GrokTV: interview with Bill O’Brien – Questions 7 & 8 (Legislative Abdication, Dependency on Feds) - Granite Grok

GrokTV: interview with Bill O’Brien – Questions 7 & 8 (Legislative Abdication, Dependency on Feds)

Yes, more than a few questions already but we aren’t even halfway!  More questions – are legislators actually doing the hard work we elected them to do and are we “selling our State” to the Feds by being too dependent on their money?

  • 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 7                                                            Question 8

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?
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