Open Letter to Congress on Gun Control

There are things that can be done to reduce gun violence in our country.  Those things can be summed up as:  enforce the current laws, lock up violent criminals,  and stop doing stupid things and start doing thngs that work.  Unfortunately some people are evil and no gun laws will stop them from getting guns if they wish or doing what they wish until they are stopped.

I don’t think that I have heard a single thing coming out of Washington that would do anything but make it more difficult for law abiding people to defend themeslves. So one has to wonder if protecting people is what they are after, or if there are other objectives.   Only a tiny fraction of gun owners ever harm someone with a gun.  Americans are four to five times as likely to die of second hand smoke than to die of a gun, and there are half as many American smokers as gun owners.

There is no guarantee, anf frankly little indication, that Congress without our help will do anything useful to save the lives of law abiding Americans.  Congress already put our innocent children into “Gun Free Zones” which are a perfect example of a liberal idea than anyone with common sense knew would be counter-productive.  Some of the blood from Newtown and every school mass killing belongs on the hands of Washington politicians who turned all our schools into attractive nuisances for killers looking for lots of easy victims.

Most Americans (not the ciminals and it seeems some politicians) want to save innocent lives, but taking guns away from law abiding citizens and leaving them in the hands of criminals is not the way to do it.  Congress has a history of passing stupid and often counter-productive laws, so without our input they could easily do it again and cause many more dead law abiding Americans.

I encourage everyone to contact our elected representatives and let them know how you feel.  If my letter gives you any useful idea, great.

Dear Senator or Congresswoman,

If the real intent of the new gun laws being considered is to save lives, there are four things that would help.  First, and most beneficial, would be to ensure that a better job is done of enforcing the existing laws and putting the people who intentionally harm other people in prison for a very long time.  Existing criminal laws are not being enforced adequately at any level of Government including the Federal level, and we both know it.  Enforcing our immigration laws would help significantly because illegal aliens commit a disproportional amount of crime including homicide.

Read more

Open Letter to Republican Members of the New Hampshire House

Emailed to the entire caucus, Wednesday Morning, 2-27-2013

Honorable Republican Representatives,


In the wake of the errant email in which NH Gas tax sponsor David Campbell (D-Nashua) reveals the true nature of his proposal, I wanted to take a moment to offer up some relevant observations.

Mr. Campbell remarked that his gas tax will provide a bounty (I’m paraphrasing) of revenue (taxation) for other purposes.  It matters not whether he was being glib or just honest.  The facts are these.

Read more

Smartest President Ever…[updated]

Haven’t even cut a fraction of his massive 3.8 trillion dollar budget (cuts he passed into law)…only place to cut at DHS requires Barack Obama to let hundreds of criminals out of prison. What? Is this what DHS needed billions of rounds of ammunition for? [update] White House denies knowledge.  Theories that the release may … Read more

Smartest President Ever….part 2

Throws billions at high risk bankrupt green energy companies year after year….slight decrease in increased spending (sequester) will mean firing air traffic controllers, TSA,  first responders, public safety personnel, border patrol, crumbling infrastructure…

Smartest President Ever…Part 3

King of executive orders, master of spending and debt, willing to by-pass congress if he has too….but no power to decide what spending increases get cut from his own Sequester bill.

A Letter sent to NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn, based on her HB617 Press Release

I wondered what Jennifer Horn would do as I wrote this; now we know – the non-silent silent answer.  She did not “Choose Well”.  The Press Release, which went out this morning, is after the jump.  This is my Letter just sent:

Dear Jennifer (NH GOP Chair),

Right you are concerning the proposed gas – this should never have made it out of committee with a single Republican vote.

And that’s the problem – it got every single one of them.  All of the Republicans on the committee, every one, voted for it; not a single Nay vote amongst them.  In other words, they have turned your words below into hollow ones with their votes – that presser is of no importance at all as every single elected Republican just cut you off at the knees.  Wait until NH Democrat Chair Buckley sends out his PR about “But Jennifer, all of YOUR Republicans sided with the Democrat Leadership and Maggie Hassan – doesn’t that put you on the wrong side of the issue?”.  I see no comeback – your Party members have done just that from a perception standpoint – and voters will see that.

Your press release does make you look rather blinkered for ignoring the very Republicans that put you into such a position – a very foolish one.  Castigating the Democrats while ignoring the bad behavior of your own Republicans – including the Minority House Leader?  Not good at all and badly played.

Unfortunately, this PR blurb does not “thread the needle” that was necessary – you’ve now given more Republicans cover by not mentioning these chuckleheads at all.  You have now given out the message “S’all right, vote for more expensive and bigger government – I’ll just ignore your part in it“.  Again, how is this perception going to help in recruiting more voters to the Republican Party?

Yes, Jennifer, my answer would have been:

Read more

Action Alert: Preserve and Expand School Choice

ACTION ALERT! NH House Democrats Vote to Kill Education Scholarship Program HB 370, the bill to repeal the educational choice scholarship program instituted in the last session for low-income New Hampshire families, was passed by the NH House last week Wednesday. Apparently the hour and a half of testimony and the nearly 500 education scholarship … Read more

Isn’t John Kerry’s Own Success Proof Of What He Says?

Is this the pot calling the kettle black?John kerry

“In America, you have a right to be stupid, if you want to be, and you have a right to be disconnected to somebody else if you want to be. And we tolerate that – we somehow make it through that.”  –John Kerry

And were it not for stupid people, we would not have professional politicians like…John Forbes Kerry (who served in Vietnam, by the way).

I’m not sure about that last part though–making it through?

Read more

Democrats Always Lie About Taxes and Spending

Democrats lie about taxes, spending, and caring about the middle class, and two opportunities to prove that have recently NH Democrats fleece taxpayers againpresented themselves.

First, Nashua Democrat David Campbell, from whose progressive womb sprang the 15 cent per gallon gas tax, recently remarked in an email to Democrat party leadership that the Democrat gas tax was…

…”the gift that keeps on giving”

…

“As my father used to say, ‘Don’t spend it all in one place!” Rep. David Campbell, D-Nashua, chairman of the House Public Works and Highways Committee, wrote on Friday in explaining that his gas tax hike bill will generate “bonus monies” for purposes not directly associated with highways, roads and bridges.

Not directly associated is right.

The gas tax will screw you, your family, your small business, and the entire  state economy out of millions more annually once fully implemented, money that will not go to wages, jobs, or anything but the Democrats government-first addiction.

Read more

What are those definitions again, Democrats?

Having Government  Ownernship makes you, by definition,  Socialists.  Having Administrative control, by definition, makes you a Fascist. Really. (H/T: Liberal Logic 101)

Branding: “Nobody…seemed to consider the possibility that taxes should not go up!”

That was from Grokster Mike’s post that was riffing off of mine on my “ire” on how NH Republicans in the NH House voted to raise the gas tax via HB617 (emphasis mine):

Riffing off Skip’s piece on the gas tax, I happened to walk into a thinly attended local GOP meeting last night – not naming names, because it’s the principle that matters:

The topic under discussion was the recent vote on the gas tax increase, and whether it would have been better to raise gas taxes and take a bite out of passing tourists, or for residents to suck it up in registration fees to keep the state friendly for visitors.

Nobody, NOBODY, in a GOP group (until I walked in) seemed to consider the possibility that taxes should not go up! Once prodded, they wondered aloud whether our roads and bridges were so bad as to warrant this, whether prioritization might be a good idea, or gosh, are all the gas and vehicle taxes actually going toward road maintenance?

And we wonder why we have a problem cutting spending? Do we HAVE to give Maggie’s Marauders a free pass?

U Cud Be a Useful IdiotOnce prodded.  Really?  Once prodded?  Attendees at an NH GOP meeting have to be “prodded” to think of the ramifications of what is a heightened broad based sales tax (most people in NH drive, and driving requires gas or diesel)?  Look, even those that are active in the NH GOP can’t keep track of every bill and every issue that is going on in the State and under the State House Dome.  But my gosh, one would think that they have a grasp of the basics of Republicanism (if not Conservatism).  So, when a good chunk of number of Rs help to enlarge the local Leviathan, it kinda puts a kibosh on putting a Phoenix story on the Republican brand – instead of rising from ashes, this is putting nails into the coffin.  Thus far, it seems like new NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn is doing the right things – but with respect to providing separation from the Dems, is this a one step forward / 3 steps back?  How does this prevent a “taxes?  Republicans voted for them too – so don’t blame us!” attack?

Read more

And now, a word for our advertisers

Over on the Right Sidebar are a couple of folks that have chosen to advertise with us.  SonsOfEnoch.com has a bunch of “not your ordinary” type T-shirt vendor.  I know them personally (they live and work in my town), so as an “up by their bootstraps” type of operation, I offered to give them some … Read more

Guest Post – NH State Rep Jane Cormier “Just a FEW of the MANY Taxes We Pay…”

FEDERAL     STATE of NH    
  Income Tax     Property Tax:  
  Corporate Income Tax       Town Property
  Social Security       Town School Education
  Medicaid       State Education
  Capital Gains       County
  Marriage Tax Penalty     Inheritance & Estate  
  Workers Compensation     Business Profit  
        Meal & Rental Tax  
        Electric Consumption Tax  
        Meals & Rental Tax  
        Real Estate Transfer  
        (And there are many more….)  

“The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.” Vladimir Lenin

On February 6, the NH House of Representatives voted on CACR 1, a bill which would have allowed citizens to vote on this constitutional amendment. CACR 1 basically declared a 3/5 majority vote in the NH House would be necessary to pass any legislation imposing new or increased taxes or license fees on the citizenry or to authorize the issuance of state bonds. (Might it be, if we shut down the spigot for a while, the “powers that be” may actually have to budget in a fiscally sound manner as do so many of NH citizens? Might the “powers that be” actually need to seek consensus before forcing citizens to pay increased fees or taxes that THEY deem appropriate? Might it be, if we have to have a majority vote before raising taxes or fees, the budgeting may be more transparent and streamlined?) Of course, the answer is yes to all those questions. Unfortunately, many of our state representatives did not agree. CACR 1 was voted Inexpedient to Legislate (which just means “kill the bill”) by a vote of 206 to 149.

Read more

HB617 – Well, ONE Republican is making a big stink about raising the gas tax.

Well, I, Mike, and Steve are all over HB617,  the bill that will raise the gas tax 18 cents over the next four years – and to hammer home the point, we can thank Republicans for greasing the skids to push this through without nary a cross vote.  Well, one NH House Representative has spoken up about it – NH State Representative Bill O’Brien.  And he has sent some information our way as well.  In my post, it is obvious that Democrat David Campbell is all aflutter about his “hoodwinking” : “the gift that keeps on giving” – he is just ecstatic that he’s widened a revenue source for feeding Leviathan.  Notice that wording – spoken as a true Statist in that the orientation is from State Treasury aspect.

Sidenote: Never mentions that in order for the State to “receive”, it is taking, by force, monies that New Hampshirites would otherwise be able to spend on their families.  But, that’s how Progressives are – they are always convinced that they have a better purpose for your money than you do.  They delight in using other peoples money (but really believe it was theirs to begin with).

Well, Bill decides to take Campbell to task for playing magician with the facts of the bill to one set of folks but boasting about it to the Democrat Leadership (Campbell’s letter after the jump) and adds some figures (emphasis mine):

David,

There is an additional spreadsheet you have on the 83% hike in the gas tax, but up to now you have only given to the Democratic leadership of the Finance, Resources and Fish & Game committees. That spreadsheet, which was prepared by the Department of Safety, points out that this near doubling of the gas tax will apply to all gas sales, but that gas used for snowmobiles and boats is not placed in the Highway Trust Fund, but instead is deposited into other funds.

Your disclosure of this fact to those committee leaders is inconsistent, of course, with the documents you have forwarded today showing only money going to roads and is contrary to your public protestations that “every dollar” of the gas tax hike will be going to roads. Instead, and as you said in the late afternoon Friday, February 22, 2013 email to the leadership of those committees, “[w]hen fully phased in [the gas tax] will generate $658,000 annually in General Fund revenue, $1,251,000 for Fish & Game and $593,000 for DRED/Trails.” This “extra revenue” going to Fish & Game and DRED will not, of course, be used to repair red-listed bridges.

Read more

Government rules by sheer naked force…

Glenn Reynolds, Tennesse law professor, father of Instapundit, interviewed Russ Roberts, an economics professor at George Mason University, recently.  It’s a fairly lengthy (but very interesting) podcast and the talk shifted to discussion of a NY Slimes piece from last year on why the Constitution was really of little value to today’s hipster progressives.  To whet your appetite:

REYNOLDS: Here’s the problem with public officials — because that’s really [Seidman’s] audience — deciding to ignore the Constitution: If you’re the president, if you’re a member of Congress, if you are a TSA agent, the only reason why somebody should listen to what you say, instead of horsewhipping you out of town for your impertinence, is because you exercise power via the Constitution. If the Constitution doesn’t count, you don’t have any legitimate power. You’re a thief, a brigand, an officious busybody, somebody who should be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail for trying to exercise power you don’t possess.

Read more

Will Beretta Leave Maryland?

Moving costs money but the owners of Beretta are thinking it might be time.Beretta-Px4-Storm

Beretta is weighing whether the rifle line (which would now be illegal if proposed legislation becomes law), and perhaps the company itself, should stay in a place increasingly hostile toward its products. Its iconic 9mm pistol — carried by every U.S. soldier and scores of police departments — would also be banned with its high capacity, 13-bullet magazine.

“Why expand in a place where the people who built the gun couldn’t buy it?” said Jeffrey Reh, general counsel for Beretta.

It looks like Beretta already moved part of their business out of Maryland after a previous game of chicken with state lawmakers, one the legislature and Governor lost.

Read more

Report Claims: Manchester NH one of Ten Least Taxed Cities in US

There is a good deal of couched language in this article, but a few things stand out. According to Edward Wyatt, fiscal analyst for the Office of Revenue Analysis, while tax rates are certainly a factor in the tax burden on families, it is more the existence of certain kinds of taxes that determines whether … Read more

Share to...
BufferCopyFlipboardHacker NewsLineLinkedInMastodonMessengerMixPinterestPrintRedditSMSTelegramTumblrVKWhatsAppXing