Republican elected officials demanding overrides on SB 365 and 446 so that taxpayers have to pay more - Granite Grok

Republican elected officials demanding overrides on SB 365 and 446 so that taxpayers have to pay more

So why are NH State Senators Bob Guida and Kevin Avard (among others, like Jeb Bradley – and hasn’t he monkey’d with our electrical enough to realize what a total hash he’s made of it?) throwing mains pillars of the Platform into a woodchipper? From the NH Constitution:

[Art.] 2. [Natural Rights.] All men have certain natural, essential, and inherent rights among which are, the enjoying and defending life and liberty; acquiring, possessing, and protecting, property; and, in a word, of seeking and obtaining happiness. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this state on account of race, creed, color, sex or national origin.

Our money is our property.  Sure, we give up certain things for a limited government, but is it the Proper Role of Government to continually act as a forceable transfer of said wealth because JOBS?  Add to that, these from the NH GOP Platform:

We believe that individual liberty is guaranteed under the Constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire, that the liberty of the people must be protected above the power of the government, and that it is only through an adherence to our founding documents that we will continue to grow as a free, Constitutional Republic.

We believe in free people, free markets and free enterprise.

On this topic, it is clear that neither of them are protecting the “liberty of the people…from the power of the government” and they don’t believe in “free markets”. Instead, they are sounding like Democrats in “PEOPLE ARE HURTING!”.  Well, everyone hurts at some time – and I dryly note that no one in government came to the rescue of MY industry when it imploded last century.  Instead of hundreds it was hundreds of thousands that lost their jobs.  Instead of $264 million of economic activity at risk, it was BILLIONS (probably on the order of $100 Billion and that was back in the 1980s so add in inflation).  What the heck is wrong with them (Bradley, well, he’s generally in favor of a State directed economy, sorta like an Elizabeth Warren mini-me with her latest bill, so I’m not surprised at all)?

Under the bill, three utilities — Eversource, Unitil and Liberty Utilities — would have been required to buy power from the biomass plants and other renewable sources at above-market prices. In vetoing the bill, Sununu argued that the measure would have meant higher electricity bills for ratepayers and would have accomplished nothing to ensure the financial health of the plants, which face competition from electricity produced by hydro and natural gas.

“New Hampshire is struggling with some of the highest electricity rates in the country,” he said.

At least Guida’s pushing for an override of Sununu’s vetos (which is the right thing to have done, btw) doing it for his constituents – that his area up in the North County.

Once again, we electric rate payers are not responsible for either the jobs and livelihoods of the logging industry.  If there is no demand for their services, well, join my crowd.  Either figure out how to remake yourselves, figure out a new service model, or go into another line of business.  Cold hearted here but we shouldn’t be expected to pay more to keep you in busines if you can’t compete or there is no Free Market demand for it.  Ditto for the biomass generators as well – if you can’t survive in the Free Market by yourselves in free competition, you aren’t putting your capital into the right sectors. If other producers can provide what consumers want more cheaply, sorry, but you shouldn’t be demanding that we keep you in business.  In this, you’re making yourselves out to be buggy whip guys when the automobile was taking over.

And to the Tom Thomsons, the landowners that now lament they can’t management their woodlots:

Jasen Stock emphasized three figures: two-thirds, 40%, and $1.4 billion. Two-thirds of New Hampshire’s standing timber is low-grade, he pointed out, suitable only for firewood, wood pulp, or woodchips for biomass. More than 40% of all the timber harvested in New Hampshire annually is chipped — the loss of the biomass market for those chips would cripple the industry. And the size of the industry, in total, is $1.4 billion. Its disappearance would devastate the New Hampshire economy. The Governor made a significant mistake vetoing SB 365 and 446.

Capitalism can have great rewards and you folks had the economic wealth generated by that investment. Just like the mini-computer manufacturers.  There is nothing in capitalism that says “you will be in business forever”.  And now, it may be your turn.  Sure I can see Guida pushing for his constituents – I don’t think he or his family are invested in this; if he was, knowing him, he’d be doing the right thing and recusing himself.

But how do you explain NH House Rep Vicki Schwaegler (and former NH GOP Area Vice Chair) going around demanding an override?  Shouldn’t she be recusing herself on this as her family IS invested in this?

I get things:

FYI State Rep Vickie Schwaegler and her family own thousands of acers [sic] of forest land and she is pushing very hard on overturn. She and her admitted in a meeting that they stand to make money off it. Shouldn’t she have to recuse herself from all votes on a matter that is going to make her and her family money? She told everyone that she wasn’t going to run again, that she had no time to serve. As soon as that bill was vetoed she changed her mind and informed us all that she was going to run, coincidence? I think not.

Here is some of the landholdings:

Vicki Schwaegler_Screen Shot 2018-08-30 at 7.46.41 AM Vicki Schwaegler_Screen Shot 2018-08-30 at 7.46.31 AM Vicki Schwaegler_Screen Shot 2018-08-30 at 7.42.53 AM Vicki Schwaegler_Screen Shot 2018-08-30 at 7.46.58 AM

I have no problem with anyone and their property and trying to make a living from it.  I do have a problem with:

  • Them trying to use the force of government in rent-seeking to make others pay for their living.
  • A State Rep who is personally involved in overturning the vetoes in which her family may benefit IF the allegation is true (changing her mind about running again with this issue as a main driver)

Schwaegler is listed at the NH Secretary of State office as to registering to run in Grafton County District 3.  Whether or not she said “no” to running and then changed her mind is immaterial.  She should recuse herself simply for impropriety and appearances on this issue.  But she won’t because she’s a RINO – Ratings:

  • HRA (House Republican Alliance – how do you vote in relationship to the GOP Platform): 61%
  • NHLA (NH Liberty Alliance – do you support individual Liberty): C
  • AFP (Americans for Prosperity – do you support Free Markets) : F
Given her response to the subsidy veto at our expense, it is clear she’s not about Free Markets.  And here’s some of her other “noteworthy votes” (emphasis mine):

2018 HB587 against free speech for talk therapists
2018 SB224 against free speech for talk therapists

2018 HB1362 against people buying health insurance across state lines
2018 HB1752 against requiring a search warrant to obtain blood samples
2018 SB420 against right to know about collective bargaining

2018 HB1542 against the Second Amendment

2018 HB1763 for a new road use tax
2018 HB1319 for allowing men in women’s bathrooms

2018 HB628 for an income tax

2018 HB317 for higher energy rates
2018 HB559 for higher energy rates
2018 HB592 for higher energy rates
2018 HB114 for higher energy rates
2018 SB365 for higher energy rates

2017 HB227 against letting cars have tinted side windows
2017 SB10 for milking taxpayers for corporate welfare
2017 HB223 for using taxpayer money for lobbying

How the heck did she become a REPUBLICAN Vice-Chair????

Ben Hight is running in the Primary against her in Grafton County District 3 and has been vetted as a great Conservative alternative to Schwaegler.

 

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