QUANDT'S SECURITY IDEA FOR THE STATEHOUSE!!!

We all know that our statehouse security has limited resources and the recent strain in the Free Stator/Birther outburst at the Ballot Law Commission showed their limited staffing I’ve come up with a new idea. Since we have an abundance of squirrels and their favorite food at the state house we can train the squirrels to work for security to protect those who have differing views.


I believe it will take minimal training and equipping, since they work for food.

The good news is maybe some of those state reps who could be mistaken for squirrel food might stay home and we could get some work done.

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN BEING CRAZY-JUST DON’T ACT CRAZY!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP_3UiXPBKY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM1Z1t9zXXU


These are the youtube videos of the free stator/birther attack on the ballot law commission at the hearing trying to keep Obama off the ballot because he wasn’t born in the US. These are all supporters of the current house leadership who is now trying to distance themselves from their supporters.

What it shows is what happens when you disagree with these people and it is good for the general public to see what the rest of us have to put up with. You now know why the legislature is as screwed up as it is.

Somebody needs to save us from ourselves.

NOVEMBER 30TH HOUSE SESSION!!!

When we are elected state reps we understand that we really don’t get paid, about $87 a year after taxes plus mileage. The mileage helps to off set the travel expenses and, if you have a little left over, a $6.99 buffet at Tandy’s, a little restaurant across the street from the state house.

Most state reps are not rich people and many are retired and live on a fixed income, many are both dedicated and caring for the people they represent and serve. They need their mileage checks to off set their expenses for travel etc.

We all know that we may get called back for a session day for “important business”, about every year we could be called back for one day; after the first of July we don’t get paid for that day so past speakers have been careful to keep these down to an absolute minimum. This year we have been called back twice, the third will be Nov 30th and the fourth will be Dec 14; all because of the maniacal obsession on the part of Bully O’Brien to defeat the governors veto of the right to work (for less) bill. What he is doing is cost shifting the expenses of the legislature on the backs of the state reps.

I was told it costs about $14,000 a day to be in session. Some reps drive from the western part of the state, the northern part of the state and the eastern part of the state to fulfill their responsibility as a state rep, that could cost them a $100’s or more a day. The speaker is purposely trying to keep people who don’t support RTW from showing up.

The senate has said they will not return to session until Jan. So the speaker is just playing the power game of “I’m in charge and do whatever I want”.

Nov 30th, is also the day for two national legislator conferences that are usually pretty well attended so for those who scrimped and saved to buy air line tickets will have to pay extra to change them to be in this session which we don’t need to have. Let’s make it clear; there is nothing that we have done or are going to do that can’t wait until Jan.

So to put it another way, because of this game playing we have to pay the state to go to work; how many of you would like having to pay your employer to work for them. I don’t think this is a very good example of capitalism; but is a good example of bullyism, bad leadership, and a lack of respect on the part of the speaker.

Unfortunately, the Bully does have a cult following claiming to be republicans that will follow the speaker. The good news is it appears to be getting smaller with more people questioning what the speaker is doing and saying, “It is wrong”. The freshmen who are in the house right now never served under a well organized and respected leadership team so they seem to be having a hard time understanding the difference between right and wrong which is why they are following “wrong”, that will be between them and you the voters on Election Day.

I have the greatest respect for those reps who are leaders not followers; I have to believe that even if you disagree with some of the issues we support or vote against, that you respect them for their independence and willingness to work across the isle to get the job done and do what we think is right.

The political fights in Concord are not just between republicans and democrats; but, between republicans and rino (non republican free stators) which seem to comprise the radical wing of the Republican Party while professing to be republicans and attacking anyone who disagrees with them.

Thanksgiving is just a day away and I can tell you that the two loneliest holidays of the year for those in uniform is Thanksgiving and Christmas; it is lonelier for those in combat. So on Thanksgiving Day, if you’re so inclined to thank the lord for what you have and also by being together with family and friends don’t forget the Vets, it can be very cold and lonely on top of a mountain on a combat mission.

REMEMBERING RICK EILERT

By Tom Pauken



As we honor our military servicemen and women this Veterans Day, my personal thoughts go to a former Marine named Rick Eilert who was one of the more than two and a half million young Americans who served our country as soldiers in Vietnam.

Rick was a young Marine lance corporal who triggered a land mine while on patrol in Vietnam. The grenade exploded, and Rick was severely wounded. Ultimately, he made his way to Ward Three South at Great Lake Naval Hospital to recover from his serious injuries under the care of a remarkable doctor named Dr. Boone Brackett. In his book "For Self and Country", Eilert vividly recounts what it was like to see what was left of his legs after his injuries in Vietnam. He quotes Dr. Boone on the subject: "It's a real mess, isn't it? Charlie didn't leave much for us to work with. But as long as it hurts it's yours and anything that's yours is better than a piece of lumber hanging from a stump."

A year later, after more than 30 operations, Rick Eilert finally was able to go home. He was all of 20 years old.

It would have been easy for Rick to despair of his military service after all he had been through – think of the soldier played by Tom Cruise in Oliver Stone's "Born on the 4th of July". Instead, Rick married his high school sweetheart Cheryl, found work with great difficulty (hiring Vietnam Veterans was not in fashion back in the 1970s), and raised a family.

Later, Rick wrote "For Self and Country", a truly inspirational book. Dr. Boone wrote the forward to the book which describes Rick's story so well: "As a medical officer in Vietnam, I knew well the faces of the wounded and the depression that inevitably followed as the wounded fighting man gradually became aware of the awful finality of a crippling injury. The courage displayed in these circumstances was often of the highest kind, combined in this case with the rarest and most precious gift of all, the ability to laugh at oneself."

Even after all that Rick Eilert had been through, he still loved his country. I had the good fortune to get to know Rick when we worked together in our Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program during the Reagan administration. Simply put, Rick Eilert became the heart and soul of that program of "veteran helping veteran". We all looked up to him for his courage, love of country, and willingness to make a difference in the lives of his fellow Vietnam Veterans who were struggling with problems after their Vietnam experience.

Rick Eilert was buried at Arlington National Cemetery a few months ago. His family and friends gathered to honor this fine man one last time. Many of us who worked with Rick in the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program joined with his family in celebrating his life and praying for the repose of his soul. He will be missed.

Semper Fidelis.





Tom Pauken is Chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission and author of Bringing America Home.

NEVER SAY IT CAN’T GET ANY WORSE!!!

The speaker has been touting how he has saved thousands of dollars in the legislature. Well if you don’t pay your employees you’ll almost always save money. If you count the state reps as employees of the state and you don’t pay them, you’ll save money; the full time admin employees get paid for showing up for work it is the legislators who he won’t pay.

As one less than intelligent state rep from Fremont sent a letter to the editors claiming that I needed to read the constitution because these were not special sessions they were just an extension of the prior session, blah, blah and more blah. By the way I understand that letter was written by another state rep (free stator) from the Sunapee area. You talk about people who just don’t get it.

We have another session day planned for November 30 to take up the governor’s education plan; that can wait until Jan. This call of session seems to coincide with some democrats being out of town for a national meeting. It is obvious that the speaker is going to try to get the right to work vote through, hoping for less opposition.


I know I’m getting old and somewhat old fashion in my beliefs; but, I was raised in republican politics to think honor and integrity meant something. If you have an issue with opposing sides you raise your supporters we raise ours, have a good floor fight and whoever wins shakes the hand of the ones who lose and tell them what a great job they did. Now it is just the opposite, a leadership team that can’t be trusted, a speaker who says one thing and does the opposite and a group of freshman that doesn’t have a clue how the house should run.

The free stators think they are going to double their numbers in the next election because of the wonderful job they are doing. They talk about supporting efforts to cut state government, which is not always a bad thing, but the secret is not to wipe it out which is what their agenda is. We can see it in the recent pre buy oil issue where they don’t think consumer protection should be involved in protecting your interests. They fought against the idea of studying whether NH should support a “state bank” that would help lend money to small businesses to get back on their feet (they are having a terrible time getting loans right now). They want to cut the State Dept of Transportation in half while privatizing the NH State Prison system. We probably should mention the extreme cuts to those in the most need of critical services while down shifting the costs and responsible services to the counties and towns, which goes directly on OUR TAXBILLS.

This overall effort to destroy state government and the public sector has made some headway; but, now more and more people are seeing these people for what they are, anarchists who came to NH to take over and form an anarchists utopia. Lets do away with public education and public services; every man for himself while continuing to remove the safe guards that we worked so hard to put in place to protect our consumers, I don’t think so.

The next election will be a nasty battle; but, with the voters being better educated on who these people are I suspect there will be a whole new legislature after the next election. I know it will years to clean up this mess; but, by working together, voters and their elected officials we can do it.

THE SEACOAST NEWSPAPERS NEED CONGRATULATIONS!!!

RE: The pre-buy oil contract article...

I don’t do this very often but when someone or group does a good job they need to be recognized. The Seacoast Newspapers did a very good job (Aaron Sanborn and the editorial writers) wrote the article and followed up it up with a very factual editorial.

The article and editorial was in the Sunday October 30th edition of the Sunday Portsmouth Herald and it was about the Pre Buy Oil Contract Bill. Unfortunately, Rep. Rice from Hampton was quoted and in my opinion came off looking dumb; but, that is between Fred and the voters. The other Hampton Rep that voted against it on the Commerce Committee was Chris Nevins. So we had two Hampton reps voting on the opposite side of two Exeter Reps, Donna Schlacman and Matt Quandt from Exeter, understanding their responsibility towards their constituents, voted for it. The Free State argument that government shouldn’t be telling businesses what to do caused a couple of free stators and committee members to vote against it also.

The Seacoast Newspapers have followed this issue since Flynn’s Oil went out of business and their pre buy customers lost about $500,000 but more importantly lost their heating oil and by doing so kept their readers advised on what happened, how to contact the Attorney Generals Office Consumer Protection division and informed them on how to file claims against the oil company.

One of the Hampton Reps has been, supposedly running around in a state of psychological undress, attacking us for the article. Well, as usual, wrong way Fred is wrong again, this was all the good job of the Seacoast Papers.

If all goes well the following URL should take you to the editorial in question and further searching on this date will bring up the article.


http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20111030-OPINION-110300326