Hold on – It’s going to be a bumpy ride is a famous line from an old movie and as I start to review legislation being proposed for the upcoming 2012 House Session, the line applies quite nicely. Earlier this year legislators filed bills for the upcoming January session, and after careful crafting and re-writes by the Office of Legislative Services to ensure it addresses the sponsor’s intent, they are distributed to members as well as put on-line. The public can review the proposed legislation by going to the NH House website http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/default.htm
Amid the bills being proposed by this republican legislature are the following samples of the strange, ridiculous and absurd! Bills that meddle with International Affairs, a fear of the Federal Government, abolishing art & culture and of course their seemingly favorite topic – GUNS – lots of bills regarding guns!
If they’re successful – the United States will not only withdraw from the United Nations (HCR-32) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (HCR-34), but also privatize Social Security (HCR-39), as well as inform the US Congress that the NH National Guard shall not serve outside the borders of New Hampshire absent a declaration of war (HCR-21). I believe there’s another bill to form a NH Defense Force who I guess will protect us from those suspicious knaves to the north - the Canadians. Apparently, the Canadians are a serious concern & potential threat as we’re proposing removing Canada from the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (HB-1248-FN). Note (FN) signifies there is a fiscal cost to the legislation and ultimately the taxpayer. Sadly they have forgotten, or are unaware, how a decade ago when a couple of NH state troopers were killed by a gun toting extremist, it was the Canadian border cops who were among the first on the scene, or how often Hydro-Quebec has sent teams here to work with NH utilities in restoring power. Sometimes a short memory can be dangerous thing! But, it’s not just the Canadians we’re worried about, there’s also legislation (HB-1412) that requires the Department of Transportation to post signs on roads that cross the border with Massachusetts, apparently Maine & Vermont are still OK (for now). Maybe we can use that proposed Defense Force they’re talking about forming to staff border crossings into Massachusetts – “papers, papers ver are your papers!”
Last session these legislative extremists pretty much emasculated the NH Department of Cultural Resources, but just to make sure, they now want to repeal the State Art Fund (HB1285-FN) whose job it is to administer any federal funds received from the National Endowment of the Arts for the State. Now since these are the same people who want New Hampshire to refuse accepting all federal funds there probably is some odd logic here. Of course – for those who prefer the full frontal (why use a scalpel when an axe will do) approach – there is HB-1274-FN that calls for abolishing the department of Cultural Resources completely. Still, let’s not forget HB-1145 that prohibits Public Television (Channel 11) from being affiliated with the University System of NH.
There are several bills dealing with restricting government and deregulation that if passed may limit the abilities of municipalities and school districts. Specifically, HB-1167 which if passed will eliminate the requirement that public school education be provided for a minimum of 180 days [yeah! kids should go to school for fewer days per year – that’ll make us more competitive in the global marketplace!] There are also bills addressing the licensure of hawkers & peddlers (HB-1359) as well as workforce housing (HB1282-FN). House Bill-1265 establishes criteria for the regulation of occupations & professions and provides that an individual may engage in a legal occupation without being subject to laws that regulate the occupation or profession which are arbitrary, unnecessary, or substantially burdensome.
Then there’s HB-1131 which calls for a committee to study what the impact would be if we abolished both the Supreme & Superior Courts! Also, some want to mandate that the Governor will need the approval of the executive council and general court (yes all 424 members) before seeking federal aid for emergency assistance (HB-1218). Any legislator even considering this – should take a ride along Rte 4 from White River Junction to Rutland Vermont. Even now in December ’11 the damage from Hurricane Irene is visible – so does it make sense to slow down the process?
Several legislators have filed a bill (HB-1126) requiring the NH General Court to nominate candidates for US Senator. Also, in response to the ongoing hysteria that’s jammed NH legislators email boxes for months from out of staters, regarding how we’ve elected as President someone who isn’t a US citizen, HB-1164 comes to the rescue and requires presidential candidates to submit documentation that they meet the qualifications for office as stated in the US Constitution.
Last but not least are the GUN Bills: HB-1375 allows persons convicted of nonviolent felonies to purchase and keep firearms; HB 1246 permits residents to apply to the director of the State Police or county sheriff for a license to carry a pistol or revolver, thus going around local police. HB-1341 repeals the statute prohibiting unauthorized use of a firearm in the compact of a city or town, and HB 1335 limits Fish & Game’s ability to deny a hunting license only if the person is prohibited under federal or state law from possessing a firearm. However, there’s more, HB-1318 will permit anyone to carry a loaded firearm openly or concealed, on their person or in a vehicle, and HB-1220 repeals the criminal history record and protective order check for the sale of firearms.
This is just a sampling – there’s more to come – but as an old statehouse reporter said last week when asked about this NH House – YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP! So stay tuned.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Just Say NO!
House Bill 590 became law without the Governor’s signature on June 29th, establishing a Committee to review NH’s participation in federal grant-in-aid programs, which on Nov 1; recommended NH should stop accepting federal grants. Rather than offer my perspective, here are the recommended policy changes for you to interpret firsthand. The full report can be found at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/reports/2069.pdf.
“EDUCATION: This Committee is at a loss to understand why the general court ever thought that federal involvement in public education could ever be other than harmful both to the quality of education, the public fisc, and the independence of the state of New Hampshire within the federal system. Even before the Supreme Court’s Claremont series of education funding decisions attempted to impose centralized state control of education by oligarchic ukase, there was such a long tradition of local control and funding of education in this state that it would seem that our elected representatives would reflexively have viewed with the gravest misgivings so much further a removal of control as must inevitably be the result of opening the tent of New Hampshire to the camel’s nose of the first dollar of “assistance” from a federal Department of Education. By now, in the aftermath of 35 years’ experience with the federal Department of Education and 15 years experience with Claremont II, it must be clear to anyone not a member of or politically beholden to a teachers’ union that Thomas Jefferson, father of the University of Virginia, had it right when he declared in 1816 that the notion that schools would be better run by “any other general authority of the government than by the parents within each ward [is] a belief against all experience.” This Committee recommends that the general court extricate the state of New Hampshire from all manner of federal programs directly or indirectly affecting public education and the functioning and operations of public schools as soon as the expiration of current contractual commitments enable it legally to do so.”
“Nutritional Programs: It was through just such a program (the Act of November 23, 1921, 42 Stat. 224, c. 135, commonly called the “Maternity Act”), and the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to consider a challenge to its constitutionality (Massachusetts v Mellon, 262 US 447 (1923)), that the federal government was first enabled to breach, through grant-in-aid programs, the delineation of the separation of authority between the state and federal governments established by the federal constitution. If the state of New Hampshire considers the providing of nutritional programs for needful citizens of this state and the preservation of its sovereignty both to be worthwhile, it must provide and pay for such programs itself and cease accepting federal funding and the accompanying federal rules.”
“WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE: This federal program began – as so many do – as a “temporary” response to an emergency, in this case that created by the exponential increases in prices for crude oil and refined petroleum products following the OPEC embargo in 1973 in connection with that year’s Arab-Israeli War. It was intended to enable a smooth transition to the new reality of the cost of heating oil, but almost 40 years later it is still with us. Government subsidy encourages poor decision-making and dependency. The people of New Hampshire must be held competent to understand that every November, without fail, it gets cold at this latitude and that they must arrange their affairs so as to provide for this fact of life as a matter of personal responsibility. And again, if the state of New Hampshire considers assistance in the purchase of home heating oil for needful citizens and the preservation of its sovereignty both to be worthwhile, it must provide and pay for such assistance itself and cease accepting federal funding and the accompanying federal rules.”
“Grants for: Historic Preservation; Sexual Assault Services; Violence Against Women Prevention; Rural domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking and Residential Substance Abuse Prevention; Prisoner Reentry Initiative; Safe Havens for Children; Delinquency Prevention; Crime Victim Assistance and Compensation; Community Policing; Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws; Senior Community Service Employment; Dislocated Workers Assistance; Promotion of the Arts: These and many other such federally funded activities, though each in itself undoubtedly a good thing, are subject to the same objections and contribute to the undermining of the federal system in the same manner as the educational, nutritional and/or weatherization assistance programs discussed above, and like them should as soon as possible either be discontinued or continued supported entirely with in-state sources of funding and control”
Some of the reasons given for this change are; “too many regulations – it’s not the fed’s job – people need to toughen up!” Please understand that no savings to the federal government will occur, as the funds will be re-allocated to other states. Also NH taxpayers won’t get a break on their income taxes; we’ll still pay our federal share. Imagine what the education impact will do to our local taxes. Of course we could just teach the 3 R’s – and prepare our youth for the 18th century! What’s next, a new motto Live Free - Freeze & Die!
“EDUCATION: This Committee is at a loss to understand why the general court ever thought that federal involvement in public education could ever be other than harmful both to the quality of education, the public fisc, and the independence of the state of New Hampshire within the federal system. Even before the Supreme Court’s Claremont series of education funding decisions attempted to impose centralized state control of education by oligarchic ukase, there was such a long tradition of local control and funding of education in this state that it would seem that our elected representatives would reflexively have viewed with the gravest misgivings so much further a removal of control as must inevitably be the result of opening the tent of New Hampshire to the camel’s nose of the first dollar of “assistance” from a federal Department of Education. By now, in the aftermath of 35 years’ experience with the federal Department of Education and 15 years experience with Claremont II, it must be clear to anyone not a member of or politically beholden to a teachers’ union that Thomas Jefferson, father of the University of Virginia, had it right when he declared in 1816 that the notion that schools would be better run by “any other general authority of the government than by the parents within each ward [is] a belief against all experience.” This Committee recommends that the general court extricate the state of New Hampshire from all manner of federal programs directly or indirectly affecting public education and the functioning and operations of public schools as soon as the expiration of current contractual commitments enable it legally to do so.”
“Nutritional Programs: It was through just such a program (the Act of November 23, 1921, 42 Stat. 224, c. 135, commonly called the “Maternity Act”), and the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to consider a challenge to its constitutionality (Massachusetts v Mellon, 262 US 447 (1923)), that the federal government was first enabled to breach, through grant-in-aid programs, the delineation of the separation of authority between the state and federal governments established by the federal constitution. If the state of New Hampshire considers the providing of nutritional programs for needful citizens of this state and the preservation of its sovereignty both to be worthwhile, it must provide and pay for such programs itself and cease accepting federal funding and the accompanying federal rules.”
“WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE: This federal program began – as so many do – as a “temporary” response to an emergency, in this case that created by the exponential increases in prices for crude oil and refined petroleum products following the OPEC embargo in 1973 in connection with that year’s Arab-Israeli War. It was intended to enable a smooth transition to the new reality of the cost of heating oil, but almost 40 years later it is still with us. Government subsidy encourages poor decision-making and dependency. The people of New Hampshire must be held competent to understand that every November, without fail, it gets cold at this latitude and that they must arrange their affairs so as to provide for this fact of life as a matter of personal responsibility. And again, if the state of New Hampshire considers assistance in the purchase of home heating oil for needful citizens and the preservation of its sovereignty both to be worthwhile, it must provide and pay for such assistance itself and cease accepting federal funding and the accompanying federal rules.”
“Grants for: Historic Preservation; Sexual Assault Services; Violence Against Women Prevention; Rural domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking and Residential Substance Abuse Prevention; Prisoner Reentry Initiative; Safe Havens for Children; Delinquency Prevention; Crime Victim Assistance and Compensation; Community Policing; Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws; Senior Community Service Employment; Dislocated Workers Assistance; Promotion of the Arts: These and many other such federally funded activities, though each in itself undoubtedly a good thing, are subject to the same objections and contribute to the undermining of the federal system in the same manner as the educational, nutritional and/or weatherization assistance programs discussed above, and like them should as soon as possible either be discontinued or continued supported entirely with in-state sources of funding and control”
Some of the reasons given for this change are; “too many regulations – it’s not the fed’s job – people need to toughen up!” Please understand that no savings to the federal government will occur, as the funds will be re-allocated to other states. Also NH taxpayers won’t get a break on their income taxes; we’ll still pay our federal share. Imagine what the education impact will do to our local taxes. Of course we could just teach the 3 R’s – and prepare our youth for the 18th century! What’s next, a new motto Live Free - Freeze & Die!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
DEGREES OF SEPARATION
Two separate events occurred since writing the last entry. The first was hearing the historian David McCullough speak at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site regarding his book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, “the story of adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians, architects, and others of high aspiration who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900.” Apparently, much has been written about the Americans who went to Paris at the beginning of our country, as well as those who went to Paris in the first half of the Twentieth Century, but there hasn’t been much about the middle group who also contributed to the American way of life. Several among this group to make the journey had played prominent roles in the triumphant return to the United States of General LaFayette in 1824/25 and how they journeyed to France because it was the center to learn the latest in art, science, literature, education, and medicine. Interestingly, Mr McCullough informed us that French policy was that no tuition costs would be charged to these foreigners, recognizing the value these aliens might provide to France’s quality of life. General Lafayette embraced these young Americans in the manner of an elderly uncle regarding the care and welfare of visiting relatives from afar, and regularly met with them and helped to open Parisian doors. As a hero of the American Revolution, Lafayette’s 1824/25 journey was part of our nation’s fiftieth anniversary and included a visit to Claremont while enroute from meeting with the NH Legislature to Windsor Vermont. So, as we passed the granite marker on 12A memorializes this American patriot’s visit, it seemed most appropriate to be travelling the same road used by Lafayette.
Among the Americans highlighted by Mr. McCullough was Augustus Saint-Gaudens whose home is now a National Historic Site. Saint-Gaudens, the son of a French immigrant shoemaker, became one of this country’s greatest sculptors and a member of the Cornish Art Colony. Exploring the spacious grounds of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is a wonderful experience – as it is one of the jewels of the Connecticut River Valley. Actually, it is an excellent example of how your taxes are put to good use! I also learned that David McCullough has connections to Claremont and the region, one of his oldest friends was former state representative David Allison, and that Judge Albert Leahy was his classmate at Yale (’55). Perhaps there is something to the theory that there exist only six degrees of separation between anyone in the world.
The second event was a meeting of the Legislature in Concord, which included speeches by five presidential candidates. Having presidential candidates address the NH legislature is not unusual, but having five at once was new. Interestingly, this provided the opportunity to focus on style, and content. After the opening ceremonies, the Speaker individually introduced each GOP presidential candidate to speak for ten minutes. First was Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, who completed a 500 mile bike ride across NH, and feels we are on the verge of a monetary collapse. He advocates for a fair tax, and would not have created the Department of Homeland Security. He ended by stressing that now is the time for mutual sacrifice by all Americans. Next was former US Senator Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania who is taller and slimmer than on television. He stated this is the most important election in the nation’s history and that NH’s position in the primary process is in jeopardy due Florida and Nevada, and how NH provides an opportunity for voters to ‘kick the tires’. His focus was we need a president who believes in us not the government.
The third candidate was former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich – who in the 1990’s came to Claremont with former President Clinton at the Bourdon Center. He stated we are in a period of enormous change and is working on a 21st Century Contract with America. Especially intriguing was his suggestion we adopt the Lincoln/Douglas debate as a model where each candidate would ask questions of their opponent. The fourth candidate was Georgia businessman Mr. Herman Cain who has an economic (999) plan, and was ecstatically received by house colleagues. Touting changes to social security, Cain stated we can choose the road to socialism and bigger government, or the road to more freedom, liberty and fewer taxes. I did find it odd that this overwhelmingly libertarian leaning (anti-tax) House would wildly applaud Cain who espouses a national 9% sales tax! The last candidate was Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachman who said we have the right to be free of taxation without representation, and she’d repeal health care, cut taxes, go after illegal immigrants and concluded by saying “we want our country back” and then repeated God Bless three times.
While driving home the comments of Thomas Friedman kept resurfacing regarding this disconnect between the presidential election and the problems facing the nation as being “two separate universes – with no overlap between the election regarding the economy and world situation and the race for president”!
Among the Americans highlighted by Mr. McCullough was Augustus Saint-Gaudens whose home is now a National Historic Site. Saint-Gaudens, the son of a French immigrant shoemaker, became one of this country’s greatest sculptors and a member of the Cornish Art Colony. Exploring the spacious grounds of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is a wonderful experience – as it is one of the jewels of the Connecticut River Valley. Actually, it is an excellent example of how your taxes are put to good use! I also learned that David McCullough has connections to Claremont and the region, one of his oldest friends was former state representative David Allison, and that Judge Albert Leahy was his classmate at Yale (’55). Perhaps there is something to the theory that there exist only six degrees of separation between anyone in the world.
The second event was a meeting of the Legislature in Concord, which included speeches by five presidential candidates. Having presidential candidates address the NH legislature is not unusual, but having five at once was new. Interestingly, this provided the opportunity to focus on style, and content. After the opening ceremonies, the Speaker individually introduced each GOP presidential candidate to speak for ten minutes. First was Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, who completed a 500 mile bike ride across NH, and feels we are on the verge of a monetary collapse. He advocates for a fair tax, and would not have created the Department of Homeland Security. He ended by stressing that now is the time for mutual sacrifice by all Americans. Next was former US Senator Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania who is taller and slimmer than on television. He stated this is the most important election in the nation’s history and that NH’s position in the primary process is in jeopardy due Florida and Nevada, and how NH provides an opportunity for voters to ‘kick the tires’. His focus was we need a president who believes in us not the government.
The third candidate was former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich – who in the 1990’s came to Claremont with former President Clinton at the Bourdon Center. He stated we are in a period of enormous change and is working on a 21st Century Contract with America. Especially intriguing was his suggestion we adopt the Lincoln/Douglas debate as a model where each candidate would ask questions of their opponent. The fourth candidate was Georgia businessman Mr. Herman Cain who has an economic (999) plan, and was ecstatically received by house colleagues. Touting changes to social security, Cain stated we can choose the road to socialism and bigger government, or the road to more freedom, liberty and fewer taxes. I did find it odd that this overwhelmingly libertarian leaning (anti-tax) House would wildly applaud Cain who espouses a national 9% sales tax! The last candidate was Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachman who said we have the right to be free of taxation without representation, and she’d repeal health care, cut taxes, go after illegal immigrants and concluded by saying “we want our country back” and then repeated God Bless three times.
While driving home the comments of Thomas Friedman kept resurfacing regarding this disconnect between the presidential election and the problems facing the nation as being “two separate universes – with no overlap between the election regarding the economy and world situation and the race for president”!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Talking to a Tea Partier: A Primer
I thought the topic for this would be “How to talk to a Tea Partier?” Who knows, maybe I’d be able to write something humorous and light hearted, causing readers to smile and say things like - how entertaining and witty! Then while attending the Claremont Fall Festival, I bumped into a local guy who shall remain nameless. While I don’t know for sure if he is a card carrying tea party member – he always sounds very über libertarian and mistrustful of government and personal motives! In the course of our brief chat, he said that if this was back in the days of the American Revolution – I’d be a Tory and he (and his ilk) would be Patriots! WOW! Now I would not normally recommend this as a preferred icebreaker and way to start a conversation – but it did stimulate an interesting exchange. When asked why such a clear delineation, his response was I’m for government therefore anyone who supports government would be a Tory! I came back with – for me government is all of us – you know “of the people, by the people, for the people”, versus a selfish “me” attitude. Needless to say, the conversation went downhill from there with each of us saying a lot, but neither listening very much.
This exchange got me to thinking – does any common ground exist and is it possible, for people who are so opposite, to have substantive conversations? Or are we destined to follow two separate paths – the Tea Party version that only watches Fox News, has rallies in Broad Street Park and listens to Limbaugh, and my side that interchanges MS-NBC, Wall Street Protests and Lawrence O’Donnell? Being a pro-active, inquisitive, modern 21st Century globalista – I immediately turned to the internet and googled the question: How does one talk to a Free State tea bag anarchist libertarian extremist? Needless to say, the computer suggested that I should re-frame the query (too inflammatory)! Interestingly, I did learn that tea partiers do not like being called tea baggers, which is odd since I have seen many pictures of them at political rallies with bunches of tea bags dangling from their hats! In reality my search effectively did away with any presupposition that such a topic could be humorous, light or entertaining! I quickly learned that these people mean serious business and their basic core beliefs are that you Don’t trust government, Taxes are bad and Everyone’s on their own!
Regarding their mantra to not trust any government, there is this real disconnect and failure to realize that they/we are the government. Furthermore, government regulations exist to protect us (the citizens) by establishing basic fundamental operating standards – that means licensing things like barbers and banks. Also whenever we dismantle or de-regulate we end up with things like the recent banking crisis and the BP Oil spill in the Gulf. Next – Taxes are bad – which leads me to ask how we will pay for our roads, schools, police and fire departments. Bottom line is tea partiers think that the country will get along just fine if we abolish taxes; unfortunately, I believe government has a responsibility to provide good roads, good schools and help the least among us which brings me to their final belief that puts individual freedoms ahead of collective responsibility. Quite frankly, can people really be this self serving? It seems they really prefer to dismiss the need for things like health care reform and are content to just label it as socialized medicine or Obama-care. Also forget trying to have a discussion about tax parity which will quickly dissolve into charges of class warfare! Somehow our running two wars on a credit card were fiscally acceptable! An excellent example of this communication disconnect is just look at the presidential campaign which Thomas Friedman describes as “two separate universes – with no overlap between the election regarding the economy and world situation and the race for president.” I can attest that at the state level, there is little discussion of problems, merely political posturing and the situation appears worse in Washington.
Among the more alarming findings from my query was again by Thomas Friedman who stated that the “Tea Party is so lacking in any aspiration for American greatness, so dominated by the narrowest visions for our country and so ignorant of the fact that it was not tax cuts that made America great but our unique public-private partnerships across the generations. If sane Republicans do not stand up to this Hezbollah faction in their midst, the Tea Party will take the GOP on a suicide mission.” As a student of history who appreciates the American system this is upsetting, I suppose I could take a partisan stand, however if I really believe in a government “of the people, by the people, for the people” we need two sides talking and working together. Otherwise – last one out of town shut off the lights!” So much for comic relief and an attempt at writing a column that is light, humorous and witty!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Political Musical Chairs!
The big news last week was Governor John Lynch’s announcement that he will not run for a historic 5th term. News like this is to a political junkie what a triple fudge chocolate cake (with sprinkles) is to a chocolahoic. The decision opens the door to countless speculative stories and political punditry about what could happen; what will happen; and what should happen – Oh Happy Days!
The governor’s announcement completely overshadowed the House’s overriding his veto on SB88 – [guns and the use of physical force in the defense of a person] – so, from a purely political perspective, the governor again showed his political skills on how to capture the news cycle. Unfortunately, I will have to save my story on how we are going back to the Wild West and shoot-ups at local watering holes for another day.
The governor’s decision demonstrates his strength at being able to communicate with the people of New Hampshire. He is certainly someone who knows his own mind and has consistently been forthright and candid with voters. For example - while I have not always appreciated his stand on broad base taxes – I always knew where he stood on the issue. The Governor could have dragged this decision out for months, allowing speculation to build and used it as a tool to enhance his standing, and garner a great deal of personal publicity. However, choosing to be upfront and let us all know his plans – sends a broadside to both potential candidates and to voters that it is time to start paying attention to the future of New Hampshire. Also, I believe this strengthens his ability to lead for the next 16 months while providing ample time for individuals interested in the job to organize – raise funds – meet people – and refine their message.
While there is always the risk of being seen as a lame duck and thus ineffective; that would normally only apply in dealing with the legislature. However, in the House he presently faces a 3:1 ratio in favor of republicans who have demonstrated a commitment to a radical libertarian agenda; therefore the opportunity for genuine compromise and collaboration is exceedingly slim. Now – when Lynch disagrees – the opposition can’t say he is posturing or “playing to the crowd.” He will now have the ‘bully pulpit’ and be perceived correctly as acting in the best interest of New Hampshire. While I am certain members of the opposition never personally questioned his motives – public posturing and accusations was sometimes a different matter. Now, Governor Lynch can take the high road without being accused of acting out of political convenience. Furthermore, he can hold the radical libertarians accountable and demonstrate how their extremist principles will negatively impact New Hampshire! Oh Happy Days!
Lastly, the governor’s decision is in the best tradition of American Democracy. Few doubted his ability to be re-elected; however the decision to step down allows the opportunity for a new set of eyes to focus on solutions versus the risk of becoming stale. Of course, no time was wasted before political pundits and a spectrum of self appointed experts started the process of speculating who’s waiting in the wings to occupy the statehouse corner office.
Based on the names being floated, the 2012 election should provide two very distinct and clear ideologies and determine if we will steer right or left. Among the republicans, names such as Ovide LaMontagne, Jeb Bradley and John Steven are surfacing while Maggie Hassan and Jacalyn Cilley are being discussed by the democrats. Both LaMontagne and Stephen are lawyers and lifelong residents of Manchester. John Stephen ran for governor and was soundly defeated by John Lynch in the last election, and many will recall how Ovide LaMontagne lost a close primary race to Kelly Ayotte for the US Senate. Jeb Bradley is a state senator from Wolfeboro and a former US Congressman. All three republicans are viewed as being on the far right of the political spectrum, and aligned to the Tea Party wing of the party.
On the democrat side – Jacalyn Cilley and Maggie Hassan are both former New Hampshire State Senators. Jacalyn Cilley is a marketing consultant from Barrington, while Maggie Hassan is a lawyer from Exeter. Both are viewed as center left on the political spectrum with ties to the traditional democrat establishment and organizations.
Nonetheless rumblings have already started, in both parties, about finding someone who best reflects the centrist views of Governor Lynch and the New Hampshire voter. Historically, candidates are often placed in the position of having to go to either the right or left to win their party’s nomination. However, conventional thinking is – to win the general election, a candidate needs to be viewed as centrist and mainstream. Interestingly, the names of several western NH politicians are being mentioned. Senators Houde (Plainfield) and Odell (Lempster) – both from Sullivan County are being suggested as potential candidates with broad appeal, along with Senator Molly Kelly from Keene. So if you remember the game of musical chairs – we are about to experience something similar – political musical chairs – Oh Happy Days!
Monday, August 29, 2011
IRENE – LET’S HOPE YOU’RE ONLY IN OUR DREAMS!
It’s Friday – August 26, 2011 – Claremont is experiencing another perfect summer day. It’s hard to believe the weather reports about approaching Hurricane Irene and how we in the Connecticut River Valley are at risk. All around town, people are securing equipment that might fly away, and storing lawn furniture. The preparation could easily be overkill but we have all heard stories and seen what damage these storms can cause – so best to be prepared.
Actually, I can’t remember the last major hurricane to hit Claremont – although I did grow up hearing stories about the “Big One” – the Hurricane of ’38 and how it cut a swath through New England. My parents were newly married and living on Spofford Street and how the storm was so severe, the wind actually blew the entire roof off the house, forcing them to escape down the street to stay with relatives. My dad owned a small gas station across from where the Stone Arch Bakery is today and I recall his telling me how difficult it was to just get from Main Street to where they were living. Of course this was all before national weather gathering information and regional/state preparedness. Actually, it is because of such natural (as well as manmade) disasters that has generated an integrated emergency response system that includes NOAA and FEMA on the federal level; the NH Division of Emergency Preparedness and our local safety services such as Fire, Police, and DOT. Over the years, since the big one of ’38, each of these emergency systems have been called upon to work collaboratively and respond to such things as hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms etc… And of course let us not forget how this year is the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 and the attacks by terrorists where emergency services were put to the ultimate test.
Now compare this long term commitment of preparedness and public safety with the behavior and policy demonstrated this past year by the NH House of Representatives that has focused on the dismantling of government services through budget cuts and eliminating safety regulations that will down shift costs to local governments. This has resulted in behavior where political leaders have publically called firefighters thugs because they dare voice concern about cuts to their retirement benefits and infringements on their right to collective bargaining.
The assumption that NH Government is too fat and wasteful is ludicrous. I doubt there is any state in the nation more frugal, bordering on cheap, than we in the granite state. For example – about twenty years ago as a state employee, I was one of 10,000 plus workers – interestingly, this past year prior to the budget cuts there were 11,875 authorized positions but only 10,683 filled positions – hardly out of control unmanaged growth! Note: that now – after the recent budget – there are 9,814 workers.
It is interesting that these anti-public employee voices have the audacity to claim that they are doing this so people can be freer and be “liberated” from the state! Yes – those firemen who run into burning buildings; teachers who educate our youth, highway workers who keep roads and bridges safe and police who risk their lives are somehow the problem!
I am convinced that there are outside forces attempting to dismantle and turn New Hampshire into some type of libertarian anarchistic entity where everyone will be on their own. Their mantra is cut taxes; however they forget to make the link that taxes pay for public services. A little known fact is that thanks to the present legislature – we now have a 28 year paving cycle for all our state highways. Yes that means state highways will be re-paved every twenty-eight years! Perhaps you are aware that these same champions of liberty lowered this past session the tax on cigarettes. Their argument is this will increase the sale of cigarettes hence bring in added revenue. Unfortunately, the concept of fostering long term health care costs to both the individual and community did not matter. Interestingly, according to sources, in Concord, revenues for the budget just passed are about 4 million dollars short for the month of July. This 4 million dollar shortfall is about the same amount that was projected had the cigarette tax not been cut. It’s an interesting game of cutting revenue then saying – we wish we could do more but look there’s no money available!
This past spring – a member of Leadership actually stated on the House Floor that fire sprinklers are tyranny! The argument pro and con is complex however; to equate fire sprinklers to tyranny and imply the state is imposing itself on the freedoms of people is a bit much!
Now – I do not know what will happen with Hurricane Irene – and I do hope we all are spared its devastation, but knowing that an integrated national, state, and local public safety response is in place does make it more re-assuring, especially the knowledge that we are not alone.
Actually, I can’t remember the last major hurricane to hit Claremont – although I did grow up hearing stories about the “Big One” – the Hurricane of ’38 and how it cut a swath through New England. My parents were newly married and living on Spofford Street and how the storm was so severe, the wind actually blew the entire roof off the house, forcing them to escape down the street to stay with relatives. My dad owned a small gas station across from where the Stone Arch Bakery is today and I recall his telling me how difficult it was to just get from Main Street to where they were living. Of course this was all before national weather gathering information and regional/state preparedness. Actually, it is because of such natural (as well as manmade) disasters that has generated an integrated emergency response system that includes NOAA and FEMA on the federal level; the NH Division of Emergency Preparedness and our local safety services such as Fire, Police, and DOT. Over the years, since the big one of ’38, each of these emergency systems have been called upon to work collaboratively and respond to such things as hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms etc… And of course let us not forget how this year is the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 and the attacks by terrorists where emergency services were put to the ultimate test.
Now compare this long term commitment of preparedness and public safety with the behavior and policy demonstrated this past year by the NH House of Representatives that has focused on the dismantling of government services through budget cuts and eliminating safety regulations that will down shift costs to local governments. This has resulted in behavior where political leaders have publically called firefighters thugs because they dare voice concern about cuts to their retirement benefits and infringements on their right to collective bargaining.
The assumption that NH Government is too fat and wasteful is ludicrous. I doubt there is any state in the nation more frugal, bordering on cheap, than we in the granite state. For example – about twenty years ago as a state employee, I was one of 10,000 plus workers – interestingly, this past year prior to the budget cuts there were 11,875 authorized positions but only 10,683 filled positions – hardly out of control unmanaged growth! Note: that now – after the recent budget – there are 9,814 workers.
It is interesting that these anti-public employee voices have the audacity to claim that they are doing this so people can be freer and be “liberated” from the state! Yes – those firemen who run into burning buildings; teachers who educate our youth, highway workers who keep roads and bridges safe and police who risk their lives are somehow the problem!
I am convinced that there are outside forces attempting to dismantle and turn New Hampshire into some type of libertarian anarchistic entity where everyone will be on their own. Their mantra is cut taxes; however they forget to make the link that taxes pay for public services. A little known fact is that thanks to the present legislature – we now have a 28 year paving cycle for all our state highways. Yes that means state highways will be re-paved every twenty-eight years! Perhaps you are aware that these same champions of liberty lowered this past session the tax on cigarettes. Their argument is this will increase the sale of cigarettes hence bring in added revenue. Unfortunately, the concept of fostering long term health care costs to both the individual and community did not matter. Interestingly, according to sources, in Concord, revenues for the budget just passed are about 4 million dollars short for the month of July. This 4 million dollar shortfall is about the same amount that was projected had the cigarette tax not been cut. It’s an interesting game of cutting revenue then saying – we wish we could do more but look there’s no money available!
This past spring – a member of Leadership actually stated on the House Floor that fire sprinklers are tyranny! The argument pro and con is complex however; to equate fire sprinklers to tyranny and imply the state is imposing itself on the freedoms of people is a bit much!
Now – I do not know what will happen with Hurricane Irene – and I do hope we all are spared its devastation, but knowing that an integrated national, state, and local public safety response is in place does make it more re-assuring, especially the knowledge that we are not alone.
IRENE – LET’S HOPE YOU’RE ONLY IN OUR DREAMS!
It’s Friday – August 26, 2011 – Claremont is experiencing another perfect summer day. It’s hard to believe the weather reports about approaching Hurricane Irene and how we in the Connecticut River Valley are at risk. All around town, people are securing equipment that might fly away, and storing lawn furniture. The preparation could easily be overkill but we have all heard stories and seen what damage these storms can cause – so best to be prepared.
Actually, I can’t remember the last major hurricane to hit Claremont – although I did grow up hearing stories about the “Big One” – the Hurricane of ’38 and how it cut a swath through New England. My parents were newly married and living on Spofford Street and how the storm was so severe, the wind actually blew the entire roof off the house, forcing them to escape down the street to stay with relatives. My dad owned a small gas station across from where the Stone Arch Bakery is today and I recall his telling me how difficult it was to just get from Main Street to where they were living. Of course this was all before national weather gathering information and regional/state preparedness. Actually, it is because of such natural (as well as manmade) disasters that has generated an integrated emergency response system that includes NOAA and FEMA on the federal level; the NH Division of Emergency Preparedness and our local safety services such as Fire, Police, and DOT. Over the years, since the big one of ’38, each of these emergency systems have been called upon to work collaboratively and respond to such things as hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms etc… And of course let us not forget how this year is the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 and the attacks by terrorists where emergency services were put to the ultimate test.
Now compare this long term commitment of preparedness and public safety with the behavior and policy demonstrated this past year by the NH House of Representatives that has focused on the dismantling of government services through budget cuts and eliminating safety regulations that will down shift costs to local governments. This has resulted in behavior where political leaders have publically called firefighters thugs because they dare voice concern about cuts to their retirement benefits and infringements on their right to collective bargaining.
The assumption that NH Government is too fat and wasteful is ludicrous. I doubt there is any state in the nation more frugal, bordering on cheap, than we in the granite state. For example – about twenty years ago as a state employee, I was one of 10,000 plus workers – interestingly, this past year prior to the budget cuts there were 11,875 authorized positions but only 10,683 filled positions – hardly out of control unmanaged growth! Note: that now – after the recent budget – there are 9,814 workers.
It is interesting that these anti-public employee voices have the audacity to claim that they are doing this so people can be freer and be “liberated” from the state! Yes – those firemen who run into burning buildings; teachers who educate our youth, highway workers who keep roads and bridges safe and police who risk their lives are somehow the problem!
I am convinced that there are outside forces attempting to dismantle and turn New Hampshire into some type of libertarian anarchistic entity where everyone will be on their own. Their mantra is cut taxes; however they forget to make the link that taxes pay for public services. A little known fact is that thanks to the present legislature – we now have a 28 year paving cycle for all our state highways. Yes that means state highways will be re-paved every twenty-eight years! Perhaps you are aware that these same champions of liberty lowered this past session the tax on cigarettes. Their argument is this will increase the sale of cigarettes hence bring in added revenue. Unfortunately, the concept of fostering long term health care costs to both the individual and community did not matter. Interestingly, according to sources, in Concord, revenues for the budget just passed are about 4 million dollars short for the month of July. This 4 million dollar shortfall is about the same amount that was projected had the cigarette tax not been cut. It’s an interesting game of cutting revenue then saying – we wish we could do more but look there’s no money available!
This past spring – a member of Leadership actually stated on the House Floor that fire sprinklers are tyranny! The argument pro and con is complex however; to equate fire sprinklers to tyranny and imply the state is imposing itself on the freedoms of people is a bit much!
Now – I do not know what will happen with Hurricane Irene – and I do hope we all are spared its devastation, but knowing that an integrated national, state, and local public safety response is in place does make it more re-assuring, especially the knowledge that we are not alone.
Actually, I can’t remember the last major hurricane to hit Claremont – although I did grow up hearing stories about the “Big One” – the Hurricane of ’38 and how it cut a swath through New England. My parents were newly married and living on Spofford Street and how the storm was so severe, the wind actually blew the entire roof off the house, forcing them to escape down the street to stay with relatives. My dad owned a small gas station across from where the Stone Arch Bakery is today and I recall his telling me how difficult it was to just get from Main Street to where they were living. Of course this was all before national weather gathering information and regional/state preparedness. Actually, it is because of such natural (as well as manmade) disasters that has generated an integrated emergency response system that includes NOAA and FEMA on the federal level; the NH Division of Emergency Preparedness and our local safety services such as Fire, Police, and DOT. Over the years, since the big one of ’38, each of these emergency systems have been called upon to work collaboratively and respond to such things as hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms etc… And of course let us not forget how this year is the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 and the attacks by terrorists where emergency services were put to the ultimate test.
Now compare this long term commitment of preparedness and public safety with the behavior and policy demonstrated this past year by the NH House of Representatives that has focused on the dismantling of government services through budget cuts and eliminating safety regulations that will down shift costs to local governments. This has resulted in behavior where political leaders have publically called firefighters thugs because they dare voice concern about cuts to their retirement benefits and infringements on their right to collective bargaining.
The assumption that NH Government is too fat and wasteful is ludicrous. I doubt there is any state in the nation more frugal, bordering on cheap, than we in the granite state. For example – about twenty years ago as a state employee, I was one of 10,000 plus workers – interestingly, this past year prior to the budget cuts there were 11,875 authorized positions but only 10,683 filled positions – hardly out of control unmanaged growth! Note: that now – after the recent budget – there are 9,814 workers.
It is interesting that these anti-public employee voices have the audacity to claim that they are doing this so people can be freer and be “liberated” from the state! Yes – those firemen who run into burning buildings; teachers who educate our youth, highway workers who keep roads and bridges safe and police who risk their lives are somehow the problem!
I am convinced that there are outside forces attempting to dismantle and turn New Hampshire into some type of libertarian anarchistic entity where everyone will be on their own. Their mantra is cut taxes; however they forget to make the link that taxes pay for public services. A little known fact is that thanks to the present legislature – we now have a 28 year paving cycle for all our state highways. Yes that means state highways will be re-paved every twenty-eight years! Perhaps you are aware that these same champions of liberty lowered this past session the tax on cigarettes. Their argument is this will increase the sale of cigarettes hence bring in added revenue. Unfortunately, the concept of fostering long term health care costs to both the individual and community did not matter. Interestingly, according to sources, in Concord, revenues for the budget just passed are about 4 million dollars short for the month of July. This 4 million dollar shortfall is about the same amount that was projected had the cigarette tax not been cut. It’s an interesting game of cutting revenue then saying – we wish we could do more but look there’s no money available!
This past spring – a member of Leadership actually stated on the House Floor that fire sprinklers are tyranny! The argument pro and con is complex however; to equate fire sprinklers to tyranny and imply the state is imposing itself on the freedoms of people is a bit much!
Now – I do not know what will happen with Hurricane Irene – and I do hope we all are spared its devastation, but knowing that an integrated national, state, and local public safety response is in place does make it more re-assuring, especially the knowledge that we are not alone.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Good Neighbors = Fewer Fences
In this age of Tea Partiers and Free Staters working to dismantle government both in Washington and Concord, it was especially refreshing to spend time last week focusing on ideas dealing with solving problems and how the US and Canadian economies can be more seamless and efficient. The aim is that with technology, planning and standard policies we will collectively become more effective in the transportation of goods, and provide services that will translate into better jobs and an improved standard of living. So, with apologies to Robert Frost, the title good neighbors equal fewer fences.
Last week I had the privilege to be in Halifax Nova Scotia and represent the New Hampshire House and the NH-Canada Trade Council at the 52nd Annual Council of State Governments Conference. Their focus, on how states and provinces can better work together as well as engage their federal counterparts in the process, is a novel approach of everyone pulling in the same direction!
These yearly conferences provide an excellent opportunity for policy makers from different political parties to come together and discuss the challenging issues currently facing state and provincial governments. Two unique aspects of the Council of State Governments are that it includes the legislative and executive branches of government, as well as the participation of Canadian Provinces as full members. The rationale being that in this day of international supply chains and inter-connected economies a positive and collaborative relationship between states and the Canadian provinces is sound policy.
I had long known of our shared history and culture and that 30% of NH residents are of French Canadian ancestry. However, it was an eye opener to learn how our two economies are so intertwined – for example a car built in Detroit, crosses the border in some shape or fashion eight times before completion! The Canadian Government provided a sampling of statistics that demonstrated this economic marriage. For example, I learned that more than 8 million U.S. jobs depend on USA/CAN trade; Canada is the top export destination for 35 states, and the total USA/CAN merchandise trade is $481 billion dollars. Also, Canada is the United States largest and most secure supplier of energy (oil, natural gas, electricity and nuclear fuel).
Specifically as it applies to the Granite State – last year there were 471,700 Canadians who visited NH and 179,000 granite staters visited Canada – with 59 million dollars spent in the process! NH exports 493 million dollars in goods to Canada yearly, while we import $5.8 billion in goods from Canada. Furthermore, there are forty six Canadian owned companies in New Hampshire that employs 5,116 people. Estimates are that 37,700 jobs in NH depend on Canada-US trade. Locally, a good example of this economic connection is Structal Steel – a key Claremont employer providing quality jobs, but owned by the Canam Group from Boucherville Québec. Needless to say this all helps explain why our neighbors to the north are concerned about our economy and fear we may let politics get in the way of mature decision making.
The idea of New England working collaboratively with Maritime Canada is nothing new and goes back to our colonial past. However, the participation on the federal level is especially interesting. Last February Prime Minister Harper and President Obama announced a new perimeter security agreement called “Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness” which established a partnership to accelerate the legitimate flows of people and goods between the two countries. They identified four areas of cooperation: addressing threats early; trade facilitation, economic growth and jobs; integrated cross border law enforcement; and critical infrastructure and cyber security.
Specifically, we learned that this will translate into increased investments in modern infrastructure and technology at our busiest land ports of entry. Also, as part of this initiative, Nova Scotia is building a deep water container port at Cape Breton to accommodate large container ships unable to access the Panama Canal. This means goods will be transported quicker to New England via a short sea shipping service from Nova Scotia to Boston. We also learned that rail service is vital to the plan thus the need for high speed rail. The Amtrak Vermonter, which stops in Claremont, is projected to resume service to Montreal with fewer delays. Apparently, New York, Vermont, and Quebec are working closely with the feds to make this happen by 2013.
Both Vermont’s Governor and Nova Scotia’s Premier stressed that not only do we need sound budgets, but we should use growth as a way to get out of our economic doldrums. They both contend that the green energy being produced by Canadian hydro, wind, and tidal projects will provide New England and industrial Canada with cheap reliable energy. They stressed that not only will this eliminate our dependency on fossil fuel, but have an economic impact greater than the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.
So again with apologies to Robert Frost, I somewhat disagree that good fences make good neighbors – in regards to the future of the region. Maybe the motto should be good neighbors equal fewer fences.
Last week I had the privilege to be in Halifax Nova Scotia and represent the New Hampshire House and the NH-Canada Trade Council at the 52nd Annual Council of State Governments Conference. Their focus, on how states and provinces can better work together as well as engage their federal counterparts in the process, is a novel approach of everyone pulling in the same direction!
These yearly conferences provide an excellent opportunity for policy makers from different political parties to come together and discuss the challenging issues currently facing state and provincial governments. Two unique aspects of the Council of State Governments are that it includes the legislative and executive branches of government, as well as the participation of Canadian Provinces as full members. The rationale being that in this day of international supply chains and inter-connected economies a positive and collaborative relationship between states and the Canadian provinces is sound policy.
I had long known of our shared history and culture and that 30% of NH residents are of French Canadian ancestry. However, it was an eye opener to learn how our two economies are so intertwined – for example a car built in Detroit, crosses the border in some shape or fashion eight times before completion! The Canadian Government provided a sampling of statistics that demonstrated this economic marriage. For example, I learned that more than 8 million U.S. jobs depend on USA/CAN trade; Canada is the top export destination for 35 states, and the total USA/CAN merchandise trade is $481 billion dollars. Also, Canada is the United States largest and most secure supplier of energy (oil, natural gas, electricity and nuclear fuel).
Specifically as it applies to the Granite State – last year there were 471,700 Canadians who visited NH and 179,000 granite staters visited Canada – with 59 million dollars spent in the process! NH exports 493 million dollars in goods to Canada yearly, while we import $5.8 billion in goods from Canada. Furthermore, there are forty six Canadian owned companies in New Hampshire that employs 5,116 people. Estimates are that 37,700 jobs in NH depend on Canada-US trade. Locally, a good example of this economic connection is Structal Steel – a key Claremont employer providing quality jobs, but owned by the Canam Group from Boucherville Québec. Needless to say this all helps explain why our neighbors to the north are concerned about our economy and fear we may let politics get in the way of mature decision making.
The idea of New England working collaboratively with Maritime Canada is nothing new and goes back to our colonial past. However, the participation on the federal level is especially interesting. Last February Prime Minister Harper and President Obama announced a new perimeter security agreement called “Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness” which established a partnership to accelerate the legitimate flows of people and goods between the two countries. They identified four areas of cooperation: addressing threats early; trade facilitation, economic growth and jobs; integrated cross border law enforcement; and critical infrastructure and cyber security.
Specifically, we learned that this will translate into increased investments in modern infrastructure and technology at our busiest land ports of entry. Also, as part of this initiative, Nova Scotia is building a deep water container port at Cape Breton to accommodate large container ships unable to access the Panama Canal. This means goods will be transported quicker to New England via a short sea shipping service from Nova Scotia to Boston. We also learned that rail service is vital to the plan thus the need for high speed rail. The Amtrak Vermonter, which stops in Claremont, is projected to resume service to Montreal with fewer delays. Apparently, New York, Vermont, and Quebec are working closely with the feds to make this happen by 2013.
Both Vermont’s Governor and Nova Scotia’s Premier stressed that not only do we need sound budgets, but we should use growth as a way to get out of our economic doldrums. They both contend that the green energy being produced by Canadian hydro, wind, and tidal projects will provide New England and industrial Canada with cheap reliable energy. They stressed that not only will this eliminate our dependency on fossil fuel, but have an economic impact greater than the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.
So again with apologies to Robert Frost, I somewhat disagree that good fences make good neighbors – in regards to the future of the region. Maybe the motto should be good neighbors equal fewer fences.
Monday, August 15, 2011
ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
We appear to have dodged a bullet regarding the debt ceiling and going into default on our bills and avoiding a worldwide Depression. Consequently this has resulted in my thinking about the impact of government on our daily lives. Basically, the system is set up so we do not always recognize the cause/effect, or the entity responsible. This led me to the recently passed State Budget and its impact locally. During the NH legislative session, I worried about the budget’s affect on the ‘least among us’, and local government and area agencies’ ability to respond and pick up the pieces. Here’s a sampling of what I learned.
As the parent of a recent college graduate – tuition & school loans are especially sensitive and high on my radar screen. The legislature cut UNH’s budget by nearly 50%, so I was not surprised to learn that this $33 million dollar loss has caused a $650 dollar increase in tuition. Area students and parents will now pay this increase on top of previous increases raising the cost of attending UNH by 8.7 percent. This puts UNH among the costliest of any land grant university nationally. Interestingly, UNH was established by the Legislature to provide a quality, affordable education for NH youth to compete on the national and world stage.
I next focused on the impact to the City & School District, especially in light of the concern that costs would be downshifted to the locals resulting in increased property taxes. Feedback appears to be primarily speculation and concern over the unknown resulting in planning for the worst. The State has informed the City that road maintenance, especially this winter, will operate under different criteria thus potentially impact public safety, not to say anything about wear and tear on personal vehicles.
Among the big issues are increased retirement costs to the city, school district as well as individual public sector workers. According to Mr. Allan Damren, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, the increased retirement rates enacted this year by the legislature has spawned a law suit – so until everything is settled – no one knows what will happen – thus the challenge is this great unknown! When asked how you run a school system that way – his response was you have to plan for the worse and be ready to hold back and not fill vacant positions. Note that six collective bargaining contracts will be negotiated this fall for the following year – so in light of these real budget constraints the public should expect intense negotiations. Related to increased retirement costs, many towns are expecting a mass retirement exodus of workers (police, firefighters and teachers) that will cause a chain reaction resulting in workers jockeying statewide for the more lucrative positions.
Next on my journey was Hospitals – the state is now taxing hospitals 5.5% on net patient revenues while reducing payments for care to the poor. Hospitals estimate they will be taxed $250 million over the two-year budget. Nearby Dartmouth-Hitchcock estimates it will be assessed $40 million this year alone and could pay more to care for Medicaid patients than it gets in reimbursements. Since this decision affects the larger hospitals, the ten largest are suing New Hampshire in Federal Court. Services that could be closed or suspended to Medicaid patients include neonatal intensive care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Children's Hospital and possibly the helicopter rescue program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Needless to say – stay tuned.
My informal sampling next queried the status of children services in Sullivan County and led to Ellie Tsetsi, director of Good Beginnings. This is an agency recognized in NH and New England as being in the forefront of child health services – innovation and creativity is their trade mark. Unfortunately, the budget eliminated the infrastructure for Family Centers and cuts to Good Beginnings represent a loss of $130,000 dollars. Since their total budget is only $700,000, this is substantial! Specifically that translates into closing their visitation center since prevention funds were also eliminated. Sadly, according to feedback from the NH Department of Health & Human Services, more cuts are projected in January regarding Medicaid and child health services. This could limit services to only first time moms. Consensus statewide among children service providers is that NH is in such disarray – it is scary what will happen to children at risk. However, always the professionals, the staff at Good Beginnings are exploring how they can continue to manage in the least harmful manner as possible? Our conversation ended with her saying “children don’t have a voice, as they don’t vote, so we will have to be their voice.”
I could go on about Mental Health, Private Nursing Homes, Highways, City Welfare and Seniors, but hopefully you get the picture. Robert Reich, the noted economist, recently voiced concern how “Americas wealthy are now taking home a larger share of total income and wealth, and their tax rates are lower than they have been in 80 years.” He is concerned about the impact to the nation’s safety nets and how public investments are on the chopping block – perhaps he should come here and see the future firsthand.
As the parent of a recent college graduate – tuition & school loans are especially sensitive and high on my radar screen. The legislature cut UNH’s budget by nearly 50%, so I was not surprised to learn that this $33 million dollar loss has caused a $650 dollar increase in tuition. Area students and parents will now pay this increase on top of previous increases raising the cost of attending UNH by 8.7 percent. This puts UNH among the costliest of any land grant university nationally. Interestingly, UNH was established by the Legislature to provide a quality, affordable education for NH youth to compete on the national and world stage.
I next focused on the impact to the City & School District, especially in light of the concern that costs would be downshifted to the locals resulting in increased property taxes. Feedback appears to be primarily speculation and concern over the unknown resulting in planning for the worst. The State has informed the City that road maintenance, especially this winter, will operate under different criteria thus potentially impact public safety, not to say anything about wear and tear on personal vehicles.
Among the big issues are increased retirement costs to the city, school district as well as individual public sector workers. According to Mr. Allan Damren, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, the increased retirement rates enacted this year by the legislature has spawned a law suit – so until everything is settled – no one knows what will happen – thus the challenge is this great unknown! When asked how you run a school system that way – his response was you have to plan for the worse and be ready to hold back and not fill vacant positions. Note that six collective bargaining contracts will be negotiated this fall for the following year – so in light of these real budget constraints the public should expect intense negotiations. Related to increased retirement costs, many towns are expecting a mass retirement exodus of workers (police, firefighters and teachers) that will cause a chain reaction resulting in workers jockeying statewide for the more lucrative positions.
Next on my journey was Hospitals – the state is now taxing hospitals 5.5% on net patient revenues while reducing payments for care to the poor. Hospitals estimate they will be taxed $250 million over the two-year budget. Nearby Dartmouth-Hitchcock estimates it will be assessed $40 million this year alone and could pay more to care for Medicaid patients than it gets in reimbursements. Since this decision affects the larger hospitals, the ten largest are suing New Hampshire in Federal Court. Services that could be closed or suspended to Medicaid patients include neonatal intensive care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Children's Hospital and possibly the helicopter rescue program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Needless to say – stay tuned.
My informal sampling next queried the status of children services in Sullivan County and led to Ellie Tsetsi, director of Good Beginnings. This is an agency recognized in NH and New England as being in the forefront of child health services – innovation and creativity is their trade mark. Unfortunately, the budget eliminated the infrastructure for Family Centers and cuts to Good Beginnings represent a loss of $130,000 dollars. Since their total budget is only $700,000, this is substantial! Specifically that translates into closing their visitation center since prevention funds were also eliminated. Sadly, according to feedback from the NH Department of Health & Human Services, more cuts are projected in January regarding Medicaid and child health services. This could limit services to only first time moms. Consensus statewide among children service providers is that NH is in such disarray – it is scary what will happen to children at risk. However, always the professionals, the staff at Good Beginnings are exploring how they can continue to manage in the least harmful manner as possible? Our conversation ended with her saying “children don’t have a voice, as they don’t vote, so we will have to be their voice.”
I could go on about Mental Health, Private Nursing Homes, Highways, City Welfare and Seniors, but hopefully you get the picture. Robert Reich, the noted economist, recently voiced concern how “Americas wealthy are now taking home a larger share of total income and wealth, and their tax rates are lower than they have been in 80 years.” He is concerned about the impact to the nation’s safety nets and how public investments are on the chopping block – perhaps he should come here and see the future firsthand.
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Debt Ceiling: A National Crisis Not A Game of Chicken
After a long and contentious legislative season in Concord where many legislators seem more concerned about dismantling government than making fair and just laws to improve New Hampshire’s quality of life, I was especially looking forward to a summer of routine household tasks and “honey do’s”. However, in light of the national debt crisis – the idea of putting behind me libertarian madness in exchange for the luxury of mowing lawns and trimming hedges has turned out be just an illusion.
Unfortunately, I along with everyone have had to deal with Washington’s political bickering and inflexible representatives whose intent is making the President look bad and crippling government! A local paper recently carried a cartoon that showed the US Capital [Senate – Dome – House of Representatives]. But on the House side they substituted a child’s play set (sandbox, swing & slide). The point being that the US House is acting like children. A cute graphic – unfortunately, the end result of such selfishness will be horrendous and could devastate the nation and world economy.
So who’s correct – who are we to believe – yes spending is out of control – but why are they insisting on balancing the budget on seniors who spent all their lives paying into social security, yet not willing to cut corporate loopholes? Why are seniors being asked to bear the burden and why would government risk military paychecks in wartime? What about all those corporate “fat-cat” tax loopholes – shouldn’t they put something on the table? I remember the mantra how the tax breaks for the wealthy would stimulate investment and create jobs – but where are those jobs? Sadly, it seems like the rich are just getting richer and the poor are… (Well you know how that saying goes!)
This week I experienced an interesting perk of being a NH Rep when the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs invited me to participate in a conference call regarding the debt crisis and ongoing negotiations. One of the principal participants was Jason Furman (Deputy Director - National Economic Council) who with others cautioned us about the need for a balanced approach and a long term resolution.
Now there are basically two different plans in play – one by Senator Harry Reid that calls for a down payment on deficit reduction (2 Trillion Dollars), plus places some caps, and starts to address the corporate “fat cat” loop holes. Also, the Reid plans provides long term certainty to the economy. The second is by GOP House Speaker John Boehner that has only 900 billion dollars in deficit reduction – and extends the debt limit only for 6 months. This means we will have to revisit this same turbulence again in February. Furthermore, Speaker Boehner’s plan calls for major spending cuts (like social security) and refuses to put on the table any of the Corporate Fat-Cat Tax Loop Holes.
Many financial analysts share the opinion of the CEO for Pacific Investment Management Company that “this short term approach will probably push stocks and the dollar lower and leave the US Debt Rating extremely exposed to a damaging downgrade”.
Closer to home the former mayor of Portsmouth NH – Steve Marchand – stated that “between August 3rd and 31st, the US Government has $306.7 billion in bills due. The government expects $172.4 billion to come in during that time. Without raising the debt ceiling, somebody's not getting the $134 billion they're billing starting next week…” Now many will recall the recent financial problems in Greece, which while only accounting for 2% of the EU economy almost, crippled the European Union. Just imagine what the impact of the US Government defaulting will have on the World’s economy!
Now is not the time to play politics as usual – yes Mayor Marchand is right “the way the US raises and spends money is, simply put, unsustainable,” but we need to raise the debt ceiling by next week.
Unfortunately, I along with everyone have had to deal with Washington’s political bickering and inflexible representatives whose intent is making the President look bad and crippling government! A local paper recently carried a cartoon that showed the US Capital [Senate – Dome – House of Representatives]. But on the House side they substituted a child’s play set (sandbox, swing & slide). The point being that the US House is acting like children. A cute graphic – unfortunately, the end result of such selfishness will be horrendous and could devastate the nation and world economy.
So who’s correct – who are we to believe – yes spending is out of control – but why are they insisting on balancing the budget on seniors who spent all their lives paying into social security, yet not willing to cut corporate loopholes? Why are seniors being asked to bear the burden and why would government risk military paychecks in wartime? What about all those corporate “fat-cat” tax loopholes – shouldn’t they put something on the table? I remember the mantra how the tax breaks for the wealthy would stimulate investment and create jobs – but where are those jobs? Sadly, it seems like the rich are just getting richer and the poor are… (Well you know how that saying goes!)
This week I experienced an interesting perk of being a NH Rep when the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs invited me to participate in a conference call regarding the debt crisis and ongoing negotiations. One of the principal participants was Jason Furman (Deputy Director - National Economic Council) who with others cautioned us about the need for a balanced approach and a long term resolution.
Now there are basically two different plans in play – one by Senator Harry Reid that calls for a down payment on deficit reduction (2 Trillion Dollars), plus places some caps, and starts to address the corporate “fat cat” loop holes. Also, the Reid plans provides long term certainty to the economy. The second is by GOP House Speaker John Boehner that has only 900 billion dollars in deficit reduction – and extends the debt limit only for 6 months. This means we will have to revisit this same turbulence again in February. Furthermore, Speaker Boehner’s plan calls for major spending cuts (like social security) and refuses to put on the table any of the Corporate Fat-Cat Tax Loop Holes.
Many financial analysts share the opinion of the CEO for Pacific Investment Management Company that “this short term approach will probably push stocks and the dollar lower and leave the US Debt Rating extremely exposed to a damaging downgrade”.
Closer to home the former mayor of Portsmouth NH – Steve Marchand – stated that “between August 3rd and 31st, the US Government has $306.7 billion in bills due. The government expects $172.4 billion to come in during that time. Without raising the debt ceiling, somebody's not getting the $134 billion they're billing starting next week…” Now many will recall the recent financial problems in Greece, which while only accounting for 2% of the EU economy almost, crippled the European Union. Just imagine what the impact of the US Government defaulting will have on the World’s economy!
Now is not the time to play politics as usual – yes Mayor Marchand is right “the way the US raises and spends money is, simply put, unsustainable,” but we need to raise the debt ceiling by next week.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
No Jobs – No Economic Growth – No Compassion: The NH GOP House Record
“This Budget serves the needs of our people” –
Actual straight-faced statement made by a NH Republican leader on the floor of the House - June 22, 2011. NOTE: his people must certainly not be the working families of New Hampshire.
Yesterday [6/22/’11] the NH House met and passed a two year state budget that will be devastating to working families, and local municipalities. The 3:1 GOP legislature continued its slash and burn strategy of dismantling government – especially services to the most needy. They justify their actions as having a mandate to walk away from people. Surprisingly, they were not all united - at least one radical extremist wanted more cuts to State Government and publically stated as much on the House floor! Now for anyone who has followed this blog over the legislative session and ever thought I was exaggerating – please don’t take my word for it - I urge you to review this budget for yourself.
A Budget We Can Live With – NOT!
The House & Senate conferees who met to cut the final deal, crafted this budget behind closed doors, and in small backroom meetings away from the public. The only thing that was public was when votes were taken – and then with minimal explanation. Needless to say – this was not New Hampshire’s finest hour.
During yesterday’s legislative session – numerous democrat representatives rose to speak about the service cuts to New Hampshire’s neediest and the potential downshift that will occur to local government which will result in increased property taxes, but to no avail.
It was as if two thirds of those present were just not listening. One Republican leader actually said something like ‘live with the problems – they’ll go away’! He went on how the budget was complicated and complex and in the most condescending manner implied it was too much for us mere citizens to understand! Seriously, the oozing self-righteousness would have made Marie Antoinette blush.
This self appointed “friend of the people” continued by wrapping himself up in the NH Republican Party Platform and actually said “the Budget is a good deal” comparing it to buying a new car with a couple of dings! Once home – we’ll get used to it, or maybe what he really meant was don’t worry people will forget – and all will be OK!
I especially loved his dismissive comment justifying the 115 million dollar tax on NH’s major hospitals. According to him, it’s because hospitals don’t contribute to the Business Enterprise Tax or the Business Profits Tax! Forget that this tax will merely be passed on to the consumer via increased insurance fees… or that hospitals do things like save lives!
Ayuh – another radical republican leader actually said this is “A BUDGET WE CAN BE PROUD OF!” Thankfully, the democrats pointed out that the Budget (HB1) and its trailer (HB2) will have a devastating effect on children and families and that it doesn’t create any new jobs but down shifts costs and responsibility to local governments. Unfortunately, there will not be a formal written record of what transpired, as they then voted 173 to 167 to NOT have the proceeding/debate on the budget printed in the official House Journal. Yeah – so much for an open and visible government!
In addition to passing the budget – they also chose to over-ride several of the Governor’s vetoes, as well as to defer to the federal government regarding setting the minimum wage.
Yes – these phony patriots who have the whole session complained, attacked and insulted the federal government in the name of states’ rights chose to defer to the federal government and foreswear the opportunity for NH autonomy. OH – their argument for doing this was – some other states do it too! Has the word hypocrite started to come to mind?
They also chose to deal with a few retirement issues – one in particular (SB-33) dealt with retired state employees and was passed 278 to 99. What was personally upsetting was the glee in the voice of the representative who informed the House that those retirees now under the age of 65 may not only pay more, but if they’re slow in paying for their health insurance they will have their health benefits terminated. Many of my friends in state government are asking “when did public sector workers become the enemy?”
Parental Notification
Among the Governor’s vetoes that were over-ridden was HB 329 dealing with parental notification. All the governor was asking were safeguards that it be constitutional, not criminalize physicians and address the issue of rape & incest. Interestingly, the opposition said that was taken care of; hence no need to address his concerns. Did I forget to mention – they’re all constitutional scholars!
They chose to make grandstand speeches paraphrasing the story of King Solomon in the Bible who ordered the baby cut in half to identify the real mother. Interestingly – the majority voted to have this speech included into the permanent House Record!
Now I must share that I normally side with parents, as I believe the family is the basic building block of society. However, this one female representative rose in support of the governor’s veto and shared 3 scenarios/case studies (w/out violating confidentiality) regarding how this bill would have an adverse affect on young girls and how this legislation does not apply to the vast majority of parents. My basic read was: this bill gives a get out of jail free card to snakes and the worst kind of bad parents, so I voted to sustain the veto. Needless to say – there wasn’t a rush to have her testimony included into the permanent record. However at the end of the day, a saner republican head rose & prevailed to include all the testimony on parental notification.
Now I could go on but hopefully I have provided a glimpse of what happened. Sadly, the session may not yet be over – as we still await to be called back to deal with the governor’s vetoes of the anti-worker bill called “Right to Work” and the dismantling of the NH Rail Authority which if left alone had the potential to provide real jobs and revitalize the downtowns of Concord, Manchester, and Nashua.
So stay tuned!
Actual straight-faced statement made by a NH Republican leader on the floor of the House - June 22, 2011. NOTE: his people must certainly not be the working families of New Hampshire.
Yesterday [6/22/’11] the NH House met and passed a two year state budget that will be devastating to working families, and local municipalities. The 3:1 GOP legislature continued its slash and burn strategy of dismantling government – especially services to the most needy. They justify their actions as having a mandate to walk away from people. Surprisingly, they were not all united - at least one radical extremist wanted more cuts to State Government and publically stated as much on the House floor! Now for anyone who has followed this blog over the legislative session and ever thought I was exaggerating – please don’t take my word for it - I urge you to review this budget for yourself.
A Budget We Can Live With – NOT!
The House & Senate conferees who met to cut the final deal, crafted this budget behind closed doors, and in small backroom meetings away from the public. The only thing that was public was when votes were taken – and then with minimal explanation. Needless to say – this was not New Hampshire’s finest hour.
During yesterday’s legislative session – numerous democrat representatives rose to speak about the service cuts to New Hampshire’s neediest and the potential downshift that will occur to local government which will result in increased property taxes, but to no avail.
It was as if two thirds of those present were just not listening. One Republican leader actually said something like ‘live with the problems – they’ll go away’! He went on how the budget was complicated and complex and in the most condescending manner implied it was too much for us mere citizens to understand! Seriously, the oozing self-righteousness would have made Marie Antoinette blush.
This self appointed “friend of the people” continued by wrapping himself up in the NH Republican Party Platform and actually said “the Budget is a good deal” comparing it to buying a new car with a couple of dings! Once home – we’ll get used to it, or maybe what he really meant was don’t worry people will forget – and all will be OK!
I especially loved his dismissive comment justifying the 115 million dollar tax on NH’s major hospitals. According to him, it’s because hospitals don’t contribute to the Business Enterprise Tax or the Business Profits Tax! Forget that this tax will merely be passed on to the consumer via increased insurance fees… or that hospitals do things like save lives!
Ayuh – another radical republican leader actually said this is “A BUDGET WE CAN BE PROUD OF!” Thankfully, the democrats pointed out that the Budget (HB1) and its trailer (HB2) will have a devastating effect on children and families and that it doesn’t create any new jobs but down shifts costs and responsibility to local governments. Unfortunately, there will not be a formal written record of what transpired, as they then voted 173 to 167 to NOT have the proceeding/debate on the budget printed in the official House Journal. Yeah – so much for an open and visible government!
In addition to passing the budget – they also chose to over-ride several of the Governor’s vetoes, as well as to defer to the federal government regarding setting the minimum wage.
Yes – these phony patriots who have the whole session complained, attacked and insulted the federal government in the name of states’ rights chose to defer to the federal government and foreswear the opportunity for NH autonomy. OH – their argument for doing this was – some other states do it too! Has the word hypocrite started to come to mind?
They also chose to deal with a few retirement issues – one in particular (SB-33) dealt with retired state employees and was passed 278 to 99. What was personally upsetting was the glee in the voice of the representative who informed the House that those retirees now under the age of 65 may not only pay more, but if they’re slow in paying for their health insurance they will have their health benefits terminated. Many of my friends in state government are asking “when did public sector workers become the enemy?”
Parental Notification
Among the Governor’s vetoes that were over-ridden was HB 329 dealing with parental notification. All the governor was asking were safeguards that it be constitutional, not criminalize physicians and address the issue of rape & incest. Interestingly, the opposition said that was taken care of; hence no need to address his concerns. Did I forget to mention – they’re all constitutional scholars!
They chose to make grandstand speeches paraphrasing the story of King Solomon in the Bible who ordered the baby cut in half to identify the real mother. Interestingly – the majority voted to have this speech included into the permanent House Record!
Now I must share that I normally side with parents, as I believe the family is the basic building block of society. However, this one female representative rose in support of the governor’s veto and shared 3 scenarios/case studies (w/out violating confidentiality) regarding how this bill would have an adverse affect on young girls and how this legislation does not apply to the vast majority of parents. My basic read was: this bill gives a get out of jail free card to snakes and the worst kind of bad parents, so I voted to sustain the veto. Needless to say – there wasn’t a rush to have her testimony included into the permanent record. However at the end of the day, a saner republican head rose & prevailed to include all the testimony on parental notification.
Now I could go on but hopefully I have provided a glimpse of what happened. Sadly, the session may not yet be over – as we still await to be called back to deal with the governor’s vetoes of the anti-worker bill called “Right to Work” and the dismantling of the NH Rail Authority which if left alone had the potential to provide real jobs and revitalize the downtowns of Concord, Manchester, and Nashua.
So stay tuned!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
You Don't Scare Me!
You Don’t Scare Me – I’m Sticking with the Union!
At first glance, it would appear that events have been unusually quiet around the statehouse for the past couple of weeks. While legislative sessions continue to happen – the real action seems to be focused on the union busting legislation called Right to Work (RTW). Consequently, intense political maneuvering and activity is happening below the surface and if the stories are accurate – a great deal of arm twisting and intimidation on a level never seen in NH has permeated the legislature.
This has been compounded by the Majority’s loss last week in a special election that has only enhanced the intensity. Add that the Finance Committees are frantically trying to spin the public perception that they are softening the blow to human services and the budget’s impact on downshifting costs to cities and towns has resulted in some very trying days. Consequently, the effort to override the governor’s veto on the right-to-work legislation has added to the polarization of the New Hampshire House.
This week all attention is over the Speakers insistence of having the House override the Governor’s veto of HB 474 (RTW). To be successful, the radical republicans will need to muster 2/3rd of the members present to override, hence the arm twisting and urging dissenting members to take a walk and not vote. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a situation where rumors and half-truths rule the day. What will happen is anyone’s guess and it certainly gives credence to the old saying “those who say –don’t know; and those who know – don’t say!
Among the stories being circulated is that the more fervent radical republicans are threatening to have any member evicted from their caucus if they don’t support and vote the republican leadership position. It would seem that the party of Lincoln, T. Roosevelt and Eisenhower has no tolerance for individual opinion and principle. What is especially sad is they frame the RTW argument with contradictions and use words like personal liberty and freedom, but to their members the hidden message is –do what you are told or else! Of course the bill’s title – Right to Work – fits nicely with this double speak as it really means workers have the right to work for less money.
Interestingly, the Democrats appear to be solidly in support of sustaining the Governor’s veto and defending the rights of working people to organize. While there has not been much contact between House Dems and the governor’s office – we all seem to be on the same page.
The Governor did provide all House members a written rationale for his veto of Right-to-Work and I was quite impressed by his argument. Unfortunately, much of the discussion regarding RTW has dissolved into rhetoric and posturing by both sides. Therefore, it was refreshing to read that the Governor chose to provide extremely sound and substantive reasons why this is bad for New Hampshire.
He started with the baseline position that “States should not interfere with the rights of businesses and their employees to freely negotiate contracts,” and how he saw no compelling public interest that would mandate the intervention by government on this matter. Governor Lynch’s statement continued on how there is no evidence that RTW would “offer any benefit to NH’s economy or workers.” He reminded us that NH has a successful economic strategy and how we are among the “strongest and fastest growing economies in the nation.” Also, how New Hampshire’s employment rate and wages are higher than any existing right-to-work state. My read is do we really want to pass legislation that permits a lower standard and quality of life for NH citizens!
The governor was a successful corporate CEO before being elected – so I was especially interested to learn how “in his many years in the private sector turning around companies, as well as governor” – he has “never seen the RTW law serve as a valuable economic development tool.” Also, how in the past seven years as governor – not one business leader interested in locating here has ever asked him if New Hampshire has a right-to-work law!
Governor Lynch further stated that “no New Hampshire business leaders” has ever told him that the “lack of a so called RTW law prevented them from expanding or hiring new workers here in New Hampshire.” He then went on to share with us that no NH worker has ever told him they could not get a job because we do not have a so called right-to-work law.
The Governor’s written no nonsense statement ended with how the debate for RTW appears “to be largely driven by national outside interest groups and is not a result of problems faced by New Hampshire businesses or workers.” Governor Lynch concluded by stating that “there is no justification in this case for state government to interfere with the right of private businesses to freely negotiate and enter into contracts with their employees,” thus his reason for vetoing HB 474.
So there you have it – I intend to support the rights of business and workers and to sustain the Governor’s veto. To quote the old labor song: “No – you don’t scare me; I’m sticking with the Union!”
At first glance, it would appear that events have been unusually quiet around the statehouse for the past couple of weeks. While legislative sessions continue to happen – the real action seems to be focused on the union busting legislation called Right to Work (RTW). Consequently, intense political maneuvering and activity is happening below the surface and if the stories are accurate – a great deal of arm twisting and intimidation on a level never seen in NH has permeated the legislature.
This has been compounded by the Majority’s loss last week in a special election that has only enhanced the intensity. Add that the Finance Committees are frantically trying to spin the public perception that they are softening the blow to human services and the budget’s impact on downshifting costs to cities and towns has resulted in some very trying days. Consequently, the effort to override the governor’s veto on the right-to-work legislation has added to the polarization of the New Hampshire House.
This week all attention is over the Speakers insistence of having the House override the Governor’s veto of HB 474 (RTW). To be successful, the radical republicans will need to muster 2/3rd of the members present to override, hence the arm twisting and urging dissenting members to take a walk and not vote. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a situation where rumors and half-truths rule the day. What will happen is anyone’s guess and it certainly gives credence to the old saying “those who say –don’t know; and those who know – don’t say!
Among the stories being circulated is that the more fervent radical republicans are threatening to have any member evicted from their caucus if they don’t support and vote the republican leadership position. It would seem that the party of Lincoln, T. Roosevelt and Eisenhower has no tolerance for individual opinion and principle. What is especially sad is they frame the RTW argument with contradictions and use words like personal liberty and freedom, but to their members the hidden message is –do what you are told or else! Of course the bill’s title – Right to Work – fits nicely with this double speak as it really means workers have the right to work for less money.
Interestingly, the Democrats appear to be solidly in support of sustaining the Governor’s veto and defending the rights of working people to organize. While there has not been much contact between House Dems and the governor’s office – we all seem to be on the same page.
The Governor did provide all House members a written rationale for his veto of Right-to-Work and I was quite impressed by his argument. Unfortunately, much of the discussion regarding RTW has dissolved into rhetoric and posturing by both sides. Therefore, it was refreshing to read that the Governor chose to provide extremely sound and substantive reasons why this is bad for New Hampshire.
He started with the baseline position that “States should not interfere with the rights of businesses and their employees to freely negotiate contracts,” and how he saw no compelling public interest that would mandate the intervention by government on this matter. Governor Lynch’s statement continued on how there is no evidence that RTW would “offer any benefit to NH’s economy or workers.” He reminded us that NH has a successful economic strategy and how we are among the “strongest and fastest growing economies in the nation.” Also, how New Hampshire’s employment rate and wages are higher than any existing right-to-work state. My read is do we really want to pass legislation that permits a lower standard and quality of life for NH citizens!
The governor was a successful corporate CEO before being elected – so I was especially interested to learn how “in his many years in the private sector turning around companies, as well as governor” – he has “never seen the RTW law serve as a valuable economic development tool.” Also, how in the past seven years as governor – not one business leader interested in locating here has ever asked him if New Hampshire has a right-to-work law!
Governor Lynch further stated that “no New Hampshire business leaders” has ever told him that the “lack of a so called RTW law prevented them from expanding or hiring new workers here in New Hampshire.” He then went on to share with us that no NH worker has ever told him they could not get a job because we do not have a so called right-to-work law.
The Governor’s written no nonsense statement ended with how the debate for RTW appears “to be largely driven by national outside interest groups and is not a result of problems faced by New Hampshire businesses or workers.” Governor Lynch concluded by stating that “there is no justification in this case for state government to interfere with the right of private businesses to freely negotiate and enter into contracts with their employees,” thus his reason for vetoing HB 474.
So there you have it – I intend to support the rights of business and workers and to sustain the Governor’s veto. To quote the old labor song: “No – you don’t scare me; I’m sticking with the Union!”
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Gimmicks – Games & Down Shifting
Legislative Update – April 27, 2011 Session Day
Greetings from the NH House of Representatives and another week of gimmicks, games and cost shifting down to New Hampshire’s Cities & Towns!
Based on the House Calendar – many were expecting a short day last Wednesday – but that was not to be! I’ve been observing, for four months, these radical libertarians masking as mainstream Republicans, and I suspect the rumors about mainstream dissatisfaction could have some legs. Although I have no proof –I sense many traditional republicans are getting frustrated – their party, their agenda and their honor are being hijacked. Note: in the new political order – traditional conservative types are now moderates and moderates are called RINO’s. My read is old-school Main Street republican reps are quickly tiring of these radical libertarian/free staters and their blatant disregard for process. Hopefully they are realizing their extremist colleagues’ real agenda is to dismantle government, but more importantly will they stand up to the extremists and say no!
Last Wednesday – I listened to hours of debate and heard anger, frustration and disbelief in the voices of several old line republicans. They especially appeared to be upset over – the gamesmanship with the senate – the insinuation that town clerks (the glue of local government) are out of date luddites and just feeding at the public trough! OH, and let us not forget those outrageous arguments against requiring fire sprinklers because “it is about personal liberties” and how “we need protection from the tyranny of the state!”
Yes –fire sprinklers are no longer a public safety issue – but an act of tyranny! Hopefully, this will all translate into reasonable members of the NH House recognizing that what is happening is not focused on doing the people’s business.
LIVE FREE OR DIE – JOHN STARK DAY
Appropriately – among the first pieces of business, on Wednesday, was establishing April 27th as John Stark Day. All agree John Stark was a bona-fide American hero and certainly merits recognition – first as a member of the famed Rogers Rangers during the French & Indian War and later as a major general and NH hero of the American Revolution. Known as the “Hero of Bennington,” General Stark also fought at the Battles of Bunker Hill, Princeton, and Trenton. Sadly, I suspect those accomplishments do not matter to the present group of extremist radicals. They see John Stark as the author who penned, as an old man, the words “Live Free or Die” in a letter. Of course – this is probably all they care to know about this real patriot!
There were only a handful of bills not on the consent calendar – normally this would mean a short day – but not with this crowd. Nay – Nay, we started at 10 and went to the end of the day, debating only a handful of bills. Among the controversial issues were the following:
PAY DAY LOAN SHARKS! or Owe My Soul to the Company Store!
Last session the legislature did away with predatory loans and limited their interest rate to 38% - conventional thinking was/is that these loan programs take advantage of the most needy and desperate. It was pointed out (interestingly by common sense republicans) that this legislation provides for high interest rates (300-400%) and is a lending model that preys on people who can’t pay.
As the debate continued – the old country song (Owe My Soul to the Company Store) kept playing in my head. It’s about poor people who are given credit at the company store but never make enough money to pay off the debt, so consequently they just get deeper in debt.
Representative after representative rose to oppose the bill stating – that it was Usury – that 3 of the World’s religions condemned the practice – that it was bad policy – that 27 states ban predatory loans – that no New England State has this type of legislation – and that it was simply legalized Loan Sharking!
This went on for hours – however, in the end, all it took was the GOP Majority Leader to rise and say “it is an option for consumers and it may bring back jobs!” The bill passed 180 (Aye) to 171(Nay).
THE FOX IN CHARGE OF THE HEN HOUSE:
The Extremist Republicans also passed SB 156 which now allows car dealers to charge you (no limit set) for handling the motor vehicle registration on cars, as opposed to going to your Town Clerk’s office.
Now why would they want to take Town Clerks out to of the loop? Well – they have no confidence in town clerks – according to these radical republicans everyone knows town clerks are part of local government! It didn’t matter that the law clearly states that town/city clerks are responsible for collecting the Town portion and while questions weren’t answered as to who will determine residency or how much the car dealer can charge for this service – the decision was to pass this bill (176 – 166). AS one Free State Rep stated on the floor “We were sent here to lighten regulations”. Starting to see a theme!
SIDE BAR - Let’s Get Tough & Teach the Senate:
An interesting side bar is the realization, by the radical republicans, that the Senate may be a voice of moderation and are designating the more extreme house bills as DOA (Dead on Arrival).
So to counter any possible acts of maturity – these reps decided that the House should attach amendments to senate bills regardless if they are germane to the bill under consideration. Which is what they tried to do to this bill (SB 156) dealing with auto dealers.
Surprisingly, two seasoned republicans who’ve played ball until now rose in disgust. One called it a “silly parliamentary procedure” and reminded the group that they were attempting to put a transportation amendment on a commerce bill. This rep was followed by another old timer who, noticeably frustrated – spoke about process and that they were being asked to participate in a political game. He further said how the amendment was about bi-annual automobile inspections, which is part of a bill presently sitting in the senate.
Of course – an extremist then rose in full attack mode and took umbrage and was upset over being “lectured on process.” Fortunately, after a long back and forth the – the attempt to add the amendment was defeated 102 (Aye) to 242 (Nay). For once common sense prevailed.
SPRINKLERS ARE TYRANNY & LOCAL CONTROL BE DAMNED!
Yes, as stated above, the NH House voted 223 – 91 to deny cities & towns the authority to decide if they want to have fire sprinklers as part of their life safety codes. A republican who’s a professional building inspector rose to say how this bill is an attack on local control and how fire sprinklers save lives. He proceeded to state how locals create their own rules (based on municipal needs) and how this will result in an increase in property taxes. Also how the argument that sprinklers are expensive is oversimplified and incorrect.
He further said how the message of this bill says the legislature has no confidence in local government. A democrat rose and said how if we pass the amendment – as of July 1 no town can vote to determine if they want sprinklers – how is this support for local control – historically a standard NH philosophical belief?
However radical extremists’ rose and stated that it was somehow a “choice” issue and that “local government can’t tell us what to do!” Among these absurd rants was how fire sprinklers are about personal liberties and “we need protection from the TYRANNY of the STATE.” Yes – sprinklers are somehow now the symbol of tyranny.
GAS TAX GIMMICK
First the Republicans take 90 million dollars out of the Highway Fund for the next biennium which was designated to pay for bridge repairs & highway maintenance statewide, but now they want to eliminate, for two months, the NH gas tax by .05 cents which will mean an additional cut of 7 million dollars that will not go to pave roads, or repair bridges. Don’t forget that 12% of this fund goes to Cities & Towns for their local road/bridge maintenance. This reduction alone will mean an additional loss of $840,000 dollars to local communities.
Note: NH is rated the 11th worst state for bridges of the 50 States; we are now on a 28 year paving cycle; and the Interstate 93 improvements presently underway are not fully funded.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that this will translate into gas prices being lowered for consumers, and not just translate into higher profits for the oil companies. FYI – currently Oil Companies make a 400 million dollar profit every day!
Well – let it not be said that these extremist republicans don’t love a good gimmick when they see one. The chair of Finance (the same guy who screamed at witnesses to “shut-up & get out” of his committee), attempted to calm everyone with the comment “doom & gloom tales never come true – we cut the budget & nothing happened!”
Forget that it is bad for Cities & Towns; bad for the Highway Fund; bad for State Highways; and bad for Taxpayers. SB 78 passed 201 – 98.
So until next time – Happy Driving!
Greetings from the NH House of Representatives and another week of gimmicks, games and cost shifting down to New Hampshire’s Cities & Towns!
Based on the House Calendar – many were expecting a short day last Wednesday – but that was not to be! I’ve been observing, for four months, these radical libertarians masking as mainstream Republicans, and I suspect the rumors about mainstream dissatisfaction could have some legs. Although I have no proof –I sense many traditional republicans are getting frustrated – their party, their agenda and their honor are being hijacked. Note: in the new political order – traditional conservative types are now moderates and moderates are called RINO’s. My read is old-school Main Street republican reps are quickly tiring of these radical libertarian/free staters and their blatant disregard for process. Hopefully they are realizing their extremist colleagues’ real agenda is to dismantle government, but more importantly will they stand up to the extremists and say no!
Last Wednesday – I listened to hours of debate and heard anger, frustration and disbelief in the voices of several old line republicans. They especially appeared to be upset over – the gamesmanship with the senate – the insinuation that town clerks (the glue of local government) are out of date luddites and just feeding at the public trough! OH, and let us not forget those outrageous arguments against requiring fire sprinklers because “it is about personal liberties” and how “we need protection from the tyranny of the state!”
Yes –fire sprinklers are no longer a public safety issue – but an act of tyranny! Hopefully, this will all translate into reasonable members of the NH House recognizing that what is happening is not focused on doing the people’s business.
LIVE FREE OR DIE – JOHN STARK DAY
Appropriately – among the first pieces of business, on Wednesday, was establishing April 27th as John Stark Day. All agree John Stark was a bona-fide American hero and certainly merits recognition – first as a member of the famed Rogers Rangers during the French & Indian War and later as a major general and NH hero of the American Revolution. Known as the “Hero of Bennington,” General Stark also fought at the Battles of Bunker Hill, Princeton, and Trenton. Sadly, I suspect those accomplishments do not matter to the present group of extremist radicals. They see John Stark as the author who penned, as an old man, the words “Live Free or Die” in a letter. Of course – this is probably all they care to know about this real patriot!
There were only a handful of bills not on the consent calendar – normally this would mean a short day – but not with this crowd. Nay – Nay, we started at 10 and went to the end of the day, debating only a handful of bills. Among the controversial issues were the following:
PAY DAY LOAN SHARKS! or Owe My Soul to the Company Store!
Last session the legislature did away with predatory loans and limited their interest rate to 38% - conventional thinking was/is that these loan programs take advantage of the most needy and desperate. It was pointed out (interestingly by common sense republicans) that this legislation provides for high interest rates (300-400%) and is a lending model that preys on people who can’t pay.
As the debate continued – the old country song (Owe My Soul to the Company Store) kept playing in my head. It’s about poor people who are given credit at the company store but never make enough money to pay off the debt, so consequently they just get deeper in debt.
Representative after representative rose to oppose the bill stating – that it was Usury – that 3 of the World’s religions condemned the practice – that it was bad policy – that 27 states ban predatory loans – that no New England State has this type of legislation – and that it was simply legalized Loan Sharking!
This went on for hours – however, in the end, all it took was the GOP Majority Leader to rise and say “it is an option for consumers and it may bring back jobs!” The bill passed 180 (Aye) to 171(Nay).
THE FOX IN CHARGE OF THE HEN HOUSE:
The Extremist Republicans also passed SB 156 which now allows car dealers to charge you (no limit set) for handling the motor vehicle registration on cars, as opposed to going to your Town Clerk’s office.
Now why would they want to take Town Clerks out to of the loop? Well – they have no confidence in town clerks – according to these radical republicans everyone knows town clerks are part of local government! It didn’t matter that the law clearly states that town/city clerks are responsible for collecting the Town portion and while questions weren’t answered as to who will determine residency or how much the car dealer can charge for this service – the decision was to pass this bill (176 – 166). AS one Free State Rep stated on the floor “We were sent here to lighten regulations”. Starting to see a theme!
SIDE BAR - Let’s Get Tough & Teach the Senate:
An interesting side bar is the realization, by the radical republicans, that the Senate may be a voice of moderation and are designating the more extreme house bills as DOA (Dead on Arrival).
So to counter any possible acts of maturity – these reps decided that the House should attach amendments to senate bills regardless if they are germane to the bill under consideration. Which is what they tried to do to this bill (SB 156) dealing with auto dealers.
Surprisingly, two seasoned republicans who’ve played ball until now rose in disgust. One called it a “silly parliamentary procedure” and reminded the group that they were attempting to put a transportation amendment on a commerce bill. This rep was followed by another old timer who, noticeably frustrated – spoke about process and that they were being asked to participate in a political game. He further said how the amendment was about bi-annual automobile inspections, which is part of a bill presently sitting in the senate.
Of course – an extremist then rose in full attack mode and took umbrage and was upset over being “lectured on process.” Fortunately, after a long back and forth the – the attempt to add the amendment was defeated 102 (Aye) to 242 (Nay). For once common sense prevailed.
SPRINKLERS ARE TYRANNY & LOCAL CONTROL BE DAMNED!
Yes, as stated above, the NH House voted 223 – 91 to deny cities & towns the authority to decide if they want to have fire sprinklers as part of their life safety codes. A republican who’s a professional building inspector rose to say how this bill is an attack on local control and how fire sprinklers save lives. He proceeded to state how locals create their own rules (based on municipal needs) and how this will result in an increase in property taxes. Also how the argument that sprinklers are expensive is oversimplified and incorrect.
He further said how the message of this bill says the legislature has no confidence in local government. A democrat rose and said how if we pass the amendment – as of July 1 no town can vote to determine if they want sprinklers – how is this support for local control – historically a standard NH philosophical belief?
However radical extremists’ rose and stated that it was somehow a “choice” issue and that “local government can’t tell us what to do!” Among these absurd rants was how fire sprinklers are about personal liberties and “we need protection from the TYRANNY of the STATE.” Yes – sprinklers are somehow now the symbol of tyranny.
GAS TAX GIMMICK
First the Republicans take 90 million dollars out of the Highway Fund for the next biennium which was designated to pay for bridge repairs & highway maintenance statewide, but now they want to eliminate, for two months, the NH gas tax by .05 cents which will mean an additional cut of 7 million dollars that will not go to pave roads, or repair bridges. Don’t forget that 12% of this fund goes to Cities & Towns for their local road/bridge maintenance. This reduction alone will mean an additional loss of $840,000 dollars to local communities.
Note: NH is rated the 11th worst state for bridges of the 50 States; we are now on a 28 year paving cycle; and the Interstate 93 improvements presently underway are not fully funded.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that this will translate into gas prices being lowered for consumers, and not just translate into higher profits for the oil companies. FYI – currently Oil Companies make a 400 million dollar profit every day!
Well – let it not be said that these extremist republicans don’t love a good gimmick when they see one. The chair of Finance (the same guy who screamed at witnesses to “shut-up & get out” of his committee), attempted to calm everyone with the comment “doom & gloom tales never come true – we cut the budget & nothing happened!”
Forget that it is bad for Cities & Towns; bad for the Highway Fund; bad for State Highways; and bad for Taxpayers. SB 78 passed 201 – 98.
So until next time – Happy Driving!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Be Silent & There Was Silence!
Well to paraphrase Garrison Keillor regarding Lake Wobegon – “it has been slow this week down to the State Capital.”
After a thug fest of pushing through an irresponsible reckless budget followed by name calling to the RC Bishop and threats to the church’s nonprofit status – the Speakah issued an email edict to all republican reps and told them to be silent and there was silence! E-mails by reps immediately ceased and inflammatory ranting by tea baggers has been tepid. All appears quiet in Concord.
Perhaps it was planned to lessen the intensity and slow things down, but after a two week hiatus – the lower house of the NH General Court was called back to Concord. This past Wednesday, Representatives were serenaded by bag pipers (Tartan Day) and except for resignations by a couple of non-apologetic republican members, the only political act to speak of was a clever game of word smithing where we learned a fee is not a fee – it is now a tuition!
A FEE BY ANY OTHER NAME…
SB 66 which had been on the consent calendar having passed easily in committee was pulled and amended on the floor. Reason – it called for a fee (Tea Bag talk: fee = tax). The present gang of radical extremists in control apparently refuses to vote for anything that has a fee or tax attached – so the amendment changed the word fee to tuition and then all was right and the bill passed by a voice vote. But don’t be tricked – a fee by any other name is still a fee!
This is just one clearer example of this crowd’s understanding – or perhaps lack of understanding on how New Hampshire has been operating for over a hundred years. NH’s entire revenue system is for the most part based on the Property Tax, a couple of Business Taxes and a ton of fees to pay for designated programs. The System has been in place for a long time and was crafted by past republican controlled frugal Yankee Legislatures.
Among the best examples of this is the Highway Betterment Fund which has now been cut $45 million ($90m for the biennium) by the GOP Radical Extremists. Last session the House increased the fee for vehicle registrations to specifically fund bridge repairs and pave highways (including city & town roads. However – now thanks to the GOP Radical Extremists we will be on a 28 year road paving cycle! Yeah – once a road is paved – it won’t be paved again for 28 years – a giant step backwards! These funds used to go to cities & towns – so now when your local taxes go up because there will be no state assistance to fill potholes – thank a republican rep. Note: no democrat voted for this budget!
DON’T LET THE TRUTH GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD STORY
I am now convinced that the more things change – the more they stay the same, and that this crowd will continue to follow their less than factual play book.
Last election – the republicans did an effective job of linking NH Government with their counterparts on the federal level in Washington DC. Consequently, people believed that NH spending was out of control and like “Heney Penny” was told that the financial sky was falling! Regardless of the fact that there was a global recession going on, and that all the national experts said how NH was being better managed than most other states and countries.
So now – following the same game plan of why let truth get in the way of a good story – they have linked spending & the deficit in Washington with spending in NH. Yes today’s mantra is “we have a spending problem!” So what if the elderly, mentally ill, children, poor, public employees and cities & towns get caught in the crossfire. Meanwhile they’ll just cut revenue streams – oops sorry – too bad! Social Darwinism rears its ugly head and Ayn Rand is now the tea baggers political patron saint!
The chant is “it’s not a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem!” This of course is just sophistry. Even one of my local papers (Eagle Times 4/16/11) stated in an editorial that “while catchy” such language is “hogwash.” The editorial went on to say that no one has the intestinal fortitude (their term was guts) to seriously look at both spending and revenue. NO – we’d rather play word games with tuition vs. fees and walk away from anything resembling being responsible!
STATES RIGHTS & THE CIVIL WAR!
I would like to end on a positive note – at least partially positive.
At the end of Wednesday’s session – Representative Campbell, (d) Nashua rose and addressed the House under Personal Consent. He pointed out how the Civil War started 150 years ago this week (April 12) and how New Hampshire has a long tradition of standing tall for justice.
He further brought our attention to the portrait of U.S. Senator John Parker Hale that is displayed in Reps Hall. Apparently Hale, a Republican, was the 1st senator elected as an abolitionist and was a key person in freeing the nation from slavery. Rep Campbell continued by providing an overview of how Hale’s family has served NH up to the present era and how former Republican Representative Jack Chandler was a direct descendant.
My own knowledge of Senator Hale is that he was raised and influenced by an uncle – John Parker – who had the distinction of being appointed by President Washington as the first United States Marshal for New Hampshire. Furthermore, how as a patriot, John Parker was the first person to read the Declaration of Independence aloud to the citizens of NH in 1776.
Some might find it odd that a Democrat Campbell would inform the 3:1 republican House about this early Republican – however, let us not forget that these radical extremists are not your father’s brand of republican either. In light of all this talk about nullification and States Rights – some wonder, especially in light of their vehemence against the federal government, if they would have voted to support the Union in ‘61!
After a thug fest of pushing through an irresponsible reckless budget followed by name calling to the RC Bishop and threats to the church’s nonprofit status – the Speakah issued an email edict to all republican reps and told them to be silent and there was silence! E-mails by reps immediately ceased and inflammatory ranting by tea baggers has been tepid. All appears quiet in Concord.
Perhaps it was planned to lessen the intensity and slow things down, but after a two week hiatus – the lower house of the NH General Court was called back to Concord. This past Wednesday, Representatives were serenaded by bag pipers (Tartan Day) and except for resignations by a couple of non-apologetic republican members, the only political act to speak of was a clever game of word smithing where we learned a fee is not a fee – it is now a tuition!
A FEE BY ANY OTHER NAME…
SB 66 which had been on the consent calendar having passed easily in committee was pulled and amended on the floor. Reason – it called for a fee (Tea Bag talk: fee = tax). The present gang of radical extremists in control apparently refuses to vote for anything that has a fee or tax attached – so the amendment changed the word fee to tuition and then all was right and the bill passed by a voice vote. But don’t be tricked – a fee by any other name is still a fee!
This is just one clearer example of this crowd’s understanding – or perhaps lack of understanding on how New Hampshire has been operating for over a hundred years. NH’s entire revenue system is for the most part based on the Property Tax, a couple of Business Taxes and a ton of fees to pay for designated programs. The System has been in place for a long time and was crafted by past republican controlled frugal Yankee Legislatures.
Among the best examples of this is the Highway Betterment Fund which has now been cut $45 million ($90m for the biennium) by the GOP Radical Extremists. Last session the House increased the fee for vehicle registrations to specifically fund bridge repairs and pave highways (including city & town roads. However – now thanks to the GOP Radical Extremists we will be on a 28 year road paving cycle! Yeah – once a road is paved – it won’t be paved again for 28 years – a giant step backwards! These funds used to go to cities & towns – so now when your local taxes go up because there will be no state assistance to fill potholes – thank a republican rep. Note: no democrat voted for this budget!
DON’T LET THE TRUTH GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD STORY
I am now convinced that the more things change – the more they stay the same, and that this crowd will continue to follow their less than factual play book.
Last election – the republicans did an effective job of linking NH Government with their counterparts on the federal level in Washington DC. Consequently, people believed that NH spending was out of control and like “Heney Penny” was told that the financial sky was falling! Regardless of the fact that there was a global recession going on, and that all the national experts said how NH was being better managed than most other states and countries.
So now – following the same game plan of why let truth get in the way of a good story – they have linked spending & the deficit in Washington with spending in NH. Yes today’s mantra is “we have a spending problem!” So what if the elderly, mentally ill, children, poor, public employees and cities & towns get caught in the crossfire. Meanwhile they’ll just cut revenue streams – oops sorry – too bad! Social Darwinism rears its ugly head and Ayn Rand is now the tea baggers political patron saint!
The chant is “it’s not a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem!” This of course is just sophistry. Even one of my local papers (Eagle Times 4/16/11) stated in an editorial that “while catchy” such language is “hogwash.” The editorial went on to say that no one has the intestinal fortitude (their term was guts) to seriously look at both spending and revenue. NO – we’d rather play word games with tuition vs. fees and walk away from anything resembling being responsible!
STATES RIGHTS & THE CIVIL WAR!
I would like to end on a positive note – at least partially positive.
At the end of Wednesday’s session – Representative Campbell, (d) Nashua rose and addressed the House under Personal Consent. He pointed out how the Civil War started 150 years ago this week (April 12) and how New Hampshire has a long tradition of standing tall for justice.
He further brought our attention to the portrait of U.S. Senator John Parker Hale that is displayed in Reps Hall. Apparently Hale, a Republican, was the 1st senator elected as an abolitionist and was a key person in freeing the nation from slavery. Rep Campbell continued by providing an overview of how Hale’s family has served NH up to the present era and how former Republican Representative Jack Chandler was a direct descendant.
My own knowledge of Senator Hale is that he was raised and influenced by an uncle – John Parker – who had the distinction of being appointed by President Washington as the first United States Marshal for New Hampshire. Furthermore, how as a patriot, John Parker was the first person to read the Declaration of Independence aloud to the citizens of NH in 1776.
Some might find it odd that a Democrat Campbell would inform the 3:1 republican House about this early Republican – however, let us not forget that these radical extremists are not your father’s brand of republican either. In light of all this talk about nullification and States Rights – some wonder, especially in light of their vehemence against the federal government, if they would have voted to support the Union in ‘61!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
House Budget Cuts Will Affect All of NH
The following Op-Ed piece is by Representative David Campbell. A resident of Nashua - he is originally from neighboring Newport NH.
House Budget Cuts Will Affect All of NH
By Rep. David B. Campbell (D-Nashua)
I was born and raised in Newport, New Hampshire a half-century ago and since college have lived in Nashua. Throughout my lifetime, New Hampshire has been, for the most part, a Republican state and our state budgets (except for the last two) have been adopted by Republican legislatures. New Hampshire Republicans created the structure that is currently our state government, which has historically been conservative and frugal.
In the four years that the Democrats were in the majority, we did not add any new social programs, or change the structure that was largely dismantled by the recent House budget, but we, like the Republican legislatures before us, did fund these programs at respectable levels. Over the decades, it was these successive Republican legislatures that put a social safety-net in place, maybe not as tight a safety-net as some Democrats wanted; but over the years, Republicans have tried to take care of New Hampshire’s neediest citizens.
The recently adopted House budget drastically reduces funding and totally eliminates gigantic portions of that safety-net. I submit that this budget breaks the long-standing social contract between our state government and its people. It breaks faith, not only with the people directly affected by these cuts, but with the rest of the citizens of our state as well. Remember, the social safety net not only holds the needy up, but it also keeps them from dropping through that net and crashing in our society, landing in our towns and on our streets.
This budget didn’t just reduce funding levels; it eliminated or drastically cuts-back programs for thousands of children in need, thousands of domestic violence victims, and thousands with mental illness or who are developmentally disabled. It devastates programs for child care, Head Start, nursing home and Alzheimer care, vocational and post-secondary education and job training for the unemployed.
This is the ultimate DOWNSHIFT to local communities and property taxpayers. What is going to be the societal impact in our cities and towns with these programs eliminated or financially crippled? Add to this the volatile and dangerous combination of newly passed legislation that lowers the high school dropout age, allows individuals from age 18 to conceal handguns without permits, while simultaneously cutting the number of State Police officers.
This budget will put tremendous new and costly pressure on our local police forces, welfare departments, school systems, charities, churches and our communities and citizenry as a whole. Make no mistake: we will all see the impact of this budget very close to home. This budget reshapes our New Hampshire’s government, into a state that shows little or no compassion for its neediest citizens, while failing to protect the rest of those in our state from the resulting social ills. And finally, this House approved budget has vilified our public employees, including teachers, police and firefighters; and pits public workers against the very government that employs them. This is not the New Hampshire that I was born and raised in.
We the people of New Hampshire must ask ourselves: is this the kind of state government we want? Is this the kind of society that we want to live in? At the recent State House rally, the voices of thousands of people, who were directly affected by this budget, went unheeded. It will take a louder voice from the New Hampshire’s residents who are indirectly, but still dramatically and personally affected by this budget, to make a real difference.
House Budget Cuts Will Affect All of NH
By Rep. David B. Campbell (D-Nashua)
I was born and raised in Newport, New Hampshire a half-century ago and since college have lived in Nashua. Throughout my lifetime, New Hampshire has been, for the most part, a Republican state and our state budgets (except for the last two) have been adopted by Republican legislatures. New Hampshire Republicans created the structure that is currently our state government, which has historically been conservative and frugal.
In the four years that the Democrats were in the majority, we did not add any new social programs, or change the structure that was largely dismantled by the recent House budget, but we, like the Republican legislatures before us, did fund these programs at respectable levels. Over the decades, it was these successive Republican legislatures that put a social safety-net in place, maybe not as tight a safety-net as some Democrats wanted; but over the years, Republicans have tried to take care of New Hampshire’s neediest citizens.
The recently adopted House budget drastically reduces funding and totally eliminates gigantic portions of that safety-net. I submit that this budget breaks the long-standing social contract between our state government and its people. It breaks faith, not only with the people directly affected by these cuts, but with the rest of the citizens of our state as well. Remember, the social safety net not only holds the needy up, but it also keeps them from dropping through that net and crashing in our society, landing in our towns and on our streets.
This budget didn’t just reduce funding levels; it eliminated or drastically cuts-back programs for thousands of children in need, thousands of domestic violence victims, and thousands with mental illness or who are developmentally disabled. It devastates programs for child care, Head Start, nursing home and Alzheimer care, vocational and post-secondary education and job training for the unemployed.
This is the ultimate DOWNSHIFT to local communities and property taxpayers. What is going to be the societal impact in our cities and towns with these programs eliminated or financially crippled? Add to this the volatile and dangerous combination of newly passed legislation that lowers the high school dropout age, allows individuals from age 18 to conceal handguns without permits, while simultaneously cutting the number of State Police officers.
This budget will put tremendous new and costly pressure on our local police forces, welfare departments, school systems, charities, churches and our communities and citizenry as a whole. Make no mistake: we will all see the impact of this budget very close to home. This budget reshapes our New Hampshire’s government, into a state that shows little or no compassion for its neediest citizens, while failing to protect the rest of those in our state from the resulting social ills. And finally, this House approved budget has vilified our public employees, including teachers, police and firefighters; and pits public workers against the very government that employs them. This is not the New Hampshire that I was born and raised in.
We the people of New Hampshire must ask ourselves: is this the kind of state government we want? Is this the kind of society that we want to live in? At the recent State House rally, the voices of thousands of people, who were directly affected by this budget, went unheeded. It will take a louder voice from the New Hampshire’s residents who are indirectly, but still dramatically and personally affected by this budget, to make a real difference.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
STAND UP & BE ABUSED
Sunday morning –
April 3, 2011
At the end of Mass this morning – the priest at my church - rose and addressed the congregation to voice his outrage and shock about the recent verbal attack on the Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester by a member of the NH General Court. The priest’s basic points were how could someone who claims to be a catholic be so rude and show such disrespect for the Office. He ended by asking us to pray for the General Court and this representative.
While I certainly agree that such behavior & comments are disrespectful – why should we expect anything else from a group of individuals who see nothing wrong in calling Firemen thugs (Yeah? The people who rush into burning homes & save lives) – Republicans who disagree with them are shunned & called RINO’s – and the term democrat is interchangeable with socialist & communist. However, among the most shocking is – the 80+ year old couple who care for their 60+ year old developmentally delayed child being treated as if they are somehow trying to scam the system! Their only crimes being fear and worry over who will care for their child after they are gone and asking for some help now to supplement the care they give 24/7. Now, I could go on and cite more examples of insults – but that isn’t necessary. The message seems to be – not only are we going to deny you help – but we see nothing wrong with insult and abuse should you disagree!
A week or so back I wrote about “Who are these People” and how the NH House of Representatives is controlled by a group intent on dismantling government and how they seem to consist of Home Grown Libertarians; Social Conservatives; and Free Staters. I went on to write that what I find especially troublesome is their – intolerance! Many appear to be affluent and seem to not have any knowledge about the needs of average NH families. Consequently, since they see the best defense as a good offense – it is only logical that they revert to branding people who are affected or disagree. They are convinced they know what’s best!
That attitude was reinforced this weekend in reading the State Legislator email thread where numerous republican representatives came to the defense of their majority leader. One a vice chair of a committee actually stated “I am a Catholic and I stand with DJ. McCormack has always been a corrupt scumbag in my book!” He goes on to write “This is one of those instances where no apology is necessary in my opinion. Why should we kowtow to a corrupt hack of a Bishop??” One concurred with: “You speak from my heart the things I cannot say not being of that faith.” Another expressed shock that the Roman Catholic Church was against the Death Penalty – “I was personally insulted a while back when the Bishop issued a statement against the death penalty, making it sound like such punishment was against Catholic doctrine.”
Of course – then there is the republican rep who wants the Bishop to “apologize to his church and to those practicing catholics that he seems to denounce.”
Now in fairness – there was one republican rep who wrote and stated the comments were wrong and that “if you want respect give respect.”
However – a telling example of this group’s belief that government does not have any responsibility for the general welfare of its citizens was provided by a rep who wrote:”Government is force, not charity. Government should be limited to protecting the rights of all people to be treated equally under the law. All people, by the way, includes the rich, the middle class, those who are struggling and anyone else. Charity comes from the hearts of individual people acting on their own free will…” Forget that charitable organiztions in NH presently provide 500 million in charity statewide and would have to double that amount to fill the gap created by this budget.
So Government is force and has no business in providing a social service net: is this what we want for NH & is this what you really voted for last November?
April 3, 2011
At the end of Mass this morning – the priest at my church - rose and addressed the congregation to voice his outrage and shock about the recent verbal attack on the Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester by a member of the NH General Court. The priest’s basic points were how could someone who claims to be a catholic be so rude and show such disrespect for the Office. He ended by asking us to pray for the General Court and this representative.
While I certainly agree that such behavior & comments are disrespectful – why should we expect anything else from a group of individuals who see nothing wrong in calling Firemen thugs (Yeah? The people who rush into burning homes & save lives) – Republicans who disagree with them are shunned & called RINO’s – and the term democrat is interchangeable with socialist & communist. However, among the most shocking is – the 80+ year old couple who care for their 60+ year old developmentally delayed child being treated as if they are somehow trying to scam the system! Their only crimes being fear and worry over who will care for their child after they are gone and asking for some help now to supplement the care they give 24/7. Now, I could go on and cite more examples of insults – but that isn’t necessary. The message seems to be – not only are we going to deny you help – but we see nothing wrong with insult and abuse should you disagree!
A week or so back I wrote about “Who are these People” and how the NH House of Representatives is controlled by a group intent on dismantling government and how they seem to consist of Home Grown Libertarians; Social Conservatives; and Free Staters. I went on to write that what I find especially troublesome is their – intolerance! Many appear to be affluent and seem to not have any knowledge about the needs of average NH families. Consequently, since they see the best defense as a good offense – it is only logical that they revert to branding people who are affected or disagree. They are convinced they know what’s best!
That attitude was reinforced this weekend in reading the State Legislator email thread where numerous republican representatives came to the defense of their majority leader. One a vice chair of a committee actually stated “I am a Catholic and I stand with DJ. McCormack has always been a corrupt scumbag in my book!” He goes on to write “This is one of those instances where no apology is necessary in my opinion. Why should we kowtow to a corrupt hack of a Bishop??” One concurred with: “You speak from my heart the things I cannot say not being of that faith.” Another expressed shock that the Roman Catholic Church was against the Death Penalty – “I was personally insulted a while back when the Bishop issued a statement against the death penalty, making it sound like such punishment was against Catholic doctrine.”
Of course – then there is the republican rep who wants the Bishop to “apologize to his church and to those practicing catholics that he seems to denounce.”
Now in fairness – there was one republican rep who wrote and stated the comments were wrong and that “if you want respect give respect.”
However – a telling example of this group’s belief that government does not have any responsibility for the general welfare of its citizens was provided by a rep who wrote:”Government is force, not charity. Government should be limited to protecting the rights of all people to be treated equally under the law. All people, by the way, includes the rich, the middle class, those who are struggling and anyone else. Charity comes from the hearts of individual people acting on their own free will…” Forget that charitable organiztions in NH presently provide 500 million in charity statewide and would have to double that amount to fill the gap created by this budget.
So Government is force and has no business in providing a social service net: is this what we want for NH & is this what you really voted for last November?
Sunday, March 27, 2011
NH HOUSE BUDGET – A TAX ON YOU & ME!
Is New Hampshire walking away from its constitutional responsibility?
“When men enter into a state of society, they surrender up some of their natural rights to that society, in order to ensure the protection of others; and without such an equivalent, the surrender is void.
Article 3 NH Constitution (June 2, 1764)
The GOP has crafted a budget that is reckless and disgraceful for the state of NH. Basically their approach is that every city & town (individual ultimately) is on their own. Affected groups and citizens across the state are voicing their concern – but are being told by the Finance Chair to “shut up & get out”. Yes, this is how we speak to those keeping us safe and believe it is acceptable to place our most needy people at risk.
Here is an overview of how this budget affects services to NH‘s most needy and dramatically shift costs to the Cities and Towns.
CAN’T EVEN LOCK ‘EM UP & THROW AWAY THE KEY:
Closes the NH State Prison in Berlin;
Eliminates the Consumer Protection Bureau – the people who just successfully prosecuted NH biggest Ponzi Scheme last year;
Cuts support for Victims of Domestic Violence – thus overwhelm local law enforcement by cutting programs in half that help victims of domestic & sexual violence;
Cuts drug & alcohol treatment for about 25,000 people which will lead to higher crime rates and increased property taxes;
Repeals the category known as Children in Need of Services (CHINS) – thus l increase the burden and costs to schools & towns, as well as force many to be prosecuted as delinquent & incarcerated at costly youth facilities;
Reduces funds to repair Bridges and Unsafe Roads, which will increase local costs & put our infrastructure at risk.
KIDS – DISABLED – ELDERS – WORKING FAMILIES – NH joins the 3rd World:
Cuts services to people with developmental disabilities, services that help them live independently and stay out of more expensive nursing homes;
Cuts access to critical heath care services;
Eliminates preventative health care for children thus send health care costs for children skyrocketing & increase emergency room visits. NH Health care will now have to be rationed;
Hospitals will face a 115 million dollar tax increase which will raise costs for individuals and businesses and kill jobs in NH;
Eliminate treatment for 8,000 people who have the most serious mental illnesses – Now these individuals will be a danger to themselves and the community.
EDUCATION IS OVER RATED – YOU DON’T NEED IT:
Cuts Head Start;
Slashes dropout prevention & vocational technical programs [note: 20% of all NH wages come from smart manufacturing and high tech business (Center for Public Policy Studies) and that these programs are key for attracting & maintaining businesses];
Reduces special education programs to the lowest allowable legal level;
Eliminates funds for statewide special education programs;
Eliminates almost one million dollars in grants to schools & local community organizations through the State Arts Development which will impact 363,000 students;
Cuts almost in half funding for the Community College & University System – [UNH System 80 million ~ Community College System 10m];
House Republicans are stealing money from college students & their families to cover holes in this reckless and irresponsible budget. This is unprecedented – ever!
NH’s RACE TO THE BOTTOM:
This budget will kill thousands of NH jobs and attacks hard working NH people struggling to support their families. Thousands of jobs will be lost that will put NH’s economic recovery at risk and cause property taxes to rise to astronomical levels.
Implements a job killing collective bargaining agreement – worse than Wisconsin, which will lead to lower wages & higher unemployment. [Done at night – with no public hearing] this is an unprecedented attack on the people who protect you, teach your children & fix your roads;
Implements a 100 million dollar income tax on public employees & working families;
Eliminates 600 jobs at the Berlin State Prison;
Eliminates the Director of Economic Development for NH. Yeah! That will show business we’re serious about economic growth;
Cuts almost 1 million from the Innovative Research Center which has created public/private partnerships that spurs innovation & creates jobs;
Forces 4,000 community businesses to lay off workers;
Cuts 10 million dollars from childcare for low income parents forcing them to choose child care over jobs thus forcing them to rely on public assistance (which will be the cities & towns);
PROMISED TAX RELIEF “SMOKE & MIRRORS”:
Republicans lied to the people of NH when they said they would not downshift or raise taxes. This irresponsible, dangerous & reckless budget will increase property taxes to historic levels and at a time when so many middle class families can least afford to take the hit.
This GOP House Budget –
Shifts the cost of state government onto local communities in the form of public safety, education & health care;
Increases costs for students, families, & businesses;
Does not lower business or property taxes;
Implements a 100 million dollar income tax on public employees & working families;
Implements a 115 million dollar increase in business taxes on hospitals [guess where these costs will be passed onto – you & me];
Creates a 16 million dollar tax loophole by firing the state auditors [the guys who presently watch out for our interests]
In this week’s NH House Calendar – the minority blurb regarding the budget was they “cannot support HB1… because the level and breadth of the cuts will threaten essential programs and services necessary. If the Finance Committee had considered a responsible revenue estimate for the next two years, the minority believes that at least $200 million of the cuts could be restored. Further the minority believes that adjustments proposed to avoid paying hospitals over $116 million of disproportionate share support is essentially a new and inappropriate business tax. Finally … that the proposed increase in retirement contributions is essentially an income tax for almost all of our public employees”
Their recommendation was the budget should be declared inexpedient to legislate and killed. Let’s see what the 3:1 GOP NH House of Representatives – The People’s House – will do this week – stay tuned!
“When men enter into a state of society, they surrender up some of their natural rights to that society, in order to ensure the protection of others; and without such an equivalent, the surrender is void.
Article 3 NH Constitution (June 2, 1764)
The GOP has crafted a budget that is reckless and disgraceful for the state of NH. Basically their approach is that every city & town (individual ultimately) is on their own. Affected groups and citizens across the state are voicing their concern – but are being told by the Finance Chair to “shut up & get out”. Yes, this is how we speak to those keeping us safe and believe it is acceptable to place our most needy people at risk.
Here is an overview of how this budget affects services to NH‘s most needy and dramatically shift costs to the Cities and Towns.
CAN’T EVEN LOCK ‘EM UP & THROW AWAY THE KEY:
Closes the NH State Prison in Berlin;
Eliminates the Consumer Protection Bureau – the people who just successfully prosecuted NH biggest Ponzi Scheme last year;
Cuts support for Victims of Domestic Violence – thus overwhelm local law enforcement by cutting programs in half that help victims of domestic & sexual violence;
Cuts drug & alcohol treatment for about 25,000 people which will lead to higher crime rates and increased property taxes;
Repeals the category known as Children in Need of Services (CHINS) – thus l increase the burden and costs to schools & towns, as well as force many to be prosecuted as delinquent & incarcerated at costly youth facilities;
Reduces funds to repair Bridges and Unsafe Roads, which will increase local costs & put our infrastructure at risk.
KIDS – DISABLED – ELDERS – WORKING FAMILIES – NH joins the 3rd World:
Cuts services to people with developmental disabilities, services that help them live independently and stay out of more expensive nursing homes;
Cuts access to critical heath care services;
Eliminates preventative health care for children thus send health care costs for children skyrocketing & increase emergency room visits. NH Health care will now have to be rationed;
Hospitals will face a 115 million dollar tax increase which will raise costs for individuals and businesses and kill jobs in NH;
Eliminate treatment for 8,000 people who have the most serious mental illnesses – Now these individuals will be a danger to themselves and the community.
EDUCATION IS OVER RATED – YOU DON’T NEED IT:
Cuts Head Start;
Slashes dropout prevention & vocational technical programs [note: 20% of all NH wages come from smart manufacturing and high tech business (Center for Public Policy Studies) and that these programs are key for attracting & maintaining businesses];
Reduces special education programs to the lowest allowable legal level;
Eliminates funds for statewide special education programs;
Eliminates almost one million dollars in grants to schools & local community organizations through the State Arts Development which will impact 363,000 students;
Cuts almost in half funding for the Community College & University System – [UNH System 80 million ~ Community College System 10m];
House Republicans are stealing money from college students & their families to cover holes in this reckless and irresponsible budget. This is unprecedented – ever!
NH’s RACE TO THE BOTTOM:
This budget will kill thousands of NH jobs and attacks hard working NH people struggling to support their families. Thousands of jobs will be lost that will put NH’s economic recovery at risk and cause property taxes to rise to astronomical levels.
Implements a job killing collective bargaining agreement – worse than Wisconsin, which will lead to lower wages & higher unemployment. [Done at night – with no public hearing] this is an unprecedented attack on the people who protect you, teach your children & fix your roads;
Implements a 100 million dollar income tax on public employees & working families;
Eliminates 600 jobs at the Berlin State Prison;
Eliminates the Director of Economic Development for NH. Yeah! That will show business we’re serious about economic growth;
Cuts almost 1 million from the Innovative Research Center which has created public/private partnerships that spurs innovation & creates jobs;
Forces 4,000 community businesses to lay off workers;
Cuts 10 million dollars from childcare for low income parents forcing them to choose child care over jobs thus forcing them to rely on public assistance (which will be the cities & towns);
PROMISED TAX RELIEF “SMOKE & MIRRORS”:
Republicans lied to the people of NH when they said they would not downshift or raise taxes. This irresponsible, dangerous & reckless budget will increase property taxes to historic levels and at a time when so many middle class families can least afford to take the hit.
This GOP House Budget –
Shifts the cost of state government onto local communities in the form of public safety, education & health care;
Increases costs for students, families, & businesses;
Does not lower business or property taxes;
Implements a 100 million dollar income tax on public employees & working families;
Implements a 115 million dollar increase in business taxes on hospitals [guess where these costs will be passed onto – you & me];
Creates a 16 million dollar tax loophole by firing the state auditors [the guys who presently watch out for our interests]
In this week’s NH House Calendar – the minority blurb regarding the budget was they “cannot support HB1… because the level and breadth of the cuts will threaten essential programs and services necessary. If the Finance Committee had considered a responsible revenue estimate for the next two years, the minority believes that at least $200 million of the cuts could be restored. Further the minority believes that adjustments proposed to avoid paying hospitals over $116 million of disproportionate share support is essentially a new and inappropriate business tax. Finally … that the proposed increase in retirement contributions is essentially an income tax for almost all of our public employees”
Their recommendation was the budget should be declared inexpedient to legislate and killed. Let’s see what the 3:1 GOP NH House of Representatives – The People’s House – will do this week – stay tuned!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Who are these People!
The statehouse news this week has centered on the GOP House Budget and projected human service cuts that will dismantle NH’s social service infrastructure – forcing a downshift of costs to the cities and towns which will result in out of control property taxes! This all leads me to ask – Who are these People – can they really be this cold, heartless and selfish!
My mother always told me as a little boy to “not stare – it wasn’t polite”, however, for the past three months, sitting in Reps Hall – at the eastern end of section IV, [an area - I call the penalty box of political hockey] – I am constantly amazed by what comes out of their mouths and cannot help but stare and continuously ask – Who are these People and where do they come from!
Unfortunately, while much has been written about the new federal legislators – little can be found about NH House members. Being one of 400 allows for a degree of anonymity – a bad thing for the publicity seeking needy, but a valued tool for those who do not want to have their agenda exposed. Even some republicans have said they don’t know anything about these new guys. Note: I say guys because they are overwhelmingly male - this session has the lowest number of women members since something like 1974. But who are they – Are they all some sort of monolithic radical extremist political Borg – who think alike, act alike and look alike? That would be too easy.
So after three months of intensive staring – I believe they are not real republicans – they’re not even real conservatives, but radical extremists who want to deregulate everything and ultimately dismantle government.
Overall, they seem to fall into a continuum of center/center-right to extreme far right. I break them down into various sub groups: Standard Main Street Republicans (an endangered species) and the rest are tea bag types, or at least fellow travelers consisting of Home Grown Libertarians; Social Conservatives; and Free Staters.
MAIN STREET GOP:
Truly an endangered species – socially moderate, fiscally responsible, “live and let live” types are now near extinction. Sadly, should they voice disagreement with what is going on; they are immediately denounced as RINO’s (republicans in name only). I heard of a conversation with a distinguished old school republican who after talking about the need for responsible government, was denounced as ‘not really being one of us!’ FYI – once upon a time the state republican platform called for an income tax - the days of Winant, Peterson and Hager are long gone – this is not your father’s Republican Party!
TEA BAGGERS:
Now to call everyone else in the majority a member of the Tea Bag Movement would be wrong. Although many seem to identify with the tagline – they do come from different start off points.
Personally, what I really find the most offensive regarding this group is NOT their adherence to an originalist interpretation of the US & NH Constitutions. No – it is their usurpation of patriotic (historic) terms and that only their interpretation is accurate – a total intolerance for anything different. Yeah – that’s what I find especially troublesome – intolerance!
I break this collective crop of representatives into the following sub-groups – Social Conservatives, Home Grown Libertarians, and Free Staters
Social Conservatives: fewer in number than in other parts of the country, nevertheless this faith based subset is highly visible and seem willing to play ball with their more secular extremist colleagues. At first blush they appear to have cut a deal and postponed the repeal of same sex marriage. While some tout this as a victory – my concern is the issue will re-surface next year and be used to motivate their base to come out and vote in the ’12 elections, thus keep their majority.
Home Grown Libertarians: buoyed by numbers that they interpret as validation for their anti poor/anti family views – this group struts around talking in code and mumbling from the NH Constitution and starting a NH Militia. I secretly suspect that they are designing special uniforms with huge gold epaulets and lots of medals.
While some are truly sincere – many don’t seem to have too strong a link to what really is happening in the world. I suspect they are being used by others intent on turning NH into some sort of radical libertarian social science laboratory.
I include in this group a large number of Massachusetts expatriates who in many ways seem to have never fully left their home state [except for paying MA taxes.] Fiercely loud at opposing any broad based taxes – they sometimes seem to want all the creature comforts and services they left behind, especially more asphalt to Boston – they just don’t want to pay for it!
Free Staters: They appear to be driving the policy bus this session – and as such are the most dangerous and most invisible. It is not that they are quiet – it is that they (for the most part) hide their identity. Few have publically come out and stated they are Free Staters. Fortunately, they do give themselves away when it’s obvious they know nothing of NH history, geography or how to pronounce words like coos or how to correctly use ‘wicked’ in a sentence.
The Free State movement is a radical libertarian group who believe that, if they can get 20,000 like minded people to move to NH, they can take over and control local and state government. This would then provide an opportunity to dismantle government and experiment with their radical libertarian theories. Now – I know that I risk sounding like some kind of conspiracy theorist, but just look at what has been going on this session! I believe we are seeing the first wave of these interlopers who believe they know better than us – on how to run New Hampshire.
So who are they, and how do we expose them? If they were all a bunch of bomb throwing bullies we could easily tag them, however, many appear to be almost soft spoken – it’s only when they talk about guns that you see the intensity. In looking through the Blue Book it seems many suspected FS’s are educated possessing some social skills. Many also seem to be very tech savvy – maybe they have spent too much time alone before a computer screen communicating only with like minded souls. Actually this might be the crux of the problem – being affluent, and spoiled; they don’t have any knowledge about the needs of average NH families. All they care about are themselves and since they only know and talk to like minded people – they are convinced they know what’s best!
The Other ‘Real’ NH:
Allow me to compare this with a meeting I attended on Tuesday night in Claremont. A group consisting of union members, families, social service agencies and faith based groups met with our local State Senator. Basically, they were concerned about the House ideologues and what has been happening. Their hope is the NH Senate will be a counter weight and stem the tide to what they see as disaster.
Over a 100 people came out on a cold icy night to voice their fears about losing health retiree benefits, dismantling of collective bargaining, cuts in human services and weakening their ability to remain part of the middle class. Area state representatives were also invited – so we had an opportunity to hear, as well as put a face on our neighbors - the people who sent us to Concord.
Last week a long time representative stated that these proposed cuts are so bad that some people could die – hopefully it won’t come to that and the Senate and Governor will be the grownups. Let’s hope – because the People’s House is not listening!
My mother always told me as a little boy to “not stare – it wasn’t polite”, however, for the past three months, sitting in Reps Hall – at the eastern end of section IV, [an area - I call the penalty box of political hockey] – I am constantly amazed by what comes out of their mouths and cannot help but stare and continuously ask – Who are these People and where do they come from!
Unfortunately, while much has been written about the new federal legislators – little can be found about NH House members. Being one of 400 allows for a degree of anonymity – a bad thing for the publicity seeking needy, but a valued tool for those who do not want to have their agenda exposed. Even some republicans have said they don’t know anything about these new guys. Note: I say guys because they are overwhelmingly male - this session has the lowest number of women members since something like 1974. But who are they – Are they all some sort of monolithic radical extremist political Borg – who think alike, act alike and look alike? That would be too easy.
So after three months of intensive staring – I believe they are not real republicans – they’re not even real conservatives, but radical extremists who want to deregulate everything and ultimately dismantle government.
Overall, they seem to fall into a continuum of center/center-right to extreme far right. I break them down into various sub groups: Standard Main Street Republicans (an endangered species) and the rest are tea bag types, or at least fellow travelers consisting of Home Grown Libertarians; Social Conservatives; and Free Staters.
MAIN STREET GOP:
Truly an endangered species – socially moderate, fiscally responsible, “live and let live” types are now near extinction. Sadly, should they voice disagreement with what is going on; they are immediately denounced as RINO’s (republicans in name only). I heard of a conversation with a distinguished old school republican who after talking about the need for responsible government, was denounced as ‘not really being one of us!’ FYI – once upon a time the state republican platform called for an income tax - the days of Winant, Peterson and Hager are long gone – this is not your father’s Republican Party!
TEA BAGGERS:
Now to call everyone else in the majority a member of the Tea Bag Movement would be wrong. Although many seem to identify with the tagline – they do come from different start off points.
Personally, what I really find the most offensive regarding this group is NOT their adherence to an originalist interpretation of the US & NH Constitutions. No – it is their usurpation of patriotic (historic) terms and that only their interpretation is accurate – a total intolerance for anything different. Yeah – that’s what I find especially troublesome – intolerance!
I break this collective crop of representatives into the following sub-groups – Social Conservatives, Home Grown Libertarians, and Free Staters
Social Conservatives: fewer in number than in other parts of the country, nevertheless this faith based subset is highly visible and seem willing to play ball with their more secular extremist colleagues. At first blush they appear to have cut a deal and postponed the repeal of same sex marriage. While some tout this as a victory – my concern is the issue will re-surface next year and be used to motivate their base to come out and vote in the ’12 elections, thus keep their majority.
Home Grown Libertarians: buoyed by numbers that they interpret as validation for their anti poor/anti family views – this group struts around talking in code and mumbling from the NH Constitution and starting a NH Militia. I secretly suspect that they are designing special uniforms with huge gold epaulets and lots of medals.
While some are truly sincere – many don’t seem to have too strong a link to what really is happening in the world. I suspect they are being used by others intent on turning NH into some sort of radical libertarian social science laboratory.
I include in this group a large number of Massachusetts expatriates who in many ways seem to have never fully left their home state [except for paying MA taxes.] Fiercely loud at opposing any broad based taxes – they sometimes seem to want all the creature comforts and services they left behind, especially more asphalt to Boston – they just don’t want to pay for it!
Free Staters: They appear to be driving the policy bus this session – and as such are the most dangerous and most invisible. It is not that they are quiet – it is that they (for the most part) hide their identity. Few have publically come out and stated they are Free Staters. Fortunately, they do give themselves away when it’s obvious they know nothing of NH history, geography or how to pronounce words like coos or how to correctly use ‘wicked’ in a sentence.
The Free State movement is a radical libertarian group who believe that, if they can get 20,000 like minded people to move to NH, they can take over and control local and state government. This would then provide an opportunity to dismantle government and experiment with their radical libertarian theories. Now – I know that I risk sounding like some kind of conspiracy theorist, but just look at what has been going on this session! I believe we are seeing the first wave of these interlopers who believe they know better than us – on how to run New Hampshire.
So who are they, and how do we expose them? If they were all a bunch of bomb throwing bullies we could easily tag them, however, many appear to be almost soft spoken – it’s only when they talk about guns that you see the intensity. In looking through the Blue Book it seems many suspected FS’s are educated possessing some social skills. Many also seem to be very tech savvy – maybe they have spent too much time alone before a computer screen communicating only with like minded souls. Actually this might be the crux of the problem – being affluent, and spoiled; they don’t have any knowledge about the needs of average NH families. All they care about are themselves and since they only know and talk to like minded people – they are convinced they know what’s best!
The Other ‘Real’ NH:
Allow me to compare this with a meeting I attended on Tuesday night in Claremont. A group consisting of union members, families, social service agencies and faith based groups met with our local State Senator. Basically, they were concerned about the House ideologues and what has been happening. Their hope is the NH Senate will be a counter weight and stem the tide to what they see as disaster.
Over a 100 people came out on a cold icy night to voice their fears about losing health retiree benefits, dismantling of collective bargaining, cuts in human services and weakening their ability to remain part of the middle class. Area state representatives were also invited – so we had an opportunity to hear, as well as put a face on our neighbors - the people who sent us to Concord.
Last week a long time representative stated that these proposed cuts are so bad that some people could die – hopefully it won’t come to that and the Senate and Governor will be the grownups. Let’s hope – because the People’s House is not listening!
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