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Posts by Richard Olson Jr.

VICE-PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ‘CRACKED-HEAD CLUB’

Biden to Representative Giffords. “Now we’re both members of the Cracked Head Club.. You know, I had two craniotomies. For real…”~Vice President Joseph Biden   While many are expressing shock about Vice-President Biden’s recent comment to Rep Gabrielle Giffords now being a member of the “Cracked Head Club” I am one who is not shocked. … Read more

Executive Council’s Defunding of Planned Parenthood Is Sinister

“The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” ~Margaret Sanger, founder, Planned Parenthood

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Kate Lancor, former Moultonborough welfare director decries the Executive council’s recent vote to defund Planned Parenthood. In her Union Leader Opposite Editorial entitled, Women need the services Planned Parenthood provides, Ms. Lancor characterizes the council vote as, “A pathetic lack of creative thinking in this [sic]country’s elected bodies that even allow such choices to be made.”

While giving readers a thumbnail history of Planned Parenthood and extolling its “community virtues,” Lancor admonishes, “Don’t politicize this, and make it an abortion issue, but rather a health care issue for millions of needy women. Buried underneath the portrayal of Planned Parenthood by lobbyists and politicians as trained abortionists lies years of providing family-planning education and much-needed affordable healthcare to millions of women and men.” 

Lancor nails the talking points flawlessly in stating that, “Planned Parenthood provides contraceptives; breast, cervical and testicular cancer screenings; pregnancy testing and counseling; testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases; comprehensive sexuality education, menopause treatments; vasectomies, tubal ligations and abortion.”  Kate Lancor paints us a picture of a multi-faceted, healthcare-focused organization that is invaluable to communities.  Now who could possibly argue with that? Indeed, Ms. Lancor makes the case for its virtues. Ms. Lancor however overlooks the many problems with Planned Parenthood as an organization. So I’ll take them up where Ms. Lancor has conveniently left off.

Planned Parenthood is a corrupt organization. Despite repeated requests, Planned Parenthood will not open its books. Planned Parenthood spent more than $1 Million dollars in the 2010 election cycle supporting their candidates.

Planned Parenthood has provided services to men characterized as traffickers in the sex trade. Planned Parenthood has been the defendant in lawsuits charging the organization covered up the rapes of under-aged girls. Finally, numerous media reports detail clinics that overbilled by millions.

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Tin-Eared Bureaucrats

“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.” ~Laurence J. Peter

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Barbara Seebart, New Hampshire State Refugee Coordinator didn’t appear to grasp Mayor Ted Gatsas’ assertions that the City of Manchester is not prepared to absorb another 300 refugees. The Board of Mayor and Alderman voted in favor of a moratorium this month given the city’s current financial situation.

Seebart, told the mayor she would pass along his concerns to the hacks in Washington DC, but then ended her response to Gatsas with this little gem: “I look forward to our continued collaboration in assuring refugees are successfully resettled in Manchester.”  As reported in today’s edition of the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Gatsas promptly responded to Seebart asserting, “I continue to question how success is measured with regards to resettlement by both yourself and the International Institute of New Hampshire; to date that question has yet to be sufficiently answered.”

 On July 7, the Union Leader reported that Seebart expressed concerns about scarce case management after refugees have been in the Queen city 6-9 months, as well as concerns with the economy and potential welfare law changes. Yet her above statement seems to indicate a tin ear.

On July 10 International Institute of New England Board Chairman William Gillett, in the Union Leader argued against a moratorium stating, “To suggest that refugees resettling in Manchester “are going to suffer because there are not enough resources for them” ignores completely the conditions and lives that the refugees have fled…” Gillett further arrogantly opines, “Any lack of adequate resources is a failure of will, not a failure of ability.” Another tin ear.

The city has cut back on many services; The city has laid off workers; and, the tax payers are facing another tax increase.  Gillett’s organization is not shy about spending the tax payers dollars, either. Gillett points out that, “A significant amount of federal money flows in to Manchester to support refugee resettlement. These funds target refugee employment assistance, health care, English language and citizenship classes and, specifically, the educational needs of refugee children in the Manchester schools.  organization…” What he wants us to believe is that such federal funds are sufficient to do all that he says they are intended to do. Not true. And Gillet’s own organization’s report reflects that where IINH states, “

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RINO OF THE WEEK REPORT

“Remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have.” ~Barry Goldwater This week’s installment of RINO of the week bring us an example of a real Dinosaur. This RINO has been around for way too long, ruining the Republican platform since 1988. … Read more

Florida Adopts Drug Testing For Recipients Of Public Assistance

“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

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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.

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Just What We Need…Another RINO In The Race

“We also have a program in place for low income people. A family of four making $26,000 a year can receive medical coverage, irrespective of citizenship or what documents.” ~ Former New York Governor George Pataki Former New York Governor George Pataki was on with Jack Heath’s New Hampshire Today Show  107.7 WTPL-FM to talk some … Read more

The Insufferable Charlie Bass

“At this point, everything is on the table, … All possible offset options remain open, including reconsidering highway projects sought by members in the transportation bill.”~Congressman Charlie Bass RINOism. Congressman Charlie Bass has demonstrated once again that he is the epitome of all things RINO. Bass, the Granite State’s most notable blue-blooded, Rockefellerian has once … Read more

Your Tax Dollars Hard At Work!

“It is a general popular error to suppose the loudest complainers for the public to be the most anxious for its welfare.” ~Edmund Burke And when older people are yelling, “Don’t cut my Social Security!” Do you think they know about this community in Tacoma Washington? SO here you have it….Obama pimping the old people to keep … Read more

Evil Landlords Who Pick On Tenants

“I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a ‘learning experience.’ Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I’ve done as a ‘learning experience.’ It makes me feel less stupid.“ -P.J. O’Rourke

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I was at a housing office today dropping off some “required paperwork.” As I sat waiting to review the issues that brought me there, I was forced to listen to a couple of young women talk about how they were going to hire attorneys and, “get their landlords.” Their complaints ran the gamut of being forced to get rid of pets (they were not supposed to have in the first place)… to the landlord’s refusal to repair a door broken by a boyfriend during a quarrel. Those Landlord bastards! The nerve of them! how dare they?

It is such conversations that so amuse me. For certain, being a landlord is a difficult endeavor. Take Manchvegas, for example where the city mandates Certificate Of Compliance Inspections (COC); A process that takes place every three years for those of us ‘evil bastards‘ who own multi-family residential housing. This can be an annoying process. One year’s COC inspection I was informed of a requirement to upgrade smoke detectors to the AC type with DC battery back-up. The current smoke detectors were already hard-wired so this wasn’t a difficult task. However, upon reviewing the building code, I found myself needing to call the building department for clarification. I was unable to find that specific reference. I was subsequently told the requirement had not been adopted yet.  Guess it didn’t matter, though. I had already spent the 500 bucks to purchase the AC/DC smoke detector units and install them. For me this was an object lesson in (a) waiting for the post-inspection report to arrive in the mail, and (b) verifying the very issues cited in the report.

Window screens are yet another challenge. I mean, how stupid is that? Window Screens? But, a COC inspection cannot pass muster without the proper window screens in place. I always ensure window screens are in place for COC so that is not an issue. But, despite that, there are often tenants who are fundamentally challenged by the mere existence of window screens. They break them, lose them or destroy them. After I’ve replaced a couple and receive yet another request to do so, I demand the screen-challenged tenant “pony up” 22 dollars for an entire frame and screen replacement and 12 dollars for a screen replacement. The tenant gives me a bunch of indignant static. “It wasn’t on purpose!” he or she exclaims… Standing my ground and insisting, the tenant calls the building department to report my, “refusal to replace a missing window screen.”  The building department subsequently issues a “violation of the COC:” “failure to have the window screens in place.”  A landlord keeping proper track of expenses will quickly conclude that spending $700 per year on window screens is excessive and unreasonable.

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William Jasmin The Beer Hunter

“He uses statistics like a drunk uses lamp-posts, more for support than illumination…” ~Romano Prodi

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 “(Attorney B.J. Branch) acknowledged that Jasmin had been drinking on the day of the accident but said he had only consumed one 16-ounce Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and was at or below the legal limit for intoxication. He added that because of Jasmin’s serious blood loss, the blood alcohol test may not have been accurate.” -Concord Monitor, 7/20/11

 If one reads attorney Branch’s comment to the monitor at face value, you might just have the initial reaction that I had: “I think this attorney is full of crap.” The comment on its face suggests that Jasmin’s blood alcohol concentration cannot be effectively measured because he had experienced significant blood loss immediately after his fall.

Blood Alcohol Concentration measured is always the current and existing level in the blood at the time of a serological draw. BAC refers to the percent of alcohol in a person’s blood stream. For example, a BAC of .10% means that the individual’s blood supply contains one part alcohol for every 1000 parts blood.  That is the alcohol concentration existing in the blood stream at the proximal time of the draw. If a person consumed another several alcoholic beverages only minutes prior to the draw, that alcohol content has a higher probability of not being reflected in a test.

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William Jasmin: A Man Without A Hunting License

“Lawyers spend a great deal of their time shoveling smoke.”  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.”

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In my previous entry about a “Hunter” who was seriously injured when a tree stand that he climbed into collapsed, causing him to fall, there was a presumption that the “Hunter” was lawfully engaged in the activity of hunting upon the land of Charles Corliss. That is not the case. WILLIAM JASMIN HAD NO LICENSE TO HUNT.

On Wednesday, July 13, I went to the New Hampshire Fish & Game Licensing Division and filled out the form, N.H. FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT INFORMATION REQUEST .  “The information requested was not found” was how the form was returned.

This morning’s, Concord Monitor featured a story entitled, “Hunter falls from tree, sues property owner” where in that story Jasmin’s attorney B.J. Branch admits that  Jasmin was drinking the day of the accident and he tells the monitor, “[w]as at or below the legal limit for intoxication. He added that because of Jasmin’s serious blood loss, the blood alcohol test may not have been accurate…”

But all of that aside, other questions arise. For example, N.H. RSA 635:2 (Criminal Trespass) states in part, “A person is guilty of criminal trespass if, knowing that he is not licensed or privileged to do so, he enters or remains in any place…”

RSA 214:1(License Required) states in part, “No person, except as hereinafter provided, shall at any time fish, hunt, trap, shoot, pursue, take or kill…[w]ild animals in this state, without first procuring a proper and valid license to do so, and then only in accordance with the terms of such license and subject to all the provisions of this title…”

When Jasmin, through his attorney filed his writ, he asserted, “On or about November 17, 2009, William Jasmin sustained serious injuries while hunting on property owned by the defendant…” Jasmin, through his attorney, made a “sworn statement that he was “hunting.”

 RSA 207:36-a (Use of Tree Stands) states in part, “No person shall erect, build or use a tree stand… [o]n land of another person that damages or destroys a tree by inserting into the tree any metallic, ceramic, or other object used as part of a ladder or observation deck, without express written permission from the property owner or designee...” Jasmin asserts he had an “invite” to use the tree stand. Chuck Corliss states he hasn’t hunted in 40 years and was not aware of the tree stand’s presence.  I believe Chuck Corliss and if the court does, then Jasmin violated yet another law. If a person hunting happens upon a tree stand and climbs into the stand…and branches have been cut, and then a Conservation Officer thereafter happens along, the C.O. is going to ask for the persons “written permission” to have a tree stand where limbs have been removed. Having no permission, a citation is inevitable.

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The Magic Green Hat

The other day I needed to go to the emergency room.  Not wanting to sit there for 4 hours, I put on my  MAGIC GREEN HAT.  When I went into the E.R., I noticed that 3/4 of the people got up and left. I guess they decided that they weren’t that sick after all.  Cut … Read more

RINO OF THE WEEK REPORT

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

The RINO of the week is three term House Representative David H. Kidder.  Representative Kidder’s voting record reveals a rank statist who consistently supports governmental intrusion into the lives of Granite State citizens. Like The previous RINO’s Alida Millham and Ken Gould,  Representative Kidder is an enthusiatic advocate of nanny-statism. A common theme of these RINOs is the propensity to wage war on the traditional in-tact family unit. Often referred to as “Rockefeller Republicans”,   David Kidder was ranked by the New Hampshire House Republican Alliance with a whopping score of 42%. Clearly, this is a demonstrated fealty to liberal-progressive principles.

  • Voted against HB 125 a law that would support the right of the Granite State to regulate firearms within its sovereign borders as a state;

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  •  Voted against HB210, commonly referred to as, “Stand Your Ground” Which, “allows a person who is in any place where he or she has a right to be or reasonably believed he or she had a right to be to use deadly force to protect oneself.”
  •  Did Not vote on HB474 (2/15/11)Which would end Labor Union’s ability to compel non-union workers from paying agency fees as a condition of employment;
  •  Voted against CACR 9 affirming that parental rights are a natural right; “Provides that parents have the natural right to control the health, education, and welfare of their children.”
  •  Voted against HB519  A bill repealing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative…a a cap-and-trade system that has raised electricity prices, created a slush fund for the member states, and has no impact on reducing emissions. So Kidder voted for a tax expansion and big government spending.
  •  Voted against HB329 The parental notification bill;
  •  Voted against HB147, the, “Kimberly Cates” Bill which expands the death penalty to murders committed during home invasions and burglaries.
  •  Voted against HB519  A bill repealing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative…a a cap-and-trade system that has raised electricity prices, created a slush fund for the member states, and has no impact on reducing emissions. So Kidder voted for a tax expansion and big government spending.

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When It Comes to the Second Amendment, Guiliani’s The Man!

“I love New York City; I’ve got a gun.”~Charles Barkley

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As I often do in the morning, I settled in with a hot cup of Joe to read today’s edition of the New Hampshire Union Leader. Turning to page A3, Dan Tuohy’s headline read, “Giuliani takes stand on firearms rights“. Now, given Mayor Guiliani’s high public profile and his history on the second Amendment, I just had to read this story before anything else. I mean, why pass up a chance to be amused first thing in the morning? This might even be funnier than one of Raymond Buckley’s quotes.

Manchester Harley-Davidson dealership owner Steve Talarico introduced Mayor Guiliani, wanting to  “help clear the air” of any misconceptions about the former New York Mayor’s record on gun issues. “The mayor seems to be probably one of the most misinterpreted politicians on the Second Amendment,” Talarico tells his audience. Really Steve? Damn! sorry about that…Guess the Mayor really is a gun guy when he told the St. Louis Post in December of 1993, “…a uniform licensing system with real teeth in it, and a period where you’d have to demonstrate your capability of using a gun, and then every two years you’d have to go back and once again show that you’re stable, your healthy, you’re able to handle a gun and you know what to do with it…”Now, that doesn’t much resemble a gun control measure, does it? how ignorant of me.

Or how about this little gem as recently as February 2007 while making an appearance on Larry King Live? King asks, “Favor Gun Control? Favor Brady?” Guiliani responds, “For Handguns, And I did…” Silly me, I took that to mean Rudy told Larry King that he supported the Brady Bill. I must have been in doofus-mode that day.

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SB 88 VETO: More Of The Same Lies, Pandering and Demagoguery

“The sure foundations of the state are laid in knowledge, not in ignorance; and every sneer at education, at culture, at book learning, which is the recorded wisdom of the experience of mankind, is the demagogue’s sneer at intelligent liberty, inviting national degeneracy and ruin.”~George William Curtis, Author, Social Reformer (1824-1896)
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Governor John Lynch vetoed Senate Bill 88 yesterday, once again affirming allegiance to yet another unelected, unaccountable constituency: The New Hampshire Police Chiefs Association.  Despite thirty-one states adopting “stand your ground” laws and eliminating such duties to retreat, Lynch takes his counsel from those who think of themselves as smarter, wiser and more intuitive than the very people they were hired to serve.

As I pointed out in earlier blogs, back in 2006, I went on  TV-50 in Derry and debated then N.H. Association of Police Chiefs‘ President, Nathaniel “Chip” Sawyer on this issue. I also pointed out that it wasn’t much of a debate and Chief Sawyer didn’t put up much of a spirited counter-argument because he didn’t have to. He already had Lynch’s fidelity and the veto was already a done deal.

When she was Attorney General, Senator Kelly Ayotte urged Lynch to veto the Castle Doctrine Bill in 2006 (SB318) Yet, when she became a candidate for U.S. Senate, she quickly flip-flopped on the issue.  In 2006, SB 318 passed with arguable bi-partisan support in the house and it was Ayotte and her cronies that decried the bills’ passage with red-herring-esque”, arguments that somehow, “the use of deadly force on street corners, in shopping malls, public parks, and in retail stores. Drug dealers and other felons who brandish weapons will be further emboldened to use their weapons, while prosecution of those criminals will be made more difficult because of this bill’s expansion of the right to use deadly force.” That has not happened in the other thirty-one states who have passed the measure. As I recall, one assistant AG characterized the, “streets running red with blood,” if the bill became law.

Standing ones ground and owing no duty to retreat is not a new doctrine. There is a considerable body of case law addressing this very question. In Beard v. U.S. (1895) that a man who was, “[W]here he had the right to be” when he came under attack and “…did not provoke the assault, and had at the time reasonable grounds to believe, and in good faith believed, that the deceased intended to take his life, or do him great bodily harm…was not obliged to retreat, nor to consider whether he could safely retreat, but was entitled to stand his ground.”

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RINO OF THE WEEK REPORT

“Remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have.” ~Barry Goldwater The RINO of the week is six term House Representative Alida Millham.  This week features a Republican whose voting record shows consistent patronage to social statism, advocacy of nanny-state meddling in … Read more

New Hampshire’s Hunting Tradition Under Attack From Within

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“Every unfortunate event does not give rise to lawsuit.” ~Judge Mills Lane

 Hunting is a time-honored tradition in New Hampshire. Interwoven into that tradition is a significant part of New Hampshire’s economy, relationships with landowners and other hunters.  Unfortunately, hunting has now come under attack from within…in this case, by a hunter.

On April 8, 2011 William Jasmin of Manchester filed a lawsuit in the Hillsborough Superior Court alleging that Charles A Corliss of Epsom, (the land owner) was negligent in that Corliss allegedly gave his consent to Jasmin to use a tree stand situated on the property, but then failed to warn Jasmin that the tree stand was defective. Jasmin subsequently fell and serious injuries followed. Jasmin now sues Corliss, the landowner to recover for his injuries.

New Hampshire RSA 212:34 limits the liability of a person entering onto another’s land and states the owner owes no duty (author’s emphasis) of care to keep such premises safe for entry or use by others for hunting…[o]r to give any warning of hazardous conditions, uses of, structures, or activities on such premises to persons entering for such purposes, except as provided in paragraph III hereof…”(click the link above and read the full text of the law).

Since 1961, the legislative intent has been to shield landowners from liability when they open their land and make it available for public for use. Now, as with other things in life, lawyers tread upon our ground, seeking to pierce the shield of protection for the pursuit of the almight buck and the advocacy of those amongst us who make poor choices. 

In addition to RSA 212:34, RSA 508:14 asserts, “[w]ho without charge permits any person to use land for recreational purposes or as a spectator of recreational activity, shall not be liable for personal injury or property damage in the absence of intentionally caused injury or damage…” It is clear that the legislature was duplicitous and intended to protect landowners from liability when people engaged in inherently risky activities.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the “slip and fall-smith” hired by Mr Jasmin didn’t include some allegation that Mr Jasmin was charged….a “fee.” The pleadings assert that “specific consideration” was asked for by Mr. Corliss in that he asked Jasmin to, “shoot as many Coyotes as he could..” Consideration? Seriously? I’ll be watching to see how the court wrangles with that, should this somehow make it past Summary Judgment.

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The Class Warfare Of Blue Hampshire

Caitlin fails to do an effective case study on wealth and liberalism while she waves a finger at Bill O’Brien because if she looked hard enough around the Granite State she would see the utter rank hypocrisy of leftists and their verbal articulation of progressive policies, while pursuing within their own personal lives a hard-core capitalist modus operandi that would make even Milton Friedman blush.

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