NH Insider Discussion Board

MTA holds public hearing at City Hall

RobertT — Thur, 15 May 2008 05:23:23 GMT

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

The MTA held a public hearing for people to listen to the budget proposed by the Mayor and what it meant if that budget was adopted with regards to the MTA.

Mr. David Smith went over what would needed to be cut or reduced, what would have to be increased such as fare cost to meet the requirements of such a budget.

Mr. David Smith also pointed out during the meeting that Bedford through their town budget gives the MTA $73,000 dollars to cover mileage cost, however Goffstown does not even though the buses now go one to two miles into the town to the Hannaford Supermarket. Mr. Smith said he would be willing to approach the town selectmen to see if they can work out a deal such as Bedford has.

Also to note, even under a fare increase, across the board including half price fares, it would only bring in a total of $45,000 dollars to the total budget. And other money would need to be recovered from Federal Aid and City which would still not reach the full 1.2 million dollar budget request from the MTA.

As shown in a power point presentation, Mr. Smith pointed out up to 70% of people who use the buses do so for things mentioned above. Ridership was also show to be up by 9% from Jan. 1st til the present day. As noted it could be in part because of higher gas prices.

After wards Mr. Smith allowed all in attendance three minutes to speak and give comments to what they would like to see.

Surprising even for this reader/writer, the only two alderman who attended most of the meeting was Alderman Smith and Alderman At Large Mike Lopez. When asked, the reply was that all aldermen and the Mayor were invited to sit in this public hearing and didn't. No reason as to why they did not show was offered.

Many disabled and physically challenged people (wheelchairs -- more than 6 in all) attended. Many were people who use the buses everyday for work, shopping or going to the doctors for medical treatment.

Many said they would accept a fare increase to $1.25 but would not agree to reduction of bus service in Manchester.

A gentleman from E&R Cleaners came out and stated that 33% of his work force takes the bus to and from work on a daily basis, including Saturdays. To reduce or even bring in a reduction would mean a reduction in his production causing his business to suffer as well.

A suggestion by this reader was to use a smaller bus for the River Rd/SNHU during the Saturday run. And if there were no riders going to or from SNHU during that day that the bus should only run to the housing development on Clement Rd. and back to Veterans Park. Thus a savings in fuel. Another suggestion is to turn off the buses who idle at Veterans Park for more than 5 mins. to save on fuel cost as well.

In closing many said they would call their aldermen and ask that the full budget requested by the MTA be funded even if it included the increase (fares) and no reduction of service as part of the deal.

Forum: Manchester

NH: 6th open carry litter pickup sparks suprising encounters

RidleyReport — Thur, 15 May 2008 02:58:54 GMT

http://youtube.com/watch?v=olP_kwsEZ6w

Report from Nashua, New Hampshire. It's NHFree.com's 6th open carry litter pickup event...and we run into supporters we never knew existed. This event was filmed on Mothers' Day morning, 2008.

Forum: NH Issues

VIDEO: Closed mind and open mouth

rowland — Thur, 15 May 2008 00:21:38 GMT

Shea-Porter disses an expert on Iraq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGi1SeIGIOs

Consulting economist Peter Bearse, who has much more experience in Iraq than Carol has, suggests that Carol may have a closed mind. Carol immediately proceeds to prove him right.

Her mostly hand-picked audience of supporters eats it up as she belittles and condescends to the much more knowledgeable Peter.

Forum: 2008 NH Elections

Gingrich: Republican Fear and Smear campaign will no longer Work

Scoonie — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:54:59 GMT

GOP Leaders Warn Of Election Disaster

Politico: Sniping And Selfishness Decried As Wary Republicans Fear November Nosedive

While Gingrich softened his blow by circulating it privately to the GOP leadership on Monday - a day before it was publicly released - his language was still strong, and his message was seen as a broad attack on Boehner, Cole and the rest of the Republican leadership.

The Republican loss in the special election for Louisianas 6th Congressional District last Saturday should be a sharp wake-up call for Republicans, Gingrich wrote. Either congressional Republicans are going to chart a bold course of real change or they are going to suffer decisive losses this November.
Gingrich said Republicans cannot rely on the popularity of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, to carry them to victory in November. And he warned that attacks on Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obamas former pastor, could backfire.

The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Rev. Wright or, if Sen. Clinton wins, anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail, Gingrich said. This model has already been tested with disastrous results.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/07/politics/politico/main4076956.shtml

Forum: Politics

Democrats win MS-01 Special Election

Scoonie — Wed, 14 May 2008 02:45:21 GMT

Democrat Travis Childers upsets Republican Greg Davis in this ultra-conservative Mississippi district!  Republicans have held this seat for more than 20 years and Bush won by over 20% in 2004:

Childers   53%
Davis      47%

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2008/by_county/MS_Page_0513.html?SITE=MSJADELN&SECTION=POLITICS

IL-14
LA-06
MS-01

The trifecta of pickups! Not to mention that the NRCC used up $1.3 million trying to win this race!

Forum: Politics

Video: Shea-Porter on socialized medicine, SCHIP

rowland — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:57:16 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgBHmmqgU54

A friendly 'question' gives Carol Shea-Porter an opportunity to display her ignorance of economics and to smear those who disagree with her as 'partisan' and 'special interests', and also to misrepresent the facts about her party's SCHIP proposals.

She takes a total of eight and a half minutes for this lovefest.

She also fails to question a false assertion that socialized medicine is working well in other countries.

Forum: 2008 NH Elections

Get Politics out of Schools

SaveNH — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:43:59 GMT

While I have no real objections to Amnesty International focusing on human rights violations, I can not agree with all their assessments, and definitely view them as a political organization.

Politics do not belong in teaching or in the classroom. So I was shocked today to drive by Central High School on Beech Street and see a big Amnesty International Sign in the window. Whatever teacher or administrator put that sign there, or allowed it to be there, is expressing a political point of view, and it is inappropriate for our school system. Teachers should teach English, Math, Science, and History, not their political points of view. Somebody get that sign off campus.

Forum: Manchester

Who should control our schools?

rowland — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:55:08 GMT

The courts? The legislature? Or the people? Participate in the poll at:

http://www.nhcitizen.org/modules/xoopspoll/pollresults.php?poll_id=4

Forum: NH Issues

Gov's HealthFirst Support

NHPoliticscom — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:11:26 GMT

Gov. Lynch Lauds Final Passage of NH HealthFirst

New Law Will Provide More Affordable Health Insurance Alternatives to Small Businesses

CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today applauded the final passage of the New Hampshire HealthFirst initiative, which is aimed at helping small businesses better afford health insurance for their workers.

The Senate acted today to agree with changes made in the House, sending the bill the Governor for his signature.

Gov. Lynch proposed New Hampshire HealthFirst in his State of the State Address.

"We are taking an important step forward in helping small businesses better afford health insurance for their workers," Gov. Lynch said. "I want thank the members of the Senate and the House for recognizing the importance of keeping health insurance in reach of employers by passing this legislation with strong bipartisan support."

New Hampshire HealthFirst was developed in conjunction with the state Insurance Department, lawmakers and other stakeholders. It will provide comparable coverage to existing health insurance plans, and reduce premiums by addressing the underlying cost drivers of health care increases through better prevention, better care management and more efficient use of health care services.

"This is a plan focused on the patient and on keeping the patient healthy. That translates into better, more cost-effective care, which is exactly what we should be doing in an effort to stabilize health care costs," Gov. Lynch said. "HealthFirst's aim is to make it possible for workers and their employers to access more affordable, comprehensive coverage."

New Hampshire HealthFirst received strong partisan support, passing by a vote of 259-93 in the House, and 21-3 in the Senate.

Senate Bill 540 was sponsored by Sens. Kathy Sgambati, Joe Foster, Maggie Hassan, Iris Estabrook, Deb Reynolds, Bob Odell, John Gallus, Jack Barnes, Jackie Cilley, Martha Fuller Clark, Molly Kelly, Lou D'Allesandro, David Gottesman, Sylvia Larsen and Harold Janeway; Reps. Martha McLeod, Sharon Nordgren, Peter Bergin, James Pilliod and Ed Butler.

Forum: NH Issues

Sununu Opposes Ethanol Pork

NHPoliticscom — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:09:23 GMT

SUNUNU: CORN-BASED ETHANOL PRODUCTION HURTS NATIONS ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT

Comments at Capitol Hill hearing on impact of fuel subsidies on the price of food

WASHINGTON, DC United States Senator John Sununu (R-NH), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), today (5/7) underscored the damaging impact of corn-based ethanol production policy on the nations economy and environment at a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday morning.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee heard testimony on Wednesday morning, May 7 at its hearing entitled, Fuel Subsidies: Is There an Impact on Food Supply and Prices? Andrew Siegel, Vice President and Treasurer of When Pigs Fly, Inc., a bakery with locations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, York, Freeport, and Kittery, Maine, and Somerville, Massachusetts was among the witnesses to testify.

Ethanol production is driving up prices for small businesses, such the New England-based When Pigs Fly Bakery, and continues to hit families and food pantries hard. This year, over 30% of Americas corn harvest will be diverted from food to ethanol production. Thats a bad deal for New Hampshire and the nation, because it causes higher prices for bread, milk, eggs, and other commodities, said Sununu, who has a long record of opposing ethanol subsidies and recently called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to waive the requirement that fuel refiners blend corn-based ethanol into the nations fuel supply. Moreover, 1,700 gallons of water are used to produce just a gallon of ethanol, 30 million acres of land are necessary to support the corn used for that ethanol, and a recent study indicates that ethanol production nearly doubles greenhouse gas emissions from the land thats cultivated over a 30-year period all significant environmental consequences.

Sununu joined 23 of his Senate colleagues in a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson asking the EPA to consider waiving the 2007 mandate because the diversion of corn supplies into fuel has contributed to higher food prices in the United States and around the world. EPA has the authority to waive the mandate or structure it differently if it results in adverse, unintended effects.

Wednesdays HSGAC hearing complements a May 1 Joint Economic Committee Hearing where Sununu also outlined the damaging effects of corn-based ethanol subsidies on food prices in the United States and around the world.

Forum: National Issues

Burling and Estabrook bowing out!

rowland — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:55:44 GMT

On the national level it's the Republicans who are 'retiring' in droves. But here in New Hampshire we see the opposite pattern.

If the state Dems are seeing the handwriting on the wall there's plenty of credit to go around. The New Hampshire Liberty Alliance, the New Hampshire Advantage Commission and the Reagan Network have all come together to oppose on the state level.

Fergus Cullen's been taking cheap shots at Dem misdeeds. That's an important job and somebody should do it. But isn't that below his level of responsibility? I'd delegate that stuff to a subordinate. Isn't he supposed to be rebuilding the party's image and articulating a compelling vision? Why doesn't he reach out to the alienated base? Why does he leave that stuff to Fran Wendelboe?

Forum: 2008 NH Elections

NH: Divided House committee votes for constroversial homeschool bill

RidleyReport — Thur, 08 May 2008 15:32:55 GMT

New Hampshire's robust homeschool community guts most aspects of a bill that would have further regulated them. But pieces of it survive by one vote. See what happens when I try to discuss the matter with reps who voted against homeschoolers, mostly Democrats.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gCTlZzbbsXY

Forum: NH Issues

Shaheen: Public Fiduciary Example

NHPoliticscom — Thur, 08 May 2008 14:39:54 GMT

Shaheen Campaign: An Example About The Role Of Special Interests!

Her Gubernatorial Record Will Help Set The Record Straight

On The Acceptability Of Halleburton Type Arrangments.

Jeanne Shaheen's campaign will become an example for our children about what the role should be like between special interests and Government, and her record as Governor will provide a text book example for our children to analyze so they can learn about how they should conduct themsleves with public fiduciary.

Democrats should take Dick Cheney to task for giving Halliburton a seat at the table, inside the executive branch decision making.

And Jeanne Shaheen and her campaign can explain to our students about how important it is for a candidate to walk that talk when they hold positions of fiduciary inside government, and she should talk about how she kept those boundries between special interests and important government decisions.

Democrats should complain how inappropriate it is for executives, like Dick Cheney, who would actually give special interests a seat at the government table. Dick Cheney may as well have given them an office inside his executive suite

Jeanne Shaheen should be able to lead that discussion. She should make it clear how inappropriate it is to use positions of power to take care of family and friends, and she should scold Dick Cheney for breaking down those lines.

I'm looking forward to the example she and her campaign will provide for our children. The results of her campaign will be a valuable lesson for our kids as they assess their potential future roles regarding public fiduciary.

Forum: 2008 NH Elections

Air Force Cyber Command

SaveNH — Thur, 08 May 2008 01:12:17 GMT

I have to commend Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter for this action:

CYBER COMMAND

Congresswoman Shea-Porter announced this week that she would drive efforts to bring the planned Air Force Cyber Command to Portsmouth. The unit is temporarily housed in Louisiana, but the Air Force is seeking a permanent location for the facility.

The Cyber Command is the Air Forces eighth major command, joining Combat, Mobility, Space, Special Operations and others. It is tasked with protecting government computer and information systems from over 300 million electronic attacks by foreign governments and terrorist groups, daily. AFCYBER also serves as the governments lead in tracking down, penetrating and striking back at terrorist cells on the internet and around the world.

The former Navy prison, closed since 1974, and isolated on Seavey Island in Portsmouth's harbor, would provide an ideal and secure location for the Cyber Command. The facility is heavily fortified, and it is located on Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and close to Pease Air Base. The Cyber Command will employ 541 Air Force personnel in the initial phase, and it could also create thousands of additional civilian jobs, attracting hundreds of millions of dollars to the Seacoast region.

The Congresswoman is working with Rep. Tom Allen and seeking support from the other members of the New Hampshire and Maine delegations before making a formal application to the Air Force.

Forum: NH Issues

Indiana Voter ID

Progressive_State_Rep — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:35:27 GMT

Some early returns on th impact of voter ID laws, in Indiana specifically (given it's currently in the voting mode and their law is the strictest in the US):

Number of cases of voter fraud identified and prosecuted in Indiana prior to implementation of Voter ID: 0

("The Republican-led effort was designed to combat ballot fraud, said supporters, who also have acknowledged that no case involving someone impersonating a voter at the polls has ever been prosecuted in Indiana.")

Number of voters disenfranchised by Voter ID since implementation: 12...to start

I guess it's more important to make sure 12+ people cannot vote than it is to actually identify a specific case of fraud and act on that.

Forum: 2008 NH Elections