Welcome to another new contributor under the Publius byline
Anonymous said...
PLEASE PUBLISH AS AN ARTICLE
THE TIME IS NOW – WE HAVE THE POWER
It is no secret that our town government is broken. It is no secret that many many many residents are now up in arms for change. It is no secret how or who brought the town to its knees. It is no secret that we the people have the power to change these things and move forward.
1. REPLACE JACK-remove this bullying egomaniac. No longer allow him to have a voice. Support one candidate and don’t split the vote.
2. RETIRE PHIL-He can no longer intimidate, bully or harass on an official level if he is put out to pasture where he belongs.
3.
4. REPLACE FRANK-someone any one run for moderator. To think that he continually tries to orchestrate OUR deliberative session so that he can get home for supper is beyond ridiculous. This is the resident’s only opportunity to be a voice, whether 5 people or 500 people show up…..we have the right to deliberate.
*** Editors Note: Point #3 was edited only because this issue is currently under ballot.***
TAKE A STAND
Deliberate February 2nd
Vote March 11th
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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:
hey leave Frank alone. his comments about getting home for supper is a humor statement. he would give as much time as possible during the sessions. he is only trying to bring some comic relief into the day.
Roberts Rules of Order FAQ
Question 11:
Must debate on a motion stop immediately as soon as any member calls the question?
Answer:
It is a fairly common misconception that, after debate has continued for some time, if any member shouts out "Question!" or "I call the question!", debate must immediately cease and the chair must put the pending question to a vote. This is simply not the case.
Stated in Roberts Rules of Order
"The fundamental right of deliberative assemblies require all questions to be thoroughly discussed before taking action!
The assembly rules - they have the final say on everything!
Silence means consent!
The right of members to debate and, make motions cannot be cut off by the chair's putting a question to vote with such rapidity as to prevent the members getting the floor after the chair has inquired if the assembly is ready for the question".
re: A motion to move the question (before a deliberative assembly):
deliberation is indeed stopped while the motion to move is voted upon, however, there is no discussion on this motion. It is either passed (in which the question is moved to a vote) or defeated (in which case deliberation/discussion of the question at hand continues).
*** Editors Note: Point #3 was edited only because this issue is currently under ballot.***
What does this mean?
I thought you said you were only going to edit libel or slander.
This just confirms what is being said about censorship in this blog.
No it doesn't confirm that, It confirms that we don't want the person in question filing a frivolous lawsuit against US just for the purpose of stripping away the anonymity of everyone here! That is what it confirms!
From the context of the uncensored part of the post, and your comment about why you censored it, #3 has got to be something to do with the proposal to abolish the position of town administrator.
There have been quite a number negative and vitriolic comments about McAllister, personally and his position. It's hard to imagine why the censored comment would any more likely lead to a law suit than any of the similar comments that have been published here.
Once again you say one thing and do another. You say that you only suppress libelous and slanderous remarks, but actually you evaluate the comments on an ad hoc basis, with no rhyme or reason as to what you allow and what you don't.
Most "Blogs" are run just like our town Government. They do as they wish and don't ask for a vote on how to run things.
Instead of "shooting" the messenger, you should be directing your concerns to the BOS.
Let's not forget how most were left out of the information loop before we had the two Blogs about our town. We as Taxpayers are supposed to have a say in Town Government but do not in this town. We ALL should be working to one goal. Bringing town government back to the people of Atkinson and nothing else at the moment. One hurdle at a time!
I think the comment that this blog is overcensored is silly, it's been an incredibly valuable tool for open communication, but I don't understand why a comment on a ballot item has to be removed.
Lawsuits can be started on any issue, but how would a comment for or against a ballot item be taken as slander (1st amendment?)? Just wondering...
Look, lets be honest here,
The reason we all use psuedonyms and anonymity is because none of us want to be the next targets to have our names, reputations and families slandered and attacked by the selectmen and the police chief, as so many other have before us.
The chief and the selectmen have been trying fruitlessly to find out who is behind this blog.
When a flyer was placed in the carriage towne news last year, the editor was asked who placed the flyer.
We have heard the moderator asking questions about us at public meetings, we have heard the selectmen and chief denounce us at public meetings.
They can not stand the fact that they can not find their critics. It is angering them that they can not resort to their usual tactic of shooting the messenger.
We will not do anything that will offer them the opportunity to discover through the courts what they can not discover here in town.
We all long for the time when Sapia and Consentino's reign of terror has ended, and we no longer have to use false identities, but until that time, this appears to be the world as we live it.
What is the second blog someone is talking about? There are 2 blogs in Atkinson?
the other is not a blog, but a document site,
atkinsontaxpayers.org
Article submission.
$659,000 Town Hall Expansion Plan.
First a little background. I have been on the Atkinson Cable Advisory Board since 1997. Chairman since 2001. Our board helped the town get the old cable system rebuilt by Adelphia while they were still in bankruptcy. We even got them to give us an extra $30.000 to settle old disputes. As a board, our goal was to secure a new franchise agreement with the cable company and then look to build a studio for Channel 20. The current "studio" is a walk in closet behind the Selectman's desks.
To accomplish this goal, over the years we built a Cable Capital Reserve Fund with the excess franchise fees. Franchise fees are paid to the town from cable revenues in exchange for the use of our right of ways. Each year, we use some of the fees to pay for running Channel 20 and warrant the rest into the Capital Reserve Fund. This fund has well over $300,000 now. Since 2000 we have also let an additional $200,000 in franchise fees drop right into the general fund. Why? Some years we got even more than we expected but the major amount was due to delays in this warrant article. We were ready to go forward in 2006 only to be asked to step aside for the library. And again in 2007. Over $40,000 in 2006 and $60,000 in 2007 dropped right into the general fund since we did not warrant adding extra franchise fees to the Cable TV Reserve Fund. (Since we put forward a building addition warrant both those years only to see them pulled at the last minute we did not look to add money to the fund.) In 2008, another $50,000+ will hit the general fund. (Again, no cap reserve warrant.)
So to answer the burning question: How do we pay for it?
$309,000 from the Cable Television Capital Reserve Fund,
$150,000 from the general fund, (By the end of 2008, cable franchise fees will have dumped over $250,000 into the general fund this century.)
And then we borrow $200,000 for 5 years. This will cost us $45,000 a year (Maybe less with the drop in interest rates this year) and can be paid for with future franchise fees. (We get over $95,000 a year from Comcast and spend less than $50,000 to run Channel 20.)
So the end result is Harron/Adelphia/Comcast can fund our town hall expansion. Sorry to say either the Budget Committee did not understand this concept or they wanted cable fees in the general fund to help pay for the communications tower.
Now, why do we need a bigger Town Hall?
First, we need a studio for cable.
Go see the closet yourself, or the equipment spread all over the meeting room. We have saved the money to do it. If we only build a $300,000 studio, the town gets nothing else.
The current Town Hall was constructed in 1986. The Town has grown by over 40% since then. (And soon will grow more) Atkinson needs a bigger Town Hall.
The paperless society they promised us in the 90's is not happening. The town must keep more written records longer and they must be safe.
The Town Clerk needs a vault.
The Tax Collector needs a vault and space. (Again, a walk in closet for an office.)
The Town Administrator/Selectmen need a private office. (To meet with residents and keep important papers.)
Everyone needs more room and we can do this now with very little if any impact on the tax rate.
Sure, we could use this money for something else, like a 120' tower, but at this time I believe we should pass this warrant article in spite of the "Not recommended" by the Budget Committee.
I know the warrant says "raise and appropriate" but by my calculations we have raised or will raise from cable franchise fees and only need to "appropriate".
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