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Nanny State and Busybodies

Tolls rise today. DOT Commissioner promises change– no silly, not at the tolls!


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..pumping gas..
Paying for mistakes made…
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I just can’t shake this story from my concern radar. Every time I get calm about the notion that even here in NH– a state that I used to view as a last bastion of doing things "the right way"–we no longer have the ability to fix our problems any other way but to take more money from the citizenry, along comes something to get me riled up again. Such is the ongoing fiscal fiasco that is the NH DOT. Every few days another story pops up that ends up making me feel like I’ve been had– or, more appropriately, had my nose rubbed in it. The companion story to that of the toll-increases and desire to raise the gas tax to enable the DOT to maintain business as usual (wasteful, outdated methods, union mentality) is the ongoing hazardous waste dumping saga that finds them both perpetrator AND investigator.
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You might recall the story as reported in this prior post: Back in June, it was revealed that the NH DOT bridge repair crew has been illegally dumping hazardous materials on state land and jobsites since the early Eighties. Acting DOT Commissioner Charles O’Leary said then that decades-long practice was due to that department’s "culture"— calling their actions "stupid and lazy." And you shouldn’t forget that the DOT paid a "fine" to the state of NH of over 300 thousand dollars, which is a real "punishment" (not!) considering the dough comes from taxpaying citizens who had nothing to do with the crime. Friday’s Citizen (Laconia, NH) contained an update on the progress on this front, so far:
To date, O’Leary testified the department has spent $230,000 to clean and investigate the two sites, one on Range Road and one on Route 127 called the Bailey Bridge facility, with $109,000 in direct fines to the DES Hazardous Waste Cleanup fund, $34,720 on a site in Ashland where lead paint chips were removed from a bridge, and $45,000 on two other sites, one of which is in Stratford where O’Leary believes much of the waste originally thought to be in Franklin is now located.

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Attention Wal-Mart shoppers…

Wal-Mart
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In recent years, I have come to appreciate and admire the marvel of American logistics and ingenuity that is Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, others don’t see it in the same light. In a number of posts stretching back over the past year and more, I have written quite a bit about the ongoing campaign against Wal-Mart by labor unions and their friends in the Democratic Party . In a posting from last November, I reported:
The Democratic war against Wal Mart moves on. With the socialist-leaning party in power, one wonders if the assault on the premier American retailer/ logistics giant will intensify and begin to cause the company real damage.
As I said in this one,
Wal-Mart represents the latest target in the left’s war on successful American businesses.
Last October, I discussed the vehicle chosen by those joining in the assault: the WakeUpWalMart campaign. At the time, I was writing about the NEA teacher’s union’s joining with that group as they attacked Wal-Mart. As found on their website, one sees the union roots of the effort:

Participation in the campaign, which is organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), the AFL-CIO union with primary jurisdiction for employees of retail stores, was approved by the NEA Executive Committee in May 2005 and endorsed by the 2005 Representative Assembly in July 2005.

Of course, just because those on the outside looking in say something is bad, it turns out, sometimes, when you consult people actually having firsthand information, the real story turns out to be quite different. In this post about a group comprised of Wal-Mart employees (Working Families for Wal-Mart), I pointed out:

I know several people that work for Wal Mart, and they genuinely like their jobs. Nobody forces anybody to work there.

Followed by this:

Nobody forces anyone to shop there. Imagine that- willing employees serving willing customers- What a concept!

Indeed. Did you know that Wal-Mart, under constant attack by those who always claim to be for "the little guy," saves the average American family who willingly patronizes them more than $2,500 per year? And now, for those willing customers, there’s a way to get involved and help defend the company that provides such a level of satisfaction: Wal-Mart New England’s Customer Action Network (CAN).

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… and a good time was had by all. Republican Machine Gun Shoot

My kid shot something similar to this Sunday at the shoot– M1A1 Thompson Submachine Gun with 30 Round Magazine. . You know the routine when it comes to the typical Republican party fundraisers. Buy a ticket for some thirty bucks or so. Go to a picnic or a dinner of some sort, oftentimes with food of questionable … Read more

As usual, guess who will pay? Yep. You’re right. Us.

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The big news here in NH this week was the revelation that the state’s highway fund is short on dollars, causing a rollback of expectations and plans for major road construction projects in the Granite State. Reported the Citizen (Laconia, NH) this week:
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.
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Projects need to be eliminated, he said, including widening a section of Interstate 93 between Manchester and Londonderry.
And why is it we’re short on highway construction monies? I thought that the point of the taxes we pay at the pump was for this? As you might have guessed, the excuses sound like the standard fare offered up by government mouthpieces as they lay the groundwork for raising taxes. "It was my predecessor’s fault." And, the usual drying up of "federal dollars" once again rears its head. Again from the Citizen,
O’Leary said federal highway aid will drop 30 percent starting in fiscal 2009. The drop is compounded by a 45 percent increase in costs over the past three years due to inflation. Federal highway dollars also have been diverted to turnpike projects, which should rely on tolls for construction and expansion.
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"Someone should have turned the lights out long ago" on new turnpike construction, not backed by adequate toll revenue to pay for it, he said.
Give Mr. O’Leary credit for publicizing a problem that has been a long time in the making. The prior DOT head spent much of the final time in her tenure denying problems existed, until it was too late, blaming much on the antiquated methods and technologies used by the department. I recall reading someplace that the NH DOT was akin to stepping back in time to the 1950’s. Using fifty year old procedures is certainly no way to run a multimillion dollar enterprise, public or private.
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While I can appreciate Mr. O’Leary’s explanation, I think he left out a few of the other contributing causes…
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Raging Hormones

UPDATE: Thanks to Karen, here’s the original text of my letter sent to Gov. Lynch: “Have you people completely lost your minds? Parents have to fill out a permission slip for their children to go on a field trip, take prescription drugs at school, or board a bus other than their regular one, and you … Read more

Want Fries With That?

What does New Hampshire want? Efficient transportation. What did the New Hampshire House deliver? A study on trans fats. More information at: NHelection.info

Wards of the state

What does New Hampshire want? Effective, flexible education policy. What did the New Hampshire House deliver? Mandatory school attendance until age 18. More information at: NHelection.info This bill has a House hearing on 4/18/2007 at 10am!Contact your legislators.

Why didn’t Bush think of this?

A husband and wife "appearing" together is only news if it’s Bonnie & Clyde, Charles & Diana, or Bill & Hillary. Such is the life of crooks & royal elitists. Who else could cause the AP to offer up a headline that reads "Clintons make rare appearance together"? Call me old-fashioned, but it just flies in the … Read more

Children of the state.

I started this post with the assumption, based on the absence of any news articles, that the NH Catholic Diocese, of which I am a member, had given up on any attempts at stopping the repeal of NH’s parental notification law. Further investigation revealed I was wrong, the Diocese has, in fact taken a stand and issued a letter stating its position. Good for them. A letter from the Bishop in this past Sunday’s bulletin might have been helpful, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
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As a believer in parental rights when it comes to children, the passage of NH HB 184, the repeal of the right of parental notification prior to a minor girl receiving an abortion, is something that must not happen. Call or email your state senators and representatives today. The clock is ticking.
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This is the letter from the Diocese:
Hon. David E. Cote, Chairman
Judiciary Committee
New Hampshire House of Representatives
Room 208—Legislative Office Building
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
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Dear Representative Cote and Members of the Committee:
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As Chancellor of the Diocese of Manchester and on behalf of Bishop John B. McCormack, I am writing to express our opposition to HB 184.  The Parental Notification Prior to Abortion Act recognizes the fundamental and constitutionally-protected role of parents in caring for their children and should not be repealed.
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The Catholic Church vigorously promotes the dignity and sanctity of both human life and the family as essential elements of human society.  The Diocese of Manchester strongly supported enactment of the Parental Notification Prior to Abortion Act.  Indeed, when its constitutionality was questioned before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the United States Supreme Court, the Diocese of Manchester, along with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged the Courts to uphold the law.
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Diocesan support is rooted firmly in the natural law that when any significant issue confronts a family member, the family should come together to resolve it.  A pregnant minor will benefit from parental involvement as she faces a life-altering decision that involves not only her unborn child, but also her own physical health and emotional well-being.  Parents have an equally fundamental interest in the welfare of their children as well as a right and a responsibility to care for them.

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