Although I lost my race...Letter to the Editor

I congratulate Bruce Hodgdon on his win of the NH House seat to represent Rockingham District 1.  He will join a House returned to a Democratic majority.  I wish him the very best.

Thank you so much to all the Northwood residents who voted for me, the ones I have known for years as I got involved in serving this town, the ones I met while out knocking on doors, and especially that special group of people who helped me on my campaign and the campaigns of many other Democrats over the past decade.  Our work has paid off in so many ways this year, with the election of Annie Kuster as our Congresswoman, Maggie Hassan as our Governor, Chris Pappas as our Executive Councilor, and Barack Obama as our President for another 4 years.  

While we are no longer in Congressional District NH-01, I was especially delighted by the win by Carol Shea-Porter.  Her return to the US House will be a great improvement in the quality of our representation.  And what can we say about our all-woman delegation to Congress and in the corner office at the State House?  Women spoke up in rallies and at the ballot box, saying, “We will not go backward!”  

There is lots of work to be done.  I already have ideas of what to do next, there are issues that matter enormously to me, and groups of concerned citizens I can join.  Climate change and campaign finance reform come to mind immediately.  It will be my pleasure to share all the ideas and suggestions for legislation that we develop with my state representative, because we learned in the past two years that NH does much better when the legislation comes from inside rather than outside the state.  

GO VOTE

We've done the footwork, now it's time to vote.

What NH Democrats are all about

In case you had somehow missed it, here's the platform of the NH Democratic Party.

New Hampshire Democrats stand for policies that ensure a strong economy, healthy communities, strong families, and common sense government. Democrats are committed to spurring job creation, rebuilding our infrastructure, and bringing fairness and opportunity to our economy and our civic life.  We pledge a government that efficiently carries out its core functions, while never exceeding its authority. 

I.  Building a Strong Economy
Jobs and Job Security

Democrats support policies that foster a vibrant and diverse business climate and economy. Anchoring those policies is our support for educational, including higher educational, opportunities for New Hampshire residents. Our goal is to ensure that our workforce – already the best in the nation – has the training and skills necessary to compete in an increasingly globalized economy.  We oppose policies that attack workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively for wages, benefits, and safe and fair working conditions. We reject anti-worker measures that harm public and private sector employees.

Business Investment

Democrats believe in smart investments that sustain our existing businesses and attract new and innovative companies and jobs to New Hampshire. We support policies that expand access to broadband for all and related communication technologies, job training, business investment incentives, and ensuring access to credit for companies in every part of our State—from the Southern Tier to the North Country.

Job Education and Training

Democrats believe our residents are our most valuable economic asset. Skilled workers enrich our communities, ensure that our economy continues to grow and provide for a strong middle class. We support ensuring workers have access to lifelong  learning and affordable career training at our university and community college systems  and our high schools, as well as registered apprenticeship programs.

Keeping the Next Generation in State

Democrats believe that education and retaining the next generation of New Hampshire citizens is imperative for ensuring economic growth. We support investing in the education and training of our next generation and support businesses that encourage young employees, foster entrepreneurship, and develop future leaders of our State.

Rural Development

Democrats believe that investing in our rural communities—including the North Country—builds a sustainable economy and vigorous middle class.  We support the building and maintenance of our infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water, sewer, and renewable energy technologies, telecommunications, and broadband.  We support expanding access to capital for rural entrepreneurs, rural businesses, and farms of all sizes.  We will continue to fight for our rural hospitals and health care providers, which are critical for sustaining a healthy workforce and a growing middle class.

Green Jobs

Green jobs are vital to growing our economy, creating thousands of new private sector jobs, protecting our environment, safeguarding our security, and sustaining the middle class. Democrats support sustainable, clean, job-generating energy efficiency and energy production initiatives.

II.  Promoting Healthy Communities

Public Safety

Democrats believe public safety, emergency preparedness, and homeland security are vital to our ability to build and preserve strong communities.  We support our fire, police, and emergency responders and honor their often unsung work. Proper staffing is essential to public safety.  Police and fire departments should be staffed according to national standards to reduce response times.  We believe in policies that appropriately balance the rights of individuals to protect themselves, to responsibly own and use firearms, and to live in a community safe from violence.  We support laws that curb violent and repeat offenders, reduce recidivism through prevention, education, and rehabilitation, and maximize taxpayer resources.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Democrats believe New Hampshire’s transportation system should be safe, efficient, reliable and cost effective.  We support development of affordable public transportation, including buses and rail. We believe investment in roads, bridges, ports, airports, public transportation, water systems, utilities, and universal broadband access will provide the foundation we need to ensure a strong economy. We support commuter rail from the Manchester airport through Nashua and connecting with the MBTA in Boston and the return of passenger rail service to the North Country.  We recognize that the North Country of our State has a critical need for these investments to overcome its unique barriers to economic development including investment in the improvement of U.S. Route 2. We support policies that encourage the use of alternate fuels and renewable energy, and upgrading transmission lines in a manner that respects individual property owners’ rights.  Any major energy project, including Northern Pass, must preserve our environmental heritage, utilize low impact technology, respect individual property rights, promote clean energy for New Hampshire’s use, protect existing businesses, including tourism, and create jobs.

Environment

Democrats support responsible economic development that protects our environment and preserves our natural resources for future generations. Protection of our environment is critical to the survival of our planet, to the health and well-being of our citizens, and to the quality of life and economy of our State. We support policies that protect land we can cultivate, water we can drink, air we can breathe, and streams we can fish, and that address the threat of climate change and pollution.

Housing

Democrats believe affordable housing is essential to the growth of our economy and the strength of our families and communities.  We seek solutions for homelessness through a comprehensive approach that addresses its root causes.  We support legislation to assist struggling homeowners to refinance their mortgages where appropriate and prevent premature or fraudulent foreclosures.

Veterans

Democrats honor the innumerable sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families.  Democrats support the efforts of our congressional delegation to expand the access to health care for our veterans including options to provide open access to health care facilities   and to bring a full service Veterans Administration Hospital to New Hampshire. Our nation must honor its commitments to veterans of all wars, including physical and mental health treatment, education, and disability support. We support policies that fight veteran unemployment and homelessness. Democrats are committed to welcoming veterans back into our communities with support and honor.

III.  Supporting Strong Families
Education

Democrats believe public education provides the foundation for New Hampshire’s greatness by preparing all children for participation in society and the responsibilities of living in a democracy.  We oppose diverting public dollars to private entities.  We honor and support our teachers and respect their invaluable contribution to our communities.  We support policies that ensure excellence in primary and secondary education for all New Hampshire students, including: eliminating the achievement gap, enforcement of anti-bullying policies and laws, education for healthy lifestyles, education that is scientifically-based and not driven by ideology, and civic education so that future generations have the tools to participate as leaders.  We believe every student who wants post-secondary education should have the opportunity, and we support affordable access to New Hampshire’s public colleges and universities.  We support our public libraries as a crossroads of life-long learning.

Health Care

Democrats believe all people should have access to affordable, comprehensive health care that supports wellness and reduces the burden of disease.  In partnership with the federal government, we support policies that build on the national health reform law to expand access, end coverage discrimination, increase cost and quality transparency, eliminate health insurance companies’ abusive practices, and control health care costs in New Hampshire. We believe Medicare, Medicaid, and other publicly-funded programs are critical to maintaining health and reducing health disparities across the State.  No family should be forced into bankruptcy by a health crisis.  Democrats support a public health infrastructure to promote the health and safety of our population, coordinated health care that promotes physical and mental well-being, freedom from government interference in private medical and family decisions, including reproductive health care of women, confidential access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education. We oppose discrimination in insurance coverage of family planning services, including prescription drugs.  We support contraceptive coverage and will not compromise this important health issue.

Preserving the Safety Net for Our Most Vulnerable Citizens

Democrats support policies that ensure vulnerable families and individuals may live, work and participate in their communities. We support community-based services for individuals with disabilities, physical and mental illnesses and low-income elderly residents; the increased availability and continued access to affordable, high quality childcare, programs that enable low income parents to find sustainable employment at a living wage; and partnerships with communities to reduce substance abuse and delinquency rates.

Marriage Equality

Democrats support the right of same sex couples to marry.  Marriage equality is the law of New Hampshire and we will defend it.

Retirement Security

Democrats believe every person deserves to retire with dignity.  We believe that all citizens of New Hampshire should have the opportunity to be financially secure as they reach retirement.  We believe that financially secure retirees benefit the State by contributing to the economy.

IV.  Restoring Common Sense Government

Responsible Government

Democrats affirm New Hampshire’s tradition of common sense government.  Government, when done right, is not the enemy. Democrats believe the Legislature must respect the New Hampshire Constitution and the separation of powers enshrined in it.  The Legislature must not vilify or usurp the powers of co-equal branches—to do so dishonors our founding traditions. Democrats believe government must be accountable to the people and should operate in an open and transparent manner, in accordance with the Constitution and State laws.

Voting Rights and Democracy

Democrats seek to secure the right to vote and to broaden voter participation, not restrict it through voter identification laws or measures that are aimed at preventing students, the elderly, the disabled, or minorities from exercising their right to vote. Democrats believe that voting is a right not a privilege, and that every step should be taken to ensure that all eligible citizens vote in every election.  This means that registration should be made as easy as possible, polls should be safe and accessible, and no citizen should be denied access to the polls.

Respect for Constitutional Freedoms and Each Other

Democrats believe in working whenever possible with Independents, Libertarians, and Republicans – our neighbors and friends – to move New Hampshire forward.  When we disagree we do so with respect.  Democrats do not divide the State along lines of race, religion, disability, immigration status, national origin, age, or sexual orientation.  We will fight for the rights of women in all aspects of society, including equal pay at work and the right to privacy in making medical decisions.

Equal Access to Justice

Democrats believe in equal justice under the law.  We support full, fair, and timely access to our courts, both criminal and civil, and the protection of the constitutional right to trial by jury.

Fiscal Responsibility

Democrats believe government provides essential services to our citizens. These services include the rule of law, the health and safety of our citizens, the protection of our environment, public education and the physical infrastructure necessary to maintain a robust economy and expand employment opportunities. Democrats have worked to ensure these services are provided as cost-effectively as possible in order to avoid downshifting costs to the overburdened local property tax.  The budget not only must reflect the true costs of operating an effective, efficient government but also must be supported by sufficient revenues and honest revenue estimates.  As this term has demonstrated, spending and revenue choices have consequences, both immediate and long-term, for the level of services provided.  It is the New Hampshire way to take a hard look at all reasonable revenue solutions while respecting both the will of the people and the constitutional requirement of fair and equal taxation.  Democrats are committed to engaging New Hampshire citizens in an effort to develop fiscally sound, transparent and accountable approaches to a balanced budget designed to serve the needs of our citizens and economy.

What we need to know about Voter ID in NH

Here's what everyone needs to know about the new Voter ID law and the November 6 election:

1.  Valid photo I.D.'s include (but are not limited to) in and out of state driver's license, in and out of state nondriver's license photo I.D., and passports regardless of expiration date.

2.  You do not need to have a photo I.D. to vote. If you do not have a valid photo I.D. you can exercise your right to vote by signing an affidavit declaring you are who you claim to be.

3.  No one should be turned away at the polls on November 6th for not having a valid photo I.D.

Also, you can be identified by any election official, such as the moderator, the town clerk or the supervisors of the checklist, if they know you. The ballot clerks are not election officials and cannot perform this identification.

While many of us have a lot of questions about the need for this law, it might be best to show your ID at the polls, especially if the lines are long.  We don't want to slow down the process in what will be a very busy day and perhaps discourage someone in line behind us to leave without voting. The place for the validity of this law to be challenged is in the courts, and that is happening.

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!

Standing up for voters - letter to the editor

One of my friends has been resisting getting involved in politics.  I tried to get him to take an Annie Kuster sign, but he refused. He said he didn’t know enough about her.  I gave him some information, and left it at that.
A few days ago, he approached me with a question about a campaign ad he had seen on TV: Did Annie really tell the campaign tracker with the video camera, the guy who was literally harassing her, to “[vulgar word] him?”  I replied that she had said, “[First letter of vulgar word] him,” only.  I assumed my friend was upset with her language.
He then proceeded to ask me for a lawn sign.  He was quite fired up and told me that he really liked seeing a woman stand up for herself. He said that more women in politics should fight back against this sort of treatment. He would gladly vote for a woman candidate like Annie, because he knows she is strong enough to stand up for him in Congress.
I must admit I hadn’t quite thought of it that way.  As a woman candidate myself, I’ve learned a valuable lesson from this Navy veteran.

Deja vu - letter to the editor

Deja vu 2010!  The candidates fielded by the NH GOP are telling us once again that they will create jobs and fix our economy.  Do you remember hearing that two years ago?  And what did they do?  They went after women’s healthcare, tried to interfere between employers and employees, decimated the safety net for our most vulnerable citizens, attacked our public education, and tried to take away the civil rights granted our gay and lesbian neighbors.  This stealth agenda has left our economy lagging our neighbors’ growing prosperity.  In fact we’ve lost jobs!
It reminds me of the promise at the national level that if we only give the richest among us enough tax cuts, the benefits will trickle down to us.  We’ve been buying that for 30 years now, and what did it get us?  The greatest income inequality since the Gilded Age.  The middle class is in crisis, and we’re the drivers of our economy, the people with decent incomes and secure employment who create the demand that drives job creation.
You think the NH GOP has changed its mind and seen the light?  The Concord Monitor recently discovered that a couple hundred proposed bills were being hidden by Speaker O’Brien until after the election.  Suddenly they are appearing on the House website, and guess what?  It’s a repeat of what they didn’t get passed in the last two years.
We saw how party discipline works over the last two years as well.  “Vote the GOP line, or else” was the rule for the majority party, and they purged the ranks in the primary this year.  Ask your GOP candidates if they can stand up to this sort of bullying, because it’s not going to be your father’s Republicans running things if they keep the legislature.

A sigh of relief

Just a quick note to say thank you to Ben Bernanke and the Fed for making a move, finally.  I was convinced that Romney had them in his pocket, and they were going to try to help the GOP kill our economy so they could win an election.  The GOP don't ever seem to care much these days about their fellow Americans, do they?  I guess we're just the little people.