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.
