The Union Leader has a report on Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig’s budget proposal, and it lists a number of funded items and the number of tax dollars allocated to them. Pretty much standard fare. However! I saw something I never thought I’d see from an Illiberal Democrat Mayor – a DEFUNDING.
Related:
Things that I couldn’t get “undone” in my semi-conservative town:
She said her proposal does not include funding for expiring collective bargaining agreements, summer concerts or membership to the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission and the New Hampshire Municipal Association.
Good for her!
The New Hampshire Municipal Association doesn’t advocate for taxpayers. Instead, they openly advocate for the employees that work in said town municipalities. I’ve watched their lobbyists give testimonies that DIRECTLY go against residents’ best interests putting “the Government above the Citizen.”
An example was our BudComm Finance technical fix of “No means No.” A Budget Committee denies a taxing authority (town, school board, water district) monies to spend for some purpose. When a line item is zeroed out, it should STAY zeroed out.
Instead of supporting elected officials trying to properly control their budgets, the NHMA lobbyist complained that it would make life too hard for government workers.
Sure, they often offer training in different areas, but I see it as a “curtain to hide behind” when Town Administrators tout the “value” of some rather large tranche of monies.
And ditto for the Planning Commissions. They are a “fourth level of Government” that exists here in NH that serves, IMHO, themselves.
Once started as bureaus that helped towns “coordinate” their road and transportation networks, they’ve decided to grow (like seemingly ALL Govt entities trying to prove their “worth”) far beyond their original mandates.
For instance, the last time I looked, the Lakes Region Planning Commission was morphing itself into some Super Purchasing Agency – and admittedly wanting to increase the amount of money coming into it.
So, KUDOS to Mayor Craig for electing to kill off Manchester’s “donations” for self-serving, anti-taxpayer bureaucrats that have too much influence.
While we wish to see her retired from her present position by a more Conservative Candidate (both Rich Girard and Victoria Sullivan have announced exploratory challenges), we still maintain that we will thank anyone if they are doing the right thing.
Even if she’s run the city into both Wokeness and Brokeness.
