: Pillsbury Road, 11:40 a.m.
Warrant arrest: Irene Montminy, 38, 6 Seminole Place, charged with eight counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, 12:17 p.m.
Arrest: Julie Steeves, 33, 32 George St., Manchester, charged with two counts of possession of a controlled narcotic/drugs, 5:51 p.m.
Plaistow
Wednesday, Jan. 27
Arrest: Loubriel Rosario, 21, 35 North St., Haverhill, Mass., charged with simple assault.
Assault: 9 Barker St., 8:21 a.m.
Weapons offenses: 15 Stonebridge Drive, 9:17 a.m.
Assault: 24 Shady Lane, 3:13 p.m.
Burglary: 31 Sweethill Road, 3:25 p.m.
Salem
Wednesday, Jan. 27
Harassment: 49 Pelham Road, 8:26 a.m.
Theft: 15 Marsh Ave., 1:54 p.m.
Arrest: Camryn Rogers, 18, 17 Silvestri Circle, Derry, charged with possession of a controlled narcotic/drugs and transportation of liquor by a minor, 6:17 p.m.
Arrest: Allisha Deforest, 20, 81 Oakland Ave., Methuen, Mass., charged with possession of a controlled narcotic/drugs, 6:17 p.m.
Arrest: Leah Gouvbia, 19, 1 West Land St., Methuen, Mass., charged with possession of a controlled narcotic/drugs, 6:17 p.m.
Sandown
Sunday, Jan. 10
Arrest: Juvenile, 17, Atkinson, charged with being a minor in possession of alcohol.
Thursday, Jan. 14
Arrest: Shaun Wright, 21, charges not listed.
Arrest: Paul Byron, 49, charged with simple assault.
Criminal threatening: Dee Dee Drive
Deputy Police Chief placed on paid leave Ganley will be out of work indefinitely
By Jillian Jorgensen
jjorgensen@eagletribune.com
SALEM — Police Deputy Chief William Ganley has been placed on indefinite paid administrative leave by the town.
Interim Town Manager Henry LaBranche said he took the action late Friday afternoon. He will remain on leave pending an investigation by LaBranche and Chief Paul T. Donovan.
Ganley did not return messages left for him yesterday. Ganley, whose father John P. Ganley was police chief in Salem, joined the department as a full-time officer in 1988. He was a sergeant, lieutenant and captain before being promoted to deputy chief in 2007. The deputy chief position is the second in command in the department.
LaBranche said the leave would be "indefinite until such time as I complete my review."
Ganley's contract with the town is controlled by the town manager, he said.
LaBranche would not say the nature of the investigation he was conducting, saying the matter would go through an administrative hearing process.
"I need to protect his rights both under his individual contract with the town," including due process guarantees, and as a member of the Salem Professional Administrators union, LaBranche said.
Board of Selectman Chairman Arthur Barnes said the board would hold a nonpublic meeting Tuesday evening.
"Usually we wouldn't have a meeting about a topic like this while it's going down, but because of the notoriety that this particular one is attracting ... I think it's prudent that the manager update the rest of the board," he said.
Barnes said LaBranche's action followed an administrative hearing Friday. He said he could not comment further on the situation while it was still in the hearing and investigative stage.
While department heads give monthly reports to the town manager that can include information about employees, selectmen do not see the portions having to do with personnel matters, Barnes said.
$25,000 donation boosts recreation $25K gift to aid recreation
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
ATKINSON — A $25,000 anonymous donation would decrease the cost of town's most expensive warrant article to finish construction of the East Road Recreation Area at yesterday's deliberative session.
The $80,000 warrant article would fund a well for the two athletic fields, and a walking path and parking lot.
If approved by voters at Town Meeting in March, the fields would be ready for use next spring.
"The person who is donating is not donating if the article doesn't pass," said Patti Mangini, chairwoman of the town Recreation Committee.
The majority of the 28 articles presented yesterday were moved to the March ballot without any changes.
Many were moved to the ballot without any debate from residents. Those included seven articles to do road work and an article to pay Philip Consentino $100 per year for his job as Elderly Affairs Director. Consentino is also the part-time police chief. The only addition to the $3.9 million budget was $4,000 for the Assessing Department so the town can put property tax information on the town Web site.
Voters approved an article to put the information online at last year's Town Meeting, but the article didn't include any funding, Selectman Bill Friel said.
An article to raise $6,500 to buy a 2010 Subaru Forester for the Elderly Affairs Department was amended to clarify that the majority of the purchase is being funded through the Atkinson Police Charitable Fund. The article was also changed to clarify that the new vehicle will replace a less efficient vehicle currently in the department's fleet.
The March Town Meeting will be the first time voters will be asked to add $15,000 to an account that will fund winter snow plowing.
Selectman Bill Bennett said the town should have this account for emergencies not covered in the operating budget.
"Our intention is to carry this with nominal contributions in future Town Meetings," Bennett said.
Town Meeting is March 9
The State is broke and it's not going to get better next year.
State reimbursement dollars have dropped two years in a row, and next year will be worse. Taxpayers will have to pick up the difference.
The oversize budget that just got passed by the town hacks means you get to pick up the whole tab instead of the town cutting back on their spending.
How much taxation can you afford?
Your taxes are going to soar.
Did you run for one of the open seats? Why didn't you run against Fred? Oh, that's right, you only know how to be an arm chair quarterback.
Thats your snappy comeback for the poor taxpayers who have to pay for your spending binge?
For one, I don't own it. For two, I don't see a "spending binge". Finally, if you can do a better job then step up to the plate. All the blog whiners just want to bitch. They have no solutions and aren't willing to do any work. Your complaints seem pretty pathetic.
1. Jim Garrity did an excellent job as Moderator. He took the time to go over all of the rules.
I especially liked Garrity's insistence that we use the N.H. Legislature's rule that all speakers speak respectfully of other speakers who they disagreed with-- the idea of referring to them NOT by name, but as ''my good neighbor.''
The most appreciated aspect of Garrity's moderating was that AT NO TIME could anyone present tell how Garrity personally felt about any warrant article.
Unlike Polito, he didn't smirk or give snide comments or treat a speaker a certain way depending on whether or not he agreed with the speaker.
Under Garrity's moderating, there was none of the heckling that Polito was notorious for allowing.
With Garriety having made it clear beforehand that he would not tolerate any heckling, Atkinson's two rude and verbally abusive hecklers - Dale Childs and Phil Consentino -- for once keeping their heckling mouths shut. Thank you to Garrity for stopping them from thier usual disrupting Deliberative Session by always being rudely verbally abusive.
No one has signed up to run for Moderator on next month's Town Meeting ballot. Hopefully, residents will write in Jim Garrity's name.
2. Bill Bennet's personal attack on Sapia's position while Sapia was at the mic was inexcusable. Bennet acted just like his mentor, Phil Consentino. Shame on Bennett for disrespecting a speaker. Just goes to show you that Bennett has no respect or tolerance for anyone he disagrees with. I will not ever vote for him again for selectmen. He has shown that he is arrogant and has no class or courtesy about him.
"They have no solutions and aren't willing to do any work. Your complaints seem pretty pathetic."
Not true. You make these statements filled with assumptions about people and you don't even know who you are talking about, let alone what they do for the town.
Now get back to work and wash your dog.
Re: the destruction of the petitioned referendum article concerning whether or not the legislature should address a change in the NH Sate Constitution concerning the definition of MARRIAGE.
That petitioned warrant article should have been allowed to go to ballot, as should ANY citizen's petitioned warrant article. That's part of the democratic process.
I saw that warrant article for the first time at Deliberative Session and had nothing to do with its submission.
As a retired History and Civics teacher, I enjoy seeing citizens get actively involved in their government. I also strongly support the right of ANY citizens to gather petition signatures to put ANY issue on the ballot -- whether or not I agree with the petition.
By a relatively few totally destroying and preventing that petitioned warrant article from going to ballot was demonstrated nothing less than an arrogance, a display of gross intolerance, and a disrespecting of the rights of their fellow citizens at the March 9 ballot voting.
This is not the first time that an arrogant and intolerant few at Deliberative Session have interferred with the right of their fellow residents to express their feelings on a ballot issue -- whether by zeroing an article or by destroying the text of the article.
Those intolerant few, while it is not illegal to do what they did, do not have any right to themselves try to speak for or act for the Atkinson voter.
And please spare me any feeble attempts to excuse such arrogant
and intolerant behavior by saying that if more people had shown up at deliberative session, those intolerant few would not have been able to get away with their shameful behavior.
Who would have expected or would have known that some bigoted and intolerant people would so disrespected the petitioners by their bigoted attitude that no one's position counts but their own.
It wasn't even a binding article. It was nothing more or less than a simple referendum article to give our legislators an idea and sense of how their respective constituents feel about the issue. How can our legislators represent us if some intolerant people block them from knowing how we feel?
Because of their arrogance and intolerance, we'll never know how the people of Atkinson feel about the issue -- which side of that issue has the support of most Atkinson's residents.
Whatever side of the issue you're on, you don't have the right to deny others the right to equally express their feelings on the ballot.
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx
It's very easy to contact your representative Mrs. Grant. I would think you would know that.
"Bill Bennet's personal attack on Sapia's position "
I was sitting right there. What attack? Sapia's comments are usually based on emotion, rarely based on facts. I heard disagreements, but no attacks.
The closest I saw of disrespectful behavior was Dale Childs snitty remarks towards the IT committee.
Hey Dale, weren't you and your hubby going to spend the cable cap reserve on an addition to town hall last 2 yrs. that would only peripherally benefit cable tv? So why can't money be used out of that cap reserve for enhancements to cable broadcasting of meetings?
And where do you get off telling the town YOU are not going to spend money out of that account for that purpose?
YOU will do what the voters tell you!
American Communications Network= acn
Muliti level marketing= MLM
I hope this helps and it is never slander if it is true!
"What do the acronyms stand for?
You lost me.
Are you aware that anonymous slurs on the blog resulted in a court case against the maligner? He lost in court and almost lost his job when his employer confiscated the work computer that he used for slandering..."
February 1, 2010 8:00 AM
Dale Childs said at deliberative session, "These Cable tax reserve funds are for Cable use only, NOT for non-cable (unwanted) things like Internet Streaming of town videos or town meetings."
Someone had the brains to say at the microphone "MOST PEOPLE IN TOWN GET THEIR INTERNET THROUGH THEIR CABLE."!!!!!!
Cable bill = Internet bill
Dale Childs = Ignorant of how people get their Internet. Or is there something else behind it.
Taxpayers will have to pay more so $107,000 in Cable funds can remain hidden away in the town's pocket?
They want it to justify expanding town hall and expanding town government. Oh great.
That helps who?
Not me! Not You!
Also, there is a planned strategy to sabotage transparency and keep town meetings and wrongdoing hidden and off the town website.
Most likely, the town political hacks will get Internet Streaming "gutted" by putting out a BIG PRICE TAG for it and then nailing it on the taxpayers butt.
This is their message to the taxpayer: "You want transparency? We town hacks don't need it. We work night and day to prevent it. If you want to try to get it, then pay through the nose, sucker!"
Dale also said that if people wanted to use the cable capital reserve for something else, they can submit an article next year to change the intent from facility to whatever they want.
In other words, wait a year.
By the way, that fund can't be used for ANYTHING until the voters vote. They've already done it twice, with proposed additions to town hall.
This was for cable. Dale was wrong to block the funds for the warrants.
The cable crew records the meeting and schedules the replays on TV. They have the recording file and would only have to upload it to the town website.
What part of this did Dale not understand that she thinks it's not a cable related function?
Don't you get it. She thinks its her money and she'll do what she pleases with it, including keeping it from doing the public any good.
Honestly,the way people here are vilified is truly amazing. Let's list the villains:
The Chief
Jack Sapia
Frank Polito
William Baldwin
Maggie Osborn
The Timberlane School District
Kay Galloway
And now Dale Childs "She thinks its her money and she'll do what she pleases with it..."
I DO get it. Some of you are completely insane to think the whole town is against you. I suggest a visit to a doctor!
LOL!!!
Valerie was at an ACN meeting? MLM/Pyramid scam! I've lost any bit of faith I had in her to be the right type of person to lead us forward out of this mess. She lost my vote if she ever runs for anything.
Have you ever had the unfortunate experience of meeting dale? This is not a nice person and she was wrong to block the usage of those funds. Did you see the exchange between the IT committee and dale??? The woman is a dolt.
Ok, time to interject some facts here;
Although I am not involved with ACN, I am familiar with their products. It is a multi billion dollar company, officially affiliated with the Trump Network, and various telecommunications providers. Their main product is a state of the art videophone, which I know many military families use to speak and see their loved one serving overseas.
It is not a scam, but a business. If you don't like the business model, that is fine, but that doesn't change the facts, just your estimation of them. As for Valerie, I know that this is one facet of her business, I happen to think that running your own business is a plus for a town official, not a detraction. But that is just my opinion.
Dale did the world a favor by showing everyone how ignorant she is with her backwards interpretations of the Cable Capital Fund's proper use.
I can't believe we have such incompetent people running important things in town.
It was like watching the Clampetts go to town meeting. I was waiting for her to tell us about her possum and hog jowls stew recipe she made for Fred last night.
Just my opinion of course
Takeing advantage of residents is not an indicator of a GOOD business. Just type in anc scam in google and read away.
The truth will set you free!
Gee, it's "officially" affiliated with the Trump network...like that should mean something? Trump isn't known for his ethical business practices.
They are an MLM company, which is a fancy term for pyramid scheme.
Valerie is free to do what she wants. I do not know her and don't care. But don't try to paint this company as more than it is Mark. They make majority of the money from reps signing up other reps.
The Clampett's, that pretty darn accurate.
Fred and Dale
Opponents of same-sex marriage wanted residents to vote on a constitutional amendment that would define marriage in NH.
I don't think this type of question should be presented to the voters, it belongs in the legislature. You don't give people an opportunity to vote on the rights of others who have different skin color or any other human distinction. This would only give the chance to biased people to take away the rights of others.
I am glad this was voted down at the session and that gay marriage is intact in NM. I am not gay but do not judge how others want to live.
typo, NH, not NM
To Carol Grant...
You use the word "rights" very freely, and in my view, incorrectly.
Petitioners do not have the "right" for their article to appear on the March ballot. They only have the "right" for it to be heard at Deliberative Session.
And the Session body has the "right" to amend (or gut) any article as it sees fit by majority vote.
This system is purposeful so as to set a high bar that prevents frivilous (or unpopular, or illegal) articles from reaching the March ballot.
So while you regret the outcome of the proceedings on the marriage issue, no one's "rights" were violated. The system worked exactly as intended... the resulting article going to the ballot was as the majority wanted it.
To: 2/1/10 8:36pm
I am in support of just about everyone on your list. However,
to sit back and watch Dale say she
can't change her mind {as the budget committee did} makes no sense. I don't think anyone at deliberative except for Fred and Dale had the mindset that those monies cannot be used for the IT warrants to stream video. I am also a comcast customer with the bundle. I never watch meetings on channel 20 because of the poor scheduling of reruns. To attempt to block the streaming of videos by blocking funding is a very bad move for this community. Why would Dale not want this on town warrant to allow the will of the people to vote on it? Atleast we all got to see her true colors. It's to bad we have to wait for a rerun to see what a horse's ass she made of herself. I have always supported Fred as selectman but will write in Mickey Mouse before I ever vote for any Child in the future. It's obvious that the trustees of the trusts need some new bodies to represent our ideals as Dale's views no longer share the vision of open government. I haver spoken with numerous Atkinsonians and NOT ONE understands or agrees with her interpretation of the original cable warrant. We want streaming video and we have already paid thru the cable fund. We do not want to pay again thru taxes. Wake up Dale and get your head out of the horse's ass it is apparently stuck in.
jmho
Carol,
I got it 'right'.
You said..."So while you regret the outcome of the proceedings on the marriage issue, no one's "rights" were violated. The system worked exactly as intended... the resulting article going to the ballot was as the majority wanted it."
First, it was my understanding (not seeing this particular debate on tv) that this article was voted off the ballot entirely. I based my comment on your posting yesterday. Apparently, it is headed for the ballot....my bad.
I will say this another way: I believe that we all have the right to marry anyone and we should not be voting on taking away another person's right, any rights. If you think for one moment that you, in a majority, can say you can do something others cannot, you are biased. People have historically chosen (yes, chosen) to deny others because they can and I think this is wrong, wrong, wrong.
No matter the subject, if one has the right, so has another. The system is failing us all when anyone can selectively vote away rights.
I do not think this should go to the voters.
Does anyone know if they got a second when they attempted to ammend the IT article to use the cable fund?
Did they have a vote or did Dale's (and Mrs. Snicer's) comments stop the proceeding.
They do not have a right to prevent the voters from moving ANYTHING to the ballot and the vote should have happened.
It's to bad Barbara Snicer has no back bone for she clearly played follow the leader on this one. Barbara, you could have done what was right! It's to bad you're spineless. You looked equally as bad. Again, why won't you and Dale support us the txpayers? What do you intend to do with OUR money?
Why must we wait till next year?
What is your reasoning other than the DRA says it's your decision?
DRA is wrong as usual.
When you speak of Dale and Barbara, you are referring to two of the most outstading former budget committee members this town has ever seen. They both know the laws inside out, and Barbara was also very involved in cable tv when the capital reserve was initially proposed. If they both say the money couldn't come from the cable fund, and both noted that the original intent - approved by the voters - was to establish a fund for a future facility (hopefully large enough to accomodate more than one person)they're right. THe intent to expand that addition to provide additional space for town hall storage and other things came later. Dale also said that the IT committee could put an article in next year's warrant to change the original intent of the reserve. The voters have to vote on whether they want to change the intent before it can change.
Get over it. Wait until next year and put in an article.
I will not "get over it". My opinion is that they are both screwing all taxpayers. It's to late for next year. The articles will be on the warrant with my tax dollars paying for it this year. Ask Dale if DRA is wrong. She agrees with them that she and Barbara alone get to decide on this issue. I don't think you understand what the issue even is. There is no defending them on this subject. They are just pissed at the IT committee for not bowing before them and that is all the justification they need to take the stance they have. I don't care how much service they have dedicated to the town, they're still WRONG on the issue. I have gotten over it as it no longer matters what anyone thinks. It's to late for them to change their minds. I'm just glad the voters saw them both in action. I just want everyone to be aware of their performance or lack thereof. I like pissing away my $$$$$$$$$$$$$
at the hands of others. This of course is just my humble opinion.
jmho
EVERYONE disagrees with Dale and Barbara and you.
Yipppeee Kayaaeee
You freak.
You related to them?
LOL
The 2008 Town Report has a balance sheet for the trust funds for 2007 on page 14. First, Why 2007?
What is interesting is that the Cable TV fund ended the year with a balance of $316,316.57. $0.00 was withdrawn from the fund.
The question to be asked, why isn't money being put to use?
To Anonymous 2:57 and 3:39,
You both totally misunderstood the
intent of my posting -- which was to say that NO ONE has the right to interfere with the voting rights of another person.
What the petitioned warrant article was about is irrelevant to the democratic process.
By state law, any citizens can, by petition, submit a warrant article to be voted on by their fellow citizens.
Just because you or someone else disagrees with the warrant article does not give you the right to prevent others from voting on it at Town Meeting. What makes your opinion more valid that another voter's. That is intolerance, pure and simple.
If you're against what the warrant article is about, show up at March 9 Town Meeting, and mark your ballot 'NO'. But don't deny others the equal vote to vote how they feel. Simple fairness.
Also at Deliberative Session what might be considered ''frivolous'' to some people might be very serious to other people. Who are those who might consider it frivolous to speak and decide for the rest of us???
Very frankly, I feel that those who zero an appropriation article or gut an article as was done with the referendum do so because they are afraid that the rest of the townspeople will vote for and pass what they oppose. The warrant article gutters obviously had no faith in the intelligence or ability of the Town Meeting voters.
They just might have been surprised at the voting results.
I meant to say, "The question to be asked, why isn't that money being put to use?"
How can we put the money to use if
the guard dogs only want to use it to fund a big office for Fred for all his years of service? Since the voters blew this idea out of the water twice, they would rather let inflation rot the value of this fund away. Why let ACTV buy new cameras to stream video? This would deplete funds from the primary objective. This is only my humble opinion.
jmho
Not for nothing Carol, but if the petitioner was so concerned about this warrant, why wasn't he there? Sounds like it was his own fault it was shot down. The deliberative body did their job. Just because you didn't agree with the outcome, doesn't mean they didn't.
Carol,
Normally I would agree with you, but only on warrants that pertain to the town.
The warrant in question had nothing whatsoever to do with the town, and if passed, it would have implied the whole town agreed with it when many don't.
If a person has an issue with this topic the best way to address it is personally with their representatives.
That aside, you know better than anyone what the law is, and it says the Deliberative Session can do anything they want with a warrant.
The form of government we have is not working. It puts to much power in to few hands. Rather than complain about warrant modifications what you, and the rest, should be doing is advocating for a form of government that does work. We need a Charter Committee to get that started.
A Charter Committee??? An expanded town government with dispersed power??? We have three spots that are empty on the ballot. We can't even get the existing spots filled and you want to expand town government. Are you out of your mind???
February 2, 2010 8:18 PM
The current system is broken. You got a better idea?
First, why is it broken? Second, if you want to fill additional slots you may have to start making them paid. If you want your town budget to go up considerably, then you could explore that route.
When things (Atkinson Government) get bad one of two reactions. Fight or flight. This time flight has been chosen. Fight has resulted only in Pyrrhic victory.
I'll try again. Why is it broken? You say "when things get bad", meaning what? The economy? The BOS? The trustees? What?
Why is it bad? Phil, Phil, PHIL!!! And HWAC, and Maggie Obsborn! And Timberlane! And William Baldwin, Frank Polito, and Jack Sapia! Wah!!!
"If you're against what the warrant article is about, show up at March 9 Town Meeting, and mark your ballot 'NO'. But don't deny others the equal vote to vote how they feel. Simple fairness.
"
Some things should not be voted on, they are our civil rights and we should not be able to vote on them period.
"Not for nothing Carol, but if the petitioner was so concerned about this warrant, why wasn't he there? "
Cancer.
To: Carol Grant
From: Anon 2/2 2:57
You said
"Just because you or someone else disagrees with the warrant article does not give you the right to prevent others from voting on it at Town Meeting."
and
"Also at Deliberative Session what might be considered ''frivolous'' to some people might be very serious to other people. Who are those who might consider it frivolous to speak and decide for the rest of us???
The answer to both is simple... those of us who show up at Deliberative Session do indeed the "right" to decide what goes on the March ballot. As I've said before, the power goes to those willing to show up at Deliberative Session and wield it. The "stay-at-homes" get to vote in March on what the Deliberative Body chooses for them to see.
This form of governance is purposeful (and in my view, appropriate).
"Why is it broken? You say "when things get bad", meaning what? The economy? The BOS? The trustees? What?"
Why is it broken? Guess it takes lawsuits to show you bone heads what you are too stupid to come up with.
You corrupt nuts can't keep from stepping in it because of your arrogance and felling yor are invincible and do any wrong you want and get away with it.
Three, count em, Thee more new lawsuits comming at you to repair your conduct.
And you don't care because you think you are kings instead of public servants. You twist the law and lie about it.
Three more new ones? I know about the existing ones. What are these new lawsuits? Has the current BOS been corrupt? Because Frank stepped in it, does that mean we need to change our form of government like someone is suggesting? You can get that in any form of government. I'm asking what is broken with our current form of government. Why does it need to be changed? Do you understand the question now?
I agree with Carol Grant. No one person or group of persons should be allowed to deny others the right to vote on any issue.
My wife could not attend Deliberative Session because she works on Saturdays while I can't go because of having to take care of our kids.
It really makes me angry that we both will now be denied our right to vote on an issue bacause a couple of people selfishly decided to deny us our right to vote on the same warrant article that those self-centered few voted on at Deliberative Session.
Also, Atkinson's elderly were also denied the right to vote on the issue because most of them can't sit all day at Dyke.
Some people just think they're better than others and that their opinions are the only ones that should count. Jack-ass know it alls.
Whether it should or should not be allowed can be debated, however, the current law allows for a warrant to be gutted. Complain all you want, but you have to work within the framework of the rules. As far as the issue that the warrant wanted to address, you can vote by calling your representatives. You haven't been denied any rights. Saying that is an outright lie.
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