If not DEDC, then who?
To the editor:
Let the celebration begin! For the first time since 1991, the Board of Directors of the Derry Economic Development Corporation has voted not to provide service to the Town of Derry. The local vocal minority of Alliance of Derry Taxpayers (ADT) has already started celebrating. A curious fact-searching reader might wish to get some facts before they join in.
The DEDC battle is not about the "good old boys." Every group has long-term board members. The DEDC is one of the longest-running development corporations in New Hampshire. Over the years, we have attracted great talent among Board members and employees, many not even active in the political scene - they just want to lower the property tax rate for everyone. Normally, we work hard to get projects done and ignore politics. The ADT just does not like some of our members, because of our successes.
I have served on many Boards and DEDC remains my favorite. The Board has always consisted of some of Derry's most prominent business leaders with one common drive - responsible business development to contribute to a long-term lowering effect on the Derry Property Tax rate.
It is interesting that the ADT members complain about the $1 million used to fund the DEDC over the last 18 years. Sounds like a lot of money? Sure it is. Factually, this is $55,555 a year. Two years ago, the Council with the leading wisdom from Coyle, Fairbanks, and Carney, voted to hire a Town employee to do economic development. After two years of $120,000 annual expense, we have no results. At that rate, that cost for 18 years would be $2,160,000 and with no results - is that a successful model? For the $1,000,000 funding to the DEDC, the Town now enjoys additional $320,000 annual increase in property tax revenues. Eighteen years of that is $5,760,000; a rate of return equal to 6 times the investment. Who wouldn't invest $1 million for $6 million? Add up the numbers: the winner? Derry's taxpayers!
Under the leadership of Jack Dowd, the DEDC accomplished great returns for Derry. Not only were we the only group in Town that businesses wanted to talk to, businesses avoided a political process that they shy away from. Without the DEDC, who can a business leader turn to for confidentiality? So if you do not like Jack Dowd, it is not based on lack of results, it is just that you sit on the side of the local vocal opposition.
So let the DEDC no longer work for the Town - that is the best idea! The council should follow the recommendations of Burtis and hire a group on commission - a group only interested in money - not the Derry taxpayers. So join in their celebration, but while in the room, ask, Who is in charge of economic development in Derry? Who is working to increase taxable commercial properties? When you don't get an answer, celebrate your current tax bill - because it will start increasing at higher rates!
Joel Olbricht
Derry
Help needed for fire victims
To the editor:
A neighborhood volunteer effort has been established to help the Stevens Family, of Warner Hill Road, Derry, victims of a recent disastrous fire. Lance and Lisa Stevens, and their five children, lost their home and their possessions in that fire.
A grassroots effort has secured the generosity of a storage unit donated by All Around Storage at 86 Rockingham Road, Derry to store donated items until the Stevens have rebuilt their home.
Neighborhood volunteers, Corinne Dodge 432-5759 and Marge Palmer 432-7212, are requesting gift certificates to any local business where you would purchase food, clothing, gasoline, home furnishings, or anything you would need to start tor refurnish your own home. The family is currently living in a hotel until a furnished rental can be located. Therefore gift certificates for local restaurants would be appreciated for immediate use.
The children and their sizes are girls' size 3-6 months; girls' size 4-5; girls' size 6-7; man's large shirt and pants 28 or 29/32; boy's pants 34/32.
Linens, towels, sheets (full, twin, queen), small kitchen tools and appliances, will all be needed when they are able to move back into their home. These items when donated may be dropped off at All Around Storage where the management has graciously offered a storage unit for that purpose and will see that the items are secured. Their hours are Monday through Friday 10-5 and Saturdays 9-4.
When the kids get bored this summer, why not organize a lemonade stand, or women, have a kitchen shower? Your imagination can produce some thoughtful gestures to let this family know they live in a community that truly cares.
Marjorie Palmer
Derry
Don't forget the women
To the editor:
We keep hearing about the ARRA (the economic stimulus package) money pouring into New Hampshire and other states. I heard the other day that "New Hampshire is leading other New England states in getting that money out." If you've been driving anywhere lately, but especially on I-93, you'll have noticed that there is a lot of highway and bridge construction going on! I keep wondering, "Where are the women?"
Highway, bridge and the new green construction jobs are good paying jobs by New Hampshire standards. They (mostly) don't require a college education. As a matter of fact, these workers learn on the job while getting paid! The work is NO heavier or dirtier than being a Certified Nurses Assistant (CNA), but it pays more!
It's not that women don't want to do this work. Often women don't even think they can get hired to work in skilled trades and technical jobs. Did you also know that there are Federal Regulations regarding female employment on all Federal Aid projects!?!? The Regulation that I am referring to is Executive Order 11246 published in 1978! In addition to setting a goal of 6.9 percent female participation in each trade category, these Regulations also set out 16 Steps to Affirmative Action that contractors must adhere to.
However, over and above the fact that it is the law, it is also the right thing to do! Women make up half the workforce in New Hampshire. Women make up around 2 percent of the construction workers in New Hampshire. Construction is one of the few career opportunities where without a college degree, one can get on the job training and earn a livable wage.
The N.H. Commission on the Status of Women has started a new initiative this year: Better Jobs for N.H. Women - New Traditions. They are working with other State and Federal agencies and many community-based organizations to help N.H. women learn about, and become employed in trades and technical jobs.
As you drive around, count the number of women working on the construction projects you see. Last month a friend of mine did...she counted 104 workers with three of them women!
When our tax dollars are being used to create new jobs in highway, bridge and green construction, it is unfair, and illegal to leave out half the population! We know how to recruit and train women who are interested in earning a decent living! We know how to make the worksite welcoming for women. We have a great opportunity to help the women of NH to increase their opportunities for earning a fair and livable wage. We are spending millions of our tax dollars here in New Hampshire. Don't forget the women of New Hampshire.
Ronnie Sandler
Easton
Dreams come with a cost
To the editor:
Everyone dreams. In this country people can obtain many of their dreams if they just work for them. A child practices and becomes a better athlete. Adults achieve their dreams by doing things of value for others. Both the worker and the employer benefit. The American free enterprise system has made today's Americans rich compared to Americans of even 50 years ago, or compared to most people around the world today.
Work actually provides three rewards, obtaining what we want, pride in providing for ourselves, and self esteem from satisfying other people's needs or wants.
Nothing in life is free. Even breathing uses our muscles, and our muscles must be fed. Even wild food has to be harvested. Someone's sweat and/or brainpower earned everything that man has.
Our dreams of a long and happy life often depend on good health care. Why are politicians telling us that to get health care we must abandon the formula that brings success in every other area? Why are they saying we should get our health care via the government and make our neighbors pay for it?
Politicians try to bribe us by promising things "for free!" But they can only give us what they first take from us. They imply that they will only take the money from someone else, but they lie. Income taxes are only one of the taxes we pay. Everyone pays federal energy, phone and many other taxes which are often hidden in the prices of things we buy. After taking a big cut for themselves, politicians try to buy our votes with our own money!!
Politicians aside, when did we start to think that the proper way for achieving our dreams was to demand for ourselves the fruits of other people's labor? Wasn't slavery abolished over 100 years ago? This very idea is morally objectionable, and it doesn't work when people are free.
Depending on government for our health care is a formula for failure and for misery for Americans needing health care.
Don Ewing
Meredith
To the editor:
On behalf of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, the state's leading advocate for homeowners, I'd like to thank state legislators for their tireless and mostly thankless efforts in working diligently to pass a budget during these difficult economic times.
Specifically, we are pleased that a majority of legislators saw fit not to include a proposal which would have expanded the real estate transfer tax to include refinancing activity.
We believe strongly that New Hampshire's homeowners, already encumbered with the nation's highest real estate transfer tax, pay more than their fair share of state taxes. An expansion would have exaggerated an already disproportionate burden. It was a bad idea in this budget cycle, just as it always will be.
Though it may have seemed an appealing revenue source to tax refinancing during a period when such activity is especially prevalent, we argued throughout the process that such a measure would ultimately have a crippling effect on attempts to stimulate economic recovery.
Consumers of real estate, particularly those in the at-risk segment that such a tax would have impacted, needed to be protected from such an onerous proposal, which in many cases could have prevented families from staying in their homes.
We can probably all agree that in such trying times, there was no way to craft a perfect budget plan. However, a budget with a tax targeting a sector so fundamental to economic prosperity would have been far less perfect than that which passed.
We are fortunate to have an elected body that was unwilling to put those consumers at risk.
Paul Sargeant
Concord
(The writer is 2009 President of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors.)
