Pelham - Windham News February 25, 2011 - 3
The Word Around Town... Letters to our Editor
Supporting Charlie McMahon for Selectman
I wholeheartedly support Charlie McMahon’s re-election to the Windham Board of Selectmen. McMahon has a long record of accomplishment serving Windham as both a selectman and state legislator promoting fiscal responsibility, proactive planning, and open and transparent government. As Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, McMahon has consistently spearheaded cost-effective means of improving our town, such as Windham 2000 and Griffin Park. The self-insurance health plan he developed for the town saved Windham taxpayers more than two million dollars since it was implemented in 1993. Currently, McMahon is working on the I-93 upgrades that will greatly reduce our daily commuting times. Charlie McMahon provides the sort of leadership Windham needs.
Jason Bedrick - Windham
Addressing Republican Accusations
Since the New Hampshire legislative session began, it has become the vogue for critics, such as the Democratic Party and some editorial pages, to accuse Republicans of being “distracted” from the important fiscal issues that Granite Staters have entrusted us to resolve. This charge is often baffling, given that the Finance and Ways and Means Committees in both the House and Senate have been meeting non-stop since before Inauguration Day to gather information and deliberate on solutions to address our troubled economy. The basis for this “distracted” accusation emanates from critics, who overemphasize isolated pieces of legislation sponsored by a small group of legislators. These isolated pieces of legislation then become sensationalized and used as a broad brush to attack every Republican as having lost focus or acting irresponsibly. These attacks are not only partisan and baseless, but they also undermine the special New Hampshire legislative process. In Washington, legislative leadership can conceal unwanted legislation that they or well- funded special interest groups dislike by making them disappear in the committee process or through simple inaction. The New Hampshire model is uniquely different, as every bill regardless of popularity or merit is given a full public hearing and is put to a vote on the House floor. Our system embraces free speech and safeguards against undue influences or corruption. Does every bill sponsored delight House leadership? Absolutely not. But make no mistake, our system works because it allows every individual legislator to advocate for their constituents as their judgment dictates. Many critics understand this, but are still not deterred from partisan attacks. I hope readers will bear this in mind when broad accusations are made that all Republicans are distracted or irresponsible. House Republican leadership’s agenda is squarely focused on jobs and the economy. We have and will remain committed to finding solutions to our economic challenges and developing a responsible budget. Although some may dislike the conservative values on which we were elected, to say Republicans are distracted is simply untrue.
Representative D.J. Bettencourt, House Majority Leader - Salem
Support for Stephen Campbell for Selectman
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already be familiar with all that Stephen has done watching over the budget as a long-time member of the Budget Committee. If you vote for him to represent you as one of your Selectman, you will be allowing him to look at the budget before it moves forward, and to hopefully be the selectman’s representative to the Budget Committee. You will be voting for someone whose only “special interest” is making sure Salem remains a place you can afford to live in. Thank you for your time. I don’t live in Salem, so I’ll
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be voting elsewhere Tuesday, March 8, but I respectfully ask you to consider voting for Stephen Campbell for Selectman.
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My brother, Stephen Campbell, is running for Selectman in Salem. I have often joked in the past with him that if I still lived in Salem, I’m not sure I could vote for him. He is a fiscal conservative; I used to vote yes on everything. He studies the town’s spending and looks for savings for the tax rate; I never used to worry about that, I wanted everything to pass. It definitely has made for some very interesting Thanksgiving dinners! Then, something happened. Something I believe that has probably affected everyone who is taking the time to read this letter. The economy changed. Belts need to be tightened. Now more than ever, it is important to take a realistic view of taxes and decided if it makes sense for your wallet to vote for people who are not truly fiscally conservative. Your taxes have gone up, and to borrow a line from Ronald Reagan, I would ask you, are you better off than you were four years ago? If you plan on voting Tuesday, March 8, you might
Please Support Brian Carton for Pelham School Board
It is my pleasure to announce my candidacy for
Pelham School Board. I strongly believe that we can identify and take actions that will raise academic achievement, improve the quality of the study and work environment, and revamp the physical condition of our school facilities. I also believe that we can accomplish these improvements while staying within a framework of civic and fiscal responsibility. Ultimately, I want to make the Pelham public school system the school of choice for parents and children here in Pelham. My participation on the school facilities committee,
and my continued attention to all school matters have provided me with a well-rounded understanding of the current state of Pelham’s school system. I am now asking for the opportunity to help determine the future direction of our schools. As for my own background, my wife Donna and I
moved to Pelham in July 1996, shortly after the birth of our second son. Both of our children currently attend Pelham High School, and have attended Pelham schools throughout their scholastic careers. My own work experience consists of more than 25 years as a technical trainer for various communications, computer, and electronics firms. Prior to private sector employment, I spent seven years on submarines in the U.S. Navy. Please consider voting for me in the March 2011
election. Brian Carton - Pelham
Vote No on Article 13 I am writing to urge you to vote “no” on Article 13 of
the town/municipal budget. This is the article that asks taxpayers to raise $400,000 to buy land next to the town beach. (Technically, $300,000 in taxes and $100,000 to be taken from Conservation money.) Although work commitments prohibit me from attending meetings at this time of the year, I have heard from enough people who did attend the deliberative session, for example, to know that this article simply makes no sense. Although I believe the purchase of the original
town beach has benefited the Town of Windham, I also believe that it was done with considerable more research and planning. If the newspaper articles are true, we are being asked to purchase a piece of property which only one selectman claims to have examined and that inspection amounted to peeking in the window. There needs to be much more due diligence before I will support spending any amount, let alone $400,000. The other issue is one of timing. How can the
taxpayers be asked to expend $400,000 on beach property when they are facing significant unfunded obligations relative to education? Like the state and federal governments, revenues are decreasing while demands for services continue to increase at the local level. The challenges facing the housing of our students alone are staggering, and those are just the tip of the iceberg.
In a perfect world, we could afford both. Unfortunately, we are confronting a “perfect storm” in terms of declining revenue, increasing need for the most basic of services like education, and an ever- increasing tax burden that is falling directly on the backs of property owners, many if not most of whom can ill- afford more increases. The purchase of more beachfront property may be a good idea; however, at this time, we need to prioritize our needs. I would prefer someone purchase the property who will continue to pay taxes (which are significantly higher than most in the town because of the water) and help the other taxpayers pay for essential needs like education, police, fire, and infrastructure items. More beachfront is nice, but is it necessary— especially in these times and without proper research and planning? Please vote “no” on Article 13!
R. Patrick Corbin - Windham
Pelham WinterFest Thank-You I would like to thank Chris Mader, fellow organizers,
volunteers, and all the participants who made the 2011 Pelham WinterFest the family fun and success that it was. Countless hours go in to keeping the Pelham Ice Garden open and a great community resource. We are fortunate in Pelham to have so many dedicated people working together for the common good. As a member of the Pelham Police Department, I
played in the Pelham Fire and Ice Game at WinterFest on Saturday, February 5. I’m pleased to report that the Pelham Police will hold the winner’s trophy for the next year until we face off once again against the Pelham Fire Department. This local game is a warm- up for another event on April 9 at the Verizon Wireless Arena, where I will play on the NH Police Team in the fourth Annual CHaD Battle of the Badges to benefit the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. I would like to thank everyone in the community who made donations to CHaD at the game on Saturday. To further support my fundraising efforts or for further information about the CHaD Battle of the Badges, please visit www.
chadhockey.org. I applaud everyone who gives their precious time to our community at the Pelham Ice Garden. Opportunities for public recreation, physical fitness, and family fun all contribute to a shared sense of well-being in a town—and the Ice Garden offers them all. We are a lucky to have neighbors among us, looking out for us all.
Patrolman David G. DeRoche, Pelham Police Department - Pelham
Clarifying Positions on Certain Articles
It has come to my attention as a candidate for Board of Selectman that misrepresentations concerning my position on the purchase of property to expand our town beach, the previous proposal to construct a parking lot cross from Griffin Park, and that I will recklessly tax and spend are being made. Let me set the record straight. With respect to the warrant article to purchase property adjacent to town beach for $400,000, my position has been, and remains, that while this is an opportunity to expand town beach so that more families in town can enjoy activities on Cobbetts Pond, due diligence was not exercised to afford the taxpayers the facts needed to make an informed decision on this purchase, the cost of which significantly exceeds the proposed town budget. The only information provided to the taxpayer was that it was purportedly a good deal, given an assessed value of $550,000, and a sale price
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of $400,000. No market appraisal was done, and there was no inspection of the interior and exterior of the building. There was no projection of the cost to comply with ADA and other town building regulations to revamp the buildings, not to mention the future cost to the taxpayer to maintain the grounds and buildings. Before we expend town funds beyond our budget in these difficult economic times, we should have all the facts. We don’t. My motion to amend the warrant article at Town Meeting concerning the location of the boat dock is being misrepresented as supporting the warrant article. When other Cobbetts Pond residents spoke on this warrant article when it was first proposed, some took a different position than mine. My position remains as stated.
Misrepresentations have also been made concerning the previously proposed parking lot across the street from Griffin Park. It is alleged that I stopped it and now the taxpayers are being asked to expend $200,000 over budget for additional parking at Griffin Park. Again, the facts are that I, and several members of the Cobbetts Pond Improvement Association, met with the property owner’s engineers to devise a drainage system that would not cause impurities to run into Cobbetts Pond, an impaired water body. The drainage plan met the minimum state and local standards for Planning Board approval. The CPIA would have liked a plan with a higher standard of protection. The owner could have moved forward with the plan as presented on behalf of the owner. The owner, without explanation, decided to withdraw. It was solely the owner’s choice. As I stated on Candidates’ Night, as your Selectman I will obtain a full portfolio of facts before asking the taxpayers to expend even one dollar that exceeds our town budget, keeping in mind that these are tough economic times. I understand that every time we increase our budget, taxes will increase. As your Selectman, I will strive to ensure that your tax dollars are spent wisely. My candidacy is about commitment, integrity, and fiscal responsibility. My sole commitment is to you, the taxpayers. To view a replay of Candidates’ Night so you can
see where the candidates stand on the issues, go to
http://wctv.pegcentral.com. Click on Candidates Night, 2/15/11.
I hope this clarifies my positions. Consider the facts
before you vote. You can address your questions or concerns to me by visiting my Website at www.kathleen
sullivandifruscia.com.
Kathleen Sullivan DiFruscia - Windham
continued to page 5 - Letters
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