For Mitt Romney, I have one question.

Send ’em back by osmosis. Supported by McCain & others. . For all his blather about illegal immigration, I still say there is little difference in "Mr. Romney’s plan" versus the "McCain plan." There is but one question for Gov. Romney: Do you support roundup and deportation of ALL twelve million illegals that are presently here? If … Read more

Go ahead. Make my day!

. This story made my day! From the Indianapolis Star: A 51-year-old man stopped a masked man from robbing a Southside grocery store and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. . [snip] .While the suspect was demanding cash from the workers, the police report states that Merrell pulled his own handgun, pointed it at … Read more

How are they gonna fix this?

empty pockets
.
Our friend Charlie Arlinghaus of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy is once again sounding the alarm over the financial state of affairs here in the Granite State. One can only hope that the current crop of "leaders" and legislators will take this information to heart and make the necessary steps needed to correct the looming problem. Hopefully that won’t mean reaching further into our wallets… 
   

Revenue on Track for $75 Million Shortfall

By Charles M. Arlinghaus
New Hampshire State revenues are currently on a track to produce a shortfall of more than $75 million in the fiscal year ending June 2008. That shortfall could be reduced by a strong economic performance over the next months but will likely grow larger as corporate profits growth slows after the explosive growth of recent years.
.
A revenue shortfall is more damaging even than it seems because of the way the New Hampshire budget is put together. Revenue has always been estimated somewhat cautiously to provide a cushion in case spending is somewhat higher than expected or the economy doesn’t look as bright as once thought. That cautiousness has been necessary because annual spending has almost always significantly exceeded the budgeted amount.
.
On a monthly basis, the state government publishes updates on tax revenue. However we will have little information about the spending side of the budget until the end of the fiscal year. Monthly spending estimates are possible and have been planned for but have yet to be implemented.
.
We know for every tax how much was budgeted to come in and how much actually did come in. This level of detail and timely reporting is one of the most transparent parts of government. It helps serve as an early warning system so we can prepare for potential budget shortfalls.
.
On the spending side of the budget however, we have little or no idea where we stand compared to budget. In February, the governor announced a plan to place monthly spending updates online as well. At this date, ten months later, no progress has been made. That makes careful consideration of revenue projections all the more important.

Read more

An Open Plea to the NHDOT: Just Say NO!!

.pumping gas.taxpayer..
.
I have written in numerous prior postings about the NHDOT’s wasteful ways being perpetuated by raising tolls and gas taxes instead of forcing them to make the necessary belt-tightening corrections within their system. Using highway funds made up of gasoline and fuel taxes paid by the motoring public for a plethora of non-road related projects combined with a culture of inefficient methods of operation takes dollars away from the vital infrastructure & expansion projects that were supposed to be the intended purpose of such funds.
.
Back in July I noted that then acting NHDOT Commisioner Charles O’Leary, commenting on the financial state of affairs in the department, said
Not enough money and too many promises sums up the sad state of New Hampshire’s 10-year highway plan, says Transportation Commissioner Charles O’Leary.
In a posting dating back to August of ’06, I wrote, of public transportation in rural areas,
One of my long time pet peeves has been the gobs of gas-tax and other tax-funded monies wasted on certain public transportation systems. I certainly support and appreciate public transportation systems in urban areas- where they are cost-effective (for the most part) and heavily used. It is when attempts are made to bring widespread service to rural areas that it becomes a costly, underutilized proposition- which I have a problem with.
So what do I read in the paper this week?

Read more

The Bad Bush Economy…

. . As we approach the holiday season, despite the fact that we continue to pay ever-higher costs for energy of all types, it has been my observation that the economy is indeed much stronger than one might be led to believe. If you listen to the doom and gloom politicians and their comrades in … Read more

Full Circle in Iran?

Protesting at Tehran University Sunday 12/8/07 (H/T Drudge) . This is a rather interesting pic given the slogan on the sign, and the fact that it is IRANIAN students waving it in protest AGAINST their fundamental Islamic overlords. As a citizen of the Granite State, it gives me pause to see our state’s motto hoisted for the world to … Read more

Ted Nugent on “Gun- Free Slaughter Zones”

. As we’ve noted in the past, Ted Nugent points out the obvious fix to the rash of mass shootings here in the US. Once again he takes the lead on this matter. While his most recent newspaper column deals with the mall shooting, we should note that at the Christian Church, the gunman was … Read more

Days of Infamy. What a difference sixty six years makes…

Carrier Shokaku
Planes of second wave ready for takeoff on carrier Shokaku
.
“On the morning of December 7, 1941, that Fleet’s planes bombed all the US military air bases on the island (the biggest was the US Army air base at Hickam Field), and the ships anchored at Pearl, including ‘Battleship Row’. Nearly every plane on the ground was destroyed; only a few fighters got airborne and opposed the attacking planes. Twelve battleships and other ships either were sunk or damaged, 188 aircraft were destroyed, and 2,403 Americans lost their lives. The battleship USS Arizona exploded and sank with a loss of over 1,100 men, nearly half of the American dead.”
The next day, President Roosevelt addressed Congress. [These quotes come directly from the noted speeches as found in Volume Two of the series "This is America My Country", 1952.]
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941- a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
He went on to describe the job at hand:
“As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.”
Roosevelt then rightly predicted,
“Always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.”
In his December 9th radio address to the Nation President Roosevelt said,
.

Read more

Question to Hillary: Where do you stand on the Second Amendment?

A questioner refers to "the specter of the proliferation of guns in our society" and asks Hillary Clinton’s position on the Second Amendment. The video was shot here in Gilford NH at a campaign event December 6th. Her answer is both evasive, and instructive. One must NEVER forget that the words spoken come from a … Read more

Good news for pro-life!

    Even though abortion remains the number one killer of people in Spain, a recent government crackdown helped promote a culture of life. From the Catholic News Agency:  Madrid, Dec 6, 2007 / 11:59 am (CNA).- The Spanish daily “La Razon” highlighted this week the pressure by Catholic groups which forced the closing of … Read more

Education and knowledge of civics

Wooden School Desk

Didn’t get the chance to mention these items that all seemed to speak to a single issue.  The first was a letter by a Laura Grafton from Michigan in USA Today (yesterday).  While it’s message was about lowering the drinking age, I caught this:

* Although the United States grants all the other rights and responsibilities of citizenship to 18- to 20-year-olds, it denies them the right to drink. Should the government have a right to pick and choose citizens’ rights?

This lady just has not been given an adequate educational background.  By definition, a right cannot be either given or taken away by government.  Our Founding Fathers understood that, and created the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that enumerated basic, fundamental set of rights; emanating from God, they are not to be violated or abridged.

Once again, a citizen gets it wrong, confusing rights with privileges.  Free Speech is a right, Freedom of Assembly is a right; Driving is a privilege and so is drinking.  Last I knew, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is rather silent on the issues of either of the two.

Why do I bring up this nit-picking?  This is yet another case of poor civics training; trying to make a case of which is what amongst the general public does not make for good policy understakings.  Not understanding fundamentals of how our society is structured and ordered is a recipe for disaster.  Yet, early to mid-last century, this would not be much of an issue as Civics was taught. 

And we hear from the Dems that all kinds of things are a right – healthcare being the latest  national one in the news and college for all (if one is to believe Edwards) another.  One would have thought that if it were that important, wouldn’t the Founding Fathers have written about both?

And this doesn’t help much either in making me feel that our educational system is working all that well either:

U.S. students do worse in science and math

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. students are lagging behind their peers in other countries in science and math, test results out Tuesday show.

It gets worse…

Read more

Be careful what you wish for…

. I saw this headline yesterday and couldn’t help but laugh: Power Watch Declared for Maine for Second Straight Day Looks like those granolas that wanted the PineTree State nuke-free might be shivering in their beds during these cold nights. According to the story that I found in the Citizen (Laconia, NH), For the second … Read more

“Gotta run- but get the word out- things are turning around and that’s no lie!”

Our friend, Blue Star Mother Sue Peterson sent the following note from her friend with an update directly from the major front in the war via her son, currently serving in Iraq.
.
Writes Sue: "The following is from my friend and mother to Kirk…"
It was exciting to get this message from Kirk and hear some good news from Iraq.  I was pleased to get this photo of Kirk and Geraldo Rivera in the safer streets of Baghdad.
.
If you remember to tune in to 60 Minutes tomorrow evening, Kirk worked behind the scenes to make that possible.  However, he has no control over how the story will told by CBS.
.
Love,
Kelly
.
Geraldo and Kirk Luedeke
And this is Kirk’s message:
All-
.
Hope things are well back in the US.
.
Well, today we’ve officially flipped over another calendar page to December…we’re moving ever slowly toward that redeployment date in spring of ’08.
.
I can’t even begin to tell you how well things are going. This is a complete 180 from where I was in May/June, where we were losing a soldier each day, our base was being mortared and rocketed regularly and life was very depressing around here. Now, violence is down 80% across the district, Al Qaeda Iraq (AQI) is on the run, and journalists like Geraldo Rivera are broadcasting live from a Baghdad street without kevlar helmet and body armor…amazing considering that as recently as August, the very street that is now vibrant with markets, shops and children playing/people out and about was a ghost town with fewer than 5 stores open at any time, and daily IED attacks, sniper engagements and sectarian murder victims dumped on the streets.

Read more

Not a bad Wednesday night

Couch Potato

I had three reasons not to watch the CNN/YouTube GOP Debate last night:

1) The debates aren’t really debates. Debating requires two or more
people to exchange and refute ideas in a dialogue. What we have mostly
been watching are candidates giving sound bites, one after the other,
in front of a crazy backdrop of lights and TV network logos.

2) After seeing all the ridiculous antics in the first YouTube debate,
I was ready for somebody in a Chewbacca suit to ask a question about
the candidates’ positions on gender neutrality.

3) A couple of the candidates aren’t even well-known in their own
districts; they certainly aren’t going to become president. Sorry
Hunter, Gravel.

But I ended up watching it anyways.

Why?

Read more

Putting it in writing, in case law-enforcement continues to do wrong and actually ENFORCES a law…

Democrat illegal immigration plan in MA Did you happen to catch this piece of news about our liberal neighboring state to the south (“Oh Doug, like NH ISN’T liberal these days?”) regarding a change of policy for its state police? Saturday’s Boston Globe has the skinny: A new Massachusetts policy makes it clear that State Troopers should … Read more

Stop the Swine!

  Know that feeling you get when you see a solid chunk of your paycheck missing because its been sent off to some obscure place in a federal district far, far away? You feel like your getting ripped-off by the man, but you convince yourself that its necessary to fund a strong military and protect … Read more

VLog: Rudy the supply sider?

….                  JFK- Cut taxes      Rudy- cut taxes, increase revenues       Reagan- cut taxes                 increased revenues                                                    increased revenues . Having been to see Rudy Giuliani at a handful of campaign events, one thing that really strikes me is how strong a believer he is in the free market and peoples’ ability to make decisions on their own, free … Read more

Q: When was the last time the Supreme Court ruled on a 2nd Amendment case?

pirate gun………..Supreme Court
.
The U.S. supreme court has agreed to hear Heller V. District of Columbia, to determine if the Capital’s 1976 handgun ban is constitutional. This past spring, a lower court ruled 2-1 that the ban is in fact unconstitutional.
.
Both the plaintiff (a security guard) and the defendant (the city) have both filed petitions to have the case heard.
.
Legal experts are predicting that SCOTUS’s ruling on his case will set a strong precedent for any lower court rulings pertaining to the 2nd Amendment across the country. And don’t forget– the last time that SCOTUS has ruled on a 2nd Amendment case was back in 1939.
.

Read more

What?! Laying off government workers to (gasp!) save money? Don’t worry, it’s not happening here in NH…

. On Thanksgiving, we went to visit relatives in my homestate of Rhode Island, and once again, I found myself envious of something happening in the news down there when compared with my adopted every-bluer Granite State. Consider this headline from Boston.com: State workers get layoff notices amid budget cuts Can you believe this? We’re talking about RHODE ISLAND, … Read more

At least he’s consistent. Dope of the Week Award…

money sack..Screwer of taxpayers, Ray Burton..NH DOT workers..paying NH gas tax
.
Why this guy continues to fool the voters as he does is beyond me. As reported in all of the state’s major media outlets at the end of last week, "Republican" Executive Councilor Ray Burton, fresh on the heels of sticking it to motorists with the new toll hikes, now wants to raise the tax on gasoline.
.
In response to the "sudden" shortage of funds at the state’s poster child for totally blind fiscal foresight–the NHDOT, long-range highway plans are being revised, and, naturally, the politicians, led by this long-time faux-Republican, are once again poised to head straight for our wallets…
Executive Councilor Raymond Burton, R-Bath, who heads a committee charged with developing the plan, said unless the gas tax is raised, the state will continue to struggle to keep up with highway needs.
Notice he says nothing about maximizing the value for our dollars. He says nothing about eliminating the rampant waste that is obvious to all who have eyes and can see orange. He says nothing about what the DOT can do to regain the confidence of the hapless motorists here in the state. No, all this consummate big-spending, taxpayers-be-damned oily politician can do is TAKE MORE!!!
.
And don’t think for a moment that Mr. Burton has taken any sort of a new position in light of present circumstances, either (unless you consider that, given the recent bridge collapse, the time is right for a propaganda campaign using the incident as a scare tactic). No, one thing about Ray Burton is that at least he’s consistent. He’s for screwing taxpayers today, as he was yesterday– as he has ALWAYS been. Consider this from the American Society of Civil Engineers website, dated mid-February, 2004:

Read more

Share to...
BufferCopyFlipboardHacker NewsLineLinkedInMastodonMessengerMixPinterestPrintRedditSMSTelegramTumblrVKWhatsAppXing