NH Journal:  Kuster: Abortion Is Good Economics

Kuster also argued that abortions are good for the economy.

“This has an economic impact, a dramatic economic impact. Forced pregnancy — government-mandated pregnancy — means that people will not be able to pursue their education. They won’t be able to pursue their career path. Pregnancy is expensive! Raising children is expensive.”

“Most abortions are families who may already have children and can’t afford more children,” Kuster added.

New Hampshire law allows unrestricted abortions for the first six months of pregnancy but bans late-term abortions except in extremely narrow circumstances. Polls show most voters support New Hampshire’s approach.

Asked about her plans to address the 40-year high inflation numbers that continue to hit consumers, Kuster turned the interview back to abortion.

“These two issues are related. This is coming at a time when families can’t afford to have another baby, or they’re struggling to pay the cost to take care of their own families.”

Some Democrats find the economic analysis of abortion disturbing.

“Instead of voting on this radical legislation that goes beyond Roe v. Wade, we need to be supporting pregnant women so they have the resources to deliver to full-term and raise their children,” said Jess Meeth, communications director for Democrats For Life America (DFLA). “Women deserve real choice, real support, and real resources to carry and raise children.”

Read the rest here.

Last night the House voted to send $40 billion to Ukraine, on top of the tens of billions already sent … at a time when mothers in the United States are facing shortages of baby formula.

The vast majority of “Republicans” voted in favor of this latest manifestation of endless-war. Here are the America-First Republicans who voted NO:

Full List Of The 57 Republicans That Voted Against The Democrats America Last $40 Billion Foreign Aid Package For Ukraine pic.twitter.com/tkvybRqpqQ

— The Columbia Bugle (@ColumbiaBugle) May 11, 2022

The Republican Party is a DISGRACE. Replacing America-Last Democrats with America-Last Republicans is the equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. ____ your “Red Wave” … we need an America-First wave.

The post Not Even Sixty America-First-Republican-Representatives in Congress appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Dartmouth, that college rag selling itself as a form of journalism, has accidentally done us all a public service. It has announced the candidacy of another out-of-state college student running for elected office in New Hampshire.

Emphasis mine.

 

Former College Democrats president Miles Brown ’23 announced his campaign for New Hampshire state representative on Instagram and Twitter on Thursday. Brown, a government major from West Hartford, Conn., will campaign over the summer leading up to the state Democratic primaries on Sept. 13 and plans to focus on student voting rights and mental health.

 

Student voting rights? Riddle me this, Miles, name one student who cannot vote by mail to the precinct assigned to the address on their driver’s license or other official State Issued ID?

The answer is none. They can all vote that way. The student voting rights issue in NH is a lie, a lot like your residenccy (if I’m not mistaken). Miles Brown is the thing and he is a pasty white West Hartford kid. And he is from West Hartford.

 

These screengrabs might be scrubbed before the end of the day

 

Nowhere in The Dartmouth’s glowing report do they mention that Miles is not eligible to legitimately run for elected office unless New Hampshire is where he lives. West Hartford, CT – Still not in The Granite State.

Shacking up over the summer to campaign doesn’t define residence not that it would matter in Belknap 12. The only way Mr. Brown loses that race is if four “someones” bluer than he runs making it a Democrat primary.

Democrats in and around Dartmouth who are sticklers about where you are from when it matters (money, power, influence) not so much when it comes to NH election law and plucky sprouts dipping their big blue toe in the political waters to pad their resume.

So, ignoring the residency laws and allowing out-of-state students to elect (as in vote for) out-of-state Dartmouth Democrats to public office are almost too common.

Garrett Muscatel was the last Dartmouth student to hold a seat in Belknap 12. Garrett was from Thousand Oaks, California, and it was all going swell until COVID, and he had to return “home.” Sadly, the Campus residence at Dartmouth when he filed to run was not where he landed. He had to go home…to California.

After we made a stink and it became national news he resigned and the school coughed up Riley Gordon (he lost in a five-way primary to four other Democrats). And now we’ve got Miles Brown.

 

 

Miles is not from New Hampshire, but he’ll run from his dorm address and bunk up locally “over the summer” (at least a few weekends), even though I’d bet money his driver’s license says Connecticut on it and New Hampshire is not the place he calls home. Not for real.

If Dartmouth had to close the Campus and send students home, Miles would have to leave the state. And maybe they should put that on the paperwork when you sign up to run for the NH House.

‘When forced to quarantine “at home,” where is that?

If it’s not in New Hampshire, you have the right to vote there, not here, and you should not be occupying seats in our people’s House.

 

 

 

The post Another “Out of State” Dartmouth “Kid” is Running for the NH House appeared first on Granite Grok.

We learned that Rep. Mike Yakubovich (R-Hooksett) is not only a talented legislator, but is a talented musician as well, and he played the Star Spangled Banner for us today as we opened our session.

We learned that as part of his tour of New England, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and past President Lech Walesa of Poland came to address the General Court today as an honorary guest. He spoke through an interpreter and presented some interesting thoughts. His main theme was talking about his hope that the United States would become a strong leader in world politics again. While he criticized capitalism, he lauded free markets and a free market economy, which was sort of a mixed message to me. His speech also touched on moving the world forward towards a “New Order”, which is not exactly a concept that I am thrilled about either. That being said, he did decry totalitarian and oppressive countries such as China and Russia..and he did talk about the importance of religion, … so there’s that. It was interesting to hear from this historic Polish icon, especially as I was aware of the struggles he and his country endured under Soviet control and their fight for independence and freedom. It was an interesting morning during this joint session of the House and Senate.

We learned that this House session was all about concurring (mostly) and non-concurring with House bills that came back with amendments from the Senate. We also agreed with the Senate to establish committee of conferences for about 14 Senate bills that the House amended. Both bodies will be busy with committees of conference in the next week or two. Let the horse trading begin!

We learned that HB1178 came back with an amendment from the Senate. This bill prohibits the State from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or Presidential executive order that restricts or regulates the right of people to keep and bear arms. The Senate amendment clarified some language having to do with reporting domestic violence to NICS. One NH gun group came out against this amendment, but the truth is we do this reporting anyway, so nothing was added to the statutes as a result of this amendment. The concur vote passed 163-143 with a roll call vote. Rep. John Burt (R-Goffstown) supported the amendment, so you know it’s good gun legislation. Now, it is off to the Governor’s desk.

We learned that HB1022 passed a concur motion with a roll call vote of 157-148. This bill permits pharmacists to dispense the drug Ivermectin by means of a standing order and it established a commission to study Ivermectin to treat Covid-19. Rep. Jerry Knirk (D-Freedom) apparently supports the unlicensed practice of medicine! He said, not only once, but twice, to the House that, “We should not legislate the practice of medicine”. Has he become a Medical Anarchist or something?? Who knew?? We’ll have to remind him of this next time he proposes legislation for more medical regulations!

We learned that sometimes the bills coming back from the Senate for concurrence have some very important changes… like in HB1495, the bill prohibiting the state from requiring businesses to require vaccine or documentation related to vaccination or immunity status. What was their important change? In HB1495 the Senate added a comma and the word “a” into the bill’s language. A similar change happened to HB1160, the bill relative to obedience to signals at railroad crossings. In that bill they placed an “or she” after a “he” and made a “he shall not” into a “he or she shall not” in the language. Aren’t you glad these egregious linguistics are now gender inclusive in this bill? I know I will sleep better at night as a result. Both bills passed on a voice vote.

We learned that all in all around 76 bills were voted “Concur” and will be off to the Governor’s desk. One important bill, HB1097, will protect NH remote workers from having their income taxed by out of state companies that employ them. If signed by the governor we will have placed into our statutes important language which could help our citizens if future lawsuits are brought to federal court on this matter. The concur motion passed on a voice vote.

We learned that five bills were voted by the House”Non-Concur” and died today because the Senate changes were too onerous to have allowed them to pass. Those bills were: HB254 (relative to placement of minors in secure settings), HB144 (relative to absentee ballot request forms), HB1203 (relative to voter registration and verification of voter identity), HB1195 (regarding public comment periods at school board and board of education meetings), and HB1474 (relative to annual vehicle inspections). I will guarantee that HB1474 will return next year… again.

We learned that this month we should honor all NH veterans for Military Appreciation Month. House Speaker Sherm Packard presented a Joint Resolution that proclaimed the General Court of New Hampshire’s support to honor our veterans and to end veteran homelessness. NH Major General David Mikolaities, Adjutant General and the men and women who have served were guests today in the House gallery. Rep. Terry Roy (R-Deerfield) and Rep. Steven Shurtleff (D-Penacook) both gave wonderful unanimous consent speeches, at the end of session today, regarding the sacrifices our military men and women make and our obligation to end veteran homelessness. God bless our men and women in uniform and let’s pause to remember those who sacrificed their life for our country as we head into Memorial Day at the end of this month.

Finally, we learned that bills will be landing on the governor’s desk shortly. We have one more House Session to go to finish up all of our work for the year… Then it is off to campaign season!Let’s elect more Republicans to the House and Senate, and continue the great work our majority accomplished in lowering taxes, advocating for medical freedom and election integrity, and a host of other great policy changes.

The post So Kids, What Did We Learn From Thursday’s House Session (05/12/22)? appeared first on Granite Grok.

I put this into the same category as “if they are threatening to kill themselves via a hunger strike, gimme a lawn chair, popcorn, and a great prime rib steak.”

If you and your self-important weirdo’s fanboys & fangirls wanna chain yourselves together across a highway for some stupid reason that Normals don’t care about but you’re stopping them from getting to work, doing errands (or worse, an ambulance rushing to take a dying person to a hospital), I have a similar solution.

Cut one of these morons loose from the crash barrier on one side of the highway, walk them (and the rest of these “we’re all in this together” nincompoops) to the other side, and then weld that just-freed lost soul to the barrier there (which side, asphalt or grass/dirt) is your call – I don’t much care). Then just pack up and everyone walks away from them.

They continue to be the Stupid Show Spectacle and Normals get to go about their normal day. WINNER!

Adapt the tactic as needed – like with those that decide THEIR issue is more important than you in just getting that simple pleasure of a cuppa joe (reformatted, emphasis mine):

A Hollywood star is sticking it to Starbucks. Actor James Cromwell — featured in films such as L.A. Confidential, Babe, and The Green Mile — recently came upon a sweet way to cream the coffee company. As it turns out, the chain charges extra for plant-based milk. This heated PETA member James, so he percolated a plan. In order to stop Starbucks from choosing their preferred charging scheme, the 82-year-old glued himself to a New York City cafe’s counter — that’ll teach ’em.

From there — because, given the glue, he couldn’t do it from anywhere else — he read a prepared statement. As reported by Harrisburg’s ABC27, he even managed to raze the restaurant as racist:

[H]e denounced Starbucks’ vegan-milk upcharge, calling it harmful to the environment and discriminatory toward those who suffer from lactose-intolerance, which affects people of color at a greater percentage, according to the National Institutes of Health.

While “situated among a group of PETA-affiliated protestors near the Starbucks register,” he posed the following:

“When will you stop raking in huge profits while customers, animals and the environment suffer? When will you stop penalizing people for their ethnicities, their morals?”
Racism solved? Fake milk made free? Are a staggering number of nonwhites ordering at Starbucks, demanding non-mammalian milk, and then leaving without their drink because they couldn’t afford it? Or, worse, are they still buying it with regular milk and then suffering the KKK-caused squirts?  Questions continue to drip.

I dryly note that Cromwell calls Capitalism “a cancer” even as it has enriched his life beyond the reach of even Kings just a couple of centuries ago.

…Police officers eventually responded to the scene, telling protestors that the Starbucks district manager wanted them vacated from the property. Cromwell and John Di Leonardo, another activist who superglued himself to the counter, later unattached themselves about a half-hour after the protest began.

I woulda superglued his other hand to the counter top and then one side or the other of his nether region to the side of it. You know, an updated version of the stocks:

(H/T: RedState)

The post They Shoulda Just Left James Cromwell There, Self-Super-Glued to the Starbucks Counter appeared first on Granite Grok.

Look, I know that some of the regulars — and heaven help me, one or two times a year, me, myself — will fall into doomer mode at times.

Standing on the ramparts is tiring work, and not only are the slings and arrows painful, what hurts the most is the HOWLING incoherence of the opposition. For a certain type of odd, who seems to congregate here, to be honest, we prefer to be called bad names than to be screamed random slogans at. Because we don’t so much mind being hated, but we’d like it to MAKE SENSE.

Sometimes we all fall into doom.

But you have to realize, if you’ve read military history that when the enemy’s main tactic is yelling at you to shut up and give up, they’re losing.

They’re losing big.

To an extent the leftist/collectivist project always was losing. You can’t fight reality. She’s a stone cold b*tch.

But they controlled the mass media, and therefore their shouts made many people give up. Most people, really, including a lot of the “opposition” who became the loyal opposition in the hope of being killed last.

Well, Thank G-d Almighty that time is past.

-Sarah Hoyt (According To Hoyt via Instapundit)

Indeed: Be Brave. Do Something.  Get up, get your posterior off the couch and your feet into motion.  The battle is raging and reinforcements are needed. No longer let the single digit warriors on your side carry it both to the enemy and you on their backs. DO SOMETHING – and if you have no idea what you could do, ask. Happy to help with answers.

In the meantime, realize that the time for that old bear joke (“I don’t have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you”) no longer applies because it’s one bear after YOU, another after your SPOUSE, and a pack coming after your kids.

Whaddyagonnado?

The post Notable Quote – If They Are Yelling at You, Know That They Are Losing! appeared first on Granite Grok.

Washington Times:  DIA: Intel suggests COVID virus was lab-engineered

Army Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, revealed in prepared Senate testimony this week that some U.S. intelligence agencies — not identified by name — believe the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic may have been genetically modified in a laboratory and not transmitted naturally from an animal host in China, where it was first identified.

Limited and fragmentary information on the virus origin led to multiple theories on the virus origin among the 17 agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community, he said. Despite the uncertainty, all agencies claim the virus known as SARS-CoV-2 was not developed as a biological weapon.

News flash:  It was a biological weapon aimed at people of all countries to support and sell the concept of vaccination passports.

Read the rest here.

 

A few years ago, one of the firefighters in Manchester, presented a program for the schools that they believed would curb drug use among the Manchester students.

Drug abuse is impacting cities and communities at an alarming rate, so it makes sense that communities want to address this problem head on. But what happens if the programs you use in schools, has the opposite effect on the children you are trying to reach? What if, what they present to the children, makes them even more curious about the risky behavior?

During the firefighter’s presentation, he mentioned how they told the kids that the internet can teach you how to make fentanyl. That’s all I needed to hear. I knew that someone didn’t do their homework. If they are telling kids where to go to learn how to make a dangerous drug, some kids will actually do that.  You have to wonder about the people who put these programs together. They may mean well, but the consequences can be deadly. Some kids will ignore the dangers and instead, take that information, and find a way to make the deadly drug, and use it.

I’ve been warning about how society has put schools in charge of a child’s mental health. The CDC also has plans to turn our schools into mental and medical facilities. What can go wrong? A lot, and I explained here.

In this interview in People Magazine with a reality tv star, Crystal Kung Minkoff opens up about how a program on bulimia in school caused her to become a bulimic:

On the latest episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Crystal Kung Minkoff decided to share a part of her life that she doesn’t typically talk about — her longtime battle with bulimia.
The new housewife, 35, shared with her castmates that she’s “a recovering bulimic.”
“And I say recovering because I don’t know what it’s like to be any other thing,” she said.
Kung Minkoff explained to the other women — Lisa Rinna, Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke, Kathy Hilton and Kyle Richards — that she started struggling with disordered eating at age 11, and added in a confessional interview that she learned about bulimia after watching a video about eating disorders in school.
As you can see, her introduction to an eating disorder at school has had a life-long devastating impact on her life.

Some of these problems were highlighted the other night a Londonderry’s school board meeting. It starts out with a school administrator explaining the process of how books are approved when they are placed in the school library. But we’ve heard about this process before. The bottom line is, even if you have librarians working in the school choosing these books, the buck stops with the leaders. The Superintendents and Principals do share some of the responsibility when it is determined that something has run afoul. Any attempt to point their finger in a different direction, shows poor leadership. Take responsibility and fix the problem, stop making excuses.  (Watch 51:28)

Londonderry is the same district that currently utilizes what they refer to as the “committee of truth.” This is where the district office and administration can refute claims made by parents, but offer no opportunity to have a back and forth discussion. The police and parent-facing cameras are also being utilized at the school board meetings, which has been described as an intimidation tactic.

One parent pushed back during the school board meeting, (1:16:00) and addressed the importance of sharing concerns at these public meetings. She has young children, and has to decide where to send her children to school.

Other parents are saying that they are being told not to bring their concerns to the public meetings, and instead have them handled quietly. Is this a way to build trust in the community? Hardly. Someone needs to eat some humble pie, and realize that what they are doing, isn’t working well.

Londonderry is experiencing big problems, and that tends to start from a lack of poor leadership. Is anyone trying to bridge this gap? Who has extended an olive branch to these parents who have genuine concerns about what is going on in this school district?

But the worst part of all of this is when parents began reporting about a book that was given to a child who is experiencing serious mental health issues. (1:00:05) This child, who is 12 years old and in 7th grade, was given the book called SUICIDE / Opposing Viewpoints, to read.  As his mother explains, in tears, she has had to completely rearrange her home based on the depression, anxiety, cutting and suicidal thoughts her son has been having over the last few years. She had to remove medication, sharp objects and anything that he could possibly use to harm himself.(1:18:00) The school administrators and teachers have been made aware of this situation, so how is it possible that a book on suicide was made available to him? Who is watching out for these children?

This courageous parent even said she will not be returning this book to the school because she didn’t want any other child to have access to it. Could this book cause potential harm to all children in Londonderry? I don’t think anyone believes that, but you can see that this book caused a big threat to this one child. This parent taught administrators earning 6-figure salaries how to do their job. She refused to make something dangerous available to the rest of children in Londonderry.

Each parent still has the ability to purchase this book or visit a local public library if they want their children to read it. But in a public school, parents do not always have the ability to monitor what their children are choosing to read, or what is assigned to them by the teacher.

Parents are challenging books that are available to their children in their public schools. Whether it be sexualizing children and grooming children for predators, teaching them how to make dangerous drugs, or any other social ill, the one-size-fits-all approach to fixing these problems can prove to be dangerous and deadly.

These are mistakes that parents cannot afford. They are too dangerous for our children.

This is a balancing act. You want to make as many books available for children to read, but even the entertainment industry has ratings for children. A book on suicide for a 12 year old child?  After the news is reporting about the increase in mental health problems among children post-pandemic? Who thought this was a good idea? Does that sound like someone who should be in charge of children?

Parents still have access to the local libraries and the internet if they feel the material is appropriate for their child. This isn’t about denying your child information, this is about what to offer all of the children in a public school. In this case, school officials are lucky this story doesn’t have a tragic ending to it.

Londonderry is in big trouble. This serious incident just exposes more issues that are happening in this school district, and the lack of leadership needed to make improvements. The leadership in the school and on the school board, has tried to beat back parents instead of extending a much needed olive branch. These are good parents who want the best for their children, they are not neglectful or abusive parents.

A good leader will work to build a bridge so that parents who hold a different viewpoint or worldview are not excluded from this school system. An appreciation for diversity means you also accept and work with all of your families.

It was good to see the other families rally around this parent during the school board meeting and afterwards. Let this be a lesson to those involved in the school–you avoided a situation that could have ended in tragedy, learn from it.

 

The post Londonderry Child Put in Harms Way at School appeared first on Granite Grok.

Sun-King Sununu’s Supreme Court has announced that it will resolve the impasse created by the Sun-King by redrawing New Hampshire’s Congressional districts:

This court has both the authority and the obligation to ensure that the upcoming election proceeds under a legally valid congressional district plan. We conclude that changes in New Hampshire’s population, as reflected in the 2020 census and undisputed by the parties, have rendered the existing congressional districting statute, RSA 662:1, unconstitutional in violation of Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. Accordingly, we will take the necessary steps to formulate a district plan that complies with all applicable laws in order to protect the fundamental rights of New Hampshire voters. We reiterate that the legislature is not precluded from enacting a legally valid congressional district plan at any time prior to the close of this case.

And it sounds like the map to be drawn by Sun-King’s Supremos is going to look very much like the Democrats’ desired map, which makes CD-1 less Republican while leaving CD-2 a safe Democrat seat:

… we will use as our benchmark the existing congressional districts because the district plan enacted in 2012 is “the last validly enacted plan,” “the clearest expression of the legislature’s intent,” and “the best evidence of State redistricting policy.” Below I, 148 N.H. at 13 (quotation omitted). Further, we will adhere to the “least change” principles that, to the greatest extent practicable, each district should contain roughly the same constituents as the last validly enacted plan, and that it is preferable that the core of the districts be maintained, while contiguous populations are added or subtracted as necessary to correct the population deviations. See id.

 

The post Sun-King Sununu’s Hand-Picked Supreme Court Delivers — Court to Draw Democrat-Favorable Map for CD-1 appeared first on Granite Grok.

Today, I had an eye-opener, reality check, slap in the face, call it what you want, can you guess what it was?

It’s the cost of heating oil. Heating oil is now up to $6.50 per gallon. If you were to get a delivery of 200 gallons that fill-up will cost $1,300. A year ago, I paid $400. Folks, that is more than triple in price.

If this continues to increase then I’ll have to start making drastic changes. I’ll carpool for groceries, buy less food or buy food that can be used for several dishes. Reduce traveling to see my kids or grandkids and stop taking them out for a meal/ice cream. I’ll have to spend less on gifts this year. I’ll cut out the luxury items like coffee with friends every week or even having coffee every day. I’ll let the chickens free range to save on feed and hope a predator doesn’t get them.

We want to thank John Sellers for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.

What changes can you make now so you can buy heating oil for next winter because winter will come again faster than we want it to? And it’s not just oil, but oil drives everything from  groceries, clothing, transportation, farming, electricity, plastics, and more.

Is this caused by President Joe Biden? Well, he is our leader and he now has to own it. Russia is not the cause; we only get three percent of oil from them. Biden and our leaders are destroying our country and failing us, especially the Democrats since they have the power to make changes – and are refusing to do so.

My idea is for all of us to repent and ask Jesus/God to save us and the USA and if we all can’t do that, then vote Republican and hope they can fix this mess.

Got a better idea?

The post Heating Oil Costs Are Rippling across My Life and Family appeared first on Granite Grok.

I am approaching my 500th post. The negativity we have experienced in the last fifteen months has been overwhelming. I have started writing a positive story every Sunday about someone deserving. I want to write something positive about Biden, his administration, or Democrats, but I cannot. They continue to lie, defy the letter of the law, and take steps to tear down this great country.

Let’s take a look at a few examples:

• This week, Janet Yellen appeared before the Senate and found a way to conflate Inflation and Abortion. She was answering Tim Scott’s (R-SC) questions, which was not a good place for her to pull this thought out of the playbook. Yellen talked about the disproportionate impact of inflation on low-income Americans, which is agreed upon by all. She should have stopped there, but no. She went on to say how vital access to abortion is to fight the inflation impact on the poor. Young women are more able to participate in the workforce without the burden of raising an unwanted child. In her words, abortion leads to freedom from poverty for young, especially Black, women. Scott told her how offended he was, raised in poverty by a single mother. He was glad his mother did not use abortion as a ticket out of poverty.

• Jen Psaki, speaking for herself and the President, and many Progressive members of Congress, including Senator Warren and Congresswomen Talaib and Omar, expressed support for pro-abortion protestors marching on Justices’ homes and church services. Even when the federal law forbidding public protest and acts of intimidation at the homes of Supreme Court Justices were read to them, they reiterated their support. They are publicly encouraging these protestors to break the law because it works to reinforce their position and extends the news cycle. Just as these people supported the “peaceful” protests and encampments while protestors destroyed major cities after the death of George Floyd, they were now showing how irresponsible this team of misfits is. How can we expect protestors to obey the law when the President and his party encourage them to defy them?

• The President addressed the nation yesterday, and many hoped he would have some answers or a plan to attack the runaway inflation impacting everyone. We were disappointed. The President seemed ill-prepared to speak and stumbled many times. He kept alluding to his plan but gave no details. Biden blamed the Pandemic, Putin, and suppliers for the highest inflation in forty years. He would take no blame and claimed his “plan” was helping to keep inflation in check.

He ramped up the rhetoric on Republicans by changing his catchphrase from MAGA Republicans to Ultra MAGAs. New polling data must have shown the new phrase worked better. Unfortunately, the term was challenging, and he stuttered each time he said it. He pointed to Senator Rick Scott of Florida, saying he was from Wisconsin, and misrepresented Scott’s 11-point plan claiming it was the position of all Republicans. That is just not true. The President’s speech was filled with blame, lies, and no answers. Americans deserve better from their leader. We are not getting better.

These three examples all happened in one day. These are not exceptions but indicative of the performance of President Joe Biden and his team. The abortion protests will probably fester until the actual opinion, and if the decision follows the draft, the protests will amplify. These protests will pull attention away from the other administration deficiencies, but it will be difficult not to notice the impact on our shrinking IRAs and cash in our wallets. This administration is in a death spiral that will crash on the first Tuesday in November. The Ultra MAGA Crowd better have some solid plans ready to rescue this country being pulled by Biden to the abyss. When Republicans control Congress, Americans will be razor-focused on quick solutions.

This article was first published on The Liberty Loft thelibertyloft.com

The post I Want to Give Liberals a Break. I Cannot appeared first on Granite Grok.

Oh, you poor soul. You still believe the media cares about stories and not narratives. It was decided by fox around Jan 6 that there would be no mention of a stolen election. Fox itself led the way with stealing the election by calling AZ early. Fox is not your friend. https://t.co/mDtiHzZX3g

— unseen1 (@unseen1_unseen) May 12, 2022

I want to start this letter out by giving thanks to the 3,854 voters in Laconia for believing in me when they elected me to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2020. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

When I ran, I made promises to my constituents like fighting for religious liberty, protections for the unborn, and education freedom; promises kept. Earning the trust of my constituents is and has been a top priority.

I’m a lifelong Laconia resident, I was born and bred here. I grew up in the 1990s which were great but boring years for the city. I went through the Laconia School system and graduated in 2006 from the Adult Education Program.

Republicans and Democrats were able to talk politics at Dunkin Donuts back then.  I know that’s a big shock nowadays but it was normal for folks to disagree between sips of coffee.

We want to thank NH State Rep. Richard Littlefield for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.

The last twenty years or so have been anything but simple for my beloved city: Drug abuse, and addiction. Fatal overdoses affect so many families. As with the rest of the State, homelessness is a serious issue here in Laconia.

Laconia’s schools, mainly Laconia Middle School and Laconia High, have been in a sharp decline in proficiency, but never fear!  SAU30 will save our kids from inappropriate non-academic surveys that ask about drug use and prior sexual abuse. Bullying in these schools is at a ridiculous all-time high with seemingly no end in sight.

For the reasons above and so many more, I have decided to run for a second term in the New Hampshire House of Representatives for the city of Laconia.

• In my first term, I voted for a 13.5 billion dollar budget jam-packed with relief for businesses and families.
• A ban on teaching racial ideology in New Hampshire classrooms.
• New Hampshire’s first ban on late-term abortions.
• Protections for New Hampshire’s 64 state parks from any possible future landfill contamination.
• Floor amendments that would give remote access to sick or immunocompromised reps and give them an option to participate safely on Session Days.
• The use of Hand-Marked durable paper ballots in all New Hampshire elections.
• I not only co-sponsored Rep Tim Baxter’s bill to audit New Hampshire’s 2020 election, but I am also one of a few hundred Representatives in the country to sign on to and call for a full 50-State audit of the country’s 2020 election. Hundreds of constituents and Granite Staters asked me to support these audits, and I listened.

The Left is going to call me everything under the sun for it, and that’s ok! It’s fine because strong and reliable elections mean much more to me and my constituents than any “sticks and stones” moment I might deal with.

I want to bring all three of my children to vote not too long from now without any shadow of a doubt that their voice will mean something. A parent bringing their child to vote for the first time is a special experience, a right of passage into adulthood.

Parenting 101 is something that I believe in and that’s why I co-sponsored Rep. Paul Terry’s Parental Bill of Rights (HB1431). Parents around the country have been forced to speak out, and bring serious and valid concerns to school districts, school boards, and superintendents. Sadly for far too many, their concerns fall on deaf ears, nothing changes, and nothing gets better. If given the opportunity I will continue to stick my neck out for families and students that have been left behind by ideology that most parents do not want in our classrooms.

I will continue to tirelessly advocate for those who need a strong and steady voice. I will continue to be a reliable public servant accessible to everyone whether or not they vote for me. Lastly, I will continue to tell the uncomfortable truth, not because it’s a popular thing to do but because it’s what’s right.

I am proud to be one of a hand full of Representatives for Laconia and I hope to earn Laconia’s support in November.

Proudly, unapologetically yours!

Representative Richard Littlefield

The post Representative Richard Littlefield – I am running for re-election to the NH House from Laconia! appeared first on Granite Grok.

Seriously – no collusion here?  At all?  Just a simple case of “coincidence”, I’d be willing to bet. Yep, that’s gotta be it…

SHOT: I HAVE TO INTERVENE (entire letter to the Delegation at post bottom)!  My personal letter and mine alone!

January 24, 2022
Re: Gunstock Mountain Resort

Honorable Members of the Belknap County Delegation and Gunstock Area Commission,

I begin by acknowledging that I have no statutory authority to intervene in the events that have overtaken the Gunstock Mountain Resort. However, I feel it’s important to let you know that I’ve received a very significant number of emails written personally by my constituents in the five Belknap County communities I represent in Senate District 2 (New Hampton, Meredith, Center Harbor, Sanbornton & Tilton), as well as from citizens within Belknap County but not in S02. Without exception, they are increasingly aggravated by the contentious relationship between the delegation and the commission and the resulting uncertainty about Gunstock’s future. Their concerns have been heightened by the retention of legal counsel (an added expense to Belknap County taxpayers and Gunstock), as the two bodies are now facing each other as adversaries. This is truly unfortunate. I also believe it’s unnecessary, and that the growing displeasure of our citizens should bear significant weight in establishing a way forward.

The Gunstock Area Commission has developed, publicly presented, and approved a Master Plan designed to make the enterprise a successful, sustainable entity. The next step will be to execute against that Plan, and doing so will require Commissioners who are proven, world class community and business leaders with the specialized skills to make Gunstock an enduring success, consistent with the vision and expectations of the citizens of Belknap County. Doing so will also require a management team capable of maximizing Gunstock’s potential to benefit the County, with employees confident in the future of their livelihoods. Please consider the effects your actions are having on the employees whose confidence in the future of the mountain is being undermined by politicizing the operation of the business….

 

CHASER: Bought and paid for Gunstock Mountain Resort’s law firm – Devine-Millimet?

Bob Guida Devine 02-22-22

Really – a personal letter requiring legal review by the same firm that GAC Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch seeming has been using as his own personal lawyer?  And then Gary Kiedaisch having a long phone call with the lawyer, Tom Quarrales, about it?  Somehow, to me, “personal” and “heartfelt” don’t seem to fit in well here.

It must be because I’m tired…maybe…perhaps…or I’ve become cynical?  How about “a setup in the making” for public relations putsch?

 

HANGOVER:  Butting in using NH State Senate letterhead (no credit to Devine-Millimet for review)?

By the same guy who says, I’m told, he doesn’t speak to mere Representatives when he’s in a pique (which seems to be more often than in years past) and has threatened to replace a number of the present Belknap County Delegation’s State Reps.   Yeah, persuasive, that.

With whose money, there, Bobby?  More than a few have thoughts on that…

Letter:

January 24, 2022
Re: Gunstock Mountain Resort

Honorable Members of the Belknap County Delegation and Gunstock Area Commission,

I begin by acknowledging that I have no statutory authority to intervene in the events that have overtaken the Gunstock Mountain Resort. However, I feel it’s important to let you know that I’ve received a very significant number of emails written personally by my constituents in the five Belknap County communities I represent in Senate District 2 (New Hampton, Meredith, Center Harbor, Sanbornton & Tilton), as well as from citizens within Belknap County but not in S02. Without exception, they are increasingly aggravated by the contentious relationship between the delegation and the commission and the resulting uncertainty about Gunstock’s future. Their concerns have been heightened by the retention of legal counsel (an added expense to Belknap County taxpayers and Gunstock), as the two bodies are now facing each other as adversaries. This is truly unfortunate. I also believe it’s unnecessary, and that the growing displeasure of our citizens should bear significant weight in establishing a way forward.

The Gunstock Area Commission has developed, publicly presented, and approved a Master Plan designed to make the enterprise a successful, sustainable entity. The next step will be to execute against that Plan, and doing so will require Commissioners who are proven, world class community and business leaders with the specialized skills to make Gunstock an enduring success, consistent with the vision and expectations of the citizens of Belknap County. Doing so will also require a management team capable of maximizing Gunstock’s potential to benefit the County, with employees confident in the future of their livelihoods. Please consider the effects your actions are having on the employees whose confidence in the future of the mountain is being undermined by politicizing the operation of the business.

The Commission serves as a Board of Directors for the enterprise, and it would be negligent, if not in fact reckless, to remove and/or appoint Commissioners without a careful search process that seeks and selects the most qualified applicants based on the needs of the Commission and the enterprise. Such a process would be well-advised to include a venue allowing our citizens to express their thoughts in a public forum dedicated expressly to the future of Gunstock. Commissioners Mclear and Kiedaisch, both highly accomplished and proven businessmen and leaders, have put in place an outstanding management team that is, according to Chief Financial Officer Cathy White, delivering the best financial results ever achieved in the history of the resort. Their removal and/or unwarranted interference by the delegation would deal a serious blow to the trajectory they have established and the team they have assembled.

To that end, a one-night application, interview, and selection or removal process that excludes input from the citizens of Belknap County can in no way be in the best interests of any Gunstock stakeholders, including the delegation. Selecting and appointing Commissioners should be based on qualifications and experience. not on a political agenda that was neither requested by nor presented to the citizen-owners of Gunstock.

Due regard for the importance of the actions being contemplated must be part of the delegation’s calculus. While you certainly have the authority to appoint and remove Commissioners at will, the exercise of that authority should be done using a process that assures the best possible outcome for the resort, its employees, and above all, the citizens of Belknap County. Based on the number and nature of the emails t’m receiving, there is clearly a serious question as to whether the public supports the delegation’s current course of action. I am quite certain that the public will express its thoughts freely, in a public forum about the Gunstock’s future if one is provided, and in November if one is not.

Because the delegation has neither the business acumen nor the continuity of membership needed to run a multi-million-dollar business in a capital-intensive, weather-dependent, highly competitive tourism industry, I’m asking each of you think very carefully before deciding on whether the present course of action will produce the best outcome, or if an alternative process would better serve the interests of all Gunstock stakeholders.

Last week (January 18th) I sent a private email to delegation Chairman Sylvia and acting GAC Chairman Kiedaisch asking for a private meeting to consider a different way forward. Mr. Kiedaisch responded immediately that he would welcome such a meeting. At the January 19th GAC meeting the next evening, the delegation Chairman Sylvia indicated to me that he was not willing to meet privately. After the GAC meeting adjourned, I asked Mr. Sylvia if he would reconsider his decision, and after a thoughtful discussion, he agreed to do so. To date, no reply has been forthcoming.

A private meeting attended by Chairmen Sylvia and Kiedaisch and facilitated by a neutral party would be an excellent first step towards developing a constructive process to address any and all concerns. There would be no quorum of the delegation or the commission at this meeting, thus it would meet the requirements of RSA 91-A. I am convinced that a private discussion will be needed to put an end to the vitriol that has overtaken this matter, and to reach consensus between the leaders of both bodies to develop the best possible collaborative process for governing and managing the Gunstock Mountain Resort in the future.

Results of the process developed at the private meeting would be presented to the delegation and the commission by the facilitator and respective Chairs at a subsequent (preferably joint) public meeting, respectful of the provisions of RSA 91-A. The two bodies could then evaluate and amend the proposed process if necessary. Our objectives should be (1) to de-escalate the adversarial relationship impeding progress and potentially endangering Gunstock’s future; and (2) to unite behind, and endorse, a plan that prioritizes and serves the needs of all stakeholders in the enterprise to assure its future success.

I am willing to facilitate such a meeting and the subsequent process if you are amenable. However, regardless of whether or not you choose a more constructive way forward, and regardless of who you choose as a facilitator, one thing is certain: there will be no constructive outcome by continuing the current hostilities. We must be committed to delivering the best possible outcome for Gunstock, the Delegation, the Commission, the patrons of the mountain, and most importantly, the good people of Belknap County, who have a right to expect that the governance and management of Gunstock will be accomplished responsibly, in clear view, and with full credence given to their input as the owners of the mountain.

Because of my enduring friendships with many of you over the years, I am quite certain that you share those expectations, and humbly stand ready to do whatever is necessary to end the divisiveness and attend to the issues at hand in way that reflects credit on all involved in the process. I hope you’ll contact me to discuss this proposal in person (at home or in Concord), by phone (603-219-9643) or by replying to this email.

On behalf of the citizens we serve, thank you for your consideration as we work to build a better future.

Respectfully,
Bob Giuda
State Senator
NH District 2

So, Bob, is the smirk you had on your face tonite at the Belknap County Republican Committee meeting (showing up an hour late, knowing you wouldn’t be confronted during the program, and then scurrying out like a little mouse almost before the gavel fell to adjourn the meeting) still there?

Are you beaming with pride that “you’ve put one over the Conservatives” that folks voted to make them NH State Reps?

Or is it Gary Kiedaisch, instead, the one beaming like Emperor Palpatine?

(H/T: They already know)

The post NH State Senator Guida “Bemoans” Legal Expenses at Gunstock – Uses Same Law Firm to Write Letter? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Not long ago, many of us saw the movie ‘The Perfect Storm’, where a surprisingly perfect storm pattern of battling low-pressure systems catches some commercial fishermen unaware and puts them in mortal danger, washing one ship and crew away forever. Today, we, in America, are living in another perfect storm, whose eye is centered on Washington DC and the increasingly dangerous currents in Democrat rule, where a doddering old man, Joe Biden, also known as Tio Pepe Biden, or Uncle Joe Biden, has the helm of the foundering ship of state and our local federal representatives, our Maggie Hassan, ‘Flap Jack’ Pappas and silly Annie Kuster are all down for our sinking and the end of our dreams.

Politico recently ran a puff piece on what it’s like to be a White House reporter in the Biden years.  It’s boring, the non-stop Trump scandals involved in increasing employment for all, making America an energy exporter with low energy costs at home, and attention to details like crime, are long gone.  Now, with Biden in the White House, the career of a White House reporter, according to those in the know at Politico, is “dull, dull, dull.”

We want to thank John Burtis for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.

But, from politics to birds, if we depend on the Left-leaning media for actual information instead of entertainment, we avoid the growing evidence of the perfect storm surrounding us.

Today, as skies darken, our DHS Secretary, Mr. Myorkas, explained that he had no idea about the Truth Tsarina’s, poor bedraggled Frau Jankowicz’s, troublesome past.  Nope, he had no conception about her once vast output of plain old malarkey.  What?  His “What, me worry?” is right out of the pages of MAD Magazine and demonstrates that the rising tide of inflation combined with the huge, almost limitless, tsunami of illegal aliens swarming our southern border like murder wasps is beyond his ken.  And do we expect the new Truth Teller to claim we have other than sunny skies and Biden weather?

Then we learn that CNN masturbation expert, Jeffrey Toobin, hero of his surprising self-pleasuring exhibition on a TV cutaway is upset about the possible overturning of Roe because he knocked up a coworker’s daughter, tried to pressure her into getting an abortion, and had to be dragged into court to pay child support. Should Roe be overturned, it will affect shirkers and shills just like Toobin and our old friend and heavy weather sailor, Hunter Biden, who has paternity issues of his own.  What a pair of lads.  And stars of adult media have called Br’er Toobin’s escapade a tempest in a teapot.

Dangerous pro-abortion mobs rioted in Democrat-run Los Angeles last Tuesday, where the cop’s hands are always tied thanks to the far Left radical DA George Gascón’s pro-criminal positions, following the incendiary leak of a draft opinion indicating the Supreme Court is on track to reverse Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion.  But neither DA Gascón nor US AG Merrick Garland, nor even Tio Pepe Biden, were heard to issue the merest discouraging word about rioting for this dying cause.

In fact, our own Jen Psaki, Biden’s herald, defended protests outside the suburban homes of conservative Supreme Court justices as “peaceful to date” — despite the fact that more of the potentially illegal rallies are planned Wednesday to pressure the judges.  Illegal?  Neither Psaki, Biden nor Garland have tried to pour oil on these troubled storm waters while knowing full well they are illegal under 18 US Code §1507.

In a crie de Coeur tinged with melodramatic bathos, Uncle Joe Biden stuttered, a few weeks after his self-descriptive stab at being thus  handicapped, “I mean, there are so many fundamental rights that are affected by that.  And I’m not allo- — I’m not prepared to leave that to the whims and the — and the — ah — of the public at the moment in local areas,” our “elected” leader mewled about the alleged upcoming diminution of Roe v. Wade.  The latter promises to be a big cyclone in our burgeoning storm front.

Bah, remember that lawbreakers and rioters represent a single leg supporting the Democrat ‘stool’ just like those other favored groups where the sainted dead are a leg and the illegal aliens represent yet another supporting leg.  They all buttress the increasingly fleshy tushes of the Bidens, Pelosis, the Gascóns, Psakis and the rest of the bad weather cognoscenti.

Not to be outdone as the anti-establishment waters rise, a book has been given to young children at one Washington, D.C. elementary school which explains that white people “hold all the power in America,” unless of course if we overlook the Obamas who are pulling Mr. Biden’s puppet strings and loud mouth entertainers like Madam O. Winfrey, who never misses a chance to diss honest working folk.

The book also includes a recommended lesson for parents titled “Throat Punching Racism In Schools.” Another lesson is titled “Curb Stomping Racism In The Workplace,” referring to a bit of urban violence in which a victim’s head is laid upon a curb to be stomped upon by an aggressor.  All this is beyond simple wind and rain and into deep uncharted waters in our nation’s capital which has morphed from an early Roman Republic into a Nero-like dictatorship.

While “Blue Collar” Joe Biden rails against the evils of gasoline while buying 550,000 barrels of Russian crude a day, more than 30 states have already begun adding new taxes to their books to be piled on the owners of hybrid and electric cars.  This raining on the Green parade, which is growing into a torrent, is being done to make up for the loss in gasoline tax revenue which is used for road maintenance and repair. How does this work out for your Tesla and Ford Mustang SUV buyers?  Kentucky is set to double the registration fees for hybrids and EVs because gas taxes don’t affect them, and the feds help defray their purchase, WPTV noted last Friday.

AG Merrick Garland recently announced his formation of the ‘Office Of Environmental Justice’ strictly for ‘Communities Of Color’.  Auld Merrick explains that the OEJ “will serve as the central hub (where it will act like a Soviet center) for our efforts to advance our comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy,” working alongside the Civil Rights Division and United States Attorneys’ offices, to “prioritize meaningful and constructive engagement with the communities most affected by environmental crime and injustice.”  Just one more blatantly racist call for one more storm we can ill afford.  Don’t other communities have environmental crime?  Nah, it’s simply not visible to those wearing the new astigmatic glasses worn by our current effete ruling elite.

And I said birds.  They’re not immune to these winds of war.  Some thirty-five million birds in the U.S were reported to have died or been killed due to the avian flu, the second-worst spread of the disease in history, Reuters recently reported.  France has culled 16 million birds and the disease is happening in Britain, Italy, and Spain and is spreading like wind-whipped wildfires.

From politics to inflation to birds, we are being battered by an immense growing storm which was hatched in the White House and it’s being fanned by utterly insane policies being pursued with such rapidity to frighten me, us, and stultify those geniuses charged with forecasting and weather explanations.

We are totally adrift, our ship is steered by an elderly nincompoop whose brain is bordering on dementia, and members of the ship’s company are either jumping overboard, like Psaki and most of Kamala Harris’s staff, or are issuing orders designed to scuttle our ship of state, like those coming from Messrs. Merrick and Gascón.

They say it may end this November but will we survive this perfect storm until relief arrives?

The post By Golly, We’re Living in a Perfect Storm appeared first on Granite Grok.

With Permission from DCE:

“I don’t care.”

This has become my response to a lot of issues that are allegedly plaguing our society. Not all of them, but a lot of them.

I find that almost all of the ‘woke’ issues are ones I care less and less about. My reason is that so many of the ‘woke’ issues are pure unadulterated bulls**t. So many of them are trivial, but blown all out of proportion until they seem of major importance. But they aren’t. They are still trivial. Some are even non-existent.

It seems that so many privileged (and bored) white Progressives find they don’t have a cause to fight for, unlike their parents or grandparents. All the good causes have already been won, most of them in the 60’s and 70’s. Good causes are in short supply, so the ‘woke’ needed to find something. Little things are blown all out of proportion to create a cause and the cause is pushed. Even ridiculous causes are treated as if the fate of humanity depends upon it.

Another thing I don’t care about? LGBTQA+. Why?

Because none of that makes any difference to me. I don’t care if someone is homosexual. I don’t care if someone is bisexual. I don’t care if someone is trans. I don’t care if someone is ‘+’. None of that makes any difference to me and never has. To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “I want people to be judged by the content of their character, not their sexual orientation or gender identity.” My problem is that an increasing number of the LGBTQA+ community have made their sexual orientation or gender identity their sole purpose in life. They go on and on ad nauseum all day, every day, and they don’t stop, ever. They aren’t helping their cause. Rather they are damaging it. Their entire identity is wrapped up in their cause to the exclusion of all else. They become a parody of the very thing they say they are fighting for and people start ignoring them, just the opposite of what they say they want. They become boring to talk to or interact with because all they ever talk about is their community, period.

I know so many other members of the community that don’t like this. They don’t like the In-Your-Face confrontation and theater that masquerades as support.

Another topic I don’t care about?

Sexism, and its ‘related’ issue, patriarchy.

I think my biggest problem is how every problem women experience is solely the fault of the patriarchy (which is based on sexism). My problem with such claims? It seems those complaining the loudest about patriarchy can’t even define it. (A definition can be found here.) All they seem to know is that it has something to do with men and is therefore, evil. How can anyone be against something they can’t even define?

Then there’s racism.

It is a problem…but I don’t care. Why?

It is claimed the US is a racist nation, one of the worst on the face of the planet. But most of the folks making that claim have never been anywhere else on this planet. They have absolutely no clue how little racism exists here. For such a racist nation we seem to have little racism, particularly when compared to the rest of the world. (I have traveled to 40+ countries and I have seen and been subjected to racism.) We do have it here. I do not claim we don’t. What makes me not care is that the ones screaming the loudest about racism tend to be the racists in the room. They somehow have the idea that our racially disadvantaged citizens (meaning non-white) can’t possibly get ahead without their helping hand, a hand that more often holds them back. We have seen many of these same racist anti-racists speak on behalf of racial groups they neither know or understand.

A couple of examples of this paradox include the ‘woke’ pushing to change the team names of the Washington Redskins (NFL) and Cleveland Indians (MLB). They saw the names as demeaning and racist. However, they never bothered to ask the Native American tribes how they felt about it. If they had, they would have found most had no issues with the team names. In fact, a poll taken of Native Americans about the name of the Washington Redskins found that a majority were proud of the name with the next largest number of those polled being ‘indifferent’ to the name. Yes, one tribe, the Oneida, expressed their dismay at the name. But the Blackfeet tribe was upset at the change considering Walter Wetzel, a member of the Blackfeet, created the logo that had been used since 1971.

The one thing that has me not caring about racism is the claim we hear from the woke that only white people can be racist. I cannot even begin to explain just how clueless and stupid that claim is. That told me I didn’t need to care about the racism.

I could continue on and on about issues ‘plaguing’ our country about which I don’t care, many of which are faux causes or trivial grievances. I have more important things to care about and deal with. So do we all. It’s time for more of us to say “I don’t care” when it comes to the aforementioned causes and grievances. We all have more important things to deal with.

The post Cross-posted from Weekend Pundit: “I Don’t Care” appeared first on Granite Grok.

Once again, Black Lives Matter’s rears it’s ugly head in Educational Matters, now just being euphemistically called “Equity”.  Different name, same thing – not equal opportunity but equal outcomes. And how to best achieve that “lofty” (/sarc) goal?

• Rhode Island parents enraged at school board for removing honors classes in ‘equity obsession’

Barrington, Rhode Island, public schools are among the best in the state. Many parents move to the district, and tolerate the higher taxes, because of the academic rigor that sets their children up for attending Ivy League schools or receiving academic merit scholarships. However, all of that academic appeal is being chipped away after the district brought in a so-called “equity and inclusion” agenda.

De-leveling, or a system of universal learning, was first implemented in Barrington on the most vulnerable students—the students with learning disabilities and Individualized Education Programs (IEP).

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com

So, chop the top classes for the smartest kids, chop the bottom classes for those that need help, and you end up with “universal learning” in which there is just the group/Collective where there are no Individuals – just a mass of kids that are inseparable from one another. Just a cog in the teachers’ socially engineered classrooms because in Equity, nobody can be better than anyone else, no one can be worse than anyone else…even though all know that can’t be true.

And that silly “Civil Rights Movement” back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s?  Yeah, the newest Educational Fad kicks that right to the curb.  As the saying goes – Segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever! White Racists fought for it then, now BLM Racists fight for it now:

• Today’s blacklisted American: College in Illinois establishes black-men-only academy, no others need apply

Oakton Community College, a small college in the Chicago area, has now established a special academy for black men only, dubbed the Emory Williams Academy for Black Men.

As a member of the Academy, you will join a community designed for Black male-identifying students who are on a journey to advance their education and achieve their goals. Whether you want to earn your associate degree and transfer to a four-year school or kick-start a career with training, the Academy will meet you where you are and help you thrive.

The Academy is led by dedicated Black faculty and staff. You’ll be supported every day by a group of committed professors and student-success coaches—and your fellow scholars. [emphasis mine]

That website also describes its values like so:

We embrace the diversity of the Black men of our academy and honor the multiple representations of Blackness and maleness in our community. We advance equity by acknowledging the harm perpetrated against Black men by systemic racism in all levels of their education, and intentionally disrupting it here at the College.

…no whites need apply.

Just wait until they find out that some of their Black Men have no sense of what “Maleness” really means because of their chromosomal makeup…and accuse the real men of Toxic Masculinity and Patriarchy!  Let the Identity Politics begin!

And who knew that the Alton (NH) Selectmen had trained an Ohio School Board – you don’t tell constituents to shut up at meetings (Alton paid a 5 digit amount for damages + legal fees to learn that themselves):

• Ohio School Board Settles With Woman Who Sued After Being Told to ‘Zip it’ at Meeting

Parents continue to fight for a say in their children’s education, often against hostile administrators. Three cheers, then, for Ohio mother Ashley Ryder for successfully challenging a policy that limited what parents could say at school board meetings. Ms. Ryder sued the Big Walnut Local School District Board of Education in an Ohio federal court in March. She said it had violated the First Amendment with a policy that allows the presiding officer at school board meetings to “interrupt, warn, or terminate” any public statements he deems “abusive,” “personally directed” or “antagonistic.” In late April the board settled with Ms. Ryder and agreed to end its restrictions on speech.

Ms. Ryder’s experience illustrated how the school board had abused the policy to silence critics. The Ohio mother believes schools should provide mental-health services for students, and she criticized newly elected school board members about the veracity of their statements on the issue. “Now that you’ve made a complete 180, my question for the board is this: Were you lying to your base to get elected, or are you lying now to the parents?” Ms. Ryder asked at a February meeting.

At that point, School Board President Doug Crowl interrupted Ms. Ryder, told her to “zip it for a minute,” and refused to allow her to complete her prepared statement. He then instructed other parents that “public participation is to explain to us your position, not to make accusations, not to call names,” and that “any personal attacks, name-calling, I will call out.”

Reasonable people in government have no problem in being admonished or being called out for mistakes. Tyrants and hubristic/full of themselves do and will use their Powers to retaliate. Kudos to Ms. Ryder for standing up and taking them on.  Be Brave, Do Something.

And how long might it be before this becomes reality here in the US (if it hasn’t already happened)?

• New Canadian Law Could Send Parents to Jail for Not Affirming Gender Identity

It’s a conversation many have had at least once in their life. A friend or family member shares that he or she is struggling with same-sex attraction.  No doubt there are countless opinions on the most loving way to respond in these moments, but a new law in Canada mandates the response to be given. Affirm the same-sex attraction—or risk jail time.

Yes, Canada’s “conversion therapy” ban requires parents, pastors, counselors, friends, and others to affirm a person’s gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, or face jail or prison time. 

Canada has surrendered “to the political sphere to let them decide how we can counsel, how we can love our LGBT neighbors in the name of Jesus, and how to teach our own kids what a biblical view of sexuality and gender looks like,” says Jojo Ruba, the communications director for the Calgary, Alberta-based Free to Care.

And make no mistake – this is a political decision by the politically powerful. In this case, Canada’s LGBTQRSTUV lobby that, like here in the US, is far more powerful than its numbers would belie. After all, didn’t President Asterisk basically just tell us that we must do the same thing simply on his-say-so. We here in NH already have had these sexuality missionaries ban therapists from even talking to those that would seek them out; in essence, taking away Free Speech to keep their sexuality ideology intact (and our “esteemed Governor” being in favor of it.

And this one, she’d be fired as well.  Good on Florida’s Parental Rights Law:

• Pansexual Teacher Fired from School In Florida After Discussing Her Sexuality With Students: Report

A Florida teacher claims that she was fired after discussing her status as a “pansexual” with students earlier this Spring. Cape Coral middle school art teacher Casey Scott claims that students were curious about her sexual orientation and that she had the conversation with them back in March, which she followed by telling the students to draw pictures showing their sexual orientations.

“The subject matter angered some parents and students who wrote to administrators to voice their displeasure,” the New York Post reported. “Scott, who was working on a probationary basis and not part of the teachers union, was eventually told not to return to campus and that her contract was being terminated.”

“A discussion happened in class and because of that, now I’m fired,” Scott claimed in an interview with NBC2. “I like anyone despite male, female, non-binary, transgender.” The Lee County School District said that Scott was fired from Trafalgar Middle School because she did not follow the mandated curriculum.

Scott reportedly displayed the pictures that her students drew of their sexual orientations for everyone at the school to see and was told to take them down.

NO teacher should be talking about their personal sexuality or sexual practices in a classroom. From my perspective, for ANY grade and not just the K-3rd. I would make the claim that even older, perhaps even those in high school, do not have the emotional wherewithal (on average) to totally grok what that level of intimacy really does to one’s emotions, especially to girls.  Does that sound sexist?  Too bad – even with the decades of the Left’s propaganda that such an act is merely physical exercise.  It isn’t – not even close.

Oh, and that story two times above?  Yeah, I knew that it already has started here in the US – of course in California.  Except this starts with medical staff

California Senate Committee Advances ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Bill Despite Opposition

A California Senate committee voted 8-2 this week in favor of Senate Bill 923, the Transgender Inclusive Care Act, which would force all health care providers to promote “gender-affirming care.” The proposed legislation would require health care providers to compel their staff to complete “evidence-based cultural competency training” for the purpose of providing “trans-inclusive” health care to patients who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex (TGI).

…Eight Democrats on the committee voted in favor of SB 923, including Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) who introduced the legislation. The two Republicans on the committee Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) and Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) voted against the bill.

…Dozens of California parents of gender dysphoric teens, as well as multiple associations representing medical professionals, also opposed the bill. The legislation would apply to all staff and contractors working for health care providers, including health insurers, Medi-Cal, and PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) organizations.

Once again, the Left has decided that what you and I are allowed to speak, say, believe, or do is wrong.  While a founding Pillar of our Republic, the Right of Conscious is no longer a highly valued attribute – that’s an Individual thing and we will only be allowed those things/ideas that provide for and enhance a Collectivist mindset.

Go read the link to see how the Democrats ignored everyone against this bill.

 

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For months you have been at the epicenter of conflict between the Belknap County Delegation and the Gunstock Area Commission. You have garnered public support through falsehoods and outright lies. Now that the GAC legal bills have become public, the general public can compare the legal activity that you have initiated to the timeline of the dispute and the GAC minutes, and it is extremely disturbing. For over 60 years, the GAC and Belknap County Delegation, have enjoyed a harmonious working relationship. Despite your claims of partisan political appointments, it was essentially the same Delegation that appointed you, Brian Gallagher, and RustyMcLear to the GAC. The Delegation entrusts the GAC with running the County’s most prized possession, Gunstock Mountain Resort, in an ethical manner while representing the interest of the Belknap County taxpayers that own the resort. There are By-Laws in place that assure that no one Commissioner wields any more power than another. No one Commissioner can unilaterally act or occur cost without authorization in the form of a vote, from the entire Commission. State open meeting laws (RSA 91-a) should ensure that the Commission’s work is done in an open and transparent manner. This has never been an issue; in fact, my research indicates that the Delegation has never removed Commissioners for cause.

This all changed when you launched an expensive and unreasonable vendetta against a fellow commissioner. Peter Ness did what was expected of him, he asked tough questions. Those questions seemed to make you uncomfortable. Back in September 2020, quietly and with no authorization to do so, you engaged legal counsel to begin researching Mr. Ness’s background and qualifications. You had the Gunstock attorney investigate Mr. Ness’s Bar status, and the status of his Ski instructor certification, and researched the businesses that Mr. Ness has an ownership interest in. None of this was done in the open and is not reflected in any of the minutes. You also unilaterally sought legal counsel to issue a creative, yet incorrect interpretation of the law to allow Gallagher to remain a commissioner despite no longer meeting the basic requirement of being a “resident property owner in Belknap County”, a requirement that has not been amended and remains to this day. You feared losing political control of the GAC if another Commissioner was appointed in his place. During the July 29, 2021, GAC meeting, the Commission (including Gallagher) held a vote to ask legal counsel to research the legality of a redundant ethics policy that Mr. Ness was challenging. The authorization was limited, yet you improperly used it to Commission a full-blown investigation and report (soviet style dossier) into Mr. Ness that would later be used as the basis for a vote of no competence in Mr. Ness and a referral to the Delegation asking for Mr. Ness to be removed.

We want to thank Kevin Leandro for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.

Once again, you acted unilaterally and without any authorization, costing Gunstock many thousand dollars. The investigation and dossier resulted in trumped-up charges that Mr. Ness was attempting to sell a software program to Gunstock, although no evidence existed that this happened, not a single proposal or sales presentation was produced and there is no record that Gunstock ever considered a purchase of similar software. Charges of Mr. Ness being rude to employees were also made, although it was all hearsay, not a single firsthand account was produced of the alleged behavior. Mr. Ness was not interviewed during the investigation. The Dossier was immediately published with the minutes on the Gunstock website (despite your recent statement, memorialized in the Laconia Daily Sun that the charges against Ness have never become public) and presented to the Delegation as evidence. When it became apparent that members of the Delegation were not pleased with the way this all transpired, you, without authorization engaged legal consul again to attempt to have more than half of the Delegation disqualified from the removal proceedings based on a conversation that you claim you had with Norm Silber and Mike Silvia – a conversation that we now know did not happen. Ultimately, the Delegation concluded that no evidence existed that would raise to the level “cause” and declined to remover Commissioner Ness. The Delegation did have questions of how this dispute raised to the level that it did and began to review public minutes, looking into the actions of Gallagher, McLear and yourself. You personally recruited McLear because of his experience in the hotel industry, even though Gunstock does not operate a hotel.

It became public knowledge that the three of you have quietly using the Masterplan Committee to open a door for a public/private partnership with a hotel operator who would build and operate a slope-side hotel on Gunstock Mt. The Masterplan Committee seemed to operate in complete secrecy in violation of state law, no minutes of its meetings seem to exist. You publicly stated that there was interest from private entities in the proposal, yet you have refused to identify those private entities. Rumors begin to spread of a plan that would ultimately land yourself and McLear investor stakes in the new hotel.

Ness was asking questions that seemed to disturb you, so you attempted to have him removed.

The Delegation discovered that the investigation into Ness was commissioned without authorization and a slew of severe RSA 91-A violations causing them to create a schedule to hold removal hearings for the three Commissioners that have caused all the strife. A vote was held to authorize the lawyer sue the Delegation to prevent it from exercising its statutory authority to remove Commissioners for cause. Once again, this authorization had limits, limits that you far exceeded. You directed the Lawyer to refer Silvia and Silber to the Attorney General to be “criminally charged”, that was rejected. You authorized the attorney to do opposition research on a GAC candidate, research that was used in full page attack ad paid for by an unregistered citizen group.

The GAC lost the lawsuit as it didn’t seem to have any basis in law. After Dr. Strang was appointed to the commission, you once again, improperly and with out any authorization, engaged legal counsel to prevent a properly posted meeting from occurring. The meeting happened after a long and embarrassing protest by you and McLear. At one point you claimed that GAC by-laws trump state laws! A majority of the GAC voted to drop the lawsuit and legal activity completely; however, you improperly instructed the attorney to continue. You then improperly and without authorization engaged legal counsel on the question of McLear’s term, presenting a lengthy opinion to the GAC but refused to identify it’s author.

The entire dispute seems to trace back to your vendetta against Commissioner Ness, who was asking questions that you were not comfortable with. You have improperly racked up over $110K in legal fees to the County Owned GMR and Caused the Delegation to rack up $50k to defend itself against your frivolous lawsuit.

Your actions violated your Oath, the GAC By-laws, state law and the trust placed upon you as a Commissioner. You don’t have anything to add to the GAC and your presences is distraction to the important work of the GAC.

As a “resident property owner in Belknap County” I am demanding your immediate resignation from the GAC.

The post An open letter to Gunstock Area Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch: Resign appeared first on Granite Grok.

I just sent this to the Gunstock Area Commission members:

—— Original Message ——
From: “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To: PeterGNess@gunstockcommissioners.org; dstrang@gunstockcommissioners.org; dlambert@gunstockcommissioners.org; “jwood@gunstockcommissioners.org” <jwood@gunstockcommissioners.org>; “gkiedaisch@gunstockcommissioners.org” <gkiedaisch@gunstockcommissioners.org>
Sent: 5/11/2022 1:26:23 PM
Subject: Re: RSA 91-A Right To Know Demand

Commissioners,

I have not yet received a formal response to the below RSA-91:A demand for the public record that President Tom Day admitted existed – either that you require more time or in properly responding with that “Responsive Record”: RSA 91-A:4, IV:

(b) If a public body or agency is unable to make a governmental record available for immediate inspection and copying the public body or agency shall, within 5 business days of a request:

(1) Make such record available;
(2) Deny the request; or
(3) Provide a written statement of the time reasonably necessary to determine whether the request shall be granted or denied and the reason for the delay.

While it was discussed during the Public Meeting (I or II) on 5/2, I have not formally received either an acknowledgment of receipt nor a response to its contents. Mere talking about it during a GAC meeting does not meet the requirements of the Law.

Thus, the Gunstock Area Commission is now out of compliance.  Do I need to start the process as outlined in RSA 91-A:7 and 8?  I showed a willingness to be patient on my demand concerning the GMR Budget at your request.  Is this going to be an on-going process?

Further, my RSA 91-A concerning Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch’s emails (that I handed out in hardcopy form at your last Public/Non-Public/Public meeting at the Stockade on 5/2) has but two more business days for action or that goes into non-compliance status as well.

All that I am asking is that the GAC Follow The Law.

-Skip

Skip Murphy
Co-Founder, co-owner
GraniteGrok.com | Skip@GraniteGrok.com

Without repeating the entire demand, here is the relevant point (emphasis mine, again):

The approved Gunstock Area Commission Meeting held on January 19, 2022 at the Gilford Library (Gilford, NH) has the following:

“Rep. Bordes asked for the average cost per skier. Tom said that they have that number, but it is not something they want to share in a public forum due to competition.”

Thus, with that remark, Mr. Day revealed the existence of a government record which IS a public record and subject to RSA 91-A. Thus, this Right To Know is demanding that Gunstock supply the following information:

1. The average cost per skier for both last year and the current season just completed
2. The average revenue per skier for both last year and the current season just completed
3. If Gunstock Mountain Resort has broken out the various categories for either/both #1 and #2, this Right To Know is also asking for those breakouts.

That average cost per skier is a known data point.  I cannot ask, in an RTK (Right To Know), that a government agency assemble the data to compute such a data element – but I didn’t have to ask for that to be done. Tom Day, President and General Manager of Gunstock Mountain Resort, told everyone that this data element exists and the work has already been done.

And I also put in the RTK demanding of Commish Gary Kiedaisch’s email interactions with GMR staff, other Commissioners, and Devine-Millimet even if they were with his personal email accounts – he has refused to use his now official one using GunstockCommissioners.org. The response, refusal, delay, or production, is due this Friday.

The NH House will be voting tomorrow on the Amendment to HB1397 that will totally restructure the enabling legislation that created the GAC 60 years ago simply because a few people decided that they could no longer have their political way on the GAC and what/how GMR conducts is business.  My fear is that such a GAC, elected in county-wide  election races, will be worse to deal with than the present one..

The post Well, I’m Still Waiting – And the Gunstock Area Commission Is Now Out of Compliance with RSA 91-A appeared first on Granite Grok.

Friends, the NHGOP is being held back by corrupt politicians who break the bylaws and work for their own personal gain and to elect the candidates they want. This is of course the head of the party Steve Stepanek and Elliot Gault.

From February 1st to March 20th, there were 7 emails and over 150 social media interactions by Stepanek and his staff supporting the election of specific candidates who are involved in contested primaries!!! Stepanek’s Executive Director, Elliot Gault even had “Sununu For Governor” signs on his Twitter account image and currently says “Executive Director @NHGOP x2 forever Team @GovChrisSununu”!

Stepanek has said several times that part of the NHGOP goals for this year is to “re-elect Governor Sununu” despite Governor Sununu not having won the primary. Stepanek has still not apologized for his statements in the summer of 2020 at the Manchester Trump Victory headquarters opening when he told the gathered crowd we will send Corky Messner and Matt Mowers to DC during two other contested primaries.

We want to thank Idaho for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.

The NHGOP continues to host events that party leadership and Stepanek were involved in where, coincidentally, specific candidates attend but not others. After asking around, the candidates who had attended mentioned they received notice from party leadership of the event, while other candidates were never notified.

After Joe Sweeney left his NH GOP Executive Director job, Stepanek hired Elliot Gault, an elected officer of the NHGOP Executive Committee, to replace him. After that hiring, Elliot is now both an employee and officer of the NHGOP Party leadership. Stepanek refused to have Elliot resign one of the two positions, despite violating the NHGOP State Bylaws. Stepanek didn’t care…

Over the past few weeks, all but one of the NHGOP paid employees left the Party to go join Chuck Morse’s campaign for Senate (favoritism, anyone?). Rumor is…because they refuse to work for Elliot Gault and/or Steve Stepanek! Have they been replaced? If they can’t hire new people because of money, guess what? Steve just insisted he gets paid for his volunteer work $2,000 per month PLUS 10% of fundraising PLUS all expenses!!!

You might not know this but only one non-employee member of the NH GOP is given any compensation while the rest of us are volunteering time. A compensation package was offered to Stepanek. He rejected the offer and had the audacity to counter-propose for more money with a package HE wanted!!! His employee, Elliot Gault, is said to have participated in the discussion of what Stepanek’s compensation should be. This demonstrates the conflict of interest in Elliot not resigning from one of his two positions within the Party.

After the compensation package was approved, Stepanek’s fundraising emails claim that 100% of fundraising goes directly to candidates. However, Steve himself vouched for a compensation package where he skims 10% off the top after meeting a minimum quota for the month. The compensation package he demanded also provides $2,000 per month plus FULL expenses.

These concerns show the clear and repeated pattern of behavior that violates the NH GOP Bylaws and show a lack of ethics in Chairman Stephen Stepanek and his hired Executive Director, Elliot Gault. We need to demand his immediate resignation.

If we want to stop the Party from being corrupt, we need to share the message. Please be sure to share this with all your New Hampshire Republican friends!!!

The post For a “Republican Non-partisan” Party, Is the NH Gop Putting Its Thumb Down on the Candidate Scales? appeared first on Granite Grok.