Republican Suckers!?

John Lynch could only win re-election with the help of Republicans and independents and so he did.  So are they all liberals in denial, or just a bunch of suckers?  Someone fell for the lies about the budget.  They believed the liberals and their RINO agitators who sold them on a $70 million dollar surplus while the state was still trying to rob the JUA and sell off property.  Never occurred to ask why the state needed to spend taxpayer money on lawsuits and litigation to steal money from the JUA when they claimed to have a "surplus?"

I asked that question often.

But when votes showed up in adequate numbers to take every branch of government with a super majority of Republicans, they still left the little governor that could.  Suckers.

We are suckers because on November third, as if by magic, the surplus smoke screen cleared to reveal the wreckage of years of democrat majority rule.   Now that the election is over we have a budget crisis again. 

Cathy Silber of the very partisan (so-called non-partisan) GSFTC began early by trying to sell the solution for our resurrected funding woes on a more modern revenue structure. (Sales and income taxes if you didn’t know.)  Every major democrat began talking about the challenges of dealing with a Republican majority and our budget situation–and how it might affect services.  And now John Lynch admits we have a huge problem.

Have?  We always had this problem!  And we have it because John Lynch let the democrat majority spend and spend, then used gimmicks and one time money to hide it, and now it is time to pay.

When will we learn?

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GrokTALK! – Podcast page for 11/20/10

Podcast – week of 11/20/10   GrokTALK! Streaming Live!from GraniteGrok To play (or "stream") a clip now, just click on it.  To download it to your PC, right click on it and tell the process where to save the file for you. (Click here for the promo page) Only "snippets" this week – no "Hours" … Read more

Black On Happy Meals

Lewis Black offers some welcome perspective on the San Francisco Hally Meal Ban. "So let me get this straight. "The town that gives away clean syringes to heroin addicts won’t let your kid have a Buzz Lightyear with his Happy Meal because it sends the wrong message?" That more or less covers the priorities of … Read more

If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them

Go ahead...Speak!The day after a prominent democrat called for party reform to demonstrate how the left are the real fiscal conservatives in New Hampshire, the same democrat announces the formation of a 501(c)4 issues group, presumably to counter groups like Cornerstone Policy and Josiah Bartlett.

There are two direct quotes worth laughing at–I’m sorry noting.

"The big difference is that this will be a fact-based group,” she said. “I look at this as pragmatic and progressive, which is the New Hampshire way.”

New Hampshire is Progressive? That suggests some kind of substance abuse don’t you think.  Kool Aid perhaps? Then there’s this…

And Sullivan said that just like the conservative groups, her 501(c)(4), this organization will not be required to disclose its donors. While she’d rather have all sides disclose, “that’s not going to happen,” she said. “So, if you can’t beat them, join them. You have to play with the cards you’re dealt.”

(Quotes are taken from yesterdays Granite Status by John DiStaso.)

So let’s see.  The hypocrats are going to create a non-profit with mysterious donors, and this is a) new to them? and b) something we are supposed to give a damn about?

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Bird Ruffles Feathers–Gets three to six

The problem seems to be that Bird had confronted a woman who had accidentally wandered onto his property in search of directions, and he was in no mood for small talk. He brandished his sidearm when she did not leave at his request for which he was charged and convicted of criminal threatening.

Ben Bernanke Tossed Under The Bus

If you are unsure why government is too big and why the Fed must be audited and then dismantled –You Have To Watch This.      (H/T Big Government.com)

Sullivan’s Mea Culpa

Yesterday some of us were treated to the palate cleansing of former NHDP chair Kathy ‘Lawsuit’ Sullivan. She took the opportunity to fill her allotted Union Leader real estate with a “reform agenda for democrats.” If you get tired of shoving broken glass in your eye check it out.

Congressman-Elect Frank Guinta’s statement on the Republican’s Caucus Vote on Earmark Moratorium

November 18th, 2010 Washington D.C. – Congressman-elect Frank Guinta (R-NH) issued the following statement on his support of the Republican Caucus’ vote to implement an earmark moratorium for two years. Guinta made cutting spending and government transparency hallmarks of his campaign and will work tirelessly to see these principles implemented in Congress. “The earmark process … Read more

Breaking – The new Speaker of the NH House is Bill O’Brien

Breaking – The Republican Caucus Nominee for Speaker of the NH House is Bill O’Brien “I’m looking forward to working with Republicans and Democrats in the New Hampshire House to fulfill the mandate for a new direction that the people of New Hampshire voted for on November 2,” Voting Tabulation: Round  1 Gene Chandler: 129, … Read more

It’s Another “Can’t We All Just Get Along Coalition”

John DiStaso’s Granite Status alerts us to the formation of yet another group designed to help American’s ‘find a copacetic political medium.’  This one is called NoLabels. Like similar ‘groups’ (I’ll call them out in a moment) this one wants to bring the self-proclaimed rational people from both sides into the center.

From DiStato

A new advocacy group that disdains "hyper-partisanship" and promotes "the vital center" is trying to make in-roads in New Hampshire.

…

"Ultimately, unless we get rid of some of our ideological intensity, we are not going to be served by government."

The group is being fronted locally by former Portsmouth mayor and so-called centrist democrat Steve Marchand.  I’m not going to waste time on whether Marchand is centrist or not, in fact I think I’ll skip the preview reel altogether and get to the point.

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A Presentation of Ideas Concerning New Republican Leadership in the NH House of Representatives – Part 3

Part 3 of a three part series of Guest Posts by the Honorable Paul Mirski, member of the NH House of Representatives (and one of the Fathers of Conservatism here in NH). He is seeking to be the Majority Leader in the NH House of Representatives.

  •  Part Three suggests five or six overriding legislative themes and then goes on to provide a basket of  choices for legislative action that are drawn directly from our current Republican Party Platform.  If members consider all of the media focus on Tea Party initiatives over the last 18 months, they will see that those Republicans who began rewriting our platform eight years ago were well ahead of the curve.We’re ready right this minute to create change. We don’t have to go searching for ideas.

Previous sections: Part 1,  Part 2

___________________________________________________________________

PART 3

Proposed Republican Initiatives for the 2011 – 2012 Legislative Session:

The idea that all individuals ought to be able to seek and achieve their unique destinies is our core belief.

The Republican Party was founded by abolitionists to end slavery. We should be proud of our Party’s freedom legacy.  We must re-dedicate ourselves to our Party’s originating ideas and ideals if we’re to grow and thrive once again as a political force.
 
In conformance with the broad range of ideals, goals, and objectives outlined within our Republican Party Platform, here’s a presentation of numerous legislative initiatives that have been suggested by legislators, candidates and activists that could form the nucleus of a 2011-2012 Republican legislative agenda. The first six address money issues and were drawn from the expanded list below their listing. The first year of the coming session should focus primarily on spending and taxation.

Six Initiatives to get control of State spending:

  • Prioritize ALL functions of government and analyze costs accordingly.
  • Repeal all unwarranted increases in size and cost of government enacted during the 2007–2008 and 2009-2010 sessions.
  • Repeal all related tax and fee increases enacted during the 2007–2008 and 2009 2010 sessions.
  •  Initiate Sunset Review for all state agencies.
  • Reform New Hampshire’s State Employees’ Pension System
  • Return oversight and control over curriculum, administration, and funding of education to the smallest forms of political subdivision capable of educating New Hampshire’s children.

Education Reform:

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Picking Up The Gauntlet

The morning after I had taken my first casual whack at eliminating the deficit–The New York Times has a nifty interactive form you can use (here) to check off items it chose from the debt commission report to see if and how you might solve the problem–I wake up to a Google Alert that’s practically calling my name.

"Where Will Frank Guinta, Granite Grok, The Republican Liberty Caucus Of New Hampshire & The NH Tea Party Movement Come Down On Bowles-Simpson?"

The link leads to content from Heather Mac Donald (great last name) via the The Monday Morning Clacker--which is where we find out that "this is our last chance to meet Heather’s challenge."

That’s a bit dramatic, and hardly accurate.  If it wasn’t for Google Alerts, the mention of Guinta, and the fact that Heather and I share a last name I never would have even known about it, or the imagined arbitrary deadline.  Be that as it may, I accept.

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NECN, TEA Party, “Dancing with the Stars”, and Sarah Palin

OK, life can be bizarre at times – got an email from my friend Steve asking "would you be willing to go on TV and talk about the influence of the TEA Party on "Dancing with the Stars?" Riiiiggghhhhtt!  You ARE putting me on, right?  While TMEW is a fan, I pretty much am just … Read more

One last word: A Private Conservation with Bill O’Brien….

The race for Speaker of the House is almost concluded, and it was in many ways an even more hotly contested and more comprehensive political struggle than the general election battle against the Democrats. So, to wrap it up, I want to tell about a personal conversation I had with Bill O’Brien not too long ago. And I don’t think (I hope, at least) that he would see this as betraying a confidence. After all, it shows the essence of the man, and the difference between a New Republican and the GOP of yesterday….

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We’re in the Best of Hands – the TSA’s, that is – literally!

"Homeland Security: We Get To Touch Your Junk"

(H/T:  Boing Boing)

I’ve been a long term frequent flier – over the years, I’ve racked up close to 500,000 miles in the air.  No, not as much as some, but WAY more than the vast majority of the folks that ever squeeze into that thin metal tube now called a flying cattle car.  I can remember when flying was still a bit elegant and when even Coach got a hot meal with real silverware. 

To be honest, I still miss going somewhere else on an occasional basis but given the outcry of the last few days over the "enhanced" security, I’ll stay planted on terra firma for as long as I can.   I’m QUITE sure that good old Ben was right:

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security

I remember what it was like, right after 9/11, to watch the crowd getting on the plane, the eyes staring at me as I got on the plane, and where my eyeballs were as everyone else was getting on.  And I still do.  Racial Profiling may well be the accusation hurled at me for doing so, but I had a reason – like most everyone else, they wanted to be able to go home and hug their families.  Still do.

I’ve endured a number of pre-board searches – certainly have had to go "oops, …

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Palin Bashing

I stumbled across an open letter by (former?)’Young Democrat’ Douglas Lindner, a primary candidate for Manchester Ward 1 back in 2008.  Lindner narrowly lost the primary (his words).  Narrowly is 268 to 330,350 and 406 for three seats in Manchester Ward 1; I’m thinking he might not have been liberal enough.

But I believe he’s found a fix for that.

In his letter he first congratulates the Republicans on their victory (a very gracious set up), commends the Republicans for selecting the moderate train wreck John McCain in the past two presidential primaries, (even though it was the moderate/independents that swung those victories) and then proceeds to embark on a Palin bashing screed. 

I told you he was trying to up his cred.

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Governor Rapes School Funding To Hide Budget Shortfall

Again, we see the smoke clear over the wreckage of the Lynch budget.  In this mornings UL Tom Fahey reports on how the Legislative Fiscal Committee plans to pilfer half of the $41 million dollar federal educations stimulus meant to save teachers jobs and the minds of our future leaders. They voted for a plan … Read more

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