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Speaker O'Brien's "Financial Limits" - and His Mercedes-Benz

by: Zandra Rice Hawkins

Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 14:57:19 PM EDT
(Because I'm sick and tired of pretending there isn't a class war going on, with the spoiled brats who never worked a real job screwing us over. - promoted by elwood)

As a diary earlier this week highlighted, the gas tax rhetoric in Concord doesn't get anywhere close to reality. But that didn't stop Speaker Bill O'Brien from introducing it - or, as Lucy Weber pointed out, from circumventing a public hearing to get it.

For at least the second time this month, Speaker O'Brien himself has introduced an amendment to strip the language and intent of a bill in full and replace it with his own version of reality. The gas tax mayhem amendment was introduced during the public hearing on Tuesday morning and passed through executive session of the House Finance Committee just a few hours later. Again, no public hearing was held on this bill - only those who were there in the room would have even had a chance to respond to it, and they would have been there to testify on a completely different (and largely settled) issue altogether.

Less than twenty-four hours after Speaker O'Brien introduced this cowboy amendment, it passed the floor of the House. How's that for the open and transparent process in Concord.

But I digress, because the topic we really want to highlight is one statement in particular that Speaker O'Brien made when defending the legislation. When pressed that the bill will amount to little savings for individuals while producing a $7 million deficit to the highway fund (and boon to big oil companies), O'Brien said:

"Perhaps they (opponents to the bill) are not living up against financial limits the way some of us do."

Interesting, because according to Granite State Progress research, Speaker O'Brien isn't exactly hurting. In fact, last year he was able to afford an addition to his home, and his vehicle of choice for the daily commute to Concord? A Mercedes-Benz:

If Speaker O'Brien really knew anything about "financial limits" he would know that this reckless measure will cause more trouble for New Hampshire families, not less.
Zandra Rice Hawkins :: Speaker O'Brien's "Financial Limits" - and His Mercedes-Benz
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Speaker O'Brien's "Financial Limits" - and His Mercedes-Benz | 17 comments
If Speaker O'Brien really knew anything about "financial limits" he would know that this reckless measure will cause more trouble for New Hampshire families, not less. (0.00 / 0)
More like, "if he had half a brain he would know that this reckless measure will cause more trouble for New Hampshire families, not less."

"We start working to beat these guys right now." -Jed Bartlet
Legislative plates (0.00 / 0)
I saw speaker O'Brien's Mercedes parked in the legislator's lot on Storrs St many days early in the term, and it proudly sported plates that said SPEAKER.
I see here he's back to his regular guy plates.  I heard he rmoved the legislators plates shortly before the March 31 budget vote.  Brave man!

You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.  (John Morley, 1838-1923)
also... (0.00 / 0)
The Speaker also stopped parking his car in the Storrs Street lot.  I don't know if I should say exactly where he parks it, but I will say that he didn't start parking it at the legislature's other main parking facility, the LOB Garage.  

O'Bill changed his parking space not long after a Channel 9 crew staked out Rep. Gary Wheaton on the roof of the Storrs garage.  

[ Parent ]
I understand the point here (0.00 / 0)
"He doesn't know that the rest of us are hurting because he is rich."

Maybe he shouldn't have phrased it as saying "some of US" [emphasis added].

But the old trick of going after someone for being rich is not the way politics should be conducted. Disagreeing with the policy is one thing, and I'm not arguing with you there.

But being rich doesn't mean you don't understand when people are hurting. It didn't mean it for Roosevelt, Kennedy, Clinton, or John Lynch.

If you understand the point then why did (4.00 / 2)
you recast it into a different diary, to knock it down?
[ Parent ]
I don't understand what you're saying n/t (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
Maybe I didn't understand you - (0.00 / 0)
You seemed to be saying, "But wait a minute - some wealthy people are committed to the welfare of the whole community."

The diary never claimed otherwise.

[ Parent ]
It was a self-centered statement, typical of people who have little (0.00 / 0)
situational awareness.  Given that such people are often very literal and not very good at planning ahead, I don't doubt that the appearance of riches is often attained by living "to the limits."  
[ Parent ]
horse hockey (4.00 / 4)
Did Kennedy know, on a gut level, what it was like to be homeless?

Hell no. He could empathize, but he didn't know. He couldn't possibly know the reality that some of us live with every damn day, any more than O'Brien does. If you don't see any value in pointing that out, then get out of the way. I'll be glad to do it myself.

I've been homeless twice in the last 24 months. Think Speaker Empathy wants to trade places with me?  

[ Parent ]
The problem isn't that O'Brien has money (4.00 / 3)
My own personal form of liberalism requires a fundamental faith in the ability of people to care about and act to help people who are not just like them--by race, by religion, by nationality, by culture, by region, and by socioeconomic status. Franklin Roosevelt did, the Kennedys did, Earl Warren did; O'Brien doesn't, Eric Cantor doesn't, George W. Bush doesn't.

The problem isn't that O'Brien has money; the problem is he doesn't care about helping people who need help. It's just a talking point.

--
Hope > Anarch-tea
Twitter: @DougLindner

[ Parent ]
King O'Brien (0.00 / 0)
Speaker O'Brien is the King of Fantasy Land.
Because somebody had to do it: (4.00 / 6)

Figured it might just as well be me as anyone.

They. Don't. Care.
We do.
Rinse, repeat.

its alright (4.00 / 1)
in fact its a gas

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other
[ Parent ]
Where do I (0.00 / 0)
"like" this?

You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.  (John Morley, 1838-1923)
[ Parent ]
I think you're asking, "How do I 'vote for' this?" (4.00 / 1)
At the bottom of every comment you'll see a line that looks like:
[ Parent | Reply| [none]

When you click on the None box you'll see a choice of "Troll" or "Recommend". Select "Recommend."

[ Parent ]
circumvention (0.00 / 0)
O'Brien didn't circumvent the hearing process as much as he might have.  He introduced the gas tax cut as an amendment to a bill repealing a vehicle registration surcharge which was going to "sunset" anyway.  He could have saved his amendment for the executive session- to even for the floor debate in the full house- but he chose to put it in at the beginning of the (duly noticed) public hearing.

He did at least chose a directly related bill for his amendment, and he did give the minority party and the public a chance to comment on it.  He wasn't as sneaky as he might have been.

On the other hand, he was overly aggressive when it came to how he handled the committee.  He  made sure that all 20 Republican seats on the Finance Committee were filled with people who would vote for the tax cut.  Some of the ringers were very random members who normally would never have anything to do with the Finance Committee.

Good to know elected representatives of various towns (4.00 / 1)
of NH are used as "ringers" for whatever Mr. O'Brien wants.

Some courage. Some democracy.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

[ Parent ]
Speaker O'Brien's "Financial Limits" - and His Mercedes-Benz | 17 comments

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