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Here's what I had to say to Senator Ayotte, and Congressman Guinta.
****************
I want you to do the right thing, the patriotic thing--cast a vote in support of the American Jobs Act. Unemployed workers in New Hampshire need a chance to go back to work and regain some economic stability and some dignity. Our roads, schools, and bridges are in desperate need of repair.
This bill is not going to set us back in terms of the deficit/debt. Everyone has to pay their fair share and that includes the very wealthy and profitable corporations.
It time to stop the games and brinksmanship and to pass this bill!
This was published as an op-ed in today's Conway Daily Sun:
It's been a big year for disaster in the US. Floods, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, and hurricanes have cost lives and billions of dollars in property damage. Northern Carroll County got a big dose of damage in the form of Hurricane Irene. Roads and bridges were so damaged that at one point, parts of Rt. 16, 302, and the Kanc were all closed. People above the notches were stranded. The Notchland Inn was an island unto itself for nearly a week, with a bridge to the south damaged to impassibility, and the road to the north washed away and undermined. These are all major thoroughfares for the North Country, and essential to our lives and our businesses. They cannot go unrepaired.
Northern Carroll County had some serious flood damage. The routes that take people north through the notches were both closed. Rt. 302 is going to be closed for a while. The Sawyer River bridge was destroyed, and a big chunk of road up by the famous Willey House is gone. (on the anniversary of the deadly mudslide, no less). Rt. 16 between Jackson and Gorham was closed Monday, because a big section of road is missing in Jackson. In that section, one lane of the road is mostly gone, and the ground underneath undercut by the water. The road is open (and a little scary!) by turning the double lane on one side into two lane traffic. The Kancamaugus Highway, which runs between Conway and Lincoln is also closed. This scenic byway is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the summer and fall. Yes - foliage. All three of these routes have something in common. Foliage. The bread and butter of the north country - and it's coming on soon. Leaves are already starting to turn in some places. There are many other roads and bridges that were damaged. It's a mess.
Over at the Great Orange Satan (Daily Kos) David Nir (nee DavidNYC, BH User #5) [comments on PPP polls on NH Congressional Races.
Public Policy Polling (PDF) (6/30-7/2, 7/5, New Hampshire voters, no trendlines):
Carol Shea-Porter (D): 41
Frank Guinta (R-inc): 48
Undecided: 10
(MoE: ±5.7%)
Ann McLane Kuster (D): 42
Charlie Bass (R-inc): 43
Undecided: 15
(MoE: ±5.1%)
While somewhat optimistic about NH-02, David expresses some concern regarding Dem chances in NH-01, even postulating
I wouldn't be surprised if other Democrats decided to get in here, especially since Guinta has weaknesses of his own that are ready to be exploited by a well-equipped challenger.
My take? We are going to have to give and work hard if we want to flip these seats. I know NH Dems are up for it.
I can't find any coverage of the town hall last night on WMUR? Does anyone know what's up? ABC covered it last night and WMUR is an affiliate. Maybe some of us should get in touch with them and find out why they are ignoring this?
James Pindell is reporting (paywalled) Joanne Dodell has filed paperwork for a run in NH-01 setting up a primary race with Carol Shea-Porter. No others Dems have filed though our first straw poll some support for Mark Connolly in that race as well.
The people of the first district will be well served by either of these fine people, and a well run primary will be accreditive to the process and increase our chances of winning the seat back from Frank Guinta.
I've posted Frank Guinta's March 24 Plaistow town hall meeting on YouTube (here's a playlist of the opening remarks and Q&A: http://www.youtube.com/view_pl... ).
One particularly interesting exchange is his individual responsibility speech( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... )
In response to a constituent concern about schoolteachers and others who would lose their jobs under Frank's budget, and an interruption from a person concerned about the gap between the rich and poor in the US and the recent tax break to the wealthiest, Frank give a surprisingly Ayn Randian colloquy on individual responsibility.
He says (3:17), "We live in the greatest country in the world, that provides each and every one of us an opportunity to be successful. And it's up to us, as Americans and individuals, how we want to accept that responsibility and that opportunity."
In response to concerns about job loss and poor people left behind, Frank's saying, with a smile and as clearly as he can, "They're on their own!"
Nancy Altman, former aide to Alan Greenspan, spoke in Concord, NH last night. From the Concord Monitor:
"I object to the idea of fixing it, because Social Security isn't broken," she told the Monitor, adding that long-term projections show "a manageable but significant shortfall" that is one of the challenges to be addressed.
"We should address them, but not in a climate where young people don't think they're going to get benefits, that people don't think it's affordable. . . . It's a political question," she said.
The Social Security program, created in 1935, is expected to cost more than it takes in from taxes from 2015 onward. In 2037, the program's trustees said last year, its trust funds will be exhausted. At that point, tax revenue is expected to cover only about 78 percent of benefits.
A crisis is when you see a moose running out in front of your car. A crisis isn't something that's over 25 years away. There's plenty of time to tweak Social Security.
I noticed the other day in Concord, that the sign for Judd Gregg's former office on Main St. is still there, above the medical supply store. Ruminating on office locations ensued. I learned that:
US Senator Kelly Ayotte has 1 office in the state she's representing. It's in Manchester. In contrast, Judd Gregg had offices in Manchester, Concord, Portsmouth, and Berlin.
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen has offices in Manchester, Claremont, Nashua, Dover, and Berlin. Only a couple of them are open all the time, but if you live in Colebrook, you can make an appointment to see one of Senator Shaheen's staffers in Berlin. You don't have to drive all the way to Manchester.
Congressman Charlie Bass has offices in Concord, Nashua, and Littleton. Bass's constituents in West Stewartstown don't have to drive 3 or 4 hours to get to Bass's office.
Congressman Frank Guinta has one office. It's in Manchester. Carol Shea-Porter had an office in Manchester, and one in Dover, as did Jeb Bradley.
Ayotte and Guinta would undoubtedly say that this is all about economy - they're saving the taxpayers money. These are invisible, and questionable savings. The constituent spending $50+ on a tank of gas to get to the office isn't seeing any savings at all.
The north country is used to being ignored - but deliberately snubbing the seacoast?
It speaks to whom Guinta and Ayotte value as constituents, and whom they intend to represent.
Frank told NHPR he wanted the Republican leadership of the House to keep to the campaign promises they all made and eviscerate the federal budget. Of course that's a pretty easy vote for him, because just like the vote for the repeal of the healthcare law, there is no chance it will get by the Senate and the President. A man of great courage, our Frank.
(Remember when Frank went begging for the stimulus and Kelly called him a "grandstander"? - promoted by Dean Barker)
The picture painted in the UL of Manchester if the Republicans win NH's federal races is bleak.
FALLING OFF A CLIFF. That's how the mayor, aldermen and school committee members have referred to the budget outlook without federal stimulus funding. Politicians have fought over the effectiveness and worthiness of the $787 billion package throughout this election cycle, but the reality on the ground is that school officials will have $4.8 million less to work with when they sit down to craft their budgets.
"I'm mad, and I'm just not going to take it anymore," snapped Crawford Notch. "Throw all the bums out in the November election. No exceptions."
"Just what's making you so mad Crawford," I replied.
"The federal government's my problem, that's what," groused Crawford. "It's wasted my tax money, and has nothing to show for it. Let business and the free market solve our problems; tell big government to get lost."
"Do you think everybody agrees with you that big government should just exit the stage? If you do, you're in for a surprise. Jon Cohen and Dan Balz report in the Washington Post that "A new study by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University shows that most Americans who say they want more limited government also call Social Security and Medicare 'very important'. They want Washington to be involved in schools and to help reduce poverty. Nearly half want the government to maintain a role in regulating health care."
"Cohen and Balz later write, 'Americans continue to see major areas of government spending as essential. Whether it is Medicare, Social Security, national defense, food stamps, education, unemployment benefits or environmental protection, about nine in 10 call these programs at least somewhat important.'"
"Well", said Crawford, "these smarty pants researchers never mention the fact that excessive federal spending is about to drive the nation into bankruptcy. No one will have Social Security or Medicare then."
"I have to admit that a lot of people agree with you, Crawford. A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll notes, 'More than three of four also see a day of reckoning approaching. They predict the cost of entitlement programs (e.g., Medicare, Social Security) will create major economic problems for the United States in the next 25 years if no changes are made. Recognizing the issue isn't the same as reconciling it, however. Raise taxes to address it? Fifty-six percent say no. Cut benefits instead? Sixty-six percent say no. Just 12 percent say both steps should be taken."
"In other words, Crawford, the general public wants a free lunch. It wants something for nothing - benefits without having to pay for them. That's not the way the world works."
"Well, I don't care what you say, Patton. I'm going to vote every incumbent out of office. They're all a bunch of dishonest, lying son of a guns - including Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter."
"Crawford, it's strange that you should put Shea-Porter in that category. There's irony in this election. Voters say they want to replace dishonest, lazy, deceptive office holders with honest, hardworking challengers who talk straight and vote independently. However, no one, but no one, has ever questioned Carol Shea-Porter's honesty. No one, but no one, has ever said she doesn't tell you exactly what she thinks. She may not always vote the way you like, but she doesn't lie to you. No one, but no one, has ever said that Shea-Porter doesn't work hard and effectively to meet the needs of her district."
Now, I was warming to my topic. "Contrast that with her opponent, Frank Guinta. Is Guinta honest? Recently, Guinta amended his financial disclosure statement to add a bank account containing $355,000. Where did that money come from? Guinta says that he 'forgot' that he had the account. Would you forget an account holding $355,000? If that money was a gift or loan from another person, Guinta broke election laws that limit such contributions to only $2,400. Guinta could answer questions by disclosing bank statements showing that the $355,000 was in his account for the past two years. Guinta adamantly refuses to do that, increasing suspicion that he broke the law."
"Is Guinta deceptive? He has flip-flopped on the issues of cap-and trade, global warming, the stimulus package, and abortion to win votes. Do straight shooters do that? I think not. Would he vote independently of party interests while in Congress? I think not. How do you think that Republicans were able to defeat so many Democratic initiatives during the past two years? By demanding that GOP members of Congress vote as a bloc; that no one deviate from the party line; that opposition to Democrats be unanimous."
"And," I added, "there were penalties for any GOP member who thought of defecting. Assignment to lousy office space in remote locations. Assignment to dead end committees. Loss of seniority on committees. Loss of funding from party sources. Bad parking places. Intimidation was effective in whipping GOP members into line."
"If Guinta goes to Washington", I concluded, "he will follow the party line just as other Republican members have. So, there's your irony. You want honesty, diligence, straight talk, and effectiveness? Support the office holder, Shea-Porter, not the challenger, Guinta. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. Remember the old saying, 'vote in haste; repent in leisure.'"
This column first appeared in The Forum. It appears here with the permission of The Forum.
This was published as an op-ed in the October 15, 2010 edition of the Conway Daily Sun.
All of the miners trapped for 70 days in the collapsed San Jose copper mine in Chile have been rescued. It's a remarkable story. After the collapse of the mine in early August, they were assumed to be dead, since rescuers could not reach them at all. For two weeks, rescuers tried to get in there to get the bodies out. After drilling in some deep bore holes, the rescuers learned that the miners were still alive. After many logistical problems were overcome, by people working together, the 33 miners were all rescued. This wasn't a scripted reality show, designed to tug at our heartstrings. This was the real deal - ordinary working stiffs who were part of an extraordinary series of events. We saw humans at their best, which made for quite a contrast to the current acrimonious election season in NH.
My latest op-ed for the Conway Daily Sun. Remember that I have limited space, so I couldn't shoehorn every awful Guinta fact into it.
History is being rewritten at warp speed. Teabaglicans would have us believe that Obama destroyed the entire US economy in less than 2 years. They've conveniently forgotten everything that happened in the preceding 8 years of the Bush administration, including the trillion or so we borrowed so that Dubya could work out his Oedipal issues in Iraq. It's unfortunate that there can't be rational dialogue about the mess we're in, but the right is incapable of rational discussion. Last week, a columnist referred to Senators Snowe and Collins of Maine as RINOS. These women lean more toward being moderate than the new crazies like Palin, Bachman, Rand Paul, and O'Donnell - which is why the new, even more insane GOP wants to eliminate them. My father, the lifelong Republican, would recognize Snowe and Collins as members of the party he supported. He would be horrified to learn that a woman who claims scientists have created mice with human brains was walking around without a minder, never mind an actual candidate for the US Senate.
I'm approaching apoplectic. The Fosters Daily Dose of Democrat Bashing has an editorial today that is striking in its tone and message against Carol Shea Porter. If ever we needed a reminder of what we are up against, the Foster's editorial staff provided it today.
Find it and read it for yourself. I refuse to link to it.
My response, submitted this a.m., below the fold. After this election season, I'd love to start a NottheFoster's dot com similar to this:
Frank Guinta is whining about Carol Shea-Porter characterizing his positions as extreme, but that's certainly the right word. He tries to pour honey over them with a kind of oblique wording and tone, but it's hard to mistake the reality.
Here, cross-posted after the jump, is an oped I did in last Sunday's Portsmouth Herald that amplify's just that point.
Kelly Ayotte (R- K. Street), 12 year Congressmen Charlie Bass, and $250k Frank have all vowed to work to repeal or "repeal and replace" the historic health care reform passed early this year.
I'm not sure how popular that is going to be with stories like this coming out...
O'Brien, 52, and her husband, Matt, 55, had been uninsured for years.
"The first thing that was on my mind wasn't, 'Oh my God, I have cancer,' " Gail O'Brien said in an interview Monday. "My first thought was, 'Oh my God, how am I going to pay for it?' "
The Keene couple's jobs - she's a preschool teacher and he works part time for the city - didn't offer insurance.
It was only after O'Brien found out that the new health care reform law includes a provision allowing her to buy into a high-risk insurance pool that she knew her illness wouldn't bankrupt her family.
Please don't run on repealing "Obamacare" Kelly, Charlie, and Frank. Really whatever you do, I mean it please, don't.*
* See Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby if the snark is a bit too thick.
Frank Guinta is rolling out a website where he, as the appointed spokesperson for the people, asks them to set the terms of the dialog. He calls his newest website "YourHouseYourVoice.com"
(One irony I will mention on passing is that Guinta, like most neocons, likes to deride his opponents as "Marxists," "Communists," and "socialists"--- while himself espousing Marxist ideas. His whole concept of letting government wither away and letting corporate entities run everything is straight out of Lenin's playbook.)
The site contains a checklist of what he believes are the most important issues facing him as a hopeful US Representative. He is missing a few pretty important issues, and the ones he includes are all about protecting corporate persons from being interfered with by the government (which is run by natural persons.) It might be fun to show the list. You are supposed to pick 5 out of 10:
Tonight I headed out to join other health care advocates in "welcoming" curiously tanned U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner to a NH GOP fundraiser in downtown Concord.
Papa Sununu, in hopes of picking up seats that New Hampshire voters have firmly signaled should NOT be under Republican control, thought bringing in one of the henchmen trying to kill real health care reform would somehow be a shot in the arm for his party.
It won't work, of course. The party elite might like the message he's peddling, but conservatives are ultimately going to lose the battle over health care reform for one simple reason: they just don't get it.
Of course, we still have our work to do. But what I'm saying is - they sure are making it easier these days. Republican leaders are projecting absolute cluelessness about why people want health care reform, and need it now, a point made excellently in this op-ed.
Case in point: take this line from tonight by former Ron Paul staffer and Free Stater Andy Demers, who was bothered by the large pro-health care crowds rallying outside as he entered the fundraiser - "Ah, come on. On a Friday night, really?!"
Well, yes, Andy - really.
Because when you don't have health care coverage or your family budget is drained by high health care costs - those are things that continue to worry you over the weekend. Even on a Friday night.
So, yes - we came out to remind people like Boehner that when he's busy applying fake tanning lotion (or whatever it is), other people are fighting for their lives. It's not fun, and it's not what we want to be doing on a Friday night, but it's the fight we will continue until the Republican Party finally understands that families want and need health care reform, now.
