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’m sure many people are hoping that I will let it go, but I won’t. 88 Rs voted to obstruct access to public records last spring by supporting the RTK tax, aka HB 1002. 22 of them are no longer in office and I’m pleased to say that one of those 22 is former Judiciary … Read more
I have written several articles labeling the judicial-legal system as one that operates on connections: it’s about who you know, not what you know. A recent article on GraniteGrok by Andrew Cline, titled “Rising Up, Not Against Institutions, but Elitism,” highlights that citizens are not opposed to institutions themselves but rather to the elitism represented … 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
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
Cornerstone has released their list of rep candidate endorsements, which include some non incumbents and some former reps. On their endorsement list are 44 enemies of 91A and here they are: I would like all Cornerstoners, meaning both members and supporters alike, to think about something for a moment. While some of you might have … 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
This topic is not nearly as dear to my heart as reminding elected reps they can’t block people on social media they use to communicate public business, but it is a close second. We allow elected representatives in New Hampshire to give out and use any email address as their legislator contact. Reframed, every rep … Read more
By now, most readers know that I’m all about right-to-know and have discussed the records of misguided Rs that voted the wrong way on HB 1002’s most recent roll call. As mentioned in Spike’s recent article, I’ve “gone scorched earth” on groups giving high marks to enemies of 91A. On a personal note, my first … Read more
I saw that Grokster Ann Marie is demanding easy answers to hard questions, but the Superintendent, Tom Abrose, is giving her a hard time. And yes, I’ve been reading and giving her some advice, and I noticed that every Subdivision of the State (e.g., towns, school boards, state agencies, commissions…on and on) has decided that … Read more
A news story ran recently about the Hampton Town Clerk being forced to resign after the AG’s office determined she mishandled election ballots, breaking the law. Town officials were quoted acknowledging the woman who identified the mishandling and the wrongdoing positively and vowed to take action to restore their citizens’ trust in fair and free … Read more
The Republicans, having passed HB1002, not only made it more expensive for investigators trying to find malfeasance within the Government, but they also hobbled people like me in a different way. Or, actually, not. Never mind. Rewind. Fagettiaboutit. Consider this just a post that describes what Republicans attempted to do (stick a political shiv into … Read more