Articles tagged as

Meddling by Government

Sister Mary LaHood – No Talking in Cars

by Steve MacDonald

(Originally posted Oct 11th, 2010 – Seem relevant to re-post this given that NH HB 1117 went to executive session yesterday.) Bloomberg reports that Transportation nanny Ray ‘Sister Mary’ LaHood believes that all cell phone use in motor-vehicles, including hands free, are distracting.  Well, no kidding Mr. Einstein.   Prior to the invention of the cell … Read more

Notable Quotes: Frederic Bastiat – “The Extra-Legal Parasite vs. The Lawful Sponger”

by Steve MacDonald

“…when John Q. Citizen gives a hundred sous to a Government officer and receives nothing for them unless it be annoyances, he might as well give them to a thief.  It is nonsense to say that the Government officer will spend these hundred sous to the great profit of national labor; the thief would do … Read more

Town of Durham Seeks to Inspect Rentals

by Rick Olson

“College is a refuge from hasty judgment.” —Robert Frost

Owning rental property is a daunting endeavor. With ownership comes financial challenges, legal exposure, and responsibilities not traditionally endured with single family home ownership. Add to that facet renting to college students and the task becomes a head-snapping endeavor.

Years ago, I found myself dealing with twelve units of off-campus student housing in Durham New Hampshire. In my experience, I found the cards were stacked against me. The town of Durham has never taken the steps necessary to effectively deal with their rental housing market specifically how it interfaces between the college and the town. Much of what is in place is the knee-jerk reaction of the vocal few.

College students going off to college means this is their first time away from home. They are on their own and not under the wing or the rules of Mommy and Daddy. Living off campus means having, “ones’ own place” and celebrating that first breath of new-found independence. The problem is that independence can manifest it in ways that are not positive.

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Professional Licensure: To Eliminate Or Expand?

by Rick Olson

“None can love freedom but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license, which never hath more scope than under tyrants.” —John Milton

The Union Leaders‘ opposite editorial page give Erica Bickford, a licensed massage therapist from Wolfeboro, ink today not only arguing against House Bill 446, but actually advocating for its’ defeat.

To advocate for licensure on the basis of public health interest is a separate matter from seeking governmental force in protecting an exclusive business interest. Bickford queries, “Would you allow your children to cut your hair?” Actually, there are many people out there cutting hair in kitchens with scissors and clippers purchased at Walmart or Target none of whom have ever enrolled in a 1,500-hour cosmetology or barbering program.  And that has always been the case. Erica then asks, Would you allow an untrained person help you recover from an athletic injury? There are people out there telling others to rest, apply ice, compression and elevation who have never taken a sports medicine class or sat for a licensing exam. Unlicensed mediators currently exist largely as clergy and lay ministers who rarely extract a fee to counsel their parishioners.

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Jeanne Shaheen: “Porking” Those Tax Increases Down Our Throats

by Rick Olson

  “If Thomas Jefferson thought taxation without representation was bad, he should see how it is with representation …” —Rush Limbaugh

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Today’s Union Leader Editorial, entitled, “Free Cops!” points once again to the ills of  having a big-government Democrat like Jeanne Shaheen serving the Granite State in the U.S. Senate. Like her liberal counterpart, former Congressperson Carol Shea-Porter,  Shaheen brings home the bacon … To wit: a $1.4 million federal grant to pay for six new police officers;  Providing four for Manchester and one each for Pelham and Claremont.

Not a new scheme at all. During the Clinton years we see how well it worked here in the Queen city the last time the Federal Nanny doled out money for cops. And as always, there is an end on the horizon for that funding which only segues the bitter fiscal fight also on the horizon.  Police administrators, Union hacks and those in city government with a shameless fealty for tax and spend policies to keep those positions, will seek to have them funded on the backs of local taxpayers. Epic Fail. This latest grant is a mere redux of the same scheme.

Senator Shaheen is the epitome a big-government liberal. She does not respect local government, nor the people who elected her. This is a clear second example of such in just a few short months where Shaheen advocated for the Feds to contract locally with Planned Parenthood in the wake of the Executive Council’s vote not to fund Planned Parenthood services in the Granite State. Now she gives Manchester government a back-handed slap.  

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Socialist Fallacies

by Steve MacDonald

Socialist Fallacies is a book written by Yves Guyot and readily available in the public domain as a pdf.  If you have not read it, I highly recommend it.  Every page (so far) is loaded with observations about socialism that are as relevant today as they were in the early 1900’s.  Guyot relates the problems … Read more

SUPPORTING ABORTION THROUGH ARBITRARY USE OF FEDERAL POWER

by Rick Olson

“The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” ~Margaret Sanger, founder, Planned Parenthood How corrupt is a private organization that will literally stop at nothing to get its own way? Such is the case with Planned Parenthood of New England. When PPNNE failed to prevail on … Read more

New Hampshire Exceptional, Yet Again.

by 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.

WILL LIVING OFF THE GRID BE ILLEGAL SOON?

by Rick Olson

“Doesn’t the fight for survival also justify swindle and theft? In self defence, anything goes.” ~Imelda Marcos USA Today reported back in April 2006, that 180,000 families were living “off the grid” Moreover, USA Today in that same story reported that that rate has jumped to upwards of 33% a year for a decade according … Read more

A Typical Day In Mr. Buckley’s Neighborhood

by Steve MacDonald

These folks have all insisted, in one way or another, that things like unemployment, food stamps, even destruction of public and private property, are good for the economy. So using their metrics, these are things Democrats should not complain about unless they are actually bad for the economy.

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

by 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

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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.

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NH Democrats New Talking Point: Subservience To The Crown

by Steve MacDonald

New Hampshire democrats are exposing their own hypocrisy again. Doesn’t take much, but this time it is over HCR 19 which reaffirms our states sovereign duty to nullify actions by the general government in defense of its residents.

It’s The Christian Thing To Do.

by Steve MacDonald

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson’s remarks, as expressed in a Sunday Union Leader staff editorial, suggest that it is immoral to reduce what the government spends on health and social programs.

As quoted, "When sacrifice is perpetrated on the vulnerable and weak by the strong and prosperous, it is social abuse."

He goes on to include the poor, the disabled, the blind, the unemployed, the impoverished elderly, the uninsured and children living in poverty.

His point (one of them at least) is that by reducing government’s fiscal contribution to bureaucracies established to manage such things, that governor John Lynch and the New Hampshire legislature are considering immoral choices to balance the state budget.

So where do I begin?

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Straight? Republicans Want To Meddle In Your Marriage, Too

by Steve MacDonald

That is the title of Kathy Sullivan’s most recent contribution to the Union Leader. "Straight? Republicans Want To Meddle In Your Marriage, Too."  And I must confess that my initial reaction after trying to wade through her editorial and then through HB 569 to see if she was just making stuff up again was, "what the hell is this bill?"

And then it dawned on me. (or maybe the coffee kicked in.)

The sole purpose of HB 569 is to preserve existing civil unions and Marriages while removing the State almost entirely from the business of marriage altogether.  HB 569 does not dissolve your marriage, it simply (well, not simply) re-defines the state’s role in the decision of any two legally eligible persons to form a domestic contract, with or without a religious ceremony referred to as a marriage.

It’s like a union between "State" and "none of your damn business."

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Guns vs Progressives

by Steve MacDonald

Gun%20Free%20Zone%20Poll.gifAfter 12 more hours the Londonderry News on-line polling percentages tell the same story.  People who vote on polls at the Londonderry news would (so far) overwhelmingly allow their fourth grader into the New Hampshire State House even though it is not a Gun Free Zone.

For those reading this from  police states like Massachusetts, New York or New Jersey…Venezuela, Cuba and so on, you might be asking what the hell am I talking about?  Allow me to review.

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Brunelle’s Road To Damascus Moment?

by Steve MacDonald

Road%20To%20Damascus.jpgAfter four years of defending the democrat budgeting strategy of spend first tax later (during what any democrat worth his donkeys-ass referred to endlessly as the ‘worst recession in history’), NHDP executive director and NH House rep from Manchester Mike Brunelle shows us his new conservative streak.

“No matter who you are, Republican or Democrat, you were elected to work on the economy and jobs. I don’t think the people of Manchester want them to be dealing with these social issues,” said Brunelle. “We need to be focused on the working families in this state. … Anything other than that is beyond frivolous.”

It is all part of their new strategy, as I pointed out here yesterday…

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Breaking The Addiction To Government

by Steve MacDonald

Image: thesassyminx.comThe December New Hampshire labor report, period ending October 2010, is not all that remarkable.  Coos County is still suffering while overall the state is hanging in at 5.4%.  This number is still reflective of issues with the size of the labor force versus mid 2009 numbers.  We have to watch that as we head through the November and December reports into January, where holiday hiring will add to the labor force, and then most likley drop off.

What may have been the most interesting aspect of the new report however, was this paragraph from the first page.

In New Hampshire private industry GDP growth was below that of government. The current dollar change in private industry between 2008 and 2009 was almost non-existent. less than a $1 million dollar difference.  When adjusted for inflation private GDP saw a 1.5% percent decrease.  Government however (this is New Hampshire State Government) saw a 4.6% increase in current dollars.

This is how Democrat-controlled states feign growth. 

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Did Maggie Hassan…Just Take A Step To The Right?

by Steve MacDonald

which%20way.jpgNow that she has so much free time on her hands, former State Senator Maggie Hassan is proudly advocating for her newest hobby, the group No Labels.  This means that Maggie ‘The Red’ Hassan is advocating for moderate debate that is open to all sides with a goal of non-partisan compromise.  I also hear that Michael Vick would like to buy a dog?

I’d sooner trust Vick with the dog.

This is a woman who tried to socialize medicine in-state, legislate away free speech she objects to, advocates for abortion from conception to delivery, and is committed to advance the size, scope, control, and cost of the government.  If she has a middle ground, it is not just left of center, it is far left.  So Hassan advocating No Labels is like Kathy Griffin, or Janeane Garofalo advocating tolerance.

It’s only funny because it is so absurd.

But could Hassan have had an epiphany?  Has her unexpected defeat resulted in a cathartic de-gentrification of her traditional ruling class elitism?   Is it possible that a woman steeped in the progressive super culture could abandon her pro-government/liberal materialism to spend forty days in the desert on a moderate vision quest? Or is this, more likely, just a flanking maneuver.

Maggie ‘The Red’ Hassan is advocating No Labels because she wants to be governor Hassan; think of it as an undocumented progressives worker program or Fascists anonymous–only it’s not about recovery or remission, it is about hiding who you really are from the voters until after you get elected.

But it can only happen if we allow it to. So let us agree not to allow it.

And for those who caught the Rocky Horror Picture Show reference, take a jump of your own and get your reward.

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Carol-Shea….What The?

by Steve MacDonald

Disgraced left wing rube and soon-to-be former Pelosi-Party Representative to New Hampshire Carol SEIU-Porter hit the pages of this mornings Union Leader like fingernails on a chalkboard.  But it is a familiar sound.  In fact I believe she has just plagiarized her own 2006 campaign web site.  We’ve got irresponsible spending, two wars we could not afford, I’m just itching to play the song ‘Reminiscing’ by the Little River Band while I read it.

Carol, of course had nothing to do with any of that.  Since 2006 when democrats took over the budget writing arm of government the wars ended, the deficit went away, and the middle class has prospered like never before in human history.  We are less divided, more united, more respected internationally, revered for our diplomatic acumen, and commitment as a leader in business…

…Wait a minute.  That’s not what happened.

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If There’s Grass On The Field Play Ball

by Steve MacDonald

We could call most Democrats a contradiction wrapped in an enigma but to be honest there is nothing enigmatic about them. They are just a contradiction. And while we could give them some small credit for not always understanding their own contradictions, acting as they often do solely on feelings and impulse, when they have their own newspaper and use it to propagandize the subscriber-ship with bovine bloviations, we can offer only pity.

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