Unsurprisingly, the New Hampshire Port Advisory Council has tossed a life jacket to suspended Port Director Geno Marconi who has been treading the rough waters of another investigation by the NH Attorney General. The committee presented a “Full Confidence Vote” to Marconi’s bosses at the Pease Development Authority (PDA) last week. Mr. Marconi has been on administrative leave for several weeks but continues to receive his $156,000 annual taxpayer salary. No explanation has been offered by either the PDA or NH Attorney General regarding the nature of the investigation.

The NH Port Advisory Council was established by the NH Legislature decades ago. It’s intended purpose was to afford technical guidance and expertise relative to the various port initiatives and responsibilities. Members include representatives of various marine trades and related businesses which are either directly or indirectly affected by the decisions and policies of the port director. The “vote of confidence” was, in my opinion, nothing less than an attempt to maintain the cronyism which has permeated the port for years. It is therefore not surprising that the Council would exceed their statutory authority by publicly judging Mr. Marconi prior to the completion and findings of the Attorney General’s investigation. Perhaps they simply don’t care.

Kevin M. Monahan

Bow