The scene: the deserted Eileen Dondero Foley City Council Chambers at midnight on September 11, 2023
A bearded figure slumped in a city councilor’s chair suddenly sits up.
“Whoa, where am I?
It sure is dark in here. Why am I sitting up so high on a dais in an expensive chair made of rich Corinthian leather?
Why is this place empty?
Where’s that chubby guy with the baby hedgehog goatee who usually sits on my left and is always jabbering while giving those furtive side-to-side glances to see if everyone is listening…
…And how about the other guy on my right, you know, the one they call Bart who’s always barking about something. They say he’s an economic genius but what he doesn’t know could fill Mankiw’s 5th edition of Principles of Economics!
And I don’t see that Kondo gal who’s incessant droning on about tiny unimportant details drives everyone nuts. I woke up just long enough to hear her whining about the placeholder in the CIP for the Master Water Plan – she pitched a fit until everyone agreed to take it out – so what if Portsmouth residents don’t have clean water!
By the way, have you ever noticed that when Kondo’s done talking, she tightens the corners of her mouth, so her lips disappear – then bobs her head in self-satisfaction?
Oh, and where’s the really tall guy who wears Mickey Mouse ears –
tries to act like he’s running the show – wakes me up with that gavel pounding – but he doesn’t have a clue so that lady who sits w-a-y down at the end, and laughs at everything, I mean EVERYTHING, has to tell him what to do…
…and then there’s the gal next to him, always grabbing the gavel, doesn’t say much, thank goodness…
…And oh, let me tell you about the humorless, pale, bicycle-riding character who steals my plastic water bottles…
…couldn’t wait to put his mask back on – always ranting about how our house is burning down from all the composting, or something like that –
…Oof – I once had a bad nightmare – thought I saw this face that looked just like Nurse Ratched scowling at me, but I shut my eyes real fast, and she disappeared!
Now I’m awake – wait, I remember — I was elected to the City Council two years ago!
Gee, I must have slept through the entire term!
That was easy. I think I’ll run again.”
Who is this guy?
Vince “Rip” Lombardi is a long-time Portsmouth resident and also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force – thank you for your service!
His candidate questionnaire says that he was a small business owner, but he doesn’t look that small to me!
And where is he on the issues, like Education?
Education is super important for everyone. A good education can help launch young students into a bright future and can be a net positive for the community.
Unfortunately, some public schools are lousy. Private schools are expensive. Not every family can afford to send their kids to pricy Phillips Exeter Academy, Hizzoner’s alma mater.
As one solution, in 2012, the NH legislature enacted the Education Tax Credit Program, that provides scholarships to students for private schools including parochial, home schools, tutoring or other education expenses.
The funding comes from businesses that receive a tax credit for their donations.
At least 40% of these scholarships must be given to students who qualified for free or reduced lunch at their last public school.
Students already in private school can be eligible for these scholarships if their family income is below 300% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that’s $90,000 and could include lots of folks in Portsmouth.
I’ve heard objections to programs like this because of the financial drain on public schools – when a student leaves, so does the state money. But if a public school loses a small portion (more than 0.25%) of its total state funding due to the scholarship program, the state provides supplemental funding.
Sounds pretty good – no?
Not for Rip. In 2013, he penned a letter to the editor of the Portsmouth Herald demanding that the NH Senate repeal this bill because some funding could go to religious education. (They didn’t listen).
So, Rip wanted to penalize all the kids because some parents may choose a good parochial school.
Doesn’t sound fair to me especially in light of Covid-related public-school closures and the huge learning loss these students have experienced that will hurt them for decades.
Not good.
More on his stunning career!
Rip was appointed to the Historic District Commission in 2014 and elected chair in 2017. This made the editor of the Portsmouth Herald smile, so they published a glowing article. This puff piece did not detail Rip’s plans for the Commission along with its challenges and looming projects. Instead, the entire first half of the article focused on his name.
Of course, most folks know that Rip is not THE Vince Lombardi, famous coach of the Green Bay Packers. And really, it’s nice that Rip’s father played football. But what does that have to do with the Portsmouth HDC?
Furthermore, how many articles about newly elected city board chairs do you see in the paper?
Just think about it.
But the Herald was all in on Rip’s political future (as they are for many others on the current city council) so naturally, they had to continue to promote him at every chance they could get.
May 2021 provided the perfect opportunity. Mayor Rick Becksted decided not to reappoint Rip to another term on the HTC.
Oh my, you would think the world had come to an end!
The paper’s intrepid reporter wrote an article with a headline calling Mayor Becksted’s action “Shameful.”
The Mayor’s rationale: “Developers seem to be building bigger and bolder than ever before. Property taxes aren’t going down as we’ve been promised. “
“In order to change that process, you have to start putting people on the boards that have different opinions.”
Sounds reasonable to me. After occupying a chair (and perhaps dozing off now and then) for seven years it was time for Rip to go.
But that was okay with him, he had bigger fish to fry.
In 2021, Vince “Rip” Lombardi joined up with the Progress Portsmouth crew organized by the local political operative seeking candidates that shared his positions on the radical fringe of Portsmouth politics.
Rip made the cut and was sworn in during the January 2022 meeting. His top three priorities were:
- Being nice to the City Manager
- Eliminating heavy traffic by seizing every third car driving in Market Square
- Building a $5 billion moat around the city to stop the rising sea levels.
- Being nice to the City Manager
Oops, that’s 4.
As a loyal member of the McEachern Nine aka Duffy Nine, aka Boondoggle Nine, he’s a supporter of opaque city government, back room deals, and zero fiscal restraint demonstrated by the 2024 budget.
Question: How come it’s okay for nine city councilors to vote in lockstep but not five?
Answer: It’s not. Ignore the local media’s gas lighting.
Actually, Rip hasn’t voted with everyone on every issue. There was one time (that I know about) when he cast the solitary “opposed” vote.
Why?
At the July 10, 2023, City Council meeting, Hizzoner nominated a private citizen to serve on the Safe Water Advisory Group. This individual was nominated at the Committee Chair’s request.
That night Rip threw down the gauntlet, drew a line in the sand, and said: No way, Jose!
Eight voted “aye”, one was opposed.
You could barely hear him, but it was Rip who dinged the private citizen, at least I think I saw his lips move.
(July 10, 2023, City Council meeting)
