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November is coming and September is coming even faster and for we of the activist community, the election campaigns are now starting to transfer from second to third gear (even though for some, the campaign season is already getting long).  Jim Rubens is one of the three of the four willing to converse with us and sometimes, battle with us (with Karen Testerman and former US Senator Bob Smith being the other two; Scott Brown being the only one who seems to be unwilling (er, runs away?) to even talk with us.  Look, we have differences with them ALL (some minor, some major) – but to not want to engage at all?  Look, we’re just ordinary schlubs – what is he scared of?

Anyways, props to Jim for entering the “Grok Pit” and risking getting bit – and he did get nibbled a bit (watch and see) but it shows he’s not willing to play it safe:

Also, prolific and erudite GraniteGrok commenter Radical Moderate (or as we call him, Rad Mod) calls in as well (YES!  We do take callers!): 

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Certainly the news of the day is the Gilford School Board (“GSB”) making asses of themselves and painting the picture that Gilford has a rather arrogant set of elected officials running its Government Schools.  It is certainly true that the treatment of Dr. William “Billy” Baer by the Board (and his subsequent arrest, video by Josh Youseff and posted by Steve here) has gone viral.  I warned the Gilford Superintendent that it would – on TV news shows, national shows, national level blogs; it has gone on and been on everywhere.  While there are some that have tried to defend the GSB, most have taken the side of Dr. Baer, taking umbrage that a citizen trying to seek answers, seek redress and to hold accountable his elected officials, is so frustrated that he cannot be quiet by their efforts to stonewall him.

Thus, it was with amusement that a Lynne Horton sent this in – my emphasis on where I believe her to be wrong:

Reason for tax supported. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/a1_8_8s4.html. We should be depending on public school grads to maintain a civil and benevolent society.

Right – think I could resist sending a response?

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“You can’t even criticize us any more and now you will  have NO CONTROL“

From the Gilford SAU 73 website is this “news” release from the Gilford School Board (note: it is a Google doc so you need a Google account to view it there – screenscraped for posting) and there is a part of it I find most curious in its wording:

Did you catch the DISTURBING part?  You know, I haven’t even commented on either videos that Steve has put up of either Bill Baer or his daughter, but this line is indicative of that commentary-to-happen as it totally (having to put up with these self-serving, arrogant, NH School Board butt-kissers for years now) encapsulates their attitude and disdain towards:

• Anyone that challenges their authority
• Anyone that challenges “their” school staff, policies, and lack of achievement (given how much taxpayer $$$ is shoveled into it’s maw
• Parents that give off a whiff of “not going along to get along”

Here it is (emphasis mine):

“The district will take immediate action to revise these policies to include notification that requires parents to accept controversial material rather than opt out.”

Can you say DOUBLE DOWN?  

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I became aware of why William Baer (“Billy”) ended up getting arrested last night – the book “Nineteen Minutes” and its depiction of two teens having rough sex as well as violence acts came to my attention this past Thursday – am late blogging this mostly because of the NH GOP Annual Meeting and all the video from it (just keep scrolling down and to previous page as well; I have taken some notes on what was said and will have more to say on it later).  Yes, the people that were letting me know were outraged on two accounts:

• the book itself
• the reckless attitude shown towards parents by the School Board, the Superintendent, and the school staff

So I quickly dashed off an email to the

• The Chair and Vice-Chair of our Budget Committee (yeah, my taxes are paying for this smut)
• The Selectment (not that they can do much as the School Board is a separate entity, legally and tax-wise)
• The Superintendent – Kent Hemingway

I would have emailed each of the School Board, but the cowards no longer post their email addresses on their own website (ever conscious of their constituents, I guess).  BTW, the teacher behind this can be reached here: Gail Hutchison

PLEASE NOTE!!!!: I am breaking my own Rule #1 after the jump, but without the evidence, why bother?  NSFW if someone comes reading over your shoulder

From: Skip
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2014 10:55 PM
To:<BudComm>, <Selectmen>, khemingway@sau73.org
Subject: So this is what is taught in our High School and bought with my taxes?? 

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Well, after I sent my outraged missive to the School Board and the Superindent, Kent Hemingway, I did get a response back from him. Can you say “limp” response? This is indicative of an attitude of “here’s a bone; I’ll just out wait you all and this will just blow over” (Barbara is a friend of mine – I did not know at the time that she had unloaded on them as well:

From: Kent Hemingway
To: Skip; Barbara
Sent: 5/2/2014 1:43:15 PM
Subject: RE: So this is what is taught in our High School and bought with my taxes??

Skip and Barbara,

Please find the attached statement from the Gilford School District regarding these concerns.

Kent

Kent Hemingway
Superintendent of Schools
Gilford School District, NH SAU 73
2 Belknap Mtn. Rd.
Gilford, NH 03249
603 527 9215
mailto:khemingway@sau73.org
http://www.sau73.org/
“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.” ? Madeleine L’Engle

Image of the PDF (picoult letter may 2) he sent after the jump:

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On the other is this headline from the Nashua Telegraph (emphasis mine, reformatted) says “Oh no you can’t!”:

Brown only candidate not to confirm attendance at Merrimack forum

MERRIMACK – Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown is the only major candidate who hasn’t accepted an invitation to a forum for candidates in the 2014 Republican primary for U.S. Senate hosted by the Merrimack Business Association.  The debate, which is scheduled for June 18, has already confirmed former state Sen. Jim Rubens, former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith and former gubernatorial candidate Karen Testerman.

Dave McCray, of the Merrimack Business Association, said he heard from Brown’s staff as recently as Wednesday afternoon, but said Brown has yet to confirm the date.  “All I kept hearing was how busy he was,” McCray said.  McCray said Brown’s staff told him they needed to “check their calendars,” and said a campaign representative would contact the association. Candidates were given five days to reply to the invitation, which, according to the Merrimack Business Association, was sent to Brown on April 23.

Right.  Check their calendars – got it.  That is political speak for “oh crap

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“Behold, the power of Obamanomics. More businesses are failing now than are being created, a first for the American economy since the Carter era, according to a new study by the Brookings Institution. That has become even more true during the Obama “recovery” than during the Great Recession:”

…While the reasons explaining this decline are still unknown, if it persists, it implies a continuation of slow growth for the indefinite future, unless for equally unknown reasons or by virtue of entrepreneurship enhancing policies (such as liberalized entry of high-skilled immigrants), these trends are reversed.

“The reasons can’t be that unknown.

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As always, the RNC Committee folks we send to NH gave their report from the Republican National Committee:

• RNC State Committeeman Steve Duprey: Number of field workers,  Primary,  taking charge of the Prez debates
• RNC State Committeewoman Julianna Bergeron: helping to build the field organization here in NH, tech work, ONE positive message for ONE people (and not identity groups)

Previous videos: 

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