From the Eagle Tribune;
January 26, 2011
Atkinson voters asked to OK land purchase
By Cara Hogan chogan@eagletribune.com The Eagle Tribune Wed Jan 26, 2011, 12:13 AM EST
ATKINSON — Voters will be asked to approve the purchase of 0.83 acres of land on Academy Avenue. But the purchase price is in question.
A warrant article calls for $161,000 to buy the parcel, but Selectman Bill Bennett said the price could be amended at the deliberative session Feb. 5.
Selectmen put their support behind the article, but the Budget Committee didn't — because the sale price is above the assessed value, Bennett said.
"That is probably above market value at this time, so we will be negotiating the price with the seller and probably will amend the value at Town Meeting," he said. "The Budget Committee didn't want to put their recommendation on that higher value."
Bennett said the land would expand the town commons area and remain a green space for concerts and other town events, if voters approve it.
The Budget Committee was a little more fiscally conservative than selectmen when it came to backing warrant articles with significant price tags.
"All the departments were made aware that we are still in economic difficulties and they should come in at the bare minimum of what is needed," Town Administrator Philip Smith said. "Some things just have to be done. Some stuff is safety, like generators and fire protection. The voter has to balance and decide what's important to them."
The 34 warrant articles total $883,000.
The Budget Committee did not recommend articles calling for $60,000 to update the fire protection system at Town Hall, $50,000 for a generator for the library, $35,000 for a generator for Town Hall and $9,200 for a part-time clerical position at Town Hall.
Bennett said a new sprinkler system at Town Hall is not a frivolous expense.
"The Town Hall sprinkler system does not offer adequate fire protection," he said. "Though the budget committee took the attitude it's been OK for all these years, I can't, in good conscience, support waiting."
But there was some agreement. Both boards recommended $spending $10,000 for repairs to the Atkinson Community Center.
"The floors of the center need to be resanded and refinished," Smith said. "It's an old building and needs yearly repairs."
Smith said the other big issue is road repairs.
"The roads are really falling apart. People call in to say they can't drive on them," he said.
Bennett agreed and said not keeping up with road repairs would be "penny wise and pound foolish."
Both boards recommended the town spend $132,000 to reconstruct 0.4 miles of Hovey Meadow Road, $12,300 to repair 0.12 miles of Hoyt Circle and $109,000 to reconstruct two parts of Merrill Drive. Those repairs also were recommended unanimously.
The town's deliberative session is at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at Atkinson Academy.
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100 comments:
What are they asking for legal expenses, including both the insurance cost plus what we have to pay out of our pockets to defend former town officials like Polito?
THANK YOU, Budget Committee guys, for keeping an eye on extravagant expenditures. Town Hall and Library can wait for generators..town hall has been without for 25 years; library can stretch their wait to two and a half years and survive.
My biggest thought would be the budget....specifically, how much is Teddy going to need to add to his winter maintenance line? I've added a lot to my household budget for that purpose, and I figure I've already run out.
Looking for to public hearing.
Hey Dave....can I have a copy of the budget?
jc
My question is why the Library would even think that it needed %50,000 for a generator. I can buy a 20k watt, gas, or diesel, propane right now for $9,000, with installation and transfer box running another $2,500? Where do these numbers come from?
All the town buildings are 3 phase so the generators cost more than a standard household generator.
True and the PD got one for about half the cost.
Secondly, why do we need a generator for the library. If the power is out so what? Close down.
The biggest reason the library would need a generator would be to keep the heat going so the pipes don't freeze.
Then wouldn't it be cheaper to install some fixtures / devices to evacuate the water from the lines? Same for Town Hall for that matter.
We're now being asked to extend backup power beyond emergency responder facilities to ALL municipal facilities. There is no compelling need for the library and Town Hall,especially if there is some cheaper way to avoid pipes freezing (which I'm betting there is).
Town Hall has a more compelling reason actually. If we have another major power outage like we did with the ice storm and town hall is closed, that means that residents can't do things like get their cars registered or building permits serviced. It also means that the town is paying salaries and getting no work. Now if you can't check out a book, oh well. If you can't renew your car registration and it runs past the end of the month, the police may issue you a citation. Big difference. There are real costs associated with shutting down a municipal building. Whether or not those costs justify a generator becomes a judgment call. As far as the 50K for the library generator, I think the trustees would have done well to shop around.
Then why do we need an emergency shelter if every town building will be up and running?
Since the budget committee didn't recommend the generators, these warrants are unlikely to pass. As far as having an emergency shelter, neither the town hall nor the library is really equipped for that. I believe the community center and the FD can handle that and both of those locations are backed up by a generator. People need a place to go if they have no heat.
To 5:46, I realize that and i can get a diesel or gas 3 phase 17,500 kw generator delivered for $8795.00. Quotes to install with transfer box, pad, etc. $2,500- $4,000.
No matter how you cut it $50,000 is extravagant!
I agree it's too much money Mark, but you'd be better taking that up with the library trustees. If you think it can be done cheaper than what they put forth, go and show them. Maybe they'll amend their warrant at deliberative.
The generator for the library warrant article is an 80KW, much larger than the one you had quoted. I have no idea how large of a generator is needed to keep the library fully functional, but the 17KW is more of a home generator size. I doubt it would be adequate for the library.
Can anyone tell me why the town would need a piece of property that is less then an acre and has a semi-brook (wet area) running across the front of it. Wouldn't this be to small for much of anything? We are still battling to get done with the East Road parcel which has cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars, including purchase price,and it is not yet ready to be used for anything.
From the article:
Bennett said the land would expand the town commons area and remain a green space for concerts and other town events, if voters approve it.
That's why they want to buy the land.
Who wats to sit in a puddle? They cannot fill in wetlands. Whay such a high price tag for the property if it's small and wet?
I will vote 'No'.
Anyone know who owns it or what the address is?
Map 13 Lot 40 owned by Latham.
There are no wetlands on that lot...it's all high and dry.
To request a copy of the detailed budget or ask questions relating to the budget email AtkinsonBudget@yahoo.com.
As far as the generator goes, I have a friend who put a generator on his office building which is bigger than the library for around $30,000. Who is going to install this generator? The same guy who installed the one at the police station?
How long did it take to install the one on the police station? I heard almost 2 years. What was the final price?
Don't know what the final price was, but I know it couldn't have surpased 25K since that was what the article was written for. I think the delay was finding someone to install a generator for that price. Is your friends office building single or three phase? Makes a difference in price.
They can move money from one lin eitem to another, they do it all the time. We never know what they actually spend.
They can't spend more than what the warrant article stipulated. If they did, they would end up in hot water. However, within the operating budget you are correct that they can spend less on one line and more on another so long as the bottom line isn't over expended. As far as not knowing what was spent, that is incorrect. This has to be recorded and is shown in various forms that must be submitted. Also, detail of all expeditures is kept for every department. If you look at the annual report you will see a list of vendors and how much was spent with each. The information is out there if you care to view it.
The price is $161K and it match what they have been assessed for. I am not sure it's a good idea to buy a residential lot at this price.
I would ask, why? and why now? What is the immediate need?
Anyone know if Friel is running unopposed this year. I hear he told everyone on tv he didnt know about Officer McCarthy's surpise at the Academy last Monday. Come on Billy, you knew all about it but couldnt look Charlie in the eye.
Did anyone know that being a selectmen gives you permission to lie, many of us belive if it comes out the the "Big 3s" mouth it's gospel. Can we begin to expose Bill x 2 +Fred?
Anon @ 10:31AM,
Since you apparently KNOW without a doubt that Friel is lying, you should expose him yourself. Get on their agenda and show up with your proof that he is lying and call him out on air. Then you can begin exposing the selectmen for their lying ways. You do have proof right? You wouldn't simply throw out unsubstantiated claims without it would you???
Why? Because it's land in town center. Why now? Because it's available now. Immediate need? There is no immediate need, but things aren't always done to deal with immediate needs. Capital reserve funds would be an example of that.
I'll be shocked if all the open seats are run for nevermind 2 people runnin for the same spot. Until HE is gone nobody's going to stick their neck out. Residents suffer from lack of volunteers because nobody wants to go near that guy.
So that's the excuse. "I would serve, but there's somebody I don't like so I won't!" Yes, a very mature way of dealing with things.
It's much worse than just not liking someone. There have beem so so so many lawsuits and complaints against this one person that no one in their right mind would be running for anything until HE is gone.
BTW, it's the only effective way to deal with a sociopath is to AVOID him.
No immediate need = a no vote.
Sound familiar?
The Sociopath
Superficial Charm
Manipulative and Conning...
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victims as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
Grandiose Sense of Self...
Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
Pathological Lying...
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt...
A deep seated rage, which is repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
Shallow Emotions...
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
Incapacity for Love...
Need for Stimulation...
Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
Callousness/Lack of Empathy...
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature...
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency...
Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
Irresponsibility/Unreliability...
Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
Promiscuous Sexual... Behavior/Infidelity...
Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
Lack of Realistic Life... Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle...
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility...
Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Related Qualities:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world
So you have avoidance issues then. Understood.
Looking at the list of candidates on the website, there is no competition this year. No one signed up for conflict of interest. I think that committee is going to die on the vine.
Does that mean if the Town hall gets a generator, they won't close down every snow storm? Hey, did anyone lose power in the last few storms? I didnt think so but I didnt see anyone at T.H. So if there is a generator they will work?
I think the reason the library would need a generator during a power outage or is to keep the ne wneon sign lit up with the saying"Library Closes" displayed.
I was out yesterday and got in a fender-bender near Eggies. I had to go to the PD to get a form and I thought I would be stuck in the lot and slide of the road as I exited. Can I ask one question? Why was the Library/Town Hall down to pavement but a 24/7 operation like the PD a mess?????? Just wondering
Hey, taxpayer money. We got tons of.it We spend what we want when and you cant do nut ton about it cause we got cold snow you stay home we got the vote we got free legal you got nuttin but we got YOU in a vicegrip you got no right so shut up.
They don't need to plow the PD lot, the Chiefo has an SUV. Saw him racing around town in it yesterday. It goes good in the snow.
I just reviewed the list of candidates on the town website.
There is not a single person running that I would vote for.
Do you know them all? I see at least two new names on the list. What do you have against the current slate?
I don't know Ms. Finn so I won't vote for her unless I can get some info first.
The others I know, and I don't care to vote for them.
So what are wrong with the others? Something more than "they suck" please.
Selectmen violate the law and refuse to post meeting minutes for over a year. What about a warrant article to force them to obey the law? It's not too late to save our town.
Jmo
So let me get this straight. You want to have a warrant article to tell the selectmen to obey a law that doesn't exist? There is no law stipulating that the meeting minutes get posted on the website, but if you want to try to find an RSA that proves me wrong go for it. God, some of the uninformed nonsense that gets posted here is remarkable.
60,000 TO FIRE DEPT. FOR WHAT ?700.000 TO THE CON MAN FOR WHAT ?70.000 TO SMITH WHAT DID HE DO FOR THAT MONEY ?
Wow. You articulate your position so well 10:38. You must be a Timberlane grad. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? I'll ask again, what do you have against the current slate of candidates? I think Friel has done an excellent job. Try not to be such a bitter person. Maybe a visit to a psychiatrist would help.
Deliberative session should be a lot shorter this year thanks to this new law.
http://tinyurl.com/house-bill-77
This is the text:
This is truly a God send and I applaud Gov. Lynch and everyone who supported this and voted for it. I will be checking to see if any local reps did NOT vote in favor of this and I will report back to the faithful readers.
Too bad it's too late to repeat some of the previously vandalized articles. Mr. Polito, Mr. Consentino, Mr. Sapia, Mrs. Schitcher, are you listening?
CONCORD – Gov. John Lynch this morning signed a fast-moving bill that changes annual meeting procedure in many towns.
House Bill 77 (click for link to status) tightens the rules for towns that use deliberative sessions under Senate Bill 2 procedures.
The House bill quickly passed both the House and Senate over the past five weeks and became law immediately upon Lynch's signature. The law is in effect for local sessions being held this weekend.
The new law limits how drastically warrant articles can be changed at the deliberative session. Opponents of some questions in recent years began amending the articles to strip them of all meaningful language, at times leaving only the words "To see. " in place.
Bill co-sponsor Sen. Jack Barnes, R-Raymond, said, "To see a warrant article you've worked so hard to get on a ballot be gutted is disheartening to its supporters, not to mention terribly confusing to voters. We absolutely had to make this change."
..Kudos to Senator Jack Barnes of Raymond, NH.
I want to thank Mr. Ed Stewart for the wonderful job he did on our Town roads during the past winter.
I asked Mr. Stewart to 'put us on the list of streets that need to be cut back, when he had time' and he fixed our street very quickly.
I am glad to see no one is contesting Mr. Stewart and I wish him a very long and happy career as the Town of Atkinson Road Agent.
Thanks Ted!!
THANKS TIM!!!
(c) No warrant article shall be amended to eliminate the subject matter of the article. An amendment that changes the dollar amount of an appropriation in a warrant article shall not be deemed to violate this subparagraph.
I wish we knew about this before the deadline for citizen warrant articles, we could have re-introduced some of the past articles and had some justice.
Next year is a new ball game.
To be fair, the $60,000 going into capital reserve for the fire dept. is so that when it comes time to replace a truck they have the money. Mike provides the budget committee with a CIP that extends out over 10 years, showing the years when one truck will need to be refurbished or replaced, and the costs are figured out so that if the cap reserve is maintained, we won't have to finance these costs.
I'm not sure that will shorten deliberative all that much, but it will prevent warrant articles from being killed.
I was at the deliberative session yesterday and while I was buying a cup of coffee a woman ( I will not mention her name) came up next to me claiming to be on the budget committee she said she had no money for a .50 cent cup of coffee. She claimed that she might be able to borrow it and pay later.
Later on towards the end I asked one of the lady's if she ever came back she said no.
Where do we get these people? Budget committee member stiffs women's civic club for a lousy .50! No wonder we are the laughing stock of NH.
How did you reach your broad, baseless, conclusion from this single, selfish act? It is a non sequitur. People jumping to conclusions is more likely to make them the laughing stock.
You complain about a member of the budget committee but yet you failed to sign up for one of the two open seats as only Harold signed up. It's easy to sit on the sidelines and be critical of others. If you think you could do better, then get on the damn ballot.
Seriously, how do you know who you are writing to while claiming they have not joined a committee?
Can you see thru the internet?
One cannot see through the internet, but there would appear to be a broad array of town critics here... far more than serve on all town committees combined.
One poster I recall even went so far as to say he/she WOULD volunteer, but not while Phil was chief... that was the lamest of the lame.
It is cliche but also very true... if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem.
And no... whining on the blog "exposing" the alleged wrongdoing is not town service.
And yes, I serve on a volunteer committee.
It's pretty obvious from the tone of the comment that the individual holds no positions within town, otherwise that individual wouldn't have referred to Atkinson as a laughing stock. While I can't see through the internet, the comment was fairly transparent.
You are right on the mark! I, too, served on a town committee that was asked for advice from two neighboring towns' committees. Atkinson is hardly the laughing stock that some on this blog would like to suggest it is! I, too, am sure that the person that made the remark has not served the town, and mistakenly equates bitching on a blog with public service.
Thank you for your service from a fellow volunteer. It's unfortunate to see a blog like this where the majority of posters seem to think there is a conspiracy around every corner. They look with disdain upon the town officials who put many hours of their own time running this town. They don't like us volunteers then I say fine, hire professionals. Watch that 4 million operating budget double. The hate and loathing on this blog by some toward those who keep us from needing to spend 8 million intead of 4 is really something to see. Dispicable actually.
BTW, you might want to duck. The venom will probably start flying...
I could not have said it better myself...so...I won't even try. Thank you!
One thing, though. Won't duck...never have...never will. And I know that I have been in tougher spots than any of the "bitchin bloggers!"
Thanks again!
"It's pretty obvious from the tone of the comment that the individual holds no positions within town, otherwise that individual wouldn't have referred to Atkinson as a laughing stock."
This comment doesn't even make sense, applies no sense of logic.
A reasonable person cannot conclude that 1) a person's tone indicates they are not a committee member and 2) that if they were a committee member, they would not call the town a laughing stock.
My proof? I am both a committee member and think the town is stagnating due to the prolonged refusal to deal with the obvious.
What does every town committee member have to hold the exact same opinion? Is this what some believe? They are all sheep?
You all know what happens when a herd of sheep are left to long in a pasture! Yes the grass stops growing and it fills up with SS!
You have to be blind, deaf and dumb to ignore the obvious detrimental impact the town's experienced with the drop in volunteerism.
People who volunteer want to help and not get into public brawls with the biggest mental defective in town.
Saying your part of the problem cause you won't volunteer is a lame attack.
No way I'll sign for Conflict of Interest Committee. No way I'd sign up for budget. You can't say no to him. We watched Valerie stand on an island and get massacred, the others BC members knew better. NO QUESTIONS. And don't attack Valery. She was trying to ask questions and may not be an expert on PD business but had the GUTS to stand up to wacko-man. Observers concluded her effort while noble, was a lost cause.
There is NFW I will volunteer until he is gone. And I mean GONE. Why waste my time arguing with a sociopath. And if you don't think hundreds of residents have that opinion, you have your head up your a--.
I wrote 2/8 at 1:00 PM.
I am a volunteer, and yes, I do resent the broad-brush criticism leveled here against so many who freely give their time and talents.
Do I think we're perfect? Not at all. Do we have an embarrassment as Police Chief? Yes. Can Selectmen be fairly criticized for not giving him the boot? Yes.
But in the bigger picture, volunteers save the town a great deal of money (what do you think a paid fire dept would cost?) and lend immense talents.
To those who refer to
volunteers as sheep who all think alike... maybe YOU should volunteer and break that mold with your rightous independence. There are lots of openings.
Oh wait... I forgot... not while HE'S chief or maybe he'll arrest you. Yeah, it's easier to whine on the blog.
If you had been there with Valerie you would have been two rather than one. Maybe the noble cause would have been a little less-lost.
You don't get it. You just don't get it. A typical resident who might volunteer isn't interested in getting into brawls and being harrassed. Just the threat of it is enough to deter volunteerism.
People can volunteer for dozens of organizations in town. Why pick the most unpleasant, most thankless and oh by the way, careful what you say around the top wackjob or who knows what could happen. Too many good people have horror stories and word is out. And WE ALL KNOW there are far more victims than just the typical people that are lambasted like Brownfield, and Artus, Acciard, etc.
He's getting his wish. The king can have it all. All to himself. He can go to deliberative and be a majority of one and rule the kingdom with authority and control. A big fish in a tiny fishbowl. The sad truth is he's got the votes because he controls the seniors and his little black book of those who owe him for letting their kids off or forgiving a traffic ticket, whatever. He's collected 40 years worth of obligations.
He can have it. It's all his. Good luck running a kingdom with no peasants to rule over, to admonish and punish those who stand up against you. Screw that. I ain't interested. Far too many positive things in my life to focus time and effort on rather than waste my time with fighting a bully and a system that's fixed against me. I have better things to do. I'll gladly volunteer to help many of the sports leagues, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts the Library, Recreation, etc etc. Organizations that appreciate volunteers (not berate them) and one can make a difference (and not be shouted down in a meeting, being wrongfully accused of phony vendetta BS) - without worrying about the big dark cloud that hangs over this town.
One day that dark cloud will be gone. The sun will come out and so will those who've been wise to avoid going out in bad weather. Then the town will have plenty of volunteers who were smart to avoid the cloud. Right now, its just not worth it.
I appreciate the volunteers we have. Brave dedicated souls everyone of them. They save us a lot of $$$ and have more patience, tolerance and fortitude than me. I will join them when the time is right. Just not now. But permanent change is coming. I promise you that.
Joining the army after the battle is over is a little late, don't you think?.
Perhaps you're right; I just don't understand. Or we simply view the same set of circumstances differently.
I do not mean to condemn you. The town needs all the level-thinking people it can get and I sense you are just that. It is your apparent fear I do not understand. There are plenty of volunteer slots far away from his interests or influence.
Agreed. I don't get this "I can't be involved because Phil is still around" mentality either. Although Valerie may have lost her battle, did anything happen to her? I'm sure if she was "punished" the blog would have been all over it.
You don't get it. It's not that I can't be involved. I WON'T be involved. I won't support an organization that keeps a person in a position of serious responsibility, who in my opinion demonstrated numerous times he's psychologically unstable. Screw them. I'm on strike. He put them in power. They owe him and don't have the spine to remove someone who caused harm to dozens of residents. He's a threat to public safety. It is beyond ridiculous. Embarrassing.
I won't give them the time of day. They want the king they got him. King has an empty kingdom. Good luck with that. All yours. Have fun.
The apathy is substantial and growing. Look at attendance at deliberative session. Look at the lack of interest in volunteering for town positions that used to be hotly contested races. I'm not the only one who's said F-- this. It's only going get worse cause everyone is dropping out. People who've been on committees for years. Gone. Why don't you ask them all why they aren't coming back?
You know what I do get? Change comes from within. It's real hard to enact change when you're not in the game. Enjoy your strike.
To 6:12:
With your paranoia--and excuses--its sounds like we are better off without you anyway. Without Phil, you would just find another skapegoat.
Sounds cowardly...
No, it sounds real.
Real cowardly
You are reduced to name calling.
Name-calling as a propaganda device that attaches negative attributes to an opponent or those who might threaten.
Sounds to me like the name callers are the scared ones.
Characterizing an action is not namecalling.
Not volunteering out of irrational fear?
Blaming every ill on someone who could not possibly be responsible for or orchestrate EVERYTHING?
Paranoid...much?
Have volunteered before...and will do so again...fearlessly!
Who volunteers in town when they treat you so bad and I would not hang with you on a team or any other sicko. I'll volunteer at church where people are kind and show me respect.
Weak volunteers who wont do what we want. The selectmen don't need you. Come to think of it. Neither do I.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
Irrational fear? That's the best laugh I've had today.
If your so brave and know all why don't you get on the next BOS agenda and expose and confront the blatant abuses by those who need to be removed?
Then we'll see how brave and rational you are. If not then we see you're really just a name caller with no substance to your position. Volunteering and being a silent, useless participant is quite different from actively trying to affect change. The act of volunteering, while it's a nice gesture and appreciated doesn't make you braver or any more effective than the next person.
The question becomes what are you actually DOING that is going to affect change? That and only that truly matters.
Tell us about your superhuman feats of bravery. Clearly the rest of us cowards must be doing nothing which is a very bad assumption by the way. Some people not on committees are the bravest activists out there.
Look, the basic premise we need volunteers to effect change is self evident (duh). The consistent massacre of change agents discourages many from sticking their neck out or volunteering for anything. That's reality folks. Like it or not. To call people cowards is just name calling propaganda. You lose the argument as soon as you resort to name calling and anyone reading your posts dismisses your empty attacks. SLAM DUNK. GAME OVER. YOU LOST.
Go post some more empty attacks and call me more colorful names. I enjoy watching your playground level of debate.
Saw what happened with the conflict of interest co. shameful and a crime. That's enough, I stay away Too much wrong in town. BOS do-nothings and look stupid.
Let's analyze that last post.
BOS is criticized for "doing nothing". Yet poster freely admits he/she will "stay away"; which I presume also means he/she will do nothing.
Is "doing nothing" not OK for some parties while just fine for others? Am I missing something here?
There's a difference between the BOS being in charge, elected and doing nothing and a private person not getting involved hence doing nothing...The difference is the BOS has a feduciary responsibility connected with their office.
Getting on the BOS agenda is a waste of time. Have you ever known anyone to come in and be heard without being attacked for it? I haven't. They do not do anything about complaints brought in front of them.
The posters complain about the BOS "doing nothing", but yet Bill Friel is running uncontested. Go figure. Care for a little cheese with your whine??? Useless people sitting around bitching is all you are and all you'll ever be.
Amen!
Reality is the Consentino majority rules the BOS whether Friel wins or not.
Ask Paul Sullivan what its like to try and effect change when you're a minority against two Consentino selectmen. You don't see Sullivan running for office now do you? By your logic we should hrow Paul under the bus as a coward too.
Your logic is anyone who won't get in there and fight is a coward. We've witnessed the unfortunate demise of too many people who tried to fight and lost over and over and its not just 2 or 3 people. Dozens of people experienced the truth and it's ugly and frightening the lengths these crazies will go to.
Your thinking is either so shortsighted you just don't get it or you just like to insult people in cyberspace to get a rise out of them. Again, you offer playground level debate. Maybe if you had some basis in fact on your statements you'd have an ounce of credibility.
yeah!
So tell us...
Paul Sullivan did seem to try to affect some change and stand up to the status quo. I admire him for that.
And for the most part he did not succeed because he had two dolts as fellow selectmen; one just complacent and the other who liked playing small town politics (while making a total ass of himself).
What would have happened if the year after Paul got voted in... YOU had run and been voted in? Then there would have been two and reformers would have held majority power.
Sorry, but the lame excuses here for not getting involved just do not cut it.
Many have suggested here that Friel has an independent streak. So will you run next year to gain the majority and break the grasp?
As an aside, Paul did not accomplish all he may have wanted... but was he scarred and tarnished for his efforts? I don't think so.
Exactly. If Paul was so beaten down then why did he consider running again this year? More lame excuses to defend their pathetic "I post on the blog so I'm making a difference" existence.
Amen, again!
Thank you for ending the thread and making it clear that you can't be reasoned with. Will save all of us a lot of time.
Ah, the thread ender asks why people who are already involved aren't involved even more. Meanwhile, our courageous blog poster thinks a successful end of argument was presented. Don't worry my dear blogger, the big boys and girls will take care of the work. You just sit back and through your stones via the blog. I'm sure it's making a tremendous difference. Make sure you put that on your headstone so you can be remembered by it.
To 2/24; 4:35
My answer is that I have served on appointed volunteer boards for 15 years or more.
Now let me ask about YOUR town service. How long have you been posting on the Blog? How many posts a week? What have you accomplished? Have I missed anything?
And the last question for 20 bonus points... what will be your reason for not participating and staying in your mother's basement AFTER Phil leaves?
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