News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
It all began with a simple question. In October, I wanted to verify the balance in a special fund (Capital Reserve Fund) set up for the maintenance of the Performing Arts Center, which opened on April 1, 2023. The City’s Board of Aldermen (BOA) approved this fund in August 2023. It was meant to be … Read more
Disputes over municipal records in Nashua are characterized by significant contention. City officials operate through a distorted political lens. To engage with the Nashua government, one needs to align with their political views in order to receive cooperation and timely access to governmental records as required by New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know (RTK) Law (RSA 91-A). Any … Read more
I opened this morning’s email to a group memo from former Alderman Teeboom, known locally as the author of the original cap. There’s so much to say about the cap, its history (SB 52 of 2021 and HB 1342 of 2022), and city baggage (including litigation) associated with it, but I’ll cut to the chase … Read more
A RECENT op-ed published in the Union Leader by Nashua Aldermen Tim Sennott, Tom Lopez and Melbourne Moran highlighted the need for aldermen and city leaders to rein in spending. Board members should view spending as a nonpartisan issue, recognizing the financial limitations that our citizens funding government face. While the op-ed raised important points, … Read more
Unless you’re a brand new Granite Stater outside of Wheeler’s district, you ought to be familiar with Ms Melanie Levesque. While she’s not the only one who voted for an income tax, she’s the one who gets the most bent out of shape when her vote is mentioned. For those who care to learn more … Read more
Nashua’s Mayor and the legal office have launched a full-scale attack on this citizen in response to my advocacy for transparency in the city. Their lack of transparency is evident in their attempts to shift 100% of the blame for the costs of Right-to-Know (RTK) cases and complaints onto the citizens, while denying any responsibility … Read more
Are you available at 10am this Monday 11/25? If yes, please join Paula Johnson and her supporters at the archives as she challenges her recount. Paula is a local fixture that needs no introduction in Nashua, but if you’re outside the city and need a refresher on who she is, click here. There’s also non-Grok … Read more
Contracted legal fee agreements are approved by the Mayor and require no approval of the Board of Aldermen (BOA). The purchasing policy does not require the Finance Committee or Board of Aldermen to approve legal services above $25,000. The Mayor and Legal Office have unchecked control over the legal fee contracts and the terms and expenses associated with … Read more
Rep Ming, aka “Melanie 2.0,” as I often call him, made a crybaby tweet today, one week after losing to my senator. What sweetens his loss all the more is that he’s excluded from BOTH sides of the wall for the next 2 years. My high school basketball coach regularly said following each loss “losers … Read more
The Federal Flag Hearing On Tuesday Morning, November 5, 2024, the Concord Federal Court held a merits hearing on the Scaer v City of Nashua First Amendment Flag case. The coincidence of our National Voting Day and this case could not be more fitting. I had the pleasure of attending. The City filed yet another … Read more
Nashua’s assessing office underwent significant changes between 2019 and 2021. These changes occurred when the Mayor, aware of the problems, failed to keep the lid on a dysfunctional office operating in disarray. The lack of management oversight created an unregulated environment, which eventually revealed itself and continues to reveal itself. The chief was at the heart … Read more
Mayor Donchess likes to remind us that a few residents are costing the city thousands of dollars on Right To Know Requests. The problem is that Mayor Donchess does not want transparency and would like to keep the residents from knowing what he is doing with our tax dollars and how he is running the … Read more
Why did the City spend $650,000 in attorney’s fees and City Costs in an RTK case? The First RTK Petition – My Costs – $225,000 I started seeking records in Nashua, the Welcoming City, in good faith, believing the City would comply. While New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know (RTK) law does not require employees to answer questions, … Read more
Nashua is less than 2 months away from the 100th anniversary of the fire that destroyed the previous Main Street bridge. If you’re a paid member, you can read the Telegraph article about the impact that its absence had on transit. I won’t get into the weeds of comparing 100 years ago to today, but … Read more
Washington And Nashua Have A Lot In Common Selecting people for critical leadership roles and monitoring their performance is paramount to an effective government. We all watched a bizarre public outing of our president’s diminished capacity and analysis of his fitness for duty. Those closest to him failed the nation by covering this up and … Read more
Ending Gender Discrimination in Public Information Access I have faced unjustified obstacles and outright hostility for four years while attempting to access public information from Nashua under New Hampshire’s 91-A Right to Know law. What I’ve experienced goes beyond bureaucratic inefficiency to include gender-based discrimination. Nashua’s leadership treats women differently—and worse than men. The Disparity: Men … Read more
Alderman Moran’s behavior and comments at Nashua Board of Aldermen (BOA) meetings often seem bewildering and inappropriate. This was again illustrated at the BOA meeting of 24 September 2024 when he opined on taxpayers’ reactions to receiving their “surprise” property assessment mail. Excerpts from Alderman Moran’s comments during RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR: https://youtu.be/nOf9YDorMgo?si=OvDACDlM_oauB9vo&t=797 … Read more
Democrat Mayor Jim Donchess of Nashua has changed the city’s policy regarding the flagpoles in front of city hall. Where they were once willing to allow the public to petition to fly a flag, that policy is no longer. The city will fly the flags it likes, and that’s the end of it. We predicted … Read more
I currently have a Supreme Court Appeal (2024-0181) regarding a Right to Know petition to obtain public records from NPAC Corp. The Petition was dismissed as the lower court ruled that NPAC Corp. did not meet the requirements of a public body or public agency required to disclose records. However, NPAC Corp is the shell … Read more
On September 24, 2024, the Board of Alderman meeting opened a conversation regarding the new “surprise” assessments received by property owners that weekend. The Mayor explained that properties throughout the City had increased but had no hard data to support his numbers. Congratulating homeowners on their average 20% increases in their assessed values to highlight … Read more