Will Gatsas Step Down?

by: Mike Hoefer

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 19:48:57 PM EST

What would the process be for filling that Seat? How do we hold him to it? Who are the Great Dems in his District that are potential candidates?

Recalling the old yarn that the 13 folks that make up a majority in the Senate are the most powerful people in the State, this would seem like a huge opportunity to further a progressive New Hampshire.

Who can fill us in?

Manchester Tax Cap

by: The Money Magician

Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 10:59:41 AM EDT

- Gatsas for Governor 2012

They haven't spent a penny on the roads in Franklin for four years, and we do have a lot of missing bricks in Manchester sidewalks.

If ever in Manchester there was a gift-wrapped, defining issue, for candidates to say "this is why I am a Democrat", it is the tax cap.  I am astonished that Democratic candidates are not using their bully pulpit to both educate the public and nail this to their opponents.  It should be an embarrassment to support this garbage.

1st Manchester Mayoral Debate Wed., Aug 12, on 2 Joes Live Show!

by: joebriggs

Tue Aug 11, 2009 at 17:04:37 PM EDT

Refugee Problems

by: The Money Magician

Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 21:46:03 PM EDT

Dear Ted,

I noted that you identified the refugees as the only reason Manchester school test scores are low.  I'm sure you must be right, but the state Department of Education publishes all these "lies, damned lies, and statistics" about our schools that are somewhat inconvenient.  Fortunately, nobody ever looks at them, but just in case, I wanted to give you a heads-up.

I'm simplifying, but the main way that schools stay out of "School In Need of Improvement" status is for every student subgroup to get a passing Group Performance Index Score in reading and math.  The number that's a pass varies between reading and math, and between primary and secondary schools.  If you crunch the numbers the DoE puts out, none of our schools would have changed from a flunking to a passing score if none of the limited-English immigrants were there.  

Some of the poorest-testing schools, like West, don't test more than a handful of limited-English kids.  I know you're really good at this, but it's hard to blame a next-to-non-existent group.

One other thing... you might want to change the line about the immigrant kid who's only been here three months and does poorly on the tests.  They don't test kids who don't speak English for at least a year.  I'm sure someone must have misled you when you checked into this.

So I'd suggest quietly finding another goat to blame for the low test scores.  My personal favorite is "kids whose parents don't care about education".  Nobody will self-identify with THAT, and there's no way to measure it, so it's pretty safe.

Regards,
TMM

P.S.  Sorry to hear about all the kerfuffle re you being both mayor and senator.  I guess they just don't know what you're capable of.  As far as the cost of the special election - well, it should be obvious that Manchester will get its money's worth, and more!

New business opportunity in Manchester!

by: The Money Magician

Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 20:39:39 PM EDT

It's really neat!  Here's how it works, in just three easy steps:

Step 1:   The city accepts $7.4M in additional state education adequacy funding, and gives all 100% of it to the school district.  All of it.  Every last penny.  Because it's the law.  And because Ted said that's what we're doing.

Step 2:   The city takes a different $6.1M from the school district and - yippeeeee - gives it to you by reducing the school tax rate from $6.00 to $5.38.  I'm not sure how you can tell that it's different money from the money in step 1, but it is.  It is, because Ted says it is.  You don't need to know any more.  If you don't get it, just sit down, and shut up already.

Step 3:  Not so fast... you didn't think you'd get to keep it, did you?  The city takes back the $6.1M from you by increasing the municipal tax rate.  But because it came from you, not the state, it's now "clean" money, unencumbered with any of those nasty education strings, so it doesn't have to be wasted on other peoples's brats.

Thanks for doing your part.  Isn't it clever?  Isn't it smart?  It's like those wormholes in space - the money disappears down one end, and just magically pops out at the other, lickety-split!

Wormholes are cool.  We need somebody who can think like this to be our mayor, don't you think?  
Then we'll truly be, as Ted says:
          "Manchester - a community of the ...hole."