The Taxpayer Revolt Elsewhere...

Was That A Bus That Hit You?

No, it was a taxpayer revolt that ran over ten Republican State Legislators in Tuesday's election. Ha, ha, ha. The bastards never see it coming. Its the twin patinas of arrogance and greed that clouds their powers of perception.

Senate President Pro Tem Robert Jubelirer, R-Altoona, and Senate Majority Leader David Brightbill, R-Lebanon, were two of the architects of an illegal midnight pay raise and who took it on the chin from two conservative candidates in this Pa. Primary. Eight more Republican incumbents went down to conservative rivals as well. Some elected judges were tossed or came close to it in elections right after the pay raise scandal back in July.

What message did Pa. voters sent elected officials in recent elections?

Property tax relief! Not pay raises.

How bad did they want it?

Four years ago the voters even went so far as to elect liberal Democrat Ed Rendell the former mayor of Philly. Now that is desperation.

The tally so far: Pa. RINO's get cooked in the primary, conservatives who promise property tax relief get elected to replace them, Rendell PROMISED property tax relief and has not delivered. Is he next?

Here is the fun part.

Former Pittsburgh Steeler and conservative Lynn Swann is running for Governor of Pennsylvania. In Philly, Rendell's former haunt, many inner city voters get to vote several times because the system is so crooked. If you do the math on census figures something like 65% OF ALL people above the age of 18 would have to vote to get the turnout they do. The corruption is legendary.

But what if these same city voters who sway the whole state into the blue decide to vote for the candidate of color who happens to be a well respected football star to boot?

I am originally from Pa. and while there several years ago became aware of the Rendell for Governor campaign of “property tax relief” where Rendell aligned himself with every local candidate on that issue. You could see the signs change from district to district as you drove the six hours across the state. Rendell and this guy, Rendell and that guy. Sign after sign. It worked. But the promise was not kept.

And I was in Pa. For a couple of days last year in the Raystown area for a college function and saw the “throw the bums out” signs planted in front yards all along the rural roads we traveled. The papers were full of pay raise news stories and letters to the editor demanding retribution.

November 2006 in Pa. should be a corker.

When Winning Isn't Winning

If I have my understanding of the upcoming November 2006 elections in order it goes something like this: Democrats are poised for a takeover of the US House because of Republican scandals such as spying on US citizens by the government.

Anointed Democrat Presidential Candidate Hillary stealing some 900 FBI files on her political enemies wasn't spying? Progressive Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer's employees hack into the Lt Governor of Maryland's credit card history to provide dirt on this up and coming black Republican politician, but this as well is not spying? Progressive Dem. Congressman McDermott has friends who tap the phone conversations of other Congressmen but that pales in comparison to what is going on now, as I understand this thread of Democrat logic.

Yep, warrant-less spying is good fodder for Democrat campaigns. They can hold their heads up high on that issue.

And there is more.

The Republican Governor of Kentucky was just indicted for of all things, hiring political friends for government jobs.

I guess by now most voters have forgotten what Princess Hillary did to the long time White House Travel Office employees the moment she had the chance to exorcise her Executive Powers under President Bill. If you forgot, let me remind you - she replaced them with cronies of hers. But that was “different” you say.

Republicans “outed” a secret CIA agent! Except this agent was NOT a real secret agent but a lowly CIA paper pusher who sent her hubby on a personal book deal-making vacation in Africa meant to undermine the current administration. If this “secret” agent needed to be under cover, donating money to the Kerry for President campaign under her real name was a strange way to do it.

On the other hand, Progressive Democrat Senator Leahey did in fact knowingly leak to the press military information which lead to an American pilot being killed. At least he was removed from the Senate Intelligence Committee. But once again, this issue of leaking is a sure bet for Democrats.

The war in Iraq. Now there is a sure thing for Liberals. They based their last Presidential campaign on that one.

(Hillary voted for it.)

I do wish the Democrats well though. Especially in the House races in '06. Throw the Republican bums out! (Especially RINO's)
Then we will have TWO SOLID YEARS OF DEMOCRAT RULE IN THE HOUSE, RIGHT BEFORE THE 2008 ELECTION.

That should about do it for any of Hillary's White House dreams.

Surprise!

After a year and a half, Governor “Not Benson” (who no longer talks about the $300 million dollar Benson deficit he campaigned on) takes a stand! Actually, two stands.

Can you believe it? He vetoes a bill known as the “Geoff Wetrosky Prevention Act.”

This bill was designed to allow long suffering NH election officials the opportunity to ask for photo identification of potential voters. But the little governor is afraid that people voting in NH might be intimidated by having to show identification.

Notice how I said “people voting in NH” as opposed to “NH voters.” There is a difference. You can, according to current practices in our state, vote here even if you live in any of the other 48 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Solomon Islands, or South Dakota.

In Lynch the Governor's New Hampshire, people from all over the world would never risk being intimidated (or caught) when they vote here. They would simply pick a town, walk up to the ballot clerk, with their ski mask on of course, mumble the name of some college student (if someone else hasn't done it already) who graduated and moved six years ago, and bingo, democracy is ensured!

At first I thought Lynch the Governor was nuts vetoing a voter ID bill because of the nonsensical “intimidation” excuse. But he won me over just last week I saw a young fella at Cumby's buying a case of beer. He seemed nervous showing the store clerk a photo ID he had. Maybe we should reconsider this ID thing on more levels. Intimidation leads to stress and stress causes all kinds of medical conditions which could balloon our already enormous HHS budget. Hey maybe its a tax saving opportunity!

This no ID thing could really catch on. Faster lines at banks. The airport would be a more pleasant place for sure.

Then there is my personal pet peeve.

Every damn time I go to a voter fraud hearing at the State House and testify they make me tell them my name “for the record.” Boy is that intimidating.

Almost forgot. Lynch took a shot at the Second Amendment with a veto of a No Retreat Bill, SB318. Typical liberal.

As a taxpayer activist I notice things about politicians in other areas of the political spectrum. And this is a good rule of thumb:

Any politician who does not respect your Second Amendment Rights will tax the snot out of you given half a chance.

Don't trust them.

So close...

...but yet so far away.

You need to check out a new taxpayer website called:

www.winchester-informed-citizen.org once there click on:

“Why no comment from selectmen after auditors report.”

Here is what is really, really important about the Vachon, Clukay & Co. auditing firm's report to the Board of Selectmen. Each page of the seven page audit letter is plastered with this phrase: “DRAFT DOCUMENT NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION”

Oh I imagine some of the powers that be in Winchester thought that by now HB 626 would have been passed and the audit, required by state statutes RSAs 41:9 and 31:33 to name several, could have been blanketed from public disclosure by claiming it was only a DRAFT DOCUMENT as found in the now tabled HB 626. (Looked innocent enough didn't it?)

Under our current Right to Know Law, RSA 91-A, an audit, once completed, is a public document. It should be stamped RECEIVED by the town secretary the day it is delivered and dated as such.

But the proposed HB 626 “revision and updating” of 91-A by a gaggle of lawyers from The New Hampshire Municipal Association would have made the audit an untouchable DRAFT DOCUMENT until such time as public officials saw fit.

Remember, TAXPAYERS paid for the audit and the only persons who could be embarrassed by financial disclosure would be the board itself and public officials are not exempt from 91-A.

When a public body has a meeting and minutes are generated the secretary puts them together and they are then DRAFT minutes until made official by a vote. Fair enough. Each board member has a right to amend the draft minutes for mistakes.

But when a firm is hired to do an audit and the audit is complete it belongs to the TAXPAYERS as well as the public officials.

Next year when the phony Right To Know Commission sets out on its mission to gut 91-A, remember what you saw on the Winchester Informed Citizen site.

If you live in Winchester you should call your selectmen and tell them to put the DRAFT DOCUMENT NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION stamp in the circular file.

Waaaah!

Is somebody taking their bat and glove home from the game?

What, the rules changed and suddenly we don't want to play any more? Tsk, tsk.

Everything was peachy and keen when certain people made up the rules, but just as soon as the going gets tough...well you know the rest.

Check this out. Taxpayers just got a check in their 'win' column when it comes to property taxes. The bad boy of the Assessing Standards Board seems to have finally caught on to what happens when taxpayers catch on - you get kicked to the curb.

Avitar Associates of New England, Inc.
A Municipal Services Company
Betsy Patten, Chair Assessing Standards Board
c/o NH Dept of Revenue Admin
Attn: Dawn Calley P.O. Box 457
Concord, NH 03302
Re: Resignation

Dear Betsy:
March 31, 2006 I am writing as I have officially submitted my resignation to Tom Holmes, President of the NHAAO, as they are the parties responsible for my nomination.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working as a member of the ASB until recently. It appears the original focus of the Board is lost. Previously, the Board ran like a well-oiled machine, yet lately that is not the case. I believe this is due to the recent amount of media attention focused on assessing issues, ie: "The View Tax". The ASB is now merely a public/DRA/political forum.
I was astounded at the last meeting, when DRA members, not on the ASB were the driving force behind the decision-making. On several occasions, you specifically asked Scott Dickman whether something should remain or not. There was not enough Board discussion or voting. I believe I am not alone in the concerns I have mentioned.

My prior two terms were excellent and knowing and working with you was a pleasure. I believe an ASB meeting is not the proper forum for taxpayers to bring their specific abatement or appeals to. Taxpayers should be urged to follow the established processes in place, ie: abatement, appeal to BTLA or Superior Court. By lending an ear to taxpayer specific concerns, you have essentially changed the original intent of the Board, while only hearing one tainted side.

I have not notified the Governor or Governor's Council, as I did not have their support anyway.
Betsy, it has been a pleasure knowing and working with you, but our current push to adopt USPAP and the forum in which we are doing it is uncomfortable for me, particularly where it is directed at assessing companies.

Sincerely,

Gary J. Roberge, Sr. Appr., CNHA CEO
GJR/sjc
150 Suncook Valley Hwy
Chichester, NH 03258

Good riddance Mr. Roberge. Don't let the door...well you know the rest.

Since Gary Roberge, once the all powerful creator of assessing laws, is so fond of “letting it all hang out” about how the Assessing Standards Board has changed its purpose, maybe he can take some time to explain why his Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal software (well oiled machine) has so many flaws in it.

Here is my guess:

The DRA is desperate for some uniform software that can be used to asses all the property in NH. Gary Roberge seemed to be their savior when he came up with his Avitar system. The problem is that it has so many flaws it is unworkable without a constant effort to “re-engineer” it. That “re-engineering” comes at the expense of any town that was dependent on (and paid for) the Avitar system of mass reappraisal.

From sitting through Board of Tax and Land Appeals hearings and watching the way Roberge gets to walk away from bad assessments it occurred to me that he was receiving special treatment.

Then came the political heat from the “View Tax” and Gary is no longer beyond criticism. I remember writing an article not long ago hoping Gov. Lynch would reappoint Roberge to the Assessing Standards Board so Lynch could be tagged with the “View Tax.” Hmmmm.

I hope the efforts of The Coalition of NH Taxpayers in connecting the various selectmen and taxpayers all over this state affected by poor assessing, helped bring about this change. If it did it was well worth it, and just a start.