Thursday, April 30, 2009

Kennedy knew it: Tax cuts stimulate economy

Our New Hampshire Democratic leadership can learn a lot from President John F. Kennedy on getting our state economy back on its feet.

Kennedy was a champion for fiscal prudence, lower taxation and investments back into the private sector to generate more revenue for the government. In 1962, during a news conference, Kennedy stated, "It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now ... Cutting taxes now is not to incur a budget deficit, but to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy, which can bring a budget surplus."

Kennedy understood that increasing taxes has a negative impact on the economy. On Jan. 21, 1963, Kennedy made a testimony before Congress on tax reduction and reform: "Our tax system still siphons out of the private economy too large a share of personal and business purchasing power and reduces the incentive for risk, investment and effort — thereby aborting our recoveries and stifling our national growth rate."

Today, many of New Hampshire's residents are putting their dreams on hold, watching every dollar spent, and laying awake at night unsure if they will have another paycheck. Our state representatives' spending has been unchecked, and they're now seeking to pass an unprecedented tax increase during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Recently, the New Hampshire House voted to increase meals, hotel and cigarettes tax. They are looking to add new taxes on gambling winnings and a capital gains tax of 5 percent. To burden the taxpayer more, the House included in the package a 15-cent gas tax increase.

New Hampshire residents need to let their voices be heard by e-mailing their representatives to remind them of the wisdom of JFK. To find your representative, Google search: NH General Court Who's My Legislator. To contact Gov. Lynch visit www.governor.nh.gov/contactus.htm.

Peter Horton

Stratham

Peter Horton is a common sense democrat who I am proud to know.

Lee

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

A TIME TO REMEMBER

Memorial Day is not a time to celebrate our freedoms; but, to remember and pay homage and respect to those who gave us those freedoms. We do not always understand what sacrifices, pain and suffering our veterans have gone through to insure we have what we have to understand our country is the greatest country on earth with the greatest freedoms ever experienced in the history of the world.

We pay our deepest respects and admiration to those who died in the performance of their duties or who were wounded in the performance of their duties. It makes no difference if they died in combat, training or by accident. They were doing their jobs as was required in the furtherance of the mission to keep our country free. We do not pay enough respect to those left behind with the loss of a loved one they have to bare the pain of the personal loss of one they loved. When I hear politicians giving speeches about how freedom is not free, I always think how much have they invested in the process? What dividends have they paid to get their speech in the papers?

The United States of America is not just a country, it is an idea. It is a belief and a way of life. If our nation is destroyed tomorrow will the destroyer ever be able to kill the idea that brought us into existence? No enemy of our nation will ever understand our strength or why we sacrifice ourselves so others can live without fear and promote the benefits of freedom.

There is a common bond between veterans of every nation and that is the bond of suffering. War is a measurement of how much suffering people can take and still survive. In the United States it goes back to the French and Indian Wars to the present. Veterans of all wars have been bonded together by the pain and suffering and the understanding of what we have all gone through. I wonder if the Army troops at Bastogne were any warmer or colder than those at Valley Forge, or the mountains of Korea, or the mountains of Afghanistan

Our country is now facing some of the worst threats in our history. Not only are we losing our moral compass; but, our understanding that we have to stand together and show the same level of courage in support of our country as our young men and women show in combat. Asking our politicians to show that same level of backbone is quite a task; to them I say “take your hands out of people’s wallets and put them over your heart”.

We hear people deny god and the bible that is their choice; but, in doing so denies the very movement that brought the pilgrims over on the Mayflower. It denies the very movement that brought our country into existence and gave us the moral compass to stand strong, free, compassionate, and independent.

To those of you who are veterans, gone and with us, I can only say THANK YOU for doing your job. To those of you who are families who have young men and women in the military I say thank you for doing such a great job raising such fine Americans. For those of you who have lost members of your families, I say THANK YOU, for sharing them with the greatest country in the world. The world is not a better place by their passing; but a better place because of their deeds. To those young men and women who are serving I say THANK YOU for being the greatest generation for, like all veterans, putting your life on line to defend our way of life.

It seems totally inadequate to say this; but, THANK YOU.

Friday, April 24, 2009

NEW HAMPSHIRE'S NEW REPORT CARD

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has just released its 2009 “Rich States Poor States” report ranking the economic potential of all the states. New Hampshire, flying high in 2007, has received a flunking grade. In just two short years from having elected a new legislative majority, New Hampshire has fallen from a ranking of #20 nationally to a ranking of #37 today. In other words, New Hampshire’s has fallen seventeen positions in rank in relation to all other states and is now just thirteen places from the bottom of the list.

The report’s authors, Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore and Jonathan Williams, periodically evaluate all states on the basis of their tax rates, tax burden, recently legislated tax changes, debt service, public employees per 10,000 of population, state liability system, state minimum wage, worker’s compensation costs, right to work, and tax expenditure limits.

The report’s purpose is to identify which states are engines for economic growth, economic improvement and job creation and which states are not. States that promote regulation and tax schemes that discourage capital growth and investment in new businesses and jobs fall toward the bottom of the rankings. Presently, the five top performing states are Utah (#1), Colorado (#2), Arizona (#3), Virginia (#4), and South Dakota (#5). The five worst performing states are New Jersey (#46), Maine (#47), Rhode Island (#48), Vermont (#49) and, New York (#50).

This importance of ranking New Hampshire’s economic potential may be lost on individuals employed by government, higher education or institutions providing health care but for those not dependent upon these entities for either employment or for business development, a precipitous decline in New Hampshire’s national ranking means poorer prospects for future business development, lower future wages, less opportunity for advancement, poorer prospects for the sale of homes and other real estate and poorer prospects for creating a satisfactory retirement income. New Hampshire’s lessened status will simply cause investors to look elsewhere.

Legislatures wanting to promote long term growth and prosperity for their states do so by promoting less government, less regulation and a favorable tax climate for individuals and for businesses. Until recently, New Hampshire thrived on this approach to government. By reversing the state’s historic preference for low taxes and less government, New Hampshire’s legislature has now begun to drive investors away. Google “Rich States Poor States.” Check out New Hampshire. For the first time in decades, New Hampshire has begun to lose population.

In 2007, New Hampshire lead all northeastern states in terms of economic growth and prosperity. It was then the northeast’s economic powerhouse. The glory of that era has now dissipated. Today, New Hampshire’s ranks behind Massachusetts, #26, and behind Connecticut, #32, as a desirable place to invest, to build a business and to create jobs. In addition, New Hampshire is performing worse than average in gross state product growth, in personal income growth, and in personal income per-capita growth.

The calamity of New Hampshire’s steep decline in national and regional economic prestige over such a compressed period of time is entirely due to its legislature’s enactment of toxic regulatory, tax, and spending initiatives. In 2007, New Hampshire’s governor and legislature increased state spending by more than 17% over the previous biennium and increased more than twenty taxes and fees to pay for growth in government. Calculations and projections by the majority were inept however and instead of covering costs, the legislature caused New Hampshire’s deficit to balloon hundreds of millions of dollars out of control.

Oblivious to the damage wreaked upon the state’s economy by ill advised past policies, the New Hampshire House recently passed an 8% tax on estates larger than $2 million, passed a 5% capital gains tax and voted to increase existing taxes on dining out, on renting hotel rooms, on cigarettes and on gambling winnings.

Following these votes a Manchester Democrat publicly dismissed the idea that new tax and spending increases would cause anyone to move away from “such a beautiful state.” A prosperous attorney friend of mine in Manchester, who actively invests and advises other investors on the implications of tax policy, told me at lunch the other day, that because New Hampshire’s new political regime has chosen to penalize risk taking and success, he and his wife are now seeking to establish a new domicile in Wyoming. Wyoming is #6 on ALEC’s list.


Paul Mirski
POB 190
Enfield Center, NH 03749


603 632 5555

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Corporal Gets Silver Star for Heroism

April 13, 2009
Marine Corps News


CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, Japan — The day started like any other day in Eastern Afghanistan, moderate temperature, sunny; hardly a cloud in the sky.

But for three Marines, a platoon of Afghan National soldiers and a platoon of soldiers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne, July 13 would turn to bloodshed, sacrifice and one Marine's tale of heroism.

The U.S. - Afghan team was attacked by more than 200 enemy forces firing small-arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

Many members of the team became disorganized and discouraged facing the overwhelming odds.

Cpl. Jason Jones, one of three Marines embedded with the two platoons of soldiers, seized the initiative and began firing his weapon at the enemy while encouraging and guiding his comrades to organize a counter attack.

Jones' actions grew bolder as casualties mounted and the firefight intensified.

He sprinted across the terrain under heavy enemy fire to a wounded Afghan soldier and pulled him to safety as rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire exploded around them. But the fight was not over. Members of the U.S. Army platoon were pinned down.

"We got a call on the radio saying 'we're dying, we're dying and I'm the last one left,'" said Jones, the 24 year-old native of San Angelo, Texas. "I figured we needed to do something about it."

With bullets still flying, Jones again crossed 130 meters of fire-swept ground wielding a M-240B machine gun. Jones, with fire support from other members of the team, suppressed the attackers long enough to allow him to reach the wounded soldiers and provide life-saving aid.

For his valor, heroism and bravery under fire, Jones was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest decoration a U.S. service member can receive.

Jones is a four-year veteran of the Marine Corps. He graduated from Grape Creek High School, class of 2003, in San Angelo. He works in the logistics field with Headquarters and Service Company, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.

However, while in Afghanistan, Jones was serving a 10-month auxiliary billet as a mentor to the Afghan National Army while attached to Embedded Training Team 5-3.

According to Jones, he developed a bond with his Afghan and U.S. Army counterparts - a bond that was tested under fire and survived through resolve.

"Whether it's a Marine, sailor, or soldier, you can only hear suffering for so long before you have to do something about it," said Jones.

Jones said he took it upon himself to do exactly what Marines are taught - lead from the front.

It is easy to say Jones' actions saved lives that day, but they may have had another lasting effect.

"His actions built confidence and motivation in the Afghan National Army," said Sgt. Maj. Samuel Schmidt the sergeant major of 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. "He was essentially a catalyst in changing the tide of the battle."

Though his actions are looked at as heroic by some, Jones was a bit more humble in describing his actions following an awards ceremony on Camp Schwab April 2 where Lt. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer, III Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general, pinned on his Silver Star.

"We were just taking care of business," Jones said. "A firefight that big opens your eyes to what war is really like. I wouldn't call myself a hero. The real heroes are the ones that gave their (lives) - and I'm wearing this medal for them."


Unless you are a combat veteran you might not understand what makes men like this tick. They deserve every chance you, me or our country can give them to do their jobs and come home alive.

May God guide them and ease their cries of pain as they do their duties for our country and their comrades.

Although I was in the Army, it was always nice to have marine or two around.

Lee

SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY!!

During Bam Bam’s presidential campaign rhetoric he was saying that “when elected president I will look forward, not back”. Well the country elected him and we are looking backwards. A prime example is this terrible intelligence fiasco. Releasing the game book of our interrogation techniques? I think the kid is still doing cocaine.

It is true, at the very least, our country is less safe. While saying he is not going to prosecute those who used aggressive tactics in interrogation one day and turning around saying he will leave it up his Attorney General. Is strictly political grandstanding to the socialist left while still trying to whip up a political frenzy against republicans and George Bush.

I hate to burst anyone’s fantasy that combat is not a contact sport, it is. It is very personal one on one and there is a reason our military is trained to kill. OH, I forgot all those young men and women who are putting their lives on the line daily to protect us and bring freedom to another part of world, are potential republican right wing extremist. What a lack of respect these socialists who have taken over our government are displaying for our kids.

We are dealing with people who cut our kids heads off (with a dull knife-no joking) to prolong the agony. According to the socialists and US haters in D.C. and around the country, that’s ok because it is George Bush’s war and we shouldn’t be there anyway.

The videos of this should be shown in the broadest manner to see what we are up against, it is horrific. But it puts what is going on in perspective.

It is important that we collect accurate and factual intelligence information. How we get this information which saves our kids lives; and protects our home shores should not be made public, under any circumstances.

For a time I worked POW interrogation, it is not fun and it is not clean; but, a very important part of winning a war. My question to anyone is if your child or loved one was taken prisoner and was going to be decapitated, would you care how I obtained the information to save them?

What is important is that the job gets done, people are saved and lives are not lost. We do not need to know who gets this information or how it is obtained.

The path that our national leaders are taking is playing politics with our lives, our militaries lives and our children’s lives. What they are doing is not only ill advised it is absolutely asinine.

Lee

Sunday, April 19, 2009

HB 415 THE BATHROOM BILL/LADIES LOCKER ROOM BILL

HB 415, the so called bathroom bill, has passed the house on a very close vote. Some have called this the transvestite bill of rights which loosely defines discrimination when dealing with transvestites.

Basically what this bill does is to allow a male to use the ladies room or any female facilities, like the women’s’ locker room in the gym, simply by claiming that he feels he is a women trapped in a man’s’ body.

This is pretty much a frame of mind bill, what is your frame of mind.

It is a poorly crafted bill because it does not clearly define the transvestite issue or whether the person is a struggling transvestite or a predatory pedophile.
It is now up to the senate to see if you ladies have to share your showers with men or not. By the way if you are in a ladies room or locker room and a man is in there and you tell him to leave you can be sued for discrimination and taken before the human rights commission.

Almost all of the republicans and a group of concerned common sense democrats voted against this bill. The list below shows who voted and what way on this bill:

A yeah vote was to support the bill; a nay vote was to kill it.
Matt Quandt-Nay
Doug Scamman-Nay
Stella Scamman-Nay
Donna Shlachman-Yea
Joe Russell-Not Voting
Trinka Russell-Yea
Judith Day-Yea
John Henson-Yea
Kim Casey-Yea

Anybody who has disagreed with this bill has been called a bigot, or whatever names the left wing socialist can come up with. I’m just an old fashioned guy, we have women’s facilities and men’s facilities and there is a reason for that. I like it the way it is.

With all the financial problems we are having why are we fooling with stuff like this? Where is the common sense in the political process?
Update on the $72,000 remodeled ladies room by the senate leadership offices; I heard it was out of order for a day. Rumor has it when the ladies room was refinished they put in non commercial toilets which are stopping up.
When we voted for change did we go from dumb to stupid??

THE ONLY WAY THE ECONOMY WILL REBOUND by Bob Bestani

Washington keeps looking for quick and easy ways to get the economy back on its feet and return us back to the good old days. Some Americans think we can shop our way back to happiness. At least that’s what Washington would have us believe. As such, our national government is now spending like never before, forgetting that we are running up our collective credit cards to the limit and that the tab will ultimately have to be paid. But never mind they say, it feels good for now – and some would have us believe we need all this “stuff” are buying.

Between the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve, Washington has committed well over $12.8 Trillion in new spending. The Europeans warned President Obama during this last round of G20 meetings that this is a dangerous course to take. The head of the European Union, which is always worried about inflation, warned that the spending of the U.S. Government is taking us down “the road to hell.” The French and the Germans have made similar warnings and have pressed for a repair to the regulatory system. Unfortunately, the Democratic Administration has brushed past these requests. While acknowledging that their arguments have merit, the Democrats called for even more stimulus spending.

One of the dangers of all this historically unprecedented spending is that it will spark a very dangerous new round of inflation. Never mind the spenders argue, before inflation can get started, we will pull the money out of the system. This of course sounds very much like the drug user who says that he is not hooked and can quit anytime. Washington does not work that way and never has; real spending cuts have rarely been seen. A brief history of the size of government as a percent of GDP shows that government never shrinks. At best, it plateaus from time to time.
Were this a run of the mill recession, where there was a mere imbalance in asset supply and demand, government spending might do the trick. But this is a deeper financial sector crisis that will require major structural changes. No amount of spending will fix the structural problems in the economy. We may very well pump up the economy into a short term sugar high. But there is an underlying illness that very much needs tending, lest we set ourselves up for a repeat of 2008. In some ways, the experience of the crash of Long Term Capital Management (LTCM) in 1998 was, in effect, a dress rehearsal for this crisis - from which we learned nothing.
First and foremost, the financial system will need to be repaired. There is almost certainly no going back to the old fashioned bank lending patterns. The capital markets will have to be stood up again – but they will need to be properly re-engineered to factor in what we have learned through this and other financial crises.
Overall, we will need to:

• Work to end the nation’s macroeconomic imbalances, particularly the current account and government budget deficits.
• Impose capital adequacy rules on all financial institutions. We inspect cars which travel our highways and insist they have insurance and safety inspections. Why not the banks which use the public markets?
• Restructure the rating agencies to prohibit the buyers of the ratings from “shopping” the agencies – all but bribing them for good ratings.
• Impose minimum hold requirements on securitization transactions so that packagers have some “skin in the game” and hence better monitor the risks associated with investment portfolios.
• Reorganize and streamline the financial regulators into one over arching organization
• Improve international regulatory reporting since most large financial institutions are now heavily international.
• Better compensate and incent regulators so that properly qualified and trained regulators can be attracted who understand the highly complex new finance.
• Stagger out executive compensation plans to better tie them to real performance
• Strengthen the role of corporate Board of Directors to prevent outlandish senior management compensation.

These excessive compensation packages are nothing more than major inducements to squeeze out short term earnings at all costs.
These measures will help restore the financial markets to proper health and help prevent some of the excesses we have just suffered through. In the end, these measures will be critically important.

But there is also an urgent need to re-examine the core principals and implementation of proper governance. One of the most glaring reasons for this crisis has been the almost complete breakdown in the most basic functions of good governance – in both the pubic and the private sectors. We thought we knew better. But we now see that we need to go back to the drawing boards and re-examine the entire system that anchors our institutions.

By Bob Bestani from Newmarket.

WHEN WILL IT ALL END?? By Alan Williams

To quote H.L. Menchen "No one has ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American people"

President elect Obama has already proposed MASSIVE government infrastructure work to create employment in the Country. Sounds good, let's look at the last MASSIVE infrastructure work the Government has already created. It's called the "Big Dig" in Boston.

The "Big Dig" started with a completed estimate of 2.6 Billion dollars in five years.
It has not yet been fully completed and the cost is 14.6 Billion dollars.
So what the Country now needs is another series of public works projects starting at 50 Billion and finishing at 150 Billion.

The crooked contractors will be salivating at the next project the Government hands out, and every cousin, uncle, and brother of the politicians will be first in line for "no show" jobs.

Wake up America, you cannot have the Government overseeing projects and expect results that differ from the "Big Dig".

If you don't think so, where is the oversight on the the taxpayer billions the Government has given to the banks to ease the credit which we are still looking for.

Alan Williams is a former Exeter Selectman and president of the Exeter Tax Payers Association.

Monday, April 13, 2009

HISTORY IS HISTORY by Representative Gary Hopper!!

In the last week your New Hampshire House passed one of the most egregious pieces of legislation I have ever seen. HB415 protects people based on their perception of their gender, which would have been seen as no more than a joke just a few years ago. One of the e-mails I received form a gentlemen in Weare said “this is nuts” and I agree.

How did we get here? This country is and was founded on Judeo-Christian values and our laws have reflected those values. Under the original NH Constitution one could not be a legislator unless you were a Christian. You could not serve as Governor of MA unless you had accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.

Pres. John Adams said “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” In 1962 Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black writing for the majority as to whether or not NY could have a school prayer said a state sponsored prayer was unconstitutional because of the “Wall of separation between church and state” That quote was from Pres. Thomas Jefferson sent to the Danbury Baptists AssociationIn 1801. He was responding to their concerns that they being Baptist in a predominantly Congregational state would could be forced to except Congregational practices. He wasn't saying that our country is supposed to be atheistic just that one denomination couldn't force it’s will on others.

While Thomas Jefferson was a member of the Virginia legislature, He drafted laws such as a bill to punish Sabbath breakers or a bill to punish religious worship disturbers hardly the work of someone who believed that our country should be void of faith.

The founding fathers did want to keep a denomination from acquiring the power of the state such as was the case in parts of Europe, were the church could tax and keep other denominations from worshiping. That is why Article one of the Bill of Rights says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” Because of the work of the ACLU Justice Hugo Black and others we have arrived at point were to some HB415 seem reasonable. Justice Black in his 1962 decision also said “It has been argued that to apply the Constitution in such a way as to prohibit state laws respecting an establishment of religious services in public schools is to indicate a hostility toward religion or toward prayer.

Nothing, of course, could be more wrong” Justice Black was wrong on both counts and now we arrive at a time were many are openly hostile to this countries Judeo-Christian heritage. We must continue to fight against laws that are so abhorrent to our way of life. To do less will only invite more and greater perversion. If we cannot stem the tide it will not be long before we become Rome.
HB415

1) The law was touted as a way to protect tansgender people from discrimination.
The bill however doesn't use the word tansgender it uses gender identity and gender
expression
Gender Identity: A person's internal sense of their own gender
Gender Expression: A person's outward display of gender characteristics

1) Someone who has a gender identity and gender expression problem be allowed to use any public accommodations. This would allow men to use the girl’s locker room and diminish the privacy and security of the women.

2) It adds a new hate crime. I don't believe in hate crimes, in that if someone beats up an other person, they are already committing a crime and should be prosecuted.

3) Laws that grant special rights to people based on there differences create more of a divide in our culture and are not in the best interest of New Hampshire

Last Wednesday Republicans offered amendments to the bill to make it less harmful:

1) Protect the rights of churches so they wouldn't be forced to hire someone who
was unsure of what gender they were.
2) If a business needed employees who were women to provide services for women, they wouldn't be forced to hire a man who believed themselves to be a women.
3) To protect the privacy of a woman in a retirement home or hospital so that they wouldn't be forced to share a room with a man.
4) We tried to keep male inmates from using this as a means to serve there time in the woman’s prison.

These are some of the amendments to HB415 we tried to pass all of which failed. The debate can be watched at. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/media/live_media.htmIt starts 35min into the morning session of 04/08/2009 The role call vote can be seen at:http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/nhgcrollcalls/Default.aspxSearch 2009- Search HB415- vote #110 click on view votesWho's your Legislator?http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx

Representative Gary Hopper is from Weare, NH and is very well respected for his understanding of the US and State Constitution and his common sense approach in dealing with state legislation.

QUEEN MAGGIE'S THROWN ROOM

THIS IS SENATOR HASSAN'S SPECIAL PROJECT. IT IS ALSO A GOOD EXAMPLE OF POLITICAL CHANGE AND WHEN WE ELECT PEOPLE WITH NO COMMON SENSE.

LEE

A bathroom battle at the Statehouse
N.H.'s GOP caught the media's attention for a few days
document.title = unescape("A%20bathroom%20battle%20at%20the%20Statehouse") + " - Fosters";
Monday, April 13, 2009

Who drew up the specs for the "luxurious lavatory" at the Statehouse, the same people who gave the Pentagon a $640 toilet seat?Republicans are cleaning up with their showering of Democrats with shots over the $72,000 cost of renovating a Statehouse bathroom.Democrats are trying to fend off the blows in saying the project was to make the lav compliant with the American Disabilities Act.

Did someone get word there was a federal bathroom inspector in the neighborhood when there was bipartisan support for the appropriation two years ago?It will be pointed out that funding was approved before it was found the economy was being flushed into the political and social hopper. The answer to that has to be, "So what?" Even in the best times, $72,000 for renovating a bathroom is a bit Kozlowski-esque.

You remember Dennis Kozlowski — the Tyco tycoon who was convicted of misappropriating more than $400 million to support a lavish lifestyle that included decorating a luxurious company-owned apartment in Manhattan. Among the amenities of the redo was a $6,000 shower curtain for the bathroom. Kozlowski was sentenced to eight to 25 years in prison for his excesses in misappropriating assets that belonged to Tyco's stockholders and is now mopping up in a way that is different from his days at Tyco.

And, of course, there were the Pentagon days of a $640 toilet seat and $7,600 coffee makers and Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger trotting up Capitol Hill to defend his department's outrageous procurement practices.But back to the minor league bathroom excess in Concord.Was the bathroom in question in need of repair?

Yes, it has needed a going-over for several years. But to the tune of $72,000? Frankly, the facility was overdone when it was designed and outfitted more than 80 years ago. Marble walls? A bit ostentatious, don't you think? We are talking about a public building in New Hampshire in the 21st century, not a palace or castle in 18th century Europe.

There are some people in government who think putting their best face forward means showing off in as regal a manner as possible. There are some elected officials who have some waking up to do — some who have to understand the perception of waste can be as bad as waste itself. Put the two together and you have the beginning of a breakdown in confidence. And when a breakdown in confidence occurs, a breakdown in the ability of those in office to govern should not be far behind.

Senate Majority Leader Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, was quoted in Foster's Daily Democrat Friday as saying, "This is a large public restroom, so $72,000 should be evaluated in that context."Maybe it shouldn't be evaluated in the context of a restroom. After all, it is not a place where people go to rest.

Maybe we should redefine our thinking, come up with a better appellation while maintaining good taste in the naming.Yes, there are more important considerations than the appropriate design and functionality of a Statehouse "loo." But credit some GOP members of the Legislature and the redesigned Republican State Committee, led by the sometimes sharp-tongued and always sharp-minded John H. Sununu, a three-term governor of New Hampshire in the 1980s, for converting a bathroom into an attention-grabber.

The bathroom issue will soon go away — as well it should. But it was something that allowed the GOP to run the Democrats around the Statehouse for several days — and it was the kind of thing that stirs the always changing imagination of writers and editors for a day or two or three.Maybe someone will soon propose pay toilets in all state buildings.The one thing certain is that all involved in the discussion will soon wash their hands of it.@Drop head:N.H.'s GOP caught the media's attention for a few days@Editorial body:

Editorial from the Foster's Dailey Democrat dtd 4/13/09
Reader Comments

Saturday, April 11, 2009

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS NO COMMON SENSE???


This is the new ladies bathroom for the State House Third floor next to the senate leadership office. Some are saying this cost $72,000 and some say $82,000, no matter the construction cost and all the pertinent material have been requested under the right to know law.
I was told that the walls are pink Italian marble and almost everything in the bathroom is automatic, OK almost automatic.
The liberals who pushed this through and I am told our local senator was at the epicenter are all doing damage control as to why they had to spend so much on a bathroom. I also was told that there is the equivalent of two chandelier lights and pewter decorates the bathroom fixtures.
Every time I think it cannot get much stupider, it does. While constituents are losing their jobs, trying to keep their houses from going into foreclosure the liberals, repeal the death penalty, promote same sex marriage, and push through the transvestite bill of rights that, by my reading, will allow a man who claims female identify can use the ladies locker room at the gym and ladies public toilets. Having been in Law Enforcement for over 30 yrs, do you think rapist, pedophiles and other perverts are not going to take advantage of this; I do.
By the way they are raising your gas taxes, capital gains, taxes on gambling winnings and about everything else they can to meet their tax and spend agenda. The voters wanted change, WOW we have it.