Hard times?

As all of us face the realities of a changing economy, we struggle with difficult choices. These choices can be as gut wrenching as selling our homes, our camps, our boats or canceling our health insurance. More and more people are having to adjust their lifestyle to shrinking incomes and layoffs. While this pain is being felt at the working class level, governments continue to behave as if these were the good old days. We have several examples here in our own back yard that involve State Government. I'm sure that you're aware that the new state budget is reaching deeper into our pockets although there's less and less in our pockets, right?  Well, here's what I want you to consider. Take a look at what's being built on upper Main street in Berlin next to Woodlands CU, a new office building for HHS. I don't remember how many MILLION$ that's going to cost us, but it's the fact that they didn't need a new building that makes this a crime. That's right, at the moment HHS is downtown in what is probably the best office building in Berlin, but to a handful of never happy always complaining bureaucrats, their personal need for a "new place" trumped common sense and responsible government. The issues surrounding the present location were brought to the attention of all responsible parties, from the Commissioner to Senator Gallus, but apparently nobody had the courage to make the handful of complainers accountable for their lies and mischief.   We also have the question about the unsafe conditions at the State Prison. The State closes the Laconia facility and sends most of the inmates to an already packed house in Berlin. Keep in mind that the Berlin prison is built for 500 inmates, but I believe that there's somewhere around 800 right now. On top of that, must I remind you that they laid-off around 8 officers in Berlin, replaced by transfers from Laconia. The ugly picture is that we're building a new HHS facility we don't need to make a few bureaucrats happy (as if it will) while we have inmates sleeping in hallways in an over crowded and hostile prison! (Oh yeah, it will cost you an extra $30 to register your car next time)  Now convince me that we don't need some new faces and new policies at the State level.

Comments

[Wing Nut]

Rocky,

Government spending is out of control at all levels. Part of the problem is the benefits paid to State employees. It is a known fact that their health care & retirement benefits are much better than the average person receives when working for private companies. And, when anybody tries to reduce these benefits to align more closely to what private companies offer to their employees, the State employees union is able to stop the reforms. I don't blame the State employees, they are looking out for their own best interests and I'd do the same if I were working for the State (and I would expect my union to fight for me). That being said, there are many people working for the State (or for the City which has State retirement benefits) or for the Federal Government (i.e. postal worker) that only provide 20 years of service and enjoy a very lucrative retirement benefit. I'll probably have to work 45 to 50 years and I still won't end up with the type of retirement benefits that some State employee enjoys when retiring after only 20 years of service. And, the State employees also enjoy health care benefits during retirement (very few private companies due so because of the exorbitant costs). The State needs to start making cuts rather than raising our taxes. As I've said before, raising taxes is the absolute worst thing you can do during a bad economy. It is time for Concord to really start tightening its belt instead of always looking at the revenue side of the equation. Unfortunately for the working people of NH, I don't think Lynch can provide the type of leadership required to make this belt tightening happen.

Take care..............WN.

[Wing Nut]

Rocky,

On another note, what is wrong with the new building? I think it will be a real nice addition to upper Main Street. Furthermore, if what you are saying about the existing building is true, then hopefully a new tenant can be found to occupy the vacated space.

I have to disagree with you on this one. This new building will also be housing the new courthouse and there is no question that the existing courthouse building was no longer adequate. This is a good solution to both problems. And from what I understand the price tag is reasonable for this amount of square footage. Finally, the new building is providing some work for local companies (and individuals).

[Rocky]

I don't think spending $10M to $15M to stop complaints from a half dozen never to be pleased state employees is a good investment. I could tell you horror stories about what goes on with that department, you'd think I was making it up. What would you like to cut? Road maintenance, road improvements, school funding, State Police, prisons? Our government balances its books on the backs of its communities and the communities on the backs of the property owners like you and me. It's one of the most unfair systems going. It's a system that came out of the era when a persons wealth was determined by the size of his farm. I think it should be based on the ability to pay and today we define that by our incomes not by the size of our farms.

[Jonathan Edwards]

Main St. money is being moved north, and the "heart" of Main St. (from TBA theaters to The Berlin Bowling Alley) just lost one of the only benefits package (State Workers with money to spend) to the outskirts of the Main St. proper. This is by far the worst thing that could have happened to Main St. in decades in my opinion. It moves the soul of Main St. north and leaves the historical "spending" center in a tragic situation with a higher than 50% vacancy rate. It was the result of people with self interest, grudges, and political clout that have made it ever so harder for our Main St. to recover. Creating a few summer jobs to build a new state facility that creates a huge void to the city is not worth the loss of the heart or potential of any city. We've taken many many Main St. steps backwards. Our political leaders, lead by our state senator as part of the committee for the NH Health and Human Services had self interest in mind when he took from Main St. our state workers that tremendously helped to support a 50% occupancy at best. Now the question is, who's going to support them now? This was a bad move, a complete waste of tax payer dollars, and all to replace a building that passed a five hour inspection with flying colors. Finding replacement tenants will be as easy for this building as it is for the Tri County remodeling crew and the community investors on the Gill building...very very difficult.

[Wing Nut]

Rocky & Jon,

You both missed an important point. The new building will also replace the very outdated courthouse, and I don't know one single person who thinks the current courthouse is adequate. While I tend to agree that the current HHS offices are adequate, I'm not privy to the requests that HHS had for the building owner. Speaking strictly from personal opinion and personal observation, the building does not appear to have had any decent general maintenance done for quite some time. Is it possible that the owner was not cooperative and was not providing the routine maintenance that any building needs to keep it looking good and running smoothly? I have a feeling that neither of you are telling the full story here. Again, this is only my personal observation based upon what I've seen in and around this building.

On another note, moving the offices 1/2 mile up the road should not spell the demise of downtown Berlin (IMO).

I'm sorry, but we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Take care..........WN.

[Jon Edwards]

It's interesting to note that the old Lancaster court house, which reportedly was too old to continue in operation, was tastefully remodeled and houses professional offices that are 100% occupied. These tenants surely have the same needs as the employees at the state level. WN, I think I'll be your first person that thinks the existing Berlin court house was more than adequate and just had a major face lift to its exterior, as well as some of it's interior. When I need to go to this court house pertinent to rental collections, usually 95% of the seats are empty. I admire the absolutely beautiful maple woodwork, tin ceilings and tiled floors. I look at all the pictures of the past judges over the century and realize this city is so rich in its history and really should try harder to preserve where it came from. By the way...I never saw the old post office. The new one can't be anywhere near as impressive...I bet that one had stairs also... Here's what I think we should have done;Keep the old court house, and anyone who loses their case should do 25 stair climbs from the basement to the court room. (Might keep them from erring in the future.)
If you think that is nonsense, try justifying millions on a new building to take 60 of our best paid employees out of the city center. 1/2 mile makes a big difference on a lunch break and I think Main St. will experience that difference. As far as the court house is concerned; one chairlift up the front steps would have gone a long way towards handicapped accessibility.

[Timothy Gordon]

Jon,
The difference is sales. Some can sell it, others can not, you of all people understand that.

[Rocky]

The new HHS construction/building is a comedy of errors, but I'm not laughing. First, we've torn down a historic building which was the Main Office for Brown Company after they moved from Portland. As Jon pointed out, we've torn down the old Post Office which was a beautiful building, and most people who remember it will tell you that this was a mistake. Ten to twenty years from now as they look at photos of the Main Office our children will wonder about the judgment of this generation. Jon is also absolutely correct about the looks and the upgrades to the present courthouse. I haven't seen the plans to the new HHS building, but I bet it pales to the quality and class the old courthouse has. Not only do we have no sense of history and taste, but we're foolishly spending money we don't have on buildings we don't need while other projects are being neglected. Sorry WN, in my book, there's no justification for the desecration of the Main Office and the false need touted for a new building. I'm happy that a few workers will have a job for the summer, that Isaacson sculptured the steel, but it's outrageous that we allow such waste of our scarce resources. It's a perfect example of why the country is in the mess it's in, where in hell did we ever get our values?

[ralph]

We got our values at the Dollar Store

[Wing Nut]

Rocky,

A couple more points and then I feel like we beat this to death;

1.) The building torn down to make way for the new structure was a piece of crap (no offense). Historic buildings don't add any value to a City if they just sit there and rot. Let's face it, nobody was going to spend any money to restore an old Brown Company office building. Do you know why? Because very few people care about an old office building. In my personal opinion the historic value of that building was virtually zero. I'm glad it is gone (this new site will look much better).

2.) Our children won't wonder about the judgment made here for the reasons noted above. There is very little historic value in a rotting office building. It is not like the building had some fancy architectural features that warranted saving. It was an ugly eyesore (just like the one next to it that still exists and will hopefully be torn down someday as well). The building that was demolished was nothing like the City Courthouse as far as I'm concerned.

3.) While one can argue that the City Courthouse could have been renovated, I would assume that option was considered and it was determined that doing so did not make sense. Let's face it, there is no room for expansion of the existing courthouse building and there is very little room for parking. It was time to make a change. Hopefully the City can find good use for this quaint little structure because in this case I do agree that the building has intrinsic historical value and great architecture.

4.) Finally, the current HHS building has been neglected in my opinion. Please tell me how much money has been spent on maintenance and upgrades of that building over the last 20 years. I bet you'll find the answer is very low. In other words, it was time for a change for HHS as well.

Again, this is one case where you and I have vastly opposing views. While I respect your opinion I do not share your views on this one. Enjoy the sun while it is out.........WN.

[Rocky]

Wing Nut, you're less of a wing nut than most!