An Excellent WMUR CloseUp Exchange Between Terie Norelli And Bill O'Brien

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Sun Feb 13, 2011 at 13:47:17 PM EST

WMUR news anchor Josh McElveen always does a good job and usually succeeds at getting to the "core" of an issue.  He has interviewed me a number of times, and I've learned that he's a quick study on issues so you have to be prepared, and you have to try to be pithy in your answers -- otherwise he'll ask the question again, perhaps changing a word or two.  If you don't give a real answer, he'll come back to the same question a little later.  He'll get you, and that's what good reporters do.  

This Sunday he had a ten-minute opening segment with House Speaker Bill O'Brien and Democratic Leader/former Speaker Terie Norelli.  

Put these two side-by-side and the fireworks begin.  You can perceive a mutual respect between them, but while they can maintain their cool when the camera is on them, neither is reluctant to state their points of view or agenda of beliefs.  Too bad more people in politics aren't so frank and direct.  

It was a good lesson in differing personalities -- personal as much as political.  Terie brought up the point that this year, the House hasn't been as "open" and "transparent" as the previous one when she was Speaker, and that despite the talk and bravado at the beginning of his Speakership that he would let citizens see their government at work, O'Brien hasn't been delivering.  

Interestingly, about the "open and transparent" charge that Norelli had leveled, O'Brien said "The people don't care about this...they really don't."  

As Josh McElveen pursued that matter, O'Brien even went further.  "These process issues, Josh, they aren't what concern the people."  Terie Norelli didn't let that comment hang, and she quickly responded, "We are there to do the people's business, not to do whatever we want but to do the people's business."  

All that was a rather quick exchange, but set forth a difference in philosophy that I've observed through the years I've been in the state government.    Republicans seem to be about control over peoples lives, and while they talk a lot about money and openness, they don't mind spending on what they want to, and doing their "governing" as quietly as they can.  Democrats are about getting people involved in their government and using government to help people who need help.  I'm perhaps a bit biased in that observation, but that's the way I've see it time and time again, issue after issue -- choice, equality, education funding, disabilities, senior needs, health care.  And transparency.  

Back to the current and former Speakers:  then they talked about the budget, and the revenue projections that have led to Republicans saying they're going to be cutting long-standing state programs and revenue distributions.  

Terie effectively hit home that "there's a lot of damage that could be done in this budget cycle," and "our most vulnerable citizens will be left without essential services.  It certainly will mean downshifting of costs to local municipalities," and all that means higher property taxes for homeowners and small businesses as state government pushes costs onto cities, towns, and counties.

Speaker O'Brien was left with explaining how his Republicans would be saving residents $30 on their car registrations.  Perhaps he thinks needy people can eat cake, after all.  If we put enough "For Sale" signs on our government buildings and services, perhaps we can cut out all taxes.  Some Republicans would love that.  

Former Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee Mark Fernald, one of my political heroes, summed up the situation very well in commentary in the Keene Sentinel this past week.  "With a projected deficit equal to 12 percent of the general fund budget, will nothing be spared? After mass murder by a mentally-ill man in Tucson, will our Legislature cut funding for community mental health centers? Will it throw children out of daycare centers and take away their health care? Will it cut state aid to schools and municipalities, solving the state's fiscal problem on the backs of property taxpayers? Will state troopers be laid off?"

Back again to Terie Norelli and Bill O'Brien, toward the end of their segment they got into the matter of ordering the Attorney General to sue the federal government in an effort to stop health care for New Hampshire citizens.  O'Brien said, "An unelected, appointed official does not set the policy of the state."  
Terie pointed to the separation of powers issue and that the legislation is "over-reaching," as well as the fact that health care is already helping people, helping businesses through health care tax credits for their employees, and for families with the provisions for preexisting conditions.

I see this issue more about intimidation of the Attorney General's Office rather than actually doing anything.  Even if the Republicans finally realize that their attempt to order the AG to do something is unconstitutional, their effort did intimidate.  Perhaps not Attorney General Michael Delaney, but a future one -- and other state employees right now.  

The Republicans have given a message, as they tried to do with Rep. Michael Brunelle, that those employees and legislators who don't play ball with them will be attacked.  Fortunately for democracy, they've chosen to challenge two Mikes who have had the courage and skill to fight back well, but the intimidation message to others is still clear.

The Norelli-O'Brien exchange went on for only about 10 minutes.  Perhaps next time Josh McElveen will schedule a longer session with them.  I can only assume that the discussion didn't end when the cameras were paused because both the Speaker and the Democratic Leader looked like they were just warming up.   I wonder if the two of them walked out of the station together.