city election

Spin

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

As we approach the election, it’s getting harder and harder to decide what goes in week to week. I wasn’t even sure about the liquor store, until I went to the meeting.

 

‘A lot of spin’ put on deal for liquor store says alderman

Building a state liquor store at the corner of Granite and Second streets wasn’t the most popular idea to come before the aldermen this year, but on Tuesday, a majority of the board voted to move forward with a land swap that would allow the state to build a 10,000-square-foot store on the city-owned lot.

Manchester stands to earn $65,000 annually from the state over the next 25 years for the high-visibility location, and West Side residents would no longer have to go to Bedford or cross the river to buy their booze. But board members such as Alderman at-Large Dan O’Neil didn’t see the benefit to the city or the state in the deal. He and Aldermen Betsi DeVries, Garth Corriveau and Patrick Arnold voted against the project.

O’Neil told the board he had met with the state Liquor Commission and members of the city’s legislative delegation and was under the impression the state would rather buy the land than lease it.

“They said they’d be paying more for the land lease than if they purchased property,” said O’Neil. He also wonders why people heading up the highway would stop in Manchester to buy liquor when they could more easily do so up the road in Hooksett.

“There’s a lot of spin,” O’Neil said of the project. “It seems for many this was a done deal in the spring time.”

Arnold then asked the obvious question. Why exactly was the state willing to pay more for a lease than simply buying the land?

“I identified the location as a great location,” said Andy Davis, director of real estate for the commission. “Fairly early on meeting with Mayor (Ted) Gatsas and the (Manchester Development Corporation), they voted not to sell it to us because we would not be paying taxes. We still feel the location is a high-value target.”

Davis said on Wednesday the liquor store is anything but a done deal. The lease would need separate approval from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, the Attorney General’s Office and the Executive Council.

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Another column of controversy

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

This week, it was about what made it in, what didn’t and one messed up headline.

Levasseur’s actions noted in JCC reprimand of Stephen

MAKING HAY. Joe Kelly Levasseur found himself in the middle of a judicial reprimand last week. And Mayor Ted Gatsas got a mention, as well.

The New Hampshire Judicial Conduct Committee issued a reprimand to Judge Robert Stephen last week over an altercation with Manchester firefighter Kevin Healey. Judge Stephen is the brother of 2010 gubernatorial candidate John Stephen, and is reported to have had a heated exchange with Healey over signs the firefighter posted that criticized his brother during the 2010 campaign.

A story about the JCC reprimand appeared in the New Hampshire Union Leader on Thursday.

The JCC report noted that Gatsas called Fire Chief James Burkush to ask if Healey had been on duty at the time of the incident. Healey was not. Although Gatsas inquired about the incident, it appears that’s the last involvement he had.

Levasseur, however, saw the flap over the signs as a good way to make political hay. The JCC report noted Levasseur “identified himself as being very active in Republican politics,” and that he “viewed the incident as a potential opportunity for political advantage.” He “used the incident for political purposes in blogs and press releases prior to the election and continued to do so even after the election,” the report said.

While ginning up controversy was well within Levasseur’s right, the JCC questioned whether Judge Stephen should have involved Levasseur in the first place. The report noted the judge should have known pulling in Levasseur “would also appear to be geared to political ends as later events demonstrated.”

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Primary blues

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

Predictions have no consequences, except when you make really weak ones. If you’re going to bother making a call, I learned, people want a strong one. Great lesson learned.

The city primary is on Tuesday; It’s time for predictions

If it weren’t for the smattering of signs across the city and coverage by the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News, even a relatively engaged resident might easily forget there’s a primary election on Tuesday. So it’s not much of a stretch to predict a record low turnout: less than 15 percent of registered voters heading to the polls.

Now, here are some other predictions:

In the race for alderman at-large, Dan O’Neil will likely be the top vote-getter, bolstered by union turnout. As for the No. 2 vote-getter, my money is it won’t be Alderman At-Large Mike Lopez after his budget proposal that left firefighters out in the cold. Though he’ll likely earn a spot on the November ballot.

The Ward 11 and 12 aldermen will also continue on to November, as will Welfare Commissioner Paul Martineau. But whether former Alderman Peter Sullivan or former Deputy Welfare Commissioner Diane Guimond earns that second spot is too close to call.

In the Ward 5 school committee race, Ted Rokas will easily pull in the most votes. Voters have continually rejected Robert Tarr in the past, but when fellow candidate Tara Powell does absolutely no campaigning, it could give him an in. In Ward 8, there are three strong candidates. That’s going to be a tough one. Continue reading →

Primary fizzled

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

I thought we pumped the crap out of the primary, but there were many people who said we could have done more. While I think they are only partially right, it did light a fire under me to kick up the city election coverage a notch.

I also put a little more effort in coming out with some solid analysis. Working on the speaking with authority thing every day.

Low voter turnout did little for anyone — especially the city

Sure, there was no primary for mayor, considered a big driver in past elections, but by the way the mayoral race has been skewed thus far, it’s unlikely casual voters will rush to have their voice heard in an expected rout.

There were also few primary races. Not counting the poll-worker races such as moderator and clerk, there were six primary races out of a possible 30, even after the City Clerk practically begged people to run. Some people interviewed said the poor turnout was due to a lack of notice, but with daily mentions of the primary in the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News for more than a week, ignorance is no excuse.

Alderman Jim Roy said leaving future leadership up to a tiny fraction of the city worries him. There are some big issues facing this city and a complicated tax cap question on the November ballot that has major consequences for next year’s budget. Low turnout, little enthusiasm and a lack of interest in city issues is worrisome indeed. Continue reading →

Giving it a little gusto

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

Predictions have no consequences, except when you make really weak ones. If you’re going to bother making a call, I learned, people want a strong one. Great lesson learned.

The city primary is on Tuesday; It’s time for predictions

If it weren’t for the smattering of signs across the city and coverage by the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News, even a relatively engaged resident might easily forget there’s a primary election on Tuesday. So it’s not much of a stretch to predict a record low turnout: less than 15 percent of registered voters heading to the polls.

Now, here are some other predictions:

In the race for alderman at-large, Dan O’Neil will likely be the top vote-getter, bolstered by union turnout. As for the No. 2 vote-getter, my money is it won’t be Alderman At-Large Mike Lopez after his budget proposal that left firefighters out in the cold. Though he’ll likely earn a spot on the November ballot.

The Ward 11 and 12 aldermen will also continue on to November, as will Welfare Commissioner Paul Martineau. But whether former Alderman Peter Sullivan or former Deputy Welfare Commissioner Diane Guimond earns that second spot is too close to call.

In the Ward 5 school committee race, Ted Rokas will easily pull in the most votes. Voters have continually rejected Robert Tarr in the past, but when fellow candidate Tara Powell does absolutely no campaigning, it could give him an in. In Ward 8, there are three strong candidates. That’s going to be a tough one. Continue reading →

It’s the little things that get the biggest reaction

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

One of the best things about my job is I get to see the little power plays and true personalities of public officials. Some people must have a baby toe in every action, while others have a problem watching what they say. Both those things happened here. And some people got mad at me. At least something interesting came out of TS Irene.

High praise for city’s actions during Irene’s visit

IN THE AFTERMATH of Tropical Storm Irene, high praise went to city police, firefighters, highway workers and other staff for their efficient handling of the havoc the storm wrought.

The compliments were particularly plentiful from the aldermen. There was just one problem — communication was lacking.

Leaving an alderman out of the loop has long been a major no-no in Manchester politics. If power is out in a section of a ward or the nearby fire station has to divert an engine across the city for the day, that ward alderman expects to be notified.

So when a call was made to run all storm-related information through the mayor’s office, a debate via email ensued.

Alderman At-Large Dan O’Neil started off an email on Monday with a “great job” and followed with a polite request for better communication on the front-end of the storm, specifically getting the city’s emergency contact number out to the public sooner.

“I would ask in the future that all aldermen be briefed in advance of our plans and be notified by phone (not emails) of meetings and briefings during the event,” wrote O’Neil in an email obtained by the City Hall column.

“If someone wants to change anything, bring it before the board of aldermen,” wrote Alderman At-Large Mike Lopez. “We also know that our department heads have their hands full and they know what to do.

You cannot have 14 people in charge in emergencies but I can tell you everything did work out and if something would have happened the aldermen would have been called.”

He finishes with “Thanks to all GREAT JOB.”

Ward 11 Alderman Russ Ouellette then joined in, saying department heads have more important tasks during an emergency than calling each alderman.

“If aldermen want information the aldermen should contact the mayor’s office or his designee for concerns of wards or any other information,” Ouellette wrote.

“The people of this city look to the mayor and ALL alderman for help and solutions,” O’Neil fired back. “You may not want to know what is going on in the city but I do. I don’t report to the mayor or his designee. I report to the citizens of Manchester.”
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THIS COLUMN REPORTED last week that Mayor Ted Gatsas asked department heads for 2013 budget projections. In response, Manchester firefighters’ union President Ryan Cashin sent out a press release asking Gatsas to fix this year’s budget before moving on to the next.

“The facts are clear. Arson and crime are on the rise in the city of Manchester.

Making sweeping cuts to public safety during these times is not in the best interest of the people of Manchester,” wrote Cashin.

Overall crime is up slightly according to police statistics from 2010. Arsons are up but violent crime in the city is down slightly.

Though Gatsas denied requesting budget numbers this early was part of a campaign strategy, the expected grim numbers will inevitably force candidates to take a stand on spending.

Cashin not-so-subtly criticized Gatsas for the move.

“We cannot focus on election gimmicks at a time when the public safety of the people of Manchester is at risk,” he wrote. “Mayor Gatsas and the Aldermanic Board need to focus on reprioritizing this budget, not the future one. The Mayor needs to put his focus off the upcoming election and onto public safety.” Continue reading →

The B word

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

I wanted to die when the I heard budget talks were starting so early. The daily grind of keeping up with the fights and the financials wore me down. I had to get it in here somehow. Wordies will like the involuntary resignation bit too. I know I did.

Gatsas wants early budget review, says its no election ploy

It may seem painfully early to start talking about the 2013 budget cycle, but Mayor Ted Gatsas recently told city department heads to have next year’s budget projections to him in the next few weeks. The mayor will bring the budget drafts to the aldermen as soon as he gets them, Gatsas said Thursday.

“The earlier we get the chance to start looking at this, the more we’re going to understand where we’re at,” said Gatsas. “I’d rather have eight months to try to resolve the problem than three.”

Early projections have pointed to a $22 million budget increase next year if all services and programs remain the same. This situation could worsen in light of hospital funding cuts that are expected to drive up medical costs and changes to the New Hampshire Retirement System enacted by the Legislature.

This early budget request happens to come during a city election year, and although Gatsas denies it’s a political move, the mayor is already practicing his budget talking points.

“Are we going to raise taxes by 14 percent or lay off police and firefighters?” Gatsas asked. The answer lies in the city unions’ willingness to open their contracts and offer concessions, he said.

“This is not something I haven’t been saying,” said Gatsas. “We need to start the discussion because I think people need to know how their elected officials are going to take care of it.”

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The missed opportunity of the WT comment

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

So many things to say about this column. First, it is tagged under “War on Terror” on the Union Leader website. Wha? Then there are the accusations that I’m too liberal because I raised the point that Manchester has a lot of poor people and perhaps people should pay more attention to who gets the Welfare Commissioner job. And there’s this whole white trash comment. I really wanted this controversy to be an opportunity to discuss the WT term. I know people who refer to themselves as WT, who call others WT, but I wonder how different it is when the term is used against you, or against someone close to you. Does the term have the same sting and cause offense like other terms that call people out for being poor?

Race for welfare commissioner should focus on those served

NOW THAT Joe Briggs is out of the alderman at-large race, it looks like the most exciting contest on the city primary ballot is for welfare commissioner.

Seriously.

Former Alderman Peter Sullivan came out swinging early in the race when he accused current Commissioner Paul Martineau of treating the poor with scorn. Martineau came right back at Sullivan, dismissing outright Sullivan’s claims and pointing to his own record of keeping down costs.

Then Martineau’s former employee, Diane Guimond, entered the race.

Guimond began working at the Welfare Department under the previous commissioner, Susan Lafond. She served as deputy welfare commissioner under Martineau until she left the post on less-than-agreeable terms. She said she understood his efforts to control costs, “but I thought he could have been nicer about it.”

That’s about as harsh as Guimond will get when it comes to criticizing her previous boss. She’d rather focus on how to do things better. The Welfare Department needs to better communicate with state and federal leaders, she said, and talk to the public about the work the office does and who uses its services.

“It’s not just immigrants. It’s the working poor getting poorer and the middle class afraid of becoming working poor,” said Guimond. “We need to show some compassion and respect to the people walking through the door.”

It was compassion and respect that drove the race’s fourth candidate, Jean Davis, to run.

Davis, who has worked in the social services both professionally and as a volunteer, said that on her first trip into the office, she was taken aback.

“I’d never ever seen such mean-spiritedness and lack of professionalism,” she said, referring to the way the clients were treated. If elected, Davis said, she would foster a culture of compassion in the office, work to create partnerships with local businesses and try to instill an attitude of self-reliance among the clients.

While it’s clear these three challengers intend to run a tough campaign and Martineau will not shy away from defending himself, this race should be about more than just slinging barbs and which party lands the win on Election Day.

In a city where nearly 40 percent of students participate in free- or reduced-price lunch programs because their parents make only slightly more than the poverty level; and where low-income housing is controversial; and where the strain on local social services and a lack of clean, inexpensive housing has in part led the aldermen to request a moratorium on refugees resettlement, it’s time the people have a conversation about the poor.

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It’s a race

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

Someone today mentioned to me that the 2011 city elections were going to be the most boring in history. Despite this, I remain optimistic.

July 17 City Hall Column

LAST WEEK was the kickoff of the city election season, giving little time for the bumps and bruises suffered during this year’s budget battle to heal before entering the next fight.

And with an even tougher budget season looming, voters can bet there will be little else discussed during the city campaign season besides spending and taxes.

It’s the first thing Zoning Board Chairman Brian Desfosses mentioned when asked why he had entered the Ward 6 alderman race.

“I’m sort of a conservative, and in the coming few years, the budget is going to get much tighter than it is now,” said Desfosses. “I’m someone out there who’s working, has little kids, who’s very busy, but still trying to take time to make sure my interests are represented on the board … I don’t see a whole lot of that on the board right now.”

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