Thursday, May 15, 2014
Revenue fall forces N.H. spending freeze
CONCORD, N.H. -- A sharp springtime drop in revenue has shaved the state’s budget surplus to less than $4 million and Gov. Maggie Hassan said Wednesday she will seek a freeze on hiring, equipment purchases and out-of-state travel.
Hassan will ask the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee to approve her requests, as other governors have done.
In a letter to the committee, Hassan said a $25 million budget surplus in March had nearly evaporated by the end of April to $3.9 million. The shortfall mostly comes from a decrease in the amount collected through business taxes and the interest and dividend tax. April collections were $22 million below expected.
"The Department of Revenue Administration will need further data and further analysis to determine whether this is a short-term drop or a long-term trend," Hassan wrote in her request to the committee. "But given the limited information, we should act prudently, responsibly, and expeditiously to continue to ensure a balanced budget."
Hassan said changes in the tax code and more businesses applying for tax credits are factors in the decrease. Legislators are also hashing out how to manage a looming change in the amount the state collects in the Medicaid Enhancement Tax, which has been ruled unconstitutional by two judges. The tax produces about $185 million annually.
The governor will ask Legislature and judiciary to also consider a spending freeze. Agency spending can still be approved by waiver.
Hassan did not set a target for savings or say how much she thinks the freeze could save.
The state has a $10.7 billion, two-year budget.
Senate President Chuck Morse, a Republican from Salem, said Hassan’s request was overdue but he characterized the issue as a spending problem, not a revenue problem.
"As announced last week, Senate Finance Chairman Jeanie Forrester will continue to work with the departments to evaluate their spending and lapse positions for the current fiscal year in order to prepare legislative leaders should events necessitate additional legislative action," Morse said.
Democrats also supported the freeze request.
"An executive order directing a freeze in general funded hiring, equipment, purchasing and out-of-state travel is the prudent and responsible action to ensure a balanced budget for the biennium," said Senate Democratic Leader Sylvia Larsen of Concord.
Former Gov. John Lynch initiated a spending freeze in 2008 when revenue fell some $75 million below estimates.
So what's wrong with the bozos that run our town, don't they get it? Since 2008, they've been handing out raises and performance bonuses year after year and spending like a bunch of drunken sailors while Rome burns and just like the State, some businesses in this town don't pay their fair share or even pay at all, putting more burden on the citizens to carry the load.
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45 comments:
In Winchester we pay performance bonuses to employees who get to work late EVERY DAY, go home or out and about when ever they please, extend lunch and breaks, and even use Co. equipment and time for things like the, piney woods deal a few years back. How about trying to wear out the new 4x4 p0lice cruiser before we need it in the winter.Our townhall parking lot looks like a crime scene, when a little cold patch would work. When our Governor retires, we should bring her to Winchester and let her take over for our select board.
That's because we have morons going to the polls to vote for idiots that run this town like a private club and reward the inept for supporting them. For years these bloodsuckers have lived off the town and it shows.I keep hoping things will change as this blog has brought to light numerous problems we have with the way our tax dollars are used to promote private agendas; but I don't think I'll live long enough to see that ever happen.
Guess the 8:19 poster doesn't understand Winchester, there are very little checks and balances, when it comes to employee punctuality, its like there time starts when they leave home.
Name another town that has spent so much money on security for town employees as has out little town? Safety glass, key pad entry, panic buttons, etc. etc. etc. If they weren't such arrogant people with no regard for we who pay their salaries, which by the way are outrageous, they wouldn't be so worried. Then there's the new computers every year and all the perks of a major city that they are lavished with and yet you can never find certain people in their rooms or in the building when you need their assistance or go to pay a bill. All this money spent and no time clocks or responsibility, we are the real fools in this town.
Time Clocks! Unless they are all salary.
I would imagine that our employees get paid by the hour, and I am willing to bet there pay is the same every week regardless of how much time they are acutely on the job.
Yesterdays Sentinel had an article on double dipping by retired state workers who get there pensions and then get appointed to another state job. In todays Sentinel we find out the Keene retired fire chief is a BIG double dipper. I know that this has nothing to do with Winchester but it sounds like something we would do down the road.
sedcy homstca2123With Gardner resigning as selectmen one of you, the outraged folks should go up and make yourself available for Gardner's job before they appoint Sidewalk to No-Where Mike Martin.
Hang on to your arr's with the state's revenue down you can expect to pay a heavier share to the town coffers.
I read the Sentinel article about superintendent salaries. Can someone please explain to me why we have a full time superintendent when we never had a full time one even when we had our high school? Just more money being wasted, on administration. I thought we got rid of Ken Dassau so we didn't have to pay benefits because he was 2 jobs. Now we have 1 doing 1 job???
sedcy homstca2123
What?
This AM May21st, I was driving through Hinsdale and I thought I saw the Hinsdale Hwy crew doing there own line striping, don't these people know that you save money if you use an outside service like Winchester. Still cant believe it, how stupid Hinsdale.
@9:40. As you can see in the article, winchester does not rank in high salaries. Also The winchester superintendent is also the middle school principal to save money. Everyone seems to forget that the winchester school is actually 2 schools in 1.
Our school(s) cost way too much for a town our size and our kids can't pass simple tests. Too many paras and unqualified personnel that are overpaid, coupled with an attitude that"we" have to have "the best of everything for our kids". Time to weed out the waste and find people who can do the job.
Don't know how they are running our school system, but from the looks of the number of cars in the parking lot, we have one h--- of a lot of employees.
The ones to ask is the dynamic dual who will lower your taxes paid to the school , "hot dog for you vote", Rick Horton Chair rhorton@wnhsdr.org and Elisha Jackson ejackson@wnhsd@gov .
Ask our School Board. Why?
4 Parent Reviews for Winchester School
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this school is the best elementary school that i have ever been too. I'm currently living in new Jersey and the elementary schools here are not the greatest.If i ever move back to Winchester i will be sending my children to this school and the high school as well. thank you
Posted by a former student on 09/20/06
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After 1 yr at this school we pulled our child. She is now in a private school/homeschool program. The education was horrible and the fact that there are kids with severe problems in both learning and emotional makes it very hard for the teachers to teach the kids that want to learn. My daughter begged ... Read more
Posted by a parent on 01/31/06
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As a grandparent of two students in the Winchester Elementary School, I have seen many improvements in the past few years. There is clear leadership and support from the principal for staff, children and parents. The staff continue to focus on improvement and team building. Our children are in ... Read more
Posted by a parent on 12/20/04
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School system is the worst in the state.
Posted by a parent on 10/08/04
The superintendent is NOT the principal too this year. They are doing that for next year so he can keep his cushy salary and benefits and pay the new principal a smaller salary. What happened to the promises of our current school board members saying they would cut sau costs? Now we also are paying a full time business administrator which we weren't before.
Hey Anony! I will try to post again where to take your frustrations out on! Give them a e-mail they would be glad to hear from you. Be nice though
sedcy homstca2123 said...
The ones to ask is the dynamic dual who will lower your taxes paid to the school , "hot dog for your vote", E-mail for Rick Horton Chair (rhorton@wnhsdr.org) and Elisha Jackson (ejackson@wnhsd@gov) .
@ 6:38. How about some concrete suggestions instead of just complaining.
Ok! Suggestions and solutions! Is our town clerk SO busy all day every day that he needs a full time assistant to sit in a chair staring into space every day?
Maybe the town clerk could focus on town business instead of rearranging the cow collectables and I Love Lucy memorabilia in the office.
Is there SO much water department business in our town with only a few hundred on town water that we need an administrative assistant to sit in a chair and stare into space? Couldn't whatever needs to be done be accomplished in one day each week or every other week?
Time clock time is here!
Any town employee outside the building while punched in will be terminated immediately. Period.k
If a town employee is punched out for an errand or appointment they will not be paid for that time.
This is how it works in what is known as the private sector, or the real world.
Who is the on site supervisor?
Who makes sure everyone is working and rules are followed?
Whoever it is, they need a talking to.
It would be well worth the investment for the townsfolk to hire a consultant to watch how each town employee operates and recommend how time and money saving procedures can be implemented.
School teachers are part time workers. People who work 8 months a year are part time.
They too should be on a time clock and they should NOT be paid for a 3 months summer vacation.
A very simple solution to all of the issues we tax payers face in town would be to clean house and start over. There are no "good" employees who go along to get along and take from us when they know it's wrong. Nepotism and playing favorites to keep your job is bs and those the foolish have voted into office time and time again continue to play the system to their own advantage.
@3:25 Teachers have 10 month contracts. (Sept-June) They are only paid through the summer if they chose to spread out the pay for 26 pays. Otherwise they are not paid past June 30th.
Teachers are full-time employees, and often spend many unpaid hours on curriculum development, grading, and organizing material. In many locations, they may choose to spread their pay over a 12-month cycle to keep things on an even keel instead of having slightly more money but only for an 8-month cycle. I'm pretty sure that the teachers aren't the problem here, folks, at least as far as spending is concerned.
You miss the point teachers.
The point is not how many paychecks you receive but the yearly total of those paychecks. Average teacher salary for Winchester is $43,750 according to NH dept. of education website. But that is only part of the total cost to Winchester taxpayers. You part timers also get the best health care and retirement plans at bargain basement prices courtesy of your employers, the taxpayers of Winchester, who also provide you with paid sick days, personal days, and give you a paid break at Christmas and in the spring.
Come on teachers, how cushy can it get?
And don't make us feel sorry with your sob story about how hard you work and all that unpaid time you put in.
Other workers in town like roofers and landscapers and plumbers really do work hard in very unpleasant conditions so don't insult us by saying you work hard for long hours,
Good to know teachers read this blog.
How many of us in Winchester are making $45k per year for 8 months of work PLUS healthcare PLUS retirement PLUS sick and personal days PLUS those winter and spring paid breaks.
To Real solutions for real problems said...
"It would be well worth the investment for the townsfolk to hire a consultant to watch how each town employee operates and recommend how time and money saving procedures can be implemented."
This may be the first and only thought-out and intelligent comment I may have ever read on this blog.
This idea about the consultant is a great idea, This can be done with a simple petitioned warrant article for the next town elections.
The average salary may be $43k but it takes a long time to get to that amount. There is no doubt that roofers etc work their butts off however that is the occupation they chose. Let's not knock each others professions.
None of us would be where we are without the help of someone teaching us something, maybe it is not always in the classroom but I am sure everyone can say someone in their life was a teacher to them. Roofers cannot roof without having learned math,how to read and calculation somewhere. Teachers are the least of our problems. If this town had more businesses and less welfare cases that would really help. At least the teachers work instead of doing nothing.
A $43k job only takes home $32k when all the taxes are taken out, that is certainty not BiG BuCkS.
To the poster at 6:50 teachers are part of a union. The union negotiates the contract with the board. The board then puts the contract out to the town for a vote. Bear in mind that before this happens the board and negotiators have to come to a meeting of the minds. The voters have the option of turning down the warrant article. Which is what happened this year in this town and the voters decided that they would not reconsider this article. Hmm obviously the voters in town are not as dumb as you think they are. Perhaps we need to change the boards again. Just because someone gives you a hot dog does not mean that they have the answers or solutions to the issues.
Let's see how cushy teaching is: 188 days divided by $43,000 divided by 7 hours a day equals $33 a day. Wow! Who wouldn't want that job. NOT!
At least the school employees a large number of folks who live in Winchester .....why is that so bad? They pay their taxes and do not live off the system. Those are the people we should be focusing on. Look around. They are on every corner. I do not like that my taxes are high but that crap angers me far more.
"Teachers are the least of our problems".
No way!
What is the biggest portion of your tax bill?
School.
What is the biggest part of school expense?
Salaries.
Therefore teachers are our greatest problem/expense.
And they ONLY take home 32k after taxes.
Boo-hoo!
Yes we can vote to accept or refuse the contract but this is an empty gesture.
We cannot vote to increase their contribution to health and retirement plans which WOULD save us money.
To reference a comment above which mentions the arrogance of our town employees who deny themselves nothing.
I think of this every time I walk through town hall and see those top of the line ultra expensive ultra cushy select men's chairs.
Don't they only sit a in them about 2 hours once a week?
They can't tough it out having their tush on a folding chair for 2 hours?
Why not plush recliners with cup holders and foot massager.
It means nothing to them that the are spending our money on frivolous luxury items for themselves.
And because the town turned down the teacher's contract this year they get to keep paying low insurance rates. The contract would have more than doubled their contributions.
You need to o back and take a math refresher course as your figures are so wrong. $43,000. divided by 188 days = $228.72 a day. Divide that by 7 hours = $32.67/hr.
Yes that is true. The voters screwed themselves with voting no. The teachers negotiated to more than double their insurance rates to help out the tax payers.
Of course the school is the biggest tax thing in town because there is nothing in town. What do you do that is so important in our town..... "Real solutions for real problems" Do some research. Or apply for one of these so called cushy jobs.
Real problems. .. Since you are so opinionated.. What is a reasonable salary for a teacher who has their Masters degree in education, (6-7 years of college/ graduate school. ) Just curious... Do you work?
I stick by my original 11:30 posting. We have way bigger problems in town then the school and teachers. Look around.
@3:35 just checking to see if anyone would catch that. You proved my point. Good thing you had a good teacher to teach you math.
I do not work at the Winchester school but I have substituted there. Try visiting a classroom and seeing some of the behaviors and things that happen in a class room everyday and then tell me it is a cushy job. No way.
Kids come in dirty and smelling, they haven't eaten or slept, Little to no respect, parents that do not care about education or in fact their kids, teachers being hit and spit at, furniture being thrown, one kid who can read and another that can't all in the same class. The list goes on and on.
Real eye opener. Sounds like the description of a perfect job.
Years ago some people were aware of the "secret agenda of the teachers union"! First agenda of the teacher union was. Humbly as can be the teacher union proclaimed, yes we know the teachers get low wages, if we can only have medical, denial vision plan and vacation time and other benefits. This would make up the difference in low wages.. So we the people aka the tax payers suckers paid.
Second the humility went away, the teacher union with the best of benefit in their pockets now they DEMAND! or we strike for higher wages. We the people the suckers again paid. Now the teachers union wants “us” to be the humble and gracious "ones" to believe the children act up and can not be handled so we hire them classroom helpers, put the trouble makers in special schools . Now the classroom helpers aren’t enough. The union teacher proclaim it’s those damn kids we need short hours to deal with the stress. Let’s all feel for the union teacher while sitting around the campfire let’s sing kumbya.
You make pick my sentence structure apart, but you can not hide from the truth.
To all my anonymous friends - thank you for pointing out just how backward and foolish my opinions are. Gosh am I embarrassed.
Oh sedcy:
If only you knew what you were talking about.. Classroom aides are hired for special ed. Students That is the law if if is in their ed plan.
Come and visit any school, not just the winchester school and see the behaviors for yourself. Ask the kids in the classroom that DO behave about the kids in their classes that fight, bite, hit ,scream and interrupt their learning on a daily basis.
I don't blame the teachers for this, kids are not born like this, they learn it before they get to school.
Sit in on a negotiation with the teachers union... If you had read prior to posting: the teachers more than doubled their healthcare contribution but the town voted it down. Why aren't you a teacher then if it is so great. You sound silly and bitter.
I do not think I am out in left field with my opinion like you suggest teach.
Classrooms aides were hired because of the union’s actions, you and the teacher’s union made it “law”. I have been to your Winchester School many times having two girls of my own. Having your principle drop the “F” word on me several times in his office. How does that set an example? You see, you have lost control and respect of the children. Now you want to blame the people that pay you. I have been a union worker for 35 years and have been in negotiations with management. Not once did I blame the people I served for not being able to perform my duties for what I was hired for. Respect of the people is earned not mandated by some damn laws. Try that sometime. You and the union teachers have dug yourselves a hole and you want the tax payers to toss more money at the problem. Earn the children’s respect and then come back to talk about your teaching problems.
Now children graduate without even being able to tell time for Christ sakes.
I didn’t become a teacher because I went out and earned a real job were people respected me. Maybe I could have become a teacher if I could spell better. You can toss sticks and stones and call me names but it doesn‘t influence my opinion on the fact there are many bad teachers that give the rest a real bad name. I do not think your one of them. I think your honest with your opinion and wish you luck.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN I AM ANGRY!!! Sorry didn't mean to yell.
Speaking of spending...why is there a fire danger sign planted at an angle where drivers can barely see it? It might be better seen - and paid attention to - if placed facing traffic like the Kiwanis billboard instead of parallel to direction of travel. And what's with the new concrete pad in the park? Is Smokey going to join the sign? Does he fit with the historic district regulations?
( this quote describes how most Winchester residents are seen by outsiders looking in )They are literally TOO stupid to know that they are stupid ! Then there are those who don't pay attention whatsoever to anything . A quote from Breitbart News
With the 4th of July falling on a Friday do the chosen few have an extra day off or do they get payed 10 hours for the day?
Todays sentinel tells about all the washouts in the area. Rain Left A Mark, Hinsdale & Winchester eye flood Damage. Well from what I hear if you have a problem in Winchester, you are taken care of depending on how well the road agent likes or doesn't like you. Don't understand how the selectmen continue to support this policy.
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