YOUR COMMENTS

Jim,

Leaky roof, enough said.

School budget, enough said.

Schools in need of improvement, enough said.

Cronyism in city departments, enough said.

Lack of oversight and fraud in city government, enough said.

Need I go on, Jim?
- Bill, Concord

There are people in Hooksett working to replace the administration of the Hooksett Police Dept. I have videos of Defina's April hearing and Police Commission meeting posted at hooksettissues.com. We also have a forum which you can read, or join and post.
The next Police Commission meeting is Tues. Oct 20th 5:30 PM Hooksett Safety Center. Just look for the $33,000 sign.
Citizens are allowed two 5 min. public inputs.
- David, Hooksett

Does this Chief have any training as a Police Officer? How many Officer's have left for other Departments since he ha sbeen Chief?
- Grumpy, Manchester

Hooksett 4..enough said
- Jim, Manchester

Between www.hooksettissues.com and the winchesterinformer.blogspot.com, it's uncanny the similarities between these two towns. It's wonderful when information can be shared and the public can have access to information it might not otherwise see. The problems run deep. Perhaps with the lights on the problems there will be an incentive for all concerned to work together to form better understandings.
- Jon, Milford

Of course you dont Allan. Your the perfect employee who does exactly as told. Take pay cuts, no bathroom breaks etc. It's exactly lemmings like yourself that the Unions represent. Your just not bright enough to realize it.
- Jake, Manchester

I hope this response to your insult gets posted Jake, (my boss would be rolling on the floor at someone calling me a lemming) my college degree (3.95 GPA BTW) and my high tech job, and yearly need for credited courses to keep my many certifications would tend to lend credence to your ignorance, not mine. You state that I am not bright enough? I would be willing to bet my IQ is higher than your credit rating, I am not bragging just letting you know that your ignorance is damaging to your existence. I am not a union employee, anyone with an IQ higher than their shoe size would know that from my postings. I actually do my job well enough so I don't need someone protecting me, If I take a bathroom break it is because I have to go to the bathroom, not because the union told me too, told me I had to or that I could. I did not take a pay cut but I did not get a raise either, but I am still working, and if I ever end up not working again it will be my choice not some thug from a union. Who isn't bright now? Go upstairs and say hi to your Mom. Try expanding your mind, paper or plastic is not a carreer, which is what you will be doing in the real world. BTW , what does "dont" mean? Thanks KP from Bedford for getting "it".
- Allan, Rochester

yes Bill in Concord Jim from Manchester is such a genius when it comes to management issues. Like Manchester is the poster child. Thefts, relatives stealing, timesheets and grants forged and doctored you name it. The real problem here is any employee terminated will be latched onto by some ambulance chaser who will run their issues as much as possible until the insurance company just says pay them to shut them up because it costs less than defending even if you are right. That's right it costs less to settle the case than to try the case and show the truth. Town's have no control over this they are forced to settle. So Jim the next time you bash Hooksett, look at your own surroundings because every Town or City has their own problems! Or better yet, if you are so bright move back to Hooksett and put your money where your mouth is and sit on a Board or Commission and make everything perfect.
- Mike, Hooksett

Bottom line – Most unions have become leaches on society
- JC, Nashua

Thanks Allan , RE: The union . As a member of a Union I question DAILY who is going to protect the those who actually work against co-workers who don't and hide behind the Union and keep their jobs. The Union is 99% of the time defending the indefensible. When an adult has to be told to show up on time and actually work something is very wrong. Not thrilled my dues are spent on being told not only who to vote for, but spent on keeping co-workers who should have LONG been gone employed. I'm sure I'll be seeing many good employees go with the next round of lays offs. Thanks Union!
- KP, Bedford

It's a shame to hear one story after another about cops who are terminated for seemingly no reason but politics. We have the same issue here in Winchester. It can be very discouraging for all those involved and all who lose the value of good people in their community.
- Tom, winchester

Hooksett has had a long history of officers leaving the department because of issues with the administration. The town of Hooksett should not be a training ground for officers, instead it should be a place where people want to come and work for an entire career. This will never change and the people of Hooksett will always be the victims of higher training costs until the administration changes. Jay, I hope you do well and in the end justice will be served, fight on. Maybe some day the town will wake up realize how much money training new officers and paying for lawsuits has cost the tax payers.
- kevin, hooksett

Union bashing time again? I guess employers never act against the law or employment contracts. I guess personalities never clash and managers never seek to abuse their authority.

Look at the fiasco at the post office and how management took liberties in lowering their employees pay. They didn't need a union, did they?
- Jules, Manchester

Ten years on the job and the Chief removes him from the school position which its hard to dispute the school and students respected and supported him. Chief puts him on the overnight shift, then reassigns him to field training. Field training is for new police officers to train with experienced officers (like Defina) to learn how to become a police officer, its not the proper venue for remedial training of an experience officer (even if it was necessary, which I cant imagine it was). I think its is painfully obvious that the Chief still held a grudge for him being one of the Officers that filed a formal complaint in 05, and because of his involvement in the union. Sounds like the Chief was setting him up to get rid of him, I also believe he is one of the only Officers left who signed that petition the others left for other agencies because they could not take it any longer.
- Michael, Manchester

I don't need someone else (the union thugs) protecting my job.
Allan, Rochester

Of course you dont Allan. Your the perfect employee who does exactly as told. Take pay cuts, no bathroom breaks etc. It's exactly lemmings like yourself that the Unions represent. Your just not bright enough to realize it.
- Jake, Manchester

My posting really had nothing to do with the officer. It was directed towards the power the union gives the employees to tell their boss to sc--w. It is no different then the kid at UNH and his flag, their are right ways and wrong ways to handle situations and the unions use intimidation. Whether it be filing lawsuits, threatening walkouts (for the children), work stoppage or whatever if they don't get what they want.
- Allan, Rochester

The same thing happened in Wincehster - what a shame. These towns have become so corrupt.
- Sue, Swanzey

Yeah, Jim, Manchester sure has a lot to be proud of lately!

You ought to clean up your own house first before you comment; you just look like a joke otherwise.
- Bill, Concord

"allegations he deemed petty, such as incorrectly filling out a time sheet".

Petty? I beg your pardon. That looks like theft to me.
- Bill, Wolfeboro

Fight for what's right Jay, we have the same problem in Winchester. Two good cops were forced out and the town will do nothing. At least one of them Dan Reppucci has filed a lawsuit in superior court. Good luck to both of you.
- Ellen, Winchester

Government unions today sing 2 notes: anti-management and anti-taxpayers. Ask any laid off state worker or Manchester taxpayer. I stand by my own work, I don't need a union.
- Lynn, Hooksett

He sounds like a Eddie Haskell. A smiley charmer, but the people who have to deal with him aren't fooled.
- Mina, Manchester

I don't know anything about the real facts of this case, but the Chief of Police seems to be a magnet for personnel problems. This is generally an indication of poor or no leadership ability.

Why do the citizens of Hooksett continue to allow these incidents to continue? Looks like Hooksett needs to clean house in the entire town government.
- Melvin, Keene

I hope that Jay Defina gets reinstated so he can continue to do the great job he always has!
- Erica, Hooksett

Whee....Here we go again with Hooksett!!
Wonder if Hooksett will make National news again! You watch--Hooksett again will have to Eat Crow and pay out a large settlement. Will they ever learn?
- Jim, Manchester

This is a case of you just want to do what you want to do and get away with it.
I don't think that he is a bad cop at all, its just that he does not know how to follow orders. And until he gets to be the Chief, he has to learn who is the boss, and its not him. He got fired because he is uncontrolable thats not a good team player.
- John, Candia

Yes Allen, we should eliminate the unions and continously violate peoples civil rights!
- Jeff, Manchester

Hey Allan, although I am a municipal union member, I am not a fan either. But if you knew how bad this Police Chief was, you too would support any effort to reinstate a good officer. This was a great Cop and this Chief is bad news for the town.
- Steve, Amherst

Huh, more union trouble, is anyone else tired of thier taxes paying union dues and then paying the taxes for the unions to sue us, or is it just me? Hey, maybe if this guy had done what his boss told him to do he wouldn't have been fired. My boss ask me to do stuff I don't care to do all the time, if I don't do it he tells me to, if I still don't do it I assume I would get fired. I don't need someone else (the union thugs) protecting my job. I do it. All municipal unions should not be permitted.
- Allan, Rochester