Granite State Survey. We need your help!

. Regular readers may or may not know that in addition to what we do here at the ‘Grok, Skip and I are active in town politics as well. A trip to our sister site, GilfordGrok reveals the other side of our lives as involved citizens right where we live. . One of the discussions that has … Read more

This is what happens…

..                          Me too!                                                                   Count me in! . The liberal blog Blue Hampshire had a posting Friday that plainly illustrates the problem, as I have long seen it, that the Republicans create for themselves when they continue to allow their elected politicans to stray far afield from core principles & beliefs. They rightfully (unfortunately) finger a … Read more

You cannot slam the UN enough, if you ask me. Fred obliges.

..                                             Ruger Mini 14– the official "ranch rifle" of the ‘Grok . . One of the dangers a Democratic-controlled Unites States government brings with it is "repairing" our relationship with the UN. With my favorite diplomat of all time, John Bolton ( the smartest man in America) gone from the scene, and a renewed lovefest … Read more

JOIN SENATOR SUNUNU’S FIGHT TO KEEP THE INTERNET TAX FREE

Tax Monster.money.
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Senator John E. Sununu has an important message about the Internet we have been asked to share. If you are reading this, you should care. Says Senator Sununu:
“The Clock Is Ticking, Placing Internet Tax Freedom In Real Jeopardy. This National And Global Communication Network And The Economy That Surrounds It Deserves The Certainty Of A Permanent Ban To Ensure That Resources And Sustainable Business Plans Can Be Put Into Action. Taxing The Information Superhighway Is Short-Sighted Policy That Will Discourage Innovation, Slow Broadband Deployment, And Raise Prices For Consumers.”
On November 1st 2007 – six short days from now – the 1998 law that has kept the internet free from taxation is set to expire.
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New Hampshire’s Senator John E. Sununu is leading the fight in Congress to make the internet tax ban permanent.  This week he introduced an amendment that would make the current internet tax moratorium PERMANENT.  An expert on technology policy, Senator Sununu has been at the forefront of this issue, having worked on similar bills and introduced the “Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act of 2007” at the start of the 110th Congress.
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Meanwhile, Democrats in Washington are fighting to keep the door to internet taxes alive.  They are supporting vague and temporary measures that could leave the internet open forms of taxation that were previously prohibited.  Taxes on internet access, taxes on email services, taxes on internet purchases…  
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Senator Sununu’s amendment could come to a vote on the floor of the Senate as early as this morning.  Let’s settle this one for good!  If you agree that the ban on internet taxes should be permanent, then Senator Sununu needs to hear a message of support from you!

Join us in signing this petition to tell John Sununu, “I Support Keeping the Internet Tax Free.”

Act now! Time is running out.
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[UPDATE] While you may have heard that a vote indeed was taken last evening on this, Steve Demaura of the NH GOP informs us that
It is not over until Nov 1. They have already voted on a number of the Democrats’ measures which are only temporary bans with loop holes. The Sununu permanent ban will come to the floor for an up or down vote either today or Monday. If that fails they still have one more shot to re-introduce it under rule 14…there is still hope!
[UPDATE # 2] Statement from NHGOP:
 

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GraniteGrok Debate. Counterpoint…Favoring a tax cap.

point counterpoint
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The following was forwarded to us by ‘Grok reader Bill Asbell of Dover. After reading Mr. Tunning’s "Point" against NH cities having tax caps, he felt as though it answered several of the incorrect assertations made. It was originally written in response to a letter writer in his local paper, Foster’s…
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I attended both forums on the Dover Tax Cap initiative. In the first one moderated by Councilor David Scott, he laid out the ground rules and how it was an information gathering event for citizens paneled by: himself, three Dover city employees and four guests from Franklin and Laconia (including two mayors), who had experience of a tax cap in their communities. It was therefore balanced with those from the private sector who pay taxes to government and those from municipal government who increase their ranks and compensation through tax hikes and whose earnings are the result of taxes. Two of the first people to break the ground rules and start the ball rolling toward mild anarchy were the tax and spend liberals Betsey Andrews Parker and Mr. Glenn Grasso himself, who felt that they should grandstand rather than ask questions. And no cap opponents asked a question of the Dover staff. The audience was packed with Dover city union employees, some of whom also threw their rhetorical weight around with great melodrama, and warnings of doom, generating far more heat than light.
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The second, calmer forum, run by unlimited spending advocate Mayor Scott Myers had six panelists all from state agencies and local government; people whose compensation increases and whose jobs are more secure when taxes go up not down. This is objectivity he says, not stacking the deck to achieve a desired outcome. There were no private sector representatives and no one who’d personally experienced first-hand a tax cap…how helpful.  He then coached the panelists how to respond when he felt the need.
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On the same day that Foster’s ran its editorial against the tax cap, the Union Leader editorialized in favor of it. On Thursday, Foster’s editor publishes an unhinged, "infuriated" diatribe playing the class warfare demagogue’s card, then denying it in the next paragraph…truly embarrassing.  As if renters don’t pay increased rent when landlords’ property taxes go up. Foster’s editor must really believe all its readers are dupes.
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NH GOP CALLS ON HODES AND SHEA-PORTER TO OPPOSE THE “MOTHER” OF ALL TAX HIKES

New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen Calls On Representatives Paul Hodes And Carol Shea-Porter To Demonstrate Their Independence From Their Democratic Leadership And Oppose Representative Charles Rangel’s Nearly $1 Trillion Reform Plan For Higher Taxes  NH GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen: “If There Was Ever A Time For Paul Hodes And Carol Shea-Porter To Show … Read more

GraniteGrok Debate. POINT… Opposing a tax cap.

point-counterpoint
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The following was sent to me from Ron Tunning, the chairman of the Laconia Democrat Committee. Writes Ron,
Doug,
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I thought I’d share with you a column I’ve submitted to the Foster’s Daily Democrat regarding the proposed tax cap in Dover.  I know you’ll never agree with me, but at least you can see where I’m coming from.
He’s right about that, but, as he knows, I do like to listen to and ponder what those who stand in opposition to what I believe have to say. Ron is a thoughtful individual, and I always appreciate and enjoy the discourses and debates we have engaged. His piece follows in full as written. Tomorrow, GraniteGrok will present a counterpoint to his argument. Keep in mind that two cities right here in the ‘Grok’s neck of the woods have tax caps: Laconia and Franklin. Feel free to leave comments in the section below…

Opposing the Tax Cap Proposal in Dover, NH

by Ron Tunning
No one enjoys paying higher taxes, and it’s safe to say that everyone would prefer a lower tax bill. That is why ideas such as the tax cap being proposed in Dover garner immediate public support. But if voters are honest with themselves they’ll oppose the measure.
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Let’s be frank. We all know “there’s no such thing as a free lunch“, and experience has taught us that “you get what you pay for.” Those maxims should guide us as we evaluate the sensibility of imposing a tax cap.
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So, too, should careful consideration of the methodology proposed for determining how much municipal spending will be permitted to rise. The Dover plan mirrors the language adopted in Franklin and Laconia, limiting the annual increase in spending to the annual rise in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI). After all, proponents of the tax cap argue, why should the cost of government rise more rapidly than the costs of consumer goods?
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CALL NOW OR LIVE WITH DREAM AMNESTY!

From:   Roy Beck, President, NumbersUSA
Date:   Tuesday 23oct07     noon
Senators invited to meet with illegal aliens this afternoon to persuade them to vote amnesty Wed.
UPDATEOpen-borders Senators have plummeted to a new low in advocating amnesty by aiding, abetting and harboring a group of illegal aliens in our United States Capitol today!

Sen. Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Lugar (R-Ind.) and Sen. Hagel (R-Neb.) have invited Senators and their staffers to a meeting at 3 p.m. today to learn why they need to pass the DREAM Act amnesty on Wednesday.

Briefing the Senators in the Capitol will be:

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Universal Health Scare . . .

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We frequently hear politicians bemoaning the fact that there are about forty seven million people without health insurance. Most Democrat Presidential candidates are espousing a national health care system, and one, John Edwards, is further demanding that everyone be required to see a Doctor at least once a year. The public is being led down a path to possible disaster.

There are two areas of concern. The first is what would a universal plan do to an already over regulated and under staffed health care system? The second has to do with the makeup of 47 million uninsured number.

Back in 1980, a study commissioned by the Department of Health and Human Services predicted that there would be a surplus of doctors by the year 2000. That disastrous prediction resulted in reductions of openings in medical schools and a diversion of young people to other professions. Other governmental regulations literally drove United States trained foreign doctors, who used up some of those medical school seats, back to their homeland, further draining our physician resources. And the medical shortage isn’t limited to doctors. According to an article by Dr. Jack Cochran in the Denver Business Journal, the Government is now predicting a shortage of 800,000 nurses by 2020. Recruitment of doctors and nurses has become a big business. Doctors fresh out of their residency are receiving over fifty job offers each.

If John Edwards were to implement his medical wish list…

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Embarassed his taxes aren’t high enough!

. Sometimes you really have to wonder… In a letter found in the Foster’s Daily Democrat entitled, Don’t Cap Taxes; Increase them for the sake of the Children, a Mr. Verdenal H. Johnson writes about how distressed he is that when it comes to taxes, the people always want to say "no." He is apparently … Read more

Cali Public Schools Ban Mom and Dad!

Well, don’t ya know I warned about this in previous postings, click here. Wake Up New Hampshire…this is where civil union legislation signed by Gov. Lynch is heading in our state and rather quickly if people don’t wake up out of their apathy and take a stand now! Personally, if I still had children in the public school … Read more

I hate when that happens… [UPDATED]

.. . Imagine our surprise when we checked our SiteMeter this morning and it was like it was a year ago all over again. In a mere 8 hours, we lost some 40% off our average daily visitor tally. Did this happen to anybody else out there? When going to bed, we had nearly 800 visit "hits" … Read more

Attention Wal-Mart shoppers…

Wal-Mart
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In recent years, I have come to appreciate and admire the marvel of American logistics and ingenuity that is Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, others don’t see it in the same light. In a number of posts stretching back over the past year and more, I have written quite a bit about the ongoing campaign against Wal-Mart by labor unions and their friends in the Democratic Party . In a posting from last November, I reported:
The Democratic war against Wal Mart moves on. With the socialist-leaning party in power, one wonders if the assault on the premier American retailer/ logistics giant will intensify and begin to cause the company real damage.
As I said in this one,
Wal-Mart represents the latest target in the left’s war on successful American businesses.
Last October, I discussed the vehicle chosen by those joining in the assault: the WakeUpWalMart campaign. At the time, I was writing about the NEA teacher’s union’s joining with that group as they attacked Wal-Mart. As found on their website, one sees the union roots of the effort:

Participation in the campaign, which is organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), the AFL-CIO union with primary jurisdiction for employees of retail stores, was approved by the NEA Executive Committee in May 2005 and endorsed by the 2005 Representative Assembly in July 2005.

Of course, just because those on the outside looking in say something is bad, it turns out, sometimes, when you consult people actually having firsthand information, the real story turns out to be quite different. In this post about a group comprised of Wal-Mart employees (Working Families for Wal-Mart), I pointed out:

I know several people that work for Wal Mart, and they genuinely like their jobs. Nobody forces anybody to work there.

Followed by this:

Nobody forces anyone to shop there. Imagine that- willing employees serving willing customers- What a concept!

Indeed. Did you know that Wal-Mart, under constant attack by those who always claim to be for "the little guy," saves the average American family who willingly patronizes them more than $2,500 per year? And now, for those willing customers, there’s a way to get involved and help defend the company that provides such a level of satisfaction: Wal-Mart New England’s Customer Action Network (CAN).

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The smartest man in America?

Former Ambassador Bolton . Back in January, I noted Of all the casualties of the past election, the loss of John Bolton as our UN ambassador is the one that I regret the most. To have had a plain spoken person advocating first for what’s best FOR AMERICA on the world stage during the last … Read more

The Chaz and Skip Debate – Round 1 – Point

Ok Thanks for your patience Skip et al. As you may have noticed, I endorsed Hillary Clinton for President this week. That has kept me occupied on the blogosphere. That plus building and preparing for winter is keeping me in "catch up" mode. I do think this is a great project though and one that I will commit to. So let me start with a short opening statement.

In my endorsement of Senator Clinton I called healthcare my number one domestic issue. No matter your vantage point, its a big one that isn’t going away. I think we all agree on that, correct me if I’m wrong. Health care is of course a huge economic issue. Industries in the western world have a capital advantage over us because of either universal or single payer systems. All you have to do is watch what is happening in our auto industry to see how crucial the difference is.

Our hodgepodge system began when I was born shortly after World War two. Employers at that time were able to sustain health care premiums for its steady workers. That system became outdated thirty years ago, but we still use it. Lose your job, lose your healthcare. If you don’t work for a major corporation chances are you won’t have ANY healthcare. Most self-employed people can’t afford it, or if they are paying it their operating costs become so thin that its hard to stay motivated. These are just a few of the problems, but from where most Americans sit, this is a broken antiquated system that needs fundamental change.

I also believe that the American people, through the American government should be able to use the most powerful capitalistic tools available to bring down the cost of health care. In other words I don’t see "buying in bulk to drive down costs" as anything remotely socialistic. I’m happy to go into any of this in detail when the time comes. End of intro.

Let’s start with the question of whether I am a socialist.

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The Skip and Chaz Debate – Round 1 – Counterpoint

Well, my turn!  Chaz has started the debate off with two points:

  • He’s not a socialist
  • Universal Healthcare is not socialistic

Well, I tend to be a "fisker", so let me go through his thesis and let the air gently out of his ballon.  So let’s dive in!

Formatting note:  indented and bold is the person who has presented the Point (in this case, Chaz).  The person doing the Counterpoint will have the full width, regular text (me for now). 

As you may have noticed I endorsed Hillary Clinton for President this week.

Well, that doesn’t bode well for your argument!  But hey, given your earlier posts on Universal Healthcare, it is not unexpected.

That has kept me occupied on the blogosphere. That plus building and preparing for winter is keeping me in "catch up" mode. I do think this is a great project though and one that I will commit to. So let me start with a short opening statement:

In my endorsement of Senator Clinton I called healthcare my number one domestic issue. No matter your vantage point, its a big one that isn’t going away. I think we all agree on that, correct me if I’m wrong.

Oh no – on this point we do agree (uh-oh, does this bode well?).  I agree that healthcare is one of the biggest domestic issues, but I think that illegal immigration is the number one domestic issue.

Given that, healthcare is my third issue for the Presidential race.  In fact, a twofer:

  • Healthcare and how it should be managed
  • Government and its perceived role in society.

The combination of the two, and how they are handled, have tremendous ramifications on how our society undergoes its next metamorphasis. In fact, in a way, it may have a tremendous impact on personal choice and self-responsibilities.

Health care is of course a huge economic issue.

Indeed.  The economic make up of our GDP is 16% and will only grow, and grow faster, as the Boomers age and pass into retirement.  Costs will spiral as more advanced technologies come into vogue in keeping the most narcissistic generation ever.

Healthcare has always been rationed – no matter what road America chooses, this will remain constant.  The question is by "how".  We have two diametrically opposing models:

  • Free market capitalism
  • Government control 

Far be it for us to decide which will win out – but let us argue, rant, and rave as if we did. 

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John McCain rips the bark off of Romney!

Wow! As many of you might have figured out, I’m the kind of guy that LOVES the heat of political battle. I can’t get enough of those able to deliver the conservative message in such a way that it becomes for all intents and purposes indisputable to all those who hear it. Additionally, I appreciate … Read more

And suddenly, while on “the [toll] road to Damascus,” a NH Executive Councilor joins the rest of us…

lightbulb
Ray Wieczorek
The "Wiz": In favor of raising tolls
before he was against raising them.
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On the front page of today’s NH Union Leader, it is being reported that one of the Republicans on the Governor’s Executive Council has joined the rest of us and is now

Angry with himself

over the vote he made last week to help implement the Great Republican Toll Hike of 2007. Tom Fahey, the State House Bureau Chief writes
Executive Councilor Raymond Wieczorek wants to take another look at the turnpike toll hikes he helped vote into place.
This is, of course, good news indeed. The unfortunate part is that had he and his fellow Republican on the Council, Ray Burton, done what they should have and joined Democrat Deb Pignatelli in saying "NO", he wouldn’t be with the rest of us today in being angry with him(self). According to Fahey, Wieczorek said
"I thought about it, and then said, ‘What the heck am I doing in voting for something like this, when I give them $8 million more than they asked for?’ I’ve got a problem with it."
So what caused him to suddenly see the light? According to the UL,
Wieczorek said he was not under any political pressure to change his vote. "I hardly had any phone calls here at all, he said. "I’m just angry with myself."
Me too, Ray. And as far as phone calls go, has anybody ever tried to contact an Executive Councilor to lobby against something? I did. As I recounted in this previous post on October 1st:

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Monday Poll– NH DOT toll hikes. Are they necessary? Who’s to blame?

Is there ANY change to the wasteful ways? Party on, dudes! . In the comments section of the previous post about the elimination of machines at the toll booths and the replacement with MORE state workers mere days after the Great Republican Toll Hikes of 2007, a reader, "Frank", claims I’ve got it all wrong, … Read more

What the F#&K?!!! I thought the tolls were raised to FIX roads. Fooled again, suckers!

. I just dropped my coffee reading today’s New Hampshire Sunday News. I knew this would happen! After GraniteGrok fought a valiant but fruitless effort to shame the Republican (?) executive councilors into voting "NO" on raising to tolls, now comes this. Writing in the "State House Dome" column, Tom Fahey reports: Say goodbye to exact … Read more

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