GOP Rep. Tammy Simmons: "Cut everyone's services but mine!"

Wow - always seems to be nine lives for pols, I guess. (4.00 / 3)

I had no idea the dishonest Ms. Simmons, er, I mean, RockinNH, was now a state rep.

Based on her deception at BH, it comes as no surprise that the leader of a tax cap movement would advocate for more spending when it comes to her own area.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Thu Apr 07, 2011 at 19:25:09 PM CDT

Spot-on (0.00 / 0)

Although I wasn't on the BMA at the time of the tax cap issue, I must admit that I was thinking the exact same thing during her testimony, Dean.

Manchester isn't operating under the tax cap yet and the Mayor is already proposing to shutdown the West Side Library and layoff its 8 librarians. The city can absolutely forget having 2 libraries under a tax cap ... we'll be lucky to have even ONE.

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by: Garth Corriveau @ Thu Apr 07, 2011 at 21:44:07 PM CDT

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That will keep (0.00 / 0)

all those pesky people who can't afford internet access at home from finding out what is going on, won't it?  They are determined to create a serf class for their manors and castles, aren't they?

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Fri Apr 08, 2011 at 08:04:46 AM CDT

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Save the West Side Library (4.00 / 4)

Excellent points.  It's absurd in Manchester and New Hampshire, where taxes are irresponsibly low, to suggest capping current revenue rates.  When weighing taxes and funding, it's critical to consider the benefits of investment as well as the cost of not doing something.

Manchester is now competing with cities like Providence, Portland and Worcester as satellite cities of Boston--independent, but linked to that city--and it's falling further behind its rivals in terms of civic investment.  It's also competing to attract young people, families, college graduates and so on from its suburbs, but it can only do this successfully by offering a vibrant, urban alternative, which requires robust infrastructure and so on to encourage economic development and private investment.

With this in mind, I recently wrote a short piece arguing for preserving the West Side Library: http://livablemht.org/2011/03/...

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by: FrankLloydMike @ Fri Apr 08, 2011 at 13:18:00 PM CDT

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Nice piece. Keep up your good works. n/t (0.00 / 0)

"Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external world." A. Einstein

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by: StraffordDem @ Fri Apr 08, 2011 at 13:25:15 PM CDT

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$7,050,000 to move the river (4.00 / 1)

In this vein, let me offer my personal favorite--HB 287:

This bill would have appropriated the sum of $7,050,000 to study how to mitigate the results of flooding on the Suncook River six years ago.

up to $50,000 for an engineering study to determine the preferred solution to the ongoing erosion, sediment migration, and expanding floodplain; up to $1,000,000 to dredge the Suncook River below the avulsion to restore the downstream bankfull cross-sections to the pre-avulsion levels; and up to $6,000,000 to complete the preferred solution as determined by the engineering study.

The sponsors do not agree with prior studies already done by the state and they have a better plan.

The sponsors are a Who's Who of the Everyone Has to Tighten Their Belt But Me Movement.

SPONSORS: Rep. Giuda, Merr 7; Rep. Soltani, Merr 8; Rep. McDonnell, Merr 7; Rep. Seaworth, Merr 7; Rep. J. Richardson, Merr 8; Rep. D. McGuire, Merr 8; Rep. C. McGuire, Merr 8

Rep. Soltani, who voted against both budget bills, gets a partial pass here, and I note that Rep. J. Richardson voted against HB2 but for HB 1.  The other sponsors voted in favor of both HB 1 and HB 2.

The bill has been retained by the House Public Works Committee, and no appropriation has been made for the project, but the effort should be remembered.

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by: Lucy Weber @ Fri Apr 08, 2011 at 12:00:43 PM CDT

The Mcguires from Epsom (4.00 / 1)

live along the old course of the river and are Free Staters.

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Fri Apr 08, 2011 at 14:13:19 PM CDT

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Free Staters... (4.00 / 1)

or Free Loaders? They want the state to pay to protect their homestead?

Isn't there something in the Constitution that prohibits state reps from sponsoring bills that they directly benefit from? Or does that provision only apply to democrats?

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by: Mike Emm @ Fri Apr 08, 2011 at 17:29:00 PM CDT

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they made a movie (0.00 / 0)

Here is a movie which tells a somewhat fictionalized version of Dan McGuire's story:

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Fri Apr 08, 2011 at 17:54:17 PM CDT

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How can the McGuires file a bill that directly benefits them without an ethical problem? (4.00 / 2)

I give Soltani, Guida, and Seaworth a pass on this as it is a local issue for all of them, but it is hard to understand the McGuire's thinking it is ok to sponsor a bill that will cost the state so much and benefit them so directly.

Presumably their property valuations dropped significantly when the riverfront property they once owned lost its river. Putting the river back will greatly enhance the current value of the property.

Some questions ( and I dont know the answers):

a. Have they filed disclosure statements about this conflict?

b. Even with a disclosure, what are the ethical implications of filing a bill that directly benefits a legislator?

c. Given the lack of general public benefit and the large and direct private benefits involved, how is this not exactly the type of bill at which Part II, Article 7 was directed ? (See the phony proceedings against MIke Brunelle).

d.If that is so, where is constable Mirski when we need him?

Of course the simple answer to all these questions is IOKIYAR.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Sat Apr 09, 2011 at 08:40:35 AM CDT

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