Attorney General Merrick Garland was right when he said that an attack on the Department of Justice is an attack on the people charged with ensuring that the legal system is administered fairly for all Americans. When we refer to the weaponizing of the Justice Department, we are not pointing our fingers at those on the front line. We are pointing them at you, Merrick Garland, the most corrupt Attorney General in modern times.

You are the person who targeted parents concerned with the curriculum at their children’s schools as domestic terrorists. You are the person who allowed protestors to torment the homes of our Supreme Court justices. You are the person who let a deranged individual attempt the assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

You are the evil we want to eradicate. Not the men and women honoring their pledge to their assigned jobs. We want to remove you from the position of power that you have perverted to enhance your own agenda. Your job was to protect the American people. You created a position to protect the President and yourself. You have to go.

Your performance is very similar to what we have seen from the FBI. From Comey to McCabe and Wray, the leadership of our FBI has embarrassed the FBI and our Country. You all have worked diligently to ensure the Democrat control of our Country and to thwart any attempt by Republicans to change course.

You have deceived and taken advantage of the American people. Americans always understood the lack of credibility in the executive branch, where every decision is based on politics and polling. You corrupted the neutrality of the Justice and Investigative departments of our government. You wanted us to fail, but the times have changed, and we are making headway on the cards we were dealt.

This arrangement cannot continue. The press is rearing up out of a feeling of self-preservation. Why have we been waiting five years for the investigation into Hunter Biden to continue and bear fruit, only to be deceived and stonewalled? Why, after all that time, does the American media still turn their backs and do the bidding of these corrupt politicians who only have themselves to serve?

It actually would behoove us to shut down these two factions of our Government, come to a common ground for those across the political aisle, and replace the entire upper level of management. These were once admirable groups that operated without a Right or Left-leaning. Things changed, and those in charge sought power over protection. Those in charge picked a horse in the race, and if it was Republican, they rode it home with pride. If that horse chose to veer Right, the Left found a reason to override and get us all facing the same description.

We do not need a supermajority. We can get by with a simple vote count, and the Democrats will ensure that count never happens. We, the people, need to make sure it does.

 

The post No Mr. Garland, It Is You We Impugn appeared first on Granite Grok.

I’m back doing my darndest to fill in for Nitzakhon and his incredibly popular meme posts. Our readers love them, and while he is away on a “special assignment,” I’ll do what I can to keep the meme alive.

Your memes are served hot and fresh with a few not-meme-inspired images (because the world is an amazing place) and some general a-political tomfoolery. I mixed them in this time.

And, as always, when viewing, consider the possibility that some material may not be age-appropriate. Feel free to decide what age or how appropriate for yourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Monday Memes appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Associated Press reports 34% of us support his handling of the economy. Voters’ assessment of the economy is dismal. Yet, Biden continues to say and do the same things. An NBC poll says 74% of us think America is on the wrong track. So, what’s going on?

The strategy is familiar. Biden is using rhetoric as a substitute for performance; it is the Leftist way. If voters dislike what you are selling, don’t change the product.  Market it differently.  Call it Bidenomics and the battle of the “trickle-down” straw man.

His economic message isn’t new.  His arguments have been around for years. The words have no effect. You see, the cleverest slogan doesn’t disguise reality.  Mr. Biden’s claim is: Wages have been growing at a rapid clip on my watch.  That is true but completely wrong… Here’s why.

Mr. Biden is presiding over a decline in real average hourly earnings. What that means is, yes, wages are going up. The problem is inflation is up more. The result is: His policies are responsible for the loss of purchasing power. He made us all poorer. We can buy less with our higher wages; 3.6% less on his watch.

The worst inflation in 40 years came from gross overspending. It is compounded by Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act which flooded a recovering economy with $2 trillion of additional stimulus. It came in addition to trillions spent the previous year. The spending splurge, combined with ending energy independence plus restrictive trade policies, generated inflation.

Mr. Biden claims American billionaires are not paying their fair share.  To be clear, he does not describe what share exactly is a fair share. So let’s ask a couple of questions: Would that mean we all pay the same amount?  Isn’t that what equity demands; equality of outcome?   Would it mean we pay the same percentage?  Does the responsibility to pay depend only on the ability to pay?  If that’s true, where does it lead?

The average billionaire’s tax rate is 8%, according to Mr. Biden. How would he have acquired that information?  Do you want your tax return information shared with your neighbors?  Mr. Biden says no billionaire should pay a lower rate than a school teacher, fireman or policeman.   Why are all his examples, public employees?

The implication of Mr. Biden’s statement is the average American is paying far more than 8%. But is that true? No, no, it is not.

According to IRS data the top 1% of taxpayers pay an average effective income tax rate of 25%.  Those people earning more than $60 million/year pay an average tax rate of about 22.9% in federal taxes. Again that’s according to the IRS. You can check the numbers at Politifact.

Now looking at teachers, firemen, and police, let’s assume this is a proxy for those making less than $100 thousand/year. There, we find those people pay an effective federal tax rate between zero and 15%.  Mr. Biden is simply wrong in his claim, and he’s hoping he can lie and you will not have done your homework.

Mr. Biden cherry-picks positive data points to brag about instead of recognizing policy failure and changing policy.  There are some positive indicators; there always are.  For example, the unemployment rate stands at 3.7%.   Also, there is an uptick in factory construction. The flip side of the coin is: Government subsidy is almost 100% responsible for that activity.  It is not actual innate growth from the demand in the private sector.

He just keeps hoping the Federal Reserve will fix inflation. He seems like a deer in the headlights.  He’s frozen in place as oblivion hurtles toward America.

Mr. Biden also speaks about the deficit. He says the deficit went up every year under Trump, and it has gone down under him. Again Mr. Biden is correct but completely wrong. Here’s why. America has not balanced its budget in more than 20 years, since 2001, actually. During the pandemic, we did some big-time bipartisan spending. Since the Plandemic years, we have spent too much but less successively.

We are still engaging in a serious and unnecessary amount of deficit spending.  The difference in the rate of deficit spending is what Mr. Biden would claim credit for. The CBO has released a report saying the deficit reduction claims are not material. Over the next 25 year, our national debt is going to climb from 91% of GDP to 181% of GDP.

Bloomberg News reports such high and rising debt will slow economic growth, push up interest rates and payments to foreign debt holders, and pose significant economic risks to the fiscal and economic outlook of America.

Nobody in the District of Columbia should get credit for much of anything except irresponsible behavior.  We are nationally behaving like Hunter Biden. A lot must go right for Bidenomics to succeed. The Fed must avoid the long-predicted recession. Higher interest rates might continue to trigger bank failures. The Fed’s track record is not encouraging.  Inflation has been persistent.

Assuming economic success, other issues will step forward.  Biden’s fitness for office is in doubt.   There are reasonable concerns over the 80-year-old president’s physical and mental capacity.  People his age only move in only one direction.

If you worry about Biden’s health and capacity, then you are likely terrified at the prospect of Kamala Harris. She inherits the office of president should something happen to Biden.  She’s the most unpopular vice president in history. Nothing makes people feel good about Harris.

Then there’s the issue of corruption.  IRS whistleblowers have revealed the schemes of the Biden family. There are Hunter’s escapades. There is Joe’s entanglement in Hunter’s scandals. There is the House of Representatives seeking to uncover the details of the Biden family operations.

The precariousness of Biden’s political position comes from the decline in the American standard of living. It is not helped by his obvious health and diminished capacity issues. It is magnified by the inept and obvious corruption. The once generally accepted genial grandpa issuing reassuring platitudes from his Delaware basement is gone. That myth has been replaced by the cranky demented octogenarian with a troubled relationship with the truth.

The nation is on autopilot.  We are moving toward a general election.  Will the result again be determined by narrow outcomes in three or four states?  The election may depend on the MAGA/anti-MAGA struggle.  How are the parties approaching the election?   Which side are you on?

 

The post Mr. Biden Knows He’s Vulnerable appeared first on Granite Grok.

Recap: I had put in a Right To Know to DCYF Specialist Amy Fortin for their Investigative Manual that is supposed to outline how DCYF Field Workers are to handle their cases. She at first blew me off by not responding within the first five business days after receipt of the Right To Know that demanding a copy for inspection.

When I reminded her that she was overdue, she responded that her lawyer’s advice to was to tell me it was a public document and that it could be found on the Internet.

In other words, go pound sand. Silly person.  I responded with, “RSA 91-A has Clauses 7 & 8 has penalties – would you like to find out how?” and that’s when DHHS Chief Legal John Martin showed up and delivered the Responsive Record demanded of Fortin.

But that got me thinking – what was that path from me to her through to him?  So I put in a Right To Know to find out (as you can tell, an RTK is the most powerful tool a citizen can employ in keeping our Government in check and to account) to him as he had said, in effect, “ask me anything.” I made it clear that I was NOT asking to see any “privileged client/lawyer communications” as outlined in the Right To Know law as I knew and specified in my RTK that such were unwanted and are exempt from RTKs. Just the communication pathway.  What I received from him didn’t make the grade (reformatted, emphasis mine):

—— Original Message ——
From “Martin, John” <John.B.Martin@dhhs.nh.gov>
To “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
Date 6/30/2023 1:31:08 PM
Subject RSA 91-A Right to Know Request

Good afternoon Mr. Murphy.  I am responding to your Right to Know request pursuant to which you requested any internal e-mails relative to your initial Right to know request seeking a DCYF protocol.  At this point I have reviewed all of the e-mails beginning with your initial request for the protocol leading up to my e-mail to you on June 9, 2023, when I provided you with two DCYF protocols.

Every internal E-Mail was either sent to a State attorney or by a State attorney for the purposes of legal consultation.  As a consequence, these e-mails fall under the attorney/client privilege and are exempt from disclosure under RSA 91-A:5,IV.  For this reason, there are no public records that are responsive to your request.  That being said, I hope you have a good weekend and a nice 4 th of July.

John B. Martin, Deputy Chief Legal Counsel
Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Legal and Regulatory Services

Bureau of General Counsel
129 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301

His response specifically leaned in on what I specifically DIDN’T want to see, attorney/client privilege, as the reason not to send me anything. I decided to correct his logic because, from my standpoint, he was pulling a curtain I had already rent across to shield those Responsive Records for whatever purpose):

—— Original Message ——
From “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To “Martin, John” <John.B.Martin@dhhs.nh.gov>
Date 6/30/2023 3:04:21 PM
Subject Re: RSA 91-A Right to Know Request

So far it has been!  Hope yours has been as enjoyable as mine has been thus far!

Relative to the attorney/client privilege, I wasn’t asking WHAT was said, only who was involved. Redacting any and all email bodies of such Responsive Records, would be fine – that erases any client/privilege communications that are subject to RSA 91-A:5, XII.

Providing names/email addresses and those connections, however, is not explicitly enumerated in that clause of the statute. The resulting digraph, which is of interest to me and the reason for the RTK,  would be void of ANY such prohibited privileged legal advice. Therefore, those records should be released and available for my inspection.

And yes, good wishes are returned back to you as we celebrate what our Founding Fathers, in their political genius, bequeathed to us – a governance model that first and foremost that was the first one that put citizens first and over a Government that should be totally and wholly responsive to them…

…And not the other way around. It is unfortunate that their aspirations have not yet been met in many ways.

-Skip

Let’s see what happens

The post Still Digging in: Which DCYF Personnel Were Included In On My Initially Botched RTK? appeared first on Granite Grok.

There’s a saying in software that the only numbers you should be seeing in code are zero, one, and infinity.  If you’re seeing other specific numbers (e.g., there can only be 140 characters in a message, or 255 characters in a filename, or a finite number of elements in a list), then someone is being lazy.

It occurs to me that the same is true when considering the ‘interpretation’ of constitutions by courts. Just recently, SCOTUS decided that POTUS didn’t have the authority to forgive student loan debt without action by SCOTUS.

Justice Kagan’s response?  That this is terrible because ‘some 40 million Americans will not receive the benefits the plan provides’.

So, 40 million Americans would be let off the hook for up to $20,000 each.  According to Justice Kagan, that’s sufficient reason to leave the program in place.

But what if the numbers were 4 million and $2000?  Or 400 and $20?  Should those numbers make any difference at all?  They should not.  As a rule, if you’re basing an argument on numbers, it means you’ve lost your connection to the underlying principles involved.

Note that the same is true about arguments over gun control, education, all flavors of welfare, voting, censorship, and so on. If you think that

RKBA works differently if the number of people killed with guns each year is 30,000 or 300;

a tax on income or assets is justified if it’s ‘small enough’;

a war on drugs is justified if the number of deaths from overdose is ‘large enough’;

shutting down entire economies and cultures and stripping people of the rights you’re supposed to be protecting becomes necessary when an infection rate is ‘high enough’;

and so on, then you have completely misunderstood the concepts of individual rights, delegated powers, and government by consent, and you shouldn’t be allowed to officiate at a little league game, let alone on the nation’s highest court.

The post Numbers aren’t Principles appeared first on Granite Grok.

The videos say it all. Just as Ray Epps somehow, someway has escaped prosecution for instigating … some would say leading … the “insurrection,” the person cutting down the security fence WHILE TRUMP IS STILL SPEAKING somehow, someway did not even get picked up by the FBI’s J6-radar. Amazing … isn’t it? But remember the real threat to America is NOT Merrick Garland or Chris Wray … it’s PUTIN; its PUTIN, PUTIN, PUTIN, PUTIN, PUTIN.

Two videos in one.

Watch what happened on SW lawn of Capitol grounds as Trump finished his speech at Ellipse around 1:10pm on January 6.https://t.co/WKb78SxpTQ

— Julie Kelly (@julie_kelly2) July 1, 2023

 

The post Nothing To See Here … Just The FBI Cutting Down The Fence Around The Capitol WHILE Trump Is Still Speaking appeared first on Granite Grok.

At some point, I think I would enjoy sitting down with DHHS Deputy Chief Legal Counsel John Martin for a chat “about stuff.” I have to admit; he’s probably the most responsive guy in State Government I’ve had to do business with. That said…

I had put in my “missive” concerning how it appeared that DCYF had doxxed TMEW and myself to people we don’t know (The Daughter-in-Law’s family and ex-spouses; a couple of the latter are also “abusers”) such that those people could then reach out to The Granddaughter to say “Hi!” et al.

Emphasis mine, reformatted:

My Daughter-in-law, Mother of my Granddaughter [that we are caring for], just called me to let me know that DCYF has released my personal information…While she did not catch/remember the name that called, she was told that DCYF was contacting her family members and friends to let them know where my Granddaughter can be found to contact her and she remembered some of the family names enumerated over the phone.

HOW DARE YOU release my information to people that I do not know!

Subsequent to that, I was told that some of the “ex-husbands” of that family member set are “abusers” of one type or another. A family friend that works dispatch for first responders was agog over this. I told that friend that I demanded to have the complete list because of the above, and that would explain that at some 3 am time of the morning, they’d be hearing from me in no uncertain terms.

But that’s not the purpose of this post. My email to DCYF on this went out at 12:57 PM yesterday.  At 1:30 pm, I got my response from Mr. Martin:

—— Original Message ——
From “Martin, John” <John.B.Martin@dhhs.nh.gov>
To “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
Date 6/30/2023 1:30:55 PM
Subject RE: Has DCYF now breached my PERSONAL information?

I will see that this gets to the right people for response.

We have a saying here at GraniteGrok (one of our informal mottoes):  Spank’em when they’re wrong but Thank’em when they’re right. I would be morally hypocritical not to take a moment and say thanks for the quick response on this. Thirty minutes, in the area of RTKs, is almost instantaneous.  I’m thinking that part of it was the data breach (and now I have thoughts of MORE Right to Knows to create!) and part of it was the danger aspect.  No matter which or both, it is appreciated.

NOW, when will I hear back? Probably not until next week due to the long holiday with the Fourth Of July falling on a Tuesday and many folks “filling in vacation days” to have the week off. I am hoping that someone there has the thought “what would happen if someone in that family has a grudge against DCYF and now knows where to go to “send a message” and will bounce it up and down faster to find someone that can get things done quickly.

And as I type this, I’m feeling that I ought to let our local constabulary know of this as well….

The post Is This The Most Responsive Guy in NH State Government? appeared first on Granite Grok.

And if you think that it isn’t, why is almost every decision it is making (especially “Administrative Rules” that have the force of Law) mean GOVERNMENT makes the decisions and not you and I? Are you really that dim-witted that you believe “but it’s for your own Good?”

Nope, you’d probably would have been considered a Tory or a Loyalist come Tuesday back 247 years ago.

 

Competition in a private property system is expected to guide resources to those uses that maximize the value of production secured from them. This value is measured by what consumers are willing to pay, making due allowance for the implicit value of leisure and other goods consumed outside the formal market arena. The profit criterion stops uses of resources that would result in more cost than benefit as these are measured by the money votes of consumers.

-Harold Demsetz (Economic, Legal, and Political Dimensions of Competition)

 

Competition can only happen when there is Freedom to compete. Sounds simple, sounds trite, but it is true. When Government believes it knows better than the millions of decentralized people making billions of decisions on their own for their own self-interest, the result is always better than Government control. We have had hundreds of years of examples of Socialism, fascism, and Corporatism that show my assertion to be true.

Each of those government/economic models is defined as “planning from the top” – centralized decision-making by a relatively paltry few who have the hubris to believe they can efficiently control economies that have billions of decisions – every hour. Each individual one focused on one person’s needs and desires but which, in the aggregate, form the “Invisible Hand” discussed by F.A. Hayek.  Efficient (perhaps not always the highest optimal, but “efficient enough” for each) in which their capital is put to the highest good.

Planners, as in Critical Race Theory adherents, only see groups and not the individual needs. And they can only approximately guess their needs, wants, and cost ranges. Because of that, they are insufficient when it comes to “Complete Knowledge” and, thus, end up with sub-optimal decisions because the limited information they have is already out-of-date by the time they receive it; the People have already moved on.

And planners are never concerned with the People’s concern with Time which is one of the most important issues of that decision-making – time to work vs. time for leisure.

Freedom to decide – that’s what our Founding Fathers gave us. Big and Bigger Government, run by bureaucrats and stupid elected officials, forget that was one of the driving forces for Independence.

IMHO, it is being taken from us – what are you actively doing to take it back?

Or are you that lump sitting on the couch?

 

(H/T: Cafe Hayek)

 

The post Notable Quote – With The Biden Administration Hurtling Into Corporatism and Fascism… appeared first on Granite Grok.

Apologies for the late update, as my DCYF saga continues. In Part 1, I put in a Right To Know requesting the volume and locations of DCYF abuse and neglect reports being made. The RTK payload (w/out the boilerplate) was rather simple.

For the Division of Children,Youth and Families (“DCYF”) and the time frame starting January 1, 2018 to today, June 17, 2023 (inclusive):

• Initial incident reports of neglect of a child/children, all sources
• Initial incident reports of abuse of a child/children, all sources
• Initial incident reports of neglect and abuse of a child/children, all sources

Only three data elements for each governmental record are demanded:

• Date of complaint filed with DCYF
• Complaint/incident type [neglect | abuse | neglect and abuse]
• Originating Town | City from where the complaint was filed

No other identifying or personal identifying data elements are requested or desired.

That was sent on 6/19/2023 1:13:02 PM.  I got a response the next day that it was received and was being sent to the data folks for the response. There was a concern from DHHS Deputy Chief John Martin concerning the ability to narrow into individuals as the targets of those incidents (emphasis mine right now):

…My only concern is that we do not release data at so low a level of granularity when there is the possibility of constructive identification.  If a report of abuse or neglect is made in a town with a very small population and we provide the specific date the report was made, it is possible that the identity of the alleged victim and/or alleged perpetrator could be derived using other sources of information, such as police reports or news accounts.  Therefore, it may be necessary for us to withhold certain information in accordance with RSA 91-A:5,IV.  For example, it may be necessary in some instances to withhold the name of the town if its population is very small, or it may be necessary to provide the month and year of the report, but not the specific day.

DCYF anticipates that it will take up to 30 days to pull the data.  I will provide the data to you as soon as I receive it and make any necessary redactions.

Valid points. I get it, but my response was this:

…My only concern is that we do not release data at so low a level of granularity when there is the possibility of constructive identification.

Which is why I asked for only 3 data items per incident. With such a paucity of data, there is no way to be able to tie it back to any particular family.

…we provide the specific date the report was made… it may be necessary to provide the month and year of the report, but not the specific day.

Point made. While part of my research was to see what days of a week or month turned out to be “least” and “maximal”, I am willing to amend my RTK to be MM/YYY. Would you want me to re-submit or can we do a “Gentleman’s Agreement” based on this email?

Or, formally state that I will forgo any attempts to use other sources in “pinpointing” within a town (that which you are worried about)?  I’m not looking for specific people with this RTK.

And all of my answers are absolute truth – I’m not looking to identify anyone – the construction of my RTK strictly marks that down (see above, Date, Complaint type, and town). And if DCYF does its job correctly, the Police do THEIR jobs correctly (which, in this case, is the protection of the Privacy of all involved) nowhere would there be “leakage” as to a family or individual.

So 30 days to receive the dataset. When I receive it, it will be interesting to see what the first takeaways will be.

 

The post Part 2: Update on RTK for DCYF Abuse and Neglect Incident Reports appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Global Warming Cult is just full of great ideas. Electric cars run on coal. Batteries made from metals extracted out of huge open pit mines. Wind machines that kill birds and bats. They are also thinking about how to block the sun.

It is an idea popular with Bill Gates, The Biden Admin, Harvard Professors, and other usual suspects, and now the European Union.

 

Brussels plans to launch massive ‘geoengineering’ interventions to deal with global warming, according to the news agency.

The European Union is looking into technologies involving large-scale interventions into natural phenomena like sun rays or the atmosphere, as part of its new strategy for tackling climate change, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing a draft document that might be made public later this week.

 

The first question a skeptic might ask is, what about all those solar panels you’ve been going on about for decades? We are supposed to blanket the landscapes and rooftops from sea to rising sea with the damn things, and now you want to block out the sun.

And why doesn’t that get you all spun up about stormwater runoff from hard surfaces? Wait, I know. You can tax them for that too.

Make them subsidize it, then punish them for it with unreliable electricity when you need it most and a few extra fees. And now the plan is to make them even less efficient?

We need solar one minute, and we need to block out the sun the next.

It is not an idea limited to EU countries, but those citizens may want to send a message to their so-called representatives. While not making sense is typical, this is taking things to a new level. And no, not France-level messaging. They seem to have had a few things bottled up that they felt the need to vent, and the nation is on fire.

We were thinking an email or a phone call might be a better place to start. Mention something about the impact on renewable energy targets and diminishing solar radiation. Keep it simple, or they won’t understand. Maybe a crayon picture of solar panels crying because they can’t see the sun.

 

The post Solar Panel Addicts Suggest Blocking Out the Sun appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Sun-King responded to the U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring that discriminating based on race in college admissions is unconstitutional by claiming that the Supreme Court was following “our lead.” What a modest guy:

 

 

DEI … Diversity, Equity, Inclusion … is simply another name for “affirmative action,” which is just another name for discriminating on the basis of race. “Higher education” in New Hampshire simply renamed affirmative action “DEI.” Don’t believe me.

From the UNH website:

 

 

And if UNH is NOT considering race, sex, sexual orientation, etc., etc., etc., in admissions, then explain how UNH knows how many “underrepresented” students apply and how many attend. And also, explain to me how basing your admissions policy on increasing the number of “underrepresented” students is different from discriminating against “overrepresented” … i.e., white students.

 

 

 

The post No … New Hampshire Did NOT End “Affirmative Action” In “Higher Education” “Years Ago” appeared first on Granite Grok.

The State of New Hampshire never had a case, but they clung (bitterly?) to the media opportunities created by a false insurrection narrative right here in the Granite State. By “they,” I mean the Republican Governor, his AG, and the Department of Injustice.

The October 2021 Executive Council meeting WAS disrupted … by the actions of the Governor and the State Police. Twenty months later, the lack of a case (and one subpoena) and the remaining defendants have had their charges dropped. Not even a series of show trials.

I believe the subpoena issued to Governor Chris Sununu, while quashed by that judge, would not be the only one. His Excellency could expect others in all the remaining cases. He was a material witness. At some point, he’d have to testify and lie under oath or tell the truth. Neither, from where I’m sitting, looks good for Chris Sununu.

This is old (made new), and it doesn’t look good either.

Norm Silber (disclosure: he writes for GraniteGrok and has written “lawyerly letters and emails” for us in the past) shared some details in a comment under this article from yesterday.

It regards a Right to Know request he sent to the New Hampshire State Police in October 2021.

 

On October 15, 2021, I sent the following email to the NH State Police:

“Pursuant to the provisions of New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated Chapter 91-A, please provide or forward to the undersigned copies of all of the following:

Any and all emails, text messages, or any other form of communication from Governor Sununu, or any other person or persons purporting to be acting on his behalf, requesting, directing, or instructing officers of the NH State Police to remove any members of the public from the public meeting of the New Hampshire Executive Council held on October 13, 2021, and to arrest any of them, and any and all responses thereto from anyone acting or purporting to be acting on behalf of the New Hampshire State Police.”

On October 20, 2021, I received the following email response from David M. Hilts, Senior Staff Counsel, Office of the Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Safety:

“I’m writing to acknowledge your request below. We have no records responsive to your request. This request is considered to be closed.”

This brings to mind the old saying- What are you going to believe- what I tell you or your lying eyes?!!

 

If you watch the video, it looks like Governor Sununu Tippity tapped a message on his phone, after which the looming and excessive presence of State Troopers was set in motion.

No records responsive to your request.

Right.

 

 

The State may be done with this, but I don’t think the people of New Hampshire are yet satisfied. The governor had nine people, clearly targeted in advance, arrested and removed from a public meeting on charges that could not be prosecuted.

They didn’t do anything wrong, and they were arrested anyway.

What happened was an irresponsible, deliberate, and petty abuse of power. Something Revolutionary War Hero General John Stark might refer to as one of those evils worse than death.

 

 

The post The Revenge of the NH9? appeared first on Granite Grok.

There is nothing … NOTHING … more fwee market than FORCING people who use fossil fuels to SUBSIDIZE people using SOLAR. Nothing. And if you say otherwise, you are Putin’s puppet.

Indeed, if you say otherwise, you are probably too benighted to understand that codifying Obamacare into State law was TOTALLY fwee market. And that extending Obamacare Medicaid for another seven years … as the “bipartisan” budget did … was ESSENTIAL to protect us from Socialism.

In case you’re confused, I’ll explain it. When people with Rs after their names … like Jeb Bradley … do Socialism, we are supposed to pretend that it’s NOT Socialism. Understand? Anything Rs do … no matter how much it walks, talks, and acts like Socialism … is, simply because the Rs did it, NOT Socialism. I hope this helps.

 

The post The New Hampshire UniParty Keeps Winning appeared first on Granite Grok.

Dear Mr. Biden,

The Islamic Republic President, Ebrahim Raisi, and the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, are known supporters of worldwide terrorism. Not only do they remain a clear and viable threat to the existence of Israel with their nonstop call for the nuclear annihilation of that sovereign nation, but their brutal regime has thoroughly dehumanized the Iranian people, who, for many years now, have yearned to be liberated from these tyrannical and bloodthirsty Islamists who rule over their lives.

Iranians will never forget a massive anti-regime movement in 2009 by millions after the fraudulent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran and your administration’s reaction. The regime’s response to those protesting was a set of dastardly measures typical of dictatorships. People were severely beaten, huge numbers were arrested and herded like cattle into makeshift prisons. Some were shot in the streets as they marched; others were raped and killed in Iran’s prisons. And the world watched.

The Obama Administration failed to voice its support for the brave people of Iran, and he also implied that what was happening in Iran was a kind of family squabble best left to be settled by Iranians themselves. A family feud indeed. One side of the “family” with legions of savages armed to the teeth, the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and their hired thugs, and the other side of the “family” defenseless civilians using their voices to plead their case. The Islamic rulers spared no heinous means in mercilessly silencing the voices of the people.

Former US President Obama has recently admitted that he made “a mistake” by not supporting the Iranian people’s 2009 Green Movement against the Islamic Republic. On July 14, 2015, during the Obama presidency, Iran and six world powers known as the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) signed a disastrous agreement: the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as ‘Iran Nuclear Deal’ to marginalize Iran’s nuclear program and monitor it in exchange for relief from nuclear sanctions.

This deal benefited the Islamic Republic and left the door open for the regime to continue with its nuclear ambitions secretly. In other words, it was a terrible deal.

Compounding by complacency and denial, rationalization can be deadly, particularly when adversaries have different realities. The world leaders must realize that the delusional Mullahs are in this deadly game to the very end. They believe they can win by either bringing the non-Islamic world to its knees and ruling the world or setting up the conflagration that supposedly will prompt their hidden Imam to appear and establish his kingdom. Not even the all-out nuclear exchange can be ruled out. Islam is a religion centered on death, with the eyes of the faithful fixed on the afterlife and its promised eternal pleasures.
In 2022, the Iranian people once again protested against the murderous regime of the ayatollahs. Iranian Women were leading this Revolution. The bravery of these young girls captured the hearts and souls of all people worldwide. Yet, as usual, the Western world leaders’ reactions were indifferent. Regretfully, just like the Obama administration, your administration is repeating the same insanity by engaging with the conniving Mullahs and making another failed deal instead of helping the Iranian people.

For years, I have warned the world that sitting and watching this eventual catastrophic event is a fatal miscalculation. It is little more than an exercise in denial to believe that nothing wrong will happen and that the inept Mullahs will likely shoot themselves in the foot instead of wreaking havoc on the world’s free world leaders.

Sadly, no country provided moral support for the Iranian people, while the savage mullahs and their thugs consolidated their rule of terror with impunity. The same scenario is recurring, and the world’s silence is deafening while they are engaged in the frivolous Ukraine conflict.

The civilized world must accept that brave Iranian women and men are not stopping. They are taking to the streets to cut their hair and burn their hijabs, indicating to the Islamic government that they will no longer stand for this totalitarian regime. Iranian people don’t want help from the outside world. All they are asking is to stop making deals with their killers.

Sincerely Yours,
Amil Imani

©2023. Amil Imani. All rights reserved.

The post Open Letter to Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. RE: Islamic Republic of Iran appeared first on Granite Grok.

Folks from all over the northeast come to New Hampshire to buy fireworks they can’t get in their states. We appreciate the business, and it’s none of our business who you are as long as you’re over 21. But not every town in NH allows you this privilege.

Twenty-six towns in the state have outright bans on the civilian discharge of fireworks. Another sixty-three towns have restrictions or require a permit. The other 140+ municipalities have no restrictions other than those imposed by state law.

 

A person has to be 21 or older to purchase fireworks at licensed retail fireworks stores in the state, and must have permission of a private property owner to use them. A person can be held liable in any civil action for damage to another’s property as a result of fireworks.

 

That’s about it.

If you burn yourself or blow off a body part, call 911, and it’s between you, your ER doctors, and the insurance company. But be sure to check the list. I haven’t purchased or discharged any fireworks on my property for a few years, so I was surprised that my town requires a permit.

I can’t say whether they are particularly strict about it. We need a permit to kindle a fire, and we’ve seen or known a few folks who’ve never gone to get one. We do because it’s a three-minute process, and the permit is good for the entire year.

It might be that using fireworks thing is the same. I’d have to check. And you should check. Many towns with restrictions will likely have the Independence Day equivalent of COVID Karens. My neighbor has 11 people in their yard, and the rules say ten, and they are not masked or distancing…blah, blah… shut up!

Translation: They didn’t invite me or are not ideologically aligned, so my purpose in life is to inconvenience others and make them miserable.

And what a great tagline for the progressive project.

SeacoastOnline was kind enough to share the Fire Marshall’s list (below), so I figured we’d share it with our larger online audience in case you care, and caring is entirely up to you. And no, just in early July. This is New Hampshire. We hear fireworks every weekend and all year round.

Live Free and ignite Fireworks.

 

 

Here’s the list.

community-restrictions-list

 

The post Private Fireworks Displays are Big in NH But Did You Know: 26 Towns Have Banned Them! appeared first on Granite Grok.

It is the last day of the Supreme Court session, and as usual, the decisions on the more complex cases are coming down in rapid succession. On Thursday, Joe Biden took little time to speak to the nation, and openly criticized the Court.

He probably should have held off until today and consolidated his disagreement. One of the decisions on Student Loan Forgiveness exposes the President circumventing Congress, utilizing Executive Order, and using the Supreme Court as a scapegoat for shooting down something the President should never have tried.

Biden knew he was overstepping his authority to promise thousands of dollars of relief to a specific group of Student Loan Followers. He and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi were on the record saying the attempt was unconstitutional. But that was inconsequential. What mattered was a promise to the young voters, and these gullible intellectuals bought the false promise hook, line, and sinker. Millions of students and graduates with student loans worked harder than they ever did in class to figure out how to spend their $20,000 gift from the American taxpayers. They did not care where the money came from. The card read, “Thanks for your vote, Joe.”

The comments from disappointed fleeced loan holders today were borderline hilarious. “I am at a disadvantage. The students who saved for school or worked to pay as they go don’t have the debt I have. They can afford a nice apartment or even a home. I need my loans paid off in the spirit of equity.”

Obviously, this kid was an economics major and had the same class ranking as Joe Biden. Politicians were fingering the schools for the blame. Money was so easy that tuition rates skyrocketed. It’s not the student’s fault. We need to bail them out. Every taxpayer is responsible for stepping up for these poor kids. Sorry, but no. These kids signed on the dotted line and can now sign the checks.

Biden’s comments today about the SCOTUS decisions were embarrassing. He put the entire blame on Republicans and the MAGA justices on the Court. He took no accountability for a bogus vote catch that he pulled off to help him win the 2020 election. He deceived millions of Americans but feels if he takes the microphone, goes into whisper mode, and continues to lie to America, he can deflect the blame and come out looking like the hero who tried to help the students. What a sham.

The great unifier is clearly in divisive mode as he readies for his re-election bid. According to the polls, he has had a bad run of SCOTUS decisions, and the economy continues to haunt him. Nobody is buying his leadership, and nobody shares his vision. A negative campaign will not reverse the polls, which show that most Americans do not agree with any aspect of his domestic, international, or economic policies. He also has his age and a feckless VP/running mate that will raise the anxiety level of most voters. The numbers indicate he should be a one-term President but don’t count out the Democrats when it comes to creativity in manipulating an election.

 

The post SCOTUS Speaks. Will Biden and The Left Listen appeared first on Granite Grok.

This is cute. It’s a music video featuring clips of politicians with lots of Biden fumbles and some voice over by Kari Lake about the electrion integrity movement. The song is called 81 million votes my ass, and referes, obviosuly the alleged Biden General election vote total that exceeded Obama.

It strains all credibility to think more people voted for Joe Biden than Barack Obama. Prior to 2020 the Democrat party wouldn’t give Biden 4% of the vote by himself. His campaing events were a joke. And we know there are issues, and they are not being addressed in most of the swing states where the exact same thing will likley happen again in 2024.

The GOP isn’t doing a damn thing to fix it. Ballot harvesting isn’t going to get done. The only cure is to end vote by mail and to reaffirm the security requiremtnes for absentee ballots. No other Western Nation allows it becaue it is how you steal elections.

Except in the US, where suggesting it is some sort of conspriacy.

Here’s the vidoe.

 

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Rumble("play", {"video":"v2qyvcw","div":"rumble_v2qyvcw"});

 

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So the last iteration in this series was the NH Legislative Ethics Commission whitewashing the breaking of the Law after they confirmed that the three defendants, Harry Bean, Travis O’Hare, and He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named (because of the NHLEC Confidentiality rules), Voldemort. They all  pleaded akin to:

1. Pleading ignorance of the Law gets you a pass. Unlike the rest of us that will end up in court or jail for saying, “I’ve never read the Law in question,” the NH Legislative Ethics Committee accepted the pleas of “I’m stupid and ignorant of the Law and “not my fault.”
2. A lack of personal responsibility gets you a pass: “I had no responsibility in carrying out my duties as specified in statute – I’ve been made a victim because it wasn’t my job – somebody else screwed up.”
3. Having no penalty in statute gets you a pass.
4. And most of all, if it isn’t in member Donna Sytek’s Fook of Unethical Behavior (the question she asked of me, to which my retort was, “I was taught growing up that breaking the Law ITSELF was unethical”).

So I’m betting that these Three Stooges thought this was over – that they they “beat that group” once again. Bean even said that he wanted this all behind him. Well, there’s one more thing (actually, TWO more things – and I’m betting he has no idea what he said). Problem is, if one (or three – or more) have the hubris to think no one’s watching so you can do something that isn’t on the level, sometimes you get caught and there will be a consequence. But before I go through the time to bring Issue #2 up, I figured that I’d try to get an advance read on things. So if you read that post, you’ll know that I contacted Rich Lambert, the Executive Administrator of the NH Legislative Committee Ethics Committee (who has been nothing but gracious) to ask a question:

…even as the Committee found that the illegal meetings are summarized by the Committee’s words of ” That fact is uncontested” (Complaint 2023-6, Travis O’Hara, second paragraph).  Would those three, and other Belknap Representatives as well, having put in their self-authorizing forms for the per meeting and travel expenses (RSA 24:9-eee) and accepting such taxpayer monies for the now uncontested illegal meeting be considered to be an unethical action? That having this official ruling about the meetings, not returning the monies for meetings that should never have happened, be considered unethical?

Or would it be a charade to attempt to hold them fully accountable per Article 8 of the NH Constitution?

And he sent a response:

—— Original Message ——
From “Rich Lambert” < Rich.Lambert@leg.state.nh.us>
To “Skip” < Skip@granitegrok.com>
Date 6/30/2023 2:10:43 PM
Subject RE: A question for you and the Honorable Sytek’s Book of Unethical behavior

Good Afternoon Mr. Murphy,

In my capacity as the Executive Administrator of the Legislative Ethics Committee I am not able to address the questions posed in your email.  I cannot go beyond what the Committee has already stated in their decisions on the 3 complaints.

I trust that you will understand.

Sincerely,

Rich Lambert
Executive Administrator
Legislative Ethics Committee

Totally understandable. However, I have been told that I can be persistent:

From: Skip <Skip@granitegrok.com>
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2023 2:34 PM
To: Rich Lambert <Rich.Lambert@leg.state.nh.us>
Subject: Re[2]: A question for you and the Honorable Sytek’s Book of Unethical behavior

Hi Mr. Lambert!

I understand.

I will ask, however, if you would forward my latter questions to the Chair a la the Legislature asking the NH Supreme Court on advice about a bill:

Would those three, and other Belknap Representatives as well, having put in their self-authorizing forms for the per meeting and travel expenses (RSA 24:9-eee) and accepting such taxpayer monies for the now uncontested illegal meeting be considered to be an unethical action? That having this official ruling about the meetings, not returning the monies for meetings that should never have happened, be considered unethical?

Or would it be a charade to attempt to hold them fully accountable per Article 8 of the NH Constitution?

While you can’t, perhaps he would be willing, in an analogous fashion, to give a bit of advice?

Have a great weekend and Happy Independence Day!

-Skip

And so he did!

—— Original Message ——
From “Rich Lambert” <Rich.Lambert@leg.state.nh.us>
To “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
Date 6/30/2023 3:01:48 PM
Subject RE: Re[2]: A question for you and the Honorable Sytek’s Book of Unethical behavior

Hi Mr. Murphy,

I have forwarded your email messages below to Chairman Gordon.

Rich

So I thanked him. Now, some would tell me that showing folks my hand in this, by publishing this before getting a response, might end up with a witches’ brew of political machinations going on behind the scenes (as some told me before the exoneration, such might have happened in the first place) for Issue #2. So be it but sometimes it is sufficient to publicize what our elected representatives are flaunting in our faces. And while I wanted to see something other an exoneration, I tried as best as I could.

But refusing to Follow the Law in this regard (public notification of government meetings), it’s another thing, in my mind, to take money from Government (which is our money) for something that even the Ethics Committee agreed upon – the meetings were illegal. And no efforts by these three (and others – I have receipts, literally!) to make the people of Belknap County whole financially. Yes, in the grand scheme of things, the amount in question is paltry but that’s neither the point nor the principle.

So let’s see what Ned Gordon, the Chair, has to say about this. Will politics be in play here? Let’s get real – except for me and Mr. Lambert, EVERYone in this deal is a politician. The only way that we will know is either the response (if there is one) or by the result if I move forward (go ahead, tell me what you think the over/under should be for that?).

To be Continued…

 

The post The NH Legislative Ethics Commission Results Are In … Round 2? appeared first on Granite Grok.

What is it? Wikipedia says, “Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.”

We want to thank Michael Petruzziello for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
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Our founding fathers fought the British to give us freedom from tyrannical rule. They fought against taxation without representation. They fought for religious freedom, but most importantly, they fought to establish a new nation.

Our founders never sought fortune for themselves. Instead, they literally wagered their fortune to create a new nation.

A new nation whose President, eighty-seven years later, would pen these famous words, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal……that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

These, of course, are excerpts from President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery on November 19, 1863.

What have we done with the independence and freedom our founders fought so hard for?

What have we done with the “new birth of freedom” President Lincoln alludes to in his Gettysburg Address?

It’s been one hundred and sixty years since President Lincoln reminded us of the fragility of our Nation.

Have we cherished that gift, have we nurtured it, preserved it, and treasured it, or have we taken it for granted?

Have our political leaders dedicated themselves to serving the people as our founders intended, or do they only serve themselves?

Do we the people, embody the words, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”?

Have we lived up to those words, or do we consider them outdated?

Do we love and appreciate our country, our independence, our freedom, and our flag, or are we ashamed of our nation?

Yes, our country is not and never will be, perfect.

So today, as we celebrate our two hundred and forty-seventh Independence Day, let us all take a moment to ponder the following quote:

“A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.” – Tony Blair

Happy Birthday America, and God Bless you,

Michael Petruzziello
Major, USMC (Ret)

The post Independence Day appeared first on Granite Grok.

Politicians say all their bills; bring us only good things all the time.  The truth is closer to they are offering free stuff to buy our votes.  The problem with their offer is; their policies generally make things worse.  Free healthcare, childcare, cell phones, education, and a universal basic income all sound good.  They sell politically.

But the government isn’t Santa or the Easter Bunny. Governments take what you have by force, when necessary, to do with it what the government will.  If anyone else did that it would be theft.  When you support government-provided free stuff, you are voting yourself a larger portion of someone else’s stuff… That’s what taxes are.  That cannot continue, well, at least not for very long without repercussions.

Law and regulations take away our money or freedom or both.  Regulations are bureaucratically imposed rules with the force of law.  Regulations are made by people nobody voted for.  If you care about living a prosperous life, you should care about what government economic policies are.  Your freedom, wealth, and ability to earn depend on it.

Economic freedom is based on things like the rule of law, regulatory efficiency, open markets, and fiscal health.  America is falling behind because Congress is spending so much more money than it takes from us in taxes.

We know sooner or later, the government will run out of other people’s money.  We also know when more dollars chase fewer goods, it leads to inflation.  Inflation leaves us with less financial freedom; it makes us poorer.

Politicians have nothing better to do than ban our choices, like natural gas hookups, gas-powered cars, and guns.  Our bureaucrats add thousands of individual freedom-restricting regulations annually. The result is an increasingly smothering government.

Something we know from experience is: The more the government is allowed to infringe on freedom, the poorer the living standards are for its citizens.  The poorest, most repressed people in the world are trapped in countries like Sudan, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea.

A poor policy with respect to freedom is as bad in the economic realm as it is in the political.  The two are complementary and reinforcing.  The freer a country is economically, the better off the citizens of that country are.  Enforcing the rule of law is good, but putting a few obstacles in the way of trying new things is imperative.

Does economic freedom over time lead to freer, more prosperous, healthier, and cleaner environments? It does.  That’s something to remember next time you are considering which politician to vote for.  Will they take away our choices and print more money?  Or will they make you more free?

The post Economic and Political Freedom appeared first on Granite Grok.