YOUR COMMENTS

Gook luck to Guinta. PLEASE people... this was obviously a ploy to get some press by the outgoing Mayor. He's running for another office so... let's propose everything great for the city NOW that he can leave the budget woes it will create with someone else.

Gatsas will do what's right and the answer isn't always to hire, hire, hire or spend, spend, spend. How about we actually get the officers hired with the monies the city received from the 'Stimulus' BEFORE we commit to hiring more. hmmm... novel idea, huh?
- Mark Ridel, Manchester, NH

I would hope that the newly implemented tax cap will cause the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to carefully scrutinize any expense for how it impacts the city's long term budget.

I believe that Mayor-elect Gatsas is reacting to the new paradigm that is taking place with the implementation of the charter amendment. That was one of the strategic goals of the cap and a majority of Manchester residents agreed, despite the pro-tax forces being heavily outgunned by those opposed. For that, he deserves credit, and furthermore, let's hope it shifts the thinking away from "spend first, ask questions later."
- Greg Moore, Manchester

Tony S. - Manchester - as a former member of another department, you should know that the construction companies hire and pay for the officer, not the City of Manchester.

That being said, if you "Get them into a car or better yet foot patrol" the City of Manchester needs to pay them. That means there is a cost to the City of Manchester. Where that money is coming from is the question being asked.

I do agree with your analysis that officers on desk duty should be put out on the street.
- George, Henniker

How much do the horses cost us?

I love horses too, and I'm the first one to admit there hasn't been a successful stage coach robbery since we got them, but there's a simple solution for hiring more two legged officers without blowing the budget up- get rid of the four legged ones.
- Mark, Manchester

As a former member of a different dept. Let me tell you that before hiring new PO's you need to first look at the resourses you have. Number one you have PO's doing special details babysitting construction crews. Get these guys on a car or better yet a foot patrol. Construction can hire flaggers. Number two Officers currently on desk duty or other adminstrative posts should be freed up for patrol.
- TonyS, Manchester

I read a post this weekend that we should just tell them they can use the money to pay for the last 4 cops in their compliment. They never get there and just use more money to pay cops they already hired. Is that true?
- Ray, Manchester

Steve, we are Lawrence North, but only since the Guinta/Mirror kinda cops plan. Like Ron said, just move them back to the street. But not SROs or the PAL cop- they do good.
- Mina, Manchester

Ron's comment about cushy jobs is NUTS. School Resource Officers are essential for the success of the rest of the Police Department. SRO's are the most proactive members of the PD. Cutting positions like that would be like cutting off your nose.
- scott, Hanover

Until the horses are "glue" , Manchester Police don't need a thing. How can our Bedford resident police chief ask with a straight face for more cops while he is feeding the nags? Take those horses to Rockingham, tell them if they don't win in the forth race, they go to the glue pot. In fact, maybe our new mayor, "Blue Grass" Ted Gatsas will claim them. Since our mayor is a fan of the sport of kings, why don't we give racing horse nicknames to the aldermen. Le't see ;; Speedy Lopez, Oats O'Neil, ..
- tommy, manchester,nh

Is the Union Leader really taking this position? I couldn't agree more with Guinta and the majority of the board in hiring these new COPS. If the Police Department says they need four more officers, I say we take money from programs that are a waste of money anyways and get the chief what he needs for this budget cycle and figure out where the money can come from for the next. The police chief is the man dealing with crime every day and knows best- Sorry Union Leader and Ted Gatsas, but I trust what our police chief says we NEED over your opinion of what you THINK we need to keep Manchester safe.

I commend the mayor and the majority of the board whom I rarely agree with on this vote. May God help Manchester if this is the kid of leadership we are going to get from Ted Gatsas as mayor- besides giving us a budget with Lopez that consisted of tax hikes, he obviously isn't going to be a friend to the police department. When I voted a couple of weeks ago, I voted for the lesser of two evils, but now I'm wondering if I would have been better off writing somebody in instead. I don't think its going to be long into Gatsas' tenure before we are wishing Guinta was still running City Hall.
- Louise, Manchester

Gatsas did not have a problem with this proposal a week before the election. Either he has changed his position now tha the has won the election or he was incapable of understanding the question a week earlier.
- Bill, Manchester

I don't understand this editorial at all. Is the UL saying that every essential budget item should have an eternal budget plan attached to it? It is not like Mayor Guinta was looking to build a stable behind city hall to hold the Mayor-elect’s race horses. Guinta was looking to hire police officers, to protect our families. If the Mayor-elect can’t figure out where to cut in the budget to find room to hire people to protect our city, than perhaps we are in for a long two years. Perhaps he should ask Mike Lopez to help him, like he did when he came in with his own budget and stuck it to the taxpayers once again. Guinta proposed a tax cut this year (I think he proposed one every year) I am sure he can figure out how to save the city money while still making police a priority. He has done it for four years. As a taxpayer and father of two, I am going to miss his thinking in City Hall.
- Phil, Manchester

We don't need new officers. We need to get the cops who currently work on cushy details like school resource officers and horse mounted patrols back on the street where they belong. It's time for the alderman to start being stewards of "our" money and exercise their fiduciary responsibility. The have been beholden to the municipal unions for far too long.

There is fat to trim from every area of our city budget and I'm calling on the Union leader to publish Manchester's "line item" budget on a regular basis.
- Ron, Manchester

All you people who are against hiring more Cops need to take a walking tour of Lawrence of the North. We'll see if you come out in one piece.
- Steve, Amherst

Ted Gatsas and the UL get this 100% wrong. Police are a priority. They are really one of the few things that government should be focusing on. Gatsas came in with a tax hike this year. Guinta a tax cut. Why? Because Gatsas worked with Mike Lopez to avoid doing the tough things needed to cut taxes. Not hiring the police officers comes with the same mind-set. It says there is no place else to cut in the budget and I don't want to make my first tax cut higher than it has to be. If this is how Ted Gatsas is going to be as Mayor, than we have a long two years ahead of us. Hire the police officers and find the fat cut somewhere else. It really isn't that hard. The problem is, the Alderman have never wanted to lay anyone off or even furlough some of the non-essential city workers. Instead they rather skimp on police and still raise taxes. I for one will miss Mayor Guinta. He should have stayed as Mayor for at least one more term. 13-1 board of Democrats and a guy who cuts budget deals with Democrats. God help the taxpayers.
- Robert, Manchester

Who says the officers are going to be around next year? Maybe they hire these 4 for a short term presence on Wilson Street and don't replace any retirees etc. for a while? I see this move as a temporary exception to the hiring freeze.
- Jim, Manchester