News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
Julie Smith 
It’s time to revisit SB255, Kevin Avard’s telecommunications surcharge. He sponsored it at the behest of Senator Twitley’s beloved far-left New Futures. It’s not dead. It had been in suspended animation since Regina tabled it on March 27, but it came out of hibernation on Monday afternoon in the Budget Committee of Conference, just a … Read more
NH Journal ran an article yesterday that was written by Ed Wonton, complaining about parts of HB649 being inserted into HB 2. I’d like to see the whole bill, in its original form, inserted into the budget, but there’s at least some merit to accepting half a loaf when getting all of what you want … Read more
Ever since the resurgence of BLM 5 years ago, many people have retooled the saying in the image of their own important issues. “(Your passionate issue here) matters.” Look no further than HB446, which is fortunately on its way to the Corner Office right now. That bill makes non-academic surveys opt-in by parental consent. Most … Read more
Melanie Levesque voted for an income tax. That public service reminder never grows old, even though it’s been 3 election cycles since her 2019 crime against NH. While it’s not an election year, I never miss an opportunity to remind everyone, ad nauseam. Melanie’s dear buddy old pal Rosenwald gave me that opportunity yesterday. While … Read more
What a ridiculous question it might be to ask if a red town has something in common with a blue city, especially if I make the question about 91A, but without the unpleasantness often involved in its pursuits. Every community’s operating budget has its own greedy monster, the schools, consuming about 70% of the funds, … Read more
Bullying happens at the state house. There’s so much of it that it should be renamed Fairgrounds School, known locally as the host of the Ward 6 polls and by WMUR as the Nashua epicenter of bullying. Legislator scorecards are a toned-down version of bullying in the sense that they’re carrots on a stick for … Read more
No, I’m not talking about the governor of California; my article is about the possibly only tool left in dealing with the madness of so many housing bills. If they materialize, it won’t be the local government, but the state (which could have a blue government at any time in the future) that must be … Read more
As Housing bills designed to chisel away at local decision making continue to and through their 2nd chamber of the legislature, my thoughts have returned to the skilled salesman’s mantra. Know your customer. Housing bill madness is a product presented as a solution to an imaginary crisis that’s been sold to its supporters, who range … Read more
Most people assume there’s a method to the madness when it comes to redistricting every 10 years. Having voted in the 2nd largest city for so long and having only been paying attention to such things for a short while, I became somewhat simple minded. Nashua has a population of about 90,000, and it also … Read more
Rev Kimberly Conway Hester had gone dormant in my mind for the past few years until today! More on today in a moment, but I will start with a secular answer to the titled question, asking who she is. Hester is a masker and was featured on WMUR in August 2021, pushing for Mask Madness … Read more
Mr Sylvia said, “The Senate is a place where good House bills go to die.” GM Hopf said, “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” A Granite Stater in a red community said, “Sadly, Republicans have been their own worst enemy … Read more
Many readers already know, but if you’re late for dinner, I’ll tell you now. HB361 was on the Senate Consent Calendar and should have been a smooth sail through the body yesterday, but Regina the Masker had to put a monkey wrench into the process. This is NOT the first time she has killed or … Read more
In his 11/19/21 speech to an angry crowd following that famous unfortunate Chuck Morse vote, Senator Giuda, who voted correctly, said, “money is the mother’s milk” (of campaigns). We know that there are “haves” and “have-nots,” but it’s not just that dichotomy, I would say it’s more like a Punnett Square because there are those … Read more
Hollis Dunkin Donuts is unlike other locations in many ways. It’s in a repurposed building multiple times its age, it doesn’t have the usual bright orange and pink signs and it doesn’t have a drive-thru despite it being a former site of a bank with one. While I can’t speak intelligently to the finer details … Read more
Let’s get the “say something nice” part out of the way before the attack. I met Community Loan Fund lobbyist Tara Reardon on 2/15/23 after a Senate Executive Departments committee hearing for a trailer park bill. She supported what I said into the mic and followed me out into the hall and introduced herself when … Read more
Zoning is an institution often misunderstood by many, myself included, so let’s delve into a 22-page treatise written by the founder of the Free State Project. To use Ray Guarino’s favorite word, ACRIMONIOUS, as many recent discussions, both online and in person, have been just that, so it’s important to say that I mean zero … Read more
If you watch enough hours of the Senate, it’s routine to hear Queen Sharon say, “Senator So and So is recognized for…” You can fill in the blank with a comment, a question, a parliamentary inquiry, and a few other things. Both sides of the aisle have talkers. I call them motormouths when it’s Watters, … Read more
Let’s first briefly mention the Underwood book, Stop Lying About ESAs, after which I named this article. I encourage everyone to read it, not only because of the controversy and misunderstandings involved regarding EFAs, but also because the polarization and vitriol present among everyone who’s not a Democrat are very similar. One institution controversy (EFAs) … Read more
While I already wrote something about this year’s Nurses Week, our new governor has motivated me to do a follow up piece as she seemingly decided to snub these servants of mankind that went from heroes to zeroes during the Damn Emperor’s Reign of Terror. You’ve heard me say it, time and again, ad nauseam. … Read more
Having shared my recent article with an “apoplectic” constituent of one of the reps that “took a walk” on SB284, I was asked if this particular rep abstained from any other housing bill roll calls. That communication inspired me to look at ALL the votes this rep abstained from. Having done that with the goal … Read more