Steve MacDonald

Steve is a long-time New Hampshire resident, an award-winning blogger, and a member of the Board of Directors of The 603 Alliance and the National Heritage Center for Constitutional Studies. He is the owner of Grok Media LLC and the Managing Editor, Executive Editor, assistant editor, Editor, content curator, and more (yes, there's more) at GraniteGrok.com. Steve is also a former board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, the Republican Volunteer Coalition, and has worked for or with many state and local campaigns and grassroots groups, and is a past contributor to the Franklin Center for Public Policy.

Precious Cargo

Veterans Cemetary
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The following was forwarded to us by our friend, Blue Star Mother Sue Peterson. It was written by L.D. Jeffries of West Ossipee, who gave us permission to share it with our readers…

It’s not about right or wrong, but how we treat soldiers

I am a pilot (first officer) for Continental Airlines and just recently had an event happen during one of my flights that I felt should be shared. I just had the honor and privilege of flying a fallen soldier flight on Flight 15 from Newark to Honolulu last Wednesday, Nov. 21. I had heard about these fallen soldier flights and knew we did them but I had no idea how intense and emotional it would be when and if it was my turn. Add to the intensity was the fact that one brother was escorting his deceased brother back home. They were from the little island of Pago Pago, and the young man that was killed was just doing the sergeant major a favor when he went on the patrol he was killed on. He was supposed to just be the driver for the top sergeant. I know they probably left their little island paradise to see the world, and likely the only way they could afford to, so they signed up. I’m guessing they still would have done so had they truly suspected the outcome, the perception of immortality as a young man is very powerful as I recall.
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The deceased soldier, a sergeant, was escorted by his real brother and active duty army specialist 5, and also a fellow Afghanistan campaign veteran. The young man was killed in Afghanistan when he stepped on an IED, probably sometime close to Veterans Day. His remains were non-viewable. The boys were on their way back home to an island wide and well deserved hero’s welcome.
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Captain Mike Montgomery, also a veteran, and I saluted the casket aboard our 767-400 for the 11-hour flight. The ceremony happened at gate C138 and in front of the huge windows of terminal C. There was standing room only in the windows and three people deep as we rode the cargo carrier up the 15 feet to bring the soldier aboard. We rode up the carrier elevator at "present arms" and held the salute until the casket was in the hold. The ceremony of bringing the body aboard was a significant and sobering event for me. I felt pride, honor and a deep sadness at the same time as I reflected on all the guys I knew personally who were killed in this war, the last one, and the one before that. Eleven hours later, my landing in Honolulu was the best I have ever done in the 767-400. I think the airplane knew we had extra precious cargo aboard as well.
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Baby doesn’t get what he wants from his nanny (state).

nanny state
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I was most amused by the news of the most recent tantrum thrown by one of the Lakes Region’s biggest crybabies, socialist David Stamps. "GASP! Doug– you just called him a…. socialist! That’s pretty harsh." Maybe, but here in these parts, he is the classic case study of a socialist in action. Before you move along, thinking this to be a local story, which it certainly is, keep in mind that there’s people just like this in every town, city, and hamlet in America (unfortunately).
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First, the news– Mr. Stamps was among the founders of one of these taxpayer black holes known as the "Main Street" program that cropped up in many locales some years back. You know the drill– taxpayers $$ used to fund more bureacratic positions and "gimme jobs" under the guise of "marketing". In Laconia, (which kicked in twenty grand a year of local property taxes raised on top of the "grant" monies) it was used mostly in the promotion of events that always seemed to have underlying, liberal social engineering themes like "multicultural day." When the city wanted Harley Davidson Corp. to set up shop in the downtown area during the annual Race & Rally Week, guaranteed to bring folks in for a visit, the Main Street group, for all intents and purposes, opposed it. Better to have the gay, lesbian, and transgendered crowd and antiwar peaceniks than a bunch of bikers with wallets full of money in town for Motorcycle Week…
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Well, the gig is up. Whoever was pushing the "Main Street Program" up the foodchain for some reason has pulled the plug on the free ride. Local groups, instead of recieving a good deal of taxpayer largesse from on high, must now reverse direction and PAY to belong. Probably some politicians started really paying attention to the bloated system that could not possibly justify its existence much longer, and figured they might face some heat from the taxpayers. Heh! It was good while it lasted.
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Apparently, Mr. Stamps didn’t get the memo. As if on cue, Stamps, like all good socialists, thinks it can be made to work, if only the pesky unbelievers would just let them be. More time. More people. MORE MONEY!!! The Citizen (Laconia, NH) has the details:
Less than six years ago, the Laconia Main Street program was launched amid great hopes for revitalizing the downtown economically while preserving its past.
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But now, short of volunteers, money and with accusations that some city officials do not support it, the program is in an uncertain place that became even more undefined on Wednesday when David Stamps, its co-founder and president, said he is stepping down from the program’s Board of Directors.
While the paper is somewhat kind, what happened is that Mr. Stamps submitted his resignation by e-mail, berating Laconia’s elected and hired leaders. Why? Cuz he didn’t get his way… poor baby! The powers that be in Laconia, liberal as they are, don’t hold a candle to Stamps when it comes to the pro-socialist positions. To the absolute horror of Mr. Stamps and others of his ilk, the city has decided, rather than spend the bucks on hired apparatchiks to hold events nobody would possibly want to attend, that promoting capitalism is instead the way to go. Bwahahaha!
 

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Memo to McCain NH Leadership Team: “The Comeback Continues”

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As we get ever closer (at least we think) to the NH Primary, the one thing that’s apparent to me as I observe the scene is that the Granite State is still up for grabs, with no clear frontrunner sporting some insurmountable lead. The front four, Huckabee, Romney, Giuliani, and McCain all show signs that they are going to make an all out sprint to the finish line (wherever it is). We have reported in many prior postings that the enthusiasm and numbers turning out for the various candidates is quite high. The last Giuliani, McCain, and Romney events the ‘Grok has attended have been standing room only. As a Republican, this is heartening indeed. I love a good campaign, and watching all comers espousing core conservative positions is the added bonus in this cycle.
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As proof to the fluidity of the NH Republican presidential landscape, consider this analysis of the most recent polling data. In a confidential memo to McCain’s NH leadership team from National Political Director Michael Dennehy obtained by GraniteGrok, we find the campaign satisfied with where it stands at the moment in this must-win state:
We also received some very good news from The Boston Globe poll that was released today.  Andy Smith, of the UNH Survey Center, conducted the poll and he was quoted as saying the race is “still really open”.  While the ballot indicates that Romney has 32, Rudy 20 and John 17, it doesn’t discuss the important numbers inside the numbers.
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Of significance, only 16% of those sampled have “definitely decided” who they are voting for in the Primary.  And of those 16%, the race is a dead heat with Romney at 29%, John at 24% and Rudy at 24%.  However, the best news of the entire poll for our campaign in New Hampshire, is that since Andy Smith’s last poll at the end of September, John has increased his “definitely decided” from 10% to 24% – a 240% gain.  Romney has only increased 4 points and Rudy only 3.  This further illustrates the momentum that John has in New Hampshire and is a sign of good news to come.  It also proves what we have known all along – when John McCain meets voters, looks them in the eye, and gives them “straight talk”, they are boarding the bus for good!
As for the big push for the goal that is now underway, you know McCain fields the strongest ground game of all the Republican campaigns– no one does full contact politicking like he does. Writes Dennehy,
Crowds at our Town Hall meetings are growing and getting much more enthusiastic, veterans are showing up at campaign events in droves, and phone calls and emails to our headquarters are keeping our volunteers overtime. 
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You will see John in every corner of the state in the weeks ahead and we’ll need your help more than ever.  As more and more voters tune in to the race, we expect to have the same success converting undecideds into supporters.  We need to grow our local organizations and turn your friends and neighbors into supporters too.  If this conversion rate holds, we’ll be taking the lead for good on, or even earlier than, January 8 – when we EXPECT the Primary to be held.
The battle is on!
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The entire text of the memo follows:

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Business as usual ends in Dover

. I’m sure my friend Bill is happy today— the tax cap proposal has been passed by the voters of Dover. Good for them! The charter amendment passed Tuesday by a margin of 405 votes, with 3,225 votes in favor and 2,820 votes opposed. When you add them to the growing list of cities that … Read more

Voting Day. A couple of recommendations…

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While I fret about the fact that so few people care enough to vote when election day rolls around, I don’t get as worked up about voter turnout, in general, as others tend to do. My bigger concern is that the people that are voting are well-informed, not propagandized. Today is Election Day– the "midterm of the midterm", if you will, as it is mostly city elections that will be occuring.
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If I lived in Manchester, I would definitely be voting for Mayor Giunta’s re-election. Tax stability goes hand in hand with good service and a quality education. Taking action against criminal activities is important too. While it must be akin to herding cats, Giunta has managed all of these areas rather well. Why would Manchester want to change course?
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In Laconia, Mr. Greg Knytych is running for the Ward 1 seat on the City Council. Skip and I had the opportunity to meet and listen to Mr. Knytych a while back at the American Solutions Day event held here in our neck of the woods. He contributed a great deal of input during that day’s activities and was, in fact, encouraged to become involved in local affairs, which he obviously is doing. We had him in studio this past Saturday on MTNP radio. Promising to abide by the tax cap, stressing its success and importance, he offers the Lake City an opportunity to elect a well-informed, "regular-guy". In his closing words as our guest, Mr. Knytych reminded the listeners that, yes, he is a Republican, and not afraid to say so, but beyond that, and more importantly, he wanted the folks to know that he is a conservative. And not afraid to say so. Go here to watch him in studio on the SchlubCam.
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In Dover, the big question is the tax cap. I can’t imagine why the voters wouldn’t want this. We discussed and debated the subject on GraniteGrok here and here. In an op-ed following his recent election as Franklin’s Mayor, Mr. Ken Merrifield wrote, of that city’s tax cap:

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Hang on tight– It’s time to Meet the New Press!

. ….        ..Pat Hynes                                Skip Murphy                          Doug Lambert . Once again, this week’s broadcast version of GraniteGrok and AnkleBitingPundits brings an array of items and guests for your consideration. As always, thanks to the technical wizardry and analytical skills of Skip (the GraniteGrok media empire’s secret weapon), if you are beyond the broadcast area … Read more

Oh that Jeanne Shaheen, there she goes again!

…Al Gore canoeing
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Our friend Pat Hynes  at AnkleBitingPundits writes about Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, former governor and present candidate for US Senate, hopping aboard the Bush derangement bandwagon…
I was wondering when the “Bush Caused the Wildfires” mantra would start. I just didn’t think it would start in my Granite State of New Hampshire and that it would come out of the mouth of former New Hampshire Governor and current Democratic Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen, who is normally very disciplined and not prone to saying silly things.

Nevertheless:

Speaking to an audience of committee members and elected officials, Shaheen and Buckey discussed their qualifications for the Senate and their stance on global warming, the economy, and the health care system.

Buckey said he would focus on decreasing America’s dependence on petroleum and increasing research on renewable energy technologies. He said it’s an issue that’s vital to both national security and the economy.

“If we don’t take action, we are going to lose control of America’s future,” Buckey said. “Ten years from now, do we want to be importing solar-powered systems and other technologies from elsewhere or do we want to be building them here?”

Shaheen agreed with many of Buckey’s points, but criticized the Bush administration on everything from the war in Iraq to health care. Shaheen also blamed Bush for the wildfires in California.

“Those wildfires are the direct result of the failure of this administration to do something about global warming,” she said.

This is a pretty remarkable and irresponsible statement on Shaheen’s part, for as even the MSM has acknowledged by now: “Authorities in Southern California said they believe two of the fires that recently ravaged the area were intentionally started.”

As readers no doubt know, Shaheen is running against Sen. John Sununu, whom you can contribute to through the Rightroots contribution interface HERE.

UPDATE: More than a few readers have e-mailed to say that Gov. Shaheen’s gaffe is the consequence of a major party going loopy–otherwise smart, rational people start saying loopy things just to win their approval. Sigh. I suppose so.

This, of course, follows a similar pattern demonstrated by none other than Bill Clinton. Remember when he blamed "right wing talk radio" (Rush Limbaugh- Clinton’s number one detractor) for the OKC bombing?  Long a New Hampshire version of the "triangulator" Bill Clinton, it is no surprise that Ms. Shaheen would choose this path of thoughtless demagoguery as she seeks to curry favor with the left wing loons of her party.

Those following the career of Jeanne Shaheen know that this wouldn’t be the first time Ms. Shaheen said or did something loopy in the process of seeking approval. Let’s review one incident in particular…

 

 

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GraniteGrok Debate. Counterpoint…Favoring a tax cap.

point counterpoint
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The following was forwarded to us by ‘Grok reader Bill Asbell of Dover. After reading Mr. Tunning’s "Point" against NH cities having tax caps, he felt as though it answered several of the incorrect assertations made. It was originally written in response to a letter writer in his local paper, Foster’s…
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I attended both forums on the Dover Tax Cap initiative. In the first one moderated by Councilor David Scott, he laid out the ground rules and how it was an information gathering event for citizens paneled by: himself, three Dover city employees and four guests from Franklin and Laconia (including two mayors), who had experience of a tax cap in their communities. It was therefore balanced with those from the private sector who pay taxes to government and those from municipal government who increase their ranks and compensation through tax hikes and whose earnings are the result of taxes. Two of the first people to break the ground rules and start the ball rolling toward mild anarchy were the tax and spend liberals Betsey Andrews Parker and Mr. Glenn Grasso himself, who felt that they should grandstand rather than ask questions. And no cap opponents asked a question of the Dover staff. The audience was packed with Dover city union employees, some of whom also threw their rhetorical weight around with great melodrama, and warnings of doom, generating far more heat than light.
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The second, calmer forum, run by unlimited spending advocate Mayor Scott Myers had six panelists all from state agencies and local government; people whose compensation increases and whose jobs are more secure when taxes go up not down. This is objectivity he says, not stacking the deck to achieve a desired outcome. There were no private sector representatives and no one who’d personally experienced first-hand a tax cap…how helpful.  He then coached the panelists how to respond when he felt the need.
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On the same day that Foster’s ran its editorial against the tax cap, the Union Leader editorialized in favor of it. On Thursday, Foster’s editor publishes an unhinged, "infuriated" diatribe playing the class warfare demagogue’s card, then denying it in the next paragraph…truly embarrassing.  As if renters don’t pay increased rent when landlords’ property taxes go up. Foster’s editor must really believe all its readers are dupes.
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GraniteGrok Debate. POINT… Opposing a tax cap.

point-counterpoint
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The following was sent to me from Ron Tunning, the chairman of the Laconia Democrat Committee. Writes Ron,
Doug,
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I thought I’d share with you a column I’ve submitted to the Foster’s Daily Democrat regarding the proposed tax cap in Dover.  I know you’ll never agree with me, but at least you can see where I’m coming from.
He’s right about that, but, as he knows, I do like to listen to and ponder what those who stand in opposition to what I believe have to say. Ron is a thoughtful individual, and I always appreciate and enjoy the discourses and debates we have engaged. His piece follows in full as written. Tomorrow, GraniteGrok will present a counterpoint to his argument. Keep in mind that two cities right here in the ‘Grok’s neck of the woods have tax caps: Laconia and Franklin. Feel free to leave comments in the section below…

Opposing the Tax Cap Proposal in Dover, NH

by Ron Tunning
No one enjoys paying higher taxes, and it’s safe to say that everyone would prefer a lower tax bill. That is why ideas such as the tax cap being proposed in Dover garner immediate public support. But if voters are honest with themselves they’ll oppose the measure.
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Let’s be frank. We all know “there’s no such thing as a free lunch“, and experience has taught us that “you get what you pay for.” Those maxims should guide us as we evaluate the sensibility of imposing a tax cap.
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So, too, should careful consideration of the methodology proposed for determining how much municipal spending will be permitted to rise. The Dover plan mirrors the language adopted in Franklin and Laconia, limiting the annual increase in spending to the annual rise in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI). After all, proponents of the tax cap argue, why should the cost of government rise more rapidly than the costs of consumer goods?
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Awaiting the Great Pumpkin?

I took this picture in Boston Saturday at the pumpkin festival at the Government Center plaza. I have no idea who the little baby is, but, I just couldn’t resist. . . Choose life…

Embarassed his taxes aren’t high enough!

. Sometimes you really have to wonder… In a letter found in the Foster’s Daily Democrat entitled, Don’t Cap Taxes; Increase them for the sake of the Children, a Mr. Verdenal H. Johnson writes about how distressed he is that when it comes to taxes, the people always want to say "no." He is apparently … Read more

Religion in public schools? No, not THAT kind…

………… . In an excellent article entitled "Public Schools- Pagan Indoctrination Centers" found at NewsWithViews.com, author Joel Turtel writes Many public schools have become pagan religion indoctrination centers. These schools now teach children anti-Judeo-Christian beliefs and pagan religions, and try to mold children’s minds through the latest techniques in behavioral psychology. He includes a listing … Read more

The THREAT of deportation. Could it be working?

. This article from Dallas Morning News is an eye opener.  Couple that with the recent report that the Windsor Bridge in Michigan is overcrowded with illegals fleeing to Canada for fear of deportation—and provincial governors in Canada crying “Uncle” because they don’t have the money to accommodate this influx—and one begins to see the … Read more

National Gay-Rights Group is Right!

Ray Buckley

NH Dem Chair Ray Buckley (GG file photo)

 

Click here first to read my post: Is Civil Union Legislation Based on Lies? Then click here and read “Gay-Rights Group Pushed for State Democrats in ’06.” More disturbing is this article from the Boston Globe. Yep, that’s right, they were the single biggest donor to the democrats. But, of course the dems weren’t influenced by the money, geez, ya gotta explain everything. da mi il soldi!

 

Spending almost $150,000 on New Hampshire state races by the Human Rights Campaign…I wonder why they just don’t call it what it is; i.e., Gay Rights Campaign?…paid off for them. They switched their focus from national politics to influence state politics, particularly NH, Iowa and Oregon. Smart move, I’d say.

 

I recently read an opinion published in one of the papers that said there was no out-of-state influence regarding pushing civil unions in NH. Well, the Human Rights Campaign donation would prove that person’s theory wrong. Not only did they contribute money, according to the editorial, but an employee traveled to NH to assist with get-out-the-vote efforts and phone-banks. Do you think he was encouraging Republicans to vote?

 

The President of the Human Rights Campaign states:

 

“We understood that in order to change things at the federal level, we had to play a role in changing things locally.”

 

Of course they were successful in changing things here locally. They don’t live in NH and NH citizens didn’t get a chance to vote on the issue of civil unions, but I guess many NH citizens simply are too apathetic to care that NH was being influenced by “outsiders.”

 

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Giuliani wins the straw poll. No, not THAT one…

Ron Paul’s supporters caravanning to the straw  poll? * . In the Nashua Telegraph’s blog page, "NH Prime Cuts", Kevin Landrigan reports on another, lesser-known straw poll that took place this past weekend. Given that it took place in NH, probably a more important state than Iowa in the requisite steps a candidate must take on the path to … Read more

Welfare Poem

welfare sticker
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Well, I have no idea if the figures in the poem below are correct, etc., but you get the drift, huh? Read the poem (after my discourse)  and let me know if it makes you angry, okay?
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Somewhat related to this, I’ve been following some of the coverage on the Pelosi/Shea-Pompous upcoming trip to New Orleans along with the other 13-14 democratic party animals. The story is interesting. Why, you ask? The comments are overwhelmingly against them going to New Orleans for what most people believe is merely another photo op and Bush bashing expedition at taxpayers’ expense.
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What does Congress do about approval ratings in the single digits? Go on a trip, of course. They are all on vacation anyway. Many people are mad at Pompous and wondering why she doesn’t work here in NH to solve fixing the many roads and bridges that are red-lined, help those who have suffered flooding problems here, feed the one in ten children who go to bed hungry…you know work on NH’s many unsolved problems. We’re 6th in income but 49th in services to citizens right here in NH. Where’s the NH way?
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Not a big photo op here, I guess, as it probably wouldn’t get national exposure. Playing on people’s sympathies works very well many times. What some people don’t seem to understand is that you can fell sorry for somebody, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to "do" something for them, especially if they’re not willing to do something for themselves.
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We all like to give, partly because it makes us feel good about ourselves. Obviously, when there’s a real crisis as there was with Katrina, we should all try to do our part to help. But, sometimes people don’t appreciate what they get for nothing so it can be more harmful to them and what they may need is to become responsible and accountable and held to a higher standard sometimes too. I’m not saying we still shouldn’t be trying to help people in New Orleans, but sometimes "help" can actually hurt.
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I was in Vail about a year ago. I rode the shuttle van from Denver and met a New Orleans’ football player who was going to see an ortopaedist in Vail. We started talking about Hurricane Katrina.
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President Bush assesses the war

old time radio
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In his weekend radio address, President Bush gave an assessment of where we’re at in the war. He talks about both of the major fronts: Iraq and Afghanistan…
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. In America, August is considered a slow news month. But in the war on terror, America and our allies remain on the offense against our enemies. And this month, we’ve had some encouraging news from both Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Earlier this week, I had a good meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan at Camp David. He updated me on the work his government is doing to help build a more hopeful future for the Afghan people. He told me that senior officials and tribal leaders from Afghanistan and Pakistan are meeting to discuss how to deal with the extremists who are targeting both their countries. And he explained why he’s confident that his government will prevail against the Taliban remnants who continue to launch attacks throughout his country.
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Here’s how President Karzai put it: "The Taliban do pose dangers to our innocent people …. [But] they are not posing any threat to the government of Afghanistan, they are not posing any threat to the institutions of Afghanistan, or to the buildup of institutions of Afghanistan." He continued: The Taliban "is a force that’s defeated" and it is "acting in cowardice by killing children going to school." In other words, the Taliban fighters can still launch attacks on the innocent, but they cannot stop the march of democracy in Afghanistan.
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In Iraq, we are working to help put the Iraqi government on the same path. The surge that General Petraeus and our troops are carrying out is designed to help provide security for the Iraqi people, especially in Baghdad — and aid the rise of an Iraqi government that can protect its people, deliver basic services for all its citizens, and serve as an ally in the war on terror. Our new strategy is delivering good results, and our commanders recently reported more good news.
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