Distorting reality: Claiming the GOP would close the pool

The NHRs Luther Turmelle reports on last night's 09/10 capital budget vote:

the Democrats voted down a budget amendment by Republican Councilman Tom Ruocco that called for spending nearly $7.43 million in the first year. Ruocco and the other Republicans said saving another $630,000 was prudent given the economy.

“It’s really hard to ask the taxpayers to come up with any additional money,” Ruocco said....

Ecke said that passage of the Republicans’ alternative budget “would effectively close the pool...”

“If the town wants to close the pool, I’m not necessarily opposed to that. ... But let’s not do that by not fixing the pool,” Ecke said.

Republican Councilman Tim Slocum said Ecke’s claim was misleading.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said of claims that Republicans want to see the pool closed. “We’d just like to see a little more management and a little less mismanagement.”

If I had done nothing in the past two years, then Mr. Ecke's claim may be fair. But I have tried to take action. It was February 2008* when I began trying to move past the bubble (which is the problem IMO).

Unsurprisingly though, the Council majority chose to employ the classic Washington-style tactics of "deny, defer, delay." And now we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. That's a situation for which I do not take responsibility because I have tried to act.

But I'm not surprised that some Council members appear quite happy to blame the current situation for the "need" to spend more money on their policy of patchwork. After all, at least one Council member has admitted (WRA, 2007) he hired the $20,000 pool consultant for nothing more than a pat on the back and a "You're doing a good job, kid!" Apparently Councilman Ecke is comfortable blaming everyone, except for him and his Council majority.

But perhaps the most telling comment about Councilman Ecke's true feelings on the pool came during the October 2007 Council debate when he stated that he was "afraid to make big, bold decisions."



And now he tries to demonize Republicans as opposed to the pool? The distortions being spewed by the Council majority are just ridiculous at this point. They should be embarrassed.

Tim White

* See a history of me trying to address the health, energy and financial concerns related to the bubble here.