Is there something going on in town that you feel is a complete waste of taxpayer dollars and that you would like to share with the rest of us? let other blog readers read what you deem to be a big taxpayers waste of money.
In these tough times, we all know how hard it is to make ends meet and it looks like it will become even tougher in the next few months. Lets enjoy the fact that summer is here ( although, the everyday rain and storm thing is getting crazy) and winter will no doubt be challenging for most.
Also reports on a tough 2010 town budget has possible major cutbacks on the horizon. We (the town of Derry) will need to make sure we get the "biggest bang" for every dollar.
Understanding that the town will never be perfect. I want to hear from you, what you feel is the biggest waste of taxpayers dollars and please be specific in detail.
It can be something very small or something very obvious. And lets see what peoples views are on this subject.
Maybe, we can see if we can save us some money in these upcoming rough times.
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33 comments:
Derry must have won the award on Taxpayers Waste. It all starts at the Town Hall.
I just got a duplicate Water and Sewer bill. The letter that came with it says there was a mistake on the bar codes. My bill and many other were exactly the same as the first. How much did it cost the "Taypayers" to print, stuff and mail the duplicate bills?
If the town employee who approved the original bills did their jobs right the 1st mailing, there would not have been a need for the 2nd mailing. If memory serves my the Sewer and Water department sent out a huge mailing last month explaining about the new billing system and how it was going to save the town money. Nice going Water and Sewer department!!!
I personally saw this.
How many highway employees does it take to wipe marker from a stop sign?
3 1 to spray the cleaner, 1 to wipe the cleaner and 1 to supervise. It also took about 30 minutes to do.
And do you thing they did both sides of the sign NOT! Thats is for another day, because they all get paid by the hour.
Paying engineering firms for work done on the promise that, maybe, someday, we'll get an Exit 4-A or a tenant/developer for the parcel that Wal-Mart did not take.
Is is true that we've already spent about $3 million of the $5 million bonded for Exit 4-A? What did the taxpayers get for this money?
How about the studies done regarding the widening of Route 28 from Applebees north, or whatever "tax incentive district" is involved?
It is not the Derry taxpayer's job to keep engineering firms in business.
gmfbard
How many Derry fireman does it take to pick-up food for dinner using taxpayer supplied fuel?
Try four!!!! One to drive the fire apparatus.One to fuel the huge tank at 4.69 a gallon,and two to shop and fill one little plastic basket.They don't use a cart because they can go any time they want.
IF you would like to watch this fiasco of taxpayer money being thrown out the window,they are usually seen daily between 4 and 6pm at Shaws plaza in the firelane.
Thats why the firelane is there and the police give taxpayers tickets. So Derry Fire can park their behinds close to the exit door.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE GRAND-MA" {fire-lane)!!!!!
--stop wasting money on politically motivated legal opinions.
--stop wasting money on legal opinions to clear up messes created by poor judgement.
--stop burning thousands of watts of power and thousands of dollars of money at the softball field when it's raining or when games have finished.
--stop police from sitting with their motors running for hours either individually or as is often the case pulled up next to one another chatting.
--stop fire trucks from way too many runs to calls that originate from the same places as false alarms.
--stop five or more emergency vehicle responses to routine calls, like known fender benders for instance.
--stop hiring
--stop pay raises
--stop OVERTIME ABUSES!!
--stop replacing overstaffed fire departments.
--stop hiring "town executives(?)" at their predecessors rate and some.
--stop open spaces purchases that coincidentally surround con com members homes without that being disclosed.
--stop private road consideration. those folks knew it before they bought the property...if not they can sue the real estate brokerage and others involved in the conveyance.
this mess we're in is of course due in part to macro-economic forces. but brian, you and many more before you are directly responsible for the larger mess that derry is now forced to confront. good fiscal management is more than just balancing the books despite the "kiss" derry was thrown by that state agency recently....it also entails considering the return projects and expenditures offer. the town hall was a waste, the failed attempt at a new firehouse was a waste, a new parking garage is a waste, exit 4 A is a waste, east derry fires closing cost us all a lot more and there were no efficiencies delivered that were promised (no surprise, only lies), the emergency response deal with surrounding towns was a bum deal.....thank goodness one council member had sense enough to have seen that the walmart deal was not locked in stone don't you think brian and company?
get my drift B ? you had better do some soul searching. there are many areas in which this town can run more efficiently, in good times and in bad.
one need only to open their eyes which i understand is easier said than done in some cases and by some people.
To anonymous 5/7/08 7:05 PM
I've got two suggestions for you...
--move out of Derry
or
--put your name on next years ballot to run for councilor.
A little civic pride can go a long way.
Some people would complain even if they had the services for free. Fire everyone in the Water and Sewer office because someone made a mistake. Can the highway dept because they don't operate as one person wants them to. Okay, all the studies that we have done are a little stupid! The nerve of the firefighters that go to the store for food and don't walk there. To anon 7:05, about the only thing that you got right were the lights at the softball field. I wish that for a week some of you people would see what life would be like without some of the services that we have. I like to know that when something is wrong I can call someone for help. Volunteer stuff isn't going to do it because I for one have no want to fight fire, catch someone breaking into house, fix a water problem, catch the dog, plow the street, or about 50 other things you people complain about. The same people are going to complain until major cuts are made. Those same people are going to be the ones complaining that they lost their services! Good Luck!
To Anonymous 6:30pm
Kudos to you....I agree with you 110% and feel many others do too. We always hear the same old droning from the usual small group.The economy is getting tighter and some town services will have to be scaled back.I betcha a Dunkin Donuts coffee the very same people will still be griping when the first snow flies and their road hasn't been plowed fast enough!They want it both ways
anon 7:05 again. it seems three apparent town apologists mustered up enough attention to focus an attempt at responding to my suggestions. which incidentally, B- was requesting for from towns people on this blog.
not surprisingly, and true to form, these three rely upon the same old derry pol tactic of trying to paint someone, who actually sees things as they exist, as someone that just complains; or someone that does not volunteer time, money and energy into making derry a better place; or finally and perhaps most humorous, they try to create the impression, or worse yet, actually have convinced themselves, that it is just a few that feel derry has a lot of room for improvement.
what is missing in the sum total of these three responses, as usual, is any attempt to intelligently argue any of the positions and observations i put forth. i won't go into detail again , but can any of you yahoos honestly say that any of the money saving ideas or the historical context i eluded to are incorrect? without being intellectually dishonest that is......i thought not.
there are a whole lot of people that contributed to this mess we are in. sure, i suspect that some of you three may even have contributed time, but i have watched for years how things "work" in this town and sometimes time alone is not enough. there is that small annoying topic of expertise to consider. derry has a long legacy of being run and developed by accident. just open your eyes and look around.
the new town council appears among the best i have seen, though still with some glaring exceptions. but it certainly does on the whole instill more hope then the past casts of characters.
and i kid you not, many more people in town know what i have expressed to be the case then not.
let's see one of you take a shot at defending your position......i'll be waiting.
I response to anon 5/7/08..
You're right. The town services are just costing us WAY too much money. I say, fire them all and we'll get vollies to do all that work for nothing. I'm sure since you're a taxpayer, you'll see all that money you saved and be so overly excited with joy that you'll be the first one to volunteer.
I'm sure you'll have no problem on days like today or yesterday, where the temps were in the high 90's with extreme humidity, doing the mundane tasks such as getting fully geared up to go out on a fire-alarm activation. Or loading out on a domestic with your bullet-proof vest and full belt compliment. Or laying down some wonderful hot tar to fill patches. Or mowing the grass. Or...
If that just doesn't sound at all like fun to you than maybe you and people like you should stop and think a few minutes. I live in town too and it hurts everyone when they have to ay their taxes. But I at least have a VERY good idea of what I am getting for my money. Compared to most areas in NH, it's a BARGAIN!
Oh, and by the way, if you just wanted to see how it feels to gear out for a fire-alarm activation on days like this, here's what you could do. Put on a t-shirt followed by a wool sweater. Then a pair of dress pants followed with a nice toasty pair of snowpants. Not just the type that keep the ice/water off, but the ones that have that nice fleecy inner lining. Now, go outside and get in your car at about 1:30 p.m (make sure the windows have been closed until now! Don't cheat!). Drive all the way across town WITHOUT turning on that A/C! Only one engine has it so that would be considered cheating for this test!
Now do that a few times and let me know how you feel about paying other people to do it for you.
anon 9:39 as expected (unfortunately) your response provides evidence that you have either failed to grasp, or worse yet, are willing to obscure what my point is to avoid having to defend your indefensible position.
in summary once again, councillors and town government personnel have allowed years of excesses and inefficiencies to systematically creep into our towns cost structure. to such an extent that the scales have tipped and the mess is greater than it would have otherwise been.
the fireman uniform gibberish you put forth has absolutely nothing to do with the discussion at hand.....remember?......we are discussing wqys to cut costs and improve delivery efficiencies.
i wonder what fireman would have to say about someone suggesting that fire retardant outfits are so uncomfortable that they want to be heard whining about wearing them as one of the toughest parts of their jobs ...or a patrolman complaining about the heat because they have to wear kevlar to perform the job they choose and for which they are paid.
so, if you want to take another stab at rereading B's original post and my original response to it, which you apparently take issue with, this time pay particular attention to staying on point in your response. i would love to read what you have to say.
Dare I say that I agree with Anon 05/07/08. Why even ask the question when in essence all you want to hear is "switch your light bulbs from 100 watts to 40". Thanks Anon 9/7/08 but we don't need a run down of a day in the life of a firefighter/police office/dpw worker or anyone else. No ones questioning the merits or need of any of these departments so I'm assuming in the absence of debating the issues with case in point examples your only option is to respond, "fire them all" and when that becomes ineffective you'll scream "if you don't like it, move". There isn't a department I've seen yet that can't cut some fat if they really wanted to. The problem is; in the absence of good business sense and leadership they don't need to.
The only thing I'd have to say I disagree with is "Derry has a long legacy of being run and developed by accident". I don't think it's by any accident that Derry has been run or developed in the way it was. I think it was run, planned and executed EXACTLY the way the players wanted it and it's the taxpayer and citizen that's suffered because of it.
There are those that will complain no matter what but the flip side is there's those who will defend pork barrel spending for pet projects that will only benefit the same politicos that got us where we are today and if they change their minds tomorrow so will you.
Anonymous 1:25, I've one thing to say, AMEN.
Anonymous 7:05, I've one thing to say, you're hired.
Anonymous 6:30, I've one thing to say, WAKE UP !
You too Brian.
Anon 3:36 - Ditto!
With an extra ... Brain wake up!
To Anonymous 6/7/08
Your answer to waste is if taxpayers dont like abuses with taxpayer supplied money, "Move Out" is typical coming from the people who are employed by Derry.
And you know I would move, except for my Boss just gave me "Guaranteed Lifetime Employment"
Interesting thread. It sure looks like there are town employed and/or politically connected people here.
But it also seems that they quickly disappear when articulate responses to their often emotional screeds begin to get posted.
I could not agree with anonymous 9:04 more. As well with anonymous 7:05 who offered many correct observations and suggestions in response to Brian's question.
Its easy for those people employed by Derry to stay move out. Very few of them actually live in Town, since they don't have to worry about high tax bills, lets spend, spend spend.
My guess is that most Town Employees do not make enough money to live a fun and successfuly lifestyle AND live in Derry.
Also, Anon 9:04, I have never heard of any Town Employee having "Guaranteed Lifetime Employment".
These are the false accusations that mislead good people.
9:09 am -- I suugest you look at the facts. I'll bet you that Derry employees make more than the average household in Derry. US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the average wages in the area to be $42,250. How many town employees make more that that?
Anonymous 9:09
Now let the people that read this blog know that you found some stats that the mean income in Derry is 42,250.00.
Does that figure include the 10 to 14 weeks of vacation and sick time,great medical for life, and lifetime employement?
Let me ask you this .Why would someone drive all the way from Connetticut for that kind of bread?
Town employees in Derry have it "very cushy" . You know it and taxpayers know it! You don't see any of them quiting their jobs do you. There is plenty of good people that would be glad and qualified to take those jobs with or without wool sweaters!
anon 9:09,
lets hope the people you have in mind are qualified to do the job first.
Don't see any town employees quitting? Do you know that in the past year, 11 senior members of the Police Department have quit? That's a lot of experience walking out the door. Just hope you don't have a major incident that needs police response for the next few years until the replacement employees are fully trained.
BC,
Maybe you can set the record straight. Do any of the Town's workers' bargaining agreements include the words "Guaranteed Lifetime Employment" like some the liars here are trying to tell people.
Anonymous 9:24
Did it ever cross your mind that just maybe one Chief is doing his job and one isn"t?.
Sometimes you have to thin the herd.The Manchester Fire Dept had to split -up that good ol-boy dept too and they did not like it .But it is done.
For every town employee that quits there is 2000 that are qualified to step up to the plate.
Make that 13 and counting. Two more are leaving this month. What's going on over there?? Have you bothered to look into this at all Brian? Why are we losing so many long time employees?
anon 10:50,
Retirement changes! The longer term police employees take retirement now to Maximize future benefits before they start changing. Then they go to work "part time" in another smaller town and still make a decent salary. It's just the way the system works right now. On the flip side, the town sheds some higher salaried positions. The only down side is we lose experience, however it should not be looked at as a problem with our dept. Hope this helps shed some light.
ANON 10;18,
Sorry, I can not talk about contract issue until the contracts are signed. They are still bargaining. I will have to wait to answer this question. Sorry!
BC
You took the easy way out again!
You most certainly can tell the truth about the current signed contracts that employees are operating under. Heck, some of the contracts are posted on their own websites.
I'm surprised by this Brian. Gimme a break!
10:18 Do you think we are stupid? A contract does not have to say "Guaranteed Lifetime Employment" for it to have that effect.
Also its not nice to call people liars. Shame on you.
I know I'm late to the party, but please DO NOT let them expand the Taylor Library!!! If the 10 vocal people that care about that library want to expand it they should raise the money themselves. We already have library 2 miles away (and a pretty good one). The Taylor Library should be closed as a library and opened as a Museum with visitor donated curator pay. I just don't understand with everyone struggling so much that they continue to ram this $3 - $5 Million project down our throats.
I overheard a conversation standing in line at the Country Store where someone said that if the library is expanded Brent Carney actually wants to name the expansion the Carney Library.
Isn't this taxpayer money? What has Brent done to think he deserves this honor beside spending our money?
Doesn't everyone have the internet by now?
4:58 I think someone is pulling your leg.
Anon 7:44,
I'm going to have to agree with you on that one. It must of been a joke. In the two years I have sat with Mr Carney- He is not the type that would do something like that. Brent makes his seat as a councilor representing his district, his priority!and has not shown to be a person with a huge ego.
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