GraniteGrok’s Democrat state senator Kathy Sgambati
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In an op-ed piece published in Wednesday’s Laconia Daily Sun (unavailable online) our district’s Democratic state senator Kathy Sgambati reported that the current legislative session was
“easily one of the most successful legislative sessions”
she has seen. She listed a number of “accomplishments” that undoubtedly must bring tears of joy to the many big government, socialist-types standing in the shadows waiting for that long-anticipated day when the “New Hampshire Advantage” must surely come to an end.
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From mandated regulations on businesses and growing the numbers of those on the receiving end of government largesse under the guise of “social services” to increasing the numbers of families with children hooked on the notion of “universal” health care insurance, make no mistake about it: the Granite State that many of us know and love is about to change in ways that barely a generation ago would have been considered unimaginable.
From mandated regulations on businesses and growing the numbers of those on the receiving end of government largesse under the guise of “social services” to increasing the numbers of families with children hooked on the notion of “universal” health care insurance, make no mistake about it: the Granite State that many of us know and love is about to change in ways that barely a generation ago would have been considered unimaginable.
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It has been said that the passing of NH’s Old Man in the Mountain in many ways reflected the end of the old New Hampshire– that somehow, like that famous edifice, its strong, independent lineage was to be no more. Nowhere do we find clearer evidence of this than when you consider the fact that politicians like Sgambati have been elevated to the heights of power in Concord. While she speaks of the great accomplishments her and her comrades have successfully brought to the fore, she unfortunately leaves out some key details. You know- she raves about the benign sounding legislative achievements while leaving the more controversial matters for others to recall. Let’s review…
It has been said that the passing of NH’s Old Man in the Mountain in many ways reflected the end of the old New Hampshire– that somehow, like that famous edifice, its strong, independent lineage was to be no more. Nowhere do we find clearer evidence of this than when you consider the fact that politicians like Sgambati have been elevated to the heights of power in Concord. While she speaks of the great accomplishments her and her comrades have successfully brought to the fore, she unfortunately leaves out some key details. You know- she raves about the benign sounding legislative achievements while leaving the more controversial matters for others to recall. Let’s review…
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In her article, she states,
“When I asked you for your vote, I pledged to work to improve access to health care, preserve our environment, support small businesses and improve services to children and families.”
Unfortunately for the great numbers of voters that never really dig deep into the candidates core philosophies, they didn’t know that in addition, she would work for many other issues as well.
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Among the many wonderful things about the Democrat-controlled state she lists, our senator proudly reports,
“We made a historical advance on civil rights. New Hampshire is the first state in the country to enact on its own volition, without being under the pressure of a lawsuit, legislation allowing gay and lesbian citizens to enter into civil unions.”
Count me among the many that missed her pledge on that one. I recall that it became a stated goal of Kathy and her fellow Democrats only after they won the November elections. And actually, we have since learned that, for them, it is the most important issue of all. On April 14th of this year, the Democrat Party chair stated at a Laconia gathering, on gay marriage:
“This is the number one issue for us as we move forward.”
Senator Sgambati was among those enthusiastically cheering the party leader’s pronouncement. One can only wonder if voters might have chosen differently, had they only known.
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While her claim to have helped “improve services to children and families” sounds great in a sound bite, there is more to it than meets the eye. Not only did she work with her fellow nanny-staters to redefine a dependent child up to as old as 26 years of age, she also made sure that those on welfare found no incentive to better themselves and seek to return to a state of self-reliance. As reported in this post back in April,
“Senate Democrats voted as a unit last week to make it easier for single parents, most of them women, to keep drawing state welfare checks. Senate bill 226, co-sponsored by Senator Kathy Sgambati (D-Tilton) passed in a 14-10 party line roll call and moves to the house.”
As the Nation works to further toughen such welfare rules in an effort to bring people to care more for themselves, Sgambati’s vision for New Hampshire is one that runs in the exact opposite direction. Again from the April posting on Sgambati’s bill:
“The legislation gives bureaucrats more leeway to meet some high federal standards imposed last year. It also buffers the toughest features of the new welfare reform rules at the state and federal levels to wean people from the public dole and make them support themselves.”
Heaven forbid we do that. In Sgambati’s world, everybody deserves services from some government agency. I really have to wonder–if the majority of NH’s voters really knew about all of this, and pondered it, would they really have chosen as they did in November? Would they have swallowed a “pledge” to keep people on welfare longer than necessary?
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Finally, Ms. Sgambati wrote in Wednesday’s tome that she would make good on all of her pledges
“while watching out for the bottom line.”
She goes on to claim that she and her fellow like-minded lawmakers have finally solved education funding and adequacy matters once and for all, starting
“at the beginning as the court required.”
Unfortunately, Senator Sgambati and the rest forgot one little thing: how to pay for it all.
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“There is a growing hole in the New Hampshire state budget. Alone it would require tax increases that would cause undue economic damage. Coupled with a planned but undefined increase in education spending, the amount will be too large to close with small changes to our current tax structure.”
Not to worry though, because as reported in this post, one of Senator Sgambati’s fellow Democrats over in the NH House, Laconia Rep. Judy Reever, has the answer to this problem too.
“Lawmakers have to do something to lift the onerous burden of property taxes. What does that leave? A state income tax. That water needs to be tested.”
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Kathy Sgambati notes,
“The hours were long, the policies complex, but the legislation passed defines our legacy gifts to future generations.”
Indeed. The destruction of NH as we once knew it…
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