LIVE!
AT Rudy’s!
Actually, not really Rudy’s place, but The Mayor is giving a speech here in Nashua and the ‘Grok is here. Doug did an earlier event in Concord (Manchester) and has video that he will be putting up later on.
As normal, am early. So this:
will look far different later on.
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Updates will be chronological in order – earlier first. Please know that these are "rough notes" – spelling, grammer, and typos may well abound during the event! If I get the time, I will fix them later.
Hmm, about 10 minutes from show time. Had a quick chat with Wayne Semprini (former NH GOP chair and currently State Chair for Rudy’s campaign here in NH). I don’t think that there will be much time for questions after the event as The Mayor has to be "wheels up" by 8pm. However, I did remind Wayne that he still has our certificate from the Belknap County Republican Winni Cruise to appear on our radio show, Meet The New Press. Thus, am hoping that any time we don’t get with The Mayor now will be made up later on as he will be a guest co-host for the day.
The event so far as a different feel to it….all of the staffers are running around in suits as not. The place is now (6:26) filling up quick – most of the general audience chairs are filling up pretty quick and the dais is starting to as well:
More after the jump.
Well, just met the NH Priorities lady, Christine.
Funded in part by a foundation set up by one of the very liberal founders of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, the cookie she gave me was rather good. The ideas – not so much…they try to portray a picture that the Military budget should be cut a lot in order to fund social services. Maybe we’ll have her on MTNP as well. as her pie chart on the cookie is wrong….most of the Federal budget is already set for social services……
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This will be starting soon….just had the announcement to turn off pagers and cell phones….
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Starting now…..275 chairs full and standing room only
Hillsboro Repub Chair Vahrij Manoukian (heck, I cannot pronounce it let along spell it) starting the Town Meeting
He intro’d Rudy…standing O.
He joked – get you out of here on time to see the All Star game…one of the few times he can actually root for some Red Sox players.
Mentioned that on the literature were his 12 points (Doug blogged it here) – this tells you what it is about him that you can choose to vote for him or someone else. He is stressing that he really wants to tell you what he is REALLY about….THEY are HIM.
Two big things that this election is about:
- The terrorist war on us, as it will continue year after year after year, even if Iraq gets resolved. But that will NOT end the war. This is a long term committment and the way to win is to be on offense which will reduce the time and the casualties. He promises to not to back down to terrorists (lots of clapping). Big difference between voting for him and for a Democrat
- Number two – another difference between him and the Dems – the economy. Dems – much bigger government. Reagan and Bush 1 held them back, Clinton started to build it (no mention of Bush II).
He thinks the Dems want European style government – Hillary, Barack, John Edwards – to solve our health care problems. Noticed – when is the last time someone asked to get into a French / British / Canadian hospital vs an American one. He thinks that capitalistic ways are the way to go – tax deductions to allow people to buy / own their own policy instead of by employers. Most people know little about their health insurance compared to their auto or house insurance.
Rudy proposes a $15K deduction for a family insurance plan – if you get one cheaper, you get to keep the difference and put it into an HSA (Health Savings Account) where WE get to make the calculation of the amount of the premium and WE get to determine the risk for ourselves – a MARKET driven process.
THe problem is that we do not have a large enough market for insurance – too regulated. Consider plasma screen TVs and how fast they dropped in price and higher quality over very few years.
Uninsured? Give them a voucher and not mandate a solution. "DO NOT LOCK THEM INTO PATERNALISM" as we did with welfare…let them make their own choices. THAT’S what makes America great…The greatness of America does not come from a big government but from great people able to make choices for themselves.
Q&A time.
Had friends that joined AmeriCorp and expanding universal service
Thinks that people should voluntarily choose to serve – military, AmeriCorp. We don’t call upon people often enough (9/11, Katrina)
Stance on the illegal immigration. Mentioned the amnesty bill and What will you do to send them home and keep them from taking jobs from Americans
He will do everything he can to end it. Will stop people from walking across the border without identifying them. Congress already passed a law for a physical and virtual fence and enlarge the Border Patrol. If Bush doesn’t start, he will. If Bush does, he will continue it. Mentioned his record in NYC – 11K crimes / week. Reduced it to 3K/week. Will use the Comp Stats program.
Try going to any other civilized country in the world and try to get in without identifying yourself (large applause). If we do not regularize immigration and stop the illegal type, we will only have more. If the President had done some of this earlier, the comprehensive bill might have had a better chance.
All immigrants should have a tamper proof bio metric ID.
Wants to know how he will keep members of his government accountable?
Best way is with his Administration, that they are doing what the President wants them to. Sent goals, measure them, and put them out on the Web. He did it in NYC – once the ‘bugs" in the Police and Welfare systems were worked out, he opened it up.
He brought up the State Dept as an example. Mission – represent us to the world. Then, tell us what the world thinks of us. If people don’t like us, hold the State Dept accountable. He mentioned that as he traveled – many people don’t know what the US really is about (ed. -thanks to the MSM). Our own excess of politics are taken as truth. Our State Dept should be rectifying this as well as other items. Again, metric, goal, and change.
The cost of higher Ed is increasing esp for middle class. Do you have a plan for that cost?
We have to do better – better rates / terms and scholarships. Keep improving the economy so that when you graduate and can get a good job, you can pay it off. The answer is private industry and not government. Reduce taxes means more money to you…and he did that in NYC….lowered income taxes by 24% and got more revenue on lower rates as the economy expanded and better jobs were available.
Dems have promised to raise taxes – all o fthe leading Dems will do this. Raising taxes will send jobs offshore or lower salaries. We need to give companies a better environment to keep and grow jobs here.
What did you think that the 9/11 Commission believed that the attack came from our fo
reign policy?
reign policy?
Rudy disagreed that is why they attacked us….talked about the $10 million from the Saudi prince he refused because of that reason. It is because of a distorted Islamic ideology that is against women, freedom, democracy, religion. We have to face reality – they despise us, they hate us, they want to kill us. Only if we accept their version of religion would this go away. This war will go on for a long time. We did not respond in the 90s (think of USS Cole).
Attacks of 9/11 have nothing to do with our foreign policy – go back to 70’s and 80’s. It has to do with what we represent.
We can speak softly and carry a big stick EVEN when things are very complicated.
The guy keeps insisting on this point in a follow up…Rudy said he was just wrong.
Wants all young girls to get an education, especially in 3rd world nations.
If we can empower women more in those societies. It works even in Islamic countries – empower that and education and opportunity happens.
He says that K-12 is in trouble while upper is fine? Why? Two different models – consumer driven for colleges and there is competition. For public education, it is basically an authoritarian model – you have to go under force of law and police. The only way out is if you have the money to opt out.
[WOW! he just took on the NEA union]
Give the money that we spend on public education to parents as a voucher! Let them choose – empower women to make the decisions for their children.
All in all, both TMEW and I enjoyed ourselves. While I have not yet picked someone to support, TMEW pretty much has….Rudy. And this, this early, from someone who is rather apolitical when compared to me.
