Anti-Kindergarten Bill Loses by "Kind of a Large Margin"

Some "Sense" After All (4.00 / 2)

Excellent.  That's a good indication that perhaps other anti-people efforts like repealing marriage equality will also meet with failure.  

Democrats have led the way on kindergarten.  Paul McEachern was the first to propose kindergarten in all New Hampshire schools when he was Democratic Gubernatorial nominee in 1986 and 1988, and Jeanne Shaheen continued the cause when she became Governor.  

But Republicans joined the effort too -- so it's good to see that some of the current crop of GOPers understand that its an excllent investment in our youth.  

Investing in our kids is worth the extra cup of coffee a year that we could buy by not paying for kindergarten.

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 12:28:52 PM UTC

your last point about the GOVERNOR's involvement is crucial (4.00 / 3)

I have been asking folks to call the Governor to use his bully pulpit to weigh in on the absurdity of the action of O'Brien and his gang of marauders. The evidence of his influence is clear Dean. The problem with the Governor's position on issues of import....it means we will expand the death penalty, send a constitutional amendment to the voters to undermine the funding of public education and of course his latest, the bipartisan flat funding of education bill with Lynch joining Stiles and Rausch to leave the funding at $3450 and cutting dollars to poorer communities. Fasten your seatbelts our 4 term Governor who dreams in Republican colors, will do little early, veto too late and aid and abet the conservative wish list that fits his own support for revenge-see death penalty and tax inequity. But that doesn't mean that we should not put pressure on him to do the right thing and then let him be responsible for the disappointments to follow.  

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by: political chowder @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 12:45:15 PM UTC

I am sorry Chowder (4.00 / 3)

But that doesn't mean that we should not put pressure on him to do the right thing and then let him be responsible for the disappointments to follow.

This is just plain wrong. The voters have all the responsibility...and imagine Stephens little pen and big rubber stamp. Feh.

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 13:22:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

.I gave you both 4's because.... (4.00 / 4)

While I think John Lynch has been an excellent governor, and Ms. Chowder is often too willing to look for reasons to beat up on Democratic governors - she does try to keep them on the high Democratic road.  So, lets give credit to all Democrats, including our good Demcoratic governor John Lynch who I don't think dreams in Republican colors, but also give credit to P.C. for encouraging people to make their feellings known on the issues.  



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 14:01:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

agreed (4.00 / 2)

While I might want a more fair tax system, or the repeal of Capital Punishment, I don't want to attack those with whom I am in agreement on a majority of important issues, who's support at this critical time, those issues dramatically need.

We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
Benjamin Franklin -At the signing of the Declaration of Independence

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 14:09:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Without Lynch (4.00 / 5)

NH would be suffering what WI and FL are now suffering.

i.e., swing states that because of the Red Tide election have truly frightening governors about to do serious harm to their states.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 02:58:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

...and MAINE n/t (4.00 / 4)

Have you told a stranger today about Bill O'Brien and his Tea Party agenda? The people of NH deserve to hear about O'Brien  and his majority committed to destroying New Hampshire and remaking it into a armed survivalist preserve.  

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by: Ray Buckley @ Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 10:43:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes, those three should be joined as a theme. (4.00 / 2)

I agree, LePage is a nightmare.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 12:49:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The other aspect of this bill.. (4.00 / 2)

is it had a single freshman sponsor. He may not have known how to go about gathering support, and it didn't appear to have leadership backing. Rep. Splain can speak to this better, but traditionally bills sponsored by a single freshmen don't do all that well.  

I hope this bill is a sign of things to come, but I am skeptical.  

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by: Mike Emm @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 13:10:59 PM UTC

I am glad .. (0.00 / 0)

That the Republicans are not "driven by principle" and that they are worried, and should be very worried, about the next election. How true this is, we will see.  

whp

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by: whp @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 13:45:43 PM UTC

Governor Lynch (0.00 / 0)

Governor Lynch's feet should be held to the fire. He certainly did not do himself any favors when he failed to rally behind dems in the House and Senate prior to the midterms.

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by: MB Ayvazian @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 18:28:30 PM UTC

That is a bit much (0.00 / 0)

You may not have noticed, but the governor was in his own re-election fight.  He was a little busy.  



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 18:54:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I noticed (0.00 / 0)

He would have done himself and others a great service by being a voice and leader for our party. I do not like to be critical, but the losses we endured were nothing short of catastrophic, and now we see the effects of our shortsightedness.

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by: MB Ayvazian @ Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 00:48:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Reality check re foot warming.... (4.00 / 3)

Exactly who is it who is supposed to hold the Governor's feet to the fire?  

The 25% of the House who still have the letter D after their names?

With veto-proof majorities in both sides of the Legislature, what exactly do you suggest should be done?  And who is supposed to do it?  I'm always skeptical when someone uses the passive voice.  It so often means that something needs to be done, but not by the person speaking.

And what is the basis for saying the Governor did not do himself any favors?  He got re-elected.  Many of the Reps and Senators who ran did not.

Despite my disagreements with the Governor on a number of issues, I am enormously relieved the he, and not John Steven, is the current Governor of New Hampshire.

Just imagine what the alternative would look like.

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. --Marcus Aurelius, courtesy of Paul Berch

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by: Lucy Weber @ Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 13:18:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Does the least powerful Governor have coattails? (0.00 / 0)

I can't see how that could work...

(one of the bottom-three least powerful, structurally - that Executive Council does wonders for gutting accountability.)

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by: elwood @ Sun Feb 13, 2011 at 02:33:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

GOP education stance (4.00 / 1)

At a recent budget committee meeting in Conway,  Conway Daily Sun

Ray Shakir, of the budget committee, explained the importance of living within a budget - and that may mean some educational sacrifices.

"Preparing kids for an adequate education is acceptable," he said. "Preparing kids for a good education is acceptable. Preparing kids for an outstanding world class education is unacceptable. We have to balance the requirements with the fact this isn't an a community with luxury incomes, it's kind of blue collar. We have to develop an education as efficiently as possible."

Ray Shakir is a typical belligerent Teabaglican - writes nasty, blustering, and often stupid letters to the paper. He grew up, was educated, and made a lot of money somewhere else, before moving here, and now wants our local kids to get an "okay"  education because they aren't going to go anywhere anyway, seein' as how they're from here - the land of low wages and no opportunity. The wage scale hasn't changed in the 26 years I've lived here.  

He got his. That's all that matters - and that's the Teabaglican way.  

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by: susanthe @ Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 14:19:22 PM UTC