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You've Got to be Kidding Me

by: Dean Barker

Thu Dec 04, 2008 at 16:16:12 PM EST
It's amazing what you can learn about Democrats and government from columns not called Granite Status:
Meanwhile, Gov. John Lynch's favorite Republican, state Sen. Bob Odell, R-Lempster, retained his chairmanship of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, despite being in the minority, and will also continue serving on the Finance committee and Energy, Environment and Economic Development
Good thing we fought so hard for our majorities.

Extra credit for the wonkish hamster who can tell me how Ways and Means intersects with the education funding amendment.
Dean Barker :: You've Got to be Kidding Me
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You've Got to be Kidding Me | 12 comments
Oh, Dean (4.00 / 1)
It's just the budget. What could go wrong?
We're late (0.00 / 0)
He retained his Chairmanship. So the Dems gave it to him in the 2007-2008 session too.

I really don't know enough of the culture and history of the Legislature to judge this. We've had cross-party coalitions to elect the leadership in the House and the Senate before. Are chairs help by the minority party SOP? Are there others now?

It has been the tradition of the NH Senate for ages (4.00 / 4)
to have bipartisan Committee Chairmanships...remember guys when Democrat Junie Blaisdell was Chair of Finance for years and years while the Dems where in the minority?

All three of the Republicans who had chairmanships last term retained those posts.

Two things to keep in mind, Democrats are still the majority members of each committee AND that in the NH legislature a committee chair cannot kill legislation on his/her own like in other institutions.

How do you guys not know all this?

Democrats solve problems, Republicans sit and say no.

I don't know these things (4.00 / 3)
because the workings of state government to an outsider, even one a political junkie like me, are maddeningly opaque.

I don't blame anyone for why that is. Part of it is for the same reason that federal government is still opaque, despite C-Span and and an of beltway tradmed reporters: there aren't enough hours in the day.

But if George Soros were to come down from Latte Argulua Heaven and present BH with a check for one million dollars, the first thing I would do is have a full-time person covering the state house.

[ Parent ]
Dean, I'd do it for one million dollars. . . . (4.00 / 1)

[ Parent ]
"How do you guys not know all this?" How is anybody supposed to know any of this? (4.00 / 2)
We don't really teach state civics or state history in New Hampshire, and the state is too small to have well-circulated books about such things.

What percentage of New Hampshirites who don't run for office do you think are aware of how multi-seat House districts work?  Based on my anecdotal observations, it's not an encouraging number.

[ Parent ]
But... (0.00 / 0)
the intense level of knowldege, interest and curiosity by Elwood and Dean impress me hourly so when they don't know something it is a shock to my system.

Democrats solve problems, Republicans sit and say no.
[ Parent ]
How many minority (0.00 / 0)
chairmanships did the Dems have during the Benson admin?
not sure (4.00 / 4)
But we didn't have many Democratic senators during those two years.  

Keep in mind that there are 13 standing committees, plus the legislative leadership positions, in a body of only 24 people, who are paid $100 a year, so some of them have full time jobs.  It is not feasible for the 14 Democrats to chair all the committees and fill the leadership positions - they don't physically have the time to do it all.

Sylvia Larsen makes these appointments - she does a pretty good job as senate president.

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

[ Parent ]
I suspected something along these lines: (4.00 / 1)
Keep in mind that there are 13 standing committees, plus the legislative leadership positions, in a body of only 24 people, who are paid $100 a year, so some of them have full time jobs.  It is not feasible for the 14 Democrats to chair all the committees and fill the leadership positions - they don't physically have the time to do it all.
Glad to see it confirmed.
[ Parent ]
The answer is one (4.00 / 1)
Ways and Means, consisting of 4 Republicans and 1 Democrat, was chaired by Sen. D'Allesandro.  

http://gencourt.state.nh.us/sc...

"Plus Ça Change, Plus C'est La Même Chose"

[ Parent ]
there were only 6 Dem senators then (4.00 / 1)


Democrats solve problems, Republicans sit and say no.
[ Parent ]
You've Got to be Kidding Me | 12 comments
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