Curt Springer said...
ARTICLE SUBMISSION
Your "Chief" is at it again, but this time he is screwing around with your money in my town (Danville).
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ATKINSON's Vietnam HONOR ROLL as VOTED and PASSED by 2005 Town Meeting and re-approved at Special Town Meeting Sept. 12
EDITORIAL-
A voice of compassion, an example of fairness and reasonable government.
One who believes in the strength and comfort you, your children and your family can draw from good government leadership.
A person who knows Atkinson is our home -- our most important possession that must be preserved and protected through fair taxes and sound community planning and where our children must be safe to grow to become a new generation of leaders.
One who knows that the citizens of Atkinson are all neighbors with her leadership to be dedicated and responsive to all.
One who believes that when those from Atkinson have served our nation and honors are deserved, those honors must be given.
In Valerie Tobin, we now have a leader we know we can entrust with these responsibilities because they are part of her character.
It is our honor to endorse Valerie for election to Atkinson’s Board of Selectmen.
Just a note for those who wish to count the deer.
In January 08 this blog had 16,000 hits and 1,500 unique visitors (for the month).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
EDITORIAL-
"I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense . . ." [TP, 1776]
We take no small measure of umbrage at such a hostile official act against this BLOG’s patron. Therefore, a timely Editorial comment is both appropriate and necessary.
Discussion of Atkinson’s financial direction, from any viewpoint, is fundamental and encouraged and we will always attempt to limit and correct errors.
However, Righteous indignation towards purported error of such inconsequential nature is not appropriate.
The ENTIRE car deal is problematic. If it was caused by poor judgement, improper exercise of authority, neglect or mistake or even specious reasoning, this will never trump the facts that the entire questionable transaction started and ended within a very small circle of confidants.
We find the entire circumstances surrounding the disposition of the police Cruiser highly irregular at the least and the "explanations" somewhat trifling and exhaustive of our intellect.
Mr. Consentino: It’s time to go. Being Chief of Atkinson’s Police Department is NOT a birthright. That is a fabled legend of yesteryear.
Historically in Atkinson, police chief appointments were made "under the hand of the selectmen" for terms of one year at a time, as was also the case in the beginning of Mr. Consentino’s assorted and discontinuous stream of appointments to this position.
Your only remaining credential established on a claim of indispensability has faded.
So time is neigh. Plan a graceful exit, Clean out your desk, Accept the gratitude and tearful sentiments from some. We plan no editorial recriminations. It is time. Thank you for your service, We wish you a long and happy retirement. Bon Voyage.
LETTER
"To All Atkinson Residents,
I am writing to ask for your help. A member of the Atkinson Police Department needs our help. I am here to ask for your help in Corporal John Lapham's fight for his life. As you are aware, John has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He has been once again hospitalized with an infection that is threatening his life. He is one of the bravest people that I have ever met. He has never asked of anything from the residents of the town. Now is our chance to step up and help both him and his family out. As everyone is aware John has been out of work for a few months. His family has been busy helping John to get better. He needs our help, and I am hoping that this town can step up to the plate and help. From the moment that I met John, I have admired him. He does alot, but never asks for anything in return. He has helped so many people in this town. I for one am one of those people. Please help him.
There is a fund set-up in his name at TDBanknorth in Plaistow. Any amount will help John, while he is out of work. It would be great if this town could help ease a burden off his wife.
Thank You
Also if anyone would like to send a card, please address it to:
John Lapham
c/o Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Ctr.
Inpatient mail
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
United States
Please show Corporal John Lapham, that this community can stand up and show our support to those in need. I for one, miss John and can not wait until he can get better and return to work. Please show him that we support him. "
12 comments:
ARTICLE SUBMISSION
Your "Chief" is at it again, but this time he is screwing around with your money in my town (Danville).
SpeakoutDanville: Keep Atkinson Corruption out of Danville
Just so you know.....
Atkinson's old van was donated a few years back. THe one thing about donated items is that the Chief will invariably call them "gifts"....and they are. HOWEVER, when they get old, and the Chief feels they need to be replaced, replacements are never donated. Our original DARE truck was donated, I believe. The van the Chief drives (originally intended to replace the DARE truck) was not cheap. I don't know what the DARE truck is now, but it sure isn't the clown car Phil drives.
In your case, though, the van is being donated to a family, isn't it? And that's kind of nice, because I understand they can use it.
As an Atkinson resident, though, I'm wondering why, if the vehicle is still in condition good enough to donate to a family, does it need to be replaced? Phil led us to believe it was falling apart and would break down momentarily.
As far as I can see, your town is relatively safe from our corruption. It's still our cross to bear, and it's getting awful heavy.
dded note! I'm pretty sure the Chief did discuss it with the Selectmen, and that they gave their blessing.
When I first read the article in the newspaper I too wondered how he could just give away town property. I know he'll say something about donation account, don't have to account for it, blah blah blah, but isn't it town property? It had Atkinson Police written on it, does that mean he can "donate" town cruisers to needy towns? Yes what he doing is a noble thing (for a chance to get HIS name in the paper and make HIMSELF look good) but please, donate YOUR PERSONAL vehicle not Atkinson property. But things being what they are Childs and Sapia will make a big deal about it being the right thing to do and allow it, after THEY get THEIR NAMES and pictures in the paper.
Curt:
Thank you for the heads up. Your concerns are well founded.
Abusing taxpayer resources is sport for the Atkinson PD. They are pros at using scenarios where political correctness is used to manipulate voters.
I mean after all, why wouldn't the town taxpayers want to donate something to a needy family? We (Atkinson Taxpayers) must be heartless and selfish to deny such a proposition, right? Especially if it is an old van we are replacing, anyway, right?
This manipulation is not new. The notion of Atkinson Taxpayers wanting to terminate the Dept of Elderly Affairs has been used by the Chief for years to manipulate the elderly vote. He is the only "hero" for saving that budget item from the heartless taxpayers who want to throw are elderly residents out into the street - if we had the chance.
So for town voters to object to this latest idea just feeds his political agenda and furthers his notion that cruel and greedy Atkinson taxpayers have something against helping people in need (which, by the way is annually contradicted by the actual town votes - but some people just don't pay attention to this fact).
It is sad and pathetic that the most needy people in our town (and now yours) are being used and manipulated for political gain by a corrupt police department/political organization.
Whenever these types of "good neighbor" actions are done, the Chief is front and center and puts his name and face on it - as if it is coming out of HIS pocket and the goodness of HIS heart. But it is all funded by Atkinson taxpayers (ie. MY MONEY) who get NO credit for annually voting for and funding initiatives like the Dept of Elderly Affairs or new wheelchair van.
I would ask that you take note of one thing: The "Atkinson Corruption" you cite is due primarily to a small number of individuals who consistently conspire and dupe the elderly voters and misuse town resources (again, my money) to do it (see the "No Free Ride" article on this blog).
The other 99% of Atkinson townspeople and town employees are good people and are not part it.
Mr. Springer,
Please infom the Phillips family that hile the conation is a good and kind thing to do, although it comes form the Atkinson TAXPAYERS, they will get no credit. Please advise them that there are no free rides in Atkinson, or with Atkinson's chief, next time he wants to defame, or otherwise put the skids to Donna Sullivan, or maybe even Jill Fleming, perhaps in the course of their careers in Danville, any support that the Phillips family can provide will be expected as a quid pro quo.
That is how our chief operates.
So help me out here. Is the Handicap van registered to Consentino or the Town of Atkinson? If it's registered to the town does this mean that other Dept. Heads can just "donate" old vehicles to people they think are in need? If it's worth what was reported in the paper isn't it still usable? If it is why can't we continue using it or using it as a trade in - if it's not why would you give it away to someone and risk their life with it. I'm sure the selectman have been aware and behind this from the start and I only hope that during their next meeting they can explain to the taxpayers (who actually own the van in question) why the money this van is worth (according to Consentino) isn't being used to help off-set some Atkinson expenses.
Yes I'm sure the family this is being donated to are in need of it but there are LOTS OF ATKINSON RESIDENTS who would benefit from donated vehicles from the town.
Something just isn't right here and I firmly believe it may be illegal.
Thanks for all of your responses. Here's my take at this time:
The van was donated. But it was donated to the town, not to the police department. Once it becomes town property, the circumstances of its acquistion, purchase or gift, become irrelevant. The officers of the town, including the police chief and the selectmen, have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers to use the asset or to dispose of it to the best advantage of the town, taking direction from the voters of the town.
And while the taxpayers did not fund the acquistion of the van itself, they have funded the Elderly Affairs department, including the chief/director's salary, other ongoing expenses, and the cost of the replacement van, so they certainly have every right to expect that assets will be managed to the benefit of a lower tax rate wherever and whenever possible.
I was told that it is standard procedure for the town to give away used equipment to charities such as Kiwanis or the Salvation Army or whatever. It seems to be the belief that the selectmen have authority to make these donations. It is said that they "sell" the items for $1, but that is a sham transaction, obviously it is a donation. I don't think they have authority to do these things, at least absent permission from the town meeting.
One question: Did the town meeting ever give the selectmen blanket authority to dispose of unneeded property in this manner?
Your chief seems to think that he has authority to collect funds and equipment and manage them separately from the town general fund. Look at his pitch for money on your town web site.
This is completely improper. Essentially it is a slush fund controlled by the chief. The town can set up various funds, heritage, conservation, etc., because these are authorized by state laws. But there is no statutory authorization AFAIK (I did take a look at the RSAs) for any sort of fund to be managed by the police department. So any money given to the PD should be paid over to the town treasurer, and any expenditures should be as authorized by town votes under the municipal budget act.
The proper way to accomplish the goal would be to form an independent non-profit "Atkinson Police Association", which could collect and accumulate funds, and then make specific donations of equipment to the town, which the selectmen could accept, if they have been so authorized by the town meeting. There would be accountability because the assn. would be required to file financial reports with the NH Secy. of State.
As for the Atkinson-Danville angle, some participants in "SoD" have made a point of saying that this is none of our business. Legally and financially they are correct. But I think if we see bad practices in a nearby town, and especially if they have some connections to ours, there is no harm in calling them out. At the very least, I think it is beneficial to Danville to understand that Atkinson's irresponsible handling of town assets is not a good model for us to follow, even if it is to the benefit of a resident who is in need.
And yes I understand that 99.9% of the people of Atkinson are fine people who are not aware of what is being done in their names and at their expense. Several of my cousins grew up in your town, and one still lives there.
It is interesting that we have such strong personal connections between our two town governments. Not only Donna and Jill, but also Manny Fardella, who is my neighbor and is on both the Danville and Atkinson PDs. He is a fine young man who speaks well for the causes he believes in in our town, and I have no reason to associate him with any of the issues in Atkinson (and I'm not trolling).
Yikes, I resolved after my last posting to keep my nose out of your business and now look what I've done. Back to Danville!!!!
Perhaps I can clear some of this up for you and anyone else who may be interested,
The police donation account was established by town meeting vote back in the late eighties or early ninties, in accordance with RSA's. However the problem with this fund is the management of it. Money can only be withdrawn and expended by the selectmen after a public hearing. However the selectmen never vote to expend any money! They simply open the public hearing, and close it, never voting. However, our selectmen have taken many actions in the recent past without official vote, so perhaps that is not such an issue to most. We used to have a police assoc. however that was disbanded in the mid-eighties amid allegations of misappropriation of funds. The cases are still viewable at the County Courthouse in Brentwood for any who wish to look, the citation is Peak v. Consentino. Interesting reading.
Oh, by the way, under the warrant article which established the fund ANYONE can request an expenditure of funds for any appropriate reason.
Hope that this info helped.
I have to agree, the donation is a nice thing to do, but if it was good for nothing but junk as the chief told us, how can it be good for the family?
Curt
Taking into mind that U are not trolling. I recall and had to re-research the writings on the EVENT-FULL evening of December 27, 2005.
Our/your officer Fardella had ,at the least, a clear "Ring-Side-Seat"
therefore U might converse "over the fence" with him on that subject. I am sure, positive, he has substantial "Eye-Opening" information obout that evening.
The story continues. . .
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