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When spending cuts are made, somone's Ox will be gored; the only bone of contention is the ownership of the ox
- Jim_NH, Madbury

One addendum too. The voter in speaking to Davey Crocket said, ...the poorer he is the more he pays in proportion to his means." This was true when taxes where levied evenly. It is no longer true with respect to our Marixist progressive income tax system.
- Michael Layon, Derry
Mike, your wrong. Many times, I've paid more in Federal Income tax than the late Edward Kennedy paid.
I'm just a lowly working person too. They published what he paid, twice I almost paid two times more than him. Don't kid yourself about these kind of people. They say one thing , then do another.
- Steve, Raymond

Nobody can seriously question the good that many charities and not-for-profits do. You can, however, question the efficiency in which those services are delivered. Just like the business world, in tough times not-for-profits need to take a hard look at the cost-benefits of the services they deliver and perhaps own up to the fact that with so many not-for-profits out there, some consolidation might be in order.
- Paul, Bedford

Non-Profits in this community fill the gaps where nobody else wants to fill them. I am not saying they should rely on local government funding. Instead, all the happy do-gooders who want their name llisted in the Santa Fund list every year should donate some of their money to the local non-profits. While it is nice to see the big banks and other corporations donate their tax write offs to the Santa Fund, maybe they could be generous year round and donate to Non-Profits who truly fill the gaps.

I love how the donations dry up right after Christmas. Well, people who need help from non-profits need help all year long, not just Christmas.
- Jeff, Manchester

Well said Steve!

If you want to support a particular non-profit, take out YOUR checkbook, not your neighbors. No one is holding you back from using your money to do with as you wish. Please do not use the government to spend your neighbors money as you wish.

One addendum too. The voter in speaking to Davey Crocket said, ...the poorer he is the more he pays in proportion to his means." This was true when taxes where levied evenly. It is no longer true with respect to our Marixist progressive income tax system.
- Michael Layon, Derry

Well James, that's a poignant zinger you've unleashed, fresh on the heels of your brilliant "Bonneville & Sons" observation earlier. You're an adept individual, and what more can be said - you're the perfect representative of the people I'm talking about. Thank you for making my point.

Yes James, The Red Cross, The Boys and Girls Club - both frivolous and unnecessary drains on our society. Why would we want to subsidize such ignoble ventures. Time to clue in - we need these things.
- Floyd, Manchester

Floyd.....you know the number....give them a call and make a donation. That or keep it shut
- James, manchester

In these economic times Non Profits should not be getting unearned income from public funds all tax revenue should be used strictly for government expenses and services, let the Non-profits get out their and work for their money from the private sector. I personally check to see of a non-profit is getting a government handout if they are I don't give to them any donation, let them spend more time on beg-a-thons
- Richard L. Fortin, Manchester

No one here, including our hapless mayor, really understands how much nonprofits do for the community. It's so easy to say how frivolous these contributions are unless you or know someone who has used their services. When they disappear, you'll be clamoring for government to fill their role, and be asking why they stopped receiving support.
- Floyd, Manchester

I think Bonneville should have more advertisement on this page......THANK YOU for allowing us to read City Hall
- James, manchester

OK. So how much are these Department heads making to come up with the lame ideas they are coming up with for efficiencies? Sounds to me like they aren't really willing to take a hard look at their spending or ways to make the City run more efficienctly - maybe term limits would be better served for Department Heads!
- Amy G, Manchester

Thank you Mayor Gatsas!
- Bill, Manchester

Please give me as the tax payer the opportunity to decide to which non-profits I so choose to support. Taxes are high; this is fact. Cut out the non-profits and give people like me a tax break and opportunity to support the organizations of my choosing. This will force organizations to clean up their own act to compete for charitable donations.
- Randall, Manchester

If the non-profits want to use their money to help parents take care of their children, that is fine, but why is it the government's job to help pay for it. I'll take it one question further: if they are parents, shouldn't they know how to do it themselves? If not, maybe it's time to hold off on having children.
- Melvin, Keene

For too long the non-profits have been in on the gravey train by not paying their fair share of taxes and or a payment in lieu of taxes. But take a look at the salaries these people are taking home. Time to have the Board of Assessors revisit the property values of these non-profits and the amount of taxes they aren't paying.
- Robert J. Pariseau, Cocoa Beach, FL

Indeed, this is the silver lining in the very dark cloud of recession: it gives we the people the chance to prune back the overgrown weed that is our government, to get it back to its essential legitimate missions of public safety and infrastructure, and out of the areas that properly belong to the private sector, including all charity and business development.

Whether or not we the people choose to exercise that option or instead face bankruptcy as a city, state, and nation, we are in the process of finding out. Electing Ted Gatsas was a good start. Replacing John Lynch, Shea-Porter, and Hodes with principled fiscal conservatives this November will continue that positive trend.
- Keith Murphy, Bedford NH

It cannot be said that the money provided to non-profits by the city serves no helpful service. Clearly, some services are desparately needed within the community. No dispute there. The larger problem is the life non-profits take on when municipalities become a funding source. Non-profits showing up at the city door with its hand out for the taxpayer dollars increases exponentially and at some point we run the risk of funding narrow interests at the cost of the taxpayer. Non-profits become lazier and work less in terms of raising revenue needed to fund their missions.

I support the Mayor in his decision. Since Ray Weiczorek left office and Baines took the helm, the Manchester Taxpayer, every single year has been hit with a tax increase. When the economy is good: tax increase; When the economy is bad: tax increase. ANd tax increase after tax increase, we were still funding non-profits? How does that make good sense?
- Rick Olson, Manchester

Great post from Steve in Raymond. This is exactly what governments do not get. Thank you UL and Manchester.
- John D, Danbury

The practice of using tax money for charitable purposes had been around for a long time. There is an interesting book called "The Life of Colonel David Crockett". In this book there is mention of this practice. During a journey to campaign to get re-elected to the House of Representatives, Davy Crockett came across a voter who didn't want to vote for him because he voted tax money for charity. Here is what he was told by the voter.
"In the first place, the government ought to have in the Treasury no more than enough for its legitimate purposes. But that has nothing to do with the question. The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be entrusted to man, particularly under our system of collecting revenue by a tariff, which reaches every man in the country, no matter how poor he may be, and the poorer he is the more he pays in proportion to his means. What is worse, it presses upon him without his knowledge where the weight centers, for there is not a man in the United States who can ever guess how much he pays to the government. So you see, that while you are contributing to relieve one, you are drawing it from thousands who are even worse off than he. If you had the right to give anything, the amount was simply a matter of discretion with you, and you had as much right to give $20,000,000 as $20,000. If you have the right to give to one, you have the right to give to all; and, as the Constitution neither defines charity nor stipulates the amount, you are at liberty to give to any and everything which you may believe, or profess to believe, is a charity, and to any amount you may think proper. You will very easily perceive what a wide door this would open for fraud and corruption and favoritism, on the one hand, and for robbing the people on the other. No, Colonel, Congress has no right to give charity. Individual members may give as much of their own money as they please, but they have no right to touch a dollar of the public money for that purpose." Needless to say, Davy Crockett repeated this on the house floor the next time he was asked to vote for charity. When he did, the measure before the house, was defeated. Unfortunately for us, today, we have no "Davy Crocketts"!
- Steve, Raymond