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About the ADT
A group of Derry citizens have formed this citizens' alliance to promote lower property taxes, property tax reform and honest, limited government. The Alliance of Derry Taxpayers believes that elected officials should carefully administer the spending of our property tax dollars.
Purpose
The purpose of this blog is to share and exchange information, or suggest new ideas that relate to politics in the Town of Derry and the property tax issues we all face. If you wish to remain anonymous that's fine. You can visit the ADT web site by clicking the link below to learn more about us and sign up. Please join us for thoughtful, meaningful discussion on issues that affect us all.
First of all, we need good people to run for the Council and the School Board. People who care about delivering honest and efficient government and sincerely want to spend the taxpayer's money wisely and to reduce taxes. If we can get such people to run,the voters will have a reason to vote.
ReplyDeleteTraditionally, business people who wish to serve their own selfish business interests run for the Council and "school stooges" who love to squander money run for the School Board. Both are only interested in serving their own selfish interests. Neither are really worth voting for and not many will come out to vote for them which has been the case in past elections.
If we can get good people to run, their campaigns should be aggressive and convincing. There is certainly enough broken in Derry that can be fixed. A good, solid, well run campaign can do a lot to get the voters out. Perhaps a mailer explaining the waste and abuses of the last Councils and School Boards would help. We should also list some specific improvements we wish to make. Some Town Meeting type campaigns like the Democrats used in the last Presidential election might work as well. We need to get the voters angry about the poor job the School Board and Town Council has done and interested in how the good candidates can turn things around. We need to do a good "throw the bums out" and elect the new "good guys" campaign. If possible, we should get Channel 9 and the Union Leader to cover the campaigns. A good, solid, "throw the bums out" campaign will help get media attention.
We also need to bear in mind the schools are powerful and can motivate voters better than AODT has ever done. Just look at how easily they destroyed any chance of the Charter Commission accomplishing anything substantial to help the taxpayers. We need to anticipate what they will do to keep the "status quo" of high taxes and high foreclosures and come up with a strategy to defeat their efforts to circumvent any change for the better.
It will not be easy.
I think all we need to do is wait a little. while getting ready to pay my outrageous tax bill I searched on "derry tax", because I wondered if others had any answers to this problem. The ADT site came up first, and here I am. You seem to have good answers, or at least the approach that can result in answers. If history of our current towns spending is the best predictor of the future and taxes continue to rise, I think others will also get angry and seek out a solution.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, and I hope you're right! Our taxes WILL continue to rise, there is no doubt in my mind about that. The only way things will change is if folks get angry and decide to do something about it. Its not hard to learn about the issues and the candidates and go out and vote, but most in town won't even do that much. That's one of the main things we're trying to change.
ReplyDeleteYou say, "do something about it". I am at a loss and feel totally powerless. What can I possibly do that will lower taxes in Derry?
ReplyDelete