What a bunch of whiners. I’ve had this in my stack of stuff since the middle of May and I’m just as annoyed now as I was then. And this guy, Manny Espitia (of course, he’s a Democrat – another Bernie-Bro), makes the title above absolutely clear (reformatted, emphasis mine):
He said already, employers as well as towns and civic organizations are reporting having trouble filling vacant positions in the workplace as well as on boards, councils and committees. Stewart said that though one of the biggest drivers of young people leaving is unaffordable housing, it’s also the inability to make these civic connections to their state and communities.
What a crock! As the piece points out, there are PLENTY of available positions within towns and cities to do “civic engagement”. I get the expensive housing – having lived in NH for 36 years, my house has appreciated quite a bit over the last few years and starter homes aren’t cheap if you grew up “around heah”. Coming from “theah”, however, a lot of housing looks to be more affordable than “from away”. But there I go again.
People from around heah take time to get used to – and to get used to those from theah. But that isn’t going to happen much at all with those that want to change NH Natives and long termers (isn’t that right, Gracie Gato and Cynthia Chase)? A bit reserved, perhaps, than folks found in other areas. But if you’re willing to take the time and become assimilated into the NH Culture, you’ll be fine.
And NH has a history of citizen volunteers who put themselves out there to “get the jobs done” as VOLUNTEERS (didn’t I say that already)? However, those “from away” think that every position needs to be paid (even if just a stipend) to make positions and people “professional”. In such thinking, mostly Progressives, they betray bedrock NH values – aka, the NH Advantage. That’s exactly how I got to be on our Budget Committee – I was asked to run, got elected, and got to work AS A VOLUNTEER. I didn’t demand any pay or stipend:
It was a sense of civic responsibility
Not duty and certainly not that gawd-awful phrase “giving back” (as in a mandatory obligation). Of my own free will and I think I did a decent job. And as Progressives overtook the BudComm, more positions became paid.
If these young newcomers are having a hard time making “civic engagement”, that’s on them. Especially if they aren’t “from around heah”. And stop whining that it’s about the money because that’s how this has been for centuries – either you have it in you or you want a free ride:
And some of that is systemic, he said. For example, our citizen legislature only makes $100 per year, plus mileage. “Civic engagement often goes uncompensated,” said Pedro Altagracia, a community organizer. Being a legislator in New Hampshire doesn’t provide a living wage, therefore, the only people who can afford to be legislators are typically older residents that are either retired or wealthy, Altagracia said.
Don’t forget welfare! Some have been – so technically, those such legislators are being paid by the State (albeit by other means). But he makes it clear – he’s out for BOTH money and power. Are you entitled to pay? Are you of the mindset that NH taxpayers OWE you something even as the rest of us “work for free” at doing “our” civic engagement? I know a lot of folks that have juggled their lives, careers, and jobs to be in the Legislature – they had heart and they had the motivation to make it work. They overcame – what, you lazy?
“One hundred percent,” said Rep. Manny Espitia, D-Nashua, who is one of the youngest representatives in the state legislature, regarding the low pay for legislators being a barrier to more young people running for office. “And that’s not only for young people [but also] impoverished communities, communities of color. You end up having less working families being able to run for office.”
Espitia said he recognized that there is value to a citizen legislature, but that at some point, we as a state need to pay a more equitable wage to the legislators.
Whiner. No, we don’t have to pay anyone. If you don’t like it, return to whence you came if you want to get rich as a politicians or keep Power by being reelected in your safe Democrat ward for as long as you want.
There’s that word again: systemic – a negative connotation. Well, Mr. Altagracia, we aren’t like other States – why are you and Espitia trying to change the nature of NH? Are you not proud to be in the Live Free or Die State? Are you not proud of our long traditions when it comes to serving others in your community or State?
At least with Espitia, his voting record says he’s not and is actively working to change our very culture. And, from looking at his c.v., he definitely is a political animal – a Socialist one in which Diversity is only one way.
Just not the NH way.
Sidenote: In a nod to the former Democrat female coven Reps that got so incensed that they were appearing on our posts so often and publicly saying that their feelings were hurt because we were picking on them (for saying and doing stupid things), not to fear – we’ve written /mentioned about Espitia as well: here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. So, Ladies (and I use that term lightly because of how gender changeable Democrats are), we’re trying to even out the score. You see, we really don’t care who you are, what your sex is, what your skin color is – just really what your policies are and how dumb you are in speaking about them.
(H/T: Laconia Daily Sun)