Conservation With A Conservative
A transcript at the door.
The Free Stater Who Hated George W. Bush
A Free Stater's account of how George Bush broke the constitution and the Ten Commandments.
Frank Caliendo: Socialist
What's his name again?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tales From The Bottom Of The Ticket:The Home Stretch -- The First Block
Re-Tooling The Campaign Blog
Beginning to write the articles in blocks due to the campaign heating up and a request to build a state wide multi-partisan network to get in numbers from across the state quickly from all races on election night.
5,000 Hellos in 50 Days
Going at visibility through a quantitative rather than a qualitative lens.
Talking With Voters Over Coffee
Are taxes an issue? I talked with a voter at the DW Diner to find out.
Beginning to write the articles in blocks due to the campaign heating up and a request to build a state wide multi-partisan network to get in numbers from across the state quickly from all races on election night.
5,000 Hellos in 50 Days
Going at visibility through a quantitative rather than a qualitative lens.
Talking With Voters Over Coffee
Are taxes an issue? I talked with a voter at the DW Diner to find out.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
No, The Election Isn't Over Yet
There's a strange phenomenon going on right now in Merrimack.
Many people, especially the Republicans, are taking their lawn signs down.
This isn't just the people who have lost their primary and had to have taken them down by yesterday under RSA 664:17, strangely enough, some of those are still up.
In the end, the lawn sign purge made some people I talked to think that the election season was over, that the primary was in fact the election itself.
It's an interesting phenomenon to be sure. I cannot discount the saavy and work ethic of the Republicans for a second, but I don't think this will make a big impact.
However, if you know someone who voted in the primaries who thought that was the big enchilada, please tell them to vote on November 4th.
Post-Primary Day Stats
Now that the Primary is over, I figured it would be a good time to report stats so far.
To date, my campaign has identified 915 voters at 491 different homes. I was aiming for 1,000, but including the random contacts on the 4th of July as well as occasional knocks on doors without recognized registered voters, i've probably reached that goal.
In the fundraising department, i've hit my goal of $1,000, raising $1,007.85 from 35 different people, an average contribution of $28.79, 17 of those donations were $25 or under, and only one of them came from someone who did not live in New Hampshire, although since they have moved here.
However, that may change since I haven't asked anyone in my extended family for campaign contributions yet. If my aunts in New Jersey aren't a special interest i'm beholden to, i'll never hear the end of it at Christmas.
In terms of visibility, i'm up to 67 signs on lawns and businesses across town. My goal before election day is 100, which seems within reach.
Those lawns share space with signs from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Kenney, John Lynch, Jeanne Shaheen, John Sununu, Carol Shea Porter, John Steven, Bill Boyd, Deb Pignatelli, Mike Kaelin, Jim O'Neil, Kim Kojak, Pete Hinkle, Peter Batula, Bob L'Hereaux and Dick Hinch.
It might seem strange to share critical campaign benchmarks like this in fear that my opponents will see that I have not reached my goals or it will give them something to gauge their own internal efforts by.
However, that's part of the beauty of being at the bottom of the ticket as well as the complexity of Merrimack politics.
Of my 15 combined opponents in both major parties, so far five of them have my sign on their lawn, including a Republican. I'd probably be able to get that sign on another three or four if it weren't for the fact that they live in Condos.
Each one of my opponents is a saavy campaigner and cannot be underestimated, but my biggest opponent is myself.
To date, my campaign has identified 915 voters at 491 different homes. I was aiming for 1,000, but including the random contacts on the 4th of July as well as occasional knocks on doors without recognized registered voters, i've probably reached that goal.
In the fundraising department, i've hit my goal of $1,000, raising $1,007.85 from 35 different people, an average contribution of $28.79, 17 of those donations were $25 or under, and only one of them came from someone who did not live in New Hampshire, although since they have moved here.
However, that may change since I haven't asked anyone in my extended family for campaign contributions yet. If my aunts in New Jersey aren't a special interest i'm beholden to, i'll never hear the end of it at Christmas.
In terms of visibility, i'm up to 67 signs on lawns and businesses across town. My goal before election day is 100, which seems within reach.
Those lawns share space with signs from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Kenney, John Lynch, Jeanne Shaheen, John Sununu, Carol Shea Porter, John Steven, Bill Boyd, Deb Pignatelli, Mike Kaelin, Jim O'Neil, Kim Kojak, Pete Hinkle, Peter Batula, Bob L'Hereaux and Dick Hinch.
It might seem strange to share critical campaign benchmarks like this in fear that my opponents will see that I have not reached my goals or it will give them something to gauge their own internal efforts by.
However, that's part of the beauty of being at the bottom of the ticket as well as the complexity of Merrimack politics.
Of my 15 combined opponents in both major parties, so far five of them have my sign on their lawn, including a Republican. I'd probably be able to get that sign on another three or four if it weren't for the fact that they live in Condos.
Each one of my opponents is a saavy campaigner and cannot be underestimated, but my biggest opponent is myself.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
An Income Tax Replacing Property Tax
There was a woman I met while canvassing who had an interesting idea.
Institute an Income Tax, and anyone who owns property can send in a copy of their Income Tax payment and pay $0 for property taxes.
Would it work? Would property taxes stay at $0?
I don't want to see an Income Tax, but the bottom line isn't which tax is in place, but reducing the amount that people have to pay while making sure public services are still provided.
Institute an Income Tax, and anyone who owns property can send in a copy of their Income Tax payment and pay $0 for property taxes.
Would it work? Would property taxes stay at $0?
I don't want to see an Income Tax, but the bottom line isn't which tax is in place, but reducing the amount that people have to pay while making sure public services are still provided.
The Underemployed Veteran With No Healthcare
Hopefully this sad story will have a happy ending.
During one day's canvass, I knocked on the door of a man who was a former enlisted man in the Air Force.
He had served several decades ago, he didn't go into detail except for the fact that he had no healthcare coverage and he figured that hopefully the VA could get him something.
A few years ago, this wouldn't have mattered, but the job he had as an engineer was sent overseas to someone who could be paid far less. Even though he's in his early 60's, and not eligible for Medicare, he needed help with his prescription costs as well as saving up for retirement.
His desire was to be an engineer again, but even with A+ certification and other job training enhancements to his resume, he could not find a job in the area that paid nearly as much as before. He now works part time as a janitor in a local church.
His wife is a lifelong Republican but will be voting for Obama due to the plight of her husband.
Due to Carol Shea Porter's expertise with helping Veteran's, I recieved his permission to pass along his info to her congressional office. I had met a guy in a similiar situation from Manchester in 2007.
During one day's canvass, I knocked on the door of a man who was a former enlisted man in the Air Force.
He had served several decades ago, he didn't go into detail except for the fact that he had no healthcare coverage and he figured that hopefully the VA could get him something.
A few years ago, this wouldn't have mattered, but the job he had as an engineer was sent overseas to someone who could be paid far less. Even though he's in his early 60's, and not eligible for Medicare, he needed help with his prescription costs as well as saving up for retirement.
His desire was to be an engineer again, but even with A+ certification and other job training enhancements to his resume, he could not find a job in the area that paid nearly as much as before. He now works part time as a janitor in a local church.
His wife is a lifelong Republican but will be voting for Obama due to the plight of her husband.
Due to Carol Shea Porter's expertise with helping Veteran's, I recieved his permission to pass along his info to her congressional office. I had met a guy in a similiar situation from Manchester in 2007.
Repairing Windshields Are Easier Than Repairing Families
This story comes not from Merrimack, but from Manchester, although i've heard the story from others in Merrimack, and i'm sure it has been repeated elsewhere.
Me and my friend had just pulled into a parking lot when another guy pulled in next to us. He was going to a store within the strip mall next to the parking lot and saw my friend's battered windshield.
The other guy worked in window glass replacement, so intruded and mentioned his profession; offering a deal on replacing the windshield, my friend agreed and they began talking for several minutes. Eventually somehow the conversation went from windshields to politics.
For the windshield guy, his biggest issue was child custody rights. He told me and my friend that without any apparent reason, the courts gave full custody rights of his 8 month old son to his recently divorced wife. He had to wait another 8 months before even having a chance to see his son again, but he said again the courts did not hear any evidence before granting him no visitation rights to his son.
I did not ask the man's name. I did not know if he was lying or if there was domestic abuse of some kind or any number of other factors.
All I knew is that looking at that man's eyes, I could tell that he wanted to see his newborn son.
My friend's windshield is going to be fixed in a few days. If only the windshield repairman could be given the chance to fix his family so easily....
Me and my friend had just pulled into a parking lot when another guy pulled in next to us. He was going to a store within the strip mall next to the parking lot and saw my friend's battered windshield.
The other guy worked in window glass replacement, so intruded and mentioned his profession; offering a deal on replacing the windshield, my friend agreed and they began talking for several minutes. Eventually somehow the conversation went from windshields to politics.
For the windshield guy, his biggest issue was child custody rights. He told me and my friend that without any apparent reason, the courts gave full custody rights of his 8 month old son to his recently divorced wife. He had to wait another 8 months before even having a chance to see his son again, but he said again the courts did not hear any evidence before granting him no visitation rights to his son.
I did not ask the man's name. I did not know if he was lying or if there was domestic abuse of some kind or any number of other factors.
All I knew is that looking at that man's eyes, I could tell that he wanted to see his newborn son.
My friend's windshield is going to be fixed in a few days. If only the windshield repairman could be given the chance to fix his family so easily....
Democrats Lost Several Seats In The NH House In 2006 Due To Straight Ticket Votes
I've listened to some of my fellow candidates in Democratic safe districts complain about the lack of a straight ticket. I don't get what their problem is considering that the straight ticket made little to no difference to them, but has destroyed any chance for Democrats to win in Republican or swing districts in the past.
The partisan enclaves are still there even without the straight ticket, and candidates in those parties will still have an edge, but not an edge so great that people who don't work hard from the opposite parties won't have a chance.
This improves the race on both side, because perhaps the only thing worse than a candidate who doesn't think they can win is a politician who doesn't think they can lose.
Before 2006, we had no data to prove this, but thankfully the Secretary of State's office counted Straight Ticket ballots just in time for them to be rightfully removed, and those in the enclaves would not have seen their margins changed for the most part.
On the Democratic side, the Upper Valley wouldn't be touched. Grafton 9 (Hanover/Lyme), the safest State Rep District in the State for Democrats, had no Republicans run; and Grafton 11 (Lebanon Wards 1-3) would have seen the Democrats lose 863 votes, leaving a margin of 332 votes between the lowest vote getter among the Democrats and the highest vote getter among the Republicans.
In Keene, the same rings true. There still would have been seven Democrats taking the seven seats there, only with the margin of victory between 7th place and 8th place being 413 rather than 1656.
The same thing happens again and again throughout the Democratic strongholds, which is to be expected since 2006 was a Democratic year anyway, but what about the Republican strongholds?
If there was not a straight ticket vote in 2006, Democrats would have won even more seats.
Hillsborough 18 (Bedford) was the opposite end of the spectrum from Hanover, with Republicans receiving 665 more straight ticket votes than Democrats, but it would have taken another 629 votes for any Democrat to get past the GOP sweep there.
Likewise in with the GOP 7 seat sweep in Belknap 5 (Alton, Barnstead, Belmont and Gilford), where no straight ticket would have netted Democrats 73 votes, but there was a difference of 260 votes between 7th place and 8th place, but that's about it.
There still would have been a recount in Rockingham 11 (East Kingston and Newton), as Mary Allen(r) won the seat by one vote, she only got an extra 16 votes from straight ticketing according to SOS figures.
The GOP sweep in Rockingham 3 (Windham/Salem) would have changed. In that district, Republicans gained 428 votes from straight ticketing, but there were three Democrats who were within that margin.
There were also two Democrats within less than 70 votes in Rockingham 5 (Derry), but Republicans got a bonus 556 votes from straight tickets.
The only district where Democrats would have lost ground is in Hillsborough 14 (Manchester Ward 7), and that was one seat.
Here in Merrimack, we've been a conservative town in the past, but we're becoming a swing town. In '06, there were 18 more Democratic straight tickets than Republican straight tickets believe it or not. I'm not going to weep over losing those 18 votes in exchange for the peace of mind in knowing that in districts like mine, even in bad years, Democrats can win if they work hard.
The partisan enclaves are still there even without the straight ticket, and candidates in those parties will still have an edge, but not an edge so great that people who don't work hard from the opposite parties won't have a chance.
This improves the race on both side, because perhaps the only thing worse than a candidate who doesn't think they can win is a politician who doesn't think they can lose.
Before 2006, we had no data to prove this, but thankfully the Secretary of State's office counted Straight Ticket ballots just in time for them to be rightfully removed, and those in the enclaves would not have seen their margins changed for the most part.
On the Democratic side, the Upper Valley wouldn't be touched. Grafton 9 (Hanover/Lyme), the safest State Rep District in the State for Democrats, had no Republicans run; and Grafton 11 (Lebanon Wards 1-3) would have seen the Democrats lose 863 votes, leaving a margin of 332 votes between the lowest vote getter among the Democrats and the highest vote getter among the Republicans.
In Keene, the same rings true. There still would have been seven Democrats taking the seven seats there, only with the margin of victory between 7th place and 8th place being 413 rather than 1656.
The same thing happens again and again throughout the Democratic strongholds, which is to be expected since 2006 was a Democratic year anyway, but what about the Republican strongholds?
If there was not a straight ticket vote in 2006, Democrats would have won even more seats.
Hillsborough 18 (Bedford) was the opposite end of the spectrum from Hanover, with Republicans receiving 665 more straight ticket votes than Democrats, but it would have taken another 629 votes for any Democrat to get past the GOP sweep there.
Likewise in with the GOP 7 seat sweep in Belknap 5 (Alton, Barnstead, Belmont and Gilford), where no straight ticket would have netted Democrats 73 votes, but there was a difference of 260 votes between 7th place and 8th place, but that's about it.
There still would have been a recount in Rockingham 11 (East Kingston and Newton), as Mary Allen(r) won the seat by one vote, she only got an extra 16 votes from straight ticketing according to SOS figures.
The GOP sweep in Rockingham 3 (Windham/Salem) would have changed. In that district, Republicans gained 428 votes from straight ticketing, but there were three Democrats who were within that margin.
There were also two Democrats within less than 70 votes in Rockingham 5 (Derry), but Republicans got a bonus 556 votes from straight tickets.
The only district where Democrats would have lost ground is in Hillsborough 14 (Manchester Ward 7), and that was one seat.
Here in Merrimack, we've been a conservative town in the past, but we're becoming a swing town. In '06, there were 18 more Democratic straight tickets than Republican straight tickets believe it or not. I'm not going to weep over losing those 18 votes in exchange for the peace of mind in knowing that in districts like mine, even in bad years, Democrats can win if they work hard.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Change Doesn't Come From Concord, It Comes To Concord
Dedicated to Roy
My journey in politics began in the Spring of 2003 volunteering for Howard Dean at Keene State College. That year and that campaign made me believe that anything was politically possible, and eventually led me to come back to my hometown to help assail what seemed to be the impossible task of getting Democrats elected here in Merrimack.
While the core of what being a Deaniac meant never left, as the weather grew colder that year, so did I. The fatigue and tedium changed my focus that year changed from helping elect Dean to helping elect a Democrat that would defeat Bush, no matter who it was. By December of 2004, I became jaded towards Presidential Politics.
During this presidential primary cycle, the ambivalence hadn't worn off, but the scale and scope had changed. I must've went everywhere and saw everything that all of the campaigns on both sides had to offer across this great state and beyond.
But even that couldn't bring me back to the summer of 2003. Whenever I heard the candidates speak, what I heard wasn't what they said or what their words meant, but the substance between the words: how those words were said and perceived by potential voters.
I've begun blogging about my travels along the campaign trail here at the bottom of the ticket because so much attention is given to the Presidential campaign that you would think it's the only race being contested this year.
However, the campaign for President is so large that even us small fries get caught up in it, and that happened the other night at a small convention watch party the Merrimack Democrats had at our town chair's house.
Obama's speech was pleasing because of how he said it, he was finally attacking the attacks of McCain, but other than the tone of what Obama said, I honestly couldn't tell you a single thing other than a single part that resonated with me...
"...You have shown what history teaches us - that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time..."
I have lost track of how many times I had heard Barack Obama speak, either to an audience I was in, or even to my own face. (in Hampton he told me he didn't like stickers on his suit, in Nashua he told me I had asked him too many questions and that somebody else deserved a turn, etc.) Each time I heard him speak, it was in that hardened mold that was born in the Fall of 2003, not caring what he said, but how everybody perceived what he said.
But for that paragraph at Invesco Field, I was transported back to Jack Spratt's farm in Walpole listening to Howard Dean tell us we could change the world, because it captured why the hell I was here better than I could say it myself.
It may seem cliche, but we are at a critical moment in our history where a new way of thinking must replace the old ways, where new leaders challenge the beliefs of the established elite in order to make sure our entire way of life does not collapse from a tired complacency of failed tactics.
The voters of Merrimack are sick of those failed tactics in Concord, whether they be constitutional amendments on education, the 150,000 residents across the state without healthcare, taxes rising without seeming to return any immediate value, or here in Merrimack the endless failures from proposing doomed legislation to bring us a just toll system.
That change isn't going to come from Concord, it is going to come to Concord.
Several days now after he spoke those words, their essence is still rattling around my mind.
These words may sound unusual since I am a Democrat, and both houses of the legislature and the Governor's office are Democratic, and what may sound more unusual is that there are many talented people on both sides of the aisle currently serving in Concord.
They are like the words in the candidates' speeches, what is the issue is the substance between the words: the actions that trickle down to the average person who is not as politically involved as we are to help them believe that things can get better, that solutions can be obtained.
That is not going to change from the inside, it will take new people.
And that's why four years later, i'm still here in Merrimack, trying to come to Concord.
Registrar or Register of Deeds?
Here in Hillsborough County, we have eight candidates running for Register of Deeds. However, considering that just about nobody knows what a Register of Deeds does, the big campaign issue has been whether it's spelled "Register" or "Registrar". Some candidates spell it "Register", some candidates spell it "Registrar".
RSA 478 says they're registers, not registars. However, Webster's says that aRegister is an object or a verb, wheras a Registrar is a person.
With pressing issues like these determining our choice of Register or Registrar of Deeds, why the hell this position is elected and not appointed, I do not know.
RSA 478 says they're registers, not registars. However, Webster's says that aRegister is an object or a verb, wheras a Registrar is a person.
With pressing issues like these determining our choice of Register or Registrar of Deeds, why the hell this position is elected and not appointed, I do not know.
The Phantom Oil Drilling Platform Off Hampton Beach
The other day I knocked on the door of an older Republican couple. The man answered the door, and his wife then came over.
They were friendly, fair, and forthright, and we had a good conversation, and I think we stuck up a rapport.
For the most part, it was a pretty average conversation, whether it be from the perspective of a Merrimack voter (they talked about toll booths), a Republican voter (they talked about taxes), or an average voter (they talked about politicians suck).
However, there was one thing that caught me, and that was how the wife asked me why the state of New Hampshire doesn't drill for oil off Hampton Beach.
I was a little perplexed, considering there is no oil off the shores of Hampton Beach, but she swore she saw an oil drilling platform out there. Considering I haven't been to Hampton Beach in around a year, and that was at night, I decided to be diplomatic and try and change the subject gingerly.
Since it's a Federal rather than a State issue, i'll let the big wigs discuss the issue considering there isn't any oil off the shores of New Hampshire. In the meantime though, if anyone knows what the oil drilling platform this woman is talking about actually is, that'd be interesting to hear.
They were friendly, fair, and forthright, and we had a good conversation, and I think we stuck up a rapport.
For the most part, it was a pretty average conversation, whether it be from the perspective of a Merrimack voter (they talked about toll booths), a Republican voter (they talked about taxes), or an average voter (they talked about politicians suck).
However, there was one thing that caught me, and that was how the wife asked me why the state of New Hampshire doesn't drill for oil off Hampton Beach.
I was a little perplexed, considering there is no oil off the shores of Hampton Beach, but she swore she saw an oil drilling platform out there. Considering I haven't been to Hampton Beach in around a year, and that was at night, I decided to be diplomatic and try and change the subject gingerly.
Since it's a Federal rather than a State issue, i'll let the big wigs discuss the issue considering there isn't any oil off the shores of New Hampshire. In the meantime though, if anyone knows what the oil drilling platform this woman is talking about actually is, that'd be interesting to hear.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The Senator That Could Move Mountains
Merrimack is part of State Senate District 9, which consists of Merrimack, Bedford, New Boston, Lyndeborough, Mont Vernon, Lyndeborough and Greenfield.
I can understand Bedford, but the only thing Merrimack has in common with any of the other towns is that we're in the same county and we share a State Senator. I don't think i've actually been to Greenfield before, but I came close the other day when going to Representative Mike Kaelin's house in Lyndeborough.
Mike lives way out in the middle of nowhere. If you don't believe me, ask him for an invitation to his house sometime, but before you go, make sure you have really good shock absorbers.
I had heard alot about him, that he was an accomplished polka accordionist, that he lived in a solar powered house, that he had a black belt in Aikido, but one fact that came up in conversation really floored me.
His site for his house was originally too mountainous to build anything, so he had to clear several tons of rock.
Ignoring all the great legislation he's sponsored as a state rep, whether it's trying to make the state legislature paperless, trying to get incentive payments to people who produce renewable energy, or fighting predatory lenders, just think about what he had to do to build his house for a second.
He literally moved a mountain.
Isn't that someone who we deserve in the State Senate?
You can do your part by contributing to him through Act Blue.
I can understand Bedford, but the only thing Merrimack has in common with any of the other towns is that we're in the same county and we share a State Senator. I don't think i've actually been to Greenfield before, but I came close the other day when going to Representative Mike Kaelin's house in Lyndeborough.
Mike lives way out in the middle of nowhere. If you don't believe me, ask him for an invitation to his house sometime, but before you go, make sure you have really good shock absorbers.
I had heard alot about him, that he was an accomplished polka accordionist, that he lived in a solar powered house, that he had a black belt in Aikido, but one fact that came up in conversation really floored me.
His site for his house was originally too mountainous to build anything, so he had to clear several tons of rock.
Ignoring all the great legislation he's sponsored as a state rep, whether it's trying to make the state legislature paperless, trying to get incentive payments to people who produce renewable energy, or fighting predatory lenders, just think about what he had to do to build his house for a second.
He literally moved a mountain.
Isn't that someone who we deserve in the State Senate?
You can do your part by contributing to him through Act Blue.
The NRA Questionaire and The Guy At The Polls
In 2006 when I was running for state rep, there was a guy who came out of nowhere at the polls and started yelling at me.
"Oh, you're Andy Sylvia? You got a D from the NRA! You don't deserve to be a state rep, you don't know anything about guns, you need to learn!"
And he was livid, out of the blue he just walked over, to be honest it shook me a little. What did I ever do to this guy?
Then a conservative friend of mine starting talking about guns, and strangely enough I began to understand it the same way I, and many people on the left see abortion rights, which in itself is enough for an entire article.
That conversation, along with seeing the degradation of our Constitution* gave me new respect for the Second Amendment of the US Bill of Rights as well as Article 2a of the New Hampshire State Constitution, which is almost identical in its scope.
I probably construe the the Second Amendment/Article 2a differently than that guy who yelled at me that day since I don't construe shooting people as part of bearing arms or defending yourself(in 2a) except in a militia (which now I assume means the National Guard).
Fortunately, word had gotten to him that apparently I don't bite, and we had a good discussion at Deliberative Session a few months ago. He's never shot anyone, but on top of that he's a proud union member and is just as angry at run of the mill Republicans for trying to harm labor rights that affect him as a blue collar worker as he is at run of the mill Democrats for trying to deny his Second Amendment rights.
Since we talked back at Deliberative Session, we've talked a few more times, and I figured this time i'd ask for him to teach me about gun issues while doing the NRA questionaire again considering he made such a big deal about it in 2006.
I honestly don't know if i'll submit the NRA questionaire this year irregardless of my new friend's help. There are many people I trust who have told me just to ignore it, and that i'll be downgraded just because I am a Democrat, as it seemed with some other voter guides.
In the end though, the grade from the NRA if I decide to submit the questionaire isn't as important as hearing his views as well as the views of people in Merrimack who favor gun control so I can hopefully be part of crafting solutions to issues that reflect the views of Merrimack in the legislature.
He said I got his vote and he's going to put my sign on his lawn.
*-Ambiguity of "Free Speech Zones" breaking the 1st Amendment, The FISA Vote breaking the 4th Amendment, many cases of ignoring the Geneva Convention among other treaties ratified by Congress and signed by past presidents breaking Article VI, abuse of Executive Signments breaking Article I, etc. etc. etc.
"Oh, you're Andy Sylvia? You got a D from the NRA! You don't deserve to be a state rep, you don't know anything about guns, you need to learn!"
And he was livid, out of the blue he just walked over, to be honest it shook me a little. What did I ever do to this guy?
Then a conservative friend of mine starting talking about guns, and strangely enough I began to understand it the same way I, and many people on the left see abortion rights, which in itself is enough for an entire article.
That conversation, along with seeing the degradation of our Constitution* gave me new respect for the Second Amendment of the US Bill of Rights as well as Article 2a of the New Hampshire State Constitution, which is almost identical in its scope.
I probably construe the the Second Amendment/Article 2a differently than that guy who yelled at me that day since I don't construe shooting people as part of bearing arms or defending yourself(in 2a) except in a militia (which now I assume means the National Guard).
Fortunately, word had gotten to him that apparently I don't bite, and we had a good discussion at Deliberative Session a few months ago. He's never shot anyone, but on top of that he's a proud union member and is just as angry at run of the mill Republicans for trying to harm labor rights that affect him as a blue collar worker as he is at run of the mill Democrats for trying to deny his Second Amendment rights.
Since we talked back at Deliberative Session, we've talked a few more times, and I figured this time i'd ask for him to teach me about gun issues while doing the NRA questionaire again considering he made such a big deal about it in 2006.
I honestly don't know if i'll submit the NRA questionaire this year irregardless of my new friend's help. There are many people I trust who have told me just to ignore it, and that i'll be downgraded just because I am a Democrat, as it seemed with some other voter guides.
In the end though, the grade from the NRA if I decide to submit the questionaire isn't as important as hearing his views as well as the views of people in Merrimack who favor gun control so I can hopefully be part of crafting solutions to issues that reflect the views of Merrimack in the legislature.
He said I got his vote and he's going to put my sign on his lawn.
*-Ambiguity of "Free Speech Zones" breaking the 1st Amendment, The FISA Vote breaking the 4th Amendment, many cases of ignoring the Geneva Convention among other treaties ratified by Congress and signed by past presidents breaking Article VI, abuse of Executive Signments breaking Article I, etc. etc. etc.
The Grandma Who Gave Three Dollars
It's always refreshing when you knock on a door and you don't get someone screaming at you or completely indifferent to state politics.
I've had a few instances like that, but one in particular has really stuck in my mind. There was a little old lady a week or so ago that saw that I was running for office and out of the blue gave me three dollars. She was just so grateful that someone asked for her vote it seems.
She's asked me not to reveal her name, so if you think you know who i'm talking about, it's somebody else. Still, I wanted to thank her publically even though I know she might feel embarrased that I am thanking her.
She shouldn't. It'd be nice if we could all try to be nicer to each other, and if at all possible, perform a kind deed like she did.
I've had a few instances like that, but one in particular has really stuck in my mind. There was a little old lady a week or so ago that saw that I was running for office and out of the blue gave me three dollars. She was just so grateful that someone asked for her vote it seems.
She's asked me not to reveal her name, so if you think you know who i'm talking about, it's somebody else. Still, I wanted to thank her publically even though I know she might feel embarrased that I am thanking her.
She shouldn't. It'd be nice if we could all try to be nicer to each other, and if at all possible, perform a kind deed like she did.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Toll Booths
88 days and 10 hours to go....
Due to an emergency yesterday, I used the toll booths in Hooksett on I-93.
For many of you, that might not seem like a big deal, but I see using a New Hampshire toll booth the same way a Jehovah's Witness might see testifying in court or voting. I only wish I were as pious as they seem to be, i've lost track of how many times i've gone through the tolls this year, I suppose i'm fortunate that i've kept it in the single digits despite going from Merrimack to Concord and back just about every day.
Tolls are the second biggest issue from people i've talked to at doors, but unfortunately in their eyes it's tinged with the biggest issue: nobody can do anything about it.
For those of you who are reading this article from outside Merrimack, let me explain simply.
Our town has 1/20th of New Hampshire's population. We have 1/3rd of the state's toll booths. Last time I checked, we do not have 1/3rd of the state's wealth.
If that is not economic injustice, I don't know what is.
The story of the tollbooths comes from the late 1980s, we wanted our exits onto the F.E Everett Turnpike expanded. So, the state came to us and said "if you want your exits expanded, you'll need to approve 'temporary' tollbooths". Twenty years later and those temporary tollbooths have become permanent due to a multi-million dollar profit the state rakes in and a lack of organized resistance from the town itself.
That must change.
It will take two years, and it will take more than myself, but I have a three point plan to fight back effectively against the injustices of the Turnpike System.
First off, we as Merrimackers must stop using the tolls. I've tried to live the example I want to preach, only using the tolls in absolute emergencies, but it'll take hundreds of Merrimackers to stop using the tolls and start saving their toll money in a grassroots effort, led by the Town Council and our delegation in Concord. Executive Councillor Deb Pignatelli has already made a great foundation with her Tolltalkers group.
Second, we need to find more Deb Pignatellis: people from outside of Merrimack who are affected by tolls. This is not an issue about Merrimack, this is an issue of social justice, if we are to succeed in Concord, all of the effort cannot come from just Merrimack. Dover faces a similiar plight to us, and many other towns and cities feel the disproportionate focus on certain areas that the Turnpike System has.
And finally, we need to use that money saved from avoiding the tolls to build a warchest to fight the tolls. Legal fees, political action groups, mass media communication, all of it costs money and all of it will probably be necessary in order to make progress on the toll issue.
I cannot guarantee a timeframe on success, but I can guarantee that we will fail if we decide to give up or continue on without any effective strategy like the one I just said above.
Due to an emergency yesterday, I used the toll booths in Hooksett on I-93.
For many of you, that might not seem like a big deal, but I see using a New Hampshire toll booth the same way a Jehovah's Witness might see testifying in court or voting. I only wish I were as pious as they seem to be, i've lost track of how many times i've gone through the tolls this year, I suppose i'm fortunate that i've kept it in the single digits despite going from Merrimack to Concord and back just about every day.
Tolls are the second biggest issue from people i've talked to at doors, but unfortunately in their eyes it's tinged with the biggest issue: nobody can do anything about it.
For those of you who are reading this article from outside Merrimack, let me explain simply.
Our town has 1/20th of New Hampshire's population. We have 1/3rd of the state's toll booths. Last time I checked, we do not have 1/3rd of the state's wealth.
If that is not economic injustice, I don't know what is.
The story of the tollbooths comes from the late 1980s, we wanted our exits onto the F.E Everett Turnpike expanded. So, the state came to us and said "if you want your exits expanded, you'll need to approve 'temporary' tollbooths". Twenty years later and those temporary tollbooths have become permanent due to a multi-million dollar profit the state rakes in and a lack of organized resistance from the town itself.
That must change.
It will take two years, and it will take more than myself, but I have a three point plan to fight back effectively against the injustices of the Turnpike System.
First off, we as Merrimackers must stop using the tolls. I've tried to live the example I want to preach, only using the tolls in absolute emergencies, but it'll take hundreds of Merrimackers to stop using the tolls and start saving their toll money in a grassroots effort, led by the Town Council and our delegation in Concord. Executive Councillor Deb Pignatelli has already made a great foundation with her Tolltalkers group.
Second, we need to find more Deb Pignatellis: people from outside of Merrimack who are affected by tolls. This is not an issue about Merrimack, this is an issue of social justice, if we are to succeed in Concord, all of the effort cannot come from just Merrimack. Dover faces a similiar plight to us, and many other towns and cities feel the disproportionate focus on certain areas that the Turnpike System has.
And finally, we need to use that money saved from avoiding the tolls to build a warchest to fight the tolls. Legal fees, political action groups, mass media communication, all of it costs money and all of it will probably be necessary in order to make progress on the toll issue.
I cannot guarantee a timeframe on success, but I can guarantee that we will fail if we decide to give up or continue on without any effective strategy like the one I just said above.
How Voc Rehab Shoe Inserts Changed A Man's Life
90 days to go...
One day I was talking to a voter and all of the sudden his cell phone rang and he asked me to excuse him for a second. I was happy to, but I have to admit I heard his side of the conversation which consisted mostly of one word answers ("Yes", "No", "Sure", etc.)
He apologized, I replied that it was ok, but asked him out of curiosity who it was.
It turns out the caller came from New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation. The voter lives a subistence life, he couldn't afford a car, he could barely afford his rent and utilities, and he had just gotten a job as a cook at a local diner, but wouldn't be able to accept it unless he got special shoes with certain inserts that would not slip on the kitchen floors and could support him since he had some kind of osteoporosis.
However, since he could barely afford the bare necessities of life, he couldn't afford these special shoes, so he went to voc rehab.
The voter wanted to work and be a productive member of society, but he wouldn't have been able to without that little boost, and was grateful for the assistance he had gotten.
After I left, I thought hypothethically as to what the financial costs and benefits were to what must have been a $60 or $70 pair of shoes in this man's case.
The government probably got back their investment in one or two lunch rushes from meals tax. The owner of the diner might have gotten someone else to fill the job, but maybe they wouldn't be able to and would have either had to raise their wages to attract a new employee or turn to undocumented immigrant labor. And perhaps without that job, that voter may not have found another job and lost his apartment, and the landlord wouldn't have been able to pay the property taxes on the property and it would fall into disrepair, lowering the property values throughout the neighborhood degrading the tax base to the point where it would no longer be able to sustain the services expected by its residents.
Then again, everything might have turned out just fine. The thing is though, why leave that to chance in cases like these when the solution was as simple as a pair of shoes?
One day I was talking to a voter and all of the sudden his cell phone rang and he asked me to excuse him for a second. I was happy to, but I have to admit I heard his side of the conversation which consisted mostly of one word answers ("Yes", "No", "Sure", etc.)
He apologized, I replied that it was ok, but asked him out of curiosity who it was.
It turns out the caller came from New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation. The voter lives a subistence life, he couldn't afford a car, he could barely afford his rent and utilities, and he had just gotten a job as a cook at a local diner, but wouldn't be able to accept it unless he got special shoes with certain inserts that would not slip on the kitchen floors and could support him since he had some kind of osteoporosis.
However, since he could barely afford the bare necessities of life, he couldn't afford these special shoes, so he went to voc rehab.
The voter wanted to work and be a productive member of society, but he wouldn't have been able to without that little boost, and was grateful for the assistance he had gotten.
After I left, I thought hypothethically as to what the financial costs and benefits were to what must have been a $60 or $70 pair of shoes in this man's case.
The government probably got back their investment in one or two lunch rushes from meals tax. The owner of the diner might have gotten someone else to fill the job, but maybe they wouldn't be able to and would have either had to raise their wages to attract a new employee or turn to undocumented immigrant labor. And perhaps without that job, that voter may not have found another job and lost his apartment, and the landlord wouldn't have been able to pay the property taxes on the property and it would fall into disrepair, lowering the property values throughout the neighborhood degrading the tax base to the point where it would no longer be able to sustain the services expected by its residents.
Then again, everything might have turned out just fine. The thing is though, why leave that to chance in cases like these when the solution was as simple as a pair of shoes?
Dissecting HB 1: A Responsible Budget Comes From Understanding, Not Pledges
89 days to go....
I don't want to see an Income Tax or Sales Tax, but I would much rather prefer avoiding those taxes to come from an understanding of our spending and appropriations.
So that's why I want to begin the process of going through our state budget with you all on these journals, line by line.
Are they too high? Are they too low? Is it not clear enough what the expenditures actually are? Let's figure it out together.
Today are the line items from section 01-02, the Legislative Branch
Here's the Senate's line items for Fiscal Year 2008.
01-02-01-01-11 Personal Services - Members $580.00
01-02-01-01-12 Personal Services - Permanent $1,282,379.00
01-02-01-01-13 Personal Services - Non Permanent $195,889.00
01-02-01-01-20 Current Expenses $78,500.00
01-02-01-01-30 Equipment New/Replacement $5,000.00
01-02-01-01-46 Consultants $63,000.00
01-02-01-01-60 Benefits $519,820.00
01-02-01-01-70 In-State Travel $150,500.00
01-02-01-01-80 Out-Of State Travel $24,000.00
01-02-01-01-91 Continuing Education $5,000.00
01-02-01-01-92 President's Discretionary Fund $4,500.00
Here's the House
01-02-01-02-11 Personal Services - Members $2,000.00
01-02-01-02-12 Personal Services - Permanent $1,424,587.00
01-02-01-02-13 Personal Services - Non Permanent $183,833.00
01-02-01-02-20 Current Expenses $167,500.00
01-02-01-02-30 Equipment New/Replacement $12,000.00
01-02-01-02-46 Consultants $30,000.00
01-02-01-02-60 Benefits $719,887.00
01-02-01-02-70 In-State Travel $1,077,500.00
01-02-01-02-80 Out-Of State Travel $100,000.00
01-02-01-02-90 Continuing Education $3,000.00
01-02-01-02-91 Speakers Special Account $4,500.00
01-02-01-02-92 Maj. Leaders Special Account $3,500.00
01-02-01-02-93 Min Leaders Special Account $3,000.00
01-02-01-02-96 Contingency $50,000.00
I don't want to see an Income Tax or Sales Tax, but I would much rather prefer avoiding those taxes to come from an understanding of our spending and appropriations.
So that's why I want to begin the process of going through our state budget with you all on these journals, line by line.
Are they too high? Are they too low? Is it not clear enough what the expenditures actually are? Let's figure it out together.
Today are the line items from section 01-02, the Legislative Branch
Here's the Senate's line items for Fiscal Year 2008.
01-02-01-01-11 Personal Services - Members $580.00
01-02-01-01-12 Personal Services - Permanent $1,282,379.00
01-02-01-01-13 Personal Services - Non Permanent $195,889.00
01-02-01-01-20 Current Expenses $78,500.00
01-02-01-01-30 Equipment New/Replacement $5,000.00
01-02-01-01-46 Consultants $63,000.00
01-02-01-01-60 Benefits $519,820.00
01-02-01-01-70 In-State Travel $150,500.00
01-02-01-01-80 Out-Of State Travel $24,000.00
01-02-01-01-91 Continuing Education $5,000.00
01-02-01-01-92 President's Discretionary Fund $4,500.00
Here's the House
01-02-01-02-11 Personal Services - Members $2,000.00
01-02-01-02-12 Personal Services - Permanent $1,424,587.00
01-02-01-02-13 Personal Services - Non Permanent $183,833.00
01-02-01-02-20 Current Expenses $167,500.00
01-02-01-02-30 Equipment New/Replacement $12,000.00
01-02-01-02-46 Consultants $30,000.00
01-02-01-02-60 Benefits $719,887.00
01-02-01-02-70 In-State Travel $1,077,500.00
01-02-01-02-80 Out-Of State Travel $100,000.00
01-02-01-02-90 Continuing Education $3,000.00
01-02-01-02-91 Speakers Special Account $4,500.00
01-02-01-02-92 Maj. Leaders Special Account $3,500.00
01-02-01-02-93 Min Leaders Special Account $3,000.00
01-02-01-02-96 Contingency $50,000.00
Sunday, August 3, 2008
92 Days, 3 Hours and 30 Minutes To Go: Empty Supermarkets, Lawns and Libraries
This story has two points for the price of one.
I was walking down a street in Merrimack and saw the inhabitants of one of that street's houses on their driveway: a teenage girl and an elderly woman each with a lemonade and an elderly man with a beer.
It was a beautiful day, so I decided to walk on up and say hello even though they weren't on the list.
At first they thought I was a salesman, but I quickly let them know I wasn't selling anything or asking for any money, that I was only a local guy running for office and wanted to let them know about myself. The elderly couple each took one of my brochures, and I thanked them and started to walk away.
By about the time I reached the end of the driveway, the elderly woman yelled to me "Hey, Andrew, come back here for a second!"
She liked the fact that I had lived here all my life. Then we started to talk about our town, and she started to talk about how nobody in town seemed to mow their lawns anymore.
I can understand her statement to a point, but there is a vast variation in terms of the status of lawns here in Merrimack. Some houses in town probably have thousands of dollars spent on them every year, some houses in town need machetes and various inoculations to be navigated through.
I don't think that's what she was getting at though. What I think she was trying to get to the heart of was our towns' past in regards to not liking to invest in itself.
For just about my entire life, a warrant article was on the ballot every year to get a new library. While I don't have the statistics, I'd have to assume that our town's library is the smallest in the state if you go by square footage per capita.
I'd estimate that Berlin's library is about the same size as ours, even though our town around three times as many people. Keene has slightly fewer people than we do and i'd be willing to guess that its library is five to ten times larger.
Yet each year, the article for a new library fails. In 2006, not only did the article fail, but an article to empty out the capital reserve fund for building a new library was emptied for tax relief.
So, while I can understand the people who disagreed with this woman (she was a registered Republican I later found out) in regards to a fair tax burden on our taxpayers, but I definitely understand where she's coming from in that we do not invest in ourselves as a town nearly enough.
She then went on to talk about the proposed mall and asked why we were building it when the Old Shaw's Plaza had been empty for years and the Commons shopping plaza had been empty for years until it began to finally began to fill up a year or two ago.
I don't believe that we should tell businesses and industries how to run their operations, and I don't believe that we should invest wastefully (the library is worth an article on its own), but in the end, if we do invest in ourselves as a town, and for that matter, as a state, not only will it be easier for us to find tenants for places like the Old Shaw's Plaza and what we had with the Commons, but attract new businesses and industries to Merrimack that will recoup any investments we make.
Like the old lady with the lemonade might say, we need to make sure we start mowing our lawns.
I was walking down a street in Merrimack and saw the inhabitants of one of that street's houses on their driveway: a teenage girl and an elderly woman each with a lemonade and an elderly man with a beer.
It was a beautiful day, so I decided to walk on up and say hello even though they weren't on the list.
At first they thought I was a salesman, but I quickly let them know I wasn't selling anything or asking for any money, that I was only a local guy running for office and wanted to let them know about myself. The elderly couple each took one of my brochures, and I thanked them and started to walk away.
By about the time I reached the end of the driveway, the elderly woman yelled to me "Hey, Andrew, come back here for a second!"
She liked the fact that I had lived here all my life. Then we started to talk about our town, and she started to talk about how nobody in town seemed to mow their lawns anymore.
I can understand her statement to a point, but there is a vast variation in terms of the status of lawns here in Merrimack. Some houses in town probably have thousands of dollars spent on them every year, some houses in town need machetes and various inoculations to be navigated through.
I don't think that's what she was getting at though. What I think she was trying to get to the heart of was our towns' past in regards to not liking to invest in itself.
For just about my entire life, a warrant article was on the ballot every year to get a new library. While I don't have the statistics, I'd have to assume that our town's library is the smallest in the state if you go by square footage per capita.
I'd estimate that Berlin's library is about the same size as ours, even though our town around three times as many people. Keene has slightly fewer people than we do and i'd be willing to guess that its library is five to ten times larger.
Yet each year, the article for a new library fails. In 2006, not only did the article fail, but an article to empty out the capital reserve fund for building a new library was emptied for tax relief.
So, while I can understand the people who disagreed with this woman (she was a registered Republican I later found out) in regards to a fair tax burden on our taxpayers, but I definitely understand where she's coming from in that we do not invest in ourselves as a town nearly enough.
She then went on to talk about the proposed mall and asked why we were building it when the Old Shaw's Plaza had been empty for years and the Commons shopping plaza had been empty for years until it began to finally began to fill up a year or two ago.
I don't believe that we should tell businesses and industries how to run their operations, and I don't believe that we should invest wastefully (the library is worth an article on its own), but in the end, if we do invest in ourselves as a town, and for that matter, as a state, not only will it be easier for us to find tenants for places like the Old Shaw's Plaza and what we had with the Commons, but attract new businesses and industries to Merrimack that will recoup any investments we make.
Like the old lady with the lemonade might say, we need to make sure we start mowing our lawns.
92 Days and 5 Hours To Go: The Only Thing You Can Promise Is That One Day You'll Die
When you knock on a door out campaigning, you never know what you're going to get on the other side.
A little while ago, I go up to a house, ring the door bell, and hear somebody yell "hey, somebody's at the door, go get it!"
So, I wait for 2 or 3 minutes until a young man comes to the door followed by what I assume was his grandfather.
The grandfather has no shirt on, and looks like a slightly shorter version of Telly Savalas, and I start to go into my script.
Apparently his most important issue is also what i've found to be the most important issue to voters, saying that things suck and all the politicians are crooked and only looking out for each other, so on and so forth.
Once he started talking about the municipal level politicians, I had to be more neutral due to my position on the Merrimack Ethics Committee, telling him about the Ethics Committee and letting him know that it's here for oversight of public employees and public officials and what to do if he thought a town employee or a town elected official was acting unethically.
However, I told him that even with the Ethics Committee, I couldn't promise anything in regards to helping him regain his trust in government, and for that matter I couldn't promise him anything other than the only three things I can promise anybody, and he replied with an interesting statement...
"I don't expect any more out of you, but the only thing anybody can ever truly promise is that one day they'll die."
We talked for another few minutes about things, and he wished me luck, thanked me for coming by as well as for running for office, and said I had gotten his vote.
Still, after that moment of clarity, I doubt that in the grand scheme of things that his or anyone else's vote is truly 100% guaranteed.
A little while ago, I go up to a house, ring the door bell, and hear somebody yell "hey, somebody's at the door, go get it!"
So, I wait for 2 or 3 minutes until a young man comes to the door followed by what I assume was his grandfather.
The grandfather has no shirt on, and looks like a slightly shorter version of Telly Savalas, and I start to go into my script.
Apparently his most important issue is also what i've found to be the most important issue to voters, saying that things suck and all the politicians are crooked and only looking out for each other, so on and so forth.
Once he started talking about the municipal level politicians, I had to be more neutral due to my position on the Merrimack Ethics Committee, telling him about the Ethics Committee and letting him know that it's here for oversight of public employees and public officials and what to do if he thought a town employee or a town elected official was acting unethically.
However, I told him that even with the Ethics Committee, I couldn't promise anything in regards to helping him regain his trust in government, and for that matter I couldn't promise him anything other than the only three things I can promise anybody, and he replied with an interesting statement...
"I don't expect any more out of you, but the only thing anybody can ever truly promise is that one day they'll die."
We talked for another few minutes about things, and he wished me luck, thanked me for coming by as well as for running for office, and said I had gotten his vote.
Still, after that moment of clarity, I doubt that in the grand scheme of things that his or anyone else's vote is truly 100% guaranteed.
93 Days To Go: Taking It Easy
One thing I learned the hard way in 2006 is not to burn out too quickly. Sometimes you've got to take a day off, and that goes for writing too.
Still, i'm making progress on the ground, so far I have more signs on lawns in Merrimack than all other State Rep candidates combined, I probably have about as many as Jeanne Shaheen, Barack Obama and John McCain for that matter.
Add to that pretty good fundraising numbers for a state rep candidate (about $600), an appearance on WMUR's Close Up this morning (i'll try to get the video of it up asap), and i'm more than happy to hold back a bit.
After all, the next few months are going to be busy. I gotta keep up this pace.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
96 Days To Go: Regaining Hope
Ok, I left you all in suspense last night, and I need to be honest that it was in large part due to fatigue.
In large part, the people i've talked to in Merrimack and throughout the state have had a different fatigue, and that is probably the biggest factor in what I have seen as the biggest issue our state and indeed, our country faces this fall.
It isn't healthcare, it isn't Iraq, it isn't the economy or gas prices, it isn't education or the environment or taxes or immigration or for that matter, any other thing we'd probably truly classify as an issue.
In reality, the biggest issue I see is that people might care about these or other issues, but they feel powerless to do anything about it, or they've stopped caring altogether due to the grinding and seemingly unjust nature of "the system". Here in Merrimack, it's a lack of faith that we can ever achieve a fair and equitable turnpike system.
Before we solve any of the numerous problems our state and our country face, we first must address the the lack of faith, the lack of hope many of us feel towards the world beyond ourselves.
We must say to all people throughout our state and throughout our nation from all walks of life, from all ideological backgrounds, that they if work hard, and respect and do not harm others, they can have a chance to achieve whatever they dream, and we must say this not just with empty rhetoric, but with a tangible framework to facilitate their efforts rather than an all encompassing and strangling bureaucracy or an outsourced and soulless network that only helps a privileged few.
Because what we've lost as a nation and as a state doesn't belong to just one side of the political spectrum, it's larger than that. What we've lost is the hope of the American Dream, the unassailable belief that anything is within anyone's reach if they are just willing to grasp it, and we can reattain this if we choose to do so by working with each other rationally towards concrete solutions to the problems we face rather than engaging in endless dogmatic rancor like we have seen in the past.
I believe we can do this, but I am only human. At times I will falter, and I will ask you all to help me when I stumble towards this goal. And in return, if I am able, I will help you when you falter as well.
In the end, none of us can regain the hope we once had as a nation alone, but I am certain we will regain it if we keep on moving forward.
In large part, the people i've talked to in Merrimack and throughout the state have had a different fatigue, and that is probably the biggest factor in what I have seen as the biggest issue our state and indeed, our country faces this fall.
It isn't healthcare, it isn't Iraq, it isn't the economy or gas prices, it isn't education or the environment or taxes or immigration or for that matter, any other thing we'd probably truly classify as an issue.
In reality, the biggest issue I see is that people might care about these or other issues, but they feel powerless to do anything about it, or they've stopped caring altogether due to the grinding and seemingly unjust nature of "the system". Here in Merrimack, it's a lack of faith that we can ever achieve a fair and equitable turnpike system.
Before we solve any of the numerous problems our state and our country face, we first must address the the lack of faith, the lack of hope many of us feel towards the world beyond ourselves.
We must say to all people throughout our state and throughout our nation from all walks of life, from all ideological backgrounds, that they if work hard, and respect and do not harm others, they can have a chance to achieve whatever they dream, and we must say this not just with empty rhetoric, but with a tangible framework to facilitate their efforts rather than an all encompassing and strangling bureaucracy or an outsourced and soulless network that only helps a privileged few.
Because what we've lost as a nation and as a state doesn't belong to just one side of the political spectrum, it's larger than that. What we've lost is the hope of the American Dream, the unassailable belief that anything is within anyone's reach if they are just willing to grasp it, and we can reattain this if we choose to do so by working with each other rationally towards concrete solutions to the problems we face rather than engaging in endless dogmatic rancor like we have seen in the past.
I believe we can do this, but I am only human. At times I will falter, and I will ask you all to help me when I stumble towards this goal. And in return, if I am able, I will help you when you falter as well.
In the end, none of us can regain the hope we once had as a nation alone, but I am certain we will regain it if we keep on moving forward.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
97 Days: What Is The Important Issue To Voters This Year?
Never mind the polling, if you'd all like to know what truly is the biggest issue on the minds of voters, the best way to find out is to get out there and ask them yourselves.
This can be done pretty much anywhere in New Hampshire where there are people who are stationary and not engaging in a particular activity at that moment.
You can go to Market Square in Portsmouth, Railroad Square in Keene, Eagle Square in Concord. You can go to Mine Falls Park in Nashua, Victory Park in Manchester, or Androscoggin Wayside Park in Errol.
No matter where you go in New Hampshire, you're going to get the same results for the most part when it comes to the biggest issue on the minds of voters, and this goes for Merrimack too.
However, if you'd like to know what i've found in all those places, you'll have to read tomorrow's article! Until then my friends, it's 97 days and counting...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
98 Days To Go: Signs and Rumors
Rumors are funny things.
You ignore them, and they'll grow and possibly cause problems with those who can't feel bothered to verify what they hear before they accept it as truth. You take them too seriously, and then people will accept them as truth irregardless of their veracity. Either way, i've found that you can't let them rule your actions under any circumstances or it'll just drive you mad.
So, I was a little stunned a few weeks ago when I had heard I was breaking the law in regards to lawn signs.
Before 2004, RSA 664:17, New Hampshire's state law on lawn signs, said that you couldn't put them out before the last Friday in July. In 2004, that law was challenged in court, the court found that telling people that they couldn't put up signs before a certain date was unconstitutional, and then in 2006 the legislature passed HB 349, a bill that removed the the last Friday in July provision from RSA 664:17.
So now you can put up lawn signs at any time, provided they are on state owned rights of way or private property. Here in Merrimack, the zoning ordinance regarding signs on town owned rights of way isn't enforced, so it's a judgment call for the most part on where to put signs.
The rumor about me breaking this law that had been repealed a few years ago probably wasn't a big deal in the first place, but I figured it was a big enough of a deal to mention and clarify.
Not sure otherwise about the rumor though, so far i'm the only candidate in Merrimack who has any signs up other than two candidates for Registrar of Deeds.
You ignore them, and they'll grow and possibly cause problems with those who can't feel bothered to verify what they hear before they accept it as truth. You take them too seriously, and then people will accept them as truth irregardless of their veracity. Either way, i've found that you can't let them rule your actions under any circumstances or it'll just drive you mad.
So, I was a little stunned a few weeks ago when I had heard I was breaking the law in regards to lawn signs.
Before 2004, RSA 664:17, New Hampshire's state law on lawn signs, said that you couldn't put them out before the last Friday in July. In 2004, that law was challenged in court, the court found that telling people that they couldn't put up signs before a certain date was unconstitutional, and then in 2006 the legislature passed HB 349, a bill that removed the the last Friday in July provision from RSA 664:17.
So now you can put up lawn signs at any time, provided they are on state owned rights of way or private property. Here in Merrimack, the zoning ordinance regarding signs on town owned rights of way isn't enforced, so it's a judgment call for the most part on where to put signs.
The rumor about me breaking this law that had been repealed a few years ago probably wasn't a big deal in the first place, but I figured it was a big enough of a deal to mention and clarify.
Not sure otherwise about the rumor though, so far i'm the only candidate in Merrimack who has any signs up other than two candidates for Registrar of Deeds.
Monday, July 28, 2008
99 Days To Go: Education And Spaghetti Sauce
The other day I was walking a neighborhood in the central part of town, better known as Souhegan Village, when I met a voter who brought me an interesting question.
She talked about two of her sons, one in private school, the other in public school. The one private school was older, she thought she would be able to put both of them in private school, but it turned out not to be the case, and she didn't want to separate the older child from his friends he had made and she could afford to send one of the two kids to private schools.
She wondered why the two children received such different educations despite going to schools only a few miles apart from each other. The private school child received much more emphasis on a core curriculum while the public school child in her eyes was not being challenged.
She also said the private school staff were being paid far less and received fewer extraneous assistance in teaching, yet the results she was seeing from the private school were greater than those she was getting from the public school child, who was getting far less homework.
I can't affirm or oppose her assertions in regards to the private school she mentioned, and while I was on the School Board Budget Committee last year, I have to admit that our job seemed to be one of oversight rather than real hands on fiscal policy in the school district, due in large part to the excellent job the School Board did before we convened shortly before the Deliberative Session in the spring.
However, when I was going over those budgets, it was difficult to discern what the value of each line item was, due in large part because there were so many.
This was part of why the woman I talked to wanted to see our town's school budget cut. "When I go to the supermarket, I see so many brands of pasta sauce now that I can't tell them apart, I get overwhelmed" she said. "So in the end, I just look for the price, and find the cheapest one."
I believe a government budget is no different than that woman's dilemma with the spaghetti sauce as well as how she viewed the educations of her two sons.
If the choices that need to be made within a budget are overwhelming and it isn't clear what value one would get from spending on a certain item, it's understandable that people would go into a default mode and make a decision on the clearest value you're going to see on just about any spreadsheet: price.
However, with her kids, she saw more than just price. She saw something that may well be intangible in terms of her childrens' education, but is never the less just as valuable as the money spent on it, if not more so.
It appeared that she agreed with my belief on budgets that any dogma of an extreme, whether it be cutting everything or spending indiscriminately without understanding of the cost, wasn't a particularly good idea.
We had a good discussion, and even though she didn't say specifically that she'd vote for me, she offered me a Fresca since it was a hot day, so i'm guessing i've gotten her vote.
And to top it off, I was actually aiming to talk to someone else in her house that wasn't home....
She talked about two of her sons, one in private school, the other in public school. The one private school was older, she thought she would be able to put both of them in private school, but it turned out not to be the case, and she didn't want to separate the older child from his friends he had made and she could afford to send one of the two kids to private schools.
She wondered why the two children received such different educations despite going to schools only a few miles apart from each other. The private school child received much more emphasis on a core curriculum while the public school child in her eyes was not being challenged.
She also said the private school staff were being paid far less and received fewer extraneous assistance in teaching, yet the results she was seeing from the private school were greater than those she was getting from the public school child, who was getting far less homework.
I can't affirm or oppose her assertions in regards to the private school she mentioned, and while I was on the School Board Budget Committee last year, I have to admit that our job seemed to be one of oversight rather than real hands on fiscal policy in the school district, due in large part to the excellent job the School Board did before we convened shortly before the Deliberative Session in the spring.
However, when I was going over those budgets, it was difficult to discern what the value of each line item was, due in large part because there were so many.
This was part of why the woman I talked to wanted to see our town's school budget cut. "When I go to the supermarket, I see so many brands of pasta sauce now that I can't tell them apart, I get overwhelmed" she said. "So in the end, I just look for the price, and find the cheapest one."
I believe a government budget is no different than that woman's dilemma with the spaghetti sauce as well as how she viewed the educations of her two sons.
If the choices that need to be made within a budget are overwhelming and it isn't clear what value one would get from spending on a certain item, it's understandable that people would go into a default mode and make a decision on the clearest value you're going to see on just about any spreadsheet: price.
However, with her kids, she saw more than just price. She saw something that may well be intangible in terms of her childrens' education, but is never the less just as valuable as the money spent on it, if not more so.
It appeared that she agreed with my belief on budgets that any dogma of an extreme, whether it be cutting everything or spending indiscriminately without understanding of the cost, wasn't a particularly good idea.
We had a good discussion, and even though she didn't say specifically that she'd vote for me, she offered me a Fresca since it was a hot day, so i'm guessing i've gotten her vote.
And to top it off, I was actually aiming to talk to someone else in her house that wasn't home....
Saturday, July 26, 2008
100 Days, 100 Articles
July 26th marked 100 days left until the 2008 Election.
For us here in New Hampshire, we've already had a long journey towards this election due to our status with the First in the Nation Primary, but today is a milestone towards the beginning of the end.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Andrew Sylvia. I am a candidate for State Representative in the district of Hillsborough 19, which consists of my hometown: Merrimack.
Over the next 100 days, I aim to write 100 articles about the stories I see on the campaign trail here at the bottom of the ticket. I will try to focus most of the stories here on Merrimack, particularly the stories of the average voter on the street.
I may write more than 100 articles, I may write less than 100 articles, I may write controversial statements, I may write stories you find dull, I may write partisan propaganda or post-partisan drivel, I may write about just about anything, but I will write and I will show you what I see because that is part of who I am, and who I will be if I am to be elected as a State Legislator.
There are only two things I can promise in these campaign journals.
Other than the only things I can normally promise, I will not use any names unless in praise of someone, if the person is already a public figure and it's necessary to advance the narrative, or i've been explicitly asked to by the person themselves.
I also won't share anything that people have asked me to keep confidential that isn't unethical. I'm sure it will take alot up in Concord to build enough trust with other legislators to get the votes I'll need to pass the legislation my constituents will want, and it's hard to build trust when you're blabbing about what everyone else is saying and doing as I have found out the hard way.
I look forward to sharing this journey towards election day with all of you.
For us here in New Hampshire, we've already had a long journey towards this election due to our status with the First in the Nation Primary, but today is a milestone towards the beginning of the end.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Andrew Sylvia. I am a candidate for State Representative in the district of Hillsborough 19, which consists of my hometown: Merrimack.
Over the next 100 days, I aim to write 100 articles about the stories I see on the campaign trail here at the bottom of the ticket. I will try to focus most of the stories here on Merrimack, particularly the stories of the average voter on the street.
I may write more than 100 articles, I may write less than 100 articles, I may write controversial statements, I may write stories you find dull, I may write partisan propaganda or post-partisan drivel, I may write about just about anything, but I will write and I will show you what I see because that is part of who I am, and who I will be if I am to be elected as a State Legislator.
There are only two things I can promise in these campaign journals.
Other than the only things I can normally promise, I will not use any names unless in praise of someone, if the person is already a public figure and it's necessary to advance the narrative, or i've been explicitly asked to by the person themselves.
I also won't share anything that people have asked me to keep confidential that isn't unethical. I'm sure it will take alot up in Concord to build enough trust with other legislators to get the votes I'll need to pass the legislation my constituents will want, and it's hard to build trust when you're blabbing about what everyone else is saying and doing as I have found out the hard way.
I look forward to sharing this journey towards election day with all of you.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Nashua Region Young Dems BBQ Kick-Off
Come join Congressman Paul Hodes and local Democrats for the BBQ event of the summer! There will be burgers & hot dogs, soft drinks, speakers, and music!
The BBQ is free of charge.
(Donations of $10 or more will be accepted at the event.)
You are welcome to invite your friends.
When: Saturday, August 9, 2008
Where: The home of Krishna and Latha Mangipudi
Address: 20 Salmon Brook Drive, Nashua, NH
Time: 12-330pm
If you have any questions, please e-mail: RFuentes@NHYoungDemocrats.Org
The BBQ is free of charge.
(Donations of $10 or more will be accepted at the event.)
You are welcome to invite your friends.
When: Saturday, August 9, 2008
Where: The home of Krishna and Latha Mangipudi
Address: 20 Salmon Brook Drive, Nashua, NH
Time: 12-330pm
If you have any questions, please e-mail: RFuentes@NHYoungDemocrats.Org
Monday, June 30, 2008
603 Forward UNVEILED!
Today, on behalf of the New Hampshire Young Democrats, I had the privilege to officially unveil “603 Forward.”
“603 Forward” is the NHYD campaign to elect 31 Young Democratic candidates for state representative this year. Below is the text of my remarks and the 603 Forward NHYD roster.
The New Hampshire Young Democrats have committed to promoting and supporting 31 Young Democratic candidates for N.H. state representative this fall politically and financially. We’re online, working together, at http://www.nhyoungdemocrats.org/ and the social networking sites. We’re already raising money on the “603 Forward” Act Blue page.
Not only are we active with the netroots though, we’re active with the grassroots. In a little over a week, NHYD will begin our statewide canvassing efforts, encouraging New Hampshire’s young adults to vote Democratic in November, not only for Barack Obama, Jeanne Shaheen and John Lynch, but all the way down the ballot … especially for our young state representative candidates. Young voters have a choice in November - not just between left and right, Democrat and Republican, but between the past and the future. The 31 candidates below represent the future.
New Hampshire’s Young Democrats have never been so enthusiastic about an election as they are about this one. The political enthusiasm of young people is palpable, and these 31 candidates are evidence of that enthusiasm. Something is happening in New Hampshire. As more and more Young Candidates filed, I asked around and no one can remember the Democratic Party having so many Young Democratic candidates run for office. As the Republican party looks backward, with the same old candidates talking about the same old failed policies, New Hampshire’s young voters, who accounted for over 16 percent of the vote in January’s presidential primary, are looking forward. That’s why we named our campaign “603 Forward.”
New Hampshire’s Young Democrats are organized, united and ready for change because no generation has more at stake in this election than New Hampshire's young adults. The New Hampshire Young Democrats are committed to bringing fresh, new perspectives and judgment to Concord in 2009, focusing on local issues and the significant, unique challenges facing New Hampshire’s young adult population – a population that is leaving our state in large numbers.
The change New Hampshire’s young voters are striving for, the change generating such enthusiasm - change that grows our economy, provides healthcare for all and cleans our environment … change that doesn’t divide us but rather unites us - that change starts with electing Young Democrats to office this November. I know they will appreciate your support.
The 31 Young Democrats running for State Representative are:
Ben Arsenault – Belknap 04
Kalin Jordan – Carroll 04
Jeffrey Ballard – Carroll 05
Scott Merrick – Coos 02
Leigh Douglass – Hillsborough 07
Katelyn Kerins – Hillsborough 07
Doug Lindner – Hillsborough 08
Sean Doyle – Hillsborough 09
Alexis Chininis – Hillsborough 10
Gene Martin – Hillsborough 15
Patrick Arnold – Hillsborough 17
Kristie Poltroneiri – Hillsborough 18
Andy Sylvia – Hillsborough 19
Roberto Fuentes – Hillsborough 21
Brian Poznanski – Hillsborough 26
Daniel Loehr – Merrimack 06
Ethan Rodgers – Merrimack 09
David Howard – Rockingham 03
Emily Rocheleau – Rockingham 03
Jessica Garofalo – Rockingham 04
Camron Iannalfo – Rockingham 04
Connor O'Brien – Rockingham 04
Carol Schneider – Rockingham 04
Brent Carney – Rockingham 05
Alyssa Graham – Rockingham 05
Daniel McKenna – Rockingham 05
Michael Rollo – Strafford 02
Sarah Hutz – Strafford 05
Brendon Browne – Strafford 04
Jeremy Bourgeois – Strafford 01
Courtney Merrill – Sullivan 01
“603 Forward” is the NHYD campaign to elect 31 Young Democratic candidates for state representative this year. Below is the text of my remarks and the 603 Forward NHYD roster.
The New Hampshire Young Democrats have committed to promoting and supporting 31 Young Democratic candidates for N.H. state representative this fall politically and financially. We’re online, working together, at http://www.nhyoungdemocrats.org/ and the social networking sites. We’re already raising money on the “603 Forward” Act Blue page.
Not only are we active with the netroots though, we’re active with the grassroots. In a little over a week, NHYD will begin our statewide canvassing efforts, encouraging New Hampshire’s young adults to vote Democratic in November, not only for Barack Obama, Jeanne Shaheen and John Lynch, but all the way down the ballot … especially for our young state representative candidates. Young voters have a choice in November - not just between left and right, Democrat and Republican, but between the past and the future. The 31 candidates below represent the future.
New Hampshire’s Young Democrats have never been so enthusiastic about an election as they are about this one. The political enthusiasm of young people is palpable, and these 31 candidates are evidence of that enthusiasm. Something is happening in New Hampshire. As more and more Young Candidates filed, I asked around and no one can remember the Democratic Party having so many Young Democratic candidates run for office. As the Republican party looks backward, with the same old candidates talking about the same old failed policies, New Hampshire’s young voters, who accounted for over 16 percent of the vote in January’s presidential primary, are looking forward. That’s why we named our campaign “603 Forward.”
New Hampshire’s Young Democrats are organized, united and ready for change because no generation has more at stake in this election than New Hampshire's young adults. The New Hampshire Young Democrats are committed to bringing fresh, new perspectives and judgment to Concord in 2009, focusing on local issues and the significant, unique challenges facing New Hampshire’s young adult population – a population that is leaving our state in large numbers.
The change New Hampshire’s young voters are striving for, the change generating such enthusiasm - change that grows our economy, provides healthcare for all and cleans our environment … change that doesn’t divide us but rather unites us - that change starts with electing Young Democrats to office this November. I know they will appreciate your support.
The 31 Young Democrats running for State Representative are:
Ben Arsenault – Belknap 04
Kalin Jordan – Carroll 04
Jeffrey Ballard – Carroll 05
Scott Merrick – Coos 02
Leigh Douglass – Hillsborough 07
Katelyn Kerins – Hillsborough 07
Doug Lindner – Hillsborough 08
Sean Doyle – Hillsborough 09
Alexis Chininis – Hillsborough 10
Gene Martin – Hillsborough 15
Patrick Arnold – Hillsborough 17
Kristie Poltroneiri – Hillsborough 18
Andy Sylvia – Hillsborough 19
Roberto Fuentes – Hillsborough 21
Brian Poznanski – Hillsborough 26
Daniel Loehr – Merrimack 06
Ethan Rodgers – Merrimack 09
David Howard – Rockingham 03
Emily Rocheleau – Rockingham 03
Jessica Garofalo – Rockingham 04
Camron Iannalfo – Rockingham 04
Connor O'Brien – Rockingham 04
Carol Schneider – Rockingham 04
Brent Carney – Rockingham 05
Alyssa Graham – Rockingham 05
Daniel McKenna – Rockingham 05
Michael Rollo – Strafford 02
Sarah Hutz – Strafford 05
Brendon Browne – Strafford 04
Jeremy Bourgeois – Strafford 01
Courtney Merrill – Sullivan 01
Saturday, June 28, 2008
603 Forward: The Campaign to Elect Young Democrats
For weeks New Hampshire Young Democrats has promised you big news. We announced it at our BBQ on Saturday and next week we will unveil to the public our campaign to elect OVER TWO DOZEN NHYD state representative candidates.
"603 FORWARD" is NHYD's 2008 campaign to elect Young Democrats in NH. As an organization, we are committed to promoting, funding, supporting and electing these dozens of YDs who will bring fresh new perspectives and judgment to Concord that you'll find in our 2008 political guide. NHYD is going to give the NH House a youth infusion.
Please help your fellow YDs financially, even with a $5 or $10 contribution, click here for our 603 Forward Act Blue page. 100% of your donation will go to electing Young Democrats!
Keep checking http://www.nhyoungdemocrats.org/ for the names and websites of these great YD candidates - your future state state reps. In 2008, Young Democrats = Change. Let's do our part to elect Young Democrats.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Young Democrats Event: A Success
Thanks to wonderful hosts, lots of work by the tireless Kristin Mueller and our fearless leader, Garth Corriveau, today's event had a tremendous turn-out. Young candidates like Roberto Fuentes, Scott Merrick, and Andy Sylvia, among about ten others, joined a crowd of Fellows from the Obama Nation and took the backyard of Jess Clark's house by storm. Good burgers and hot dogs, too!
Lou was there to offer some remarks. The world is coming to an end and the worst thing we can do is promise to show up and then not turn out. That was the take away message. Like, who really wants to show up for the end of the world? I expected to see Jesus coming around the corner with a sword...and then he started talking about an inspirational nun whom he talks to every day and the party we would all have when it is over. I felt good again, like a Great American.
Lou was there to offer some remarks. The world is coming to an end and the worst thing we can do is promise to show up and then not turn out. That was the take away message. Like, who really wants to show up for the end of the world? I expected to see Jesus coming around the corner with a sword...and then he started talking about an inspirational nun whom he talks to every day and the party we would all have when it is over. I felt good again, like a Great American.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
History
No matter what you think of Barack Obama and no matter who you supported for president, by the end of tonight the United States of America will be the first Western democracy ever to nominate a non-white individual for its highest political office - and that individual is Barack Obama.
With all the veep and superdelegate talk, raw feelings, talk of reconciliation, and even the filing period chatter here in NH, I just think that point deserves emphasis - HISTORY will be made tonight.
On a personal note, as some of you may know, I endorsed, contributed to and volunteered for Barack beginning in Feb. '07, but had to curtail my support - public and private - when I was elected NHYD President in January due to bylaws regarding contested primaries. It has been personally frustrating to stand on the sidelines during the primary calendar, forbidden to articulate the virtues of my candidate or to defend him, but I respected and still respect the NHYD bylaws and the incredible campaign Senator Clinton and her supporters ran here in NH and beyond.
Now though it's incredibly rewarding to be able to finally say ...
"Change is coming to America. VOTE HOPE!"
I'm so excited to elect Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States. Young Democrats, it's time to unite, to rescue our country from John McSame, and together, to make history ...
With all the veep and superdelegate talk, raw feelings, talk of reconciliation, and even the filing period chatter here in NH, I just think that point deserves emphasis - HISTORY will be made tonight.
On a personal note, as some of you may know, I endorsed, contributed to and volunteered for Barack beginning in Feb. '07, but had to curtail my support - public and private - when I was elected NHYD President in January due to bylaws regarding contested primaries. It has been personally frustrating to stand on the sidelines during the primary calendar, forbidden to articulate the virtues of my candidate or to defend him, but I respected and still respect the NHYD bylaws and the incredible campaign Senator Clinton and her supporters ran here in NH and beyond.
Now though it's incredibly rewarding to be able to finally say ...
"Change is coming to America. VOTE HOPE!"
I'm so excited to elect Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States. Young Democrats, it's time to unite, to rescue our country from John McSame, and together, to make history ...
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Mayor Karen Liot Hill
Back on February 12th - the day of Dr. Buckey's Senate withdrawal - I wrote here about a fellow Young Democrat:
Lebanon is a great place - home to our state's two largest private employers (Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and DH Eye Clinic) and filled with young, self-motivated residents that comprise much of the backbone of the NH Democratic Party. Now that great place has a dynamic and progressive new leader. Karen and so many others give me hope that Young Democrats are quietly, yet assuredly, making N.H. a better state, community-by-community.
There has never been a more important time for young people to serve our communities. Congratulations Karen.
Karen Liot Hill is a super-talented Young Dem and I'm confident ... no, I know ... she will be a salient voice for progressive issues now and for many years to come. She's a key Young Democratic leader to keep your eyes on.Only six weeks later I hate to say "I told you so," but, ... well, for those of us outside of the Upper Valley there's great news: yesterday Karen was elected Mayor of Lebanon!
Lebanon is a great place - home to our state's two largest private employers (Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and DH Eye Clinic) and filled with young, self-motivated residents that comprise much of the backbone of the NH Democratic Party. Now that great place has a dynamic and progressive new leader. Karen and so many others give me hope that Young Democrats are quietly, yet assuredly, making N.H. a better state, community-by-community.
There has never been a more important time for young people to serve our communities. Congratulations Karen.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Proud of "A More Perfect Union"
"Politics" derives from the Ancient Greek word "politeia," meaning citizenship. Too often in our nation's and state's capitals that meaning gets lost in talk of tactics, rumors and strategy.
Earlier this year the voters of NH narrowly chose Senator Clinton over Senator Obama and moved the Democratic presidential race forward to where we only have 10 states left to vote. Two powerful, historic candidacies for the Democratic presidential nomination remain.
The issue of race was not the elephant in room back on January 8th, but thanks to some insensitive remarks in the South Carolina campaign, the foolish comments last week by Geraldine Ferraro and video clips of some of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's inflammatory sermons, race - America's orginal sin - moved to the front and center.
There is so much each one of us, no matter how educated or enlightened, can never understand about the neighborhoods and hospitals, the schools and churches, the opportunities either lacking or existing outside of our own immediate communities ... but we can try.
For Americans, in fact, have a national creed - e pluribus unum ... out of many, one.
That's what I heard from Senator Obama today and for that I am grateful. Let us judge one another as we would want to be judged. The Washington chattering classes can make their own judgments that will pervade cable and network news coverage, but today I saw a Democratic presidential candidate speak honestly and powerfully about an issue as powerful as race to the voters as adults - not as white, brown or black. We were told not what we wanted to hear, but what we needed to hear - I am my brother's keeper.
And as Senator Obama so aptly said,
Like Senator Obama, I still believe in that "more perfect union" and my hope is that between now and November, young people will see themselves both as young voters and citizens.
Earlier this year the voters of NH narrowly chose Senator Clinton over Senator Obama and moved the Democratic presidential race forward to where we only have 10 states left to vote. Two powerful, historic candidacies for the Democratic presidential nomination remain.
The issue of race was not the elephant in room back on January 8th, but thanks to some insensitive remarks in the South Carolina campaign, the foolish comments last week by Geraldine Ferraro and video clips of some of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's inflammatory sermons, race - America's orginal sin - moved to the front and center.
There is so much each one of us, no matter how educated or enlightened, can never understand about the neighborhoods and hospitals, the schools and churches, the opportunities either lacking or existing outside of our own immediate communities ... but we can try.
For Americans, in fact, have a national creed - e pluribus unum ... out of many, one.
That's what I heard from Senator Obama today and for that I am grateful. Let us judge one another as we would want to be judged. The Washington chattering classes can make their own judgments that will pervade cable and network news coverage, but today I saw a Democratic presidential candidate speak honestly and powerfully about an issue as powerful as race to the voters as adults - not as white, brown or black. We were told not what we wanted to hear, but what we needed to hear - I am my brother's keeper.
And as Senator Obama so aptly said,
"This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation – the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election."Young people indeed have already made history, but there is more history to be made and each one of us has the choice whether or not to make it. For me, hope has become putting down my iPod and PS2 controller and becoming a Big Brother in Manchester. Hope is organizing Young Democrats in the Upper Valley, Monadnock and Seacoast regions even when cynics tell me that it's hopeless. Hope is becoming not just a better attorney or a better Democrat, but a better citizen.
Like Senator Obama, I still believe in that "more perfect union" and my hope is that between now and November, young people will see themselves both as young voters and citizens.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Appointing NH's Register of Probate Would Save The State Big Money
As you know, I ran a campaign for Register of Probate entirely on $5 contributions. Aside from drawing attention to campaign finance reform, my goals were a) to help with voter turn-out; b) civics education about down-ballot candidates' jobs responsibilities; c) increased name recognition, which is why I spent almost all of my money on signs; d) losing so that I would not have to stamp documents for two years--although I would have been happy to serve at that salary level; e) calling attention to the need for this position to be appointed and not elected."There is a myth that New Hampshire's fiscally conservative state culture creates frugal but fit government — no taxes, no frills, no problem. In truth, while New Hampshire may provide fewer services than other states, the notion that its finances are emblematic of old-fashioned New England Puritanism just isn't true. Meager cost and performance information and tortuous business processes create an institutional inertia that wastes much of the state's limited resources."
See http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/states_card.aspx?abrv=NH.
It was indeed a peculiar campaign, but a lot of fun.
The legislature voted (on January 23) with a roll call to support this Constitutional amendment, graciously introduced by Rep. Claudia Chase of Francestown at my behest. You can see from a view of the votes that it largely broke down along party lines. I am not sure why that is, because it is more fiscally conservative to appoint and you are likely to get a more qualified person if the Register is appointed. I guess the party of Reagan really has become the party of George W. Bush—incompetence and partisan struggle being the hallmarks of this Administration. Unfortunately, there were also a number of Democrats who did not allow this amendment to get the two-thirds vote that it needed to pass; a simple majority was insufficient.
Someone will need to bring it up again in 2009 if we are to succeed. I hope you will join me in thanking those Democratic members of the Merrimack County delegation who supported this. Only one Democrat, who was a Republican a year ago, ended up voting against it. All of our county Republicans opposed it. While these are the Democrats who opposed the bill state-wide, even their votes would not have guaranteed its passage:
Espiefs, Peter
Hammond, Lee
Gorman, Mary
Haley, Robert
O'Neil, James
Pilotte, Maurice
Scannell, David
Shaw, Kimberly
Simon, Anthony
Smith, David
Blanchard, Elizabeth
Cali-Pitts, Jacqueline
McEachern, Paul
Splaine, James
Mickelonis, Shawn
Watson, Robert
Jillette, Arthur
The woman that I ran against was, at the time, the best Register of Probate in the state by many accounts and would probably be appointed by Judge Hampe if this CACR were to pass, but she is wrong-headed about the amendment and has stirred up everybody in her Party to support the status quo. I ask for your support as we continue this struggle and want to thank the Democratic members of Merrimack County delegation for their nearly unanimous understanding and support of the right thing to do.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Diebold Accidently Leaks Results of 2008 Election Early
The First Installment of Today in Satiric News:
The Great Folks at the Onion Bring Us
Diebold Accidently Leaks Results of 2008 Election Early
Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early
Man do I ever want to elect Democrats now...
The Great Folks at the Onion Bring Us
Diebold Accidently Leaks Results of 2008 Election Early
Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early
Man do I ever want to elect Democrats now...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Should Bill Gates Go to Hell?
Enough is enough. The Constitution is supposed to be a living document, not a static parchment relic enshrined in the Archives of these United States of America. So, too, the Doctrine of Faith and its encyclopedic catechism of the Catholic Church is supposed to change. The movements of the latter are supposed to be more glacial than dynamic, but we are now in the position where the Church seems to be out in front of the United States government.
When Thomas Jefferson, who later sent Meriwether Lewis trundling across the Louisiana Territory all the way to the shining waters at the mouth of the Columbia River, wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and breathed life into this fledgling democracy, he believed that "Those who labor in the Earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people." What we are doing to the planet in the name of the Constitution--preventing people from hanging their clothes outside on the line, preventing individual states from implementing better programs for the mitigation of climate change--would make him roll over in his grave.
The seven deadly sins have grown to at least 14 after the Vatican updated its 1400-year-old list of the worst moral failures. What did they add? Excessive accumulation of wealth by the few and pollution, to name just a couple of the new offenses.
As e-waste becomes a major problem, Bill Gates and his ilk need to re-evaluate whether philanthropy, which some tout as the fourth branch of government, is really a good substitute for a communitarian government. Is it better to have Gates give billions to the African millions dying of AIDS or would it be better if our governments and churches, with the governments and churches of the world, took better care of our brethren.
I can hear some of you now: "Neither the government nor the churches would do as efficient and good a job." That makes my point exactly. Why have we lost so much faith in something that was supposed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people? If that is, in fact, the case, are we not smart enough to overcome these hurdles and develop fair, equitable programs that work?
I am not suggesting that there is a hot place in Hell for Bill Gates. That is Somebody else's decision. His generosity should be applauded and he and Melinda are making up for a government (and a Church) that has shrunk, through loss of faith, from its responsibilities. Nevertheless, we must consider these new imperatives from the Vatican. They must, at the very least, prompt the super-rich to ask themselves some critical questions.
Maybe then we can begin to dream again of a future worth living where we all share fairly and equitably in the American dream.
When Thomas Jefferson, who later sent Meriwether Lewis trundling across the Louisiana Territory all the way to the shining waters at the mouth of the Columbia River, wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and breathed life into this fledgling democracy, he believed that "Those who labor in the Earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people." What we are doing to the planet in the name of the Constitution--preventing people from hanging their clothes outside on the line, preventing individual states from implementing better programs for the mitigation of climate change--would make him roll over in his grave.
The seven deadly sins have grown to at least 14 after the Vatican updated its 1400-year-old list of the worst moral failures. What did they add? Excessive accumulation of wealth by the few and pollution, to name just a couple of the new offenses.
As e-waste becomes a major problem, Bill Gates and his ilk need to re-evaluate whether philanthropy, which some tout as the fourth branch of government, is really a good substitute for a communitarian government. Is it better to have Gates give billions to the African millions dying of AIDS or would it be better if our governments and churches, with the governments and churches of the world, took better care of our brethren.
I can hear some of you now: "Neither the government nor the churches would do as efficient and good a job." That makes my point exactly. Why have we lost so much faith in something that was supposed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people? If that is, in fact, the case, are we not smart enough to overcome these hurdles and develop fair, equitable programs that work?
I am not suggesting that there is a hot place in Hell for Bill Gates. That is Somebody else's decision. His generosity should be applauded and he and Melinda are making up for a government (and a Church) that has shrunk, through loss of faith, from its responsibilities. Nevertheless, we must consider these new imperatives from the Vatican. They must, at the very least, prompt the super-rich to ask themselves some critical questions.
Maybe then we can begin to dream again of a future worth living where we all share fairly and equitably in the American dream.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Seacoast Region NH Young Dems Kick-Off
Seacoast Young Dems Kick-Off
March 20th
7-9pm
The Brewery Lane Tavern
95 Brewery Ln in Portsmouth
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
NHYD Coming Events
MARCH 4th - "Super Tuesday 2" (VT, RI, TX, OH) Results Parties
MARCH 6th - U.S. Senate Fundraiser
MARCH 20th - Chapter Kickoff
- UPPER VALLEY YOUNG DEMOCRATS KICKOFF: Salt Hill Pub on the Village Green in Lebanon from 7- 9pm
- DEMOCRATIC DRINKS: Barley House "B-Lounge" in Concord from 7-9pm
MARCH 6th - U.S. Senate Fundraiser
- GENERATION JEANNE: 96 N. Adams St. in Manchester from 5:30-7:30pm
MARCH 20th - Chapter Kickoff
- SEACOAST YOUNG DEMOCRATS: Kick-off details TBA soon!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
March 4th - Upper Valley
Come join the New Hampshire Young Democrats on Tuesday, March 4th to watch the election returns. We'll be at the Salt Hill Pub on the Village Green in Lebanon from 7:00 - 9:00.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
NHYD statement on Dr. Jay Buckey's withdrawal from US Senate race
Admiration
by Garth Corriveau
President, NH Young Democrats
http://www.nhyoungdemocrats.org
Dr. Jay Buckey greatly impressed NHYD board members, especially me, with his command of the issues, his intellect, his lifestory and tireless campaign ethic. NH Young Democrats admire him and his cause tremendously. To say that the N.H. Young Democrats wish him well is an understatement. Our state needs leaders like Dr. Buckey.
Karen Liot Hill, Dr. Buckey's campaign manager, is a super-talented Young Dem and I'm confident ... no, I know ... she will be a salient voice for progressive issues now and for many years to come. She's a key Young Democratic leader to keep your eyes on.
Finally ... John E. Sununu - what's that sound you hear growing louder in the distance?
That's the stampede of young NH voters - 61% of whom voted Democratic in the '08 prez primary - rushing to oust you and your outdated rightwing agenda from the U.S. Senate!
Senator, you might want to get ear-plugs because that those footsteps are going to get louder and louder very quickly now thanks to Dr. Buckey, Governor Shaheen and NH's young Democratic voters.
by Garth Corriveau
President, NH Young Democrats
http://www.nhyoungdemocrats.org
Dr. Jay Buckey greatly impressed NHYD board members, especially me, with his command of the issues, his intellect, his lifestory and tireless campaign ethic. NH Young Democrats admire him and his cause tremendously. To say that the N.H. Young Democrats wish him well is an understatement. Our state needs leaders like Dr. Buckey.
Karen Liot Hill, Dr. Buckey's campaign manager, is a super-talented Young Dem and I'm confident ... no, I know ... she will be a salient voice for progressive issues now and for many years to come. She's a key Young Democratic leader to keep your eyes on.
Finally ... John E. Sununu - what's that sound you hear growing louder in the distance?
That's the stampede of young NH voters - 61% of whom voted Democratic in the '08 prez primary - rushing to oust you and your outdated rightwing agenda from the U.S. Senate!
Senator, you might want to get ear-plugs because that those footsteps are going to get louder and louder very quickly now thanks to Dr. Buckey, Governor Shaheen and NH's young Democratic voters.
NHYDs invade the blogosphere!
Welcome to the NH Young Democrats' official blog. My name is Garth Corriveau and I am President of the NH Young Democrats (NHYD). NHYD is the official youth arm of the NH Democratic Party. We are an inclusive, statewide organization of 18-36 year olds that exists to excite, engage and involve young people in New Hampshire's political community; mentor, recruit and empower a new generation of New Hampshire leaders; advance progressive ideals and values; and elect young Democrats. We recently elected a new executive committee which is filled with political organizers, fundraisers, media specialists and grassroots activists.
Here we will try to keep you up-to-date on all NHYD affairs, developments in local, state and national Democratic politics, and foster a dialogue between Young Democrats on progressive issues in 2008 and beyond. It is an honor to lead such a dynamic organization, with engaged, active and passionate members.
Currently our efforts are focused on building regional NHYD chapters outside of the Concord/Manchester/Nashua corridor - in particular, Seacoast Young Democrats, Upper Valley Young Democrats and Monadnock Young Democrats. Keep it here to learn about their upcoming kick-off events this spring. Also this spring, we will begin our fundraising efforts geared toward hiring an '08 youth campaign staffer whose goal will be GOTV in NH's college towns and cities.
John E. Sununu hears footsteps growing louder and louder - those of NH youth, whose 16% share of the overall 2008 NH presidential primary vote was higher than that of senior citizens. The overall youth turnout rate in NH was 43% - more than triple the rate of Iowa, Florida or Michigan and double that of South Carolina. Of that huge percentage, approximately 61% of NH young voters voted Democratic. John E. Sununu's George W. Bush neo-con loving, preemptive war-mongering, universal healthcare-dodging philosophy in the U.S. Senate is going to be shown the door this November by NH's young voters.
Oh, did I mention that NH young voters are going to put a Democrat in the White House too?
We need your help though. If you believe that the ways of Washington must change, then start at home. Join the NHYDs, visit http://www.nhyoungdemocrats.org/, because we are the change we've been waiting for.
Here we will try to keep you up-to-date on all NHYD affairs, developments in local, state and national Democratic politics, and foster a dialogue between Young Democrats on progressive issues in 2008 and beyond. It is an honor to lead such a dynamic organization, with engaged, active and passionate members.
Currently our efforts are focused on building regional NHYD chapters outside of the Concord/Manchester/Nashua corridor - in particular, Seacoast Young Democrats, Upper Valley Young Democrats and Monadnock Young Democrats. Keep it here to learn about their upcoming kick-off events this spring. Also this spring, we will begin our fundraising efforts geared toward hiring an '08 youth campaign staffer whose goal will be GOTV in NH's college towns and cities.
John E. Sununu hears footsteps growing louder and louder - those of NH youth, whose 16% share of the overall 2008 NH presidential primary vote was higher than that of senior citizens. The overall youth turnout rate in NH was 43% - more than triple the rate of Iowa, Florida or Michigan and double that of South Carolina. Of that huge percentage, approximately 61% of NH young voters voted Democratic. John E. Sununu's George W. Bush neo-con loving, preemptive war-mongering, universal healthcare-dodging philosophy in the U.S. Senate is going to be shown the door this November by NH's young voters.
Oh, did I mention that NH young voters are going to put a Democrat in the White House too?
We need your help though. If you believe that the ways of Washington must change, then start at home. Join the NHYDs, visit http://www.nhyoungdemocrats.org/, because we are the change we've been waiting for.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Does anyone remember the Pictures Pages on Saturday mornings?
Picture Pages, Picture Pages, time to get your Picture Pages.
Time to get your crayons and your pencils.
Pictures Pages, Picture Pages, open up your Pictures Pages....
No?
for a refresher course click here!
And here!
Now that we are all on the same page, without further ado I present
Blue Spot: News and Views from the New Hampshire Young Dems
Time to get your crayons and your pencils!
Picture Pages, Picture Pages, time to get your Picture Pages.
Time to get your crayons and your pencils.
Pictures Pages, Picture Pages, open up your Pictures Pages....
No?
for a refresher course click here!
And here!
Now that we are all on the same page, without further ado I present
Blue Spot: News and Views from the New Hampshire Young Dems
Time to get your crayons and your pencils!
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