This came over the transom:
‘Republican’ Ray Burton has endorsed Democrat County Commissioner Michael Cryans for reelection. Burton has also refused to endorse Republican Omer Ahern for re-election as District 2 Grafton County Commissioner against Democrat Martha Richards. Omer has been a great advocate for reigning in Grafton County spending and keeping Grafton County property taxes low. Burton and Cryans have consistently opposed Ahern’s pro-taxpayer initiatives
Apparently, the news was in the Valley News at the end of the week 6/16/2012 – I have tried to verify that by asking if anyone has hardcopy as the Valley News site is so horrible it is all but useless. For full disclosure, Omer is a personal friend and I KNOW that he has been a long term Republican and active in the Party structure. More importantly, he is a great TEA Party / Conservative kind of guy (which is probably why Burton despises him). He supports the Republican Party Platform but more important to me, he realizes that Government serves a purpose – and it is not to be used to spread influence and to buy votes. Government should be limited, frugal, unintrusive and stays within bounds and lie LIGHTLY upon taxpayerst.
That is not Ray Burton’s vision – IMHO, he has used it to enhance himself. To NOT give a nod to Omer over his Dem opponent basically is bring up the specter that Burton (er, weak news flash??) is more a Progressive Republican, happy to grow government and aide those that sojourn in that process (like Dems) than a constitutionally based one. In short, a candidate for one of Rick’s weekly reports. Much is forgiven by him as he doesn’t just bring home the bacon to the North Country – he brings home the whole herd. Everytime I turn around, it seems there’s a whole flock of folks that owe him favors in return for what he has dragged from Concord. Is that the NH way, or has he just toned down a Chicago system way of “doing business”. And of course, don’t forget about this about his wanting to raise taxes and that (“He has become a parody of a good old boy politician.” – and people and other politicians keep kissing his arse).
Now, I did a quick Google search and got no hits relevant to this rumor: he told his primary opponent, Jerry Thibodeau, that he was unqualified to run as Councilor (last I knew, Jerry ran a business that had hundreds of employees at one time) – that screams “shades of the ‘Ted Kennedy’ seat that doesn’t belong to the public”). Burton’s been around so long growing long in the tooth that he believes is it his – while all admit that his constituent service is steller does it overwhelm the hubris?
I called down to the NH GOP in Concord to see what the scoop was and if there is an official response / statement was on this – Tory Mazzola, Executive Director emailed me back asking what he could do for me. I emailed back:
Hi Tory,
I am looking for a response / statement to a Republican actively refusing to endorse fellow Republicans: Ray Burton. He is, instead, is endorsing Democrat Michael Cryans for reelection up in Grafton. It seems he has also given a tacit endorsement as he is not backing Omer Ahern (a solid to the core Republican) against Democrat Martha Richards. I have known Omer for a number of years now….I don’t get it!
Why does Burton wish to emulate the late Gov. Peterson by endorsing Democrats?
What will the NH GOP do? Will you put out a presser? Will you deny Ray Burton money and / or assistance (either formally or informally)?
I am also in the unfortunate position that he represents me for Exec. Council.
Still waiting on an answer…
