Skip

I sent this in to the Laconia Daily Sun:

To the Editor,

This is in response to Niel Young’s Letter to the Editor (after the jump) of today.  I dryly note that while Jane Cormier may be in his “NOT friends” category (a rather large set of people, I imagine), I am quite sure I rate much lower than that (if at all, eh Niel?).

That said, ditto pretty much the rest of what he said; my vote is going to the Conservative in the Special Election for District 1 Executive Council seat – Joe Kenney.  He knows how the State political system runs, the doggedness and discipline of a prior Marine, and the conservative values as a foundation.  It is time to elect someone who follows and stands by his values instead of the go-along-to-get-along mantra that waver in any political breeze.

He certainly has my endorsement.

Kindest regards,

Skip

Read more

But no United States of America – ostensibly, “the Land of the Free” – in the latest version of  Economic Freedom Report.

“You know, if you like your freedom, you can keep it. Or maybe not,” said Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) at an Index panel hosted by the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. “This year the United States slips in a ranking for economic freedom. Why? Because economic freedom is inversely proportional to the size of your government. And government continues to grow at an alarming pace.”

“The government takeover of health care is a significant loss of freedom,” said the senator. “In fact, I would argue that Obamacare involves the largest loss of freedom of choice in 50 years.”

It isn’t just the laws that are passed –

Read more

From Gallup:

So, We the People think Government is “the worst of all evils” (thanks, General Stark!) as we continue to lose freedoms (the power to choose for ourselves).  Obamacare is taking our choice away in the area of healthcare.  Dodd-Frank (financial sector) is now starting the nationalization of the banking sector (more on ObamaLoan later).  Who decides on the type of car you can drive?  The kinds of houses you can live in?  The energy you can use?  The lights you can use?

Do you think that the Republicans would be doing more on this front?  Of COURSE, you’d be right – with the exception of folks like Cruz, Lee, Paul, Amash, and a handful of others, what seems to be the topic du Jour for DC Republicans?  Well, let me give you a hint – Big Biz is shoving them (via the US Chamber of Commerce as well as pro-biz (vs pro Free Market) special interest groups) into Immigration, especially in granting Amnesty.  Yessiree bob!  With a U6 level of Unemployment of 13%, the Party that is trying to be “the Party of the ordinary guys” is about to shaft those self-same folks: the lower skilled blue collar white & minority workers and those trying to get a start in the Economy.  What do you think is gonna happen when 12 million illegal aliens get Amnesty and then be able to compete openly in the marketplace?  Sure, the American Citizen, with a family and a mortgage, is going to get screwed over. 

Read more

That would be Green on the outside, Red on the inside.  And in this case, this would be the old fashioned reason for Red – and it doesn’t mean the traditional “true blue American” either.  Red for Socialist…..or Communists (and we need to correct the coloration).  Every environmentalist and their actions always require a solution that….coerces. Freedom of Choice?  Nah, because we think other than their groupthink.  Here’s a three-fer: Environmentalism / climate change, the United Nations, and Communism:

United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres said that democracy is a poor political system for fighting global warming. Communist China, she says, is the best model.

China may be the world’s top emitter of carbon dioxide and struggling with major pollution problems of their own, but the country is “doing it right” when it comes to fighting global warming says Figueres.

…Figueres added that the deep partisan divide in the U.S. Congress is “very detrimental” to passing any sort of legislation to fight global warming. The Chinese Communist Party, on the other hand,

Read more

“.and giving Obama the ability to whine “I can’t wait for Congress“.”

A “do nothing Congress”?  How ’bout obstructionist Senate – Leader, that is:

Moderate Republicans who occasionally vote with Democrats and help broker bipartisan compromise are annoyed as well. Senator Lisa Murkowki of Alaska told the New York Times she was “kind of fed up” with Reid’s obstructionism. “He’s a leader. Why is he not leading this Senate? Why is he choosing to ignore the fact that he has a minority party that he needs to work with, that actually has some decent ideas? Why is he bringing down the institution of the Senate?”

Allowing a “reasonable number of relevant amendments” from the minority party has not always been considered a concession in the Senate. It was once referred to as “regular order.” Despite Reid’s claims that he has been “very generous with amendments,” the number of amendment votes per year (not counting non-binding budget amendments, which by law cannot be limited) has declined from 218 in 2007, when Reid became majority leader, to 67 in 2013. Since July of last year, Republicans have been allowed a grand total of four amendments.

Read more

(H/T: Mediaite, reformatted, emphasis mine):

Jimmy LaSalvia, the founder of the conservative gay advocacy group GOProud, has officially announced his departure from the Republican Party. “Today, I joined the ranks of unaffiliated voters. I am every bit as conservative as I’ve always been, but I just can’t bring myself to carry the Republican label any longer,” LaSalvia wrote. “You see, I just don’t agree with the big-government ‘conservatives’ who run the party now.”

I grow weary of them, too. Good choice, maybe, but now it will be harder to change it from the inside.  Trust me, I know the feeling – which way is the better one?

He also cited the GOP’s “tolerance of bigotry” as a reason for his departure. “The current leadership lacks the courage to stand up to it,” he lamented, “I’m not sure they ever will.” LaSalvia remarked upon his successful efforts to “create an atmosphere on the right where conservatives can openly support gay Americans and even support same-sex marriage,” but noted there is “more work to do” to “root out the anti-gay and other forms of bigotry in the party.”

I grow weary of this, too.  Three axis to contemplate: 

Read more

Ask yourself – do you know what the Third Amendment is (after the jump)?

(H/T: Independent Journal Review) 

Read more

Last time I looked, “Speech Intimidation by US Senators” was not in the Constitution or Bill of Rights.  This is this, however (the First Amendment):

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

And then you see this – who should we blame more,  those ignoramuses or these chuckleheads (reformatted, emphasis mine)?

Democrats Plan to Pressure TV Networks Into Covering Climate Change

Senate Democrats pledging to get more aggressive on climate change will soon pressure the major TV networks to give the topic far greater attention on the Sunday talking-head shows.  Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, are gathering colleagues’ signatures on a letter to the networks asserting that they’re ignoring global warming.

“It is beyond my comprehension that you have ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, that their Sunday shows have discussed climate change in 2012, collectively, for all of eight minutes,” Sanders said, citing analysis by the liberal watchdog group Media Matters for America.

Right.  DEMOCRAT US Senators, who have sworn to uphold the US Constitution (that would mean, every.single.word) have decided to shred the spirit of the Constitution, stomp on the free speech of others, have a hissy fit, simply because other folks don’t believe their issue should be their issue as well?  Dunno about you but getting a letter from US Senators screams “Intimidation” – and Sanders just played that card.

Read more

AGAIN???   Don’t they ever think of this FIRST?  the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Arrgghh (reformatted, emphasis mine):

Senators want awards show to be free of e-cigarettes

Following Sunday’s primetime broadcast of the Golden Globes that featured images of celebrities smoking electronic cigarettes, a group of Democratic senators are pressing for future broadcasts of the awards show to be smoke — and vapor — free. Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Edward Markey of Massachusetts on Tuesday pressed Golden Globes’ broadcaster NBC Universal and the show’s sponsor, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, to promise that future broadcasts refrain from showing the so-called e-cigarettes and, by doing so, avoid the “glamorization of smoking and protect the health of young fans.”

“Throughout the country and the world, people tune in to watch fashionable actors on the red carpet, enjoy the show, and root for their favorite films and actors,” said the senators’ statement. “Unfortunately, this year, many young viewers saw notable displays of e-cigarette use throughout the awards show, including the opening monologue and repeated shots of celebrities smoking e-cigarettes.”  

Read more

I did receive a response from the Lakes Region Planning Commission Executive Director, Jeffrey Hayes:

Hi Mr. Murphy: Thanks for your request. Please fill out and return the attached to facilitate processing of your request. Thanks. Jeff

Pretty much it.  Oh, and he included a PDF form; you can see it here. I have also reproduced a text version after the jump.  Kinda Imperious, dontcha think?  Like they’re doing a favor – an expensive one to boot.  It seems as if they are using the fees to keep citizens, who pay their expenses (one way or another) from prying into their affair(s).

Read more

Dear Friends,
Today was the “hearing” in the Senate.  The entire hearing was intentionally setup to make it appear that this bill has support, however the gun owners in the state have a much greater voice and if we stick together we can stop this legislation.   The email below answers many of the questions that have been raised about this bill.

Regards,
JR

——– Original Message ——–

Once again, GraniteGrok has embarked on another citizen journalism project – a request to the Lakes Region Planning Commission (“LRPC”) for certain materials between it and other governmental agencies, especially those funded by taxpayer monies.  There has been much discussion about the nine RPCs here in NH – we are asking for materials so that we can sort fact from fiction from source materials.

The following is the email that I sent to the new Executive Director of the LRPC, Jeffrey Hayes.  After that email is the formal RSA 91-A request.  We should have our first answer no later than five business days from this morning.

Good morning, Director Hayes,

Please consider this a formal RSA 91-A request for certain documents that the Lakes Region Planning Commission (“LRPC”) should have in its possession and should be available.  Our democracy is dependent on open and transparent processes, one of which is that any citizen should be able to to see information that resides at any level of New Hampshire governance and agencies given that his or her tax monies have helped to fund such.  As you may well know, there is a lot of discussion happening in and around the activities of the LRPC and its sister organizations within the State of New Hampshire.  Studying the source materials will enable me to sort fact from fiction.

Attached is my request in the following formats: 

Read more