Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Something stinks in the Legislature!
There is a bill down in Concord that would provide some relief to our friends in Bethlehem. The bill - SB 104, would close the loophole that is allowing the landfill owners, Casella Waste Systems, to avoid paying over 80 percent of their property taxes.
Casella Waste Systems is a horrible corporate citizen that has now launched an attack on the citizens ofColebrook. There Casella has offered to cap the town landfill in exchange for the town allowing them to dispose of some of Casella's trash. No surprise, Casella now wants to deposit way more trash in Colebrook than was contemplated in the original agreement.
The sponsors of this bill are Senators Dick Green and John Gallus and Represenatives Martha McLeod and Jim Twombly. It passed the Senate on March 10th and is in the House Muncipal and County Government Committee.
Casella Waste Systems/NCES, the owners of the Bethlehem landfill, are represented in the legislature by Bryan Gould and Michael Dennehy.
Bryan Gould has recently been in the news, as most of us know, because he was Benson's appointment to the gay marriage commission and is refusing to step down and let Raymond Buckley take his seat. Michael Dennehy was Craig Benson's campaign manager in 2002 and is a highly paid GOP operative.
The House committee hearing SB 104 is led by, Betsey Patten, who sides with the landfill owners. The State Department of Environmental Services is also siding with the landfill.
Still, there are a number of people on the committee who realize that Bethlehem and other towns are getting a raw deal. There could be a big House floor fight if there are enough Republicans on the committee with the courage to break ranks with the committee chair, Betsey Patten of Moultonborugh.
Other members of the Muncipal and County Government Committee are:
Eric G. Stohl (r+d)<-- Colebrook eric.stohl@leg.state.nh.us (603)237-4206
Thomas J. Gillick (r) (603)929-1093
Robert W. Brundige (r) (603)424-6971
Laurie J. Boyce (r) ljb@metrocast.net (603)875-7371
Dudley D. Dumaine (r) buppadan@adelphia.net (603)537-1744
David L. Buhlman (r) dbuhlman@aol.com (603)860-4838
Christopher L. Doyle (r) doylec@adelphia.net (603)893-7975
John P. Dowd (r) Derry, NH jpdowd@aol.com (603)490-5888
Andrew L. Dorsett (r) andrew.dorsett@leg.state.nh.us (603)968-6398
Margie Maybeck (r) Holderness, NH margie@maybeck.com (603)536-3822
Harry S. Gale (r) Sunapee, NH hgale66@aol.com (603)763-4004
Paul R. Hopfgarten (r) E Derry, NH (paul.hopfgarten@leg.state.nh.us (603)426-5159
Andrew Renzullo (r) Hudson, NH andrew.renzullo@leg.state.nh.us (603)882-8962
Nancy K. Johnson (d) Milton, NH nancy@worldpath.net (603)652-4357
Mary R. Cooney (d) Plymouth, NH mary.cooney@leg.state.nh.us (603)536-1141
Jessie L. Osborne (d) Concord, NH rjosborne@comcast.net (603)225-9004
Peter B. Schmidt (d) Dover, NH reppbs@ttlc.net (603)743-3751
Robert L. Theberge (d)<-- Berlin rolath@msn.com (603)752-5672
Stephen G. Prichard (d) Grantham, NH stevecarol@srnet.com (603)863-9403
Lawrence D. Brown (d) Milton, NH lb4nhrep@worldpath.net (603)652-4306
If you live in any of these areas CONTACT THEM NOW!!!
