GraniteGrok

In what is an interesting rerun of events already taking place here in Belknap County, Fosters.com is reporting that the Strafford County Commissioners are proposing cuts of funding for most of the so-called "outside agencies" it presently supports. The county

will cease funding several programs it has provided partial funding to for several years, including the Strafford County Cooperative Extension, Cocheco Valley Humane Society and Soil Conservation District.

Maglaras said the county still would provide these programs with space in the county complex for free. He added that funding from the county only represented a small percentage of these programs' operating budgets.

[snip]

Funding also has been cut to all contracted social service agencies, including Strafford County Community Action, Avis Goodwin Community Health Center, Southeastern New Hampshire Services Corporation, Strafford County Meals on Wheels, Great Bay Services, Strafford County Child Care Association, A Safe Place, Seacoast Hospice, Community Partners, Your VNA Hospice, Dover Adult Learning Center of Strafford County and Homemakers Health Services.

Of course, this is exactly what the Belknap County Commissioners originally proposed when first unveiling their budget a couple months back-- prior to completely caving in the face of a withering mob scene of those monetarily connected to the local agencies affected. And the rationale is the same, too-- and rightfully so. Again from the Foster's article, County Commission Chair George Maglaras put it thus:

"We shrunk county operations to the core services the county is required to fund by statute."

One wonders why it took a severe fiscal crisis to wake up those who've been growing government beyond its mandate for so long... Better late than never. Apparently, we can assume that the crisis is even worse in Strafford than here in Belknap, because, in addition to the proposed cuts, the Foster's piece also reports-- GASP-- that the county laid off 20 workers Friday, and will pass on filling another 20 vacancies. Imagine that-- government actually REDUCING the number of employees! You know that things must really be tight for them to do that. Perhaps the state can take a lesson from Strafford County? Can the cuts hold? They didn't here in Belknap (thanks to spineless Republicans). Perhaps Strafford County's leaders will have the strength to lead in tough times? This will be interesting. Stay tuned...

Posted by Doug at 9:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just got this. Even though there are some things to like about Obama's 310 billion dollar tax cut proposal, I like the following idea from William Collier better:

Remember 1980?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average at 759. Less than 10% of its current value.

The unemployment rate around 7%. Almost 40% higher than today.

Inflation rate? 13%. Around triple of today’s.

A misery index of 20%. More than double today’s.

In the White House: Jimmy Carter. Hectoring America for its “malaise.”

Then what happened? We elected Ronald Reagan president.

Reagan cut the income tax rate 30% across the board. And stood behind Paul Volcker’s strengthening the dollar.

What happened next? Prosperity happened.

America took off and never looked back. Now, looking back, we remember the recipe for Prosperity. We appreciate the need to assist ordinary citizens in their time of hardship. The best way to do that is by using the bailout money to bring back Prosperity.

The $700 billion appropriated for bailouts more than covers the costs of A renewed 30% across-the-board tax rate cut. AND a payroll tax cut.

We know this works. We did it before. It worked. It will work.

Reagan 2.0: a 30% across-the board tax cut. And a payroll tax cut.

Sign this petition for Congress. Make your voice heard now. No bailouts! Tax rate cuts! Bring Prosperity Back.

The Petition To the Congress of the United States of America:

Continue reading "Reagan 2.0 The Petition. Tell Congress: No bailouts! Tax rate cuts! Bring Prosperity Back." »

Posted by Doug at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I recently received an email asking if we would be willing to post this guest commentary on EFCA - The Employee Free Choice Act - sometimes known as Card Check.  This is the law that would allow unions to set up new unions without the use of a secret ballot.  Worse is the insertion of Government into the arbitration process if the new union and the targeted company cannot come to agreement (the arbitrator then gets to mandate the terms of the contract).

Spending a day driving from New Delhi to Agra would be an eye-opening experience for any American. On a recent delegation of world technology leaders to India, I saw how plumbing and running water are rare, the air is dirty from ubiquitous two-cycle engines, and electricity is sporadic at best. Life is tough and daily survival is a challenge.

In times of economic crisis, it can be easy to forget how good we have it in this country. We have a working infrastructure and reliable electricity. Our plumbing works and we enjoy clean water. Even our poorest neighbors do not face the fear of starvation or seeing their sick children waste away without proper medical care.

Yet, we are quickly putting our American way of life at risk. In the last few months our government has spent nearly a trillion dollars we don't have to bolster a few companies considered too important to fail. We are on the verge of spending billions more to temporarily bail out three American car companies, while doing nothing to resolve their core problem - bloated autoworker union contracts.

Those same unions gave half a billion dollars to Democrats this election cycle, with their No. 1 priority the forced unionization thanks to "card check" legislation pushed by certain newly empowered Democrats in Congress.

Card check would dramatically change U.S. labor laws, overturn a half-century of balance in labor-management relations and strip workers of core protections. By depriving workers of a secret ballot vote in union elections, this legislation would allow for coercion of workers who don't want to unionize and could force millions of Americans to join unions against their will.

Democratic members of Congress struggle in how to say card check is good for the nation, for productivity or for creating jobs. Yet they are eager to pass this legislation to pay back unions for their support. One prominent union leader said publicly he would gladly use union opposition to pending free trade agreements as a political bargaining chip to get card check passed quickly.

I wish union leaders and the politicians supporting card check would have been with us on the road from Delhi to Agra. They would better understand that America's success is not God-given destiny. We have come far with hard work and creativity and a focus on education and investment.

Unions once shouldered a burden of protecting worker safety, but these protections are now law and unions and their supporters ignore that we are competing on a world stage. More, they are using their political force to block free trade agreements with countries that can add to American jobs by removing tariffs on our exports. Unions are making our companies less competitive.

Today, our nation is a world leader in technology and all the content creation it allows. From our semiconductor companies to our computers, from Hollywood to music, from games to Internet services, the United States remains the world's innovator. Our strategy should be to allow these companies to prosper and export - not to burden exports with tariffs, tax their output at the second highest rates in the world, or restrict their flexibility with union rules.

A fast-moving, successful tech company with differential compensation and incentive compensation and the need to adapt quickly is inconsistent with the straitjacket of a union environment. The tech industry executives I represent simply can't believe Congress would enact a card check law that could force jobs overseas.

We have lost our way. A misplaced sense of entitlement is creating hardships that may push our innovation economy overseas. Our mounting debt is fueling our last grasp on primacy. Our laws are discouraging innovation and investment. And soon our crumbling infrastructure and faltering economy will hasten our fall from the top.

We need not take the road to poverty. But it requires a strategy of investment and trade rather than new taxes, trade barriers, regulatory straitjackets and union intimidation.

Gary Shapiro is president and chief executive officer of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), a U.S. trade association representing 2,200 consumer electronics companies.

Posted by Skip at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

.

First there was this somewhat innocuous bit in the "Merrimack County indictments" listing from the Citizen newspaper back in November:

A Londonderry man who allegedly leveled a handgun at a Northfield man was indicted for criminal threatening. Philip Tufano, 47, 23 Fairway Rd., is alleged to have placed Paul Difilippo in fear of imminent bodily injury or physical contact on August 20. The charge is a Class B felony potentially punishable by 3.5 to seven years in the New Hampshire State Prison upon conviction.

Innocuous, unless you happen to be Mr. Tufano, of course. Unfortunately, for him, it was the ongoing process of what must surely have been a stretch of living hell. You see, Mr. Tufano had the audacity to defend himself as he saw fit in a situation that caused him to fear for his personal safety and well-being (gasp!) with a gun. Shame on him (at least according to certain NH officials that sought to make him pay for such an act). Luckily, according to today's Citizen, the ordeal is over. What isn't is what the story reveals about the state of a citizen's right to keep and bear arms and their use in personal defense and preventing further physical violence:

A Londonderry man who was arrested in Tilton last August in connection with an alleged road rage incident no longer faces a mandatory three- to six-year prison sentence because authorities have dropped or "nol prossed" the case in the wake of the witness' death.

The Manchester attorney who represented Philip Tufano said, "It would have been intellectually interesting to have challenged [the charges]" because he believes the case demonstrates law enforcement's desire to keep guns away from law-abiding citizens.

Tufano maintains that he felt his life was in danger when he was forced off the road and he showed his licensed firearm to the man, hoping it would deter the man from further provocation.

Police saw it differently and charged Tufano with the Class B felony of criminal threatening.

How dare Mr. Tufano intrude on the cops' turf. Doesn't he know it's THEIR job to do that? So what if some lunatic forced him off the road. He should have waited for the cops to come. And if the lunatic wasn't going to wait, perhaps, to commit some act, then what? Of course, we all know that if Mr. DeFilippo had run a POLICE OFFICER off the road and ended up shot as a result, most likely it would be found "justfied" like it always is (but I digress...)

Continue reading "You just know if the government and many of its law enforcement officers had it their way, you would NOT be allowed to own a gun or defend yourself..." »

Posted by Doug at 6:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, we know that we live in a target rich environment and we really should be handing this trophy out more often.  We had a really good candidate in NH Rep. John Reagan (R- Deerfield) but these folks take the cake!

There is no doubt that many folks were very supportive when Gov. Sarah Palin was introduced as the Veep nominee - many were ecstatic!  Out of that, TeamSarah.org was born to act as a rallying point.

Well, we've got some negative news (seemingly performed right out of Rules for Radicals by William Ayers - Barack's buddy) from a friend , Bill Collier, who assists over at TeamSarah (and also posted over at RedState).  Thus, we collectively award these Democrat Dim-wits the Dope of the Week:

TeamSarah.org, an online community of over 63,000 who admire Sarah Palin and all she stands for, currently is experiencing an attempt at framing the whole community as guilty of unsavory racist behavior.  This apparently is part of an overall attempt by the the worst elements of the progressive faction, conduct for which all liberals should be ashamed to be associated, even indirectly.

This was started, for example at DemocracyUnderground (which brags that it intends to turn the word conservative “radioactive”) — well before that unfair and arguably defamatory piece was published in The Huffington Post, an extremist liberal website that evidently does not police its own content for accuracy.  It is shocking that the HuffPo dropped any pretense of journalistic standards — like, for instance, simply calling TeamSarah and its proprietor, the Susan B. Anthony List, for a balanced picture, before running a recent attack on TeamSarah.

Thanks go out to Kelley S who serves TeamSarah brilliantly as a guardian, going out on patrol, looking for invaders who are attempting to frame and defame the community.

Thanks to Kelly, we now have screen shots, ID’s, and IP’s of a number of individuals who have planned an effort, and attempted to implement it, to act as agent provocateurs and discredit Team Sarah by planting racist and other unsavory material as if they were members.

Today, January 2, people have seen weird posts from individuals who seemed overwhelmingly racist, bigoted, and in general unsavory sorts posing as Palin, and traditionalist values, supporters.

As you well know, the Huffington Post alleged that Team Sarah was racist, bigoted, and hateful.  Not so!  TeamSarah strives  to live up to the high standards of decency and humanity exemplified by Gov. Palin. And we do a good job of it.  We moderate posts, guide members, and work intently to keep the standards of the site high.  The most unsavory leftist elements are doing something weirdly similar, in cyberspace, to the arson committed against Gov. Palin’s church in Wasilla, Alaska.  And trying to set us up to take the blame for their vile actions.

We now have the evidence of what we suspected all along: the liberal extremists have been creating “sock puppets,” fake people whose sole mission is to come to TeamSarah, post horrible things, and then make copies of these posts to “prove” that we are bigots and cretins.  It is the equivalent of framing the innocent, it is pure dirty tricks.  And it is vile.  We call upon all principled Liberals to condemns these actions.  This is not the first time this has happened.  We have also documented “dirty tricks” from DemocracyUnderground.com http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7495801&mesg_id=7498189 and from YAforObama.com
http://yaforobama.ning.com/profiles/blogs/trolling-team-sarah-reposted.

We will not REACT and let these attacks cause us to mistrust one another or become distracted. TeamSarah is standing by our very high community standards.  We can only call upon sites like SomethingAwful.com, Huffingpost.com, YAforObama.com, and DemocracyUnderground.com to behave with similar decency.

Continue reading "Liberal Sock Puppets invading TeamSarah!" »

Posted by Skip at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

This is to give you an update on the happenings at the RNC. I will be in D.C. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week.  On Monday, Grover Norquist's group, Americans For Tax Reform, is hosting a debate for the candidates for RNC Chairman on Monday at the Press Club.  If you'd like to tune in it will be live streamed at www.rncdebate.org and it begins at 1 PM.
 
On Tuesday, from 9 AM to 4 PM there will be interviews of each individual candidate, a discussion about the candidates, and a straw poll.  This is being sponsored by the RNC Conservative Steering Committee of which Sean Mahoney and I are both members.  The purpose of this new committee is to advance the conservative principles of the Republican National Committee by providing a forum for informal discussion among conservative RNC members regarding issues of common concern.  The committee now has eighty-seven members, a majority of the RNC, and is primarily concerned at this time with electing a conservative leader.  Jim Bopp, the Chair of this committee is also the prime sponsor of a resolution authorizing the RNC to take all steps necessary to oppose bailouts of industries, individuals, or governments.  There are twenty-five people signed onto this resolution and Sean Mahoney is one of the co-signers.
 
Then on Wednesday, January 7th, there will be a special meeting of the RNC which is being called at the request of the members.  The RNC bylaws provide that if members representing a minimum of sixteen states request a special meeting, the Chairman is required to hold one within ten days.  There were 23 members, representing nineteen states that petitioned the Chairman to hold this meeting to discuss the upcoming election and the chairmanship.  This will not replace the winter meeting of the RNC which will also be held in D.C. from January 28th through the 31st at which time we will elect the new RNC Chairman and the rest of the officers of the committee.
 
There are several announced candidates and most of them will be at the debate and meeting.  They have been actively calling, writing, meeting with, and courting all 168 members.  It's getting pretty intense.  This is an extremely important election as the Chair of the RNC will be the spokesperson for the GOP during a Democrat administration.  I, along with the other members, have been reading each of their plans, questioning them, and assessing their qualifications.  This will be a very thorough vetting process and the competition is heating up which means we are hearing attacks on the character and qualifications of all the members from time to time.  We have some outstanding individuals who are seeking the office of Chairman
 
Just a FYI, this is the list of candidates who have officially announced:

• Mike Duncan  (Current Chairman)
• Katon Dawson
• Saul Anuzis
• Ken Blackwell
• Michael Steele
• Chip Saltsman
• David Gosselin

[Phyllis Woods is the Chair of the Strafford County Republicans here in NH and is the current NH National Committeewoman; she will be voting for the next RNC Chair.  The 'Grok appreciates Phyllis's time to keep us updated!  She has also previously written here for us.  -Skip]

Posted by Phyllis Woods at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Think Satire from our friend Warner Todd Huston over at his site, Publius' Forum:

Accountants Seek Bailout

...Milton Nebish, president of the B.A.N.A.L., the recently combined accountants unions the Bureau of Accountancy and the National Accountants League, is urging Congress to pass SB069, the so called Accountant’s Relief bill, when Congress gets back in session this year.

...Accountancy expert Robert “Freesummerwind” Rosenstein, professor of numerology and digit integration for the university of California at Berkeley, appeared before Congress as an expert witness late last year. “Accountants don’t need much,” he told Senators at a preliminary hearing of the subcommittee for numbers and graphs. “It would not take more than two or three billion dollars to correct this situation. But something better happen before it’s too late,” he said.

...The B.A.N.A.L. has suggested that Congress establish a fund that all CPA’s and certified accountants can access. From that fund, accountants across the country can get recompense for “magic finger massage units,” green eye shades, really neat calculators in popular cartoon character shapes, subscriptions to trade magazines like “Numbers Week,” and “AddIt” or tickets to Deepak Chopra’s newest self-help seminar “You Count.” B.A.N.A.L. is also asking for 8 weeks paid vacation every year for every certified accountant in the country.

...Senator Charles Schumer (D, NY) said yesterday that Accountants are having tough times out there and that Congress should not make accountants suffer in this economy. “Bush obviously hates accountants like he hates puppies and babies,” Schumer said at the Capitol on Friday. “If he had a heart he’d push for this much needed reform,” Schumer said to the knowing looks from reporters.

...Republicans wondered where all this money was going to come from and demanded the Democrats find a way to fully fund this plan. But reporters called them Nazis and ignored them as usual.

Take a click over and read it in context....ha!

Posted by Skip at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From the NYT (huh? really?)that religion provides an "internal governor" on one's behavior

If I’m serious about keeping my New Year’s resolutions in 2009, should I add another one? Should the to-do list include, “Start going to church”?

This is an awkward question for a heathen to contemplate, but I felt obliged to raise it with Michael McCullough after reading his report in the upcoming issue of the Psychological Bulletin. He and a fellow psychologist at the University of Miami, Brian Willoughby, have reviewed eight decades of research and concluded that religious belief and piety promote self-control...

...“We simply asked if there was good evidence that people who are more religious have more self-control,” Dr. McCullough. “For a long time it wasn’t cool for social scientists to study religion, but some researchers were quietly chugging along for decades. When you add it all up, it turns out there are remarkably consistent findings that religiosity correlates with higher self-control.”

Think about it - with more internal control, more self-control, then less external control (e.g., laws) are needed.  If people control themselves from an internal sense of morality, knowing good from bad and right from wrong, less is needed from society.  

Both Doug and me posit that as we have become a more secular society (along with the fact that politicians seem to want to justify their existence by passing new laws),  that sense of right and wrong that used to keep most of us on the straight and narrow seems to disappear.  Thus, in order to to maintain an ordered society, control must be established external - which eventually leads to a larger, more intrusive government.

It's also good for you as well:

His professional interest arose from a desire to understand why religion evolved and why it seems to help so many people. Researchers around the world have repeatedly found that devoutly religious people tend to do better in school, live longer, have more satisfying marriages and be generally happier.

(H/T: The Speculist)

Posted by Skip at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Meet the New Press Podcast 

            

To play (or "stream") a clip now, just click on it.  To download it to your PC, right click on it and tell the process where to save the file for you.
 

Hour 1              Hour 2

Hour One:  

Things to be thankful for from 2008    Part 1   Part 2

Sarah Palin (America is one place where ordinary people can make a difference - not just elitists), comparison of life here in America compared to other countries (freedoms, life style, life span, free markets). Discussion - major mistake conflating capitalism with morality.  Free markets exist to create wealth and not adjudicate right and wrong.

Alternative media playing a greater role in providing news and opinion - more than by the Mainstream Media (contrast between the Lambert generations) and providing more choices.  MSM poor choices made in delivering their viewpoint (vs news) and their financial suffering as a result.

Discussion of Meredith (NH) Selectman Flander's comment that "COLAs are a sacred cow".  Why is government that special that it should be protected from the financial maelstrom of today.  Discussion of Selectman Palm (long time government employment) comments on profit sharing based on cost savings found by employees (and by implication, the old style thinking that only managers think, line employees only work).  

New Hampshire Advantage Coalition - Spending Cap warrant articles for towns without Charters.  Part 1   Part 2

Talk about NH's status when there is an economic downturn nationally (we generally ride much "easier" than other states).  How is that Advantage being attacked - and the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition's fight to keep overall taxes down (even as their opponents decry the property taxes).  No kidding property taxes are high but our overall burden is low because that is the only major tax that directly impact citizens.  Low spending keeps taxes low; we are fighting the politicians to raise taxes to fill an inflated spending plan.  Skip brings up Mr. Rogers - wants more spent on social programs one minute and then complains about high property taxes the next.  Discussion of the spending cap promoted by the NHAC.  SB2 can help in this regard as well.  Discussion with Laconia's tax cap.

Quick seque to Second Amendment rights and use.  Talk about the NHAC's spending cap - at the rate of inflation for a warrant article.  It's purpose is to close the disconnect between the level of taxes and the level of spending.  Why is it that government NEVER grows smaller, even in hard economic time.  Proper role of government is not to take care of people, it is to protect individual freedoms and liberties.  People need to get involved and not just "ride it out"; lots of taxes will not fix the problem as politicians will always spend whatever comes in.

Hour Two: 

Part 1   Why we do, what we do - you need to take action and don't wait for someone else or government take "care of it for me"; one person CAN make a difference.  We also have to keep politicians accountable (that scary, scary word). "War within the GOP" - the Laconia Daily Sun piece.

Showing how to have a concrete example of a Republican Ideal (less intrusive government) in Healthcare: how to translate Republican ideals into concrete examples.  One is the "Minute Clinics" in RI that provides more access, lower costs, and higher level of customer service and a higher quality healthcare but is illegal here in NH because of a more intrusive NH government ("the Certificate of Need" Board)- over regulation does not allow for those clinics even as there are needs for it.  In this case, government is preventing market based solutions; government is picking winners and losers.

Part 2   Doug's plea - will a NH Republican file legislation to allow "Minute Clinics"!  Caller - John - tips MTNP to a new walk-in clinic down at the Weirs.  Starts a discussion on inhalers and why they are failing.  This new government regulation on healthcare will cost consumers more.  Caller - Chan - more on environmental wackiness "All hail, Malthus!"  Discussion on the cost of health insurance and how it has disconnected healthcare consumers from the actual cost of delivering healthcare and how government adds to the cost of it with mandates.

Drew Cline of the Union Leader comes on to discuss a money grab, a stupid fine, and a dumb time to raise NH's gas tax.

Sidenote: incoming during the show - Carol Browner, President-elect Barack Obama's new energy czar, is a member of the Socialist International, perhaps the world's preeminent socialist organization. 

Browner is on the SI's Commission for a Sustainable World Society

NH Railroad Commission is making a grab for the Obama handout - how little it will actually stimulate the economy. So many dollars spent for so few to travel so little.  The Commission neatly forgets to talk about operational costs and how few people it actually would help.  It will not reduce congestion on 93 from a practical basis.

Representative Reagan (R-Deerfield) wants to fine utility companies severely for outages due to natural disasters.  So, what happened to the Republican ideal of less intrusive government?  Rep. Reagan has started another PR disaster for the Republicans and admits that the Legislature has no idea how to arrive at a formula on how to fine them (if it cost $50 million to fix, the fine should be $40 million).  And does he think that the Environmentalists would allow clear cutting of up to 100 feet in both directions of the power lines (trees fell, not just branches).  Summary: Dunderhead!!!!

The Gas tax - our State gas tax helps with the NH Advantage as it keeps our gas prices lower than the surrounding states.  Our politicians want to raise it.

SchlubCam:  No SchlubCam this week

Posted by Skip at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Starting Saturday morning at 9 am!

As usual, this week's broadcast version of GraniteGrok and AnkleBitingPundits brings an array of items and guests for your consideration-- ALL STARTING AT 9AM! As always, thanks to the technical wizardry and analytical skills of Skip, if you are beyond the broadcast area of Newstalk 1490 WEMJ, simply click here for instructions on how to connect and listen on the Internet via livestream. (Podcasts here)

NOTE: LIVESTREAM IS BROKEN. STAY TUNED FOR THE PODCAST.

• All politics is local-- While the names & places may change, you just KNOW it's going on somewhere else... Skip and Doug discuss the local town and school budgets, what they accomplish... or don't, and what happenes when the additional warrant articles are added in. We'll also discuss the pros and cons of the new police department expansion/renovation proposal.

• Matthew Murphy is a director with the NH Advantage Coalition, a taxpayer advocacy and watchdog group that works with local activists to limit government spend and send the message to elected officials at all levels that low taxes are a direct result of low spending. The NH Advantage Coalition is also working to prevent the implementation of new broad-based taxes.  Raised in Hampstead, Matthew is a longtime conservative political activist,  prior to joining the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition was the director of Granite Staters for Employee Freedom. (Fighting EFCA).

With town warrant article writing season upon us, Matt will discuss what shenanigans to expect from the pro-tax and spend crowd and how to best fight the broad-based taxers. We'll discuss how to place a tax cap articlle on YOUR ballot.

• Drew  Cline has been editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader since October of 2001. His writing has appeared in more than 100 newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Review.

We'll discuss bailout mania, and how rail has its hand out like everyone else, and why they should get nothing.

Is fining PSNH and other utilities for extended outages really a good idea? Apparently there's at least one lawmaker (A Republican, no less) that thinks so. Sheesh!

And finally, Mr. Cline views our low gas tax part of our NH Advantage, mirroring our feelings about the subject here at the 'Grok. We'll find out why now is exacly NOT the time to be raising gasoline taxes in the Granite State. I have a novel idea-- let's just stop WASTING the money we've already got!

• Doug and Skip at the movies. As you might have guessed, Skip went to the doggie movie, and I went to the Nazi movie. Neither of us were disappointed.

• Time permitting, we'll have yet another word about the goings-on at Belknap County government, and the Republicans and their involvement. With "friends" like these...

It all starts at 9AM EST Saturday. Tune in if you're in Central NH at NewsTalk 1490AM WEMJ or live on the 'Net here... This is not your Poppy's radio show. You won't need to wedge toothpicks into your eyelids to stay awake here!

Posted by Doug at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is a question one is likeley to hear at Republican Party functions (at least those where ordinary, non-insiders are allowed to speak) that never really gets an answer beyond the usual vagaries and empty platitudes:

"We need to better articulate the low tax message."

Sure we do.

"We need to call for less government and regulations."

Yup. Absolutely. I can just hear the newly-minted young voters knocking at the door of the GOP now...

NOT!

Of course, this is for 3 main reasons:

 1) The Republican talking points don't really offer solutions other than to identify problems that might even be agreed-to and capitalized upon by Democrats while cloaking their real socialist ambitions, which they never stop seeking to implement; and 2) Nobody believes the present crop of Republicans anyway, as their actions betray their rhetoric; and 3) They are viewed, as a local Party, to be out of touch, which, heh, when you consider the facts, who could disagree?

Meanwhile, across the aisle at the NH Democratic Party, as reported by the Citizen newspaper:

Continue reading ""How DO we attract new, young people to the Party?"" »

Posted by Doug at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

This past Wednesday, the Laconia Sun ran a piece by Michael Kitch "Belknap Co. GOP at war with itself". Upon reading it, one would think that Doug and I are the rabblerousers in the local sandbox.  What the article does not mention is that this same "problem" is going on all over the State and all over the US.  It is part of the political cycle - start losing and the knives come out.

After vowing to bring unity to the New Hampshire Republican Party by serving as "a benevolent dictator,” former governor John H. Sununu, the chair apparent of the GOP, may need to drop the adjective to quell the bloodletting in the Belknap County, where some conservative activists have taken aim at the party leadership in the wake of another setback at the polls.

Make no mistake; even though this County version of the national struggle within the GOP seems to be between a local few names, it is not.  It's not even the result of "sore losers" even though there a fair flock of both losers and those that are "sore" named in the article.

No, after years of being in the land of plenty here in NH and nationally, the GOP is the minority party again. And given its results, as well as the regional and national ones, this battle is about Philosophy:

• What does the Republican Party stand for?
• For what is it willing to go to battle for?
  
• Should Republican capitulate and move to the Center (and become more like Democrats) to solely be able to win elections?
  

That last one is a most important one.  Yes, elections matter - they matter a lot.  The Majority Party sets the agenda, holds the levers of power; the question that has to be asked of the NH and County GOP is "Sure, but what DID you do when you were the Majority Party"?  Did you govern for power or for principle?

Last year here at the County level  I watch the Majority Party, the GOP, fail to follow the Right To Know law and raise taxes on its citizens 8.8%. Tell me WHY those are NOT reasons to start asking questions? And how should one measure these actions against the Party Platform? 

Certainly, staying with the status quo has proven to be a losing proposition - changes are needed and one solid way to carefully ask and discuss that question is in terms of "Does the Party Platform matter and can it be used as a Standard for subsequent activity?  Can it be used for the highly politically incorrect proposition - Accountability?"

And to start the process, one has to question both actions and those responsible for those actions and that means: 

Continue reading "Recountings from the County - NOW they decide to use the media?" »

Posted by Skip at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Once again, Israel is under attack from those that would destroy it.

Hamas, Hezbullah; outreach of Iran.  The Islamic-based sworn enemies of the Jews. The chutzpah in all this?  Gaza based Hamas, the duly elected leadership of the Palestinians, broke the cease fire and have fired thousands of rockets at innocent Israeli civilians.  Yet, their PR war would have us believe, that because Hamas deploys their weaponry in amongst their civilians, that the Israeli military are barbaric for attacking innocent civilian.

Sorry, these civilians voted for Hamas, knowing full well their intentions and their past history of doing such.  No, Hamas has no intention of committting to peace with Israel under ANY condition:

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."

"The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. "

"There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."

(H/T: NRO)

I sometimes wonder about the hypocrisy of the West - all we seem to hear is UN in this regard, UN in that regard.  Lord (oops, can't use that word!) help the nation that goes against a UN mandate or resolution - mostly the US. Yet, how much global condemnation comes down upon the Arabs for refusing to follow the 1947 UN resolution establishing Israel? 

Make no mistake - no use of "forceful diplomacy" by the in-coming Obama administration will make any difference.  No use of "enticements" of goods, services, or "brownie points" will work either.  Western politicians just haven't learned that true religious fanatics cannot be bargained with - as shown with the huge success in the negotiations over nuclear weapons with Iran's mullahs.

Sometimes, you just have to take your foes words at face value and THEN figure out your responses instead of willfully ignoring them.

In this case, Hope and Change will be irrelevant.  Only steadfast support for Israel as the Jewish state will be the answer; our prayers go out to you.

Posted by Skip at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Right now, the current brouhaha about Congress (you know those critters - lead by Pelosi and Reid - that have a favorability 1/2 that of President Bush) is their automatic raise that is just about ready to take hold.

Great job if you can get it - this year, $4,100 as an "automatic" raise to an annual salary of $169,300 / year - keeping themselves in the top 5% of all incomes - on your dime!  Yup, not only are our national leaders, in what seems to be the worst economic crisis since President Carter, getting a raise, they've set it up such that they no longer even have to vote FOR it.  Instead, they have to vote AGAINST it. 

Nice....and we've let them get away with it.

Here in NH, contact your (Democrat) Congressmen (Hodes's DC office at (202) 225-5206 , Shea-Porter's at (202) 225-5456) and see if they are going to do the Right Thing and vote against it

And it's not just at the national level that we citizens have to be more hawkish and on the search for politicians setting up deals for themselves:

A couple of weeks ago, we spoke at the Council of State Governments annual meeting. At one point, we idly commented that we couldn't imagine anyone continuing in the state legislature in order to build up a pension. After our talk, Texas state Senator Jeff Wentworth gently explained that while this may be true in other places, it ignored the facts of life in the Lone Star State.

His explanation took our breath away.

It turns out that, like most government workers, Texas legislators contribute a percentage of their annual salary to their pension. But while their salaries are a meager $7,200 a year, the salary that's used in calculating their pensions is that of a state district court judge: $125,000. As with most public pensions, you have to stay on the job a number of years to qualify — eight years to retire at age 60 or 12 years to retire at age 50. The longer you stay, the bigger the benefit. One article, published a few years ago in the Oklahoma City Journal Record, noted that one Texas legislator who never made more than $7,200 annually as a legislator retired after 39 years of service with an annual pension of $92,704. Not bad for a session that lasts 140 days every other year.

Remember, it is the politicos that set up the rules....and if we don't watch them and put our flashlights into the dark corners, more of this happens. 

(H/T: Instapundit via Governing)

Posted by Skip at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Even worse than failure is to yield to shame and coercion without a struggle." Stauffenberg (left), as quoted in The Third Reich, A New History by Michael Burleigh. That's Tom Cruise on the right.

So I said to my Dad, "We should check out that new movie, Valkyrie." I should have expected his response: "Are you kidding? The Tom Cruise movie? I'm not sure I can sit through that." We ended up not going while I was on holiday with him over Christmas, and instead I went Monday night, wife in tow, to see the well-advertised flick.  

My only regret is that I didn't go see it when I was down in Florida with Dad, as I know he would have enjoyed it every much as I did. What a fantastic movie with an interesting and thought-provoking story. What makes it all the more interesting is that nearly every last bit, right down to the smallest detail, is apparently true. My guess is that most people had no idea that such actions as depicted in Valkyrie took place in real life. The disatisfaction within the German army ranks with their Fuhrer and his Nazi party was legend, especially once he started war with the Soviets. The plans for the coup as shown in the movie almost seem like they were written to make it have more of a story. Again, it's all as it really happened back in June and July of 1944. I pulled out my copy of William Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and, upon reading a rather large number of pages devoted to Stauffenberg's exploits, verified that, other than maybe 2 or 3 insignificant details, the screenplay is an accurate portrayal of the 15th and final known assasination attempt on Hitler-- and the one that came the closest.

It makes me glad to see that Hollywood is capable of creating such a good piece of historical film, as opposed to the typical Oliver Stone "crockumentaries" with the usual distortions. It's also nice that, no matter the personal side, accomplished actors like Tom Cruise can still turn in a good performance. As to why he was picked for the lead, look no more that the photos above. How could they NOT have picked him for the role? Wrote Shirer, of Stauffenberg:

This was a man of astonishing gifts for a professional soldier... Possessed of a fine physique and, according to all who knew him, of a striking handsomeness, he developed a brilliant, inquiisitive, splendidly balanced mind.

Cruise delivered. Do yourself a favor-- go see Valkyrie. Not only will you be entertained, you'll be smarter as well. How often does that happen? I don't go see very many movies-- in fact, sometimes the span between can be measured in YEARS. This one was well worth my time, and I recommend it to anybody with a even a mild interest in history-- and, of course, anyone who likes a truly good story...

Posted by Doug at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Pelosi GTxi SS/RT courtesy of IowaHawk:

The thing is, it's funny because it's true. That's the sad part...

Posted by Doug at 7:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Islamism is to Religion as Sadism is to Human

by Amil Imani

It is not about God or love, it is about control and domination--just as Sadism is not about human intercourse or love, it is about control, torture, punishment and domination.

Why else name a so-called religion "submission?" Islam seeks nothing less than a total global domination. The word Islam literally means “Taslim,” or (submission) or just “surrender”, the kind that comes by force and fraud. Its scripture must be taken literally; its provisions are intended to dominate every waking moment in the life of a believer. There is no room for being a half-hearted Muslim and no toleration of watering down its invocations.

It's true that it is quite human to seek to control one's environment, just as the parent tries to control the child. The difference with the Islamic whack jobs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, et al is mainly in the level of their brutality toward those who do not share their particular mental affliction.

What a pitiful crop of miscreants has been raised in once-proud Persia. The Mullahs and their lackeys have tortured, raped and executed hundreds of little girls and little boys out of their abject fear of losing control. They are to be ridiculed and despised among men as the wretched, miserable, and entirely loathsome creatures that they are.

How do the Islamists prey upon their victims? For one, Islam is stamped on the impressionable mind of the child from birth. The parents and immediate members of the family are the ones who make the very first impressions on the tabula rasa of the young mind. These early impressions are the grid-work for further formation of the person’s mind and belief system. It is by far easier, as life goes on, to incorporate “items” that readily fit into the grid-work, than to modify it or dismantle it altogether and begin anew. It is in recognition of the importance of early training and education that people such as Saint Augustine and Freud considered the first few years of life as critical for molding the person.

It is some consolation; however, to realize that there are many practicing religions who are willing to stand up to the extremists, even at their own great peril. It is also quite human to fight against control and domination. However, marrying Islam with government is stoking fire with explosives. That is what the Islamic Republic of Iran currently represents.

Continue reading ""Obedient Vessel of Allah"" »

Posted by Amil at 8:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At the last Belknap County Republican Committee meeting, former Governor John H. Sununu came to speak to the group as he has now cast his hat in the running for the Chair of the NH GOP.  With that spin of the brim, it seems that all of the others who were contemplating running have pulled out, leaving a clear path for the Gov.  Still, it was a chance for me to hear him speak (as he was "before my time" - before I became more fully aware of the politics swirling around me and my family) and get a glimpse of what he would be doing.

He spoke well (you can watch the video here,) and did allow for a Q&A.  I did have the chance to ask a question (at about 49:18 during the meeting).  My question was "One of my favorite questions is what is the proper role of government?  I guess I am going to try to apply that principle to the Chairmanship; my question is what is the top 5 priorities that you see that you have to do as Chair if you are indeed elected?

I appreciated the fact that he quickly answered that when you have too many priorities, you have no priorities. Five is too many; he has three:

• Organize the Party so that there are comfort zones for all different groups but no battle lines between them.
• Help articulate, define, and get out the message of the difference between the Republican Party and the Republican Party.
• To raise the money and do the work to communicate in such a way that we win the elections we have to win.

My question also included "How?" His answer?

"The power of the benevolent dictator "

Which did get a laugh from the crowd and he then quickly moved onto another questioner. The problem that I have with his answer is that is can be taken in many different ways:

• What can I think of quickly to avoid answering the question but get a laugh and allow me to move on?
• Haven't figured it out - see number 1
  
• The answer is too complicated for this setting - see number 1
• He's not ready to tip his hand just yet - once again, see number 1
  
• He actually expects that when he gives an order, everyone will jump to carry it out (don't need a number 1 - jokes on us).
  

I rather doubt the last one, but the use of the word "dictator" does give rise to that usage, doesn't it?

Don't get me wrong - I did accept a lot of what he's saying.  Given the financial mismanagement that the Democrats have wreaked upon NH since taking completely over, the NH Advantage is very much at risk.  And I agree that Republicans have not had the discipline or the courage to espouse Republican philosophies or policies to the general public (I'll leave the other two points for another time).

Methinks, however, that the former Gov is probably going to have a lot on his hands to carry out his three principles.  For instance...

Continue reading "Recountings from the County - Part 8" »

Posted by Skip at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

So, we have more Republicans voting for the Democrat than for the Republican?

Well, a little bit ago, I commented on an article about Belknap County turning Blue (here) given the election results.  Nowlet's add a little more to the fire (a couple of weeks late, but I decided that I'd wait to get the official minutes from the meeting - received on 12/16/08 - just to make sure that I was remembering correctly) as what happened as the Belknap County Convention meeting when new officers were elected left me more than a little puzzled.  Sure, the Citizen covered the event (12/9/08) as did the Sun (p 1, 12/9/08).  And while the Citizen did note that all of the Democrats voted for her, I think that the title of the Sun article said gave rise to the actual truth of the matter: "With Help From All 6 Democrats, Millham is new Convention Chair"

Frankly, Steve Nedeau got ambushed at the meeting (and still seemed to still be a bit sore about it at the monthly GOP meeting a couple of days later - and I think with good reason).  From the peanut gallery at the time, I could see that he was stunned at the outcome.  Here's Steve Russell (Clerk at the time) note of the vote: