Mark Vincent
Amherst

To the Editor

Last week was a marathon three day session in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. One day lasted until 10 PM in the evening. Here are some of the bills that passed or were killed.

HB 329 passed mandating for parental notification to parents before an abortion can be performed on a minor daughter. We are only one of seven states that does not have a parental notification or consent law.

HB 513 died. This bill would allow state sanctioned suicide and the government to condone and be involved in the end-of-life decision of a citizen.

HB 524 passed correcting last year’s law that allowed for automatic early release from prison of persons convicted of violent or sex crimes. The bill also restores the power of the Parole Board.

HB 337 was passed. This insures all towns the same state educational funds in each of the next two years as received this year. This will allow budgeting stability to our school districts.

HB 213 passed as a small but first step in encouraging economic recovery and jobs by a small reduction in the business profits tax.

Killed was HB 577, a bill that would have mandated in-store aisle markings in as many as six languages in retail establishments.

Killed HB 569, a bill that would have establishes homosexual domestic unions between siblings, father son etc.

HB 609 passed insuring that the Milford District Court will remain open.

HB 147 passes the House making it a capital murder for a killing during a home invasion.

HB 210 passed allowing a person to use deadly force when faced with the threat of serious bodily injury or death. Current law mandates force only used if retreat is impossible.

In the next few weeks there will be debates and votes on the state budget. At the present time the economy and state revenues are such that we will be facing a budget deficit as much as a $600 to 800 million. To balance the budget for the next two years, cuts to the budget will be necessary in the range of 15 to 18 percent.

Representative Robert H. Rowe

– Mark Vincent
– Amherst

– Mark Vincent
– Amherst, NH

For questions or to RSVP, please call 226.6000 or email mclark@votebass.com

Every Friday from now till the election the Greater Nashua GOP Victory HQ will be sending out our “Victory Volunteer Program Calendar”. The calendar will inform you of what’s going on in the office for each week. If you wish to help out for any of the events that week simply come in on that date or send a response to which days you can help your local Republican candidates.

Nick Pappas
Greater Nashua Republican HQ
427 Amherst St.
Nashua, NH 03063
Office: (603)415-0279
Cell: (603)818-6132
nick@nhgop.org

Nashua Victory Office Schedule - Click to Enlarge

Before the November election every candidate for state office should be asked two questions. First: What is your vision for New Hampshire in the future? After the first is answered, the second question is: What is needed to achieve your vision?

New Hampshire has always been a high quality and special place in which to live, vacation and raise a family. But if your desire is to keep your children and grandchildren in the state we must provide quality and high paying jobs and professions. Without this New Hampshire will become a retirement state offering nothing but low paying service jobs at best.

New Hampshire must begin to offer benefits to encourage businesses, especially manufacturing companies. Business taxes must be reduced to counteract the high cost of utilities in New Hampshire. This means lower business taxes and greater incentives to encourage new businesses to start here and out-of-state companies to relocate to New Hampshire.

Unfortunately I see this business incentive program as being number two in our priorities. First, and immediately, when the legislature meets in January 2011, we must reduce the size of government and make the resulting government more efficient, smaller and open. All branches of government and departments within those branches must prioritize its programs. Then we must evaluate each program on a cost/benefit basis. We must continue to provide our citizens with the necessary needs, but not every want. Only then can we be able to move into a major business development effort for New Hampshire that will result in greater employment and business tax revenue

Obtaining fiscal soundness will be difficult considering that in the past four years we have increased the state budget 24%. We have instituted 60 new or increased taxes and fees. Even with this increase in taxes and fees we have not been able to meet our higher budget and will go into our next budget with a $700 million shortfall.

You might ask: What has happened to the frugal, self sufficient New Hampshire that I thought I lived in?

Sincerely yours,
Representative Robert H. Rowe
Amherst and Milford

They will be running phone banks everyday and need volunteers to come in and help man the office, make survey calls right into their own towns, help with mailings, and help go door to door.

If you can help out with this effort, contact the person listed below at the office that would be most convenient for you to volunteer at:

Bedford Office – Simon Thomson – simon@nhgop. org or 415-0236

Nashua Office – Nick Pappas – nick@nhgop.org or 415-0279

Stratham Office – Caroline Gilger – caroline@nhgop. org or 415-0278

Salem Office – Bianca Garcia – Bianca@nhgop. org or 512-0588

Keene Office – Annie Kasper – annie@nhgop. org or 415-0012

Laconia Office – Mike Ciccio – mikec@nhgop. org or 712-2301

Also, Republican candidates can put their signs up at offices, drop off materials, and local candidates can make calls right into their district.

If you need further information please call the nearest victory office or contact BJ Perry directly at 603-225-9341 or bj@nhgop.org

First, at the NH State Level….

The Fiscal Collapse of a once-proud State

Then, the US Congress simply refuses to perform it’s main duty….

Hoyer Confirms Dems to ‘Deem’ Budget Enforcement Resolution

And worst of all a President who ignores his responsibility and makes a disaster he did not cause, worse by his inaction…

why-has-barack-obama-refused-to-accept-international-help-to-clean-up-the-oil-spill-in-the-gulf-of-mexico

What’s the common theme here folks?: Democrats, Democrats, Democrats. They are a cancer on our state and the nation. Strong words? You bet! But it’s undeniable. They destroy everything they touch. As Governor Sununu has often said “The Democrats are ruining New Hampshire”. And their cohorts in Washington are spending us into oblivion as Dear Leader plays golf while the Gulf states suffer through his negligence. It’s thoroughly disgusting. These aren’t just policy differences folks. This is one party, driven by their far left ideology, systematically dismantling everything that made this state and this nation the greatest on earth.

Had enough yet?

– Mark

To the Editor

Hooray! We stopped the Milford District Court from closing. OK, but at what cost.

Last year the Judicial Branch decided as a cost savings to close the Milford District Court and transfer the court function to the newly constructed, large and efficient courthouse in Merrimack. This would require the citizens and police in the towns of Amherst, Milford, Mont Vernon, Lyndeborough, Wilton, Mason and Brookline to travel to the court in Merrimack located near Baboosic Lake Road and Route 3A – over a half hour drive for some of the communities. Also included in the economy move was the closing of district courts in the communities of Claremont, Colebrook and Keene.

The consolidation of district court districts has been a long term policy for the judicial branch. The Judicial Branch has decided to construct large efficient buildings, that have every conceivable courthouse amenity facility requirement and serve a larger population area. Ignored is the traditional that goes back to the 19th century that the Municipal and District courts were the peoples court; the courts closest to the citizens. True, the court houses in towns were small and did not provide the desired court house amenities; some borrowed space in the town hall. When I served as a judge in Wilton the court met in the selectmen’s room, heated in the winter by a wood stove. True facilities were lacking, but the court was part of the community, and the court functioned for the citizens, often open on Saturdays and evenings for the convenience of the citizens.

So now we are allowed to keep the Milford Court open, but only if the towns pay much of the cost. Starting in July, the seven local communities serviced by the Milford District court must pay the non-personnel and rental costs totaling $97,680.20 a year. The rent for the building is almost $80,000 a year. With the towns paying the costs, the Judicial Branch saves money in that the building is on a long term lease that is still in effect that they are obligated to finance. Had the court been moved the state would be obligated to pay the rent for an empty building until the end of the lease term; now we must pay. Here are the costs apportioned to the towns: Amherst: $30,573.90, Milford: $36,141.87, Brookline: $11,330.90, Lyndeborough: $1,562.88, Mason: $2,051.28, Mont Vernon: $4981.69, and Wilton: 11,037.86.

So how do we save our local courts? First, we can offer legislation to stop the District Court relocation to Merrimack. Second, we can pass legislation that gives the towns the court fine money to offset the cost; currently all fine money goes to the state.

Last, there may be two Constitution violations. First, the courts are a state responsibility; it may be discrimination to have some towns bear the costs of courts and the state pay for others. Second, there is a provision in our constitution that states that if the state mandates a program to the communities, the state must bear the mandated costs.

If I was a selectman in the communities served by the Milford District Court, My answer would be not to pay and to take the position that the law is unconstitutional. After all the towns have passed budgets in March and this cost was not included.

Your representative,

Robert H. Rowe