Nashua Mayor Asks For 4 Million From Surplus None of it For Commuter Rail - Granite Grok

Nashua Mayor Asks For 4 Million From Surplus None of it For Commuter Rail

nashuacityhallI guess there are bigger priorities in Nashua than “Choo Choo.” Capital equipment. Playgrounds. Sidewalks. A few ‘plants’ to spiffy up the joint. Work on a community center. Repurposing technology and updating an online dashboard so residents can access information from about city projects and initiatives. Like choo choo?

Nashua has four million dollars (leftover) and not a penny of it earmarked for another rail study.

They did earmark some to remove invasive species. No, not out-of-state Massachusetts voters living in Dem. Rep. Cindy Rosenwald’s house; plants by the river, or something.

Apparently, Nashua (occasionally) has something called surplus. Extra cash left over. Money to spend on things like invasive plants or rail studies. But I’m having some trouble finding news about them asking for money for rail studies that didn’t come out of someone else’s pockets (outside of Nashua).

When the Legislature, in an uncharacteristic act of prudence, decided to cut four million dollars for another rail study last April (from the state’s ten-year transportation plan) the usual suspects got, what’s the word I’m looking for…bitchy?

“This vote is deeply disappointing and it sends a negative message to businesses who are desperate to attract talented workers to fill thousands of high-paying jobs and young professionals the state seeks to recruit and retain,” said E.J. Powers, spokesman for NH Business for Rail Expansion. “This analysis, which would be funded by a federal grant at zero cost to New Hampshire taxpayers, would provide a blueprint for moving forward with rail.

Free money.

E.J’s ‘powers’ do not, apparently include accounting. But we’re here to help. A bi-polar left-handed albino lesbian (with a slight astigmatism in her left eye)  ‘appropriates’ a large sum of cash and valuables from the E.J. Powers residence and gives it to strangers. When recipients of this largesse are interviewed by police for possessing the “appropriated items” they claim the redistribution ‘was free money.’ At zero cost to them, the police officers, or the intermediary (though there may have been a handling fee).

It would be crazy not to just take it, right?

This is also true of the “surplus.” It’s sitting right there! We have to spend it! And while we are spending it let’s tell people how good we are at it.

Politicians love to talk about what a great job they did by not spending all the money they took from you. As a reward (to you, believe it or not) they advertise how they plan to spend the leftovers.

This ensures that next year they will need to take even more. But it’s for your own good.

The actual reward (naturally) would be writing budgets that purposefully take less so that should the need arise, they have to ask you for your permission to take more. At that point, you can decide if it is time to make a change in ‘leadership’ which is why they take more and then never suggest that any leftovers should be given back.

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