To the Editor,
The weather was warm and dry last Saturday for holding one of my periodic “office hours” for meeting the public as a state representative for Milford and Amherst. As a public official you get comments and questions based on constituents’ issues covering national, state and local concerns, so we’ll take them in that order:
National
The majority of comments and inquiries for the day were about strong objections to national policy ranging from opposition to recently passed health care legislation to the growing size of the national debt, and sheer size and perceived invasion of liberty characterized by the growth of the federal government. Clearly, these issues are beyond being a state rep … but that is what the majority of the approximately 30 people with whom I spoke wanted to talk about. Without my asking, most identified themselves as “independents.”
State
One person never left his truck, but asked that I support calling on the New Hampshire Attorney General to join the suit by 14 other state attorneys general against the mandated coverage required by the new federal health care bill. … I will. Another person favored casino gambling as proposed in Senate Bill 489. … which I oppose, and a group enjoying the weather just wanted to talk about the New Hampshire legislative process … we did.
Local
An individual was adamant about stabilizing school funding; another stressed the need for more recycling, and finally the motorcycles were out in force and a biker stopped to talk about the joy of being back on the road.
I was at the Milford Rotary Park, and the Amherst Transfer Station this time and will hold more “office hours” this June after the state Legislature has adjourned before the September primaries and November elections.
BILL BELVIN
Amherst
State Representative, Hillsborough District 6, Milford/Amherst