PRIMARY OBSERVATIONS:

ROCKWELL MOMENT:
Norman Rockwell, the 20th Century American painter and illustrator, is famous for capturing everyday American Life on canvas and last Tuesday, as I entered Ward 3 to vote, I experienced my own rockwellian moment! The Disnard School Auditorium had been transfixed into an election precinct with neatly installed voting booths, registration tables, updated checklists and appropriate signage – everything was in place serving as a perfect reflection on everyday American life!

I was especially struck by the sense of tradition and tightness demonstrated by the election officials – not only was everything in tip-top shape, but the election personnel were ready to do their duty. My second observation was that elections’ in Ward 3 Claremont are very much family events. The Ward Clerk (Brenda Saunders) had her granddaughter (Elyse Gagnon) working as a ballot clerk; the two moderators overseeing cast ballots was former County Commissioner Donald Fontaine and his son Don, a retired Claremont police captain; two of the Checklist Supervisors were Ann and Melissa Richmond (mother & daughter); and to round things out, two of the other ballot clerks were sisters (Marcelle Obymako & Claire MacDonald). Then just to make the image complete, their brother (Joe LaPointe) and his wife arrived to vote to make it truly a family event. While I’m sure this was replicated throughout New Hampshire, it was (for me) a moving Rockwell moment and testimony of Americans exercising their right and doing their duty

WIN / LOOSE:
Maggie Hassan and Ovide LaMontagne, after the dust settled last week, emerged as victors and their respective party’s candidate for governor. Former Senator Hassan ended with a strong showing over her nearest rival former Senator Jackie Cilley who had been thought to be rising in the polls during the final weeks. Senator Hassan did exceptionally well in her home county of Rockingham and equally well in Hillsborough County. While Jackie Cilley had some of the most passionate supporters and creative commercials, her opponent’s decision to run a centrist campaign that included a steady approach of fundraising and building an organization proved successful. Locally, Jackie Cilley did very well in Lebanon and won two of the three wards in Claremont, however that was not enough to offset Maggie Hassan’s big win in heavily populated Hillsborough and Rockingham counties. Now a question being asked is will Hassan be able to replace the funds she spent in the primary to beat back the Cilley surge.
Meanwhile, on the Republican side – Ovide LaMontagne easily won the gubernatorial primary over his 35 year old challenger Kevin Smith, who from all accounts appears to have a very promising future in conservative party politics. Lamontagne was described, by MSNBC pundit Chris Matthews, as a class act in the way he handled his defeat to Kelly Ayotte for the United States Senate. His reputation of being a nice and good man is well founded. Ovide is what the old mémères would describe as someone who’s “mother taught him well” – i.e. manners and politeness. An interesting side bar is, if successful, Mr. LaMontagne will be New Hampshire’s first governor elected of French-Canadian ancestry. Although several, over the years, have tried and run for the office (e.g. Bussière, Raiche, Grandmaison), and while franco-americans account for about 35% of the state’s population, New Hampshire has never elected a governor of French-Canadian ancestry. Interestingly, since Franco-Americans have traditionally been democrats, perhaps having a candidate running this time as a republican might make a difference – then again maybe it just says such things as ethnic politics have run their course.

CT VALLEY SCENE:
Representative David Pierce, from Etna, won the democrat nomination for the new State Senate District 5 seat over his challenger former Representative Sandra Harris. While she won her hometown of Claremont, David Pierce made an extremely strong showing in his home community of Hanover.

On the Republican side – Representative Joe Osgood trounced his opponent Cynthia Coolidge Howard to be the Republican Party’s senate nominee in November. Both Pierce and Osgood have pledged to run campaigns based on issues and policies for New Hampshire’s future. Certainly, it has been a long time since we’ve had two candidates with such divergent and opposite views regarding New Hampshire’s future. It should prove to be a very interesting and informative campaign.

PERSONAL NOTE:
When I woke up last Tuesday morning, I was unopposed running for the New Hampshire House of Representatives; however by the end of the day I discovered I now have two opponents – Richard Madigan, a retired banker, and Gerry Donatelli, a musician! While they came up short of securing the necessary write in votes to be placed on the Republican ballot, they did each get 150 residents/voters in Ward 3 to sign a petition in order to be on the November ballot as independent candidates. These petitions were submitted to the NH Secretary of State’s Office a couple of weeks ago.

So while I’m disappointed and torn about not getting an opportunity to run unopposed – having two opponents certainly fits nicely into the American image of a Norman Rockwell moment –that is (of course) assuming that I win in November.
So stay tuned!

VALLEY OBSERVATIONS

Last week was the Democrat National Convention and on Wednesday the featured speaker was my old boss, President Bill Clinton, who many consider the best political orator in the country today. We first met, in Claremont during the fall of 1991, when he came to “test the waters” regarding the NH Primary & running for president. We did a walk thru downtown Claremont and I remember being impressed by this tall, chatty and affable southerner. Noticeably even then, he demonstrated this ability to grow ideas and explain complex issues in everyday language, in a way you never thought he was talking down to you, but deep down you knew he was the smartest guy in the room. Our paths have crossed a few times since he left office and I’ve always been amazed by his ability to recall minor details from events long ago. The last time we spoke was when he came to Claremont a few years ago while campaigning for his wife who was running for president. We were at Stevens High and he leaned over the rope line and said something like when this is all over let’s go back through the downtown and show me what’s new! We retraced our route along Pleasant Street and ended up at the Java Cup – unfortunately unlike ’91, where we had strolled up the street flanked by empty storefronts and few people, this time he was mobbed with fans and well wishers. However, being the consummate politico – President Clinton enjoyed meeting everyone. So watching him last Wednesday in Charlotte – I thought who else could talk for 52 minutes on national television – ad lib half the speech – and keep the nation’s attention talking about economics and government policy! Amazing!

***
This Tuesday - September 11 is primary day in New Hampshire, so everyone needs to get out and vote for their candidate. Republicans have primary races for Executive Council, Governor, and the new State Senate District 5. The republican candidates for Governor are Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith, however long time Executive Councilor Raymond Burton is facing a serious challenge from Jerry Thibodeau who has close ties with the Tea Party faction of the GOP. The State Senate District 5 race has Joe Osgood and Cynthia Coolidge Howard vying for the nomination and opportunity to face off against the democrats in November. Howard is tight with the Tea Party crowd. Among the Democrats, there are three active candidates for governor; Jackie Cilley, Maggie Hassan and Bill Kennedy. They all seem to be good people, however Bill Kennedy may have gotten into the race too late and it seems between Cilley & Hassan. Interestingly, the only contested senate race in New Hampshire, on the democrat side, is here in the Connecticut River Valley between Representative David Pierce & former Rep Sandy Harris. The Charlestown Dems sponsored a forum last week that was very informative. Sharon Francis, a Charlestown resident, served as moderator and did a fantastic job keeping matters focused and positive. The result was a civil, substantive and informative discussion.

***
On Thursday, The County Delegation held a public hearing and special meeting regarding establishing a reserve fund. As Sullivan County’s legislative arm, the thirteen member delegation serves as the “guardian of the county purse,” so our thought was to establish a county reserve fund that would serve as a special fund to assist in capital improvements and avoid any sudden unforeseen spikes/surprises in local property taxes. Basically it would be a rainy day fund for capital projects in Sullivan County where by law, we could add to on a yearly basis. All but one of the delegation’s members supported its creation.

***
Sullivan County lost a good man last week with the death of Francis Edes – former lawyer, judge, legislator, WW2 Vet, musician, activist and most important someone who always looked out for the least among us. I first met Frank in 1980, as a young state employee tasked with establishing alcohol social detox sites around the state. Not only was I an inexperienced kid, but without a clue as what to do! Thankfully, it was guys like Frank who lent their gravitas and made the program a success.
New Hampshire had received federal money to de-criminalize public alcohol intoxication; and the thought was we’d recruit a cadre of unpaid volunteers who we’d train as special EMT’s to provide custodial care and be the first point of contact to turn around lives dependent on alcohol. Not only was I to create these sites, but I was to recruit people to staff them on a nightly basis – 7 days a week – for free! The hotshots in Concord told me to go out and recruit people in recovery, unfortunately my supervisors had forgotten that the second letter of AA stands for anonymous and a non-recovering 20 something (me) didn’t really have much credibility in that world. Here’s where Frank came into play – not only was he willing to go public as someone in recovery, he was willing to reach out to the AA community in the Connecticut River Valley and convince them that the chubby “kid” (me) was OK! FYI – Frank’s obit mentioned how he had 54 years of sobriety! Over the years, I continued to cross paths with Frank usually at various progressive political events and always marveled at his ability to be so gregarious and kind to everyone he met, although he didn’t suffer fools & phony’s lightly. It didn’t matter if you were President Clinton or someone who lived in a box under a bridge – you were treated with the same kindness. While he possessed a multitude of skills, his greatest talent was being an advocate for those most needy amongst us! His stories, laughter and kindness will be missed – RIP.

Ray Gagnon - NH State Rep (Facebook page)

This November’s election will determine if we continue down the path of dismantling vital services & government, or return to a practical common sense approach on how to run the State. If you believe government should make things better – I am asking you to support my re-election. The anti-government crowd in charge of NH has established a highway re-paving plan where state roads will not be paved for 30 years! I have consistently said NO to such foolishness and worked for good roads, safe bridges, quality education and a social service system for the neediest. Republican Speaker Bill O’Brien recently said that if his team is elected in November, they plan to cut 400 million more dollars from the next state budget. Imagine how that will affect the basic functions of state government. Your property taxes will increase from the state’s downshifting and walking away from responsibility resulting in INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES! The present legislature was elected saying they would create jobs & grow the economy – however their first act was to permit concealed guns in the State Capital and on the floor of Reps Hall. I’m not anti-gun, but you don’t bring them to the legislature! They have been hostile to NH Hospitals and social service agencies, as well as public sector workers. I ask that you send me to Concord and I will say NO to this extremist agenda. Government needs to help business grow the economy & create good jobs. Experts agree that sustaining an educated trained workforce is vital to attracting and maintaining businesses and jobs; yet this legislature cut aid to the NH University System by almost 50% causing NH tuition to now be the most costly in America. Their short sighted financial policies have resulted in massive cuts to cities and school districts. This down shifting of costs to local communities will only mean one thing – increased property taxes. Ward 3 Claremont needs to send to Concord someone who won’t support this radical agenda. My record has been one that has worked with everyone regardless of party, but not someone who has been silent regarding legislative overreach. I have a proven record of fiscal common sense: As chair of the Sullivan County Delegation (‘08/10), I was part of the county team that paid off the debt incurred from past irresponsible fiscal management and helped make the County Home solvent.. BACKGROUND: Native of Claremont – Born & raised in Ward 3Married – 1 child (daughter) EDUCATION: St. Mary’s High School St. Francis College – AB History Southern NH University – MS Human Services EMPLOYEMENT: Semi-Retired – Communications Consultant (2002-Present) United States Marshal – 1994-2002 State Employee (DCYF) – 1972-1994 ELECTED OFFICE: Claremont City Council 1986-1992 Mayor – 1991 NH House of Representatives (3 terms) ’06-‘12 For additional information read my weekly column in the e-ticker news and sign up to my blog: http://communitygovernmentstrategies.blogspot.com. Also join my facebook page Ray Gagnon – NH State Rep – My email address is RepGagnon@gmail.com

Elections Québec Style

Contrary to rumors – while I may have been out of the country last week it’s not true that I left because of the Republican National Convention! I believe summer is for reflection and among the memories lately are my almost annual trips to Québec as a child that included visits to extended family with my parents and grandmother. This was the 1950’s where children were to be seen and not heard, resulting in my taking it all in and be amazed how just a few hours north of Claremont NH, life was so different regarding food, pastimes, and language. Growing up in 1950’s Claremont, it was common to hear French spoken, but where it was everywhere (radio, television and newspapers) was very different! Perhaps it’s the hot summer or just getting old, but thoughts of those days have been center stage – to the point where I recently told my wife I was off to Québec and the memories of my youth! Her response was “bon voyage & see yah!” I also shared this plan with my friend Jim Morin who told me about the upcoming provincial elections and how the separatists could possibly win. Furthermore, he’d be willing to go on this journey to visit the towns where so many Claremont families originated from and provide a firsthand view of elections Québec style. My mothers’ family (Beaudoin) like many of her extended family (LaPlante, Gregoire & Garneau) came here from the Eastern Townships – an area just north of the border where the principal city is Sherbrooke. The townships were created by the British after the American Revolution as a buffer zone between the French along the St. Lawrence and the new United States of America. The Townships were quickly settled by expanding French populations to where the names of the towns are the only remaining thing British. In the 19th Century, thousands of French-Canadians were enticed to New England which included hundreds of families from the Eastern Townships to Claremont. I recall a delightful story depicting this migration by my second grade teacher – Miss Laurina Issoire – who told how her father worked, as a lumberjack during the winter in northern NH & VT and would each spring be part of a drive where logs would be floated down the Connecticut River to Bellows Falls VT. Men would actually walk on the water and steer the logs down river. After reaching their destination, they were supposed to return to Canada, but her father, circa 1890’s, walked from Bellows Falls to Claremont, found permanent work and stayed. So being the largest community in the area, Sherbrooke made sense as our first stop and enroute I learned from Jim all about provincial politics and how Quebec uses a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government. The premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the National Assembly and Liberals have been in power since 2003 with Jean Charest from Sherbrooke as Premier. Also, the premier chooses when to call an election, which happened on August 1st. Imagine if our elections only lasted 1 month. The premier called for elections on the first of August with September 4 designated as Election Day! Phone banks, visibility, signs, TV ads, and candidate events are all condensed into 1 month! Polls indicate the elections are close with only 6% separating first place Parti-Québeçois (PQ) with32% from the 3rd place Liberals (PLQ) at 26%. The new conservative party, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), is in 2nd place with 28%. In Sherbrooke, we visited the Separatist and Liberal headquarters. According to the PQ, Mr. Charest a Sherbrooke native is so unpopular at home that even if his party wins on Tuesday, he may lose his seat. Therefore, should his party win but he loses, a liberal member of the National Assembly will resign in order to keep Charest premier. It’s like if the Republicans maintain a majority in the NH House, but Speaker O’Brien loses his race, a GOP representative would step down so O’Brien could remain the speaker. While visiting various headquarters differences became obvious, the PQ supporters we met were working class and in their 30’s, while the Liberal volunteers were middle age (40’s) and appeared more affluent. Separatists had their phone banks humming as you entered the headquarters, while the liberals had their get out the vote operations in the rear, away from public view. Obviously two different styles at play, with two different philosophies in motion. Our next concern was public opinion, so like all good Frenchmen we went to lunch where we met a chatty fellow who said it was too close to call, and re-affirmed the story we had heard about Sherbrook’s displeasure with their present legislator who’s also the present premier. We then went deeper into the province driving through rural towns with familiar names thanks to my mémère and noticed that political signs were only on utility poles and not private property! Later we learned that while people have strong personal opinions – they tend to keep them private. My thought was how can the Separatists be leading, weren’t they trounced in the last election and hadn’t they lost the referendum to secede from Canada? Hadn’t the wind been taken out of their sails, so how’d they bounce back? Apparently their success is attributed to their new leader Mme. Pauline Marois who has been unflatteringly described by one publication as an “old warhorse” of the Parti-Québeçois having worked with René Lévesque in the 1970’s. She was passed over in the past as the PQ wanted leaders that were snazzier and younger; however she’s resurfaced and is credited with bringing the PQ back to its working class roots. So who knows what will happen – but just a few hours north of here, it’ll be a hot time in old Québec on Sept 4th!

IF THEY’RE PUNCHING THIS HARD NOW…

Native corn is starting to become available – blackberries are almost ripe – we’ve had a break in the humidity, so I’m happy to report that life is good! The following are a few random midsummer observations and thoughts relative to politics and community in the Connecticut River Valley, the State and Nation. Presidential Politics: I have an old friend who lives in northern New Hampshire named Jack and although we don’t see each other much, we do keep in touch via emails, Facebook and the occasional lunch in Concord. Among Jack’s many talents is the ability to zero in on a concept and say in a few words something that grows and hours later you find that simple phrase still bouncing in your head. So last week, as I was checking-in on Facebook, I saw that Jack had posted something about the presidential election. His comment was “If they're punching this hard now, it's going to be an ugly September...” Short and to the point! I know we’re a battleground state but I’ve never seen so many political ads in July, as this year. The level of intensity and attack is like two heavyweights standing their ground and slamming punches. Neither candidate is willing to give an inch of ground – and Jack’s right – IT’S ONLY JULY! I first met Jack back during the John Durkin for Senate campaign, in the late 70’s, and while he’s now a free lance writer and has traveled the world and written several books, he continues to be politically on top of things and his observations are always on the mark, saying in a couple of words something profound and always thought provoking. The Dust Bowl at the Hop! Last week I had the pleasure of going up river to the Hopkins Center to view the upcoming PBS documentary by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan on the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. Dayton is an old acquaintance who I first met when I was an aide on the Gallen for Governor Campaign in 1980 and he was the Chief of Staff to the governor. He loyally remained with Governor Gallen for all three terms. However after the Governor’s death – Dayton seemed to move away from active day to day politics, although, like Jack, he’s always stayed involved, if only as an active observer. Dayton now lives down river in Walpole and served as the producer and principal writer for the Dust Bowl documentary and did a splendid job. His ability to listen and identify with the sentiments expressed by common everyday men and women was touching and worth seeing. Not only is this a story of long ago, but the magic is his ability to tell a story that we’re able to relate to today. The biggest thing I took away was how the Dust Bowl was a man-made environmental disaster and had government programs not been introduced – more people would have died and the area would not have recovered. Maybe it should be mandatory viewing for all proponents of the Tea Party. Prosperity & the Connecticut River Valley: Hopefully, if you read the papers and have looked at the political ads – you know that I am supporting Representative David Pierce from Etna to be the new state senator for District 5 that goes from Charlestown in the South, up the Connecticut River, to Hanover in the North. I have worked with David in the NH House for the past 6 years and have always been impressed by his ability to be level headed, stay focused and ability to find common ground. I’m sure he’s the right person for the job and will be able to dedicate the time to what’s become a full time job. Last week, while visiting area businesses with David Pierce, I heard him expound on an idea of how the region could grow and develop economically. Now the idea of locating certain operational functions from Hanover & Lebanon to Claremont where rental space is less expensive isn’t anything new – but having someone run for office with a foot in each part of the Valley is refreshing. Furthermore, both Dartmouth & DHMC bring an amazing amount of intellectual capital to the table. Their scientists and engineers are constantly inventing new technologies that could grow and develop into full fledged companies. While this isn’t a quick process and requires several hurdles and stages before being ready for prime time – the potential for Claremont with its infrastructure and available industrial land and properties could fit nicely into the larger scheme of things. You might think this is farfetched – but isn’t that’s how Hypertherm started, and look at them today! Now, I’m sure that many smart people have thought of this before, and it probably isn’t anything new, but maybe having us all in the same senate district might help to foster and grow this concept into a reality - just a thought. So as I stated in the beginning native corn is becoming available – blackberries are ripening – there’s a break in the humidity, and life is good!

Doors Close & Doors Open

It certainly is not extremely profound to state that people are different – and we each have our own way of processing information and making decisions. For example, my wife is one of those people where things are black & white, right or wrong. She has the ability to stay focused on a goal and block out distractions in order to keep moving forward. I on the other hand tend to see things from a broader perspective and can easily get distracted into what seems to be something totally unconnected to the decision at hand. So keeping that in mind, it shouldn’t seem odd that I’ve spent a great deal of time lately thinking about politics as a way to explain what and why certain things and decisions are made. Basically, I tend to think that opinions cause us to often fall within a political spectrum of beliefs. Again, nothing terribly earth shattering! Wikipedia defines political spectrum “as a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes symbolizing independent political dimensions.” We are all familiar with terms like right (conservative), center (moderate), and left (progressive), however I’m of the opinion that most of us fall into being in the center and thus hopefully able to see parts of both sides of an issue. But there’s more to a spectrum than just these three categories – and I believe that the political spectrum is an oval versus a straight line, where the extremes (right & left) meet and discover they have more in common with the opposing extreme then they had thought. It is like coming full circle where an ultra-extreme libertarian meets up with an ultra-radical anarchist and they find that they are in sync and on the same page. Scary – I know – maybe my wife is right and I do have too much free time on my hands! *** For the most part – I am convinced that NH candidates run for political office with the best of intentions and while they all fit into a political spectrum; their motives are honorable and it’s certainly not for the money. Also, historically those in the center (moderates) reflect the views of most voters and are normally the most successful. Needless to say there are exceptions to this rule, as demonstrated by the present outgoing legislature, however traditionally those elected want to do what they envision as the peoples’ business, which is where it gets tricky. Voters interestingly have the responsibility to identify which candidate best reflect their views (where they fit on the spectrum) and who’ll be the most effective for their community. Unfortunately, in this day of less media focus on statehouse issues, this isn’t as easy as it sounds and can be difficult. FYI – for those candidates who are incumbents or have previously served in the legislature there is a record that is accessible on-line at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/default.htm - the NH Legislature web site. Also there is a new bi-partisan entity called the Live Free Or Die Alliance (www.LiveFreOrDieAlliance.org ) that provides important information about NH issues and promises to provide everything you want to know about NH elected officials and political candidates. This is a non-partisan group of individuals so if you don’t find your candidate has responded, perhaps you should ask why and what don’t they want us to know? Candidates also receive many position questionnaires and, if they are serious they will complete them so as to keep the public informed. The only exceptions are those questionnaires that are un-biased and slanted. However, there are numerous legitimate interest groups that will solicit a candidate’s viewpoint, although some may be narrow and specific in their scope. Hopefully, local and statewide media and community groups will be another tool to better inform us as to where each candidate stands on the issues facing the State. *** So as the door opens relative to the process of picking a new legislature – an old door will be closing. On Wednesday the legislature will meet for the last time, assuming no emergencies or natural disasters arise, to deal with vetoes by the Governor. He has vetoed a total of thirteen bills – eight generated by the Senate and five from the House. The vetoed bills range from HB 149 that would prohibit the federal government from using or maintaining information from NH motor vehicle records, to HB 1607 that would use NH tax dollars to fund private schools and defray the costs of home schooling. Governor Lynch also vetoed SB 289 which requires a person to have a photo ID in order to vote, and SB 372 that establishes an education credit against the Business Profits Tax, which he believes will only down shift more education costs to cities and towns. Also among the vetoed bills to be decided will be SB 409 that legalizes medical marijuana. In total there are 13 bills that were vetoed, which should cause for another full day. But as my very common sense French-Canadian mémère always used to say - when one door closes another opens.

Entrances & Exits

I remember a crusty old political operative telling me years ago how people don’t care about substance. His comment was something like the only thing people remember are entrances & exits, everything in the middle is forgotten. Certainly, harsh talk and a rather negative put down about attention spans and people’s ability to remember. Sadly, I’ve met politicos from both parties who have subscribed to that belief and are much more comfortable with a big flashy opening and finish with nothing in the middle. Sort of like an air sandwich – two slices of bread with air in the center – not a lot of substance! The alternative is, of course, rolling up your sleeves and getting into the weeds to craft solutions - it isn’t flashy and entails real work. *** Speaking of flashy endings and air sandwiches – the NH 2011-12 Legislative Session is finally over. At last Wednesday’s session, the General Court dealt with a total of 13 separate vetoes by Governor Lynch. While the majority of the governor’s vetoes were over ridden (e.g. the partial birth abortion bill), several others were sustained such as the medical marijuana bill. In past years, the last day of the session has taken on the feeling similar to the last day of school where old friends say goodbye for the summer, and while that did occur on an individual basis – the custom of long-term retiring representatives going to the podium in Reps Hall to make a farewell address to the full body was for the most part absent. While somewhat stuffy and “old school”, I always found the ritual enjoyable and among the best traditions of the New Hampshire Legislature – it was always nice to hear the perspective of people who weren’t running again. As to why it didn’t occur this year, perhaps the session was too contentious and for those not returning they couldn’t leave fast enough – who knows! Normally the turnover of house members choosing to not run again has been about 25%, and while I don’t have any hard figures I am told that this year the numbers are significantly higher at about 30%. In the NH Senate, which has become a full time job, the numbers are more startling as 10 of the 24 senators are choosing to not run again. This will translate into a definite loss of institutional knowledge in the next Legislature. For those interested - elections for the New Hampshire General Court (Senate & House) will be held in on November 6, 2012. All 24 Senate seats and 400 House seats will be up for election. *** In addition to the last day of the legislature, I had the opportunity last week to re-connect with the community and see what’s going on in Claremont and the region. Actually, I find that going to meetings are an excellent escape from ‘honey-do’s’ and other normal tasks of summer like mowing the lawn and going to the transfer station. One event that did catch my attention was the public hearing about renewing the permit to operate the trash incinerator in Claremont. For the past twenty-five years, this has been one of the most controversial issues in the area and has spawned more discussion and arguably generated as much heat as the actual temperature of the incinerator itself. On one side is the solid waste industry that provides jobs and pays substantial taxes to the City, and on the other are a group of local individuals/activists who have vocally opposed the project at every level. This waste to energy project has been an extremely touchy subject and caused the political ruin of many! Caught in between are the state & federal authorities whose job it is to regulate the incinerator, hence oversee the public hearing on renewing the permit. Among my observations was how the opponents ranged from knowledgeable people who voiced substantive concerns about the permits renewal, to others whose 25 year frustration level at combating the incinerator has noticeably taken its toll. A factor that did shock me was the anecdotal testimony regarding the health impact on people who live south and east of the incinerator. According to the testimony, since the prevailing winds are from the north, the health impact from the incinerator to nearby residents has been devastating. Overall, I thought the individuals conducting the public hearing did so in an extremely professional and patient manner. Residents should also know the public comment period has been extended to July 13. *** Additional community events I had the opportunity to participate in last week were the Farmers Market and the annual meeting of the Claremont Chamber of Commerce. The Market is held every Thursday afternoon, during the summer and fall, at Claremont’s Broad Street Park, and I wish them clear skies and a sunny season! The other community event was the annual meeting of the Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce who for 95 years have tirelessly worked and remained focused on contributing to Claremont and the region. The energy and hard work of these two groups are excellent examples of substance over hype.

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

The 2012 New Hampshire Legislative Session is now history – all that’s left will be to meet on June 27th relative to any gubernatorial vetoes. As reported by numerous media outlets, last week’s session was contentious and extremely long, due in part, to a trifecta of proposed constitutional amendments that were on the docket. The saying that politics makes strange bedfellows was certainly demonstrated last week as arch-conservative-libertarian members found themselves agreeing with liberal-progressive-democrats and free-thinking republicans. For totally different reasons, conservatives and liberals came together as a block to defeat a constitutional amendment for the November Ballot regarding education funding that would have overturned the Claremont lawsuit. Some on the right thought that CACR-12 would be as one representative described it “Claremont on Crack” meaning if passed the present situation would become worse and more costly to the State. On the left side of the spectrum, members felt the amendment would make the Supreme Court merely a procedural onlooker and unable to protect the rights of citizens. Having spent the past two years mistrusting the motives and decisions of these libertarian minded colleagues, I must admit it was somewhat unsettling to find myself in concurrence (albeit for different reasons) over CACR 12. However, we are sent to represent the people of our district – and since I didn’t believe CACR-12 was in Claremont’s best interest both financially and constitutionally I couldn’t support this amendment. Two separate votes on this legislation were taken, however the magic number of 237 never materialized and the opposition stood firm. One sad comment that was hopefully made by a representative in the heat of argument were negative statements regarding the honor and integrity of NH Supreme Court Justices, however as I stated it was a long and contentious day. Another of the proposed constitutional amendments, CACR 6 that would have required a 3/5th vote of the legislature to impose any new or increased tax or fee also failed. An interesting argument was raised how the United States Senate is presently paralyzed by the 60% rule; therefore do we want to impose the same affect on New Hampshire. Thankfully this was also defeated, this time by moderate republicans and democrats. Actually, of the trifecta of proposed constitutional amendments, only CACR 13 prohibiting any new tax on personal income passed last week and will be on the November Ballot. Unfortunately, the Session was so long that for the 2nd year in a row I was unable to attend the annual meeting of the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission. This year the event was at the Common Man in Claremont which offered the historic Mill District as an attractive backdrop to an event that brings planners, municipal leaders and developers from around the region. Next year the Commission will be celebrating their 50th year of providing professional planning assistance to municipal boards. Their present array of expertise includes comprehensive planning, land use regulations, transportation planning, natural resource inventories, community/economic development, public participation, affordable housing, and hazard mitigation planning. As one of the 9 Regional Planning Commissions (RPC) in New Hampshire, their mission is to coordinate all aspects of planning, act as a liaison between local and state/federal governments and provide advisory technical assistance. They are an excellent example of intergovernmental collaboration and coordination. Kudos to the Upper Valley Planning Commission for all they do and choosing Claremont as the site of their annual meeting. Another unsung governmental entity is the Statehouse Visitor Center in Concord. Under the excellent direction of Ms. Virginia Drew – this small department of New Hampshire government conducts tours and coordinates historical presentations and events that highlight NH and the Statehouse. This includes everything from workshops on NH history, as well as tours for students. Several years ago, the legislature mandated that all 4th graders would learn New Hampshire history which has now evolved into almost all of the elementary schools making a yearly trip to the statehouse and a tour by the Visitor Center is tops on their list. We often forget that our state capital is the oldest facility of its kind still in use as a seat of government. Therefore, it provides a marvelous living showcase of New Hampshire history and takes on an almost museum like quality that is visited yearly by thousands of tourists and NH residents. The statehouse and visitor center is also used by the US Department of State who regularly bring foreign government officials to New Hampshire as a way to better educate people from other cultures about the United States. For example, last week Ms. Drew was hostess to a group of young Algerian diplomats who were in NH for three days to observe US government in action. Their tour included visiting 3 states - New York, Wisconsin and New Hampshire. Representatives Schmidt (Grantham), Théberge (Berlin) and I had the opportunity to meet briefly with these visitors, during last week’s session. They appeared genuinely intrigued regarding how the state operates and thanks to the fine work of the Visitor Center; we might have had a small influence in Algeria’s future. Strange bedfellows indeed!

STAND YOUR GROUND – NH

I’ve been captivated for a month about stories coming from Florida regarding the killing of a 17 year old boy walking home after buying a bag of skittles. The victim appears to have been targeted because of his skin color and was killed by a man who, although asked by 911 to back-away, continued his pursuit of the “suspicious” young boy who was walking home and talking on a cell phone to his girlfriend.

I realize acts of violence occur daily and that bad things happen to good people, but what has me awestruck is how the shooter has been protected by a law called Stand-Your-Ground which Florida police cite as preventing them from arresting the killer. This law states that a person may use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of a threat, without an obligation to retreat first. Under these legal concepts, a person is justified in using deadly force in certain situations and the "Stand Your Ground" (SYG) law can be a defense or immunity to criminal charges and civil suit. The Florida Legislature passed this law that expands what’s called the Castle Doctrine (a person’s house is his castle, hence defense is defendable) including justifying deadly force. In researching Stand-Your-Ground deadly force is considered justified and a defense of justifiable homicide is applicable, specifically in cases "when the actor reasonably fears imminent peril of death or serious bodily harm to himself or another." Florida passed the Stand Your Ground law in 2005 and now 20 other states have similar laws – including New Hampshire.

The NH Stand-Your-Ground law took effect on Nov. 13, 2011 and simply ended the duty to retreat and lets anyone use deadly force to defend “anywhere he or she has a right to be.” The only exception to the NH law is if the person using the deadly force is the initial aggressor. This was passed over the Governor’s veto by the republican majority in the NH House, who you’ll remember as their first act after taking control was to permit concealed loaded weapons on the House Floor and Gallery. Our Attorney General Michael Delaney repeatedly cited the increase in violent crime in Florida since the law’s passage, and Claremont’s Police Chief Alexander Scott is quoted in an online publication (Lawofficer.com) that while NH hasn’t yet encountered a similar scenario where the stand-your-ground law played a direct role, "it's only a matter of time." He further stated how the “New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police lobbied very strongly against the law last year, arguing that Florida had seen an increase in violent confrontations since its law went into effect.” Furthermore, how NH law enforcement fears the same increase will occur here and this will result in an escalation of violence. Scott further speculated about why the NRA spent so much time and money lobbying for Stand Your Ground stating that “things were working before because the overall crime rate had been dropping, and stating he wasn’t sure why they would want to change that trend.” My concern is when did NH become so scared that shooting first & asking questions later would become the law of the land?

POLITICAL BUZZ:
Concord was buzzing last week about the decision by some senators to re-draw the map for the Executive Council. Locally, that means that Executive Counselor – Raymond Burton – will no longer represent Claremonters and much of the Upper Valley. I can’t remember when Ray Burton wasn’t our executive counselor and his services to residents of the area will certainly be missed if this plan goes into effect. The Executive Council is elected every two years and is a remnant of colonial days having begun in 1679, to ensure a check on the governor.

According to rumors, the decision to redraw the Executive Council is because Executive Counselor David Wheeler’s District-5 election is in jeopardy. Originally, Counselor Burton’s district was to remain basically the same; however the new plan has his region spiking to the southeast and including much of Strafford County and the heavily democratic cities of Rochester, Dover, and Somersworth. Capital gossip is this will make it difficult for Executive Counselor Daniel Saint-Hilaire to keep his seat as it will now include the communities of Concord, Hanover, Lebanon and Claremont. Also, since Raymond Burton isn’t well known in eastern NH, he may be vulnerable because of adding heavily democratic Strafford County to his district.
More gossip abounded regarding the new Connecticut Valley Senate Seat. Claremont and Charlestown will now join Hanover and Lebanon as part of Senate District-5 from Charlestown to Lyme. Two democrats have publically expressed an interest in running so a September Primary is expected. The two democrat candidates are Brian Rapp – a Claremont Firefighter and member of the Claremont School Board, and David Pierce – a Hanover Lawyer and State Representative. Both are well known in their respective areas, although Representative Pierce’s population base is larger, the challenge is who can raise the 70 thousand dollars minimum needed to win a senate seat today. Needless to say, political pundits are in full spin mode.

WHO KNEW!

WHO KNEW!
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a tongue in cheek piece about unwanted advice and suggested the GOP nominate Senator Santorum for president. My contention was since he’s extremely conservative and has views similar to those presently controlling the Republican Party; his selection would end in defeat and break the stranglehold cultural conservatives now have on the Grand Old Party of Lincoln. Who knew that the senator would proceed to next win big in Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi! However, before I begin to proclaim myself as the ultimate in political punditry – perhaps I should step back, take a deep breath, and focus on matters closer to home. While it certainly is spellbinding to watch this national attack on women (contraceptives), minorities (election laws) and government in general – there are plenty of local attacks on hospitals, women, education, public safety, the judiciary and working families by NH extremists to keep me occupied. Yes – I’m talking about another big week in the NH Legislature!

HOSPITALS
The week started with a repeal of the certificate of need law which many feel is part of a strategy to bring to NH a For-Profit Specialty Hospital that will only make it harder for NH Hospitals like the Elliot, CMC, and Hitchcock to operate. Sadly, my understanding was that it had been defeated, however the amendment to keep the certificate of need was defeated and on voice vote the Certificate of Need was eliminated

WOMEN:
Not to be upstaged by their colleagues on the national stage – New Hampshire’s culture warriors conducted their own assault on women. I tweeted during the (3/14) session the following “today's #nhhouse session was straight out of a Doonesbury cartoon - minus the humor!” I don’t get it - the use of contraceptives is a successful tool against unwanted pregnancies and abortion, so do we really want to re-fight the culture wars of the 1970’s?

ANTI-JUDICIARY:
I believe there’s never been a NH House more distrusting of the court system than this crowd presently in power. On a weekly basis, the implication is that judges & the courts are out to “get us”! Last week was no different – these extremists failed in an attempt to amend the Constitution for the legislature to have oversight over all court rules. Apparently, they were absent when the concept of separation of powers was discussed in school!

However, not to be disheartened – they next attempted a constitutional amendment that would repeal the Chief Justice’s ability to make rules governing the administration of the courts. While both of these constitutional amendments received a majority of NH representatives in support, they didn’t get the super majority needed for passage, so NH’s Constitution survives for another day!

WORKERS & MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES:
Workers and families took it on the chin last week with the passage of the right to work for less bill. The House also passed a bill prohibiting public employees from participating in collective bargaining. Thankfully, the legislation to impact lunch breaks was defeated, but workforce housing took a serious hit with the passage of HB-1282 (156/133) that allows communities to opt out of the program. Many confuse workforce housing with subsidize housing, but the two are completely different. Workforce Housing permits affordable housing to be built for young families to live in the communities they work thus fostering towns with a diversity of income levels.

SOMETHING POSITIVE:
On the positive side was the yearly St. Patrick’s Day luncheon & fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (CHAD). This yearly event, sponsored by the Demers Group, raises money and attention about the needs of children and the excellent work provided by the medical staff at CHAD. It’s an occasion where the House and Senate, as well as the Governor come together for a common good. A young 11 year old girl named Josee who described herself as “being a CHAD kid all her life” stole everyone’s heart away with a rendition of “Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” Unlike past years where the event took on more of a roast – this year the jokes were provided by a NH comedian Juston McKinney who recently performed at the Claremont Opera House. Mr. McKinney is a funny fellow and provided an opportunity for us to laugh at ourselves and for a brief moment – everyone actually got along! Something else positive last week was the passage of the 10 year Transportation Plan – which will improve NH’s bridges and highways.

Something that became very clear this week was although there’s a majority of self-righteous extremists who regularly attempt to overturn 20 - 0 committee recommendations on the House floor – the problem is also a lack of skill and pushback by leadership. Many committee chairs are either not articulate, knowledgeable or forceful enough to explain their position. For example: there was a piece of legislation regarding Manchester and the Elliot Hospital. The City feels the hospital should be taxed while the hospital says it’s a non-profit which resulted in a disjointed debate where everyone became lost. Up rose the chairperson of Municipal Government – an experienced GOP representative known for being substantive and one not to suffer fools lightly. She explained the history of the problem – cited the mistakes made by all entities involved – cleared away the half truths and confusion and won the debate 243-65. It just goes to show what a grown-up and leadership can do!

MAKE A FUSS

Politics is the process where groups of people make collective decisions relative to running government. So I am here to report that it has been an active week politically in New Hampshire.

HOUSE HAPPENINGS:
The legislature is attempting to get through the thousands of proposed pieces of legislation causing many to ask “who knew we needed so many new laws.” It’s slowly dawning on members that the thousands of bills submitted in January need to be assigned a committee, have a hearing, and then voted on by the full House and that this takes time. Furthermore, all this has to happen prior to March 29 – Crossover Day, which is one of those interesting built-in checks on the system requiring that bills from the House and Senate need to be acted upon and sent to the other body. Needless to say, reality is setting-in relative to schedules and there not being enough time in the day. At last Wednesday’s Session, Speaker O’Brien fearing an exodus of representatives late in the day and the subsequent loss of a quorum had the exit doors locked and stationed security, including state police, at the exits of Representatives Hall to ensure that no reps went AWOL. Among the more interesting side bars of the day was debate over HB-1666, referred to by a democratic representative as the “Devil’s Bill” which would require the legislature to approve all collective bargaining agreements entered into by the state. It was pointed out that this amended bill has never had a public hearing which caused the House Finance Chairman to immediately jump up and state that a hearing would just bring in “people who want to make a fuss!” Many readers may recall that the Finance Chair is Representative Weyler who came to Claremont earlier this year to explain the downshifting of state costs onto the city. He is the same guy who called firefighters “thugs” during the budget hearings. Sadly, the mindset of not holding hearings about something people might not like, so let’s not tell them prevailed and HB-1666, aka the DEVIL’S BILL passed 232 to 119! However, the latest legislative outrage is a bill by a libertarian-republican legislator which if passed would no longer require businesses to offer a lunch break for workers.

COUNTY BIOMASS:
On a less confrontational front – the Sullivan County Delegation held a meeting last Thursday that included a presentation and public hearing on a proposal by the County Commissioners to build a Biomass Energy Project at the county complex in Unity. The project will require the County to bond 3.2 million dollars for construction of the facility; however the project is estimated to save the County two hundred and ninety thousand dollars yearly in fuel costs. This energy saving project will utilize and burn wood chips provided by regional businesses. Estimated time to construct and become operational is about 18 months. In addition to savings in fuel costs, the project was touted as providing a variety of social and environmental benefits such as reducing our reliance on foreign fossil fuels, as well as a net reduction of carbon emissions by 1,200 tonnes per year. Additional benefits were how projected energy dollars of $80,000 per year would remain local as well as provide an opportunity to better manage county owned forests. The proposal was unanimously endorsed by delegation members.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES CREATE JOBS:
The week rounded out with my attending an excellent presentation by President Budd and staff of River Valley Community College. The new Chancellor of the Community College System – Dr. Ross Gittell – also participated in the morning meeting. It was very evident that River Valley Community College is no longer the Voc-Tech of years gone by. Due to a variety of partnerships and collaborations, they are quickly exceeding all expectations. Not only are they continuing to work with area businesses such as Hypertherm regarding turning out qualified machinists, but they have developed articulation agreements with Keene State College where graduates of the machinist program will be credited for two years towards a bachelor’s degree. Apparently due to rising tuition costs many area students are attending the community college to complete their first two years of schooling before transferring to the university system. River Valley is also working with the Dartmouth School of Medicine in producing workers for the health fields of tomorrow and successfully providing the occupation careers of the future. Another partnership with Dartmouth’s Center for Strategic Studies has resulted in River Valley being awarded a three year federal grant resulting in students receiving an associate’s degree in information-security, which will provide high paying jobs for workers in the field of cyber-security. Concern was expressed about decreasing support from the legislature and the subsequent impact which caused me to think just imagine what they could do if the NH legislature actually funded them at a functional level? New Hampshire’s Community Colleges are indeed the best kept secret in the state, as they are flexible and capable of responding to student and business needs. Kudos to River Valley for providing a place of second chances for area residents!

HARSHNESS IN THE AIR

Last Tuesday - Governor John Lynch gave his State of the State speech with the opening that “IT IS MY GREAT HONOR TO REPORT to the people of New Hampshire, for the fourth and final time on the state of our great state.” First elected in November 2004 and having been re-elected to a historic fourth term in 2010, Governor Lynch is the longest serving New Hampshire governor in nearly two hundred years. His record as New Hampshire’s chief executive is surpassed only by John Taylor Gilman who served as governor for 14 one year terms from 1794-1805 and again from 1813-1816.

The State of the State is an opportunity to showcase and highlight many of the wonderful aspects of New Hampshire, as well as focus substantively on where we are going and how we are going to get there. Not only is the General Court (House and Senate) in attendance, but the NH Supreme Court, Agency Commissioners & Directors as well as an assortment of noteworthy residents and supporters normally pack Representatives Hall. The Dartmouth Aires, a choral group from Dartmouth College –sang the national anthem as well as entertained those assembled with an amazing performance. This year, Governor Lynch made special reference to the 58 NH residents who died defending their state and nation over the past ten years in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also introduced a person from the NH Food Bank that provided over 7 million pounds of food to needy neighbors last year. He also introduced two Department of Transportation employees who accomplished the yeoman task of repairing the Kancamagus Highway after Hurricane Irene. This was, I later learned from DOT, a herculean task accomplished in 15 days by a few state workers which resulted in the Kanc being re-opened and ready for tourists at the height of the season.

Substantively, Governor Lynch didn’t miss the mark and reiterated how the statehouse is a place for people to make a difference, and urged us “to adopt the cardinal rule of medicine: First do no harm. We can build on our success, but overall New Hampshire has a strategy that is working. Let’s not mess it up…” Not messing things up was a key theme this year! Although NH has the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the Nation, “our first priority remains putting people back to work” – and keeping a strategy that works. Having an educated, accomplished workforce is vital to growth and economic development; therefore, he took the legislature to task for reducing revenues from the tobacco tax that cost us 13 million dollars. He pointed out how the 10-cent cut in the tobacco tax has wiped out much of the gains in the business tax revenues and urged us to recognize our error, contending that they could have been used to offset the 48% cut to the University System. The governor made the case how not only has this hurt NH students and families but has negatively impacted business trying to grow in NH and sent the wrong signal to the companies they are trying to attract.

Not pulling any punches, the governor articulated how the “current budget dramatically reduced uncompensated care payments to hospitals. As a result, hospitals have been challenging current and past Medicaid Enhancement Tax payments.” He was clear that the House & Senate must consider how “to repair this fractured relationship with our major health care providers.” While I don’t always agree with the Governor regarding tax policy, it was refreshing to hear that “there are tax reductions that can spur job growth here in New Hampshire.” Stressing how the research and development tax credit was established “to attract companies to create the products of the future”, he proposes we double the research & development tax credit this year. I especially liked his bluntness regarding how “this is a tax credit that works to help create jobs; the same cannot be said for the cut in the tobacco tax.”

Lastly, Governor Lynch didn’t shy away from addressing the destructive extremist antics that have become common place in the legislature. I especially appreciated it when he said “we hear from some a lot of anti-government talk – but that doesn’t make sense. Government after all, is all of us, the people of New Hampshire and it exists to serve all of us... Our focus shouldn’t be on attacking government. It should be on improving government.” He then proceeded to praise state employees, teachers, firefighters and police officers and how they are not the enemy! He expressed concern over the “rash of proposed legislation” relative to guns and public safety and clearly stated “these bills are wrong for public safety and they are wrong for New Hampshire.”

Governor Lynch ended his final State of the State maintaining there is >“harshness in the air, in the tone and nature of communication, and particularly within this building, that’s not healthy for our people or our democracy.” It may have been his final State of the State but last Tuesday was John Lynch’s finest hour where he stood tall for you and me – the people!