Skip, Author at Granite Grok

The real cost of Obamacare – one individual’s lament at being hurt, not helped

September 26, 2018November 13, 2012 Skip

Emphasis mine – and I thought that “Progressive Government” is supposed to solve problems – not make things worse? It’s like I have said for years: The Bigger the Government, the smaller the citizen. In this case, my friend sees himself getting smaller thanks to Government decisions “for him”. Skip, The numbers were posted yesterday. … Read more

“Less take-home pay” – Well, THAT didn’t take long now, did it?

September 26, 2018November 13, 2012 Skip

“Less take-home pay”; Tim listed another things that the Democrats now “own” based on their election results. Here in NH, Maggie “The Red” Hassan (the NH Governor-elect) is about to be sorely tempted to immediately sign a bill to institute a broad-based income tax. NH Families for Education (“dedicated to advocating family involvement in education”) (emphasis mine):

House Democrat Introduces Legislation for an Income Tax

Remember when Democratic candidates were pledging not to pass an income tax? Well, forget that promise! They now want an income tax to pay for education.

INCOME TAX FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS (2013-H-0191-L)

Title: establishing a one percent personal income tax to fund chartered public schools. Sponsors: (Prime) Peter Sullivan

Education Tax Credits (2013-H-0190-L) Title: relative to education tax credits Sponsor: (Prime) Peter Sullivan

Give a man a fish…

September 26, 2018November 13, 2012 Skip

…and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and he feeds himself forever.

Here’s a bit of a reality check for the expanded ObamaUSA welfareland that wants everyone to be equal in income and that you, Mr. / Mrs. / Ms Obama Voter decided to have over the alternative. Enjoy that social justice – fish for everyone! Progressives surely want to give you that daily fish. All you have to do is go to their welfare office, fill out the forms in triplicate, bring in verifying documentation (that you forg0t – go home and get it), have a social worker come out and visit to verify things, and they will allocate you a fish as soon as possible. Once the computer system has been updated and the government logistics (er, the same logistics system that FEMA has been using for the last two weeks in NY and NJ – you know, that Obama department that closed down during the Nor’easter as it was too dangerous to help the folks that have lost their homes, lost their power, and don’t know where their next meal is coming from?) has you in its system, you will start to get your daily fish. Just remember, we either use the politically connected or the lowest bidder as the supplier.

And you may well have to to qualify again – no fair getting the Government issued fish if your “life circumstances” lifestyle changes.

Summary: Sure, you get the fish at no expense to you BUT

You have to go to Government for your daily sustenance (but at no expense to you, Government provides)
You have to comply their requirements for your daily sustenance (but at no expense to you, Government provides)
You have to follow their rules for your daily sustenance (but at no expense to you, Government provides)
You have to settle for what they give you for your daily sustenance (but at no expense to you, Government provides)
There is no upside to receiving a single, solitary fish for your daily sustenance (but at no expense to you, Government provides)
You have little or no control for your daily sustenance (but at no expense to you, Government provides)

You are the ward of the State – they will make sure you get the fish from the union fishermen just like the folks on Staten Island are getting their electrical wires replaced by union electrical workers (and no non-union help allow even if you still are hungry and there’s lots of fish in that warehouse).

Guest post – Merrimack school district – salary portion of the budget

September 26, 2018November 13, 2012 Skip

It can be fun when you see what you might have thought was a passing comment turn into a real outcome. Gary Krupp writes:

Ever since we spoke at the Defending the American Dream Summit down in D.C. [sponsord by American for Prosperity -Skip] and you mentioned that InfoGraphics were all the rage, I had been trying to make one to convey some school policy stuff. I didn’t like any of them until I spent a couple of weeks making the attached one. It goes along with my education blog entry for this week (http://schoolboard.ggkrupp.net/). I wanted to thank you for puting the splinter in my brain to head down a new path.

I love infographics – we are visual beings and a well done one tells an enormous story in a short pithy picture! Brilliant! Gary kept going – more after the jump!

Notable Quote – President George Washington

September 26, 2018November 13, 2012 Skip

“We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times.” – George Washington, first President of the United States (who stepped down … Read more

Update: Email Doodlings – “Who for NH House Minority Leader”

September 26, 2018November 12, 2012 Skip

As the saga continues – two updates on who will be the face of the NH GOP in the NH House:

At a gathering this weekend, the consensus was that the Party would be ill served; given how Obama and Dems have characterized the GOP, methinks he’d be called by the Dems and the Media “the old white guy”. And would be hammered for that plus other stuff. Not a great perception (which is worst, that or what they kept calling Bill O’Brien?).
Pam Tucker has announced that she has 70 House reps that are supporting her run (updated at this gathering to 80).

“Old white guy” doesn’t apply here for Pam – but would the Dems pick on one of their special interest group members (women)? Oh, silly me -of course they would! It is only Democrat women are special – they can call Republican women anything that comes into their silly little heads. It only matters when it is Sandra Fluke talk-alikes. That said, it would be like waving a red flag at bulls; we’d have a lot of fun here if they do so.

But there is another member of the Special Interest Minority Group group whose name popped up,

Sidenote: if women are 51% of the population, how can they be a minority? And since they are the majority gender, and according to Democrat philosophy only minorities can be oppressed, why are they still a special interest minority group? Lack of consistency for mere vote getting?

Laurie Sanborn.

Noteable Quote – I cannot believe I am quoting this sick individual….but he’s right

September 26, 2018November 12, 2012 Skip

Sigh – I really don’t even want to use the “a stopped clock” phrase here either. But: Majority rule only works if you’re also considering individual rights. Because you can’t have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper. – Larry Flint, Hustler magazine From RedState, this comment on that quote: … Read more

Noted Dem pundit Kirsten Powers – you can’t have it both ways, dear, on Govt as Husband

September 26, 2018November 12, 2012 Skip

More on “dear” after the jump. In keeping with the screams of “War on Women”, Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers tried to have it both ways to Sunday in her post about the Conservatives being wrong as to the reason for the female voting gap but also proving the Conservative allegations about Democrats transforming Government into being a proxy Husband and Daddy that has been promoting dependency. We conservatives have complained for years that Government is creating dependency – I have heard her on Fox News refute this reasoning. Yet, here it is in black and white:

…Fast forward to Nov. 6, 2012: unmarried women showed up, and they went for Obama 67 to 31 percent; women with children preferred the president by 56 to 43 percent.

…The media treated the “War on Women” as being primarily about reproductive issues, but not so the Obama campaign. Team Obama knew that the issue that women cared about the most was the economy, and reminded women constantly that the hostility the GOP shows toward the government could leave single women in a perilous situation. Republicans ridiculed “The Life of Julia,” but it was a brilliant campaign outreach tactic that showed how a Romney administration would affect women in a way that left nothing to the imagination.

See where this is going? She’s not being truthful – this is not about “the economy” but just one of the artificial economies kept alive by government spending and subsidies for special interest voting group (along with the constant redefinition of commonly defined words for political purposes). Look at what has happened in “green energy”; as Governments world-wideover pull their subsidies – bankruptcies and layoffs in the “great next thing” as defined by Government hacks (and not by demand from the real marketplace). But I digress. This is not about an economy, this is about a “propping up” because Progressives have achieved one of their main philosophical aims – doing to everyone else what they have achieved in the black urban families. There is no mention of any other viable solutions.

Veterans Day – yes, go thank a vet!

September 26, 2018November 11, 2012 Skip

Especially to those that may not be with us too much longer. Do so, over and over and over again. Today, take them out to dine. (H/T: TownHall)

Notable Quote – Sir Winston Churchill

June 9, 2018November 11, 2012 Skip

“All men are created equal,” says the American Declaration of Independence. “All man shall be kept equal,” say the British Socialist Party. – Sir Winston Churchill, Lord of the Admiralty, Prime Minister of Britain during WW II It seems that the American electorate has forgotten history, and has chosen to align itself with the British … Read more

Veterans Day – to the range we go and Applebee’s we go!

September 26, 2018November 11, 2012 Skip

As I noted here, the Youngest did not have to wait long to enjoy his first Veterans Day – well deserved. So, what did this prior 101st Airborne soldier want to do? Yes, go to the range and put some of my money downrange. And he did send plenty of it to the far end of the range at Belmont Firearms. I think this professional was pleased that his dad (who, like all sons, seem to harbor the idea that extreme cluelessness increases with the number of candles on the birthday cake) had chosen well. This was also the first time I’ve had the chance to put a fair number of rounds down using the Vortex red-dot and 3X magnifier as well as continuing the break in of new Sig P220.

Note: when we went it, the storekeep was running around like a madman – it was busy! The Youngest, TMEW and I shared a single lane – all of the others were full (note to self – start reserving before arriving!). In talking with the manager, I asked if it had been busy all day – he said nothing but showed me a single slip that totaled over $15 K worth of guns, ammo, and accessories (yeah, there’s a full-auto in there). That was the biggest but I noticed that there were a stack of such slips yet to be processed. He said that since the election, especially with the news that the Obama Administration is now pushing the UN Small Arms Treaty (see after the jump), it has been insane. He also said that they are getting a ton of requests for high capacity magazines and he listed off what was being ordered. Guess it is time to restock again.

We left the range with smiles on our faces (albeit, a lighter wallet) and went to eat: Applebee’s was his choice. In celebration of the day, they had printed up a special menu just for the Vets. I have to say, the staff was making sure to make a big deal of any and all Vets that came in the door; I was rather surprised that even arriving just after mid-afternoon, the establishment in Tilton was packed. The Youngest was one of the youngest one there but there were quite a few Viet Nam era vets enjoying beomg catered tp. Yes, I would have to say that this was more than just a marketing deal as it was obvious that the staff was spending a good deal of time fussing over each and every Vet. Many came with families / friends but there were quite a few that were sitting alone – I noticed that these folks received even more time from the staff to make sure that they and their service was appreciated by the house. Lot’s of “THANK you’s” were heard all over. And just as we were about to leave, a except for one – a WW II era vet came in and got swarmed.

As it should be.

Guest post by Ed Naile, Chair of the Coalition of NH Taxpayers: A note to out-of-state Property Owners – Vote!

September 26, 2018November 11, 2012 Skip

Ed Naile, long time registered Democrat and ‘Grok friend, asked us to publish this. Given that out-of-state student “residents” took full advantage of the new Voter ID law and the Judge Lewis’s ruling on it, you should as well. After all, you pay taxes here – they only take advantage of the taxes spent. Dear … Read more

All we heard from the Dems was caterwauling about “Settled Law!” Consistency is not their strong suit

September 26, 2018November 10, 2012 Skip

All we heard from these clowns the last two years was things like don’t you DARE touch the gay marriage law – the Legislature already “settled” the issue. How DARE you Republicans even consider revisiting that law! They adopted the mantra that once done, always done when it comes to the law. Sure, the body politic had decided that the Democrats were the extremists and threw them out of office in 2010. Well, as what always happens, the pendulum swings and the Dems have retaken Concord. Will they also stand firm on their crie-du-coer of “settled” law now that they are in power again?

Hardly. From Pravda-on-the-Merrimac (aka, the Concord Monitor that IS to the NH Dem Party as Pravda was to that other Party) just two days after the election:

Money matters aside, there’s plenty for Hassan and the new Legislature to do, and undo, next year.

The new House should start by exorcising the chamber with the abolition of the goofy but dangerous Regress of Grievances Committee. Then, with the support of the governor, the Legislature should, in short order, repeal the so-called voucher law that, contrary to the spirit if not the letter of the state Constitution, redirects money meant for the general fund to non-public education, including religious schools.

Hassan and the new Legislature should also give the recently-enacted voter ID law the ax. It risks disenfranchising some voters and, in the absence of any evidence of voter fraud, is an unnecessary and meaningless encumbrance on the process.

They should work to repeal the misguided parental notification law on abortion. And they should revisit the new “stand your ground” law and the policy that permits civilians to bring guns into the State House.

You can be sure that this mouthpiece is signaling two things:

So, will the NH GOP Executive Board do as the requestor asks?

September 26, 2018November 10, 2012 Skip

To the NH GOP and Chairman MacDonald: I respectfully request that Chairman MacDonald and all of the executive staff of the NH GOP resign their seats immediately. The returns from this past Tuesday are disgraceful and reflect a Party and Leadership completely out of touch with constituents. For the first time in my life, I … Read more

Blogline of the day from Patterico

September 26, 2018November 10, 2012 Skip

Another demonstration of Democrat values – sore losers: When good Democrats are pushed to the point where they have no choice but to express their political views by slaughtering a defenseless animal and dumping it at their opponents’ front door — well, it really says something about the GOP. On a post talking about a … Read more