Category: Granite State,

We asked 100 New Hampshire insiders about the Democratic field at the State Democratic Convention

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Granite State,Leave a comment

The largely friendly tone among the different campaigns’ supporters and “Anybody But Trump” signs were a stark contrast to the event in 2016. The party’s annual convention that year was marred by chants and boos, forcing former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schutlz to stop speaking.

In a sign of unity this year, hundreds of delegates agreed to hold signs for whichever candidate was speaking at the time, regardless of which contender they backed personally. The only jeers were when several candidates couldn’t remember or pronounce the names of the state’s congressional members.

We asked 100 New Hampshire insiders about the Democratic field. Here’s who they favor. – POLITICO

hmmm

Why run for N.H. Legislature? It’s not for $100, fame or a license plate

On By peanutgallerynhIn Granite State,Leave a comment

Experts say the accessibility of New Hampshire’s Legislature is a big draw for those looking to test the political waters, but with low pay and huge membership come drawbacks for those with grander political aspirations.

University of New Hampshire Associate Professor of Political Science Dante Scala says, unlike other states, those elected to the Legislature in the Granite State have an uphill battle being recognized, making it tough to parlay a House seat into a lobbyist position or a higher-ranking elected position, whether it be governor or a congressional seat.

…Legislators here are among the lowest paid in the country, with the meager salary producing a body whose makeup is far different from states like Massachusetts, whose lawmakers often are career politicians.

…“They really run because they can. Unlike in states with professional legislatures, the barriers to entry are very low in New Hampshire,” Scala noted.

Experts say the low pay and many members also benefit those with political aspirations because potential candidates don’t need to have established a name for themselves before running or have a huge war chest to mount a campaign.

“You just need to have time on your hands,” Scala said.

…“At the end of the day whether you are far on the Republican side, far on the Democrat side, or smack dab in the middle, you are nothing more than a volunteer with a glorified title,” he said.

Scala said some might enter the Legislature with grand aspirations and find their support is largely local.

“They think their status means a lot outside of Concord, and it isn’t necessarily so,” Scala noted.

…”At least the members aren’t on the take,” Pantelakos said.

Why run for N.H. Legislature? It’s not for $100, fame or a license plate – *GJ_FOSTERS_NEWS – fosters.com – Dover, NH

hmmm

Weare officer ‘in good spirits’ after being shot; suspect found dead, officials say

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Granite State,Leave a comment

After the shooting, officers left the home, while Clough-Garvin stayed inside it. He was the only person in the home at that time, MacDonald said.

Clough-Garvin was found dead about 8:30 a.m. in the home, MacDonald said.

Weare officer ‘in good spirits’ after being shot; suspect found dead, officials say

Hold up…. Forget the officer’s arm…. They shot into a house, ostensibly shot and killed a man, did not check on his condition, and then just left his dead body in there for hours? What… The … Fuck…?

“Irresponsible” doesn’t begin to cover it. Officer shooting or no, every single officer involved should be relieved of their badges and prohibited from getting employment in any other law enforcement department in the future.

 

Monitor and ACLU sue Concord over ‘covert’ police equipment

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Granite State,, Money, Class, and Poverty,, Privacy,Leave a comment

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire and the Concord Monitor are suing the city of Concord to court over a secret type of technology used by police.

A $5,100 line item in this year’s police department budget was set aside for “covert communications equipment.” City officials have argued that they can’t say what the equipment is and what it does – or even which company offers it – because of a nondisclosure agreement with the vendor.

“Using taxpayer money to fund secret police equipment is deeply troubling. The public has a right to know what the City of Concord and its police department spend their money on, and why the city wants to keep this secret equipment hidden from public view,” ACLU attorney Henry Klementowicz. “This right-to-know request is at the very heart of what the law was designed to do: promote transparency.” 

…“Concord’s effort to keep secret its contract for services and the vendor’s privacy and refund policies should be rejected,” the suit states. “While the nature of equipment the city has purchased is not clear, what is clear is that the city has entered into a non-disclosure agreement with an unnamed vendor that requi  res the city to take steps to prevent disclosure of important information to courts, grand juries, and defense counsel.”  

Monitor and ACLU sue Concord over ‘covert’ police equipment

mmmhmmm

TBT: ‘You couldn’t spend a dime?’ – Jay Inslee ticks off the wrong state

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Granite State,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

Inslee’s decision while he chaired the Democratic Governors Association not to invest in New Hampshire’s competitive governor’s race last year still burns some of the state’s leading Democrats. Ray Buckley, the New Hampshire Democratic Party chair, said the move was so surprising that state Democrats assumed Inslee had abandoned any 2020 aspirations.

…“You spent $130 million to $150 million — are you serious? And you couldn’t spend a dime to help Molly Kelly win her race?” Reardon said, referring to roughly the amount the DGA raised in 2017-18 election cycle. “I’d love to see the breakdown on how much they spent on losing gubernatorial races in other states. My hunch is a fraction of that would have been a help in New Hampshire.”

…Democrats were especially miffed, Buckley said, because polling showed Kelly within one point of Sununu a week before the election. As the DGA held back, the Republican Governors Association plowed more than $800,000 into the race.

…“We were extremely surprised that the DGA did not invest more resources in the race, especially in the closing days,” the [GOP] official said. “Instead, the DGA invested resources in places like Alaska, a race that was already lost for them. And they invested significant resources in states like Rhode Island, which ended up being a blowout for Gov. Raimondo. I still think even with resources by Dems, Sununu would have still won. But if DGA would have invested significant resources from the beginning, it could have been a different outcome.”

…“I happen to think that Molly was a great candidate and I think she could have won,” Dean said. “A lot of my New Hampshire friends agree with me. I can’t get into the merits of this argument but the thing that interests me is because it’s New Hampshire they have a special role in making people’s lives miserable after the fact.” 

‘You couldn’t spend a dime?’: Jay Inslee ticks off the wrong state – POLITICO

Oh, Dean… You’re hilarious.

Mike Pence abruptly cancels New Hampshire trip, reason unclear

On By peanutgallerynhIn Addiction,, Domestic Affairs,, Drugs & Drink,, Granite State,, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Randy Gentry, a representative from Pence’s office, announced the event was canceled.

“There’s been an emergency callback,” Gentry told those waiting. “The vice president was asked to return to Washington so at this time we’re going to cancel today’s event.”

Farah, however, said Pence never left Washington.

“There was no “emergency callback,” she tweeted.

A Defense official confirmed that the aircraft never took off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The flight was cancelled by the requestor, the official said. 

…A White House official confirmed there was no medical issue related to the president or the vice president.

Mike Pence abruptly cancels New Hampshire trip, reason unclear

WTF?

State Laws on Fetal Homicide and Penalty-enhancement for Crimes Against Pregnant Women

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Chick Stuff,, Granite State,, Local Interest,, Religion,Leave a comment

State Laws on Fetal Homicide and Penalty-enhancement for Crimes Against Pregnant Women

Let’s parse this out, shall we?

The typical argument for a life beginning before its birth is that (the Christian version of) God made it so. Since the Bible is accepted authority on the word of (the Christian version of) God, let’s peruse the tome and see what God has to say on the subject.

Genesis 2:7 –  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Man becomes a living soul when the breathe of life flows through his nostrils? OR more simply put, breathing through one’s nose is the point man becomes a living soul? That doesn’t sound like anything that happens in the womb….

Ezekiel 37: 5-6 –  Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live;

The moment that bones, sinew, and flesh become living is when breathe is put into it? So there is no life until a body breathes?  A body isn’t alive unless it is has drawn breathe. Seems pretty clear that life starts after a body is born and has drawn its first breathe because without breathe it is not living.

Job 33:4 –  The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

Even though God made man (in this case, Elihu,) he was not alive until he received breathe. So even though a body has been created it is not alive until it is breathing? Seems pretty clear cut.

Conclusion? God says there is no life without breathe, ergo no body is alive until it breathes. Fetal homicide laws are enacted in direct opposition to the Word of (the Christian version of ) God.

When people who purport to be Christian advocate for fetal homicide laws they are going against the Bible. No ifs, ands, or buts. Calling it based in anything that resembles Biblical teachings is an egregious, blatant, and wholly unchristian lie.

It is a way to degrade women and make them less than a full person in the eyes of the law though. If injury to, or the death of, a woman in itself is a lesser crime than the injury to, or death of, a pregnant woman than the law is saying that a woman who is not pregnant is worth less than one who is.

If women who are pregnant can expect the full support of the law to reconcile aggression against them and women who are not get less support and a lower level of justice from the law then women who are not pregnant are valued as less in the eyes of the law than others. Simply put, unless women are pregnant, their personhood, in the eyes of the law, is devalued.

And that’s not only unchristian, it’s just wrong.

Lawsuit Claims Amazon’s Alexa Devices Record Without Consent, Against N.H. Law

On By peanutgallerynhIn Granite State,, Media and Culture,, Modern Parenting,, Privacy,Leave a comment

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Seattle claims the voice-controlled virtual assistant devices permanently records millions of children without their consent or parents’ consent.

It claims the devices can identify individual voices and Amazon could ask for consent when a new person uses the device.

Lawsuit Claims Amazon’s Alexa Devices Record Without Consent, Against N.H. Law | New Hampshire Public Radio

hmmm