The latest from Congressman Hodes

Hodes gave a rousing speech (4.00 / 3)

...that electrified the national convention. It was packed with friends of many years and colleagues from around the country. I was proud to have them get an opportunity to meet him and hear his passion for justice and equality.

It is such a great time to be from NH!

"If you are going to be in politics, you have to be a soldier in the battlefield."

                    Hubert H. Humphrey

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by: Ray Buckley @ Mon Aug 02, 2010 at 23:02:47 PM CDT

Absolutely... (4.00 / 3)

...and a good thing that we passed gay marriage in New Hampshire in 2009, and overcame all opposition to do so -- becoming the 5th and most recent state to do so!  Supported by most House and Senate Democrats, and opposed by most House and Senate Republicans, by the way.

Gooooooo Paul!

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 02:42:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Marriages are not "passed." (4.00 / 1)

They are not created by legislation -- no more than children are legal creatures.  We used to call some illegitimate because they were not recognized and recorded in the public/church records by their paternal progenitors, but that didn't make them or break them.
What the legislature passed was a directive to our agents of government that all adults applying for recognition of their personal commitments are to be treated the same and, because we value couples over singles, extended the same material benefits.

Couples are actually being accorded special preferences, not because of who they are, but because individuals looking after each other as a personal commitment is socially beneficial behavior.  So, we reward it.  Couples, oddly enough, are more self-sufficient, from a societal perspective, than singles.

That fifty-one percent of American adults are now categorized as single is not a good omen.  It's also clear evidence that the effort to protect and promote marriage hasn't worked.

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by: hannah @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 03:25:16 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

he supports a strong defense (4.00 / 1)

so do I...its a dangerous world Susan. Go to the Middle East or Africa, Mexico today or central Europe a decade ago for that matter...we may not be perfect but there are a lot of folks much worse off, and there are those that would see us destroyed. For better or for worse we have to survive through the struggle to improve.

"Freedom ain't nothing if it ain't free" -Kris Kristofferson

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by: JonnyBBad @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 08:04:16 AM CDT

remind me of that (0.00 / 0)

when they're using it as an excuse to gut Social Security.

Democracy cannot be administered at gunpoint.  

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by: susanthe @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 08:41:46 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

gut ? (0.00 / 0)

if we raise the income level that is taxed and the retirement age, people with more will pay more, and since people are working and living longer than they did over 70 years ago, adjust the actuarials...not a gutting a new more rational system , fitting new realities.

"Freedom ain't nothing if it ain't free" -Kris Kristofferson

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by: JonnyBBad @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 09:23:04 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

the best thing to do (4.00 / 3)

for Social Security is eliminate the income caps. If millionaires and billionaires were paying in based on their whole income, there would be no need for the cuts you're advocating. And make no mistake, what you're advocating is cutting.

I would enjoy hearing you speak to people who have worked at hard  manual labor jobs their whole lives - like steelworkers, and explain to them how they can work until they're 70, even though their bodies are giving out.

And speaking of reality, people over the age of 50 who are unemployed in this economy are unlikely to ever find work again. Keeping them off Social Security till age 70 is a brilliant plan.

Bring back the Poorhouses!  

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by: susanthe @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 09:34:27 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

you remind me of a joke (0.00 / 0)

with apologies

a table of older Jewish women are eating lunch at a Manhattan restaurant...the waiter comes up to check on them and says,
"excuse me ladies, is anything ok?"

"Freedom ain't nothing if it ain't free" -Kris Kristofferson

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by: JonnyBBad @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 10:03:19 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

well, we're even (4.00 / 1)

on that score, Jon. You remind me of a joke, too.  

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by: susanthe @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 10:28:28 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Be careful.. (0.00 / 0)

...you're beginning to sound like me :-)

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by: Tully Fitzsimmons @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 11:04:03 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

can't say i agree (0.00 / 0)

with you, Thom, when you want to dismantle Social Security - but let me say that i heard you recently had a GREAT wedding!!

So congratulations and best wishes on this happy event from your neighbor down the road in Westmoreland.  

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by: pberch @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 11:15:57 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

The wedding ROCKED!!! (0.00 / 0)

An incredibly eclectic, wonderful group of folks...I dont remembefr much after midnight (!) but it all continued the next morning with those who collapsed here at the house!

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by: Tully Fitzsimmons @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 13:43:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Not significantly true (4.00 / 1)

The life expectancy of a sixty-year-old today is only a year or two longer than it was when Social Security was implemented. The reason life expectancy overall has increased is largely due to a dramatic drop in the number of young deaths. Simply removing the cap on Social Security taxable earnings would fund the system for at least seventy years. There is no need to make, say, a coal miner have to try to wring five more years out of his body to reach retirement.

Only the left protects anyone's rights.

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by: RealNRH @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 11:45:31 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Have you looked at the actuarial life tables? (0.00 / 0)

The latest tables from 2006 show that a 65 year old male will live 17 more years (on average) and a female will live 19.7 more years. http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/STATS/...

In 1940 a 65 year old male would live 12 more years and a 65 year old female 14 more years. http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/NOTES/...

More people also survive to 65 now then 70 years ago.

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by: Putney Swope @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 22:07:52 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

What about the quality of those years? (4.00 / 1)

Folks are living longer, but what sort of life are they living those extra years?  Are those 5 additional 'good' years that they could spend working?  Or are the averages skewed from the increase in folks that live 5, 10, even 20 or more frail years?  

And regardless of what the average is, there is huge individual variation.  At the least, the SSDI program would have to be expanded, to fill the gap for folks whose bodies are worn out well before 65, much less 70.

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by: Karen @ Wed Aug 04, 2010 at 14:57:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

First, they have to reach age 65 (0.00 / 0)

There is a racial divide on life expectancy.Approximately 69% of black males make it to age 65 vs over 81% of white males. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/n...

It's a round, round world - Stan Freberg

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by: NHFlatlander @ Wed Aug 04, 2010 at 16:44:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sat. Aug 14 (4.00 / 2)

come hear Congressman Hodes and our two candidates vying to replace him...Mary Fagan music too! Vegan and Barbeque

Special guest Larry Lessig to speak on money in politics, post Citizen's United ruling.

2:30 pm at the home of Steve Gorin and Cyndy Moniz, 4 Abby RD. Canterbury...$25 or $20 with a dish to share. Help elect Merrimack County Democrats...

"Freedom ain't nothing if it ain't free" -Kris Kristofferson

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by: JonnyBBad @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 08:08:42 AM CDT

Woohoo! End DOMA! n/t (4.00 / 4)

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by: Vis Unita Fortior @ Tue Aug 03, 2010 at 10:51:19 AM CDT