Mayor Ted Gatsas

Best News All Day Rare Friday Edition

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

train

 

— The Washington disconnect to the “real people” living in the small cities and towns is nothing new, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot as the sequester debate coincided with Town Meeting/state budget debates. As attempts to solve the sequester problem have been ineffective at best, there has been a lot of hand-wringing in the media and political pundit world about why Washington can’t just make reasonable cuts to the budget and solve this thing. A look at the state’s budget debates might provide some answer to that.

After a few years of shrinking home prices and state revenues, people are frankly sick of having their taxes go up while getting less for what they pay. At Thursday’s state budget hearing, the call was not to cut spending but to increase it for a long list of programs that have suffered as the state has attempted to keep spending down. Merrimack Valley School District defeated a proposal to cut almost $1 million from the budget, and in Rindge, voters rejected $100,000 in across-the-board cuts. Of course, I could list just as many links to stories about towns that approved cuts, but I mention these above as evidence that the voters’ desire for lower taxes isn’t always a simple matter. Sometimes people can find the value — albeit painful — in the taxes they spend.

— How much is a full-time mayor worth? Manchester Charter Commission has decided it’s quite a bit more than Mayor Ted Gatsas’ $68,000 a year salary. While giving politicians pay raises ranks fairly low on the priority list for most voters, especially after the cutting Manchester has done to its schools and city staff, there is an argument to be made here. All city department heads make over $85,000 a year. There are also quite a few senior city workers, police officers and fire fighters that make more than this and quite a few city retirees that make more than $68,000 a year on their pension. Mayor Ted Gatsas certainly won’t be deterred by the pay, so might I suggest the pay raise instead go to his hard-working staff?

— Connecticut River Valley train is now moving faster. The same cannot be said for attempt to get a Merrimack River Valley commuter train.

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 →

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 →

The Corps code

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

Alderman Phil Greazzo. As real as it gets.

Briggs says Job Corps Center ‘more like an overnight reform school’

First, it was low-income rentals that Joe Briggs took on. Now, it’s the Job Corps Center. The school board member asked the aldermen last week to take another look at the center, which will offer job training to low-income students.

“I don’t see a strong social or economic benefit. People think Job Corps is a high-end technology center, but it is more like an overnight reform school,” said Briggs. “It’s a facility where troubled, underprivileged youth can go to have one last chance to have their high school equivalency or learn a trade. … It’s not exactly the cream of the crop, in a sense. I don’t think there are going to be companies lined up for these kids.”

The $35 million Job Corps Center, slated to be built on Dunbarton Road sometime in 2013, will train about 300 low-income New Hampshire students ages 16 to 24. Programs will include health care, clerical and trades training and GED certification.

On Tuesday, Briggs asked about the cost of the water and sewer lines needed for the facility. He cited a study from the Heritage Foundation that showed Job Corps costs exceed its benefits. And with the dearth of open land in Manchester, Briggs wondered whether something else would be better suited for the location.

His suggestion didn’t go over well with Ward 10 Alderman Phil Greazzo, who graduated from a Job Corps Center program after he got out of the Army in his early 20s. Greazzo said the comments were “way off the mark” and inappropriate coming from a member of the school board.

“I don’t think he’s known anyone who’s gone through one,” said Greazzo. “There might have been some kids who were using up their last chance, but they were putting effort into it.”

There are young people like that here in Manchester, Greazzo said, and the city should support their efforts to better themselves.

“I think it’s unfortunate he doesn’t see that,” said Greazzo. “He just sees them as a drag on our economy.” 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.”

Continue reading →

Leaving a mark

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

Yikes! It didn’t take long for things to get back to their normal, ankle-biting ways here in Manchester. Even the candidates that decide to leave town are coming out swinging. I’ll just let this week’s speak for itself.

School board member Joe Briggs may be leaving, but he’s left his mark

In his nearly two years as a public official, Joe Briggs has made a name for himself. Now this outspoken and sometimes controversial school board member is leaving Manchester and taking a job in Georgia.

Briggs is a Republican but bucks traditional party ideology by fighting for more spending on schools and the tax increases to pay for it. He has butted heads with Mayor Ted Gatsas many times and is one of the few people Gatsas has publicly acknowledged gets under his skin. Briggs has pushed for bringing sports to the middle schools, improving student access to technology and reducing classroom sizes. But Briggs has also drawn criticism for speaking his mind — sometimes a little too freely.

While announcing his move on the MPTV “Will & Joe Show” on Wednesday, Briggs used the term “white trash” to refer to some of Manchester’s residents. The term came up while discussing low-income housing, the city resources the tenants use and the immigrants and refugees who live there. Briggs argued there were other people besides the refugees who relied on low-income housing and services.

In an interview Thursday for this column, he elaborated: “Part of the problem — and I used the term ‘white trash’ — is they have a cycle of dependency. They use having babies as a way to stay on services. We all see it in Manchester. We have to recognize that’s an issue, and we have to deal with that.

“Some people just focused on the term ‘white trash,’ and people called me an elitist, but the people who called me an elitist are the ones who own these (low-income) properties” and are contributing to the problem.

Mayor Gatsas focused on the term in an interview on Thursday and said a lot of people called his office about it.

“After the comment he made last night about people in Manchester, the departure could not be soon enough,” said Gatsas. “Calling people in Manchester white trash is wrong … He should resign from the school board. That’s an absolutely wrong attitude to have in this city.” Continue reading →

On the trail again

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

I don’t get to cover the presidential primary much with all there is to do at City Hall, but I try my hardest to cover candidates when they head downtown. Usually, it’s a guided tour from the mayor, who knows the friendly shops and half the people walking down the street. On this tour, I was joined by about a dozen reporters and photographers, including a New York Times reporter who chatted me up. That’s a pretty big gaggle for a hokey August photo op, but this year’s presidential primary couldn’t get any more boring, or at least it was up until this point. Huntsman did alright. He was actually engaging, not just glossing over when the man-on-the-street talked to him. And he spent about 20 minutes in the City Year HQ, which showed me he actually liked the idea of people helping others. There were also no gaffes. A major triumph on the trail.

Gatsas keeps Huntsman waiting, makes no commitment

If you’re a political candidate looking to gain ground in Manchester, you could do worse than to get a guided tour from Mayor Ted Gatsas.

But when former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman showed up for a walk down Elm Street with Gatsas last Wednesday, the mayor was nowhere to be found. Huntsman played it cool, heading up the stairs of City Hall to wait in the comfort of the mayor’s office. The New York Times pointed out Gatsas’ late arrival, noting he appeared a little sheepish when he rolled up in his white Mercedes-Benz.

“I was at the Kiwanis luncheon,” Gatsas told us.

After a 10-minute confab, the mayor and Huntsman emerged from City Hall. A gaggle of 15 reporters and photographers swarmed the Republican presidential candidate, and Gatsas lunged out of the way of the media members’ lenses and microphones.

Huntsman spoke about the race in general — “Polls don’t matter until the fall” — and retail politics — “We’re here meeting folks … This is how it’s done in New Hampshire” — and then he was off to meet and greet.

Huntsman spoke with a man gobbling down a slice outside of Tedy J’s and popped into the City Year offices to talk about the work the corps members will do in schools this coming year. Huntsman even took a moment to chat up another political candidate, this one running for Ward 3 moderator. Moses Sawyer, who had previously served as a poll worker in Portland, Maine, stopped with an armful of groceries to talk to the governor. The conversation ended with a soft commitment of support on both men’s part.

“I’ll follow your campaign if you follow mine,” offered Huntsman.

Sawyer agreed, vigorously shaking Huntsman’s hand. Continue reading →

Refugees, absentee reps and voter rolls

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

Refugee issues dominated the week’s news and got the commenters’ fingers wagging.

Gatsas stands firm on refugee moratorium

Mayor Ted Gatsas has declared war on the International Institute of New England.

The refugee resettlement agency has long been criticized by city officials for a lack of communication as to when and how many refugees are headed to Manchester each year. The aldermen asked for a moratorium last week, and Gatsas said on Friday he would not meet with International Institute officials until after they have withdrawn their application to bring more refugees to the city.

The moratorium comes on the heels of a tough and contentious budget year in which city social service agencies were staring down deep cuts. This strain on services seemed like a reason to slow the influx of people who are most likely to need them, but it’s not just new refugees who would need these services, it’s the ones who are already here. Twenty-six refugee families were in the city welfare office two weeks ago looking for help after their state rental assistance was cut off.

But Gatsas said the moratorium was not about the money, “it’s about the people and the refugees themselves.” Continue reading →

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.”

Continue reading →

Under my umbrella-ella-ella

/ Beth LaMontagne Hall / Leave a comment

Laying blame. It’s what makes up the bulk of any political debate. I felt Avard did a great job of making a clear and persuasive case that the blame wasn’t just on school staff or the board. And there was the umbrella item, which cannot be beat.

Avard blames officials, not unions, for budget standoff

There’s been a lot of blame levied at the city and school employee unions this budget season, but Board of School Committee member John Avard criticized his fellow officials last week for their support of a contract extension that some claim is far too generous.

In 2009, the city and the school district struck a deal with staff that would delay cost-of-living increases in exchange for a three-year contract extension. The extension promised full cost-of-living raises in the next two years of the contract, which Avard said some school board members “stood firmly against.”

“We said we cannot afford this contract and in future it will result in significant layoffs or asking for concessions,” said Avard. “We were told the money will be there. The aldermen said we won’t let you down. So far, I’m feeling let down.” Continue reading →