The first and only NHRSC Annual Meeting I attended was in 2021 via ZOOM…and as they say, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all’, which is what I’ll leave you’ll with about that ZOOM Meeting!
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That said, I was very excited about the opportunity to attend the 2023 meeting this past Saturday, January 28th, in person and was looking forward to voting for myself for Region 3 Vice Chair. I had done my due diligence to gather information about the agenda, but more importantly about Meeting Rules.
So “armed and ready,” I spent hours and hours, as all 400+ State Committee Members did, listening, participating, and waiting! (Side note: Pres. Trump was even more hysterical than usual IMO!!) Finally, by mid-afternoon came the vote for the 5 Region Vice Chair Positions. Never could I have imagined or anticipated the noise level, but more mind-blowing, the chaos and mayhem that ensued as we all attempted to navigate this vote!
I reside in Hillsborough County which, along with Manchester and Nashua, is Region 3. I knew the voting rules, but to my surprise and chagrin, not one of the rules was followed for our Region.
Please note below the meeting rules (in part) that apply to ALL candidates to be elected during the Annual Meeting…
So, though we in Region 3 did have 2 candidates for the Vice Chair position, Chris Buda and myself, neither of us nor the folks that nominated us, were able to speak for the time allotted per the meeting rules. But even more egregious and disturbing was the fact that the Region 3 voters were NOT permitted/offered the ability to vote by paper ballot as per the meeting rules…but only by a hand/voice vote!
I have since been specifically told in confidence that as a consequence of the political Swamp eyes, expectations, and pressure, a number of State Committee Members did not vote for me due to the open voice/hand-counted vote. In addition, because the vote was clearly rushed through, again NOT following the meeting rules which allow Candidates and the folks nominating them the allotted time to speak, I was unable to speak to the Region Members, most of whom do not know me.
But what was really most disheartening, and so disturbingly appalling, was that decades-long entrenched (R)s, like Ray Chadwick and Chris Buda, both knowing full well the rules, said nothing as the young woman facilitating this vote attempted to navigate this crapshow by herself.
In closing, and on a personal note, I must share that Saturday was an amazing learning experience for me, but also that it was further confirmation that the proverbial ‘Establishment Swamp Rot’ is alive and well in New Hampshire!!
