YOUR COMMENTS

Yeah, and none of us Stateworkers pay income, property, or any other taxes. we get everything for free. We pay our own salaries through taxes, some of the agencies are self funded and don't use general funds, If they feel the need to compensate quality personnel with "vehicle" perks they should have the freedom to do so, this is how you lure quality people from the private sector. You people don't have any problem when floods, tornadoes, ice storms, hurricanes destroy your town and cry to us for help! When we are all laid off who will help you then? Where were all of you when times were good selling us price inflated homes, making money in the stock market, did you say public employees who make 20-30% less than the private sector should get a raise! No you said screw them even when times were good. So when I show up to help you when your house floated away, tell me you wrote to the paper saying I make to much money... and I'll still help you because your my neighbor!
Ingrates!
- Marc, Goffstown, N.H.

Wow!
Impressed with this story.
As a former employee of Admin Services, it is good to see an outsider noticing the problems that abound in the Commissioner Office.
There needs to be something done
with the constant slacking in that office.
- Dick M, Hooksett

Kudo's to this editorial.
Administrative Services needs an audit on their entire operation.
This is only one tiny area where they are non-compliant in their responsibilities.
It is one of the most deficient offices in State Government.
Someone needs to take note, it continuously goes unoticed and ignored.
This editorial should spark something.
- CB, Concord

GREAT EDITORIAL. Finally someone is taking notice to the fact that this Commissioner ignores audits/audit comments that apply to her agency.
"Find out what's written down?" She should already know this. What a response!
Clearly the Commissioner's Office needs more oversight and should take time to "read what's written down".
- MS, Concord

Thank you for this editorial!!!!
Many were quick to bash prior Commissioner Don Hill, but his successor (Commissioner Hodgdon) has performed less than satisfactory.
The Commissioner's Office (State Budget Office) consistently gives poor or incorrect advice/guidance to other State Agency's as required.
The frustration among State Departments and Business leaders w/ this office is as high as it has ever been.
This whole office needs a Legislative review with no holds barred. It is inefficiency at it's best.
- Jack, Concord

As columnist Charles Arlinghaus said recently, this next year is a golden opportunity for the legislature and governor to review state expenditures and our tax system. There are places in the state budget needing paring back in addition to whatever layoffs of state employees take place this fall- cutting salaries of highly paid administrators, maybe letting go some assistant administrators, scrutinizing the expenses of the legislative, executive and judicial branches, maybe cutting the mileage rate paid to traveling state representatives and state senators by 5 cents, and most certainly cutting the state fleet and enforcing the state requirement of NO personal use of state vehicles.

Isn't this what Governor John Lynch was supposed to do before presenting his budget to the legislature last winter? How did he miss looking at the fleet operation after last fall's report?

Has Governor Lynch decided on plan B for paying off last fiscal year's deficit yet?
- Jonathan R. Seaver, Hinsdale

How about the state eliminate *all* non enforcement state vehicles? State Hacks (excuse me, I meant, "Employees") would then have to use *horrors* their OWN vehicles to commute to work - just like most of us! Because they are government "employees," I'm sure they would qualify to take the Federal Mileage Standard on their income taxes. What a win-win - us taxpayers would save as we would not have to pay for unnecessary state toys and the state "employees" would benefit as they could recover some costs through their income tax filings. What a concept!
- Rick, Hampton

Jeff,

Quick post in regards to your comment about the New York State Police. If you want "NH to get with the times" then maybe the NH State Police should pay the same as NY's does. NY Sergeants make over $100,000 a year as a base salary, NH does not make even close to that (I know some do with many hours of OT and details) but it is not their base salary. So what would you rather have, a Sgt. who makes $100,000 base salary, or one that makes around $60,000 a year with a take home cruiser? I chose option number 2.
- Bob, Manchester, NH

Why not just have employees, and department heads submit for mileage reimbursement when they use their personal vehicle for state business? Eliminate half the fleet and sell the cars.
- Tim, Enfield

DM,

I didn't take a position either way. I just encouraged you to go for a ride in one of the state vehicles that you own.
- Quinn, Bow

It seems to me that if ALL State employees drove thier own cars, period!, and PAID FOR THIER OWN registrations, the State could save a LOT of money. There are also a lot of other Percs that can still be eliminated.
- Carolyn Hunt, Littleton, NH

The first place to flush vehicles is at Department of Safety. However, it seems this agency has special protection. Also, the big wigs over at Office of emergency Management, and E911 all have cars they take home, many huge gas guzzling SUVs! And the State Police, they buy so many unneccesary cars that it is a poorly kept secret that many sit hidden for years. Why? No money to paint or equip them and when they finally get put on the road the warranty has already expired! C'mon Union Leader, you have the ability to do a full investigative story on this gross misuse of taxpayer dollars. Start with the State Police and work your way out, I guarantee the headlines alone will sell you many extra papers!
- Reed Malloy, Newmarket, NH

Quinn, you'll notice from my first posting that I am asking permission, though I'm certainly not expecting it to be granted.

Do you support off-duty state servants using taxpayer money and property for personal use?
- DM, Hampton

- Deb, Derry: How about asking the more potent question. Who assigned the two workers to this job and who decided what equipment to use? That might just lead to the political appointee who heads up that department or division as the final decision maker.
Also, perhaps the two workers came from different work sheds and each needed to have vehicle (other than walking). Was the only vehicle that big dump truck? In other words, the reasons behind the actions you saw may be under-staffing, under-capitalization of available equipment, and/or lack of available mechanized painting equipment. While a sad sight and a waste of personnel power, it is likely an inappropriate action to blame the worker without knowing all the facts.
- Gary L. Kerr, Chichester

DM,

If these vehicles are as much yours as everyone else's jump on in one and go for a ride and see what happens. I can't wait to read about that!
- Quinn, Bow

Governor & Executive Council are considering, at the corrections commissioner's urging, giving the commissioner and 5-6 of his cronies 'take-home' state maintained, gassed, owned cars for their use. Isn't the governor laying-off 750 workers and the budget is way in the hole? Give these political appointee-not taking furloughs-paid big bucks cronies free cars? Where's the justice in that; commissioner, wardens and lackeys?! How can you tell your rank-and-file workers, that you support them in their jobs working with; murderers, rapists, burglars, wife-beaters, baby shakers, etc. when you're taking these expensive perks?! Hmm, the term 'two-faced' comes to mind.
- Phil, Concord

Comments about the State Troopers and the DOT workers are priceless!

These are the same people who will complain about slow response time for responding to emergency calls and snow plowing come winter. Keeping a stable work force year-round and occasionally finding menial tasks like painting a crosswalk to keep the crews busy is cheap change for what these guys and gals do when all hell breaks loose.

I'm all for keeping costs down, but stop with the character assinations!
- Bill, Candia

Take a ride down Lovejoy Rd. in Loudon and check out the place with 2, yes TWO, Fish and Game trucks in the driveway. And they used to have (not sure if they still do) two state owned sno-mobiles on a trailer hidden out back....
- J.P., Bow

It seems to me that these vehicles are as much my property as they are the property of the people who are driving them after work hours. When can I use one?
- DM, Hampton

The arrogance of Governement asserting they can manage OUR money efficiently is mind-boggling.
- DP, Manchester

Another example of how government manages the taxpayer supplied equipment. Oh, wait, the state employees are special. I wonder if these people are reporting this use/abuse to the IRS.
- Lynn G, Dover

The New York State Police has more than 4,000 troopers. Do you think they give every trooper their own vehicle. The answer is no, they arrive at the station and pick one up. In NH we have around 300 troopers, each with their own vehicle. NY has rural parts just like NH so if they can have their troopers respond it is time for NH to catch up with the times and do the same. It is also time to end this two tone paint job that is extremely expensive to paint. How about the Union Leader investigate the amount of money spent on each cruiser.
- Jeff, Manchester

The other day at the intersection of 28 and 111 there were two huge state dump trucks on the side of the road but I saw no construction taking place. What I then saw had me shaking my head. Two men were painting the crosswalk, one man with a regular paint roller like we would use in our home and the other holding the tray of paint for him. So much for a days hard work.

Since no other workers were anywhere to be seen I can only assume these two men needed one huge dump truck each to drive to the location carrying cans of paint, rollers, trays to get this job done.

But my real question is where is our trusted media watching out for the tax payer and scouring our state to report such waste for us, or do we have to wait until we have conservatives in control before the media starts foaming at the mouth again?
- Deb, Derry

Sounds like Linda Hodgdon does not want to loose her free ride.

I wonder how much tax payer gas these people burn on the weekends riding in thier state cars.
- Jim, Loudon

Did the Governor and Executive Council read the audit?
- mike, hooksett

It's not only the state that should "clear up" the use of its vehicles, the city of Manchester should, too.
- Guy Plante, Manchester