Tom Keane Updates 2008
In this section we will post updates from Selectman Tom Keane of Bow…
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I have gone to the town website to get minutes of selectmen meetings and I get very little out of that information. I am someone who is concerned about the huge growth in the increase in taxes in Bow.
This is great pleae pass the word about this wonderful website!!
Thank-you selectman Keane!! We all recognize that your updates are from your point of view and not that of the entire select-board. I know one other selectman that has a bad habit for inappropriately and inaccurately speaking the board. In fact he spoke for the select-board in a failed attempt to attack you last spring. It is clear that this is only your opinion (a taxpayer friendly one). Thank-you for consistently standing up for the taxpayers of Bow. We could use someone like you on the Bow school board.
There must be some kind of disconnect between the majority of selectmen. I read article after article that voter turnout at selectmen meeting s are telling their elected officials to following the will of the voter. It is abundantly clear that 3 selectmen, Judd, Kennison, and Crisp do not trust the voters of Bow. What is the big rush to spend huge amounts of taxpayer money? Crisp, Judd and Kennison don’t you know we are in a recession.
We should assume innocence but this act of not even letting the other selectmen read and digest the information before them before a vote was forced smells of collusion. I am sorry but I don’t trust Don Lane if you go to the conflict of interest article on this website he has so much to gain. Whatever happened to public service being just that serving the public, not serving yourself.
What selectmen are/is up for election this year if they voted for this lets vote them out.
An important e-mail sent to Paul Revere:
This Gary Hirshberg has an agenda. I found the following article interesting – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-hirshberg/why-i-wrote-my-book_b_90721.html.
Just because he’s a successful businessman does not make him an expert on energy or green technology. The fact that he wants a green planet is no more or less significant than the fact that I want one too. The difference between us is that I understand developing alternative technology takes time, and you don’t hamstring our current energy producing capacity to “make a statement” or “force the issue”. The smart people in this country know there’s money to be made in developing alternative energy. We all paid attention when gas shot up to $4.00 a gallon. Give these talented folks a little time – they will produce. In the mean time, let’s not take the rug out from under our industry and families by prematurely shutting down the resources we currently need to get there.
If environmentally obsessed individuals like Gary want to focus their attention on an immediate crisis, they should learn more about what’s happening to the ecology in China – it makes New Hampshire look like an operating room.
Tom, you are a breathe for fresh air for residents and taxpayers by being informative and up front with your posts here.
Tom, you are a PATRIOT of BOW.
Keep up the great work.
A member of the silent majority.
I am new to this site. I want to comend Mr. Keane for taking the time and effort to post this information for the benefit of all.
I wish we could get someone from the budget committee and the school board to post on this web site also.
RLB
No one from the school board will ever post a comment……at least with a name attached. The board has its agenda. It considers all input as pure “bunk.” Plan to attend a school board meeting. You’ll be enlightened.
YESWECAN
Selectman Jack Crisp is up for reelection this year. As you stated he is one
of the 3 who voted in favor of the water/sewer project. Meeting after meeting
voters attended and the majority voiced opinions AGAINST the water/sewer
project but all comments apparently fell on 6 deaf ears. Four ears heard the public and voted NOT to
press forward with the project.
Again, like the school board, we have elected official whose yearly earnings
exceed six figures. At least two of them, Tom Keane and Eric Andersen do
understand the plight of the “little guy” in town. I applaud them. Thank you
Tom and Eric for fighting for us.
It is interesting how the budget committee voted after the posting of the
Keane update
Have any of you ever served them with a 91-A request? You can and they must comply within a certain time frame. There is a file here that shows how:
http://www.cnht.org/pdf/rtk_request.pdf
Hi just read Tom’s 2/25/09 update:
9.37% increase (which does not include any warrant articles)
You got to be sh$%*&#g me??? In this economy?
We are not all retired government emplyees or lawyers!
Bow Selectmen and the Town Manager need a serious reality check……………….or have they been succumbed by Obamanomics?
Sounds to me like we have a majority of the Selectmen and Town Manager that are socialist democrats subscribing to the idea that if government spends a lot of money and rasies taxes, it will stimulate the economy in Bow…..sound familiar?
RLB,
One of those socialist had a letter to the editor in the paper today. Same old same old comments that basically say that Elected officials can spend at will and shouldn’t be criticized
Tom,
Your 3/10/09 updates are right on target.
The big item in my mind is the teachers salary contract in Warrant Article # 4 and the “evergreen” clause in it which like “tenure” guarrantee that every year whether there is a contract agreed to or not the teachers get their step & track raises. This one of the reasons in my opinion that they settled at the last minute for a 1 year contract. Next year they will be guarranteed a raise even if they cannot come to an agreement on a contract !!! Yes folks the taxpayer gets the royal screwing again just like “tenure”.
If this Warrantr Article #4 is voted down this “evergreen” clause does not get put into force as it only applies to new contracts. Voters need to vote “NO” on this item or you will be paying for it every year into the future.
When will the taxpayer get results from all it pays teachers???
When will that get written into a contract? No results….no raises???
This school system is way out of control even with enrollments goping down at a steady pace.
Keep up the good work, Tom.
Mr. Hilard,
I agree with you that having teacher’s ask for a pay increase is ill-timed, given the current economic downturn. It is a bold move for a short-term gain that likely will have lasting long-term negative ramifications from a wary public.
However, I disagree that this contract creates de-facto tenure. The concept of tenure is over a thousand years old, originated with William the Conqueror and the word itself is Norman French for “to hold.” The legal concept of tenure is that a person can hold their position for a period of time so long as certain conditions are not met.
The current contract does not grant any teachers employment for life. They are not entitled to hold their positions indefinitely. Indeed, it would appear to be just the opposite: in the same budget as this contract, there is a proposal for dismissing several teachers.
On the positive-side, if this contract is passed, then, until the next contract is passed, the town is locked into a contract only on a year-to-year basis. This has the benefit of allowing the town to renegotiate every year, rather than be locked into a contract for a term of years.
publius,
Please reread my comment as I was just comparing to tenure or that is what I meant, which was an issue in favor of teachers many years ago here in Bow, to the “evergreen” clause that is new and is in the current proposed contract that we will vote on in Warrant Article #4.
The “evergreen” clause guarrantees the teachers there annual step and track wage increases whether a contract has been agreed to or not.
Sorry for the confusion.
Passing this contract does not in any way lock us into a year to year contract with the teachers. They could and probably will try to negotiate a 3 year contract next year. IMHO they went with the 1 year contract this year so that they can get the “evergreen” clause activated so that if they cannot come to an agreement next year they will still be getting their step and track raises even though they may not have agreed to a contract. The “evergreen” clause only affects newly agreed to contracts. It is not in the current contract. If this WA #4 fails the “evvergreen” clause is not in affect for the next contract negotiations.
Thank-you Rick for informing us on the evergreen clause. A lot of teachers’ contracts were shot down this year and I am sure the economy and the evergreen clause is part of it. We need to get rid of this law before we pass another contract.
We need to take a closer look at how our state reps vote. I bet Tom Keane would not have voted for this anti-taxpayer law and he lost by only a hand full of votes. In 2010 this should be an election year issue. Repeal evergreen.
I have a question for Mr. Keane. If his last update, he stated that less than 9% of registered voters turned out for the meeting. I’m curious from where he got his statistics.
That’s easy. All you have to do is compare turnout with the number of registered voters, all public information. I’m sure that selectmen have access to same.
Teacher,
You’re right that’s it easy to do. He simply gives no proof. As a teacher, you know the importance of showing your work.
Perhaps he figures people are smart enough to look it up. Did the town post the results of the election? Do you know how many people are registered to vote? A simple phone call can clear it up.. there is nothing to ‘prove’.
I think Tom is a smart guy so I’m sure he can do the math.
You’re missing my point, Teacher. Don’t you think he should be responsible for substantiating his claims?
Don’t belabor the point. Why would Tom lie about something THAT easy to prove? Keep it up and I might begin to think YOU are a lawyer too.
All I’m saying here is that if we’re worried about misinformation from our elected officials, we should not be selective about who we hold to that standard. I think that single standard will do just fine, and we can pass on the double.
Cool website! I missed last night’s town mtg because I was at work. I voted for SB2 not to arbitrarily keep taxes down, but so I could vote and contribute. Tom I’ve been reading your posts and just wanted to correct one thing. Ref. the ambulance, Concord actually has five ambulances, three in service and two reserve. I’m not familiar with the condition of Bow’s second ambulance, but I don’t think it’s fair for Concord Fire to be our back up. Perhaps another solution can be found, rental maybe.
Your right on the money about about how we hide and allocate money. I’ve wondered for years where do bond payments go once they’ve been paid off? For instance, when I pay my car off the monthly payment goes into my savings. I don’t automatically spend it again because I’m used to it. I feel that that is exactly what city’s and the school does. Concord School’s keep a retiree’s salary in the budget even though he/she’s replaced with a lower paid employee!
PAYT, I’m glad it got voted down. Here’s a suggestion, let’s bring back the transfer station, get rid of curbside pick-up. W/O the $800,000 curbside bill I’d entertain PAYT.
One last thing, I’m not sure what article it is, but I believe there is a vote of reconfirmation of a fire department replacement fund and whether or not it includes a ladder truck. I believe that between 5-10 yrs. ago this came up and it was defeated. Bow does not need a ladder truck! We are surrounded by them.
Note from admin: To keep these posts from getting too long, I have divided up the TK updates into years. 2008 are in their own post and so are 2009. 2010 will continue with a new post. So if some of your comments pertain to 2009 updates, you can move up to that post to continue to comment.