Dec
6
CNHT eBlast 12/06/2006
Filed Under CNHT eBlasts
Thanks to Rep. Paul Hopfgarten and State Senator Jack Barnes!! Rep Hopfgarten, a former CNHT Director, has sponsored legislation, along with Sen Barnes, a rabid Red Sox fan, that would tighten up RSA 31:5 the emergency meeting statute so that over-eager selectmen like the ones in Peterborough can not go out and put a $50,000 deposit on a $1.6 million dollar piece of boondoggle property that could have cost up to $6 million to upgrade – BY SPECIAL EMERGENCY MEETING!! On top of that the voters in Peterborough recently voted to adopt RSA 41:14-a to further limit the ability of selectmen to do this, which the court promptly ignored when it gave permission for an “emergency” Special Meeting last month. In any case the selectmen reversed their decision when they looked closer at the deal. Our new legislation will help the next town’s taxpayers. Thanks to the Peterborough activists for doing the groundwork and CNHT Vice Chair Howard Dilworth for the bill’s wording.
We have a most heart-wrenching AP Wire Service story about the people in south west NH who still are not back in their homes after the floods last year. Norma Love is the “reporter” on this piece.
The story goes on about financial problems residents are still having such as insurance running out and the article talks about some efforts being made by State Senator Ted Gatsas to help people with state aid.
So here we are in the middle of winter a year after the floods with one single mom cooking outside on a gas grill and having to shower at a friend’s house.
And wouldn’t you know it! No mention of our heroic Governor. My how things have changed since the Gov. was last on TV in his little yellow rain slicker running around campaign-helping during the flood and handing out his home phone number. That made big news. Nice job covering his butt now Norma! What, no “Lynch Mum On Flood Help” title? (Sorry Norma, Colin Manning of Fosters already got the press job with Lynch.)
Sanbornton, Tilton, and Northfield taxpayers wake up! Your selectmen are trying to get an RSA 32 Budget Committee placed by warrant article on the Winnisquam School District Annual Meeting to control costs. You need to get active and support having a second set of eyes looking over your school spending. The Selectmen are to be commended for doing this and need signatures on the petitions and people to vote for it and run for the open seats.
A NY transplant, moobat Democrat named James E. Kennedy, just elected to the House from Exeter has placed an INCOME tax on the list of new House legislation. Liberal papers are waxing “dismayed’ by the action as it will FOSTER debate about who really believes Democrats are not TELEGRAPHING their true intentions. We will MONITOR the story for you.
Income taxers all over NH are writing letters to the editor about oppressive property taxes. They seem to think the mood and time is right for more taxes. We need to respond with the fact that along with unbridled spending, we have a suspect property tax assessment program at the state level where assessing firms can take advantage of towns and taxpayers and feel safe from State action. No broad based tax is going to make the “View Tax” go away. Voters need to do that ourselves because the State will not enforce the law. Selectmen have to hold assessors bonds until assessments are based on market value not suspect formulas.
Ed Naile
Chair, CNHT