Author: Skip - Page 750

An Income tax is just Giving? You mean it is voluntary?

October 6, 2024June 24, 2006 Skip

We are lucky in that in the Lakes Region, we have two daily papers for the Lakes Region and one weekly specifically for our town. It has given me ample opportunity to write, as there are quite few Liberals that write in with ideas that they wish to champion. Like the old days in bowling when there were real humans resetting the pins, they set ’em up and I knock them down. Even though some of the Letters may be old, the topics are still relevant almost all the time.

As in this case way back in 2002, the idea of an income tax here in New Hampshire was again being flogged. The background is that we have no sales or income tax here and the race for the next Governor has already already begun. Thus, it is also time for the years old argument for and against implementing an income tax.

This Liberal, however, put a REAL different spin on it, using the word GIVE…..

What he said….

October 6, 2024June 22, 2006 Skip

Doug’s posting about the mosque in Manchester, in and of itself, may not be too worrisome…BUT (and there is always a BUT) combined with this bit of news by Licia Corbella of the Calgary Sun Dr. Mahfooz Kanwar recently attended Calgary’s largest mosque for a funeral. At one point in the proceedings, a man Kanwar … Read more

Giving away Free Speech?

October 6, 2024June 19, 2006 Skip

What is the connection between Ann Coulter (a conservative not well liked by prickly Liberals everywhere) and with what are known as the Mohammad Cartoons (REALLY not liked by prickly Muslims everywhere)?

The Danish newspaper "Jyllands-Posten" created a controversy last year. The Editor felt that a curtain of silence was descending upon Danish society in discussing Islamic / immigration topics, especially when an author could not find illustrators for his book about Mohammad. In this democratic society where free speech is a given, he commissioned artists to comment on this trend of self censorship and begin an open debate. Knowing that it is important for society to be able to openly and honestly discuss any topic even if offensive to some, he wanted to get past the retort of “You are insulting Islam” that was silencing discussions. After all, who wishes to offend (buried by pejoratives), or die (like Theo Van Gogh, killed over his film that is critical over how Islamic women are treated)? Their work resulted in the “Mohammad Cartoons”.

Pretty much sums it up….

October 6, 2024May 29, 2006 Skip

I just saw this at www.lucianne.com – it pretty much sums up how I feel today. More on that later when I get my thoughts in order. Hat Tip to Lucienne.com! (and once I learn a little bit more, will set up the proper linkage I know that I should be doing). Only … Read more

Not just on Memorial Day….

October 6, 2024May 28, 2006 Skip

So what the heck was I doing at Bangor International Airport at 1:30am on a very cold January monring after driving 6 hours across the dreary, frozen backwoods of Maine?

Simple – my son had called from Kuwait – the first step of coming home from Iraqi where he had been stationed at Al Asad air base for the previous 6 months. "Hey Dad, I’ll be arriving sometime early Saturday morning somewhere in Maine!"

"That’s great! We’ll be there…..er, which one?" I asked…..his response was typical – "How should I know? They don’t tell me that!". My response – Thank GOD for the Internet. I had remembered a story about some group that met troops at an airport – the Maine Troop Greeters.

Acknowledging Heros

October 6, 2024May 28, 2006 Skip

Sargent York in WWI, Audy Murphy in WWII. Newsreels and movies richly honored them. It used to be the norm to see reports of the bravery and courage of those in our Armed Services:

Today, I ask “where are our heroes?” Why does our media refuse to show us the dedication and unselfishness of those that serve? Frankly, I believe it is partisanship, that the Powers-That-Be believe that by honoring our military is tacitly acknowledging something they do not wish to support – war.

This is not about supporting or opposing a war. This goes beyond politics. We need to keep in mind that their sacrifice, courage, bravery, and devotion (notions seemingly judged to be quaint nowadays) are qualities worthy of awe.

“Be proud of being an American. Our father came to this country, became a citizen because it was the right place for our family to be”. These are the words of Sergeant Rafeal Peralta’s last letter to his younger brother.

Now, as far as those tax cuts are concerned

October 6, 2024May 20, 2006 Skip

In our local area, there are some Letter to the Editor types, on the Left hand side of the divide, who keep harping on about "the tax cuts" for the wealthy, insinuating that the tax cuts are responble for the on-going annual deficit. So, I figured I’d look into it. I actually agree with some … Read more

Smoking? Not my choice but….

October 6, 2024May 11, 2006 Skip

My father had a laryngectomy due to smoking – all my memories of him are with a hole in his throat. He could only speak by burping – I never heard his true voice. My stepfather died from complications of COPD from long term smoking.

We’ve known for decades that many smokers will contract lung cancer. Others suffer from lesser effects of smoking – increased incident / intensity of diseases, hacking coughs, and nicotine addiction. In many locales, it is illegal to smoke indoors, outdoors near certain buildings, and in a few places, disallowed even in your condo. Add in the expense – taxes on tobacco products continually rise and at $4/pack at 2 packs/day, the yearly cost is $2,290. Warnings have appeared for years in the media of the dangers of smoking as well as on the packs and cartoons themselves. Anti-smoking advocates never cease to figure out new ways to keep people from smoking.

The smoke lingers in the air, spoils the taste of food, and I hate the smell of cigarettes in my clothes when around those that use them.

I heeded the message: I’ve never smoked nor ever intend to. No one is allowed to smoke in my car or around my home (ask my adult son what the penalty is if I ever catch him smoking on my property, even in the driveway!).

Given all that, I can’t figure out why anyone would start or continue to smoke given all that.

With all this as background, our NH Senate recently voted down HB 1177 that bans smoking in all restaurants by a vote of 12-11.

Good for them!

They are demanding citizenship

October 6, 2024May 9, 2006 Skip

This is a nation governed by the rule of law peopled by legal immigrants or their descendants. We have been treated to massive demonstrations from those who have crossed our borders without following our laws. And they are demanding citizenship. “Undocumented” has supplanted the word “illegal”. “Rule of “law” means “do not enforce”. “Secure … Read more