Going into my fourth year as a town councilor, I realize that you can not make everyone happy. I have taken my fair share of criticism and tried to learn from it. Could I have done things better or should I have voted a different way on some votes, perhaps.
Ah but politics are not always easy and many times hard decisions must be made. I knew this running for re-election and accepted the fact that people will disagree or not like the way I vote or the way I handle some issues.
Recently, I have been criticized for my comments about the "MET" closing it's door. The "MET" as many know is the children's museum that is located in the downtown.
It has been reported that lack of funds has set them back and they are unable to pay their rent and bills and are forced to close their doors.
I want to first say that I wish that they could stay and they are an asset to the downtown and community, in fact when they first started in Londonderry, my oldest daughter at the age of six enjoyed the many activities they had to offer. When we first learned that were moving to Derry, everyone embraced them and helped support them in their new surroundings. This is what a community should do.
Now, I first learned that they were closing their doors from a news reporter just last week. I had no idea what they were paying for rent, if they were late paying rent or anything like that-nor did i expect to know the private details between the private non-profit or the private holding LLC company.
Now I get criticized because my comments when asked about the MET closing was it would have a ripple effect- some businesses come and some go. And so I get slammed by two letters for being insensitive and one for not being pro-active in trying to save the museum. In fact, a comparison to Dover and Dover's mayor was made and naming me the past chairman for the previous year as the bad guy.
At no time, when i was chairman or even the last six months as a councilor had anyone from the MET come to me or any councilor and ask for any help ( we just finished budgets and no one came looking for town dollars) I am not saying I would of voted or not to give taxpayer money, I am saying I knew nothing till the very last minute. My comments were also taken out of context. I merely stated i felt bad, however I choose to look at the bright side of things and said something else would come in. Just because i choose not to start pointing fingers or using the closing to bad mouth the DEDC doesn't mean I'm disappointed they are leaving!
In fact, being a business owner myself and growing up in a small family business, I know full well that its tough being a small business owner and many times venture fail. That's America! The beauty of it is that people can start all over again. That's what i meant from my comments in the paper, not that I don't care I do. But just like in nature, the fit survive.
Also I do not believe that government is here to subsidy private businesses.
And to compare Derry to Dover is two different entities. I think before anyone starts talking about using taxpayers money to help private businesses we need to see Derry's tax rates come down!
What are your thoughts about the MET closing?
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11 comments:
BC, Goodmorning.
First, If the DEDC felt as bad as you abuot the MET closing maybe it wouldnt be. Thats there job.Many business owners in town are being raped with high rents.So if you are going to open a business with that kind of rent, you will probably would make out better where the buildings are in better shape and you have parking.
As far as lowering taxes in this town,its not going to be enough to stop FOR SALE signs from going up. TAXES ARE TOO HIGH, and the spending machine keeps going.
Every time you pick up the paper some towney wants something new. REC CENTER,MORE TOWN EMPLOYEES,MORE FIRE STATIONS, AND MORE LAYWERS.
BC, WE NEED TO GET MORE CONSERVATIVES IN TOWN HALL AND IM SURE THE DEMS HAVE TO GO .
As a liberal Democrat, I am amazed that people continue to refer to us as if we had a disease.
Please argue the facts, not some soap box rhetoric.
WH3,
RE: The DEDC you say, "That's their job"
The premise of that is wrong --- that you are in the position of defining what their job is. Assuming you are not directly involved in the DEDC (I'm not either) coupled with the fact we taxpayers are no longer making even the small subsidy we had been --- I don't think we have any basis to critcize the DEDC - they are a private company.
But moving forward, I think the DEDC they could play a role - they are a private entity that has offered their hand - as an organization, they have a skill set that could prove to effectively fill gaps as we further much-needed Economic Develpoment. And yes, the best part is that whatever role is agreed upon would appear to be free of charge.
As I see it, any opposition of the DEDC at this point is based upon interpretation of history or personalties. I think those are wrong reasons to oppose the utilization of the DEDC.
I agree that government should not be subsidizing private business. Having said that, let’s look at a few facts.
We had been giving the DEDC $60K a year. The decision was made to dump them in favor of giving one guy, to be hired at some point in the future, almost twice that amount. A questionable decision in my opinion, but its over and done with.
Meanwhile, the town is doing nothing on economic development, and we don’t want to consider the possibility of giving some one time bail out money to the Met, which brings 30,000 people to a much struggling downtown every year?? Never mind keeping an asset like the Met right here in Derry??
This town and the taxpayers need to start taking a longer view on things like this or we’ll just wind up with a bunch of Rite Aids, Irving’s and Dunkin’ Donuts. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against those places, and they have their place, but they’re certainly not what you could call an asset to the community.
The loss of the Met will be a loss to the town of Derry. It’s bad enough that stores come and go downtown, but when you lose something like the Met, you don’t get it back. And you’ll have 30,000 fewer people patronizing the businesses that are left.
As to wh3’s comments, I’d be willing to bet that as many of those for sale signs that are up because of taxes, there are just as many up because of money the town DIDN’T spend. You know rec centers, infrastructure improvements, and now maybe, places like the Met.
I think it’s ashame that the Childrens Met is going out. I would imagine that it did draw people to the downtown area and is a plus to the community. But jumping jehoshaphat $3500/mo for rent for a space with an entrance down a side street? Sweet. And, as a private citizen it seems to me there is some sort of conflict between Derry Depot Holdings LLC and their twin aka the DEDC. You’re not for subsidizing private businesses? What are tax incentives and bonding? Or did you mean businesses that aren’t adding to the tax base? Who’s kidding who? Taxes will never go down in town. If a corporation came to town that would employ thousands with a value add of a million dollars to the tax base; firestations would multiply; police would increase and you’d be spending like it was the best Christmas of your life. You, as a real estate person should know; when you sell your house you want that curb appeal. When people and potential businesses are looking for communities to move to, they to are looking for “curb appeal” not blight. The Met certainly adds appeal to Derry and if Derry as a community doesn’t step up to the plate then I guess that says a lot about Derry as a community and you as a councilor who represents the downtown area. Will you be bringing it up at the next town meeting?
anonymous 3:26,
Bonding is not subsidizing private business. If you are referring to the bonding that we are doing on the roadway improvements on Manchester Rd to the Londonderry line-then those monies are for the benefit to all the Derry citizens becasue we make the roadway better and it attracts more business so that we can build more commercial/industrial business to offset residential mix.
This helps all taxpayers with some relief.
OK BC ... so since you are making the road better to attract more businesses, who are you (meaning the town) talking to that is interested in the area surrounding these 'upgrades'? Besides Walmart that is!
Oh wait ... I know the answer to my question. It will be another drug store!!!!!
Anoymous 4:37 & 4:38,
I like your sense of humor! First thing first, I hope you heard the good news of sanmina coming back. Now, Walmart would be what they call an anchor business. You see once walmart comes in- we already have other inquiries from other "big box" stores wanting to come as well. Although i don't have any specific names to give you because these stores want to keep their anynominity just like you! But believe me, things are in the works!!
As far as the drugstores go! well we are not Vermont you know- If it is zoned for it and they do a business model and want to come- God bless them and God bless America. It could be worse you know instead of drugstores it could be more residential houses you know.
okay bc, we get it, it is america, why do you so often find it necessary to wrap yourself in the flag in attemptying to support your argument? but, i'll play along, in keeping with your "american theme" consider this, american ingenuity is defined secondarily by bricks and mortar. every project i've worked on BEGINS with a PLAN. yet for DECADES this town's officials collective wisdom have failed to recognize the need for, let alone produce, a development plan, WE HAVE NO PLAN! furthermore, if it were not for the recent intense public scrutiny by "evil" outside "micro-managers" of both, the dedc cost benefit and public illumination of the town councils floundering, there STILL would be no economic development position funded.
derry has historically been reactive to others biz plans, like the drug store models, and occasional resturant you site. but derry has been primarily held captive to the interests of those that follow the path of least resistance, short-term gain vs. long term gain, guided towards incidious ruin by the 6% rule...what's the 6% rule some may ask?...it's the 6% residential real estate listing fee. as the theory goes "build it, cheaply, pay me 6%, they will come, we'll pay for it later." this accounts for the hodge podge that IS derry's actual development plan in many parts of town. it also explains the horrendous imbalance that exists in our residential vs. commercial tax base.
now of course, due to space and time limitations, true to form there will be some that will boldly step forward and object to this analysis and attempt to shoot holes in it, which is their right, but before you do...please, i am a sporting person, give your response(s) some thought, so i don't have to shoot any fish in a barrel.
finally bc, what's all the buzz i have been hearing about walmart and exit 5 in londonderry, who's telling you about the others waiting in the wing to latch on to walmart..jack dowd? come on..your joking right?; hasn't sanmina been paying taxes all along? sure they have (the workers returning is a good thing however) and lastly, given that every $10 million of commercial development impacts our tax rate by only 44 cents don't you think the horses have left the zoning barn and zoning must be looked at really closely by some new eyes at this point? i sure as hell do.
I tend to disagree ... we have a plan. Ask anyone down at town hall. We have so many plans, you would be buried in them for months! The issue is that folks at town hall have been there WAY TO LONG and when folks complain about no direction a workgroup is created and a new plan is derived ... derived from the old plan that has a history dating back from 1900! We need a plan ... a NEW plan ... a plan written for TODAY ... starting from SCRATCH. I know the old saying ... why reinvent the wheel, but you need to get out of the box and look at the town (city) from a different perspective.
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