[Updated] TEA Party April 15th

In case you forgot, the annual TEA party event at Victory Park in Manchester is this Sunday at 2pm to  5pm. A list of speakers has been added- beginning at 2:15 Update- (corrected time of event and added list of speakers) Tom Flaherty will introduce Pastor Joe DiChiarowho will be doing the invocation. Our Master … Read more

Indeed: “…the TEA Party lives on in grassroots activists determined to see change.” Final thoughts on yesterday’s NH GOP Annual meeting

Indeed, indeed. Those involved in the TEA Party movement are still around.  They were lambasted three years ago for being “amateurs”, thinking that holding clever signs would change things, that they were too white, too middle class, leaderless, and if the media and Democrats were to be believed, would soon go home to their living rooms and resume a more normal life of simply grumbling at their TV sets and wringing their hands.  H/T to Instapundit for this:

AN A.P. REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE TEA PARTY: Dead it’s not — the tea party lives on in grassroots activists determined to see change. “Dead the tea party is not. Changed? Perhaps. But still very much alive, in the back room of a Jim’s Restaurant in San Antonio and many other places across the land. . . . Perhaps nowhere is the persistent power of the tea party more at work today than at the local and state level, where many grassroots activists have decided to shift the focus of their efforts. More tea party-backed candidates are running for county and state Republican leadership positions, with the aim of having a bigger say in the party’s agenda and direction.”

All is proceeding as I have foreseen.

And I see no end to it soon.  Sure, there will be the rallies going forward, as Steve points out for one today in Manchester, NH and as I’ve posted here for next Saturday in Dover (sponsored by the Granite State Patriot Liberty PAC).  But change, REAL change comes only after real hard works over a longish amount of time.  In Glen’s second link, he outlines what the Utah TEA Party was doing in participating in personal democracy – moving the Utah Republican Party back to its roots of not just lip-serving for smaller government but actually making it happen.  They did it rather quickly – but as I just told another activist concerning a different issue on the phone, be prepared for change to come slowly.

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Media Irresponsibility

The editorial in Friday’s The Citizen, reprinted from the Concord Monitor was totally irresponsible.  So, I submitted the following as community commentary to The Citizen, and something similar to the Concord Monitor.  I doubt they will publish my input:

+++++++++++++

Please check the attribution of The Citizen’s April 13, 2012 editorial, titled, “A budget to widen nation‘s income gap.“  If it really came from the Concord Monitor, please check to see if they have replaced their editorial staff with the Democrat National Committee.   I am shocked that our respected local paper would print such a partisan and totally non-constructive editorial.

The editorial calls the Ryan plan ”radical”.  Compared to what?  Lets compare it to the Senate‘s budget.  Oops, the Democrat controlled Senate doesn’t have a budget, it hasn’t passed a budget in three years!

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GraniteGrok Endorsement: Ovide Lamontagne for NH Governor

Ovide Lamontagne For NH Governor 2012We have known Ovide Lamontagne for a number of years now, and the longer we have known him, the surer we are of his Conservative Principles and his stances on current events based on those Principles.  We have seen him refuse to take more politically expedient paths, ways the could yield better political outcomes for him personally, simply because it meant that he would have to cut corners instead of following those foundational guiding philosophies.  Many times, you might hear that a politician is a man of his politics.  That’s not Ovide; instead, you get a politician of steadfast convictions.  Enough so that we endorsed him for US Senate this last cycle.  Every stance is a Conservative one – we like an appreciate it. You know us – and we know Ovide Lamontagne.

Have no doubt, the Democrats will be putting up an extremist Progressive – and our bet is that Ovide will present the best alternative to those that will try (and make no mistake – they are campaigning on it right now) to recreate the Big Government go-round of 2006 / 2008?

Is this still the Live Free or Die State?  If you agree that it is, but that it hangs in the balance, consider this: It needs a Live Free or Die Governor!  One that not only can say the words but means, that lives, the philosophy behind it. That person, that Governor, is Ovide Lamontagne, the Happy Warrior!

We ask that when it comes to vote in the NH Republican primary in the Fall, please vote for Ovide.  And then again in November.

*****

When NH State Senator Jeanne Forrester had house event back February, Ovide Lamontagne was gracious in granting us an exclusive interview after having already spent  a couple of hours giving a talk to those present and then answered questions from them.  Both parts of that interview:

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HB 1607 – Public Schools Could See Buckets of Free Money

Skip just posted a nice letter from the Londonderry Superintendent of schools in which the Super appears to lobby the state Senate in opposition to HB1607.  This bill establishes an education tax credit for businesses or groups that set up scholarship programs to help offset the costs of non-public school tuition.  This could allow more parents to enroll their kids outside of the governments education monopoly and on paper at least take the paltry sum of $3,450.00 per student with them when the business is reimbursed for its donations with a tax credit of that amount.   The business is, of course, free to set it’s award at any sum above that at their discretion, but the credit is (I assume) maxed out at $3450.00 per student.

Needless to say, the Super (Nate Greenberg) doesn’t care for the bill.  By his calculation each school district will lose money it needs to teach students and would necessarily downshift those costs onto local property taxpayers to make up the difference.

That argument sounds like it might hold water–the entire lobbying question Skip raises aside–but only if taken in the vacuum of the space between the typical bureaucrats ears.  I wont revisit all the Super’s arguments here, just follow the link if you feel confused, but in my district, this bill would, on paper at least,  be like the school district finding a winning lottery ticket every single year.

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Never A Surprise

 “In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.” —Mark Twain

Londonderry School District Superintendent Nate Greenberg lobbied against HB 1607, “AN ACT establishing an education tax credit.” Not surprising at all…In fact, this is expected.

Long ago, educrats stopped caring about the delivery of a qualitative, substantive education for the communities children over their now-obvious priority of self-serving, fat-cat wielding power fiefdoms to preserve and continue the never-ending focus on how much the taxpayers can be bled to feed the whims of the edaucracy.

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NH GOP National Committeewoman race – Or is it the “whisper race”?

From Michelle:

Alas, if you’re a conservative mom, you’re damned if you do stay home and damned if you don’t. In 2008, Howard Gutman, a member of the Obama campaign’s national finance committee, attacked GOP vice presidential candidate and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s ability to be a good parent and have a high-powered public life at the same time. “Your responsibility is to put your family first,” Gutman lectured as he singled out Palin’s Down syndrome baby and then-pregnant teenage daughter. “The proper attack is not that a woman shouldn’t run for vice president with five kids; it’s that a parent, when they have a family in need…” should get out of the public sphere and stay home.

Sound familiar? Wait, haven’t I JUST HEARD THIS from a Republican?  Oh yeah…

Last time around and if my memory serves me well, four people were running for this position.  It seemed, at the time, that the candidates ran on the issues and their stances – what happens in most races, the dirty side, seemed to be invisible.  This time, not so much – it seems that it has come back near the end of this race – just like any other political race.  This time, it seems to have been launched against Pam Tucker; a sample:

Pam Tucker has come highly recommended by her peers.  I am thrilled that she is so competent at the State House, so much that I feel we NEED her there.   I understand that she will again seek office as a State Rep in the fall.  Her time is currently, and will be in the future, divided between her young family, her constituents from her district, and the added responsibilities as Deputy Speaker of the House.  I have heard Pam speak several times, each time stating that she will be able to attend the necessary meetings.

But are attending just the necessary meetings enough to build strong relationships with other states, and therefore retaining New Hampshire’s First in the Nation Status?

The underlying message:  She’s good, but not good ENOUGH.  She works hard. but couldn’t POSSIBLY add another task.  How COULD she abandon her family, her kids??  Sounds like a sexist argument to me – what about Dad, or is yet the next inference to be made is that he’s an incompetent boob who can’t be trusted to keep his “young family” alive without her?  My gosh!  She’s being split in too many ways – she can’t POSSIBLY do everything well!

Nonsense.  Well, I’ve never been one to be quiet – but “whisper campaigns” are not my style.  If someone has to rely on innuendo and whispers to secure a seat, well, that says:

  • You can’t win on your own in the public arena of ideas?
  • You are, perhaps, running as someone you aren’t and need “cover”?
  • It says something about “character”

So, in being loud, let’s dredge something up from the near deep recesses of the ‘Grok about newly “Conservative to the core” Juliana Bergeron from the Chair race:

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The War on Women Is Not Over

How do you know when a Democrat is lying?  Their lips are moving.  And Rosengate, the shooting star calamity set off by Hilary Rosen’s orchestrated  remarks about Ann Romney and how stay at home mom’s don’t work, provides that much more proof that the adage is true.

Brad Woodhouse from the Democrat National Committee, from yesterday I believe…

“On Thursday, as the Rosen saga unfolded, DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse echoed her plea for peace. ‘I’m not a fan of the term,’ he said in an interview. ‘I mean, I’m sure I’ve probably used it. We all fall into these easy vernaculars … but we in the DNC have not been running a campaign based on the term ‘war on Women.’ That’s a myth cooked up by Republicans.’”

Really?  Cooked up by Republicans?

May 26th 2011, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (DWS), in one of her earliest public speeches as the DNC chair siad…

“The war on women that the Republicans have been waging since they took over the House,” she said, “I think is going to not only restore but possibly helps us exceed the president’s margin of victory in the next election.”

I’m sure we’re taking this out of context but when the Chairman of the DNC says…’The war on women that Republicans have been waging…” that whole “myth cooked up by Republican’s thing” starts to lose some of its umph!

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The Debt Generation

College Students discuss the debt that their generation faces ….

Condemn Racial Politics and Race Baiting

To the Editor:

Attorney General Holder says we are a “nation of cowards” regarding race.   Perhaps that is because when people try to have an honest race related discussion, anyone who says anything outside liberal orthodoxy is called a racist.  But, the race baiters and the race hustlers are at it again in Sanford, Florida, and their inflammatory rhetoric deserves condemnation.

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GraniteGrok Endorsement: At the NH GOP Annual Meeting, Please vote for Pam Tucker for RNC Committeewoman

As NH’s leading Conservative blogsite, we not only opine about politics (and culture) here at the ‘Grok, we also get involved – we run for (win and lose) local office, we certainly advocate for Conservative principles, and yes, many of us are either Delegates to or are Members of the NH GOP State Committee.  We not just write, we DO!  No, I think it highly unlikely that anyone, after reading the ‘Grok for any length of time, would take us to be partial to “the Establishment wing” of the party.  Rather, we hew to principle first over “politics and power” plays; we give our endorsements out on that basis.

PamTucker head imageTomorrow is the NH GOP Annual Meeting where NH Republican Party business will be taken care of, lots of political yakking will be taking place, and new officers will be elected.  Being Members, we will be voting.  Being Conservatives and Libertarians, we know for whom we will be voting.  Being who we are here at the ‘Grok, we loudly ask for your vote for Pam Tucker for RNC Committeewoman from NH.  We are sure that she has the temperament, the communications skills, and the wherewithal to skillfully accomplish the goals of that position.

But most of all, we believe that of the two seeking the position, Pam Tucker is the principled and accomplished person for the job.  Her answers to our questions were solid and grounded and it is clear that her rapid political rise is due to her hard work, sense of proper priorities, and knowing what to do when the occasion or situation requires.

It is also clear to us, based on the inbound emails from both candidates how this race is going to be decided.  Certainly, we know who is backing Pam Tucker’s opponent – with very few “surprises” – and those that are backing Pam.  We know that we are with the right group of folks who are hoping that others will see that Pam will do the superior job in representing NH to the rest of the national Republican Party.  We also know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she can also be that “inward” ambassador in taking  Republican ideals and the Platform to others here in NH.  Unlike her opponent, she is the only credible ambassador from the grassroots back to the NH GOP Executive Committee.

Previous Questions:

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Dontcha just love seeing a taxpayer supported employee arguing against taxpayer interests? Here’s one: Nathan S. Greenberg, Superintendent

This was passed on to me by a concerned citizen – actually, an outraged citizen.  If this letter checks out (and nothing that I have found thus far leads me to think contrary to it), we see one level of taxpayer funded government (a local SAU Superintendent) electioneering against a proposed law that taxpayers have requested. Is his school system doing so well that he can turn his visage outward?  Or, is this really more of the entitlement mentality we are now seeing everywhere: hey, that’s MY money!!!  How DARE you take my entitlement to taxpayer money and give it to someone other than me!!  Don’t you know who we are?

Paid to lobby against you on your dime!  As my friend Doug said when we caught our taxpayer funded Superintendent getting ready to electioneer to a meeting of senior citizens (sponsored by the taxpayer funded Parks N Rec department on the topic of “why a tax cap would be bad for the School District): “LEAVE THE POLITICKING TO THE POLITICIANS!” In other words, the School Board should have done it – not a supposedly neutral employee.

This seems, more and more, to be the norm among the Public-Educational-Industrial Complex (which is larger, financially, than the Military-Industrial Complex) rather than what is best for the kids.  Remember too, the mentality seems to also be that they know better what is best for your kids.

Londonderry SAU LogoLONDONDERRY SCHOOL DISTRICT

April 12, 2012

Senator Nancy Stiles
Chair Senate Education Committee
Legislative Office Building
Room 103-A
33 North State Street
Concord, NH 03301

Dear Senator Stiles:

Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the hearing on HB 1607 on April 17, 2012 due to work related responsibilities.  Thus, I would greatly appreciate it if this correspondence could be entered into the record as my testimony in opposition to that bill.

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Walmart And Their Secret Gun Policy

“When ignorance gets started it knows no bounds.” —Will Rogers

Time for some new tires. Wal-Mart had a decent price on Goodyear Tracker 2 tires for my SUV (or, urban assault vehicle as my friends who strap Pruis’ to the behinds refer to it as) So I lumber on into Wal-Mart in my Ford Explorer. The tires were mounted and balanced in just under an hour and I spent just shy of $500.

As I leave through the double automatic doors, the service center employee follows me out and says, “One more thing…I noticed the gun in the truck…Wal-Mart has a strict policy of not working on vehicles with firearms in them. Please leave it at home, next time”

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Plymouth Tax Day TEA Party April 17

 Join Fellow Patriots at the Plymouth Tax Day TEA Party When:  Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 4 PM to 6 PM Where:  Plymouth Common, Plymouth, NH Promoting: Limited Constitutional Government, Fiscal Responsibility, Liberty, The Rule of Law, The United States of America Organized by TEA Party Patriots

What If You Held an Election and No One Showed Up?

Merrimack held it’s local town elections yesterday.  A town of roughly 25,000, with (I’m guessing) close to 18,000 people of voting age, that typically sees 4000-6000 ballots in the average Town election, produced only 2500 ballots yesterday. A bit of advice? When you let one third of the voters decide tax and spending policy for … Read more

What about the New Hampshire Budget?

New Hampshire Democrats are like three year oldsOne of the major themes of the New Hampshire Democrats is that the current New Hampshire Republican majority is not focusing enough on the budget and the economy, and spending too much time on other issues.   But this is an understandable position for leftists.

When the Democrats ran the entire state for four years, every session (almost every week) was about the budget, and how they had to raise more revenue.   The reason for that is that their estimates were always so distant from reality, and their over spending so profligate, that they could not help but be obsessed, at every opportunity, with trying to fix a mess of their own making.  The budget (and the economy)–how they might milk more taxes and fees out of the taxpayers or regulate and tax local businesses–was always on the agenda, often into the small hours of the morning of the day after the day they were supposed to have this all worked out by law.  So Democrat stewardship of the budget and the economy was one long, constant, cluster-***k.   (With what time they could spend ducking their budget woes wasted on trying to stomp out free speech, socializing medicine, scaring off more business, and a long laundry list of other nonsense too long to regurgitate here.)

The Republican majority, on the other hand, doing what you do at the grown-up table, already took care of  all that business in the first session.   Budget, estimates, revenues, done.   No last minute nonsense, no late night sessions.  No passing bills without hearings or making up taxes or fees they would later have to rescind–whose revenue they would then also have to “find” again and again…  and no Rube Goldbergian accounting tricks, or counting money from this year for that year, or adding in the potential sale of things like land that you will never actually sell.  None of that.

The Democrats hate the Republicans for that.

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You know, it would be good to get it right, Mr. Kitch

Yesterday was a “day off from work / a day of blogging activities” for me as I had promised a lady in our town, Barbara Aichinger,  to video record a Supervisor of the Checklist hearing.  The back story is just before our local election last month, local Democrat activist and public employee  Joe “No Show” Wernig decided on a crass political stunt and accuse her of not being eligible to vote here in town.  Which,  as it turns out, meant that she could not run for office to. More on this later (full video of the hearing is here at the ‘Grok’s “little sister” blog I keep just for local activities) and in my opinion, an attempt to silence a strong voice that advocates for exactly for everything that Wernig stands for: smaller government, less taxes, and more personal liberty.  Why else call a press conference when issuing a voter challenge based on flimsy Internet based information?

Well, two of the local pro-scribblers showed up; Michael Kitch from the Laconia Daily Sun filed his report and did a decent job (after having a “discussion” with Barbara, but that’s for another post) but got something wrong:

David “Skip” Murphy, who video recorded the session for his blog — Granite Grok — upon learning that Miller’s services cost the town $160 per hour wondered if there was any means of compelling Wernig, who has complained about the cost of frivolous litigation to the town, to foot the bill.

“No,” said Miller. “There is no recourse.”

Er, no.  This is why one brings a recording device to such an event – as he got this part of the my “public input” absolutely wrong:

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Another thing that this Voter Challenge made me realize

Like I said here, we had a political ideologue by the name of Joe Wernig issue, in my opinion, a thinly veiled attempt of political intimidation by trying to keep local Libertarian activist Barbara Aichinger off the local ballot via a Voter Role Challenge (complete video here of the hearing, with more commentary above that post).  As the hearing slowly wore on, the thought hit me: how often is this now happening, where the most basic philosophies of American jurisprudence is being turned on its head?  Just like we are loosing our freedoms as the Government continues to loom larger and larger and inserts itself into more and more areas of what used to be off-limits.

All of us have been brought up believing “innocent until proven guilty” and that you should have the ability to confront your accuser.  This hearing, through no fault of the Supervisors of the Checklist, seemingly turned that upside down.  Joe Wernig had made sure that when he accused Mrs. Aichinger of not being eligible, she was out of the country on business.  He didn’t notify her of his press conference or his intention of going to the Supervisors in issuing that challenge.  He made sure that she could not directly confront him and his charges.

Yesterday, he doubled down – he was a “No Show” – but his baseless charge put all three Supervisors through hours of research during the 30 day interval.  Barbara had to spend hours in assembling her records in her own defense.  This political coward couldn’t muster the courage to even make a token appearance before skidaddling back to his secure government job.  He couldn’t face the person he challenged.  Yes, I meant that word: Coward.

So much for the Mrs. Aichinger being able to face her accuser: he simply ran away like when a bully runs up against someone who isn’t willing to back down.  In fact, I’m betting he really thought she’d fold – not a smooth move.

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