Recountings from the County - still spending with growing costs ahead?
You know, I'd really like to be saying something new and nice. Problem is, when politicians make decisions, that affects us all (which is the real reason I got politically active - I was sick, tired, and mad at decisions that changed the life of me and my family in which I had no input or influence). And our local County level politicians are making decisions that will make taxpayers poorer.
Why? Well, on 1/15/09 (hey, I said I was trying to catch up!) from the Citizen we see that yet another attempt at a pseudo "we really don't know if we should be funding this" as the Belknap County Commissioners debated:
Despite restoring its request for funding for next year, the Belknap County Commissioners remain hesitant to support future funding for the Belknap County Citizens Council on Children and Families unless they see some concrete evidence of its success.
While all three commissioners said they support the values of the Citizen's Council and agree with its stated goals of supporting families and promoting community awareness, the three were of like mind when they told Director Alan Robichaud that they are not sure the taxpayers understand what the council does or if they wish to continue funding it.
"We have an obligation to administer the business of the county," said newly elected Commissioner Ed Philpot of Laconia whose term began last week. "We're not in the values business."
It its initial budget presentation last fall, the commission recommended county funding be eliminated for the program that began in 2002 with a private grant from the Annette P. Schmitt Trust and under the guidance of former Belknap County Judge Willard "Bud" Martin.
Problem is,
Sidebar: Once again, as we have seen in my home town, "free money" starts a government program. When the money runs out, the taxpayers end up keeping it going. And Bud Martin's name pops up again.
Well, while the dithering about funding continued, a shoe dropped (umm, an anvil?). The NH Supreme Court decided to take the wind out of the sails of all of the Counties in the State. The Counties were trying to cap the costs to the taxpayer; more, they were fairly confident of winning. Instead, they lost - the State new law (HB2) that they said was cost shifting of an unfunded mandate (Medicaid costs for caring for the elderly). Now, all they can do is hope that the "cap" costs are going to save them.
RRRRrrrriight! Let me play Dr. Obvious - with the same NH House Reps making up the County Convention (oversight of the County Commissioners; final budget by them) - there's a rather large deficit in the State budget already. Isn't it rather clear that the State is not going to play kumbaya; it will be hard ball ALL the way to keep from making that deficit larger?
Wouldn't it be common sense to start deflating the County budget in order to protect those that fund it - the taxpayers?
Well, at least the County employees are getting a 5.2% raise AND up to a 3% merit raise for a possible total of 8.2%.
Well, almost all employees. ONE Exception was the Citizen's Council Director Alan Robichaud who decided not to accept his raise.
