Are you a concerned voter and taxpayer who cannot attend the traditional town meeting or a COOP school district meeting? Some fellow citizens tout the traditional meeting as a pure democracy, as the voters present at the traditional meeting make up the legislative body and decide on all matters.

This statement may be true, but you actually need to be present at the traditional meeting to have a voice as a voting member of the legislative body.

Another truth is that many voters simply cannot practically attend a traditional meeting for a variety of reasons. In Hollis and Brookline, participation in traditional meetings typically ranges from 2% to 5% of voters who approve town and school budgets and spending ranging from $8M to $30M+, deciding for the 95% to 98% of voters, not at the meeting. The town and school meetings determine about 96% of our property taxes, so maximum participation is paramount.

Since 2014, COOP traditional meetings have averaged 6½ hours, sometimes over multiple evenings. I would argue voting on multi-million-dollar bonds for the COOP at 1 am in the morning may not embody true democracy, but that has occurred. Traditional town meetings often run similar durations, past midnight in some cases. This year, the Brookline traditional town meeting has 30 warrant articles with four one-hour ballot votes and is expected to take at least two evenings.

We want to thank Eric Pauer for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

From the relatively sparse traditional meeting attendance, we know that many citizens simply cannot participate in the traditional meetings. It is a significant challenge for many elderly or disabled citizens to get to the meeting location and participate in often lengthy meetings. Some citizens have health concerns and cannot risk being in a large gathering. Other citizens have a second shift, overtime, or weekend work commitments at the same time as the traditional meeting. Still, others are out of town on travel for work, are students away at college, serve in the military away from home, or may be snowbirds out of state. Two-parent households with small children often can only have one parent participate. Unfortunately, all of these voters are disenfranchised in the traditional meeting system.

The solution is to adopt the official balloting system known as SB2. Under the SB2 system, we still have a very important deliberative session to discuss, deliberate, debate, amend, and finalize all warrant articles, held in early February. The deliberative session is very similar to a traditional meeting, except for the final vote on the warrant articles. After the deliberative session, voters have time to fact-check and think about how they will vote instead of making the snap decisions that happen at a traditional meeting. The final vote on all warrant articles occurs at least 30 days later via official ballot on election day on the second Tuesday in March. Voters can vote anytime the polls are open on election day at their convenience or by absentee ballot.

Under SB2, no voter is disenfranchised!

Voter turnout on town/school election day in Hollis and Brookline historically ranges from 20% to 25%. So under the SB2 system, we could have five to ten times the number of voters participating than under the traditional meeting. When many more voters participate, we collectively make decisions that better reflect the will and support of our communities.

This year, Hollis and Brookline voters will have the opportunity to adopt SB2 for the Hollis Brookline COOP during the March 19 meeting at 6:30 pm (warrant article 9).

Brookline voters will also have the opportunity to adopt SB2 for the town during the March 13 meeting at 7 pm (warrant article 23).

Motions will be made to bring the vote on adopting SB2 early in both meetings, so please plan on attending at least the beginning meeting so that SB2 is successfully adopted and no Hollis or Brookline voter is disenfranchised. For any questions on SB2, you can email me at info@hollisbrookline.com or visit www.hollisbrookline.com.

The post Traditional Meetings, Voter Disenfranchisement, and SB2 Balloting appeared first on Granite Grok.

A recent article by Russ Payne (a supporter of the John Birch Society) made some outlandish claims that must not be allowed to stand unchallenged.

In 2012, a “balanced budget amendment,” HCR 40, was passed by a bipartisan vote in the NH Legislature, with a great cause and foresight, to control the runaway Federal US Debt. The facts below speak for themselves.

2012 National Debt = $16,066 Billion Debt to GDP ratio * 99% (* pivotal timing in financial history – as we have just fallen off the Fiscal Cliff) 2022 = $30,824 Billion with a Debt to GDP ratio of *123 % (* For the first time since World War II, the federal public debt has reached 100% of GDP, meaning the federal government will soon owe more in debt than the annual size of the American economy We are in a free –fall with no parachute)

Feb 2, 2024, after nearly an increase of $14 + Billion of runaway debt, HCR 9 was introduced to rescind the NH “Balanced Budget Amendment of 2012. The vote to rescind failed. (14 to 6 as “ITL” House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee). In testimony supporting a YES vote – (to rescind), was the John Birch Society supporters and Hal Shurtleff of Camp Constitution. It appears via their testimony they believe in the Constitution – but simply want the authority to pick and choose what parts they want you and I to follow!

We want to thank Al Brandano for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

Fortunately, the wisdom and clear foresight of the 2012 NH Legislature won the day, along with the testimony of concerned citizens, organizations, and supporters of *The Convention of States (* approx 13,000 grassroots petition signers in NH)

Now, let’s reimagine 2012 in terms of what we could have accomplished if all of the#34 required states (#26 have signed on) had just used the authority granted to the states under Article V and, in fact, called for a Convention of The States ( NOT a Constitutional Convention/ Con-Con).

The founding fathers envisioned Article V as a nonviolent solution for states to take back an out-of-control federal government. Article V Convention of States simply and only allows us (the states), the rights to come together to just meet, for the purpose of only proposing amendments to this US Constitution. They also gave us a high bar to cross to amend the US Constitution. Any student of the Constitution understands that all proposed amendments via the States under Article V require a ratification process ( same as federal) in which all #50 State Legislatures have a vote.

John Birch & Camp Constitution “Con/Con of Fear Mongering” is simply folly! Current polling indicates that 68% of US voters support A Balanced US Budget. Why? Because the Debt is projected to double to 200% by 2050, when our net interest payments will be the single largest budget item, exceeding the size of Social Security and Medicare. For perspective, fifteen years ago, the U.S. public debt as a size of our economy was only 35%.

Tell your NH Legislators to please VOTE NO on HCR 9 to protect our Constitution and all of our rights. To keep alive New Hampshire’s support, hope in a “balanced budget amendment” for the sake of our children, grandchildren, and national security.

Al Brandano is the New Hampshire State Director for Convention of States

 

The views and opinions expressed by contributors are those of the author and may not reflect the opinion or position of  Grok Media, GraniteGrok.com, its authors, advertisers, donors, or sponsors.

The post Night Cap: The Folly of HCR9 appeared first on Granite Grok.

You cannot get through a day without hearing a politician cite a threat to our Democracy. This statement is factually incorrect. The United States of America is not, and hopefully never will be, a Democracy. Our forefathers protected our individual states by creating America as a Constitutional Republic.

We are a Republic of 50 individual states.

To level the playing field and give the smallest of states, like Rhodes Island and Delaware, an equal say with the largest of states, like Texas and California, with the brilliant tool called the Electoral College. When we have a Presidential Election, it is 50 individual elections (more, including our territories like Puerto Rico or Guam). The individual elections determine which candidate is awarded the Electoral Votes for the state. The number of Senators and Representatives makes up a state’s Electoral Vote total. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

There are many of the Democrat Party and some states that want to do away with the Electoral College in lieu of a popular vote. A popular vote would align with a Democracy. If that initiative were to succeed, the country’s population centers would elect our President, and all other votes would be irrelevant. We are a vast country, but our population is concentrated in the Northeast, West Coast, Texas, and Florida. Two of those four regions are Liberal, and if we were a Democracy, these two regions would elect our President, and he/she would be a Democrat.

So why does a state like Maine legislate and pass a bill favoring a national popular vote and the cessation of the Electoral College? The short, blunt answer is ignorance. But we must dig deeper. Maine is also a state that has adopted ranked-choice voting. For a state like Maine to support a popular vote is to make the votes of their constituents irrelevant. Maine is geographically a large state. The rest of New England can fit within the borders of Maine. But Maine has less than one million registered voters. The votes of Mainers would be as useless as Iowa if a popular vote replaced the Electoral College.

The good thing is that a vote by the Maine legislators is ceremonial. Eliminating the Electoral College would require an amendment to the Constitution, and the chances of that are the same as Biden serving a second term.

So, what is the purpose of a legislature vote in Maine? It is solely for the Progressive Base. Look at us. We are so far to the Left. We are the Party for you. Well, the Progressive Movement is as popular as $3 gas and 19% Inflation. It is as fun as 8 million criminals wading across the Rio Grande or walking downtown, avoiding homeless encampments and discarded syringes. Biden has turned America into the Tree Street region of Lawrence, which I took my family away from in the 80s. Biden has taken the beauty of the American Dream and gave us Friday the 13th. Forget how old and feeble he is. As a President, he is a disaster.

If you want the elite of NYC and LA electing your President for you, then do nothing and let the libs steal your freedom as you sleep. If you have a spine, then wake up, speak up, and fight for this great country while we can still put her back together again.

The post Do Not Let The Electoral College Fade Away appeared first on Granite Grok.

At least, Mikey Graham is FINALLY being honest about it … he and his ilk helped elect Biden in 2020. But he is NOT being honest about WHY. The real reason is that Donald Trump represented (and still represents) an existential threat to the grift of “traditional Republicans,” to use Mikey’s euphemism for the country-club elitists like McConnell, Sununu, Ayotte, etc.:

Biden was never “that guy,” AND, more importantly, a student of politics like Mikey knows that. For his entire career, Biden has trafficked in lies and character assassination. A few examples: In 1987, he turned the name BORK into a verb (borking) via his character assassination of arguably the most qualified nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court in the twentieth century: Robert Bork. And that was shortly after he withdrew from the Democrat Presidential primary for plagiarizing and lying.

Fast forward to 2020: It was apparent that Biden did NOT “want[] to bring back normalcy.” For example, during the Democrat primary, he expressly promised to open the Southern border and to destroy the domestic fossil fuel industry. Mikey is simply attempting to rewrite history.

Mikey and his ilk supported Biden in 2020 because Trump did NOT play by the rules. His real “crimes” were actually attempting to close the border, actually getting economically tough o China (i.e. tariffs) and NOT starting any new endless wars. That is why Mikey and his ilk sat by silently and secretly applauded the Deep State conducting a soft coup against Trump for four years.

That is why Mikey pretended AND still pretends that the 2020 election was NOT rigged … you will NEVER hear Mikey and his ilk mention Zuckerbucks, censorship (laptop), misinformation (Russia bounties, etc.), drop-boxes, unverifiable mail-in ballots, etc., etc., etc.. They needed to pretend that 2020 was a legitimate election in order to finally dispatch Trump and go back to their grift.

But just keep pretending that Mikey Sununu and Ayotte are on “your side” because they have an “R” after their names.

 

The post We’re Not That Stupid, Mikey … Biden Was Never “That Guy” appeared first on Granite Grok.

Democrats are confusing. Ivanka Trump got a white dog, and the Liberal Left lost their hive mind (racism!). Melania Trump wore a white dress to speak before the RNC, and the Liberal Left lost their hive mind (racism!).  Dem women wear white as a group and, what?

As I noted here, it makes no sense, but white is the traditional Democrat Party Klan color, so there’s that.

Governor Sununu gave his budget address yesterday. A number of New Hampshire Democrats dressed in the parties traditional klan color to protest their pro-choice governor. You read that right. Women in New Hampshire copied Democrat’s Klan-color “protest” from Trump’s State of the Union.

To listen to the budget address of a Republican governor who has given tax dollars to planned parenthood more than once.

Congressional Dems wore white to protest Trump at the SOTU more than once. They even got Klan’d up for a speech in which the guy they were protesting announced record-low unemployment for black Americans (Racism!).

Your guess is as good as mine because they did it again this week for Uncle Joe’s ‘Hate of the Union Speech,’ and it had little to do with any of the previous sartorial expressions of racism (or whatever).

Today, ahead of @POTUS State of the Union Address, I stand alongside my @DemWomenCaucus colleagues in our commitment to defending reproductive freedoms against extremist attacks. pic.twitter.com/it9kLz7VS0

— Rep. Norma Torres (@NormaJTorres) March 7, 2024

“Where else are you going to wear white?” might be the question, except on the DC plantation with a mint julep in hand as you survey the generational slavery you’ve enabled with tens of trillions of debt spending.

How ironic is that? White is racist except when it’s on women who have legislated future generations of minorities (everyone, actually) into slaves of the State without them having any say about it. Reproductive freedom? Seriously?

No, this is about women killing babies in exchange for campaign donations. I’m sure they’ll remind us that those aborted children will never have to labor to pay off all the debt they’ve created.

But someone has to, and it is not going to be any of these white-wearing ideological descendants of the Klan.

 

The post Democrat Women Wear Traditional Klan Colors for Biden’s Hate of the Union Speech appeared first on Granite Grok.

Thursday is session day, and if you missed Judy Aron’s round-up this morning, make a note to check that out (right after you’ve finished looking to see if your rep missed any roll call votes or if they missed a lot of them).

Each week, we will publish a list of Republican members of the House and … a note about missed votes. We make no distinction for why just that they were missed. I know that Rep. Moffett is out of state for some reason, for example, so he missed all 23 roll call votes yesterday. I’ll also add that after the original announcement about posting these numbers, I got a bit of pushback.

I’m sure your constituents will understand. Gould, O’Hara, and Trottier’s, on the other hand … https://t.co/57LZQuoMQM

— GraniteGrok (@GraniteGrok) March 6, 2024

I’m not publishing this to pick nits over legitimate absences. As I explained to readers in the original piece,

We’re not telling you what to do with this information or that, in some cases, a “republican” Rep. missing a vote isn’t good for Republican priorities, just that they’ve missed …roll call votes, you should know this, and can pursue that with them if that’s how you roll (including a thank you to reps who always find a way to be there when it matters).

This is a volunteer citizen legislature (working for less than peanuts, but we want to keep it that way). But when your majority is razor thin, and you find the Democrats, who are in the same attendance situation as their Republican counterparts, patiently working the system to kill good bills and advance bad ones because of attendance issues, that’s a damn significant problem worth investigating.

There are always exceptions, but then there are those in Republican districts who cannot be bothered and should be encouraged to let someone who can make it replace them this November. Or, maybe that primary opponent can use the attendance information to help them remove that reluctant Rep. via the ballot box.

The List(s)

Here is this week’s missed roll call: Roll Call! – The total number of Missed Roll Call Votes for March 7th.

One more note: A reader suggested we publish these each week, and below this week’s update is a list of reps with perfect attendance (a reader asked for that, too).

Votes Missed
23	Crawford, Karel (R, Moultonborough)
23	McLean, Mark (R, Manchester)
23	Moffett, Michael (R, Loudon)
23	O’Hara, Travis (R, Belmont)
23	Sanborn, Laurie (R, Bedford)
23	Testerman, Dave (R, Franklin)
23	Tierney, James (R, Northumberland)
23	Verville, Kevin (R, Deerfield)
11	Wolf, Dan (R, Newbury)
10	Packard, Sherman (R, Londonderry)
9	Guthrie, Joseph (R, Hampstead)
9	Nagel, David (R, Gilmanton)
8	Thackston, Dick (R, Troy)
7	Abare, Kimberly (R, Pelham)
5	DeSimone, Debra (R, Atkinson)
5	Trottier, Douglas (R, Belmont)
4	Beaudoin, Richard (R, Gilford)
3	Bordes, Mike (R, Laconia)
2	Fedolfi, Jim (R, Hillsborough)
2	Panek, Sandra (R, Pelham)
2	Varney, Peter (R, Alton)
2	Walsh, Thomas (R, Hooksett)
1	Bickford, David (R, New Durham)
1	Dolan, Tom (R, Londonderry)
1	Doucette, Fred (R, Salem)
1	Foote, Charles (R, Derry)
1	Katsakiores, Phyllis (R, Derry)
1	Lascelles, Richard (R, Litchfield)
1	Post, Lisa (R, Lyndeborough)
1	Simon, Matthew (R, Littleton)
1	Smith, Steven (R, Charlestown)
1	Sytek, John (R, Salem)
1	Tripp, Richard (R, Derry)

Here is the list of Republican NH House Reps with perfect (Roll Call Vote) Attendance this session.

Andrus, Louise (R, Salisbury)

Aron, Judy (R, South Acworth)

Aures, Cyril (R, Chichester)

Avellani, Lino (R, Wakefield)

Aylward, Deborah (R, Danbury)

Bailey, Glenn (R, Milton)

Ball, Lorie (R, Salem)

Bean, Harry (R, Gilford)

Belcher, Mike (R, Wakefield)

Berezhny, Lex (R, Grafton)

Bernardy, JD (R, South Hampton)

Bogert, Steven (R, Laconia)

Boyd, Bill (R, Merrimack)

Boyd, Stephen (R, Hooksett)

Brouillard, Jacob (R, Nottingham)

Brown, Richard (R, Moultonborough)

Burnham, Claudine (R, Milton)

Cahill, Tim (R, Raymond)

Cambrils, Jose (R, Loudon)

Colcombe, Riché (R, Hillsborough)

Comtois, Barbara (R, Center Barnstead)

Corcoran, Travis (R, Weare)

Costable, Michael (R, Freedom)

Coulon, Matthew (R, Pike)

Creighton, Jim (R, Antrim)

Cushman, Leah (R, Weare)

Davis, Arnold (R, Milan)

Donnelly, Tanya (R, Salem)

Drago, Mike (R, Raymond)

Drye, Margaret (R, Plainfield)

Dumais, Russell (R, Gilford)

Dunn, Ron (R, Londonderry)

Durkin, Sean (R, Northumberland)

Emerick, Tracy (R, Hampton)

Erf, Keith (R, Weare)

Ford, Oliver (R, Chester)

Gagne, Larry (R, Manchester)

Gerhard, Jason (R, Northfield)

Granger, Michael (R, Milton)

Greeson, Jeffrey (R, Wentworth)

Griffin, Gerald (R, Mont Vernon)

Harb, Robert (R, Plaistow)

Healey, Robert (R, Merrimack)

Hill, Gregory (R, Northfield)

Janigian, John (R, Salem)

Kaczynski, Thomas (R, Rochester)

Kelley, Diane (R, Temple)

Kennedy, Stephen (R, Hudson)

King, Bill (R, Milford)

Leavitt, John (R, Hooksett)

Lekas, Alicia (R, Hudson)

Lekas, Tony (R, Hudson)

Lewicke, John (R, Mason)

Love, David (R, Derry)

Lynn, Bob (R, Windham)

MacDonald, Wayne (R, Londonderry)

Mannion, Dennis (R, Salem)

Mannion, Tom (R, Pelham)

Mazur, Lisa (R, Weare)

McCarter, Nikki (R, Belmont)

McDonnell, Valerie (R, Salem)

McGough, Tim (R, Merrimack)

McGuire, Dan (R, Epsom)

McMahon, Charles (R, Windham)

Melvin, Charles (R, Newton)

Mooney, Maureen (R, Merrimack)

Murphy, Michael (R, Gorham)

Nelson, Jodi (R, Derry)

Newton, Clifford (R, Rochester)

Noble, Kristin (R, Bedford)

Notter, Jeanine (R, Merrimack)

Ouellet, Mike (R, Colebrook)

Pauer, Diane (R, Brookline)

Pearson, Mark (R, Hampstead)

Pearson, Stephen (R, Derry)

Perez, Kristine (R, Londonderry)

Phillips, Emily (R, Fremont)

Plett, Fred (R, Goffstown)

Ploszaj, Tom (R, Center Harbor)

Popovici-Muller, Daniel (R, Windham)

Potenza, Kelley (R, Rochester)

Potucek, John (R, Derry)

Pratt, Kevin (R, Raymond)

Prout, Andrew (R, Hudson)

Qualey, James (R, Rindge)

Reid, Karen (R, Deering)

Rollins, Skip (R, Newport)

Santonastaso, Matthew (R, Rindge)

See, Alvin (R, Loudon)

Seidel, Sheila (R, Goffstown)

Sheehan, Vanessa (R, Milford)

Sirois, Shane (R, New Ipswich)

Smith, Jonathan (R, Ossioee)

Spilsbury, Walter (R, Charlestown)

Stapleton, Walter (R, Claremont)

Stone, Jonathan (R, Claremont)

Summers, James (R, Newton)

Sweeney, Joe (R, Salem)

Thomas, Douglas (R, Londonderry)

Tudor, Paul (R, Northwood)

Turcotte, Len (R, Barrington)

Ulery, Jordan (R, Hudson)

Vose, Michael (R, Epping)

Wallace, Scott (R, Danville)

Walsh, Lilli (R, Hampstead)

Weyler, Kenneth (R, Kingston)

Wood, Clayton (R, Pittsfield)

Yokela, Josh (R, Fremont)

The post NH House Republican Attendance for the Week of 3-7-2024 appeared first on Granite Grok.

Remember Daniel Richard’s first State Supreme Court litigation? He sued the legislature pro se and humiliated Attorneys James Cianci (House Counsel) and Richard Lehmann (Senate Counsel) during oral arguments. As part of the overflow crowd, I watched it livestream in the legal library and must say that Attorney Lehmann did a better job of saving face than Attorney Cianci.

I also would later observe that Attorney Lehmann is more user-friendly to the public than his House counterpart, which I’ll get into in a moment.

By now, most readers are up to speed on the Right To Know (RTK) Tax, aka HB 1002, which had an executive session at 10 am today in House Judiciary.

Within a day of the whole House sending the bill back to that committee (re-referred), I sent some RTK emails, which I’ll summarize as requests for all HB 1002-related communications between municipal associations, lobbyists, or any other entities on their behalf and the City of Nashua (including its individual public servants).

The other request was the same but with all the House Judiciary members instead of the City of Nashua. These carefully worded emails were sent hours before business day opening time on Friday, 2/9.

Later that morning, Attorney Cianci sent me a well-worded “legalese” email acknowledging my request. He let me know that it would require some time to respond, which was no surprise.  Attorney Bolton, on the other hand, was predictably hostile and slow to answer.

Since it’s customary to reply to an RTK (with at least an acknowledgment of the request) within five days, I followed up with Bolton at the end of (in my opinion) Day 4 and took the step to thank Cianci for his prompt reply days earlier.  I also asked him (but not for legal advice) what the law says as to when the clock starts ticking after an RTK request is made.

A few hours later, Cianci, in his own clever legal-speak, replied that he was refusing to answer my question because (as I had acknowledged in my email to him) he doesn’t work for the City and it’s unethical to make comments that could be thought of as legal advice.  Um, isn’t a judge’s opinion essentially an interpretation of the law and NOT legal advice?  I do remember observing Judges Temple and English telling pro se litigants Laurie Ortolano, and Laura Colquhoun, so, respectively.

So here it is, a month later, and Cianci followed with his findings in response to my inquiry, which I shared with some locals.  One of them said the following:

“No, I do not believe his outcome. None of the records came from individuals on the committee, even those received via email. It can be construed that you did address requests to each individual. You are getting the middle finger.

Cianci did not provide copies of the multiple emails I sent to committee members and the committee as a whole. It is good practice to have others send “test” records for circle back to check search veracity. He did, however, provide your own email, which also does not fit your request.

After some thought about this local’s feedback, I got to thinking about emails to and from members of the legislature and that several members do use Gmail or other accounts, presumably as a “91A shelter.”  If you visit NH dot gov, you will see that a “leg.state.nh.us” email address is available to the public for all 24 senators, whether or not any one or more of them prefer to use it.  This is important because you, the private person, can get your email to them on record.  And if you know a 2nd/private address is also used or preferred, you can email both addresses.  Easy peasy.

The House, on the other hand, is another story.

Each rep has EITHER a “leg.state.nh.us” address OR (not in addition to) their own private email.

It has been that way for quite some time and hasn’t taken up much space in my mind until now. House Judiciary has two members (Mr. Testerman and Marjorie Smith) who have non-government emails displayed on their home pages, but even more curious is the chair, Judge Lynn, who’s been viciously pushing for HB1002.  The ONLY email for him that’s displayed on NH dot gov is his Gmail address.

This makes for an interesting situation because I (or anyone else from the hoi polloi) likely have no admissible way of proving that he’s been reached out to. It also means that anything sent or received involving rjlynn4@gmail.com is likely below the radar.

Considering that I was told that I was being given the finger by Attorney Cianci (by someone known for doing his due diligence and knowing his stuff), I began to wonder if Cianci’s ability to “give me the finger” is based upon Judge Lynn having a Gmail address. Of course, asking Cianci if Judge Lynn’s Gmail is subject to 91A would essentially compare to having faith in a fox guarding a hen house, so I turned to Attorney Lehmann.  And because I had predicted HB1002 advancing past the House, I decided to be proactive and turn to Senate Judiciary, which has three lawyers in its membership.  One of them is a dumb blonde who mistakes a constitutional republic for democracy all the time and can’t even answer yes-no questions in the chamber, so I only included the two gentlemen with the Chair (Sharon Carson) in my email to Attorney Lehmann.

Before the crack of dawn, I sent that email, saying the following: “My legal question for you, Counselors, is whether or not a non-“leg.state.nh.us” email address is subject to 91A.” Hours later, and as the end of the day nears, I wonder how long I must wait until one of them, presumably Lehmann, replies. Or does one have to initiate litigation (at their own expense, of course) to get an answer in court?

Kind of weird, don’t you think, considering that the person of interest is retired from the state’s highest court?

The post NH Legislators Who Use Private Emails for ‘Public Business’ … and The Right to Know Law appeared first on Granite Grok.

To all those who are sending in memes, thank you!  Many, many good ones!  Please do share this post, and if you share an individual meme, consider mentioning you saw it on the Grok!

In particular, if you have any PI DAY memes, I’d appreciate them ASAP.

Speaking of, from this week, Monday Edition and Wednesday Edition.  Also check out my latest Israel-focused meme & commentary post if this is a subject of interest to you.

 

*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***

 

 

On the whole “fair share” thing – an essay from my old blog:

 

E Fair Share Follies

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

I never really thought of pharma as “the good guys” but certainly not as “the bad guys”.  I’ve changed my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

No.  I have a better idea:

 

 

 

 

Many people of faith – like myself – do believe that all works out in the end.  It’s surviving from now until then that’s the question.

 

 

Or both.

 

 

True.  OTOH, a good friend will be a shoulder to cry on / sounding board / etc.

 

 

 

But don’t call it BRIBERY.

 

 

 

And yet, so many – including too many of my fellow Jews – will cheer this Great Replacement.  Until they get turned on by those whom they welcomed.

 

 

 

 

And, as I understand it, this is one of the most significant beef raising areas in the country.

 

 

 

The passivity of the sheeple never ceases to simultaneously amaze and horrify me.

 

 

 

 

Again, admitting you were bamboozled means you’d have to admit you were fooled – and fooled by people you trusted.  And it’d also mean that those who you looked down on as anti-science, foil-hat morons were, in fact, correct.  POOF.  There goes your sense of moral and intellectual superiority.

Very few have the strength of character to take those steps; their vanity gets in the way.  No wonder it’s the Devil’s favorite sin.

 

 

The laws exist.  It’s the enforcement that’s the issue – or rather, lack of.

 

 

If, Hashem forbid, Ebola actually lands in, say, any large city like NYFC where people mingle and touch and are in close proximity for hours… to quote Peter G, “Hell’s coming for breakfast”.

 

 

Seeing means seeing things that make you feel uncomfortable, or understand you were fooled.  As above, very few people have the strength of character to really consciously admit that.

 

 

OK, moot now.  But still funny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s one lib blogger with whom I’ve actually agreed on some things… but politically her arrogance and condescension towards anyone to the Right of Stalin drip throughout her work.

 

 

 

 

Good point!

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA

 

 

I have an Android, which has its own issues, but still – understand, your data (location, browsing, purchasing, etc.) are their product.

 

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There’s an axiom: You cannot get someone to see something when their paycheck depends on them not seeing it.

 

 

 

 

 

Same with classical art vs. “modern” art.  Cue this Prager video.

 

 

That’s a good one!

 

 

 

 

Monoculture, a pride in the nation and history, and – I dare say – a relatively homogenous ethnic make-up.

 

 

OK, I’m Jonesing for an answer.

 

 

 

 

 

ANOTHER “I told you so” moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never too late to set goals and act.

 

 

 

As I’ve said before, on multiple topics I will say, for example, “I used to be a climate alarmist, but I changed my mind”… yet so few people ask what is, to me, the logical question: “What changed your mind”?

 

 

What did I call it last time?  “Interspecies affection”.

 

 

What’s worse?  Waking up an hour before the alarm in this situation.

 

 

 

The critical thing is the dogma being discussed – the belief that it is impossible to be racist against whites.

 

 

 

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Link Section (some mine, some from my Jarhead friend):

 

First, a correction.  In a prior post I’d discussed my friend being able to hit a 4-5″ circle at 300-400 FEET.  He corrected me – it’s YARDS.  Which only makes it more impressive.

—

Pork Peril: RNA Vaccine Injected Into U.S. Pork Livestock Kills 1 in 33 Pigs, Raising Meat Safety Concerns (substack.com)

And don’t forget vaccines in produce:

Making “Edible Vaccines” in Plants (fas.org)

Grow and eat your own vaccines? | University of California

Notice something telling, at least to me: how utterly enthusiastic about this the tone of the articles is.  Thought the first article does have some cautionary notes.  The second, though, brings to mind the hubris of Frankenstein’s scientist.

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Ebola Virus Disease Therapeutics | NEJM

Table 2 in this article shows the 53% mortality rate which is why the WHO pulled Remdesivier because of its lethality in 2018!

Now… understand.  Ebola has an outbreak average IFR (Infection Fatality Rate) of about 50%.  You catch it, flip a coin on you living or dying.  And Remdesivier (Verklury is the other name – be aware!) was deemed TOO DANGEROUS to use in this situation.  But it was approved – and still is used – as a medication for the treatment of a virus whose IFR is less than ONE PERCENT unless you’re over 70, and even then it’s not much higher.

RSV Vaccine Data Reportedly Reveals 30+ Deaths And 302 Serious Adverse Events * 100PercentFedUp.com * by Danielle

—

Bayou Renaissance Man: If an entire continent is planning ahead for emergencies, why aren’t we?

Got seeds?  And preps?  And allies?  Related, this seems very useful.

Food Storage Calculator (thefoodguys.com)

I plugged in for my family.  Honestly, it’s daunting if one considers starting now.  But… at least start.  Even having a month puts you head and shoulders above the sheeple.  But there are other considerations too.  Storage space for one; neighbors for another; and government confiscations if SHTF is a third.  Never mind that some family members might not be on board, e.g., my situation with my wife.

Also this:

Ingenious Ways to Purify Water in the Wild – Ask a Prepper

—

Thugs Beat and Stomp Helpless Illinois High School Student into Unconsciousness – Parents Reveal the Steps the School Took to Cover Up the Assault (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Cullen Linebarger

Whether in public school or private, teach your kids how to fight.  More importantly, how to fight to win.  That’s the problem with most martial arts places these days – they’re so focused on fitness and winning competitions that they’ve trained students to NOT do what it takes to actually win in a real fight.

—

Conspiracy theorists – Surak substack blog

I insist on an examined life based on a combination of faith, reason, and experience.

—

The Fake Science of Sugar – Vox Popoli (voxday.net)

Two axioms:

1. Results will be biased towards those that continue the funding.
2. Any data set can be tortured until it confesses.

Applies to this.  And “climate change”.  And all sorts of other things being pushed.

—

Denver Asks Property Owners to Rent to Illegal Immigrants (legalinsurrection.com)

At what point will it change from asks to insists?  Coming soon IMHO.

—

The Left-Right Divide is Not Bridgeable | Frontpage Mag

No, it’s not.

—

Surviving South Africa: A Boer’s Take on the South African Situation Pt. 2 (theamericantribune.news)

Interesting perspective of where we might be heading, based on people who are there now.

—

Ann Coulter: The Myth of Low Immigrant Crime | The Patriot Post

Not liking her as much as I used to, but this is still good.

—

New EU Defense Strategy Treats Ukraine Like a Member State

Closer and closer – de facto a member.

 

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Pick of the Post:

 

 

Words are not needed to catch the meaning here.

 

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Palate Cleansers:

 

—

—

 

TGIF.  I’ll show myself out.

 

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And don’t forget… come back Monday for another edition.  Same Meme Time.  Same Meme channel.

Please do consider buying me a coffee.

Buy Me a Coffee

Thanks to both Eleanor and Alan W. for buying me coffees in the last few days!

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

The post Friday Meme Overflow-Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.

Taylor Swift recently blurted out on Instagram:

Today, March 5, is the presidential primary in Tennessee and 16 other states and territories. I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today.

In a similar vein, I’d like to remind you:

Now that it looks like it’s going to be down to Trump and Biden in November, if you haven’t already, be sure to watch Season 8, Episode 8 of South Park, as you should before every election.  Oh, and be sure to read this.

 

The post Public Service Announcement: Make Your Vote Count appeared first on Granite Grok.

Your iPhone, Android, Tablet, Car, smart TV, or any other “Smart” device has huge vulnerabilities. Your phone is not the place to store private information, and if you think you are not being tracked by your phone, tablet, smartwatch, or even your car, you are sadly mistaken. Shutting off features does nothing but limit them to hackers and governments.

We want to thank Ken Goodall for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

(MSN)”Apple makes it a point to say that any Journal entries are encrypted when your iPhone is locked and stored on iCloud and that you can turn off access to any of these data points as you please. However, they stop short of saying that they don’t collect any of your data through this feature. That said, all of this data is already created on your iPhone: Journal is just accessing it.”

It used to be you could pull the battery on older phones, but now I believe they have Non-Volatile memory chips that store memory even when the phone is off. This is also where hackers and governments can turn your phone back on if the battery is in it. But that non-volatile memory may store enough memory and power to ping satellites, so today, if you are on the run, the best thing to do is smash your phone.

Yes, I know. I just told criminals, but you forget they already know this. For instance, with these new keys, you have to be very wary about who is near you when you hit unlock. With keyless starts, that “Unlock” signal also gives criminals near you the opportunity to grab the unit’s code. So now they can not only unlock your car but drive away with it, too.

 

 

The post “Apple’s Journal App Probably Isn’t a Privacy Nightmare” – But the Tech Certainly Is! appeared first on Granite Grok.

We learned that we had a full day with 52 House bills on the agenda but didn’t get through all of them. As the hour got late, we saved 10 for next week. We also learned that when Republicans show up, they stop bad bills from advancing and move good bills forward. Read more below.

We also learned that House Speaker Packard could not preside today because he lost his voice. Deputy Speaker Smith presided most of the day until Emeritus Speaker Steve Shurtleff took over the gavel at the end of the day.

At the start of the session, we learned that a tearful Rep. Steve Shurtleff (D-Penacook) implored the House to suspend the rules so that he could introduce a new bill since the bill submission deadlines have passed that would compel offenders convicted of a Class A felony to attend their sentencing hearings. This has to do with justice for murdered 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery in the wake of Adam Montgomery’s murder conviction. The House complied with a vote of 286-Yes and 67-No, and the bill can now work its way through the legislative process.

We learned that the ITL motion on CACR17 failed 174 Yes -186 No in a roll call vote but also failed to get enough votes for an OTP motion 180-Yes 183-No. This bill would have amended the NH Constitution to include fundamental rights for parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children. All House Democrats supported the ITL of this parental rights bill. And just so we’re clear before the upcoming election season, their record this year and last year has been to oppose all parental rights legislation. Remember in November.

Additionally, we learned that HB1527 failed to pass with an ITL motion of 202 Yes-161 No. This bill was the “purple paint” bill and would have allowed people to spray paint their trees with purple paint to indicate posted land. The problem with this bill is that it is essentially an absolute prohibition of all activity on private land, as opposed to signage which can be specific in what the landowner will allow. Opponents said that anti hunting activists could come and spray paint your trees purple, and it would be so easy for them to do so. As for the proponents’ claim that posting signage is expensive and cumbersome to apply, well… Fish and Game will help you post your land for free if you ask them. The ironic thing about the “purple paint movement” is that all these “greenies” who claim they want to protect and appreciate the environment would be more than happy to spray all the trees purple… and seriously, who wants to look at that? How healthy is spraying your environment with purple spray paint anyway?

We also learned that HB1437 was Indefinitely Postponed 193-173. This bill would have allowed professionally paid educators to be members of the State Board of Education. The current membership of the board is 5 members comprised of 1 member from each of the executive council districts plus 2 at large citizens. This combination has not changed substantially since 1919 and the original intent of the board was to be staffed with non-professional members of the public. The proposed bill would have definitely changed the intent of the board and created tons of conflict of interest. Interestingly enough, the amendment number on this bill was “0666”, definitely not a good omen.

We further learned that HB1695 passed 192-173. This bill requires schools to obtain parental consent and simply notify parents when and why their child’s personal confidential information is shared with third-party contractors. This is a win for privacy and parental rights.

We also learned that CACR14 was ITL’d 197-168. This constitutional amendment would have enshrined the right to a “clean and healthful environment for present and future generations.” This is part of a national greenie movement to add environmental rights to state constitutions. Montana has done this and is now embroiled in a series of lawsuits regarding climate change and all other manner of environmental legal challenges. The state could be sued for everything and anything, including not having electric vehicles in its auto fleet, not employing other green agendas in their policies, allowing farmers to raise beef, or allowing businesses to operate that don’t have zero waste policies. The lawsuits are endless. It’s a good thing this bill was given a green burial.

We learned that HB1100, the coyote hunting bill, was tabled 241-123. This bill would have suspended the open year-round coyote hunting season during the months that coyotes are whelping. The committee recommendation was to leave the open hunting season alone and that animal management was best left up to the folks at Fish and Game. The Roadrunner seemed to be quite happy with the NH House vote as well. Beep Beep.

We learned that HB1194 passed 191-171. This bill removes the word infectious from the definition of non-communicable disease as it relates to the requirement of immunization and clarifies that many diseases are infectious but not transmissible from person to person. Essentially, now, decisions about immunizing for non-transmissible diseases could be left up to the individual instead of being mandated. You could say this gives NH citizens a shot of medical freedom.

We also learned that HB1213 passed 189-173 on a roll call vote. This bill repeals the vaccination record-keeping requirement for licensed daycare facilities and private schools for school-aged children, freeing up the time and cost of record keeping for these businesses.

We further learned that the bill to introduce the buying and selling of blood and organs in the marketplace for the purpose of use for blood and organ transplants (HB1482) was tabled 326-38. People struggling with Biden inflation and trying to pay the bills will just have to sell their silverware or their other heirlooms first before selling their kidney.

We learned that HB1660 passed with a roll called OTP vote of 193-169. This bill prohibits gender reassignment surgery for minors (18 and younger) to be covered under the state’s taxpayer-funded Medicaid program. With the passage of HB619, the House already has taken the position that gender reassignment surgery on minors should be prohibited because these procedures are irreversible and long-term consequences are unknown. It only follows that we should not be funding these procedures with Medicaid dollars.

We learned that HB1037 was indefinitely postponed with a roll call vote of 196-163. This bill would have repealed limited liability for manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers of firearms and ammunition (RSA508:21). This very bad Democrat-proposed bill was shot down by every House Republican who voted. This was a true win for 2nd amendment rights in NH.

We also learned that HB1118 passed on a roll call vote of 179-166. This bill cleans up RSA 263:39-a, which sets criteria for granting driver’s licenses to aliens temporarily residing in New Hampshire. Criteria for identification, proving the ability to drive, and identification of eligible people were scattered throughout the statute. These are now grouped together in topic sections. The bill also sets the term of the license to be concurrent with the length of residence. The committee amendment sets a policy that the director must use one of the prescribed methods to determine if someone knows how to drive. The amendment also clarifies that these licenses are not valid for voting and will contain markings to make them recognizable by clerks. The amendment further clarifies that people seeking asylum will be granted licenses once their application has been granted.

We learned that HB1416 was indefinitely postponed with a vote of 189-176. The bill would have prohibited and created a fine for the parking of non-electric vehicles in spaces designated for charging electric vehicles. This bill would allow a person to snap a picture of a non-electric vehicle parking in a public or privately owned parking space designed to charge electric vehicles and then present the picture as evidence to law enforcement, which could issue a ticket from that picture. The bill required mandatory signage or changes in signage but did not allocate any money for the purchase of them, therefore violating Part 1 Article 28-a of the NH Constitution.

We learned that Rep. Marjorie Smith (D – Durham) asked the Speaker if it was dilatory for Rep. Joe Sweeney (R-Salem) to move Reconsideration for several bills that Republicans passed or killed. The answer was NO; it was not dilatory. The fact is, we know that if Democrats were in the majority today and were winning their votes, they would have made the same motions to cement their victories.

We also learned that Rep. Joe Sweeney (R-Salem) claimed in his Parliamentary Inquiry on HB1416, that “He didn’t start the Fire”… you’ll have to ask him about that.

Finally, we learned that Jack Casey, 26, of Dover, NH, was memorialized as Rep. Schmidt (D-Dover) remembered him during Unanimous Consent. Captain Jack Casey was a pilot aboard the CH-53E helicopter that went down during a training exercise on Feb. 7. May his memory be a blessing always.

There’s more to come when we reconvene on March 14th!

The post So Kids, What Did We Learn From This Week’s House Session (3/7/24)? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Just a heads up regarding the newsletter. We have seen some small improvements in email delivery as a result of the ongoing tinkering with the SPF and DKIM, but nowhere near where we need ot be. Gmail is still a problem, so we’ll keep at it.

We did change the email “from address” back to newsletter@granitegrok.com. I have also added a second automated release.

If you are receiving it (many of you are still trapped in the SPF DKIM problem) beginning this morning, you should get a morning and evening newsletter. This is so content normally trapped at the bottom of the current distribution gets a chance to be near the top.

The morning update will include the previous day’s nightcap, and posts published the previous evening. The evening newsletter will start to arrive around dinnertime (ish) and should lead with the 4 PM post and then back through the afternoon into the morning content.

If you are signed up for the newsletter and still not getting the emails please keep visiting the site a few times a day to stay caught up. We have had a rise in quality op-eds as well as consistent content from a handful of regular contributors, and we don’t want you to miss their words.

In other news, I’m ust waiting on my webby mistress of internet design to tell me she’s ready to complete our site rebuild. I keep hearing soon, but we’re still on Grok 3.0, and there are a bunch of front and backend fixes we’ve skipped that the rebuild should resolve.

Once the new battle station is fully operational, we’ll work in the ad-free VIP, and I have someone in the wings waiting to use the new site to roll out a GrokApp.

We will keep working on the newsletter issue. If I can’t solve the plug-in-to-server-to-security-verification issue, we may need to go back to MailChimp or something similar. It is an added cost, but I’d rather figure out how to pay for that and ensure content delivery than the reverse.

 

The post Housekeeping: Daily Grok Newsletter Update and Other Business … appeared first on Granite Grok.

It doesn’t take much to twist the panties of the average all-in-leftist. Fragile is an understatement. They are tightly wound emotional time bombs with more triggers than a gun store. Speaking of which, if you’d like to see them snap like a dry twig, cut a school budget, or add this optional funding for public schools.

Wyoming school districts that want to store firearms in their schools and train staff how to use them would get $10,000 each to help pay for it under a bill moving through the state House.

The House’s Education Committee on Monday voted to forward Senate File 86 to the House floor. The committee also agreed to boost funding from $100,000 to $480,000 — enough to provide each Wyoming school district with $10,000.

That sum is chump change (estimates are you need at least 25K to properly train one school staff on gun safety and proper tactics), and supporters admit that, but they see this as a way to get things started. A little fiscal jump start on a cold Wyoming  morning. Encourage them to find additional funds or to even consider that if you have armed staff, and these days it makes sense to do that, professional training lowers liability costs and you’re might deter FBI proxies from using your school to advance the Left’s gun control agenda.

Training and storage of proper fierams at schools?

I can hear twigs snapping, but wait, there’s more! “House Bill 125, … would repeal gun-free zones in Wyoming schools.” You would still need a carry permit to enter school grounds armed, but that’s a requirement of federal law and one of the few good reasons to get a carry license or permit (the other being reciprocity).

In New Hampshire, you don’t need a permit to carry open or concealed, but you do need one if you find yourself armed on school property. That’s not advice. The federal allowance for this has never been tested in our state (to my knowledge), but on paper, if you have a carry permit or license on you and have a firearm on you or in your vehicle and you need to pick up a kid at school, that’s not illegal.

It shouldn’t be illegal. Law-abiding citizens have the right to keep and bear arms, but in all instances, that’s your call, knowing that the injustice system likes to make examples of people even if they just bankrupt someone on the way to losing their case.

And keep in mind that your state probably won’t step in to defend you unless it is very red and very pro-gun. New Hampshire is pro-gun (at the moment), but I have zero faith that our local or state “officials” in the justice department would get between any of us and an out-of-control federal prosecutor. None. And that is entirely on them. State funding of firearms training so adults can carry and protect students and staff in most states? Not likely. So good for you, Wyoming – which already allows armed staff with mandatory training.

If you are looking for some extra money to help fund training, fire a diversity official and defund their office. That’s easily 125K to start (give the extra back to the taxpayers). If you don’t have those, don’t hire one and fire some other overpaid, useless administrator, starting with the ones who object to training and arming staff. Yes, you can fire more than one.

Every district has a plethora of dead weight “middle managers” who make teaching more difficult and less effective. You could end up with safer schools and kids who can read, and what’s not great about that?

 

 

The post Night Cap: Try This Simple “Trick” to Make Democrats Lose Their Tiny Narrow Minds appeared first on Granite Grok.

Watch for The New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project. As I listened to their presentation, it became apparent to me that this organization is all about raising state taxes with no guarantees it would lower our property taxes. 

Dear Representative Maggiore, Balboni and Senator Altschiller:

I attended a community meeting in Hampton hosted by SAU21 and SAU90. The presentation was given by the New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project. I was somewhat familiar with school funding, but I’m always open to learning more and listening to people who want to discuss this important subject.

Mr. Tobin expressed his concern about residents paying higher property taxes, which fund a large portion of the school budget. He discussed the state’s obligation to fund public schools in depth. A large portion comes directly from residents through their property taxes. Mr. Tobin also discussed lawsuits filed to shift more of the tax burden to the state.

They also offered a few ideas on how to increase state money going to our local public schools:

1) In 2015 Business taxes were lowered by the legislature. The state could go back to the higher tax rate on businesses, and divert that money to the public schools. In other words, raise business taxes.

2) Support SWEPT taxes which would mean the state would collect the property taxes and redistribute some of those taxes to the receiver towns. In other words, redistribute some of our taxes to other school districts.

3) The State Interest and Dividends taxes will be going away. Instead of eliminating those taxes on residents, continue to tax them, and then send that money to the local schools.

They also mentioned pending legislation like HB1583, which would increase the amount the state pays per student.

Here are my concerns about this organization and what it presented:
1) I heard their plea to lower property taxes for homeowners. I think that is a legitimate concern for those who’ve seen their property taxes continually increase. But those decisions are made at the local level. Fiscal responsibility needs to be a priority. We should first make sure budgets are fiscally responsible first.

Melanson Heath is an accounting firm that was hired by the Windham School District several years ago. They were paid between $15 to $20k  to identify accounting practice deficiencies that were present in the district. They helped uncover the misuse of tax dollars from employees having district electronics personally engraved, numerous stale dated checks not accounted for, and unauthorized use of the treasurer’s stamp. The district hired a new superintendent who worked hard to clean up the mess found by the audit and identified more than 130 different items that needed to be addressed.

More money from the state wouldn’t have fixed this problem.

2) Should local businesses shoulder more of the burden as they suggested? This is very concerning, considering local businesses are already paying property taxes and business taxes. After COVID took a strain on our local businesses, is this a good time to raise their taxes?

When the business taxes were lowered in 2015, the state received higher tax revenue. Why would they propose increasing business taxes when lowering them increased tax revenue? That didn’t make sense.

3) Continuing the interest and dividends tax is going to hit retirees and those on fixed incomes, too.  Taking our money out of a different pocket still means that they are taxing individuals.

4) I also asked about HB1583. Nothing in the law would require a reduction in property taxes. They mentioned this would be up to local school boards. But this could increase spending and taxes without ever decreasing property taxes.

If I am elected to the North Hampton budget committee, my priority for our schools will always be hiring and retaining good teachers and paraprofessionals. They are the ones who directly impact our students. With declining enrollments, there was no discussion on how to retain families who are seeking alternatives.

One person last night commented that in Massachusetts, they not only have high property taxes, but they also have high state taxes. Would all of this impose additional state taxes that will not have any real impact on property taxes?

I am committed to quality public schools but in a fiscally responsible way. If there are wasteful expenses, let’s identify them and eliminate them. At the same time, we need to support our teachers and staff in order to retain them. Right now, retention is one of the biggest issues facing schools and towns. Sometimes, it’s not about cutting a budget; it’s about redirecting resources to where they will have the biggest impact.

Sometimes it’s not about adding a new tax burden at the state level, it’s about doing the hard work of finding ways to make our public schools better and more efficient. As families leave, who is asking them: WHY?

My questions to you as my current state representatives and senator is this: 
1) What are your goals for public education?
2) Do you support raising business taxes, which could result in tax revenue decreasing?
3) Do you support continuing the interest and dividends tax that could impact retirees and those on a fixed income the most?
4) Do you support redirecting our local state property taxes to other school districts through the SWEPT tax? 

I’ve been committed to improving public schools in New Hampshire for almost two decades now. Private schools have invited me to sit down and look at ways to improve the quality of education their students have been receiving. That could mean a change to the curriculum or pedagogy. It could mean professional development that supports teachers in the classroom by improving their academic content knowledge. Some of this can be accomplished within existing budgets.

I think it’s important that your constituents know exactly where you stand on this organization and their goals to increase state taxes.

Sincerely, 
Ann Marie Banfield
North Hampton, NH

The post NH School Funding Fairness Project = HIGHER State Taxes appeared first on Granite Grok.

Despite four indictments with ninety-one charges, over 90% of mainstream media coverage rated “negative” since 2018, and attempts to garland albatrosses around his neck in every possible manner (Russia collusion, BLM riots, COVID, social media censorship, law-fare, etc.) Donald Trump had perhaps the most dominant Super Tuesday since Ronald Reagan when the big event began back in 1984.

In state after state, Trump is receiving well over the required fifty-percent threshold to win delegates, with many states preferring him at over 80%.  States where Trump took more than 70% of the vote include:

• Alabama (83.2)
• Arkansas (76.8)
• Maine (70.9)
• Oklahoma (81.8)
• Tennessee (77.3)
• Texas (77.9)
• California (78.6)
• Alaska (87.6)

By comparison, Donald Trump in 2016 took in the following:

• Alabama (43)
• Arkansas (33)
• Maine (33)
• Oklahoma (28)
• Tennessee (39)
• Texas (27)
• California (75)
• Alaska (34)

One can argue the 2016 field of candidates was considerably stronger, with John Kasich, Ted Cruz, and Marcio Rubio all garnering larger numbers than Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Ron Desantis.  However, Desantis was likely the most popular governor outside of Phil Scott thanks to his freedom-loving stance on COVID policy and aggressive pushing back against Disney’s sexualizing children and banning DEI across the state.  Ramaswamy was a relative unknown whose kamikaze approach to debating was less popular than anticipated.  While Haley’s popularity seems more linked to her insider status than capability, she also suffered from ad campaigns exposing her equivocating (re: lying) on major issues.

Furthermore, advertisement spending is a fraction of what it was for Trump in 2016, having shelled out a paltry $65,000 to date compared to 2016, when he spent over $1.5 million in just six states.  Rather than making him unelectable, it seems the constant negative coverage and clear law-fare attacks are having the opposite effect, acting more like millions of dollars in campaign funding.

Psychoanalysis of an individual is a risky practice, let alone diagnosing an entire country. However, the clear message from the American voter to those who operate the machinery on air and in the Beltway is – Donald Trump is our guy. He was in 2020, and he’s even more popular now than when he shocked the nation by upsetting elite D.C. darling and heavy poll favorite Hillary Clinton.

Of course, activist Vermont bucked the trend by voting for Haley by the narrowest of margins. Her 50% to 46% win says less about Trump than it does about the Green Mountain state being thoroughly out of touch with the rest of the country, aside from the 98% Democrat-registered (and psychopath capitol of the US) District of Columbia. How out of touch?

Even states where activist judges attempted to remove Trump from the ballot gave him decisive victories. Colorado had 63.3% for the former president compared to Haley’s 33.4%. Maine had Trump at 70.9% compared to Haley’s 26.4%, and the Supreme Court even swept the floor 9-0 in favor of Trump, the voter, and the Constitution.

For all of their failings, social media and smartphones deserve a lot of credit for allowing people to share information at lightning speeds.  Videos, memes, and alternative articles offering more to the otherwise highly curated mainstream narratives have allowed Americans to form much more informed decisions than in Super Tuesdays past.  Americans are more aware now than ever that their institutions have not only been attempting to brainwash and force insider-chosen candidates preferred by the elite class who owned and controlled most of the information highway system.  That is no longer the case.

Despite constant messaging from the media-industrial complex, the United States voters seem to be united once again in a response message the plutocracy refuses to hear from a diverse public tired of the dystopian hellscape they’ve wrought in our once great country.  We want Donald Trump to represent us.  Like the American Bald Eagle soaring over the skies, the hands that filled out their ballots are holding up another glorious bird in response to eight years of chicanery and corruption being shoved down their throats.

From sea to shining sea and all the states in between, last night’s stamp of approval for the embattled former president could not be any clearer.

 

 

The post America To the Elite: Go Trump Yourselves appeared first on Granite Grok.

This is an attempt to “break out” memes, links, and my commentary about the situation in Israel / the Middle East so as to not overload the standard meme posts that I do.  My last “normal” meme post.  In these Israel-related posts I don’t just have memes such, but lots of informative links as well as hopefully-insightful commentary.

Note that this is not meant to be a day-by-day update about what’s going on.  Rather, to highlight uncomfortable truths about the actual nature of the conflict, deep-history background, and so on, as well as to show the at-present immutable nature of Islamic hatred of Jews and why that matters to today’s events.

Note also that these posts generally do not repeat information – so there is a lot of stuff in prior posts.  Please do check them out too if this is a topic of interest to you.  In reverse chronological order:

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Still More Links, Memes, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Memes, Links, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Ongoing Memes, Links, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: More Memes, Links, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Even More Memes, Links, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: More Memes, Links, and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Memes and Commentary – Granite Grok

Israel: Memes and Commentary – Granite Grok

With some Israel-related materials here:

Meme Overflow – Granite Grok

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

This year Purim will not be the same. It’s not Haman’s ears but Sinwar’s ears.  Speaking of Purim, Connections Israel, a charity I’ve donated to for over a decade, is collecting for Purim baskets for IDF soldiers:

PURIM | connectionsisrael

(Don’t worry Steve, not going to push this too much… but Purim is getting close.)

IF you donate, please tell them you heard about this through me.  I don’t get anything, but at the end they’ll tell me how many donations were activated by me.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

TOP OF THE FOLD

From this post:

In 2008, 700,000 Gazans breached the Rafah border and entered Egypt.

80 Egyptian soldiers were killed.

The first thing they did? They took down Egyptian flags and replaced them with flags of Hamas.

“Why won’t Egypt open the border”

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/gaza-in-2008-invaded-Egypt.mp4

 

—

Insulting Israel Is A State Dept. Tradition – The Lid (lidblog.com)

The lesson for Israel? Blinken’s insult about “Israel dehumanizing Gazans” is consistent with what we have come to expect from the State Department. Many secretaries of state seem to have believed that coldness to Israel is part of the job description. But Israel has outlasted them all.

There’s a lesson here, in reality: Israel cannot depend on the US.  Related:

US seeks to boost Gaza aid deliveries with new port – Insider Paper

Biden to open Gaza port | Power Line (powerlineblog.com)

How much smuggling through here?

 

 

WAR & WHEN WILL IT END?

From here:

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Hamas_Senior_Official_WE_ARE_VERY_ACTIVE_IN_THE_WEST_BANK.mp4

 

Hamas Senior Official:

“WE ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE WEST BANK”

Hamas boasts about having terrorists in Judea and Samaria. Another reason why Israel is spending a lot of time pulling these terrorists out of their homes at night.

—

Ibrahim Kharuba, an Arab Israeli hero, defended his IDF base against a Hamas attack, saving lives by neutralizing 17 terrorists.

A devoted father and husband, his bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

 

 

And then hope again.  And another:

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/muslim-soldier-in-idf.mp4

 

—

Fundamental to understanding the widespread destruction is the fact that rocket launchers and tunnels, etc., are everywhere:

 

 

Look how many locations or rockets launchers, terror tunnel shafts and weapons storage sites were found in one single neighborhood in Gaza City in last 2 days by the 401th armored brigade. Now you understand how much this place is infested with terror (above & under the ground).

—

Also, a war crime.  But condemnation only for Jews, not for the Arabs:

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/weaponized-ambulances.mp4

Hamas has weaponized ambulances. The terrorists use ambulances as mobile units to maintain freedom of operation in the war zone. They go from the combat zone, to hospitals with tunnels, then into the tunnels to command centers and back to combat.
This is the modus operandi.
This is a war crime.
Abuse of the medical mission jeopardizes civilians in need and they intentionally use protected symbols to conceal their actions.
International organizations, such as ICRC WHO must publicly condemn these actions and hold Hamas accountable.
So far they are silent.

—

I wonder where all this money – $1.5 million – found in Khan Yunis tunnels was going:

 

 

Oh, wait, to pay the bill in Qatar?

The invoice for the 11-day stay of the Hamas organized crime group team led by Ismail Haniya in Doha Qatar, when hostage release negotiations were on.
At the top hotel Mandarin Oriental.

The total expenses of the delegation are $1.045 million.
Including for restaurants and bars – $315.5 thousand.
For SPA – $26.5 thousand.

International humanitarian aid allocated to the Hamas organized crime group is not lost.

 

 

—

Here’s a kiddie parade.  Looks just like marches, etc., I did when I was a kid.  Not.

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/pal-kids-parading.mp4

 

—

The terrorist that killed the two Israelis today was a member of the Palestinian authority police force. These are the people Biden want us to give control over Gaza!

 

More:

Following yesterday’s terror attack performed by Muhammad Yosef Diab, a captain in the Palestinian Authority’s investigation department, their telegram channels boasts in 51 terror attacks done by 51 members of the “security forces” of the Palestinian Authority! Yes, that’s who the world gives billions of dollars to!

 

 

 

Related, two videos about UNRWA workers here – voice calls, translated:

OUTRAGEOUS: Incriminating tapes reveal UNRWA teachers in the October 7th massacre shouting: “I’m inside with the Jews! We have female hostages, I captured one!”

Over 450 terrorists worked for UNRWA. #Israel

—

Building a Decent Gaza :: Middle East Quarterly (meforum.org)

Long with many thoughtful points and questions.

 

 

ISLAM: PRACTICES, HISTORY, AND MENTALITY

“Israelis build. Palestinians destroy.” Period. (barenakedislam.com)

Video.

—

Dome of the Rock was neglected in 1870, Jerusalem.

Only after Israel captured Temple Mount, the place went to complete neglection to clean and shining.

 

 

—

Palestinians contradict Quran in order to deny Israel’s right to exist

Well, this is awkward!

 

ATROCITIES

Note this well – civilians were in on the raid.  From here.

Palestinian “civilians” participated in Hamas’ massacre on Israeli innocents—kids, grandparents, families.

Shocking celebrations of cruelty. Pure evil. Stand against terrorism!

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Pali-civilians-participate-in-raid.mp4

 

—

Never ever forget what the Amalek did to you. Continue until total victory, annihilation of Hamas and return of our hostages!

Link only.  Be warned.

never forget – 21 weeks ago

Also:

UN Report: Palestinians Raped Women’s Corpses On October 7 (legalinsurrection.com)

UNRWA Staff Recordings Prove Hamas Treated Young Women ‘Like Animals’ – Geller Report

—

From here:

Hamas terrorist threw a grenade into a place where an innocent woman was hiding, injured her, dragged her outside, shot her in the head, and proceed smash her head open.

Link only.

Smashed her head open

 

 

ON INTERSECTIONALITY / LEFTIST SUPPORT

Video here (somewhat long so not downloaded):

The pro-Hamas mob attached itself to a women’s march in Toronto for Womens History Month. The bitter irony is that Palestinian women suffer terribly under Hamas:

Women are subjected to honor killings
There is no law in Gaza that prohibits violence against women, including sexual violence
A women’s testimony is worth half that of a man’s
Hamas enforces a “code of modesty” that severely restricts basic freedoms of expression and movement
Women have virtually no pathways to financial independence

Hamas’s 1988 charter states that Muslim women are important in that they “manufacture men.”

You have to wonder… the Left has the vapors over the male-dominated world of the “Handmaiden’s Tale” yet seems to have no issue with the above.  Cognitive dissonance here.  Related:

Israel-Hater Shocked To Discover Her Muslim Allies Dislike The Gay Ones – Israellycool

—

Do any of these anti-Israel/pro-Hamas activists even know what river to which sea they are chanting about? (barenakedislam.com)

I remember some years ago, being at an anti-racism protest, watching the leaders of the protest getting the chant going.

Hey hey, ho ho, racism has got  to go.

OK, IMHO a good sentiment.  But then I noticed something interesting, to wit that once the chant had a life of its own the leaders stopped, and started observing the crowd.  I’ve watched similar events, such as when the police are arresting someone, and the chant goes up Let him/her go!

There’s a reason for chants: they suspend thinking.

—

 

 

From here:

HERE WE GO! It didn’t take long for the far-left ‘feminazis’ to attempt to justify Hamas mass rapes…claiming that Israel is “weaponizing Hamas’ systematic sexual violence” against Jewish women and girls, as well as boys and men (barenakedislam.com)

 

 

PALLYWOOD & MEDIA DISTORTIONS/LIES IN GENERAL

Of course there’s aid going in.  But it’s stolen.  Hamas terrorists steal nearly every aid truck that enters Gaza.

 

 

HRW lies again, claiming Israel is violating ICJ ruling and “blocking” aid ~ Elder Of Ziyon – Israel News

In parallel, a video about the medical aid that’s getting shipped in:

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/israels-medical-efforts.mp4

 

—

Here’s a scathing take on the raid in a hospital:

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/enemedia-spin-on-hospital-raid.mp4

 

—

ILTV’s Viewpoint: Douglas Murray (youtube.com)

Douglas Murray video – 25 minutes.

Douglas Murray Dismantles Israeli ‘Genocide’ Claim And Exposes Hypocrisy (youtube.com)

This is an information war as much as anything.

—

A few scenes of the “food desert” in present-day Gaza (last one is a repeat):

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/shawarma-in-gaza-1.mp4

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/shawarma-in-gaza-3.mp4

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/shawarma-after-100-days.mp4

 

Though I prefer chicken shawarma.  Used to be a place near where I lived in the Detroit metro area.  Amazing Middle Eastern food!

—

What’s that old saying, beggars can’t be choosers?  Here’s a Gazan’s choice:

Gazan man throws food in the garbage because it was parachuted into Gaza by the US Air Force.
Aren’t they grateful and peaceful people?

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/gazan-throws-away-food.mp4

 

More on this:

‘Starving ‘Palestinians’ Throw American Aid Food Into The Garbage – Geller Report

Oh, those poor starving Palestinians (barenakedislam.com)

Good video in the second link.

—

A key part of the new antisemitism: “Never trust a Jew” ~ Elder Of Ziyon – Israel News

The Jews who witnessed the attacks are cross-checked with forensic evidence and photos and videos, verified with other witnesses, and anything that doesn’t pass their supposedly professional standards is not even mentioned. But the Palestinian accusations are published in detail, with absolutely zero corroborating evidence. Their use of the word “allegations” does not water down the next sentence where the “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of Palestinians in detention” is published as fact.

Related: Inverting the Truth: The Lies They Tell About the Jews (Judean Rose) ~ Elder Of Ziyon – Israel News

The Arab enemy plays dirty. It cheats and it lies and it inverts the truth. But we know what happened. “The evidence is abundant and beyond compelling. Through survivors coming forward, witnesses, video footage and independent analysis, we know that Hamas’s use of sexual violence including rape, mutilation, and brutality was not an anomaly. It was a premeditated part of its strategy to purposefully use sexual violence as a weapon against innocent civilians,” said Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, regarding the horrific sexual crimes of Hamas.

 

TERROR COMING HERE?  TO THE WEST?

Here already.

In Toronto, Ontario, Canada:

 

 

Note what it says.  Not “Israel”.  Not “Zionists”.  Not “Settlers”.  Jews.  As in every one.  Also see here:

Over the past day, a Jewish man was attacked and called a “dirty Jew” in Paris and another was stabbed while the assailant shouted “death to all Jews” in Zurich.

Related:

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/headlines-are-not-normal.mp4

 

At UC Berkeley:

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/uc-berkeley-feb-2024.mp4

 

More about that:

UC-Berkeley has Not Apologized to Israeli Speaker Threatened by Anti-Semitic Protesters (legalinsurrection.com)

Before the lawyer could leave, however, two fully masked protesters jumped onstage and approached him with their hands in their pockets, without interference from security, and saw where he and his wife were going. Bar-Yoshafat said his university escorts showed him down the corridor, opened the door to the street, and left him and his wife outside alone with a “good luck.” The couple had no idea where they were or how to get to their car until a staff member for the group sponsoring Bar-Yoshafat’s U.S. speaking tour found them.

These are people baying for blood.  The administration clearly is on the side of those seeking it.  And sooner or later, they’ll get it.  Related:

Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down Penn trustee meeting | The College Fix

‘Aggressive mob’ of pro-Palestine demonstrators block Montreal Jews from event at Holocaust Museum – The Jewish Chronicle (thejc.com)

Apparently, earlier this year, there was a Molotov cocktail thrown around there – some Jewish site in Montreal.

‘I Live in Fear’: Jewish Teachers Sue Brooklyn School That Won’t Discipline Antisemitic Students (legalinsurrection.com)

A feminist open letter justifies Hamas rape – JNS.org

UNLV cops shut down Israeli professor’s lecture rather than remove anti-Israel protesters | The College Fix

The dark secret of Jew-hatred: Pleasure – JNS.org

There’s a very important lesson in this quote from Huxley:

 

 

That, and the dopamine hit the punishers get from being praised.  See my third essay on the biological roots of civilizational collapse, and the role dopamine plays in that (sorry, all-caps formatting carried through, link in the original):

IT’S NORMAL TO WANT TO HURT OTHERS WHOM WE UNDERSTOOD TO HAVE HURT US. IN AUGUST, 2004, SCIENTISTS PUBLISHED “THE NEURAL BASIS OF ALTRUISTIC PUNISHMENT” IN SCIENCE MAGAZINE. RESEARCHERS INSTRUCTED TWO SUBJECTS TO PLAY A GAME. IF PLAYER B CHEATED PLAYER A, PLAYER A WAS OFFERED A CHANCE TO RETALIATE AGAINST PLAYER B. PLAYER A WAS ATTACHED TO A PET SCANNER. THE RESEARCHERS DISCOVERED THAT WHILE PLAYER A CONTEMPLATED REVENGE AGAINST PLAYER B, HIS DORSAL STRIATUM WOULD BECOME ACTIVE. IF PLAYER A DECIDED ON A LARGE PUNISHMENT, HIS DORSAL STRIATUM FIRED INTENSELY. “MANY PEOPLE VOLUNTARILY INCUR COSTS TO PUNISH VIOLATIONS OF SOCIAL NORMS,” THEY WROTE. “EVOLUTIONARY MODELS AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE INDICATE THAT SUCH ALTRUISTIC PUNISHMENT HAS BEEN A DECISIVE FORCE IN THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN COOPERATION … PEOPLE DERIVE SATISFACTION FROM PUNISHING NORM VIOLATIONS”

—

NOT ONLY a threat to Israel, Iranian proxy Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist group, has sleeper cells right here (barenakedislam.com)

It’s been speculated that one reason The Potato is handling Iran with kids’ gloves is because of the threat of terror in the US by such cells.

—

Importing Islam Means Importing Violence | Gates of Vienna

Here’s a girl in Germany describing life for an ethnic German.  And there are people – including too many Jewicidal Yidiots – who want to let more migrants in.

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/german-girl-describes-life-now.mp4

 

You’ve lost your survival instinct – and it will lead to civilizational collapse.  On the threat of Islam:

DEAFENING! United Nations’ silence and indifference about the systematic slaughter and ethnic cleansing of Christians in Nigeria by Muslim terrorists (WARNING: Graphic images) (barenakedislam.com)

 

 

TREADING ON THE POLITICAL

 

 

—

Biden says Gaza stampede complicates hostage deal, adds US investigating ‘competing’ claims by Israel, Hamas | World Israel News

So, so, so pandering to the Islamic vote base.  Remember from the last post:

US launches unprecedented investigation of company producing Iron Dome parts | Israel National News – Arutz Sheva

And I don’t believe in coincidences:

Iran greenlights massive Hezbollah attack on Israel, Arabic report says – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

My theory?  That through “back channels” The Potato (and his master, Obama) have told Iran they’re going to cut off aid to Israel because of “war crimes”.  Also, land-grab crimes:

When the US supported Zionist territorial claims – opinion – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com) (link in original):

Of course, one could ask Blinken whether “old” settlements are legal or whether it is only “any expansion” of Jewish communities that would be illegal. That, however, might trip him up. What could also stump him up is former secretary of state Madeleine Albright’s television interview with Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today show on October 1, 1997. When pressed on the legal aspect of building beyond the Green Line, she admitted, “It’s legal.”

Also, State Department spokesman James Rubin declared on September 17, 1997, that while moving Jews into the Ras al-Amud housing project “is not helpful…we don’t think this is a question of law.”

Fifteen years earlier, in February 1981, president Ronald Reagan stated that the settlements were “not illegal,” despite the infamous 1978 Hansell Memorandum that president Jimmy Carter demanded be formulated.

Even if international law doesn’t agree with The Potato (video, link only):

Does Israel Occupy the West Bank? (youtube.com)

And an article too:

Israeli Settlements Are Not Illegal – Tablet Magazine

Another video, broader, about the IDF and compliance with international law:

Attention International Law Experts (rumble.com)

—

BIDEN REGIME spokesidiot, Vice President Kamala Harris, demands Israel agree to an “immediate ceasefire” (barenakedislam.com)

Pressuring Israel.  Not Hamas, the people who started it.  Related:

DEAFENING! United Nations’ silence and indifference about the Hamas violent sexual atrocities committed against Israeli women and girls (barenakedislam.com)

Erdan slams the UN General Assembly for its repeated calls for a ceasefire with no pre-conditions, proving they are committed to the survival of a terrorist organization…and UNRWA…the UN’s so-called “refugee” organization, from which 12% of its staff are active members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Israel and the dangerous blindness of the Biden administration. – American Thinker

It’s NOT blindness or stupidity.  It’s deliberate.

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IDF_soldier_girls_are_fearless_Israel_strongwomen_military.mp4

 

Hashem bless these women!  And the male soldiers.  And all Israel.

 

 

 

 

GIVING SUPPORT TO ISRAEL

You can’t go wrong with a donation here:

Connections Israel

And please share this post far and wide.  There’s a lot of info here that many people don’t know.  Post it, email it, share widely.  Again, if you can donate in time for Purim to get a soldier a Purim basket, that’d be wonderful!

Also, if you’re willing:

Buy Me a Coffee

 

 

 

A CONCLUDING THOUGHT FOR THIS POST

Much is being made of the recent calamity regarding aid and Gazan casualties as a mob pushed to get to the trucks.

First, from this post:

 

 

Here’s the background to the deadly stampede. Hamas is hijacking aid, UNRWA is covering up for it, so Israel is coordinating humanitarian operations to get aid directly to civilians in northern Gaza. Thursday’s convoy was the fourth night in a row we were securing.

Israel wants humanitarian aid to reach Gazan civilians in need. Because this is a war against Hamas, which started this war—not the people of Gaza, suffering from this war Hamas dragged them into.

The IDF’s initial review of the stampede incident confirms most Palestinians were killed or injured as a result of the stampede, with civilians trampled to death and injured as they charged to the aid convoy. No strike was carried out by the IDF towards the aid convoy.

The initial review indicates that following warning shots fired to disperse the stampede, and after IDF forces had started retreating, several looters approached our forces and posed an immediate threat to them. The soldiers responded towards several individuals.

The IDF has opened an inquiry, which will help us reduce the risk of such a tragic incident from occurring again during one of our humanitarian operations. The incident will be examined in the Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism: an independent, professional, and expert body.

Second, here is an IDF press release about this:

IDF on aid convoy violence

More:

Why is Israel Subject to a Standard Imposed on No One Else? | Frontpage Mag

Did Israel Target Civilians at Aid Distribution Site? | Frontpage Mag

And, of course, the truth of Twain’s observation that a lie can be halfway around the world before the truth can pull its boots on:

Yes, Israel was slow to respond to the blood libel that it massacred Gaza civilians who mobbed an aid shipment. Nonetheless, the truth came out. The real massacre was the massacre of truth. The headlines spewing the lies were everywhere, declaring that Israel had wantonly fired on the mob. It was the old and cliched campaign to delegitimize Israel, incite hatred of the Jewish state, and promote the fashionable antisemitism now gripping the world.

But now… as background, look at how the aid trucks are greeted:

Palestinians in Gaza loot humanitarian aid truck and killed the Egyptian driver.

Pure barbarism.

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Apparently_Gazans_looted_one_of_the_aid_trucks_and_killed_the_Egyptian.mp4

 

And related:

Palestinians throw rocks on humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza.

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Why_are_Palestinians_throwing_rocks_at_humanitarian_aid_trucks.mp4

 

And:

Egyptian truck drivers who entered Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to Gazans share the horrific stories how they were treated by Gazans.

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/trucks-damaged-and-drivers-injured.mp4

 

So, it is A GIVEN that these people will use violence, even against those trying to bring food and water and supplies to them.

But… there’s another factor.

Axiom 1: To die in jihad against the Infidel is the highest honor a Muslim can hope for.

Axiom 2: Hamas dresses, moves/maneuvers, and even attacks in civilian clothes.

Axiom 3: Hamas, like others before like the Viet Cong, know that the battle that matters is the military will and support of the American public.  A will greatly effected by manipulated emotions, as ably described by Brigitte Gabriel:

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/gabriele-on-emotional-manipulation.mp4

 

So given what we know – that the IDF is known and renowned for taking measures to reduce civilian casualties – and given that Hamas is slowly being backed into a corner, what better way to relieve that pressure on them, and dial it up further on Israel, than to stage a riot, force IDF soldiers to respond, and if you get killed in the process of that, instant access to your 72 virgins.

MHO: The “riot” was deliberately instigated and set up to cause a reaction, that would then be excellent CAMERA FODDER for the enemedia.

Know your enemy.  Think like your enemy.  Assimilate to your core what their motivations are.

Then you’ll understand them and their actions.

The post Israel: Ongoing Links, Memes, and Commentary appeared first on Granite Grok.

From Dan Richard: I just filed this last night after Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 154 into law amending the voting machines to be permanent without the consent of the voters required by the NH Constitution.

Motion for leave of the Court to Present New Late Authorities, Newly Enacted Legislation, And Other Intervening Matters

Now comes, the Plaintiff Daniel Richard, pro se, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 16 (7), and respectfully gives notice to this court of five new cases impacting the pending New Hampshire Supreme Court appellate case, including important precedents established by the U.S. Supreme Court on March 4, 2024 [“SCOTUS”] in the matter Trump v. Anderson, et al. (see attached exhibit A) plus four other recent relevant federal decisions citing Moore v. Harper et al.

Also directly impacting this appeal, it has come to my attention that the State Legislature and the State Ballot Law Commission, while waiting on the opinion of this Court in this instant case, have acted in haste to rush through a statutory amendment to the voting machine law(s) presently challenged and pending before this Court in this case.

We want to thank Daniel Richard for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

That rushed new law, “HB 154,” was signed into law by the governor today, Wednesday, March 6th, 2024. The law now authorizes the use of new voting machines in New Hampshire on a permanent basis, replacing the trial basis under which the current (old) vote counting machines were originally authorized in 2008.

It was done without the consent of the inhabitants and is now deemed effective as of March 1, 2024. Arguably, this is another unconstitutional state statute, also covered under the Moore v. Harper ruling, both by the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal-level court rulings recently decided in 5 other jurisdictions across the country.

Notably also, both Dominion and LHS executives informed the Secretary of State last week that the companies will/can-not comply with new state law mandating accuracy testing for the new Dominion-Acura voting equipment (already manufactured and in warehouse storage) as there is ‘insufficient time’ before the upcoming November 2024 election.

Upon information and belief from

• the oral testimony of the NH SOS legislative testimony (reported in the Boston Globe Dec 29, 2023).
• followed by an in-person interview (Plaintiff and SOS Scanlon]
• plus, statements of voting machine corporation executives reported by SOS Scanlon
• the Executive and SOS together anticipate a waiver exemption from the present machine certified accuracy testing law requirement that will extend the equipment testing mandate up 2026. Their public statements are that the New Hampshire accuracy testing certification is unreasonable and there is not enough time do machine accuracy testing before the November 2024 election.

The new U.S. SCOTUS case plus four new federal case citations (see below) all demonstrate important new precedent for this pending appeal as a matter of new national authority regarding voting and ballot law precedent.

The new NH state law, plus the public comments of NH SOS Scanlon, Dominion, and LHS executives, also represent significant new information for this court’s consideration as to the state’s manipulation of 14th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution in anticipation of the upcoming 2024 election. As such, this motion to amend for new authorities represents not only new binding authority but an urgent need to prioritize this appeal decision, consistent with the intent and precedent in the Moore v. Harper line of decisions.

Summary

The following list of cases represents other district decisions under Moore v. Harper, and are also relevant election law cases of other districts and are especially relevant to this appeal. All are recent decisions written after June 27, 2023, and reference relevant findings and rulings in Moore v. Harper which are relevant to this present case.

1. S. Supreme Court Trump v. Anderson et al. decided March 2, 2024.
2. S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Texas v. Garland, published Feb 27, 2024
3. S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, Georgia v. Meadows, decide published Dec 18, 2023.
4. Supreme Court of Kentucky, Graham v. Adams, decided Dec. 14, 2023.
5. S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, Appalachian Voices v. United States Dep’t of the Interior, 78 F.4th 71, 81 (4th Cir. 2023) decided Aug 11, 2023.

The Plaintiff now presents the aforesaid decisions as compelling precedent applicable to the case at bar.

1. The Trump v. Anderson et al. case follows the recent decision in Moore v. Harper et al., and the Courts’ opinion of the state’s powers and duties under Art. I, 4, cl. 1; Art. II, §1, cl. 2. According, I respectfully submit to the Court, where Trump v. Anderson is an election law case reaffirming the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and Art. I, §4, cl. 1; Art. II, §1, cl. 2, it is applicable and binding in this case. Detailed in my appeal to New Hampshire’s highest court and raise now as late authority, for the following three relevant reasons.

A.   It reinforces the Fourteenth Amendment arguments raised in this appeal, which deal with my rights to due process, equal protection, and/or the denial of male inhabitants the right to vote.

B.    The prohibition upon the states to exercise of powers that are neither enumerated nor delegated to the State.

C.    Failure of the State of Colorado to cite any historical analog or precedent.

 

The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of the United States [9-0] on March 4, 2024, reinforces the substance of my appeal now before this Court, and it also supports the reason why the new legislation HB 154, which has just been signed into law today by the Defendants is also unconstitutional.

The first relevant issue raised in Trump v. Anderson is that the court reinforced, by explanation, the separation of powers between State and Federal governments after the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The second issue for this court to consider in Trump v. Anderson et al. is the Court’s ruling that the powers delegated to legislature to make elections laws by the state and federal constitutions must be delegated to the state legislature and not assumed, just like in my case, where Defendants improperly exercised what they call “permissible legislative judgment” by acting where the Defendants decide on their own that the Constitution of N.H. is silent.

The respondents nonetheless maintain that States may enforce Section 3 against candidates for federal office. But the text of the Fourteenth Amendment, on its face, does not affirmatively delegate such power to the States. The terms of the Amendment speak only to enforcement by Congress, which enjoys power to enforce the Amendment through legislation pursuant Section 5.

This can hardly come as a surprise, given that the substantive provisions of the Amendment “embody significant limitations on state authority.” Fitzpatrick v. Bitzer, 427 U. S. 445, 456 (1976). Under the Amendment, States can-not abridge privileges or immunities, deprive persons of life, liberty, or property without due process, deny equal protection, or deny male inhabitants the right to vote (with-out thereby suffering reduced representation in the House). See Amdt. 14§§1, 2. On the other hand the Fourteenth Amendment grants new power to Congress to enforce the provisions of the Amendment against the States. It would be incongruous to read the particular Amendment as granting the States the power—silently no less—to disqualify a candidate for federal office.

“powers over elections and qualifications must be specifically “delegated to, rather than reserved by, the States.” U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, 514 U.S. 779, 803-804 (1995) (quoting 1 J. Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States §627, p. 435 (3d ed. 1858)).

 Trump v. Anderson (2024)

Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson, JJ., also concurring in this unanimous judgement:

“All the Reconstruction Amendments (including the due process and equal protection guarantees and prohibition of slavery) “are self-executing” meaning that they do not depend of legislation. City of Boerne v. Flores, 521 U. S. 507, 524 (1997): see Civil Rights Cases, 109 U. S. 3, 20 (1883).”

The third relevant issue to my case, addressed in Trump v. Anderson is the failure of the State to cite any history or tradition of the exercise of un-delegated or un-enumerated powers.

Nor have the respondents identified any tradition of state enforcement of Section 3 against federal enforcement of Section 3 against federal officeholders or candidates in the years following ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment. Such lack of historical precedent is generally a “‘telling indication’” of a “‘severe constitutional problem’” with the asserted power. United States v. Texas, 599 U.S. 670, 677 (2023) (quoting Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversite Bd., 561 U. S. 477, 505 (2010)). And it is an especially telling sign here, because as noted, States did disqualify persons from holding state offices following ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment. That pattern of disqualification with respect to the state, but not federal offices provides “persuasive evidence of a general understanding” that States lacked enforcement power with respect to the latter. U. S. Term Limits, 514 U. S., at 826.

2. S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Texas v. Garland (2024)

In addition to the original public meaning of the text, courts “look [] to ‘settled and established practice’ to interpret the Constitution.” Moore v. Harper, 143 S.Ct. 2065, 2086 (2023) (quoting The Pocket Veto Case, 279 U.S. 655, 689 (1929)).

3. S. District Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, for the Northern District of Georgia, Georgia v. Meadows, decide Dec. 18, 2023.

see U.S. CONST, art. I, § 4, art. II, § 1. As the Supreme Court has explained, the “Framers of the Constitution intended the States to keep for themselves, as provided in the Tenth Amendment, the power to regulate elections.” Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529, 543 (2013) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Gregory v. Ashcroft, 501 U.S. 452, 461-62 (1991)). The states are responsible for enacting “a complete code for . . . elections,” including “regulations relati[ng] to…  prevention of fraud and corrupt practices [and] counting of votes.” Moore v. Harper, 143 S.Ct. 2065, 2085 (2023) (first alteration in original) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Smiley v. Holm, 285 U.S. 355, 366 (1932)).

4. Supreme Court of Kentucky, Graham v. Adams, decided Dec. 14, 2023.

B.Historical Practice
“State courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act under the power conferred upon them by the Elections Clause….In interpreting state law in this area, state courts may not so exceed the bounds of ordinary judicial review as to unconstitutionally intrude upon the role specifically reserved to state legislatures by Article I, Section 4, of the Federal Constitution.” Moore v. Harper, 600 U.S. 1, 143 S.Ct. 2065, 2089-90 (2023). With these precepts in mind, we turn now to the merits of this appeal.”

 

5. Appalachian Voices v. United States Dep’t of the Interior, 78 F.4th 71, 81 (4th Cir. 2023) S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, decided Aug 11, 2023.

“Courts maintain an enduring “duty to evaluate the constitutionality of legislative acts” so as to ensure “that an act of the legislature[ ] [is not] repugnant to the constitution” and therefore “void.” Moore v. Harper, — U.S. —, 143 S. Ct. 2065, 2079-80, 216 L.Ed.2d 729 (2023)” Appalachian Voices v. United States Dep’t of the Interior, 78 F.4th 71, 81 (4th Cir. 2023)

 

The Plaintiff’s right to vote in State and Federal elections is protected by both the Const. N.H. Part I, art. 11 and U.S. Constitution Article 1, Section 2, and the Seventeenth Amendment and the laws written pursuant thereof. As the manner in which the Federal elections are conducted is question, the Heller/Bruen methodology applies, as the Plaintiff’s Federal voting rights are affected. The plain text of the Plaintiff’s voting rights is satisfied as he is an inhabitant of N.H. (defined by the Const. Part I, art. 11), and the Plaintiff is one of the people under the U.S. Constitution Article 1, Section 2, and the Seventeenth Amendment. Therefore, these cases are relevant and controlling in this instant case.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Daniel Richard

Daniel Richard

The post Update: Daniel Richard v. Christopher Sununu, et al. appeared first on Granite Grok.

Recently, I was having a conversation in which I had occasion to bring up RSA 193-H:2, which says:

Schools shall ensure that all pupils are performing at the proficient level or above on the statewide assessment as established in RSA 193-C.

Note that it says shall ensure, not shall try, or shall hope.

Note that it says all pupils, not just some of them — the ones who don’t have special needs or suffer from test anxiety.

People are usually surprised to hear that this law exists.  I know I was when I first came across it.  In this case, one of them asked:

Okay, but who has standing to sue the schools over this?

On the one hand, I think any resident taxpayer in a district has standing to sue that district, given the recent upgrade to Part 1, Article 8 of the state constitution:

[A]ny individual taxpayer eligible to vote in the State, shall have standing to petition the Superior Court to declare whether the State or political subdivision in which the taxpayer resides has spent, or has approved spending, public funds in violation of a law, ordinance, or constitutional provision.  In such a case, the taxpayer shall not have to demonstrate that his or her personal rights were impaired or prejudiced beyond his or her status as a taxpayer.

But on the other hand, a lawsuit seems like a strange way to handle statutory violations.  For one thing, even in the case of a successful suit against a school or district, you’d just have the taxpayers awarding their own money to themselves.

Statutes are supposed to be criminal, not civil.

Short of sending wayward administrators to jail, the State Department of Education has options for responding to these flagrant and ongoing violations of the law.

It can close schools, rescind accreditations and certifications, demand that administrators be replaced, and who knows what else.

It hasn’t pursued any of these options because no one has pushed for them.  The taxpayers have given up, and the parents are more concerned about things like pornography and transgender sports.

But that could change.  It should change.

Suppose the Department started receiving dozens or even hundreds of inquiries every day from people who were sick and tired of these violations.

While I can’t say for sure, I think that the current Commissioner would actually welcome a showing of public pressure to motivate and validate actions by the Department to bring these scofflaw schools to justice.

So, how do we get those cards and letters going?

The post Crime and [No] Punishment appeared first on Granite Grok.

What do I mean by  “the Bald B-Team?”  Let it be known that their moniker was inspired by the Red Sox’s “Killer Bs.” I’m referring to RINO Reps Bordes and Boyd, both well-known monkey wrenches and Sununu water carriers, who do their part as members of the House’s R-Team.

The same way that Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and Jackie Bradley Jr once did in the outfield while together at Fenway Park.  The question is important because of the current and fluctuating composition of the House.  Keep in mind that there are two special elections coming up that I sadly predict won’t go well.  Just look where they are. (Newington and Portsmouth, yeah, good luck with that!)

Bordes, a card-carrying member of the Lang Gang, and Boyd, whose record also speaks for itself, are not new on the minds of those who have been paying attention.  Here’s the situation, as I see it, based on how SB 272 came out of House Education last spring.  Thanks to our esteemed Speaker, that committee is a 10/10.  What that means is that HB 1093 (prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools) is sadly likely to have no committee recommendation to the whole House instead of the deserved Ought to Pass (OTP).

The hearing was yesterday, and I watched its Livestream, which is now archived here, starting at 4:11:41.  Note my commie reps, Mr & Mrs Newman, taking a seat in the audience while frequent Grok Op-Ed contributor Rep. Arlene Quaratiello was finishing up at the mic.

Go figure!

So, the B-Team, who often do His Excellency’s bidding, need to be reminded by the voters that it is an election year and that the Damn Emperor’s recent antics are NOT a desirable thing for candidates to attach themselves down-ballot incumbent or not.

Remember my recent impromptu encounter with former Nashua Republican City Committee chair Chris Buda? Two years ago, when His Excellency eschewed a run against Maggie and instead opted to extend the “NH Reign of Terror” another two years, he made comments about his intention to veto the (2022)Parental Bill of Rights, which he never had to get his hands dirty doing.  He got his House water carriers to do his bidding.

Bordes was one of them.

If Chris Buda is correct, the Damn Emperor is in the “quiet phase” and building a 2028 candidate profile for the Oval Office and can’t stand the thought of signing any bill prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools. Do you see where I’m going with this? What better way to disguise his own “taking a walk” than to get Reps like Bordes and Boyd to play the monkey wrench in a House that must fight for every “butt in seat” roll call vote.

Time to listen to some Steely Dan.

Will Bordes and Boyd “take a walk,” vote the wrong way, or do the right thing?  Hopefully, it will be the latter.  Meanwhile, I am still trying to find out if Jackie Bradley Jr’s middle name begins with E.

 

The post Will The Bald B-Team Members Be Team Players? appeared first on Granite Grok.

By Joseph M. Hanneman, The Epoch Times: After a Pause, Jan. 6 Arrests Are Now Sharply Increasing The pace of FBI arrests and the opening of new Jan. 6 criminal cases quickened so much in late 2023 and early 2024... Tom Bowler