Legislation Archives - Page 6 of 8

Obama’s Keep Americans From Having Jobs Act

September 26, 2018September 20, 2011 Steve MacDonald

I was torn on the title. "Obama’s Tax American Job Creators Act" almost got the gig. But while this is a massive tax on job creators, one provision in particular won the day when it comes to keeping people unemployed, something you might think counter-productive in a Jobs bill.

Investors Business Daily Explains…

How do you get jittery businesses to hire? Threaten to sue them if they hire someone who already has a job! At least, that’s how the White House thinks. It stuffed in a provision to make it illegal to "discriminate" against the unemployed when hiring.

So the beautiful people in Obamaville are making it a crime if you do not hire someone who is not currently employed. And this intimidation is supposed to incentivize them into hiring workers?

Pass The American Jobs Act Now!!!

September 26, 2018September 14, 2011 Steve MacDonald

Congressman Louis Gohmert (R-TX) took care of business. He has filed the American Jobs Act, HR2911. it is anorexic by Democrat standards, weighing in at an awe inspiring two pages. And all it does is repeal the corporate income tax.

HOUSE JOINS SENATE, OVERRIDES SENATE BILL 88 VETO

September 26, 2018September 14, 2011 Rick Olson

“A moment’s reflection shows that Liberalism is entirely negative. It is not a formative force, but always and only a disintegrating force.” —Francis Parker Yockey

Armed%20Senior.JPG

The House voted today to override the Governors’ veto of Senate Bill 88 on the heels of the Senate voting to override last week. The vote was 251 to 111. It should be important to note that the Governor and his faithful went into overdrive to build support for sustaining the veto, to include a walking tour of Lincoln street area of Manchester in the vicinity of Hayward and Somerville Streets. It was there where Attorney General stated, “And we will be providing drug dealers and street gangsters with a new right to respond using more violence in public places…”

At the Governor’s press conference the morning before the house leaders’ press conference, Chief Robert Wharem, President of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, told WMUR, “Senate Bill 88 is one of the most dangerous bills we’ve had come before us in our time…” while he had roughly a dozen other police chiefs gathered around him, seeming to imply he speaks for all New Hampshire Chiefs. The difference here is many likely opted to stay home and not politicize this bill, remaining within the confines of their sworn oaths.

At the end of the day, none of their Charlatanry, pandering or demagoguing held any political water, resulting in the veto override which now means the bill is law. Now SB 88 is law. The streets will not run red with blood and responsible, law-abiding citizens will not be prosecuted for lawfully defending themselves against violent attacks.

But to be expected, whenever there is a gun crime it will be certain that the critics of the bill will point to this law as a manifestation of that crime, ignoring the fact that criminals with guns will still commit crimes. They did so before this law and will continue to do so even after this law.

This law protects law-abiding citizens, not Criminals. On the coattails of Senate Bill 88’s passage we will likely hear be hearing next from the Brady Bunch about the enormous social costs of gun violence. Guy Smith, Author of Gun Facts, has undertaken a most complete compilation of data. Here are just a few examples:

Myth: The social cost of gun violence is enormous

Fact: Because guns are used an estimated 2.5 million times per year to prevent crimes, the cost savings in personal losses, police work, and court and prison expenses vastly outweighs the cost of criminal gun violence and gun accidents. The net savings, under a worst-case scenario, is about $3.5 billion a year.257

New Hampshire Exceptional, Yet Again.

September 26, 2018September 7, 2011 Steve MacDonald

Stopping the spending and the out of control growth was and is exactly what you need and want from your US congress, but cannot yet achieve with a Democrat Senate and a Democrat President. And you will never get it as long as the left controls any those parts of your Federal government.

VETO OVERRIDDEN: SENATE BILL 88 NOW GOES TO THE HOUSE!

September 26, 2018September 7, 2011 Rick Olson

“Self-defense is the clearest of all laws, and for this reason: lawyers didn’t make it” ~Douglas William Jerrold

Despite the efforts of Governor Lynch, his Attorney General and a hand full of unelected Police Chiefs around the state, The New Hampshire Senate voted this afternoon to self%20defense%20femaile.jpg
override the Governor’s veto on a vote of 17 to 7. The Bill now goes to the House where it will become law upon concurrence with the Senate Veto override.

During his walking parade through some of the meaner streets of Manchester, several demagoguery cards were used falsely implying SB 88’s becoming law would empower gang members…Which I find rather bizarre since Local Law Enforcement here will tell you we don’t have a significant gang problem.

During his many rants, Governor Lynch challenged the need for this law, claiming supporters of the SB88, “have not been able to identify a single case in New Hampshire where someone has been wrongly prosecuted for using deadly force to protect themselves or others. In fact, current law puts the burden on the state to disprove beyond reasonable doubt claims of self-defense.”

Well Thanks to Attorney Penny Dean of Concord, who provided reference and source materials, the challenge is accepted….

STATE V. JOSEPH BROWN
Superior Court, Carroll County No. 05-S-358

Joseph Gleason, an over six-foot tall and 200-pound burley fellow with a criminal record for violence, pursued Brown off of a highway, characterized as a fit of “road rage.” The five-foot, four-inch 140-pound Brown (with no prior criminal record) now found himself trapped at a traffic light behind other vehicles, with no route of escape from Gleason, as the 280-pound Gleason exited his vehicle and began screaming, yelling, swearing and pounding on Brown’s vehicle punching on the windows of Brown’s Buick.

With no way to escape, and fearing for his safety, Joseph Brown produced a handgun, merely showing it, but never pointing it at Gleason. Brown was subsequently arrested, charged and forced to stand trial. After considerable legal expense the case was noll prosequied.

During Joseph Brown’s arrest, N.H. State Trooper Beth Keyes asserted, “Your right to self defense is your right to call 911…”.

STATE V. PHILLIP TUFANO
Superior Court, Merrimack County 2008

Tufano of Londonderry was charged with threatening Paul DeFilippo with a handgun in August of 2008 following a road rage incident on Route 93. Tufano charged after he held up his “still-holstered” gun in an effort to diffuse the situation when DeFilippo ran him off the roadway, causing him to fear for his life.

The First Circuit Videotape Opinion and House BIll 145

September 26, 2018August 31, 2011 Rick Olson

“In the Halls of Justice the only justice is in the halls.” ~Lenny Bruce

On one October 2007 evening, Boston attorney Simon Glik, was walking past Boston Common where Boston police officers John Cunniffe, Peter Savalis and Jerome Brewster were effecting an arrest. Hearing a nearby person state, “Stop! You’re hurting him!” Glik began video recording the incident from approximately ten feet away, using his cell phone. Shortly thereafter, Glik was arrested and his cell phone confiscated.

Charged with violation of the Massachusetts wiretap statute(Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 272, § 99(C)(1)), In February, 2008, the Boston Municipal Court summarily disposed of the wiretap charge, noting, “the fact that the officers were unhappy they were being recorded during an arrest . . . does not make a lawful exercise of a First Amendment right a crime.”

Glik filed a civil rights action against the officers and the City of Boston in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts when his internal affairs complaints were ignored. Summarily, The People’s Republik moved to dismiss Glik’s complaint asserting that his allegations failed to adequately support his claims and that officers were entitled to qualified immunity “because it is not well-settled that he had a constitutional right to record the officers.” The court denied the motion and the commonwealth’s interlocutory appeal followed in which they did not prevail.

In its opinion, the court stated, “Gathering information about government officials in a form that can readily be disseminated to others serves a cardinal First Amendment interest in protecting and promoting ‘the free discussion of governmental affairs.’” And the court ruled “a citizen’s right to film government officials, including law enforcement officers, in the discharge of their duties in a public place is a basic, vital, and well-established liberty safeguarded by the First Amendment…”

In the wake of this opinion are the countless arrests in the Granite State for the very same activities, as detailed numerous times in the New Hampshire Union Leader. The one incident that comes to mind is a Sheriff’s Deputy attempting to thwart Representative Gary Hopper from video-recording in the Legislative Office building back in 2010. Finally, House Bill 145 , presently languishes in the Senate and has met with a great deal of resistance from Law Enforcement.

Police are concerned that the bill fails to protect both their privacy and that of the public they serve. Privacy? What privacy? they are Public servants subject to the accountability to that same public they serve!

RINO OF THE WEEK REPORT

June 8, 2018August 19, 2011 Rick Olson

“Remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have.” ~Barry Goldwater

A common theme heard from whiney liberals these days is that conservatives, tea-party patriots and some Republicans take absolute positions on issues and are unwilling to compromise, “for the good of the people.” There are four fundamental flaws in that logic.

First, how liberals define compromise. In final analysis, compromise means abandoning ones principles and going along with liberals, perhaps watering down some measure that renders the original principle sought after inoperable.

Second, the logic implies that the maker of the statement (the liberal) is irrefutably correct. The liberal implies all facts are on his or her side.

Third, liberals just love those who go along because that means the opposition is malleable. The opposition has weak links in their unity and party platform.

Finally, it implies a tacit acknowledgement by the “compromiser” that perhaps the liberal, “is correct” in his or her logic.

There is nothing wrong with spirited and sometimes bitter partisanship. The citizens governed should have clear unambiguous choices. Voting for most Republicans means one favors less government intrusion, reasonable and lower taxes, whereby the majority is not paying for the select few to live off the many. One favors a government that is both responsible socially, and looks to people, not government as a first resort to solve problems.

The RINO REPORT has featured those Republicans in Name Only who have distinguished themselves as the harlots of the left. Those who run on principles claiming to be an, “independent voice” in Concord without ever being held accountable to say, what that really means. Those folks could easily be on a Leftist-progressive ticket and fellow Republicans would never really know the difference, mush less miss them.

As the RINO report moves forward, ROTW now segues into a considerably more ambiguous analysis. For example, This weeks RINO REPORT took a hard look at Rep. Lawrence B. “KOKO” Perkins, Rockingham 14 to be featured. When one drills down into his voting record, however, it is easy to see that Perkins voted predominantly with Conservatives on Guns, Liberty and Families. While he took a walk on Right to work and voted for spending measures that favor Unions over regular working class folks, being a firefighter gave us no illusions about what he would or would not support. Morover, he gave the PFFNH cover. Their campaign contributions to Perkins allows Davind Lang and his ilk to say they are, “non-partisan” when in fact, they overwhelmingly support Democrats. And that is… when he showed up. While he might have voted on issues important to me, the fact is he still voted for Unions. Does it make him a RINO? Readers must judge that for themselves.

545 People Are Responsible For The Mess, But They Unite In A Common Con

September 26, 2018August 3, 2011 Rick Olson

“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.”~Plato, Ancient Greek Philosopher

Charley Reese retired July 29, 2001. Who was Charley Reese? He was a columnist, serving 30 of those years at the Orlando Sentinel. Characterized best by his plainspoken manner and conservative views, he was with the Sentinel from 1971–2001, serving as a writer and other such editorial capacities. King Features Syndicate distributed Charley’s column, which published up to three times a week.

On February 3, 1984 Charley originally published the column below. This column additionally republished as his final column. Rightfully so and despite being 27 years removed from its orignal publish date, it is no less relevant.

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

Florida Adopts Drug Testing For Recipients Of Public Assistance

September 26, 2018July 28, 2011 Rick Olson

“One of the consequences of such notions as “entitlements” is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.”~Thomas Sowell

Florida is the first state to pass a law requiring those receiving state benefits to submit to drug testing. Florida Governor Rick Scott told CNN that the law was passed to provide personal accountability of those who would receive public assistance. Governor Scott believes that taxpayers should not be subsidizing the illegal drug use of those who are on the public dole. Under this law, those seeking to receive aid would be responsible to bear the up-front cost for drug testing, but the law provides for reimbursement.

And as predictably as could be anticipated, the rank-and-file liberal establishment lined right up to fight and advocate for status quo unaccountability. The perjuring impeached former Federal Judge and current State Representative Alcee Hastings made a whole bunch of noise about this bill being, “downright unconstitutional.” There is somebody we should listen to.

The ACLU does what it usually does and filed a suit to block the law. Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida told CNN, “What (the Governor) is doing is giving ugly legitimacy to an unfortunate stereotype that has been in this country for a couple of decades – that all welfare recipients are a bunch of drug abusers,” pure demagoguery…But okay…let us look at what Howie confabulates.

It is a fair statement to say that not all people on welfare use illegal drugs. Fact is, we don’t really know how many people on welfare use drugs. Nobody wants to talk about it for obvious political reasons. However, lets take a look at what the National Poverty Center says about drug use:

“Citing (April 2004) estimates of the extent of substance abuse among welfare recipients, the authors suggest that policymakers and analysts have likely overstated the contribution of substance dependence to welfare receipt. The authors note that while substance use, abuse, and dependence are barriers to self-sufficiency, so are poor education, lack of transportation, physical and mental health problems, and other difficulties that are more common than substance dependence among welfare recipients. The authors stress the need for comprehensive services to address the multiple barriers faced by the most disadvantaged welfare recipients.”

NPC steers clear of making any concrete determination by simply directing attention away from drug use, to the whole host of other problems endemic in the welfare community. Their underlying thesis is to modestly acknowledge drug use but redirect the focus away from it and advocate for a more broader expansion on services. In other words, “Taxpayers, don’t ask us for details, you simply must pay more…”

The NPC has a graphic on their website that would suggest only 21% of welfare recipients use illegal drugs. Lets accept that at face value for the sake of discussion. In the Granite state roughly 53,000 households or 112,000 people use food stamps. That is roughly 1% of the total state population. According to the Henry Kaiser Family foundation, New Hampshire’s per capita food stamp benefit is $121.21. That is $13,575,520. So according to the National poverty center, the Granite State pays a public benefit in the amount of $2,850,859 to people who use illegal drugs. And with our liberal friends that is just aye-okay.

The Little Governor Who Couldn’t

September 26, 2018July 15, 2011 Steve MacDonald

Those were some funny tating brownies Governor Lynch, in a fit of impotence and self contradiction, has confused his role as the states chief executive, as reported in a Union Leader column today by Tom Fahey.

In regard to the passage into law of New Hampshire HB 601 and SB 148, Governor Lynch remarked on one hand that…

He allowed the bill (HB 601) to become law, he said, “because I did not want New Hampshire to default into federal oversight.”

and then claimed that…

…SB 148 has no practical effect on New Hampshire residents because there is no way to enforce it.

“ The assessments for not obtaining health insurance will not be administered through the state but through the Internal Revenue Service. Legislators and the public should understand that this legislation would have no impact on the capacity of the state of New Hampshire to block the individual health insurance mandate or the federal assessments for not obtaining insurance,” he said.

HB 601 (in short-hand) prohibits accepting pump-priming federal dollars for Obama Care–which must be returned to lower the federal deficit) and gives the NH legislature oversight of all state agencies on the matter before any part of it can be implemented. SB 148 simply states that we will not enforce any purchase mandate fine or imprisonment related to the Health Care law.

As a matter of semantics Lynch is not wrong to suggest that if the IRS barges in and arrests us for failing to comply that no state agency is interposed to prevent that. But that is exactly the point of SB 148. It deems to interpose the law enforcing branch of the New Hampshire government–the executive and his Attorney General–between (in this case) the IRS and the people on the matter of the Patient affordable care act. SB 148 draws a line over which our chief executive is meant to stand in defense of his state and it’s people. The same line, by the way, that he draws (at least rhetorically) with regard to HB601.

So according to Lynch, while he does not want to default to federal oversight, the IRS can just reach over the Governors office and snatch whomever they please.

How Much Is Enough? (And Other Problems With Left Wing Policy)

September 26, 2018June 27, 2011 Steve MacDonald

How much Is Enough Why can’t democrats trust their own constituents to do the right thing? Their first response to every problem is to institutionalize it with more government, typically as far up the legislative food chain as possible. That means as far away from you as they can manage, even to the point of giving control to unelected bureaucrats you can’t punish, just to keep you from messing with it. They entrench it in a bureaucracy, make it impossibly inefficient and expensive and then refuse to let anyone touch it ever again, while charging you more and more to maintain it.

The only reason I can think of for that kind of knee jerk behavior is that Democrats use themselves as the template for the rest of us. The left by their very nature must be selfish, insecure, inconsiderate and un-trusting. Only people so un-giving of themselves or simply incapable of volunteering their time and energy would have to mandate volunteerism and "giving" by legalizing the taking of other peoples time or property through mandates.

Lynch Veto of Parental Notification Overriden! (and other good news)

September 26, 2018June 22, 2011
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The New Hampshire House and Senate have just overridden New Hampshire Governor John Lynches veto of the parental notification bill

Terie ‘Billion Dollar Deficit’ Norelli Does Not Like The NH Budget

September 26, 2018June 21, 2011

I can’t imagine why disgraced former NH house Speaker Terie “Billion Dollar Deficit” Norelli would like the latest State Budget. It lacks all the qualities she advanced as the most math challenged speaker in State history.

Assault Weapons: A Serious Problem in America?

September 26, 2018June 14, 2011 Rick Olson

“The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.” – Thucydides

HR 6257 Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2008 was introduced by Republican Mark Kirk of Illinois, and co-sponsored by Republicans, (defeated)Mike Castle of Delaware, Mike Ferguson of New Jersey, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida and Chris Shays of Connecticut. The Bill was introduced on June 12, 2008 and never became law, having been stalled in subcommittee. In January, Republican Senator Dick Lugar said he supports a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

These Republicans suck. Mark Kirk is a liberal, not to mention a demagogue and panderer. But coming from Illinois not much else is to be expected. Mike Castle of Delaware, also a liberal, was defeated by Christine O’Donnell in the primary. The bearded Marxist Chris Coons went on to beat O’Donnell which is not surprising, given Delaware “Kool-Aid-drinking” constituency. Mike Ferguson was a typical New Jersey anti-gunner who chose not to run for office again in 2008. Thank goodness. The dependable, but squishy Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, notorious for her associations with the “arts and croissants” crowd. and finally, RINO Chris Shays of Connecticut who got crushed in 2008. Two out of five left standing…

According to Kool-Aid drinking Senator Diane Feinstein’s brochure, an Assault Weapon is, All semi-automatic assault pistols and rifles with detachable magazines and 2 or more “assault” characteristics, (my emphasis added) as well as semiautomatic shotguns with 2 or more such ‘characteristics‘…” “Characteristics…”

char·ac·ter·is·tic /?kær?kt??r?st?k/ [kar-ik-tuh-ris-tik]

–adjective

1. Also, char·ac·ter·is·ti·cal. pertaining to, constituting, or indicating the character or peculiar quality of a person or thing; typical; distinctive: Red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn.

–noun

2. a distinguishing feature or quality: Generosity is his chief characteristic.

Who makes this stuff up? Rarely is there ever a name attached to such a falsehood. But, if I have to lay odds it came out of Bloomberg’s camp or from the Brady Bunch. In that vein, the contemporary liars, shrills and demagogues are more dependable than a quarterly IRS Tax bill.

What is an Assault Weapon? The rational and logical answer is nothing. There is no such thing. The term is a concoction of charlatans, the brainless colloquy bantered about by liberals and gun-banners as a pejorative mischaracterization on those firearms of a compact, utilitarian nature, originally derived from Military use. These so-called “assault weapons” available for sale in gun shops around the nation, generally do not differ in functionality from traditional hunting rifles. What sets these rifles apart are their mere appearance…or their characteristics.

The definition for Assault Rifle, however, is a, “Light and compact selective-fire automatic rifle firing a cartridge of such power that it can deliver effective fire to a range of about 500 metres, but at the same time will permit the weapon to be fired in the automatic mode from the shoulder,” according to the Greenhill Military Small Arms Databook.

Vulnerable Teenage Girls

May 22, 2022June 6, 2011 Steve MacDonald

The Nashua Telegraph, in reprinting (as a guest editorial) the left wing blathering of the Concord Monitor, has just reassured sexual predators who want to abuse young girls in the state of New Hampshire, that their secret is probably safe.

Another Whack at RGGI

May 16, 2019May 31, 2011 Steve MacDonald

..what I find particularity perverse is that “Republican” Senators in New Hampshire could be tying themselves to the Massachusetts compromise as the tipping point at which staying in RGGI would then no longer make sense.

Is Pregnancy Still John Lynches “Exception” To Parental Notification?

September 26, 2018May 26, 2011 Steve MacDonald

Given the facts ‘on the ground’ will pregnancy continue to be the “exception” to parental notification in John Lynches New Hampshire or have parents earned the right to have a voice in what happens to their underage daughters?

How long will it take me to punch holes into your legislation?

September 26, 2018May 16, 2011 Skip

People are going to do- well, what people are going to do. And that is a huge problem for those in Government – they think that they have every thing sewn up into a neat package with pages and pages and pages of legislation. Then some regular Joe out in the Heartland or some egghead … Read more

Is The Teenage Mother’s Life Really at Risk?

May 20, 2022May 13, 2011 Steve MacDonald

In the 20th century, deaths from complications of pregnancy have dropped from 850 per 100,000 pregnancies in 1900 all the way down to 7.5. That’s quite impressive. What has to annoy liberals is that most of that improvement occurred by 1982 and without unlimited access to “life saving abortions,” and without the state or federal pro-abortion democrats hindering parental consent before they were performed on minors.

LIBERALS AND FISCAL DENIABILITY

September 26, 2018April 30, 2011 Rick Olson

Since the beginning of the year, countless editorials and opposite editorial pages across the Granite State have been one large veritable whine-fest…A seemingly never-ending weeping and gnashing of teeth over cuts in various line items of the state budget. Hand-in-hand with all the pissing and moaning, is the rank demagoguing of New Hampshire House Republicans for the choices they are making. If Liberals are good at nothing else, they are certainly adept at blaming everything bad on Republicans, even after it was they who made the mess.

Noticeably absent from all of this cacophony, noise, caterwauling and fit-pitching is any reasonable alternative or meaningful way to fund all these sacred cash cows that each their loyal patrons willingly advocate for keeping and maintaining. It is as if there is no budget shortfall or structural deficits realized. Call it fiscal deniability.

“Those evil Republicans! They are cutting (“insert esteemed cash cow here”).

And, in predictable fashion, the noisy screeching of the liberal magpies checker the ambience with demagoguery and finger-wagging, replete with the requisite vitriol of class warfare. Like sculptured nails on a chalk board, the tax-and spend liberals still offer no reasonable suggestions even when they run out of steam. We would be remiss to overlook the much-heard faux straw man charges like, “Republicans hate children,” or, “Republicans are stealing from the working class.”

A week ago Friday the esteemed fishwrapper, The Concord Monitor weighed in with an editorial admonishing its’ readers that, Killing ‘car tax’ will make things worse. When House Republicans sought to repeal the motor vehicle registration surcharge, The editorial