News

A Note to Merrimack about Toll Relief

September 20, 2008

Dear Merrimack Residents,

My opponent for Executive Council issued a press release recently alleging that I violated my vow to Merrimack in failing to bring about toll relief. As I am sure that members of the Town Council can attest from my numerous visits, I never made a vow that I could eliminate or reduce tolls for Merrimack residents. I consistently informed them and townspeople that it would be a very tough sell in Concord, just as your state representatives have found in their efforts. The only vow that I could have made in good faith to Merrimack was exactly what I did - to give it all that I had.

As you know, when my effort failed at a meeting of the Governor and Executive Council in Merrimack last October, I openly admitted my failure. It is frivolous for my opponent to say, though, that I violated an oath I made to you when I never had it within my sole power to bring about toll relief. The legislature has stripped the Council of its power to offer toll discounts so all I could hope to accomplish was total removal of some tollbooths.

I believe Merrimack is being treated unfairly, and I will make the very same vow I did before. If I am re-elected, I will continue to search for every opportunity to bring toll fairness to Merrimack. That is all any of your elected officials can do.

Oh, one more thing. Did my opponent deliver toll relief for Merrimack in his years as a state legislator? No, his effort in the legislature went down in flames, too. I don't accuse him of violating his word.

Debora visits National Guard Troops in Pennsylvania

July 22, 2008

On June 17, Debora accompanied National Guard General Clark and Brigadier General Burritt to Ft. Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, where New Hampshire National Guard Troops were having their Annual Summer Training. She observed the troops as they learned to dismantle and re-assemble machine guns and observed a virtual Iraq war convoy dealing with hazards. The troops were under the command in Pennsylvania of Lieutenant Colonel Mark Leahey from Rochester. Debora also was served a delicious turkey lunch with the troops which was prepared by the support kitchen staff, all from New Hampshire.

Merrimack Tollbooth Equity Report

July 26, 2007

To the Merrimack Town Council and Delegation

It is with regret that I come to Merrimack this evening to say that I have been unsuccessful in my efforts to secure toll relief for the residents of Merrimack. Allow me to explain.

From the time I started serving on the Executive Council in January 2005, I have made it a very high priority to rectify the unfairness in the toll charges at the three Merrimack turnpike exits. In my first two-year term, I could never get any headway at all because of great resistance by other members of the Executive Council. In the last election, the makeup of the Council changed, and I was optimistic I could secure the three votes necessary to bring about change. As you know, my recent efforts have been to provide two free passes through the Merrimack toll booths for all vehicles owned and registered in Merrimack which have a New Hampshire transponder.

In recent weeks, I have arranged meetings with the Governor and his legal team, the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and staff members, and lawyers from the Attorney General's Office. After considerable legal analysis, the Governor's legal counsel has determined that a new law passed by the legislature has stripped the Executive Council of its power to set toll discounts. This means that my plans for two free daily passes for Merrimack have suffered a significant setback. The power grab by the legislature is disheartening because it has shown no willingness to address Merrimack's problem despite strong efforts by your legislative delegation.

Although this issue is now largely out of my hands as an Executive Councilor, I do have some good news to report. That is, our joint efforts have convinced Governor Lynch that the Merrimack situation is unfair. I have secured a commitment from Governor Lynch to push for legislation next year that would return the power to grant toll booth discounts to the Executive Council. The governor and I will coordinate with your legislative delegation and work toward passage of such a law. If we are successful, I will be able to bring a Merrimack toll relief plan to the Executive Council, and with help from Governor Lynch, we might meet with success given the current makeup of the Council.

I am sorry to have to report on my failure thus far, but can assure you that if the legislature returns the power to the Executive Council, I will continue to work on this issue throughout my tenure on the Council.

Boston Express to Add Additional Trips to Boston/Logan

Beginning July 15, Boston Express will expand the number of daily bus trips between Nashua, Boston, and Logan Airport providing greater options for commuters, as well as Amtrak and airline travelers.

The additional service includes:

"The overwhelming success of the service to date has put us in a position to expand the number of trips we can offer, and provide additional options for people traveling to Boston," said Ken Hunter of Boston Express. "These additional trips will allow us to better serve the needs of people who rely on Boston Express for their daily commute to Boston for work or morning airline and train travel."

Under the new schedule, Boston Express will provide eleven round trips daily between the Nashua Park and Ride (Route 3, Exit 8) and the Nashua Visitors' Center (Route 3, Exit 6) and Boston's South Station and Logan Airport. A complete schedule is available at www.bostonexpressbus.com or by calling 1-800-639-8080.

Bus Service between Nashua and Boston

Bus service between Nashua and Boston began February 13! See Boston Express for details.

Update on Bus Service between Nashua and Boston

June 16, 2006

The Executive Council approved the bus service several months ago as part of the 10 year highway plan.

CMAQ (congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) Federal money will be used for the project. Since it is a transit project, approval is needed from the FTA (Federal Transit Authority - this is pending and should be approved within a couple of months.

There will be a contract presented to the Governor and Council in July, to approve a 3 year contract with Concord Trailways to run the service.

Bids have been put out for buses and are due back today. Buses will be ordered, but I'm told it will take 4-6 months to build them. Apparently, they are produced mostly in Canada and then come to North Dakota for finishing. Because we are ordering a small number, they have to be fit into the production line.

All should be ready for service to begin by late fall, the end of the year at the latest.

There will be a reduced fare for 6 months, I'm told, to build up passengers and loyalty. That fare would be between $4-$5 for one way.

Pignatelli Announces Re-Election Bid

June 4, 2006

Debora Pignatelli, of Nashua, has announced that she will seek re-election to the District 5 seat on the Executive Council. The district includes the two cities of Nashua and Keene and 25 towns.

Pignatelli seeks her 10th successful election to state office. First elected as a State Representative in 1986 and then to 5 terms in the State Senate, she unseated a Republican incumbent on the Executive Council in 2004.

In her first term on the Executive Council, Pignatelli has pressed for competitive bidding on state contracts and has opposed the practice of no-bid contracts. She has traveled extensively through the communities in her district. She has fought unsuccessfully so far for toll relief in Merrimack. She has scrutinized key state appointments for the Supreme Court, Commissioner of Education and the Department of Corrections and many other key appointments.

Commenting on her experience as a Councilor, Pignatelli said, "I have loved the job and if I get re-elected, I'll continue to work hard for the towns and people of my district. I plan to give it my best in the campaign to hold on to this important seat on the Council."

Bus Service between Nashua and Boston

March 12, 2006

The GACIT Committee (Governor's Advisory Committee on Intermodal Transportation) voted unanimously Wednesday, March 8, to move forward on proposed bus service between Nashua and Boston. The GACIT Committee is made up of the five Executive councilors and Carol Murray, the Commissioner of Transportation.

The committee requested the Department of Transportation to prepare a contract for approval by the Executive Council at one of its April meetings. Funding this contract will be obtained from federal CMAQ funds. CMAQ, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality, funds are used for transportation projects that help improve air quality and relieve traffic congestion.

When the Executive Council approves the contract at its April meeting, busses will be ordered and bus service will begin within four months. The bus company plans to operate nine trips a day - three in the early morning, three in the late afternoon and evening for commuters and three at other convenient daytime hours. The planned bus service will begin at the park and ride Exit 8 location in Nashua, make one stop at the Exit 6 Welcome Center and then go directly to Logan Airport and South Station in Boston.

I'm pleased to support this bus service and believe it will be a successful venture.

Year End Report

February 15, 2006

I have finished my first 12 months as Executive Councilor for District 5. Throughout my short tenure, I have loved the job and thank voters for supporting me.

The Executive Council is a body of five people elected from five districts throughout the State. My district consists of the southern border communities from Nashua to Peterborough to Keene and towns north from Merrimack, Goffstown and up to Dunbarton. The Council has been in existence since colonial times and its job is to serve as both a check as well as an advisor to the governor. Actually, the governor needs 3 votes to appoint a judge or state agency head, to enter into any contract greater than $5000 and to confirm appointees to state boards and commissions.

When I reported to the voters earlier, I said there seems to be a new mood and a more cooperative spirit in Concord. Credit is surely shared, but most would agree with me that Governor John Lynch has spearheaded it. Although he and I are both Democrats, I have seen the building of an excellent working relationship between him and the 4 Republican councilors as well as legislators. That doesn't mean everyone agrees all the time. But, disagreements are more civil. That encourages good faith communications and sharing of ideas and better execution of the duties of government. After all, no one party has a lock on all the good ideas.

Let me comment about a few of the many votes I have made on the Council in your behalf. I don't like the practice of awarding No Bid Contracts, and I have voted against a large number of them. At every meeting, I press State Agency heads and the word is getting out that they should be the exception, not the rule. Competitive bidding will save us money by encouraging bidders to sharpen their pencils for contracts involving multiple millions of taxpayer money. I think there are times that my constant challenging of No Bid contracts gets under the skin of some of the Agency heads, business owners and fellow Councilors. Yet, no one has hit me yet, and I think I am providing a good service.

I am pleased the new E-ZPASS system is up and working. I always favored E-ZPASS ever since my days in the Senate because it speeds traffic, increases safety and reduces pollution. I cast a protest vote in favor of some modest toll relief for toll-bound Merrimack residents and still haven't given up on the issue, but overall E-ZPASS has been an outstanding success. Some of you know that I have also been pushing for the State to re-buy unused tokens. Not everyone agrees, but as I see it, people paid the money and didn't get the service, and I'd rather return the small amount of money or let them use the tokens as cash and hand them to an attendant.

I voted against a pardon hearing for Pamela Smart. The Executive Council votes on pardon hearings as one of its many duties. The infamous Smart case will be in New Hampshire news for a long time to come, and in spite of many calls favoring pardon, I think my view is consistent with that of the vast majority.

Appointments of judges are crucial decisions. Judges serve until age 70, and must be thoroughly vetted before they are put into such a position of power. Governor Lynch recently brought our state an excellent person in Gary Hicks to become the newest member of our Supreme Court. I knew Judge Hicks, having have served with him in our voluntary capacities on the New Hampshire Judicial Council, and saw what a hard worker he was. Yet, I did my due diligence because I knew he would likely serve on our highest court for twenty years. I asked good questions, I think, and in my own small investigation, I came to learn that he is a widely respected person and jurist. As it turned out, my vote for him was one that came easily.

The position of Chief Justice of the Nashua District Court had remained vacant for more than 2 years. In the last administration, ideology and controversy, rather than the quality of the applicant of the applicants ground the process to a halt. In late 2005, though, the Council voted unanimously to confirm James Leary as Chief Justice. I was pleased to lend my support, and I hear from my sources that he is doing a great job in one of our state's busiest courts. I was also delighted to support another constituent, Edward Burke, from Keene, as Justice of the Keene District Court. Ed had been the former county attorney and an outstanding lawyer and citizen in Keene, and I was pleased to help Governor Lynch find him.

One of my jobs is to try to assure we are getting good state contracts for the billions we spend. Though that is a statewide responsibility, I have been very happy to support many substantial contracts benefiting my district and the businesses within it. One controversial contract award for $65 million for Medicaid Management hit the news because some wanted to support the bidder that was $10 million high. They had their reasons, but I disagreed. Some had questioned the qualifications of the lower bidder, but I spent hours on the telephone with numerous officials from other states, and learned that the quality of work was just fine. I am pleased we gave the contract to the low bidder and saved so much money for the taxpayer.

The Council has a lot to say about docks and boathouses on our state's lakes. I am a strict-constructionist, if you will. The State owns the water and the space over it. Our lakes need to be preserved and enjoyed at the same time. In one controversial dock proposal on Lake Winnipesaukee, a homeowner's group wanted to build a 126 foot dock out into a busy portion of the Lake. I saw it as "too much" and too dangerous, and voted against it. Unfortunately, other councilors didn't see it my way, and the dock will be built.

The Council is in charge of the ten year highway plan. I have held hearings in my district to get input from town leaders and citizens on what they would like to see in their areas. All state projects eventually get ranked, and the hearings are important. Unfortunately, money is scarce. On transportation issues, I am doing my part to try to steer attention to rail transportation from Nashua to Boston. The Council is not a big player on that issue, because it lies more in the realm of the legislature, but I speak out because I think it would be a great thing for our area.

We also approve nomination of State Agency Heads. As you would expect, they are truly key people in carrying out the business of the state and delivering services to the people. I always said I would support only people who believe in the mission of their agencies, who are good listeners, and who will work hard. So far, I have had two big decisions to make, but they were not hard ones. I have known former Hampton Police Chief Wrenn for years, and when the governor nominated him for Chief of the Department of Corrections, I was an enthusiastic supporter. I think he'll do a great job. The Commissioner of Education is an important position in our state. I hadn't known Lionel Tracy, the former Superintendent of Schools in Portsmouth. After meeting him, though, he won me over easily, and the other councilors liked him as well. We are lucky to have him setting our state education policy.

Boards and Commissions. I am always encouraging people in my district to let me know if they have an interest in serving on a state board or commission. It is service that most often becomes an enjoyable experience. If you check the Executive Council website, you can click on LINKS, and find all state boards and commissions. The Governor and councilors are always looking for good people. Take the opportunity to get involved if you have the time. And be sure to let me know if I can help you.

Constituent Service. Count on me to help you in your dealings with state government by e-mailing, writing or calling. I have tried to assist many people in many ways, and I make myself available to my constituents.

Contacting me. Use the contact page. Or, you can write me at the State House in Concord or call at 888-5245.

Over the next year, I'll be voting on millions of dollars of state contracts, judgeships, a new head of the state Department of Resources and Economic Development and much more. Feel free to give me your input.

Again, thank you for electing me to this position as Executive Councilor. I enjoy the work very much. I expect more good things for our beautiful state.

Debora and supporters