NH official calls domestic violence "gimmick", cuts funding for shelter

[SoxFan]

Explanatory note: the Board of Selectmen is the local governing board in New England municipalities operating under a town meeting form of government.

On Tuesday, in Conway, the town selectmen (yep – 5 men) voted 4-1 NOT to provide any town funds to Starting Point, a non-profit that provides shelter and support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. One selectman, Mark Hounsell later explained his no vote as a mistake, and plans to clarify it at the deliberative portion of the town meeting.

The deliberate ignorance of many local men on the topic of rape and domestic violence are no longer a surprise to me. What did, however, come as something of a surprise, were the comments made by selectman Crow Dickinson. This is the kind of thing that most adult men know better than to say in public, no matter how much they loathe women:

"I don't think taxpayers should be responsible for funding a program that takes in abused women," Dickinson said. "The church should, the neighbors should, and anybody who's interested should. But not taxpayers. "
Dickinson said, "Clearly, there's a need" for such a program. But he also said Starting Point is a "new program" that "needs to demonstrate they can do whatever they're doing and be successful and show a big need. "
Starting Point has been in existence since 1981.
"There are a lot of women who use (domestic violence) as a gimmick in divorce proceedings," Dickinson said. "All they have to do is call the police and get the person thrown out. If I call the police and say you're abusing me, they'd have to believe me. I wish people would split up and be more polite about it. "
Although Dickinson said he had "absolutely no question" that there are legitimate cases of domestic violence, he added, "Just because you have a worthy cause doesn't mean we should put money in a tin cup. Some people are very convincing. It's not an easy thing to say no. "
Instead of taxpayers being asked to give the organization money, Dickinson said, "A lot of people could make contributions to this effort."

http://susanthebruce.blogspot.com/2009/02/conway-selectmen-against-taxpayer.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. This is the one area where I think more women in charge would change things.

I realize a woman has been gov. of NH, but that's obviously not enough.

[Orrex]

2. Yeah, it's a gimmick.

All those smashed-in faces are a laugh riot.

:puke:

[Bluerthanblue]

3. .

wow.

speechless.

[Bluebear]

4. Yeah, you gotta have a gimmick. Like a black eye or broken bones.

Dickinson is disgraceful.

[mmonk]

5. I heard about that on the radio today in my car.

Disgusting.

[Warpy]

6. Justice should see Dickinson beaten to a bloody pulp

by his wife, with a credible threat to his life should he return to their home.

If it happens to him, perhaps he'll understand.

[Redstone]

9. Indeed.

Redstone

[Redstone]

7. Fucking assholes. It happens that I know a woman who runs shelters in that very area, so believe me,

domestic violence is VERY real...not only there, but everywhere else.

Fucking assholes. They probably hit their own wives.

Redstone

[graywarrior]

8. This is not the first time Crow has opened his mouth and stuck his two feet in

Be aware, the guy is drunk most of the time.

A few years ago, at a public meeting, he said he believed in capital punishment and that he'd take it a step further having hangings on the town common and giving kids the day off fom school to watch it. Mr Gray asked him if he also agreed with the Saudi's methods of cutting off people's hands, and he whole heartedly said YES!!!

Oh yeah, and he was stupid enough to have a gun in his suitcase at the airport a few years ago. But...people keep voting him in. Go figure.

[Redstone]

10. Jesus, some things make me ashamed to be a New Englander.

Redstone

[Warpy]

14. New Hampshire is like another planet sometimes

It's an alternate universe originally populated by Massachusetts tax whiners who fled to escape income taxes and found themselves socked with other taxes and fees to make up for them in addition to no services but hardly noticed due to their haze of self righteousness.

Their children and grandchildren seem to be getting the point, though, and the state is turning more Democratic.

[graywarrior]

15. I'm astounded that Obama took the town of North Conway hands down

and yet Crow Dickinson and Gene Chandler keep getting voted in.

[SoxFan]

17. Chandler is like a bad rash that won't go away

After the "corn roast" fiasco, he should be in jail, not in the legislature.

My biggest regret in five years in the House was not being in town to vote to expel his ass back in 2004 (I had a previous out-of-state trip, and the vote came at the last minute).

[graywarrior]

22. It's all about favors.

People owe him bigtime.

[sarge43]

20. Conway is one of the last strongholds of paleolithic Repugs. n/t

[graywarrior]

21. It's changing....it's right down the middle now.

The independents put Obama over the top. Them and the 20-somethings.

[sarge43]

27. Oh I know, that we have a Dem majority in the state leg is

amazing, but the north of the notch mastodons aren't going down without a fight and blazing display of stupid.

[graywarrior]

28. Actually, Gorham and Berlin elected local dems the last two elections

Bartlet is still repblican territory, but even they went for Obama this election. I have hope for northern NH.

[sarge43]

31. So do I, but one jerk like Dickinson is a "one aw shit wipes out

a thousand attaboys", especially when it concerns health, well being, even lives.

[graywarrior]

34. Dickinson and Chandler

[Redstone]

25. As a native Vermonter, I know EXACTLY what you mean about the Flatlanders.

Redstone

[SoxFan]

13. I forgot about the gun in the suitcase!

This was AFTER 9/11, too. He shows up at Manchester-Boston Regional with a pistol in his carry-on and wonders why the TSA folks were upset.

[graywarrior]

24. Drunk.

As usual.

[SoxFan]

26. I can't figure you guys out

Crow and Cornroast Gene get elected every time, but you also go for Tom Buco, a reasonable and thoroughly likeeable Democrat.

Tom and I were stuck at the airport in Baltimore returning from a conference a few years ago. His luggage had been placed on another plane, and he was dead certain he would never see his socks and underwear again. He was a dead ringer for Tony Shaloub on "Monk" as he paced around the terminal in a nervous panic!

[graywarrior]

49. I adore Tom

I canvassed with him during the election. He talks to everyone, republicans, dems and indies and he talks about THEM. People really like him. He got the most votes of all the candidates running. And yeah, he is a dead ringer for Tony...but he acts like Colombo.

[kestrel91316]

11. I'd lay better than even odds that Crow Dickinson beats his wife.

[SoxFan]

16. I wouldn't

Crow isn't a violent guy. He's just mind-bogglingly out of touch with the realities of life in the year 2009.

That neck of the woods has a history of electing some really strange characters. The former speaker of the house who was nearly jailed for bribery represented the Conway area.

[graywarrior]

12. READ THE BACKLASH FROM NORTH CONWAY, NH SUN

http://www.laconiadailysun.com/pdf/2009/2/20.pdf

[gratuitous]

18. Which Crow would make a better Selectman?

Crow Dickinson or . . .

Crow T. Robot from MST 3K?

I'll go with the live action cartoon character. I mean, the second one. Just to avoid any confusion.

[SoxFan]

19. Crow T. Robot would certainly do less damage

[Solly Mack]

23. Woah. Damn.

[Why Syzygy]

29. The police don't throw anyone out.

They refer you to civil court. That guy is not fit to vote for his community's interests.

[hfojvt]

30. depends on the local law

In Wisconsin, they are required to take somebody to jail when a call is made on a domestic disturbance.

[Terran]

32. Jeez, that guy is such an idiot.

I mean, political and financial support for DV shelters and services is pretty mainstream at this point. All he has to do is look at a web site to see what friggin need is--I'm sure NH has a state DV shelter association, every state does. That drivel he was spouting sounded like 1950 to me.

[Control-Z]

33. Yeah, stupid, disgusting women

gotta have their gimmicks. How else are they going to get their way? Besides, it's just so easy to give one's self a black eye, and a few broken ribs. Yeah, that's it.

[maxanne]

36. if we weren't all such gold diggers

we wouldn't need those gimmicks at divorce time.

Crow sees things through the peculiar lens of inherited family money. He's never done a day's work in his life.

[SoxFan]

35. Dickinson's official portrait

[ihavenobias]

37. Terrible. n/t

[omega minimo]

38. Are there any qualifications for being a "selectman" or is it just any fool can do it?

"Just because you have a worthy cause doesn't mean we should put money in a tin cup."

[maxanne]

39. there are no qualifications

for selectman. It's an elected position.

Crow Dickinson was a member of the NH House of Representatives for 30 years. All it used to take in this area to get elected to any position was an R next to your name. Those days are coming to an end, thank heaven.

[SoxFan]

45. It's roughly analagous to a city councilor

Many towns in New England operate under the Town Meeting form of government. In theory, every registered voter is part of the governing body, which sets the budget, passes ordinances, etc, at the annual meeting in March or May. In some larger towns in Mass and Connecticut, there is a "representative town meeting", where town meeting attendees are elected.

Between town meetings, a three or five member select board handles town affairs. They meet weekly or biweekly, listen to public input, administer the budget, and basically do the things a city council or board of supervisors would do.

Selectmen are elected for three year terms at the municipal elections. In most NH towns, these are held annually in March, on a nonpartisan basis. It's essentially a volunteer gig, though some towns provide a thousand bucks or so for expenses.

[Quantess]

40. He is wrong about police arresting people on false domestic battery reports.

"All they have to do is call the police and get the person thrown out. If I call the police and say you're abusing me, they'd have to believe me..."

Not true. Hasn't he ever seen Cops? They don't arrest anyone for domestic violence if there are no visible injuries. You pick that up pretty quickly from watching just a few episodes...

Edit: I admit I watch the TV show Cops, and I also admit I am basing my opinion of how police handle domestic violence cases mostly on what I have seen on Cops.

But also, a good friend of mine who was a victim of domestic violence, several years ago, is now facing impossibility in getting a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend who acts menacingly towards her whenever they run into each other, because there is no police record of domestic violence between the couple, and she cannot give proof that he injured her in the past.

[maxanne]

43. of course he's wrong

what he knows about women, and women's issues, could be neatly engraved on the head of a common pin, with room to spare.

[SoxFan]

48. I've always admired your flair for restraint and understatement

:yourock: :rofl:

[Liberal_in_LA]

41. One article on the web says Crow as a 'penchant for midwifery'. Couldn't find details. Sure hope

he's not in some field related to women's health care.

[maxanne]

42. he's not

Crow doesn't work. He earned his money the old fashioned way - he inherited it.

[Liberal_in_LA]

44. Oh ok.

[SoxFan]

46. Always wondered about that

He certainly doesn't look like a stereotypical trust fund baby (about 6'4", gangly, thick gray beard, "wasp dreadlocks", thrift store wardrobe).

[maxanne]

47. it's a pose

along with the Foghorn Leghorn accent. He's a trust fund baby - and a Harvard graduate.

He did get his teeth fixed, in case you haven't seen him for a while. :)

[bumblebee1]

50. Does thie Crow Dickenson have a sister or a daughter?

Maybe he'd sing a whole different tune if this were the case.

[maxanne]

51. not much chance

of that. In 2002, he told voters at a candidate's forum that he wanted to be able to take his little grandson to hangings down at the park in the center of town. Let's just say that sensitivity and compassion are not his strong suit.

[bumblebee1]

53. Yea, Maxanne

He probably could not spell the words sensitivity or compassion.

[Forkboy]

52. What a fucking dickhead.

:eyes: