GilfordGrok

This Bud Comm meeting tonite may have a few more attendees than normal - hopefully is will not turn into a circus.  For that reason, I'll be live video streaming (provided the Town Hall WiFi system is up) as I have the last few meetings.

There has certainly been a lot of outrage over what Doug said, and for what he has apologized (here, here, and here; comments included).  For some, it does not seem to be sufficient (as I said in my remarks)

There have been some that have started to ask that the Board of Selectmen and / or the Budget Committee kick Doug off the BudComm; for the record, a Mr. Emond took the action of emailing a number of folks directly (see bottom-most) without giving Doug the courtesy of being included - as you can see, Terry Stewart added him into the conversation and commented (I believe, rightfully), on Mr. Emond's email.

Oh yes, I forgot - I asked that all emails in this matter be included in the formal record and forwarded the string for that purpose, as you can see below..

I also included a comment left over at GraniteGrok from someone claiming to live in Gilford condemning Doug - I would ask "is his/her opening sentence much better" (emphasis mine)?  If you look over at GraniteGrok (see the links above), there are a number of comments that I have deleted for foul language far in excess of what would be permissible in general society, even in a mostly private gathering.

A couple of points:

• Does anyone here in Gilford recognize that email address:  volklman17@hotmail.com

I think I have seen it before but cannot remember who it might belong to - in any case, it is a "dead" one.

• It is not entirely clear that it is the remarks are really concerned with Doug's outburst - rather, it is more politically oriented in that Doug has been effective in limiting spending and keeping taxpayers' bills low these last few years.

If this person is so hot and bothered that the town is not spending enough by not taxing enough, why has he/she not taking a check down to Town Hall, loaded with a number of zeros to the left of the decimal point, loudly proclaim he/she has done so, and use that "leading by example" to persuade others to simply give money to the Town?

I think I know why, and almost always comes down to this - People are willing to raise other peoples' taxes to pay for their "good ideas" as it costs them little in proportion.  It takes leadership to step forward the way I describe above; something that someone who starts a diatribe on a public forum with the word a*****e seems to be lacking.

I hope that whoever the owner of volklman17@hotmail.com is/was shows up tonite - it might be an interesting conversation.

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On 11/18/2009 4:57 PM, Skip Murphy wrote:

At least Mr. Emond was polite - others from Gilford have not been as they left comments about Doug on GraniteGrok.  I do not know who belongs to this email address, so I do not know who this is, but certainly retribution (not reconciliation) is on his mind - certainly this person's tone is not that of a polite manner.  I will be posting this up at GilfordGrok - it may be indicative of the kind of meeting that might happen if control is not kept; perhaps by doing so, it may serve to keep some of the rhetoric down:

     IP Address: 207.121.66.26
     Name: Anonymous
     Email Address: volklman17@hotmail.com
     URL:
     Comments:

     This guy is an asswipe.  Thats being generous. How could you ever publicly
     humiliate gays like that? I'm not gay and I live in Gilford and listen to
     me - it is the best thing for this town for Doug Lambert to go down in
       flames.  All we need now is him out of the budget committee so the town
     might actually be able to spend some money improving itself.  I was so
     happy when this article came about in the Laconia Daily Sun, because I knew
     I would not have to listen to his petty complaints that he puts in the
     paper everyday anymore.  So if there was ever a time to thank Doug Lambert,
     it is today, after he said the remarks he said online to Ray Buckley

Terry, just as you added Doug to this email thread, I have added this email address to this as well for full and complete disclosure.

Sandy, as always, I believe these emails should be entered into the official minutes, if you would.

-Skip

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To: 'David Emond'; 'rhickok@myfairpoint.net'
Cc: 'mgw@metrocast.net'; 'sue@lambsearyarns.com'; 'skip@granitegrok.com'; 'mcorry@nsscorp.com'; 'kpr57@live.com'; 'daledormody@gilfordbudget.com'; 'jtojto@aol.com'; 'reltubderf@hotmail.com'; 'pdeminico@gilford.k12.nh.us'
Subject: RE: Doug Lambert Article

 
Dear folks,

I have been out of town during this event and have simply the benefit of the news media for information.

I would like to comment on Mr. Emond’s concerns.

1)      Who's the next target for Mr. Lambert; perhaps the elderly, or those who migrated here from other countries to seek freedom from such acts? As I understand it. Mr. Lambert has been very contrite in this matter. He has expressed apology for his hurtful words. He has been punished (appropriately) in a number of ways. As I understand it, his radio program and his column were his life’s work and very special to him. Those things have been completely reduced to ash with Mr. Lambert’s complete understanding and apologies. Is there any room in the communities heart for forgiveness? How much punishment will be enough? Will he be allowed to continue living in the community?

2)      Mr. Lambert has created a hostile environment for our entire community and he needs to GO. If a child attending our schools conducted themselves in this manner they would be expelled. Places of employment terminate employees for such actions so why would we allow Mr. Lambert to remain in his position?   Schools and businesses DO NOT seek suspension as a first step to these kinds of offensive behaviors because that is NOT the solution. And to be clear, Mr. Emond is requesting an expulsion not a suspension. Businesses take immediate action with required counseling and appropriate reprimands. If the offender is unwilling to recognize the offensive behavior and repeats those offenses then suspensions and expulsions are the next step, not the first.

3)      Mr. Lambert is in a position to influence major decisions within our community. How can we trust that any future decisions he makes (or influences) will be in any way objective?  Mr Lambert is in a position to influence major decisions within our community. How can we trust that any future decisions he makes (or influences) will be in any way objective? Dick always accurately describes the Budget Committee as a body of many different opinions. Even if Mr. Lambert harbored bigoted intentions in his budget decisions, which is absurd, he would clearly be a lone minority.

I would caution the Budget Committee from making moves to remove Mr. Lambert from office unless he chooses to resign. Mr. Lambert will need to reconcile his own demons and I could think of NO BETTER lesson to our children than witness this community helping him through this process and NOT run him out of town on a rail. He has expressed more than a willingness to change from every public news piece I’ve read. Would it be wise to teach our children to be angry and hate Bigots that have expressed a willingness to change?

Let’s please try and not over react.

 

Terry

 

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From: David Emond [mailto:DavidE@lrcs.org] Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 2:27 PM To: rhickok@myfairpoint.net Cc: mgw@metrocast.net; sue@lambsearyarns.com; tstewart@lr.net; skip@granitegrok.com; mcorry@nsscorp.com; kpr57@live.com; daledormody@gilfordbudget.com; jtojto@aol.com; reltubderf@hotmail.com; pdeminico@gilford.k12.nh.us Subject: Doug Lambert Article

Like many people in the Town of Gilford my wife and I have two young children in the Gilford middle and high schools. Both our children have been taught to be respectful towards one another and respect the beliefs of others, how they choose to live their lives, their religious beliefs and se*ual orientation. We moved to Gilford and chose to raise our children here because we felt it was a safe community that values diversity and embraces change.

How can we expect our children to respect and accept diversity, challenge bigotry, stand up for those being discriminated against and bullied if we have an elected official acting in this manner? What kind of role models will our children see of our government officials, and how will they trust our political system, if we continue to allow this type of (for lack of a better word) crap? How will other minorities be viewed? Who's the next target for Mr. Lambert; perhaps the elderly, or those who migrated here from other countries to seek freedom from such acts?

To have an elected member of our town government act in this manner is embarrassing to me as a resident of Gilford and should not be tolerated. As a member of this community I would hope that the Town of Gilford Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee quickly address this issue and remove Mr. Lambert from office immediately. Mr. Lambert will hide behind his right of free speech; what about the rights of those he has violated.

David Emond