GrokTV: interview with Bill O’Brien – Questions 18 (Priorities) - Granite Grok

GrokTV: interview with Bill O’Brien – Questions 18 (Priorities)

Last question that the GraniteGrok Editorial Board had for NH State Rep and Candidate for the NH Speaker of the House seat, Bill O’Brien, and it was what most folks would ask first.  However, we wanted to find out, as we said before, not only his stances but WHY he holds those stances on issues that Convervatives are both interested in and concerned about?  Certainly we had a view of former Speaker O’Brien from his time as NH Speaker two cycles ago – and we know what the results were in practical policy and financial aspects and THOSE are what matter (as opposed to mere “intent” common to much action ascribed to more Moderate or Liberal proscription into which we, the electorate, as herded into.

Question 18:

Top 3 Priorities if you are elected Speaker?

Previous Questions:

  • Question 1 – Compliance continues to be an issue but costs are the biggest barrier in my mind. Many people can’t even afford to obtain copies of public records because the fees are too high. What can the legislature do to make public documents accessible to people of all income brackets?
  • Question 1A – RTKs by citizens are often met with hostilities and delays by public servants – is a remedy one that would hold them personally responsible (stripping away qualified immunity in egregious cases) for any penalties (fines and judgements)?
  • Question 1B – Normally fines & penalties paid to wronged citizens are paid by the agencies from tax monies. More of an incentive to comply by stripping qualified indemnity and forcing guilty government workers to pay such out of their personal pockets?
  • Question 2 -What happens if the Supremes rule against IRS subsidy rule?
  • Question 3 – How do we transition people from Obamacare’s Expanded Medicaid before it sunsets?
  • Question 4 – Energy costs are stifling business – what should be done legislatively about the PUC, regulations and the whole entwined system that we have right now which is one of the reasons the costs are so high against some neighboring states which are lower?
  • Question 5 – New Hampshire has a number of unelected commissions who can circumvent elected officials/the voice of the taxpayers. What can/should the legislature do to keep/make them accountable to the people or move their responsibilities to people who are accountable?  Would it be easier to shift/consolidate whatever it is those commissions do, to elected officials who are accountable to voters?
  • Question 6 – These Regional Planning Commissions that were enacted by RSA, have political subdivision status, they collect dues from the Towns, they also take a lot of money in from the Federal Government and that feels like it is bypassing the Legislature and Executive Council. Does it feel like they are overstepping their bounds and they are using Federal money to do it?
  • Question 7 – Is it the case that legislators are giving away their authority with passing broad “themes” and not holding them accountable for doing the nitty gritty details?
  • Question 8 – With 40% of NH’s “revenue” coming via federal coffers and taking into consideration the current $2B hole (not including Medicaid expansion), what step can be taken, if any, to slow the hemorrhaging?
  • Question 9 – There is a term out there going around “Conservatarians” [ “Conservative with (small “L”) libertarian leanings”  -Skip]; A lot of people ran for office in the Republican Party this year. It was amazing, I think, in the primary how many people were running against each other in districts. In many of the districts around me, a lot of people that would call themselves Conservatarians won and they have more of a Liberty mindset that they are more vocal about Liberty issues. Do you see the demographics in the House changing this year from the last time; do you have a sense for that at all?
  • Question 10 – Voter ID problem; a judge in Strafford County gutted domicile which pretty much made that pointless endeavor. Domicile is a huge problem what can we do and can we get it through a Democrat Governor?
  • Question 11 – Would the legislature consider requiring state agencies and employees to meet the same standards and requirements set for other lobbyists? Should state employees be beseeching The State against MY best interest using my money?
  • Question 12 – It is not on a specific issue; we’ve been hearing some real important points of where you stand on the spectrum of issues. For me, the elephant that’s in the room, on FB and the social media I’m heavily advocating for you, because I think you are the right guy at the right time and for the right job, there’s this theme out there that I think would be helpful to be addressed and if you could speak to it. That is the theme that, somehow, if the Republicans vote you in as Speaker of the House, it is going to be a bad election season in 2016 because it will mess up all the elections. I am hearing it throughout the spectrum, it is a talking point to me that seems to be a Democrat, frankly, in that we seemed to pick up the talking point. We’re talking like it’s Truth. So I have had a lot of people that are friends with me that have asked me this specific thing. They have asked me who I’m standing with and then they bring up that point. So, speak to that point, clear it up because I think it is disingenuous information.
  • Question 13 –  Speaking of bringing businesses to NH: we have a lot of certifications and licensing for businesses – cartels, I like to call them where you have to get permission from a certain group of people in order to operate your business in a certain way. How would you address that?
  • Question 14 – Follow on to Jane’s question (Question 12): obviously the Democrats have tried to DEMONIZE you according to Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals (Rule #12, isolate, personalize, demonize). Ed  Naile (GraniteGrok writer, a registered Democrat) put up a great post talking about that; Steve pointed it out, that every Democrat said “We’re running against the Bill O’Brien agenda” and yet they got thrown out. Personalization didn’t work for the Democrats, didn’t work for those that wanted to maintain Power. Going back to what Jane said, you have a number of Republicans who are basically “get me away from the mud” Republicans who are very loathe to do that. What do you say about some of these Republicans that have fallen for the Kool-aid (my words) in believing in what the Alinsky publicity has done? They tried to do it to GraniteGrok until we said “No, we’re not going to take it, you’re a bully, we’re punching you in the nose” – and then they left us alone.  You can’t do that but what do you tell Republicans? Why are you falling for this Democrat PR?
  • Question 14A – What comes to mind as you speak of that, there have been moderate Republicans that have excoriated US and nastily said “Go off and form your TEA Party – you’ll never win”. What I think you are getting to, and comment on this quickly, “Sure, we may not win but you, NH GOP, will certainly lose from getting rid of an important part of your base”. All I have to do is look at the top two of the ticket this time around who insulted the base, the conservative base. They took stances antithetical to that base, and they lost
  • Question 15 – Constitutional Carry. We have seen Democrats this past session do everything they can to rope in Second Amendment Rights. There is a movement amongst the the Conservative base to go from a “Shall Issue” to a Constitutional Carry where you don’t have to get ANY piece of paper from the Government as long as you have passed your NICS and you can lawfully own your firearm. Concealed or open carry; not a problem as we’ve seen that in Vermont. Would you be in favor of that?
  • Question 16 –  During your Speakership, big emphasis on Right To Work – the ability to go and earn a paycheck to support your family without having to join a union…do you think there would be favorability for a very simple bill, that we won’t go for Right To Work, but that the unions now have to collect their dues directly from their membership (no government intermediary between membership and the union leaders in deducting those dues)?
  • Question 17 – Religious Liberty. Certainly we have seen over the last couple of years the problem of non-discrimination impinging the Right of Conscience (the Free Expression as espoused in the First Amendment). We are seeing that small business folks who say we cannot marry you, we cannot do this, we cannot do that it goes against our conscience to do that. The most major principle in this country this country was founded upon. We are seeing a lot of problems with that. People on the Conservative side are starting to say, not just on the religious standpoint, but is it the Proper Role of Government to tell its citizenry “This is how you should think even if it goes against your conscience”? We have seen several cases mandated not only to pay fines when they refused to act according to those things but told “you will take re-education classes, diversity classes (whatever other name you want to do that). Is it that something that you might take up here and it that necessary?
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