Having heard from Kevin Smith and Josh Youseff, it was time to listen to the Conservatives running for the NH House from Belknap 5 – the Towns of Meredith and Gilford (given that Barbara Aichinger, who had opened her home for this event, lives in Gilford). First up is Colette Worsman, running for her second term in the NH House. A past selectman in Meredith, she has been a tireless worker for conservative values and fiscally frugal budgets. A small biz co-owner, she knows full well the heartache of a meddling govt that believes it is making it easier but only makes it harder for these owners to be able to serve their customers.
Next on the list of Contested Primaries night at the monthly Belknap County Republicans was that of the NH State Senate. Two races touch Belknap County – District 6 and District 7. The former, centered in Farmington, is being contested by Sam Cataldo (long term NH House Rep) and Dick Green (former State Senator & Mayor of Rochester).
Did I mention that Dick Green, as told to me, was a member of the infamous “Republicans for Lynch” (er, that would be current DEMOCRAT NH Gov. John Lynch)? A kindred spirit with Ray Burton (that ossified dinosaur). Yes, that is a”Conservative” outlook – really?
For the cost of our educational system at the K-12 levels, our results are deplorable. No Child Left Behind was an attempt to “fix” that with uneven results (and unions screaming that they should not be judged or evaluated by their pupils results). Now, Fed. Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan, with his Race To the Top, is trying to institute an even more Top Down Federalization of education by “hijacking” what is known as the Common Core Standards with “awards” (or is that handcuffs?) of Federal money. Is this something that NH should be in, or should local control be preeminent?
Question 5: What is your opinion of the Common Core Standards that the Federal Govt is suggesting as a national curriculum?
To recap: five of the questions asked of the Candidates at the Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum were contributed before and during the event by the actual attendees with the lone exception of the last Question by Stella Scamman, the moderator. The Candidates answering were:
“NO SHOWS”: Incumbents Congressmen Frank “Stiffing the SRW at the last moment” Guinta and Charlie “It’s not worth my time” Bass.
Much has been made of the annual debt (now all of the years of Obama’s Presidency have had $1 Trillion deficits) and the debt, but little on how to pay that $16 Trillion debt (which soars to over $130 Trillion if you count unfunded future liabilities) – Question 4: How will you work to reduce the debt limit?
Going from the top race and proceeding “down ticket” at the event is that of the NH Executive Council and two candidates showed up for that: long time (in the tooth) politician and holder of the seat, Ray Burton) and Jerry Thibodeau who believes that he can overcome this ossified dinosaur and Master of the Patronage handshake (in my opinion) and change the name of the District 1 Executive Council seat back “to the people” (yeah, I’m biased – and have no problem in admitting it – I say what most other won’t DARE to about Burton). Especially with this:
These were not asked as a member of the New Media. Rather, they were submitted because I am a Member of the NH GOP State Committee:
To Ray Burton and Jerry Thibodeau (Executive Council, District 1):
Does it hurt the Republican “brand”, in your opinion, when an elected Republican official publicly endorses a Democrat in a race where there are Republicans running?
As in Ray Burton endorsing a Democrat up North? Like Dick Green (in running for NH State Senate now, who was a member of “Republicans for Lynch)”?
Why does Ray Burton get a pass from other Republicans – and why does Leadership do nothing as the Public looks on (often, with the mantra on their lips “There’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties”) instead of cleaning up and cleaning house? Sheesh….
Continuing on with Conservative Candidates in Belknap County (NH) that were asked to speak at Barbara Aichinger’s home on Lake Winnipesaukee was Jerry Thibodeau. He is running to oust that ossified dinosaur Ray Burton (an elected Republican official who has no problem in endorsing a Democrat where other Republicans were running). Here, he addresses those assembled:
In light of the Aurora / Batman shootings, and more recently, the Sikh Temple shootings, much time in the political class is being spent on gun control vs bearing arms. There are those that would wish that all individuals would posses, train, and carry weapons and there are those, especially of the Left or pacifists groups, would prefer that no one had any firearms except the Government. It is almost always a question at a Republican event.
Question 3: Would you support a change in the Second Amendment – why or why not?
Last nite, Liberty and Freedom activist Barbara Aichinger and her husband Ed opened their home to a number of Candidates that are Conservative as well as championing legislation and actions that protect and enhance Individual Liberty and Freedom. They are willing to downsize the size and reach of Government, feeling that Government should be the … Read more
Another speaker at Barbara Aichinger’s Conservative Candidate Night in Gilford last night was Josh Youseff. He is running for the NH GOP nomination for the new NH Senate District 7 and we did an interview series with Josh Youseff a while ago (click here for the last in the series; it links backwards to all of the other questions) and have expectations of doing the promised follow up soon.
This is Josh both giving his stump speech and answer questions from the attendees (including your’s truly):
Another question from the audience related to that big bug-a-boo from the Maker / Productive class (as opposed to the Taker / Moocher / Socialist class) – taxes? They see it as unfair that some are forced to pull the entire weight of the cost of government for all, and that it is used for behaviorial modification according to ideological grounds (instead of just evenly distributing the cost of a limited govt across all beneficiaries of that limited govt).
Question 2: Should the Federal tax code be reformed and if so, how?
Travel 500 miles and what do you get? NH folks who are willing to talk with you. Earlier, it was Bill O’Brien, Speaker of the NH House that attended a couple of the workshops that the Americans for Prosperity Foundation had at its Defending the American Dream Summit 2012. This time, it was two activists, Diane Bitter and Alan Glassman who were on the hot seat and helping me out was fellow Grokster Don Ewing.
Funny thing; both Don and I are Members of the NH GOP State Committee yet ended up grilling Diane (Rye Republican Chair, an NH GOP area Vice-Chair, and Assistant Secretary, and is a much beloved and respected activist in the TEA Party / 9-12 Project / Liberty & Freedom movement) and Alan (Barnstead-Alton Republican Committee, Belknap County Republican Committee, and also an NH GOP Area Vice-Chair) on a number of topics including one that was prescient for what came up at this week’s Belknap County Republican meeting – NH GOP Leadership unwilling to maintain Party discipline when elected Republicans “stain the brand”.
Two issues that have been at the forefront of the present Legislative session were pension reform (where NH has among the highest per capita public pension costs in the nation going forward) and perhaps unsustainable, and whether or not having the State of New Hampshire would participate in Obamacare via setting up a health insurance exchange and that huge cost upon NH citizens vs the resurgence of States’ sovereign Rights.
Question 11: Pension reform for NH Public Sector Unions?
Question 12: Obamacare – insurance exchanges. Outlook on the use of the 10th Amendment / States Rights?
This winds up our interview series with Jane Cormier (running for the NH House in Belknap 8 – Alton, Barnstead, and Gilmanton) against Peter Bolster (one of the worst RINOs in the NH House, IMHO, who boasts of being a Democrat who changed registration to Republican just to vote against the Republican Platform on many, many occasions).
Question 13: Expansion of Medicaid in NH as a result of Obamacare: take the money?
Question 14: What is your outlook on Founders version of the definition of “protect”?
Last night, the ‘Grok had been invited to cover the Congressional Forum sponsored by the Seacoast Republican Women – a well respected non-partisan (with respect to the Republican Party events) organization whose events are usually open and well attended as their execution in having an event is normally flawless. The event, held at the most beautiful Elks Lodge I have ever been in (on an inlet in Portsmouth, NH), had six four Candidate attendees:
NH First Congressional District – Rick Parent, Vern Clough
Incumbent Congressman Charlie Bass – who declared “I am not coming; it would be a waste of my time”
The videos of the Opening Ceremonies and Candidate Opening Remarks after the jump. There were six questions asked of the Candidates – they will be in subsequent posts.
The questions for the four Candidates at the Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum were contributed before and during the event duration by the actual attendees with the lone exception of the last Question by Stella Scamman, the moderator. The Candidates in attendance were: NH First Congressional District – Rick Parent, Vern Clough NH Second Congressional … Read more
Well, it has been a wee bit of time since the last post of our interview series with Jane Cormier (running for the NH House in Belknap 8 – Alton, Barnstead, and Gilmanton) as we spent half of last week / weekend in Washington DC at the Americans for Prosperity’s Defending the American Dream event. Thus, time to ramp it up again and finish up.
Question 9: can the NH Budget be further trimmed? How much if yes?
Question 10: Right To Know – For or Against?
Also after the jump, it turns out that Jane was also in DC for the AFP event (I did not know that she was going), so when she strolled by in Radio Row, I invited her to sit.
#7 Are Government and Society interchangeable terms? #8 Should they be?
Continuing on with our questions for with Jane Cormier (running for the NH House in Belknap 8 – Alton, Barnstead, and Gilmanton), we wanted to know which should be the driving force in the land: Government or Society? Are they two different entities? If not, should they be looked upon as such? Jane did answer the question but we split the answer into the Federal level and then at the State level:
Question 7: Proper Role of Government-Progressive conflate Govt & Society; Conservatives split them. Your outlook?
Question 8: Same as Q7, but bring it to down from the Federal level to the State of NH.
Govt vs Society: Difference? Ditto, for State level?
We always try to spend “a little time with GraniteGrok” and with Andy Sanborn (running for reelection to the NH Senate in District 9), we came to the realization that we had spent a lot more time than just a little. So, we decided to end our interrogation interview with him with this last question.
Question 8:
What things have you accomplished since our first interview last cycle? Not get done?
We did all agree that we needed to come back and yak with Andy strictly on some issues rather than on the concentration on how the State does what it does – but it is nice to know that SOMEBODY has this in their head that not only do Legislators create laws for the rest of us but also how the “back of the house” (as Andy the restauranteur would put it) is doing as well. After all, they ARE supposed to be serving us, the citizens.
Question #7: Adversarial relationship between State agencies vs ordinary folks?
To fix a perceived problem (which Questions 5 & 6 brought up), you have to know all about the problem – or at least the biggest and most influential parts of the problem. In discussing State Agencies, we wanted to know if there was a sense of “us vs them”, if State Agencies had drifted into a condition of reversing the proper role of government serving the people and morphing into one of “we will ensure that YOU follow OUR rules”.
Question 7:
Adversarial relationship between State agencies vs ordinary folks?
# 5: Where on the Political Spectrum are you? #6: Proper Role of Government – Your outlook?
Labels, while not always completely describing who what is in politics, can generally give others a good idea of where one stands on the issues. For instance, Democrats generally spend more and are more liberal than Republicans, who trend to greater fiscal frugality and more conservative social issues. However, there are exceptions to the rules (like Zell Miller, who was a Blue Dog Democrat for years, being more fiscally tighter than most of his Democrat contemporaries)
On the other side of the aisle, there are also Progressive / Big Government Republicans that vote more in line with Democrat philosophies and, in the case of some, use the “R” next to their name as a cover. A GREAT example of this is current NH State Rep Peter Bolster who calls himself a Republican but his voting record screams “I AM REALLY A DEMOCRAT!!” and has admitted to such to some. (think I’m wrong? Do a search just on GraniteGrok and review the times he shown up voting AGAINST the Republican Platform!)
Fortunately, Jane Cormier is running against this “RINO to the max” in the primary in Belknap District 8 (Alton, Barnstead, Gilmanton).
Question 5: Where are you on the Political Spectrum (from Jim DeMint on the Right and Carol Shea-Porter on the extreme Left)?
Question 6: Should politicians be held accountable to their Platform?
Political Spectrum? Adherence to Party Philosophy / Platform?
