Gov. Chris Sununu obliterated his own credibility today by going against his word that he would support further emergency powers reform as an extension of the 2021 budget deal with Freedom Caucus lawmakers.

“The one rule in politics is that your word is your bond,” said Andrew J. Manuse, chairman of RebuildNH. “Gov. Sununu has proven himself a dishonorable man who is willing to lie to get his way.”

In June of 2021, Gov. Sununu struck a deal with House Leadership to secure the votes of N.H. House Freedom Caucus members for the budget in exchange for his support of additional emergency powers reforms [view PDF from Gov. Sununu to Majority Leader Jason Osborne].

This year, the House and Senate quickly passed these agreed-to reforms in HB 275, which would have codified that our state government is a Constitutional Republic by default and that both the House and Senate would need to vote to continue a State of Emergency or it should automatically end. The governor, going back on his verbal and written word, vetoed this bill today, despite the fact that it passes Constitutional muster and was the exact language discussed with him last year.

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“Chris Sununu has proven he is a deceitful man drunk on power and his own ego,” said Rep. Melissa Blasek (R-Merrimack), executive director of RebuildNH. “This is the pattern of a scoundrel consistent with his lust for power that he exhibited during the State of Emergency when he unconstitutionally controlled the lives of everyone in this state.”

With mask mandates resuming in other states and the governor’s recent veto of HB 1131, which would have prohibited masks in public schools, as well as swirling soundbites about monkeypox, Granite Staters ought to pray the governor will not declare another life-altering, job-killing, State of Emergency with limited Legislative oversight.

Despite recent losses due to the governor’s veto pen, liberty activists are more determined than ever to roll back tyrannical tendencies within the Executive Branch.

“Gov. Sununu has shown that he can’t even be a team player with those in his own party,” said JR Hoell, treasurer of RebuildNH. “Short of replacing the governor, we encourage activists to make the governor irrelevant by electing a supermajority of liberty-minded lawmakers.”

We strongly encourage everyone who values our natural and constitutional rights to sign up to run for state representative, state senator, executive council or governor positions when the filing period opens on June 1.

 

 

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The so-called Parental Bill of Rights (HB 1431) just went down to a narrow defeat (171-176) in the House, after passing the Senate (14-10).

RebuildNH’s recommendation?  Run for office. Get politically active.  Try again next session.  Keep trying to put one over on the other side, while they keep trying to put one over on you.  Keep treating the public school system as a political football, in a game where three different bodies (the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary) are constantly moving the goalposts in unpredictable ways.

Yeah, that approach has worked really well so far, hasn’t it?  Why do liberals seem to be so much better at this game than conservatives?  Consider that, like Calvinball, the game itself operates largely without principles, which means that people who believe in principles aren’t likely to be the ones who win it.

Trying to get your child an education by reforming the whole public school system is like trying to cover the world in leather to avoid stepping on stones.  It’s simpler to wear shoes.

If you’re fighting for your own children, there is a much simpler way to win this fight, and the next one, and all the ones after that:  Get your kids out of public schools.

There’s nothing you can do to stop the inevitable implosion of the public school system.  The most you can do is slow it down — cut some spending here (even as it grows overall), block a radical program there (even as new ones are springing up).  But while you’re working on that, your kids aren’t being educated, they’re being indoctrinated.

Every year, there are new and better options for working families who realize that for their own children, public schools are less likely to provide an opportunity than they are to impose an opportunity cost.  Get to know some homeschooling parents in your area, and find out what you’re missing.  You’ll be astonished.

Your kid’s mind is a terrible thing to waste.

 

The post Cover the World in Leather? Or Wear Shoes? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Let’s face it, your kids need to be safe when they go to school. I don’t know what all of the answers are, but I’m seeing that a lot of elite private schools have a strong security presence in their schools. I can’t even walk into the federal court without running into security guards, and having my purse examined. Why are we not protecting children?

As much as I actually hate this idea, until we get to the root of these school shootings, for now, kids in public schools need to be protected.

Whether it be poor parenting, a society that no longer knows right from wrong, medication, violent video games, or the poor quality of discipline in the public schools, kids need to be protected.

I wish there would be a national debate on what is driving people to commit such heinous crimes. Maybe it’s the media coverage? It’s hard to say, but it does make the murderer famous. Whatever the reason, and maybe there are several factors that contribute to all of this, school administrators are responsible for the safety of the children in their care. If they can find $150,000.00 to pay a DEIJ director to chit-chat with children about race and gender, they can certainly find funding for a security officer who is willing to protect these children.

Yes, you read that right, $150,000.00+ benefits for the DEIJ Director in SAU16. I think an ex-military officer or police officer who probably makes half of that, would be willing to take the job and appreciate that kind of pay.

Take a look at this:

CONFIRMED FACTS from Texas Rangers in a live news conference just aired: – The school was unlocked. – There was no armed officer inside the school. – Officers did not enter the building until an hour after the shooter entered the building. Every school in the nation needs to follow Florida’s example! – Armed deputies and/or private security on EVERY campus. – Armed teachers and staff – Locked buildings – Single point of entry – Hardened buildings and fenced-off properties. Had the doors been locked and an armed officer was in the building, this could have ended differently! I also suggest that Texas Rangers go to PIO school. Their press conference was embarrassing for them.

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When he first ran for office in 2016, NH Governor Chris Sununu promised in a letter to pro-life voters that he would sign a bill to repeal the buffer zone law, and yet he recently said that he is planning to veto HB1625, the Sidewalk Free Speech Act which would repeal the buffer zone law.

He hasn’t given an explanation on why he is reneging on his promise or even acknowledged that he made that promise.

Last week he vetoed HB1131, a bill that would have banned schools from imposing mask mandates on students. In his veto message, he claimed he vetoed it because he is concerned about government overreach. The buffer zone law is a huge government overreach because it allows private businesses to take control of public sidewalks and unconstitutionally restricts freedom of speech and assembly.

Related: NH Governor Chris Sununu Threatens Freedom of Speech Then Claims to Be Against Overreaching Government

Sununu also said he would veto HB1431, the Parental Rights Bill if it got to his desk because he is concerned that it could put a school at risk of a lawsuit. The buffer zone law is a huge risk for a lawsuit because it is unconstitutional and yet as long as it is the law the State has to defend it.

The State of NH has already had to defend the buffer zone law against a legal challenge in Reddy v. Foster. That case ended when a judge ruled that the plaintiffs had no standing because no buffer zones have ever been posted.

Any NH abortion facility can legally post a buffer zone without permission from anyone and that would immediately put the State on the hook again to defend the buffer zone law and the State would lose because the law is unconstitutional.

In 2014, Massachusetts had to pay out $1.2 million dollars to the plaintiffs’ attorneys in McCullen v. Coakley on top of the state’s own legal fees after they lost the case against their buffer zone law.

If Sununu is worried about government overreach and liability then his #1 concern should be signing HB1625.

If he vetoes HB1625 then his opposition to HB1131 and HB1431 are hypocritical and his concerns about government overreach and liability should not be taken seriously. He is gaslighting us when he pretends that there is any consistency in his stance on these bills.

Call Governor Sununu at 603-271-2121 and ask him to keep his promise to repeal the buffer zone law and sign HB1625, the Sidewalk Free Speech Act.

Learn more about the buffer zone law at Top 10 Reasons Why the NH Buffer Zone Law Must Be Repealed.

The post Tell NH Governor Chris Sununu to Stop Gaslighting Us and Vetoing Good Bills appeared first on Granite Grok.

How about this for a publicity stunt with a mission. Intimina, a feminine care brand, is offering you a box of cereal. It consists of crunchy red bits shaped like the female reproductive system. Why? They want to normalize conversations about menstrual bleeding.

Start your day with a spoonful of uteruses and some chit-chat about the discharge of mucosal tissue and accompanying blood.

 

Are we descending into a crazy realm? Surely this is not normal behavior…https://t.co/9KGzNyokIG

— Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) May 25, 2022

Yum!

When can we expect the aborted fetus cereal because that’s a conversation people want or need to have?

 

The raspberry-flavored ‘Period Crunch’ was born because the Swedish company claims that talking about menstruation is not “truly normalized.” Arguing that “’periods are normal and talking about periods should be normal.” …

Dr. Shree Datta, a gynecologist at King’s College Hospital, sided with the company and it’s [sp] efforts, saying: ‘I’m delighted Intimina has taken the bull by the horns and developed Period Crunch to help raise awareness of the ongoing social stigma around periods.”

She continued: “Periods are a natural part of who we are, so it’s deeply concerning to hear that so many people remain uncomfortable discussing them, when they are just another part of our health.”

 

How about Hemorrhoids? Wait, the polyps they collect when you get a colonoscopy! Why not a box of cereal called buboes. They could rename corn pops or Captain Crunch Oops! Just Berries, and market it as a way to explore conversations about lymphogranuloma venereum, plague, syphilis, gonorrhea, chancroid, tuberculosis, or maybe even Monkeypox.

These are all just parts of our health. Who doesn’t want to talk about normalizing conversations at breakfast—no reason not to broach any number of subjects, including genital mutilation or chemical castration of children? How about anal bleeding! Who is not embarrassed by that!

The company is Swiss (by the way), and this is supposed to be an awareness campaign – see also a PR stunt – to garner attention to the brand. Being outrageous is an excellent way to attract interest, but it also invites conversations about just how far people will go in that pursuit.

Down in Texas, a lunatic decided to shoot up a grade school to get attention. It worked. It also brought forward a wide range of issues that have only gotten worse since the Broward County Parkland shooting. After which, by the way, a commission recommended arming teachers and staff.

The cops didn’t charge in to rescue kids from the shooter (just like in Parkland). Parents were denied the chance to do it for them (one apparently did get in and got her kids out). They had to wait an hour for backup law enforcement. And all (probably) because of people who would applaud ‘Period Crunch’ cereal as a conversation starter while shutting down conversations about the systemic failure of “government” to protect the citizens it would disarm, not that it ever had the obligation or ever will.

You are your only first line of defense in any situation.

It’s all connected to the culture and who destroyed it, Democrats. Grab a bowl or some hot java, and let’s have a conversation about that.

And kudos to the UK Daily Mail on their lead for this story  Make womb for breakfast. That’s just awesome.

 

 

Edited after publication.

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So, have all of their plaudits for Biden turned out to be true? Or just virtue-signaling from NeverTrumpers who hated “mean tweets” even though the vast majority of his policies and legislation (again, no one’s perfect and he certainly was closer to lousy than good when it came to staffing).

And look at the list – either they were Establishment Republicans (“A Republican’s Republican for the sake of the Republican Party or they’ve lost their minds in hatred that a brash outsider, uncontrollable by them, took their brass ring away from them as if they were toddlers.

Which, I add in retrospect, they now sound like.  I have a mix of NH and national “Luminaries” that decided that Trump had to be stopped by any means possible. And they, to be perfectly honest, were successful. However, it’s clear that they put themselves and their FEELINGS first; are they now willing, given what the Biden Administration has done, to do a big Mea Culpa and start apologizing to the rest of us who KNEW that Biden was (and is) barely a sock puppet?

So, of course with every election, we have Republicans (I’m not even sure that “In Name Only” goes far enough??) that decide that any Democrat that turns their Feelz on or allows them to rant against those Republican that, you know, have a decent level of fidelity to Conservative Principles / Party Platform.  Because if you are willing to vote for someone IN THE OTHER PARTY that holds stances antithetical to them, you’re either lazy in doing your political homework, really have no Principles at all, or just plain stupid.

Or can’t play 3D Chess to save their life – or ours. From a bunch of places, I want to remind you of your distaff family, friends, or other Republicans that lost their minds and souls over “ANYBODY BUT TRUMP” and turned to Biden who has turned out to be a lead pipe of a life ring as I can’t fathom ANYTHING that he’s done right.

From WMUR: NH Primary Source: Biden campaign rolls out group of NH Republicans backing former VP for president

— Woullard Lett, former president of the Manchester NAACP, who backed Democrat Dan Feltes for governor in April;

— Former Reagan Administration official Claira Monier, who was co-chair of former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld’s presidential campaign in New Hampshire;

— Former Executive Councilor Peter Spaulding, who in 2000 and 2010 chaired the New Hampshire presidential effort for the late Sen. John McCain;

— Former Executive Councilor Bill Cahill, who is now an undeclared voter;

— Businesswoman and community activist Pamela Diamantis; and

— Community activist Ken Moulton.

— former Sen. Gordon Humphrey…known nationally as a leader of the “Never-Trump” movement.

“I served with Joe Biden for 12 years in the United States Senate. I know him and trust him. No one comes close to his experience or his ability to achieve bipartisan consensus,” Humphrey said.

At this point, the only bipartisanship I see is Biden uniting folks AGAINST him. And from Biden’s campaign, here’s a list of 100 Republicans for Biden.  Is your friend, acquaintance, or family member on this list?

nh independents for biden-1578279237

Union Leader: reformatted

• Woullard Lett, former president of the Manchester NAACP
• Claire Monier, a Republican campaign operative who served in President Ronald Reagan’s administration;
• Peter Spaulding, a co-chairman of Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign in New Hampshire;
• former Executive Councilor Bill Cahill;
• Pamela Diamantis, a principal at Curbstone Financial Management and co-founder of the Impact New Hampshire Fund; and
• Ken Moulton, former president and Paul Harris Fellow of the Bow Rotary Club.

Time Magazine:

A lifelong Republican in New Hampshire has explained in a video interview why he is voting for Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, attracting the attention of over one million viewers.

Les Otten, from Dixville Notch, took to Twitter and explained his reasoning for voting against the Republican incumbent President Donald Trump. “I am a lifelong Republican and I am voting for Joe Biden,” said Otten. “I don’t agree with him on many issues but I think it’s time to find what unites us and not what divides us.”

… “It’s time to rebuild the heart of what makes us a good country—that starts with electing leaders who have good character and are truthful and will put the country’s welfare above all else; who will show respect to all people regardless of their gender, their race, their religion or their political beliefs.

Yeah, I’m a Domestic Terrorist – nice “showing respect”. You know: this guy who has no problem in trying to get Government to be his Venture Capitalist.

And let’s not forget Steve Duprey, Tom Rath, and (again) Gordon Humphrey.

From Issues & Insights at the national level (and a bit of fisking again from me):

John Kasich: “I’m sure there are Republicans and independents who couldn’t imagine crossing over to support a Democrat. They fear Joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. I don’t believe that because I know the measure of the man.”

Yeah, you sure did, didn’t you?  That fear turned out to be true as he has not just turned Left but also in deciding that he can further the “transformation” that Obama demanded.

Christie Todd Whitman: “We need to elect a leader matched to the moment, someone who can restore competence to the Oval Office and unify the country. Joe Biden is that leader.”

Competence and Unity – how’s that working for the rest of us, eh?

Bill Cohen: “We are in serious need of a leader with optimism and competence who gives us hope. Joe Biden is that leader.”

Yeah, hoping to get all these Dems thrown out and Biden retired.  You, as well – I don’t think you know what the meaning of optimism and competence really means, dontcha?

Rick Snyder: “Biden is the clear choice to put our country back on a positive path.”

Please define your usage of “positive” because, as just an ordinary schlub from central NH, I’m not getting it.

Cindy McCain: “There’s only one candidate in this race who stands up for our values as a nation, and that is @JoeBiden.”

Your values are certainly not Republican in mind or in any Republican Party Platform that I know of.

Meg Whitman: “Joe Biden … has a plan that will strengthen our economy for working people and small-business owners. For me, the choice is simple. I’m with Joe.”

Wanna reconsider that economics lesson, there Meg? A 1.5% drop in GDP this quarter and inflation rate that we haven’t seen in 40 years.  Hate to see what you’d call “bad”? Those in the know are fearful that Recession is around the corner.

43 Alumni for Biden: “We need someone who will quickly course correct and show us the path forward.”

Well, he certainly changed his course from how he campaigned, right?  I dryly note that every time I hear “forward” from either the Left or these Leftist-Lite, I still have no idea where that path is leading to.

Colin Powell: “What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul.”

That happen yet? And if Biden has restored “our soul”, I’m wondering what kind of hell you’ve put us into?

Jeff Flake: “We need to elect someone … who will stop the chaos and reverse the damage.”

I’d love to hear his explanation for that.  Wonder which “damage” he was referring to as all I see around me is damage to the county.

Twenty U.S. attorneys: “We firmly believe that Vice President Joe Biden is the candidate who can – and will – provide the leadership we need to … to address the deep-seated societal issues that are roiling our country today. We give him our strongest endorsement.”

And I&I has a great line:

Notice how no “Republicans for Biden” are currently bragging about how they helped get Biden elected.

Nope, they aren’t. And this is why (reformatted, emphasis):

U.S. President Joe Biden’s public approval rating fell this week to 36%, the lowest level of his presidency, as Americans suffered from rising inflation, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll completed on Tuesday. The two-day national poll found that 59% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s job performance. His overall approval was down six percentage points from 42% last week.

In a sign of weakening enthusiasm among Democrats, Biden’s approval rating within his own party fell to 72% from 76% the prior week. Only 10% of Republicans approve of his job in office.

How’s it feel, you dweebs, to be in the bottom 10% of your Party?  We can blame you for ALL of this.

I just figured I’d remind you all – and ask the if they are willing to repent and ask forgiveness from us all.

From me, nope.

The post Let’s Revisit the “Republicans for Biden”, Shall We? appeared first on Granite Grok.

So the Russian military continues the war in eastern Ukraine, inching slowly forward, while Putin forces Europe to continue to buy his oil. Russia has accused Ukraine prisoners of being Nazis and threatens to try them for war crimes. Pot calling the Kettle Black, it seems to me, especially with no specific “crimes” other than Ukrainians fighting back having charged. This could degenerate quickly into a take no prisoners war. How that would go? Makes one wonder; badly I suspect?

What military experts make of the failure of the previously supposed powerful Russian juggernaut has to be a surprise. What Putin planned as a three-day walk-through has become three months of heavy losses in Russian lives and equipment. The hoped-for collapse of NATO also went bad as Europe nations suddenly found common cause. Now, even Sweden and Finland want NATO membership now – exactly what Putin didn’t want. Ukrainian officials have said they believe if they can hold out in the East for another week, they can move more troops into that region and stop in the invasion.

Here in the U.S., Biden has the ability to impact the situation greatly in favor of Ukraine by lifting his moratorium on oil and natural gas production. It would also provide relief to many Americans, too. It would take some time to get back up and running but seems to me the very threat of U.S. fuels pouring into Europe allowing Europe to shut off all import of Russian oil would have a major impact. I will not be holding my breath, however, as the Biden administration has as yet shown no indication that it can make any kind of reasoned decisions, plans, or actions other then failed or destructive ones. Nor can we expect Biden to make any such strong move against Putin; he just doesn’t have the stomach for it.   Thus, it looks like the war will drag on over there with Russia destroying cities, killing women and children and threatening all the rest of Europe by extension.

How’s that for “Build Back Better”? Is this the best the American people of either Party can do? Biden is no leader; he has always been a go along/get along politician.

Certainly not a good choice for a President.

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The George H. & Ella M. Rodgers Memorial Library, which is the public library for Hudson, NH,  is hosting a “PRIDE: Love Wins” event on June 11 from 10 am to noon which is advertised to be for “all ages.”

From the description of the event:

Celebrate who you are. Show love to all our community members.

Make buttons, flags, and bracelets. Enjoy inclusive storytime.

When a Hudson resident called and inquired, she was told by Tanya Moesel, head of youth services, that “Anyone is welcome, kids included.” Ms. Moesel is choosing the books for the “inclusive storytime” and she told the resident that there would not be a drag performer reading the books.

Two picture books that are available in the Rodgers Library to read to impressionable young children to convince them that being transgender is fun and exciting are “I Am Jazz” and “Red: A Crayon’s Story.”

Related: Picture Books at Nashua Library Promote Dangerous Gender Ideology to Young Children

The library does not have a copy of “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters” by Abigail Shrier which is what teens and parents should be reading to learn about the horrible psychological and physical damage done to kids in the name of gender ideology.

However, a copy of “Irreversible Damage” is available from the library consortium that serves the towns of Amherst, Bedford, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, Hudson, Manchester, Merrimack, Milford, Salem, and Windham.

Learn more about the event on the library website and the Facebook event.

 

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We learned it was “Picture Day” and “Ice Cream Social Day” at the State House. Most of us lined up on the State House Steps prior to House Session to snap a “class photo”. Thanks to House Speaker Staff, and Deputy Chief of Staff Debra Childs in particular, for herding cats. It was a nice day for it too. Then at lunch we got treated to ice cream with an array of toppings… they even had cheese balls… who on earth put cheese balls on their ice cream? Seriously?!

We learned that The Granite Statesman Barbershop Quartet delivers a very decent acappella “Star Spangled Banner”.  It was a pleasant way to open up House Session.

We learned that the business of today’s House Session was to agree (or not) with the Committee of Conference (CoC) Reports on various Senate and House bills. As we agreed to Senate bills CoC reports they went back to that chamber for Senate agreement (or not) as well. Then we went through the House bill CoC reports that got agreed to by the Senate. Sort of a mini “cross-over day”!

We learned that the House and Senate would rather agree with the SB200 CoC redistricting changes for the congressional maps than to allow a random judge to decide that for our state. It appears the governor has indicated a veto and would rather it go to a judge, since he’s expressed his displeasure with what our legislature has agreed upon. The House passed the CoC for SB200 176-171. It will be a sad day for NH if some random judge carves up our state into a congressional map that we will be stuck with for the next decade, especially after all the time and thought that went into this final version.

We learned that SB401 CoC passed with a voice vote. Part of this bill will distribute over $60 million in the form of block grants and bridge aid to municipalities along with money to DOT for dash cams plus money for body cams for police. The $75 million price tag on this bill comes from increased state revenues which have been arriving into the state coffers in higher than anticipated amounts. Thanks to Republican sound fiscal policy, those funds are going back to the municipalities to help our towns repair roads and bridges and give some local tax relief.  Got pot holes?

We learned that SB366 CoC also passed on a voice vote and will allow for an audit of the 2022 elections in the primary and general elections. These audits will be conducted at random locations and will also audit the ballot counting machines. No shenanigans allowed.

We learned that after 22 terms… representing 44 years …. the longest serving State Representative in the Nation, Rep. Laura Pantelakos (D-Portsmouth) aka “Dean of the House” is retiring. She was given the Honor of presiding as House Speaker for 3 bills, which all passed on voice votes. We wish her all the best in her retirement and thank her for the many years of service to the people of New Hampshire. She’s served through 9 governors! Pretty incredible!

We learned that because of a horrific shooting by a lunatic in a school in Uvalde Texas, Rep. Altschiller (D-Stratham) decided to attempt to suspend rules and bring to the House floor HB1558 (a background check bill). She wanted to bring a bill before the House with no hearing, and no committee examination. Yet again, we have a knee jerk and zealous gun control reaction by this woman running for a State Senate seat. Rep. Roy (R-Deerfield) said we shouldn’t use a tragedy to push through legislation in the House and also said that people in NH have a right to a hearing on these bills. He was right.  The roll call vote for suspension of rules failed 163(Y)-188(N). Expect many gun control bills from Democrats next year… No surprise there.

We learned that HB1439 CoC passed with a voice vote. This bill allows for changes to Hospital Visitation policies, and was called “the No Patient Left Alone Act”. No person deserves to be alone and unable to be with a family member in their time of illness or incapacitation. This was a win for patients and their families. I was happy to co-sponsor this bill.

We learned that a new dental benefit for Medicaid was passed (246-105) with the CoC for HB103. Those who voted for this felt that the State will end up paying less in Medicaid costs since preventative care in oral health will contribute to less oral/dental emergencies and less major systemic health problems resulting down the road from poor dental care. Those voting against it didn’t think Medicaid benefits should be expanded. The way it was set up was more like insurance with co-pays and only for particular Medicaid recipients.. so it is limited. Time will tell to see if we do realize cost savings.

We learned that the biggest controversial CoC report of the day, HB1431, was voted down on a roll call vote 171(Y)-176(N) after an effort to table it failed 169-173. The House voted to kill this Parental Rights bill despite the rally outside the State House in the morning calling for its passage. Opponents of the bill said it would endanger gay/trans/etc. kids by outing them to their parents. Proponents of the bill didn’t believe that would happen, but more importantly they didn’t think secrets should be kept from parents. Parents should know what is going on with their kids at school, especially if they are being influenced by teachers or other adults who may be sexual predators or grooming kids for who knows what. The bill was also under veto threat by the governor. No doubt this bill will return next session, and that’s no secret.

We learned that HB1661 CoC report passed with a roll call vote of 244-99. It appears we will be spending an initial $9.350 million for a new parking garage for the legislature, plus there was a stack of other goodies in this bill. One of which was career technical education along with a some watered down workforce housing language. It certainly was an expensive mixed bag of tricks.

Finally, we learned that all of these things and more, will now end up on the governor’s desk. It will be interesting to see what we can look forward to for Veto Day in the Fall. So, I will be reporting on that session when we get there. There will be a fair amount of seasoned House members who will not be pursuing re-election. A handful of State Reps are also running for Senate. We wish them all well and thank them for their service, in the House, to our state and their constituents. House Republicans are working hard to fill seats with a veto proof majority for the next biennium. We were able to get some great legislation passed with only a slim Republican majority. Just think of the great things we can accomplish with a veto proof majority!

 

The post So Kids, What Did We Learn From Thursday’s House Session (05/26/22)? appeared first on Granite Grok.

My blog started its journey on January 25, 2021. Donald Trump had left Washington the week before his new home at Mar-a-Lago, and except for the Pandemic, he turned over a country that was in good shape and ready to come out of hibernation and grow. The Border was secure, inflation at 2%, the stock market was growing, our military was solid, and our relationships with geopolitical threats were stable. We were a country ready to get back to work and the life we enjoyed before COVID.

Fast forward, and the State of our Union is quite different, and many cannot believe how quickly we became unraveled. The Border is open and truthfully doesn’t exist. Inflation is at 8.5% but actually much higher. The stock market has given back much of the gains we enjoyed. Our military is more WOKE than .tough, and Afghanistan shows the quality of our leadership. Russia, China, North Korea, and even the Taliban no longer fear us. We are not going in the right direction.

The question that goes unanswered is whether the performance of the Biden/Harris team and administration is an intentional effort to dismantle or transform our great country. If, as many of us believe, this is true, we have gone from a country we were making great again to something that no one can describe. We know that Progressives, and there are many in the White House, intend to transform America, and none on the Right are comfortable with this concept.

This administration is flush with contradictions. The status of the Border turned quickly, and Biden announced that Harris would be in charge of the situation. Appointing a Border Czar gave much hope that we would make the adjustments to curb the flow. We would have been holding onto false hope. The materials previously paid for to complete the Wall lay dormant and rusting on the desert floor of South Texas. Record numbers of illegal immigrants flood across the Rio Grande every day from over 150 countries. They are not vetted, background-checked, or vaccinated, but they are released into our country.

In November of 2021, Joe Biden addressed the country and promised us he would do everything in his power to stabilize and lower gas prices at the pumps. It was a lie, and he knew it. Gas prices have more than doubled during Biden’s term. This week, he leveled with Americans and said the high costs of gas would go higher, which is part of the plan to get America to electric cars. Horrendous plan, Joe, and it will cost everyone dearly.

America and Americans are not ready for electric cars. The infrastructure is not in place and will not be for years. Electric vehicles are out of the price range for Americans, and the supply and options are far too limited. In the meantime, you are breaking American budgets with ridiculous fuel costs, which will stymy the economy. These increased costs will be passed onto the consumer, which will fuel, excuse the pun, inflation. Who are the supposed Nobel Laureates who are advising Biden? They could not be more wrong.

Inflation was supposed to be transitory, according to Biden last fall. As we head into recession and stagflation, Biden shows he is again wrong, and every time he is wrong, it costs Americans more and more.

The only thing Biden has done right is putting the muzzle on Harris. Biden is old and incoherent, but Harris is simply embarrassing. She has to be taken out of the chain of succession. Biden will not last his full term. America will not last a President Harris.

After 500 days, I can say with total certainty, that the State of the Union is poor. The question is, are we at the bottom yet?

 

 

Ray Writes for GraniteGrok.com and the Liberty Loft

The post The State of the Union is Far From Good appeared first on Granite Grok.

If you are at all concerned about the trillions of ‘dollars’ that the DC politicians and the federal government have created out of thin air over the past year, you should strongly consider getting some silver, gold, and other stable money.

The post The Liberty Block Partners With The Silver Pool! appeared first on The Liberty Block.

Yes, this is out of order, numerically speaking, with those Snippets “in the can” but not yet published. But, I felt it was right given the copycat tragedy that just occurred in Uvalde, Texas.

Yet another mass shooting at an elementary school.  Yes, the Left would love to take all of the law-abiding citizens’ guns away in punishment for a few mentally ill / ideologically wacko people. Those two groups are merely fulcrums to be used to further what I see is their end goal – complete disarmament by any means even if the [hated by them] Constitution protects our Second Amendment Rights.

They do NOT want to acknowledge that it is the person wielding the gun that’s the problem – they always go after the inanimate object that just sits there.  That hunk of metal and plastic has no agency of its own – only the shooter does. It’s the same play with SUVs when an accident occurs – it is the vehicle at fault, not the driver.  Why?

They see SUVs as a crime against GAIA for emissions purposes (and many believe they are WAY too big and you don’t “need” them).

NO gun control law would have stopped this. But there is a problem… …the Left’s decades long efforts in changing Culture’s norms to where Life at any stage is no longer valued. Instead, it’s all about ME! and all about MY needs and MY feelings and MY life – a complete distorted dystopia that the Left has created in the perpetual outraged supporters it has corrupted that nothing is EVER their fault so why be responsible for anything?

Until the Left begins to understand that they are not the gods of themselves, we all are in a world of hurt. After all, gun safety used to be taught regularly in even elementary schools up to the 50s and 60s?

Gun safety being taught in an Indiana school, 1956

(Image H/T: Caveman Circus)

 

The post Skip’s Sauntering Snippets #11 – It’s a Sobering Observation That’s It’s Not the Gun but the Left’s Changing of the Culture That’s to Blame appeared first on Granite Grok.

Today, the Parental Rights Bill (HB1431) passed the State Senate only to die in the NH House. Fifteen Republicans took it upon themselves to ignore the truth and ran cover for Governor Groomer.

From Rebuild NH

The 171-176 vote in the N.H. House to kill HB 1431, which had already passed 14-10 in the Senate, opposes the opinion of 85 percent of New Englanders according to a Parental Rights Foundation survey. In the survey, results of which are expected next week, respondents agreed that, “In general, parents have the constitutional right to make decisions for their children without government interference unless there is proof of abuse or neglect.”

“The people who voted to defend groomers, who are intentionally corrupting the innocent minds of our children, have betrayed every family in the state and defied their oath of office to defend the Constitution, under God,” said Andrew J. Manuse, chairman of RebuildNH. “Families are the fundamental building block of our civil society. Every time we do not stand up to protect parent’s rights as paramount, we are allowing the State to undermine our fundamental liberty.”

 

Governor Sununu had promised a veto, which I suggested could cost him his race in November. Pissing off that many parents across the political spectrum has a cost, but more than a few reliable shills for the moderate Sununu stepped up to do the deed for him.

Parents with Republican Reps who voted not to reconsider (they killed the bill) should reconsider electing them in November by supporting a primary opponent in September. We’ll do what we can to make sure you have one to pick, and we’ll let you know who they are and how you can support them.

 

Here’s the list of all the Nay Votes, all parties. I have Highlighted the Republicans. No Democrats supported the parental bill of rights.

 

All Nay Votes Abbott, Michael(d) Ches. 1 Nay Abel, Richard(D) Graf. 13 Nay Adjutant, Joshua(d) Graf. 17 Nay Alexander, Joe(R) Hills. 6 Nay Alicea, Caroletta(D) Merr. 8 Nay Allard, James(R) Merr. 21 Nay Almy, Susan(D) Graf. 13 Nay Altschiller, Debra(D) Rock. 19 Nay Ames, Richard(D) Ches. 9 Nay Baroody, Benjamin(D) Hills. 43 Nay Bartlett, Christy(d) Merr. 19 Nay Beaulieu, Jane(D) Hills. 45 Nay Bergeron, Paul(D) Hills. 29 Nay Bixby, Peter(D) Straf. 17 Nay Booras, Efstathia(D) Hills. 33 Nay Bordenet, John(D) Ches. 5 Nay Bordes, Mike(R) Belk. 3 Nay Bouchard, Donald(D) Hills. 11 Nay Bouldin, Andrew(D) Hills. 12 Nay Bradley, Amy(D) Hills. 43 Nay Buco, Thomas(D) Carr. 2 Nay Bunker, Lisa(D) Rock. 18 Nay Burroughs, Anita(D) Carr. 1 Nay Cali-Pitts, Jacqueline(D) Rock. 30 Nay Cannon, Gerri(D) Straf. 18 Nay Caplan, Tony(D) Merr. 6 Nay Chase, Wendy(D) Straf. 18 Nay Chretien, Jacqueline(D) Hills. 42 Nay Cloutier, John(D) Sull. 10 Nay Cohen, Bruce(D) Hills. 28 Nay Conley, Casey(D) Straf. 13 Nay Cornell, Patricia(D) Hills. 18 Nay Depalma IV, Joseph(R) Graf. 1 Nay DeSimone, Debra(R) Rock. 14 Nay DiLorenzo, Charlotte(D) Rock. 17 Nay DiSilvestro, Linda(D) Hills. 9 Nay Dontonville, Roger(D) Graf. 10 Nay Dutzy, Sherry(D) Hills. 30 Nay Eaton, Daniel(D) Ches. 3 Nay Ebel, Karen(D) Merr. 5 Nay Edgar, Michael(D) Rock. 21 Nay Egan, Timothy(D) Graf. 2 Nay Ellison, Arthur(D) Merr. 27 Nay Espitia, Manny(D) Hills. 31 Nay Fargo, Kristina(D) Straf. 14 Nay Faulkner, Barry(D) Ches. 12 Nay Fellows, Sallie(D) Graf. 8 Nay Fenton, Donovan(D) Ches. 8 Nay Fox, Dru(D) Ches. 6 Nay Freitas, Mary(D) Hills. 14 Nay Frost, Sherry(D) Straf. 16 Nay Gallager, Eric(D) Merr. 15 Nay Gilman, Julie(D) Rock. 18 Nay Goley, Jeffrey(D) Hills. 8 Nay Gomarlo, Jennie(D) Ches. 12 Nay Gordon, Edward(R) Graf. 9 Nay Gottling, Suzanne(D) Sull. 2 Nay Graham, John(R) Hills. 7 Nay Grassie, Chuck(D) Straf. 11 Nay Griffith, Willis(D) Hills. 18 Nay Grossman, Gaby(D) Rock. 18 Nay Grote, Jaci(D) Rock. 24 Nay Guthrie, Joseph(R) Rock. 13 Nay Hakken-Phillips, Mary(D) Graf. 12 Nay Hall, Muriel(D) Merr. 23 Nay Ham, Bonnie(R) Graf. 5 Nay Hamblet, Joan(D) Rock. 31 Nay Hamer, Heidi(D) Hills. 17 Nay Hatch, William(D) Coos 6 Nay Heath, Mary(D) Hills. 14 Nay Herbert, Christopher(D) Hills. 43 Nay Horrigan, Timothy(D) Straf. 6 Nay Jack, Martin(D) Hills. 36 Nay Jeudy, Jean(D) Hills. 10 Nay Kelley, Eamon(D) Coos 3 Nay Kenney, Cam(D) Straf. 6 Nay King, Mark(D) Hills. 33 Nay Klee, Patricia(D) Hills. 30 Nay Klein-Knight, Nicole(D) Hills. 11 Nay Knirk, Jerry(D) Carr. 3 Nay Labranche, Tony(i) Hills. 22 Nay Laflamme, Larry(D) Coos 3 Nay Lane, Connie(D) Merr. 12 Nay Langley, Diane(D) Hills. 8 Nay Laughton, Stacie-Marie(D) Hills. 31 Nay Leishman, Peter(D) Hills. 24 Nay Levesque, Cassandra (D) Straf. 4 Nay Long, Patrick(D) Hills. 10 Nay Loughman, Tom(D) Rock. 21 Nay Luneau, David(D) Merr. 10 Nay MacKay, James(d) Merr. 14 Nay Maggiore, Jim(D) Rock. 22 Nay Malloy, Dennis(D) Rock. 23 Nay Maneval, Andrew(d) Ches. 9 Nay Mangipudi, Latha(D) Hills. 35 Nay Mann, John(D) Ches. 2 Nay Marsh, William(D) Carr. 8 Nay Mason, James(R) Merr. 2 Nay Massimilla, Linda(D) Graf. 1 Nay McAleer, Chris(D) Carr. 7 Nay McGhee, Kat(D) Hills. 27 Nay McWilliams, Rebecca(D) Merr. 27 Nay Merchant, Gary(D) Sull. 4 Nay Meuse, David(D) Rock. 29 Nay Moran, Melbourne(D) Hills. 34 Nay Muirhead, Russell(D) Graf. 12 Nay Mullen, Sue(D) Hills. 7 Nay Murphy, James(D) Graf. 12 Nay Murray, Kate(D) Rock. 24 Nay Murray, Megan(D) Hills. 22 Nay Myler, Mel(D) Merr. 10 Nay Newman, Ray(D) Hills. 29 Nay Newman, Sue(D) Hills. 29 Nay Nordgren, Sharon(D) Graf. 12 Nay Nutter-Upham, Frances(D) Hills. 33 Nay Nutting-Wong, Allison(D) Hills. 32 Nay O’Hearne, Andrew(D) Sull. 3 Nay Oxaal, Ariel(D) Straf. 15 Nay Paige, Mark(D) Rock. 18 Nay Pantelakos, Laura(D) Rock. 25 Nay Parshall, Lucius(D) Ches. 10 Nay Pedersen, Michael(D) Hills. 32 Nay Perez, Maria(D) Hills. 23 Nay Petrigno, Peter(D) Hills. 23 Nay Piedra, Israel(D) Hills. 9 Nay Pimentel, Roderick(D) Merr. 6 Nay Query, Joshua(D) Hills. 16 Nay Read, Ellen(I) Rock. 17 Nay Rice, Kimberly(R) Hills. 37 Nay Rich, Cecilia(D) Straf. 18 Nay Richards, Beth(D) Merr. 13 Nay Rombeau, Catherine(D) Hills. 7 Nay Rouillard, Claire(R) Hills. 6 Nay Rung, Rosemarie(D) Hills. 21 Nay Salloway, Jeffrey(D) Straf. 5 Nay Sandler, Catt(D) Straf. 21 Nay Schamberg, Thomas(D) Merr. 4 Nay Schapiro, Joe(D) Ches. 16 Nay Schmidt, Peter(D) Straf. 19 Nay Schuett, Dianne(D) Merr. 20 Nay Schultz, Kristina(d) Merr. 18 Nay Shurtleff, Steve(d) Merr. 11 Nay Simpson, Alexis(D) Rock. 36 Nay Smith, Marjorie(D) Straf. 6 Nay Smith, Suzanne(D) Graf. 8 Nay Smith, Timothy(D) Hills. 17 Nay Snow, Kendall(D) Hills. 19 Nay Sofikitis, Catherine(D) Hills. 34 Nay Soucy, Timothy(d) Merr. 16 Nay Southworth, Thomas(D) Straf. 20 Nay Spang, Judith(D) Straf. 6 Nay Stavis, Laurel(D) Graf. 13 Nay Stevens, Deb(D) Hills. 34 Nay Sullivan, Brian(D) Sull. 1 Nay Sykes, George(D) Graf. 13 Nay Sytek, John(R) Rock. 8 Nay Tanner, Linda(D) Sull. 9 Nay Telerski, Laura(D) Hills. 35 Nay Toll, Amanda Elizabeth(D) Ches. 16 Nay Toomey, Dan(D) Hills. 32 Nay Treleaven, Susan(D) Straf. 17 Nay Tucker, Edith(D) Coos 5 Nay Vail, Suzanne(D) Hills. 30 Nay Van Houten, Constance(D) Hills. 45 Nay Veilleux, Daniel(D) Hills. 22 Nay Von Plinsky, Sparky(D) Ches. 7 Nay Wall, Janet(D) Straf. 6 Nay Walz, Mary Beth(d) Merr. 23 Nay Ward, Gerald(D) Rock. 28 Nay Wazir, Safiya(D) Merr. 17 Nay Weber, Lucy(D) Ches. 1 Nay Welkowitz, Lawrence(D) Ches. 4 Nay Weston, Joyce(D) Graf. 8 Nay Wilhelm, Matthew(D) Hills. 42 Nay Wolf, Dan(R) Merr. 5 Nay Woodcock, Stephen(D) Carr. 2 Nay Woods, Gary(d) Merr. 23 Nay

The post Breaking: Here’s the List of Republican Groomers in the NH House Who Stabbed Parents in the Back (HB1431) appeared first on Granite Grok.

(NOTE to readers: Skip beat me to the punch on this, but I think the politicization/weaponization of the NH-DOJ is important enough an issue that it is worthwhile for you to have both our takes.)

When I wrote Just Call Him Governor Groomer I was aware that Governor Groomer was justifying his threatened veto of the parental rights bill on “concerns” expressed by the New Hampshire Department of Justice. I tried to find a written version of these concerns because it very much sounded like the NH-DOJ was reasoning backward… that is, starting with the conclusion Governor Groomer wanted reached and then manufacturing arguments to support that conclusion.

I was unable to find anything, but I recently received an email from Cornerstone which contained a link to a letter from the National Legal Foundation that DEMOLISHES the NH-DOJ’s “concerns.” Some highlights:

Gender dysphoria, like other medical or psychological conditions that may need to be addressed while the child is in school, is not part of the primary educational mission for which parents have entrusted their children to the public schools. It is a core parental issue involved in the care, health, and welfare of their children. Just as a school must send scholastic progress reports (report cards) to parents (which, incidentally, “outs” the lazy or uncooperative students to their parents and may lead to abuse), so schools must share information with parents on those matters particularly within the province of parents.

We understand that in a communication with some of the conferees on HB 1431, the Department of Justice has raised some questions with respect to this Bill. In reading this communication, we are quite surprised that the Department did not consider or even mention Meyer v. Nebraska, Pierce v. Society of Sisters, Prince v. Massachusetts or Troxel v. Granville, all of which establish without question the fundamental right of parents to control the upbringing and education of their children.

The Department’s final paragraph discussing the potential liability of a school/ municipality that “outs” a child is disingenuous. The Department cites the case of Sterling v. Borough of Minersville, 232 F.3d 190, 196 (3rd Cir. 2000) in which municipal police threatened to “out” an 18 year old adult who thereafter committed suicide, and the city settled the claim for $100,000. Here the children subject to the NH Parental Rights Act are children, who lack the capacity to file suit. Moreover, the children’s parents are being informed, pursuant to their fundamental rights as parents, by schools pursuant to New Hampshire law. How can parents under such facts ever establish standing to sue?

In the last case cited by the Department in its communication on HB 1431 (Wyatt v. Fletcher, 718 F.3d 496 (5th Cir. 2013), the Department of Justice cites with good reason the dissenting opinion, since the majority held directly the opposite.

In a nutshell, the NH-DOJ is either completely incompetent OR was intentionally misleading the Legislature. Given the NH-DOJ’s track record… playing matador-defense in the Claremont education funding cases and voter-ID cases … I think it is clearly the latter. The NH-DOJ remains … despite three terms of a supposedly Republican Governor … thoroughly politicized.

Don’t call it the New Hampshire Department of Justice … call it the New Hampshire Department of Grooming.

The post Just Call It The New Hampshire Department Of Grooming appeared first on Granite Grok.

If you have not invested in companies making test kits for COVID, you may not be too late. The Health Care Industrial Complex people are all in, and now they say we need more testing! MORE TESTING!

 

CDC now recommends everyone test for Covid-19 prior to domestic travel, including those up-to-date on Covid-19 vaccination and even those with four or more shots. https://t.co/m5lrWr9Ahq

— Aaron Siri (@AaronSiriSG) May 19, 2022

 

Four or more shots?

Who the wow, that’s some degree of stupid not yet truly comprehended. Sure, we made jokes about the 26th booster, but this is real. There are (apparently) people who’ve gotten four or more shots, and the CDC still wants them tested.

Are these the folks who built the armor on the bottom of the Humvees during the Iraq wars? Turns into Swiss cheese when you hit an IED?

In local COVID news, the Dartmouth (Hitchcock) Death Cult wants to remind us that boosters are approved for ages 5-11.

 

The US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommend a booster dose for all children ages 5 to 11 at least 5 months after the primary vaccine series (two doses):

• • • For children who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, the recommended primary series is 3 doses of an mRNA vaccine followed by a booster (4th dose).

Adults, age 50 and older should get a second booster (with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine) if you had your first booster shot at least 4 months ago:

• • • People ages 18 to 49 years of age who received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for both their primary series and 1st booster may receive a 2nd booster (with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine) at least 4 months after their first booster.

 

Or, and here’s a crazy idea, you could get your Vitamin D3 level tested or supplement with D3, C, and Zinc. Mortality from COVID and Omicron, in particular, for almost everyone with adequate D3, is near zero. You can still catch it and have “the flu,” but there are fewer total cases, fewer hospitalizations, and significantly fewer deaths. There are tons of studies to prove this.

The Jab’s track record is atrocious by comparison.

And D3 doesn’t come with 32 pages of side effects.

Speaking of near zero, not a single kid in NH under 20 died with or from COVID until after we started jabbing them with these experimental injections.

One child under ten is reported to have died “from” COVID in NH a few months after they started sacrificing the little ones to Fauci’s dark god. But more than that have died because of the COVID vaccine. At least two dead under the age of twenty with nine reported cases of Myocarditis, and over 250 adverse reactions reported to VAERS from NH in the under 20 age group.

We know there were more.

We’ve also demonstrated on these pages (using state data) that these injections did not improve cases or mortality in the granite state. Still, the band plays on as so-called health experts continue to push testing and experimental pharmaceuticals on children that don’t benefit them.

It’s disgusting.

Dartmouth Health? No, I don’t think that’s what this is at all.

 

 

The post Omicron Summer! – CDC Calls for More Testing and Masking: Dartmouth Wants to Boost Your “Babies” appeared first on Granite Grok.

Sadly, there has been another school shooting, this time in Texas.  Also sadly, there are people who have been waiting around to use something like this as an excuse for dragging out every anti-gun measure that they haven’t been able to enact in the past.

This is especially sad when it should be clear to any fifth-grader that the proposed measures would have had absolutely no effect.  In this case, for example, the shooter was able to pass a background check in order to buy the weapons he used.  So naturally, the proper response to this is to expand the set of circumstances in which background checks must be performed.  Right?

‘When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?’ asks President* Biden.  But by ‘gun lobby’, he actually means people like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other founders.

(Actually, if we want to prevent more school shootings, it’s not the gun lobby that needs standing up to.  It’s the school lobby.)

Anyway, it seems appropriate just now to re-examine something I wrote a while ago, about the kind of trouble we can get into when we use the word ‘problem’ — something we don’t want — to describe what is actually a ‘consequence’ of something we need.

Here are a couple of examples of ‘problem-based thinking’:

If people have access to guns, some small number of them will misuse those guns.  That’s a ‘problem’, and the ‘solution’ is to take guns away from everyone.

If people have access to drugs, some small number of them will misuse those drugs.  That’s a ‘problem’, and the ‘solution’ is to take drugs away from everyone.

But really, these are just special cases of a more general ‘problem’:

If people have freedom, some small number of them will misuse that freedom.  That’s a ‘problem’, and the ‘solution’ is to take freedom away from everyone.

But consider Daniel in the lion’s den. Does he have a problem? Or is he just experiencing the consequences of his refusal to compromise his beliefs?

Or consider Jesus, about to be crucified. Does he have a problem? Or is he just experiencing the consequences of accepting his identity?

What about Socrates? Joan of Arc? Thomas More? Nathan Hale? The signers of the Declaration of Independence?  Problems or consequences?

Would we want any of them to compromise their principles in order to get a different outcome?  In fact, don’t we hold them up as examples of why it’s important not to do that?

If we adopt some principles, and they lead to certain undesirable consequences, then that’s just something we live with, and try to prepare for.

(Perhaps the ultimate expression of this would be our state motto. No, not the new one, ‘Public Health Trumps Everything‘.  I’m talking about the old, un-truncated version: ‘Live Free or Die. Death is not the worst of evils.’)

But as soon as we call one of those consequences a ‘problem’, we flip the normal process (‘Be true to your principles, and accept whatever follows from that’) on its head.

Suddenly the most important thing isn’t following some principles, but obtaining some outcome; and the fact that there’s a ‘problem’ means that everyone will look for a ‘solution’, even when that’s not appropriate.

For example. We don’t have a ‘gun violence problem’, or an ‘opioid use problem’, or a ‘disinformation problem’.  In each of those cases, what we have is a ‘consequence of freedom for which some of us have not adequately prepared.’

Given the inherently lazy and short-sighted nature of political processes, the ‘solutions’ to various ‘problems’ will invariably require ignoring, or even reversing, some of the principles that we have long declared to be essential.

Someone has been shot? Let’s take away guns! Someone has said something hurtful? Let’s outlaw unpopular speech! Someone might get away with a crime? Let’s presume guilt instead of innocence! And so on.

As Confucius noted, the first step towards wisdom is to call things by their right names. So the first step away from wisdom would be to call things by their wrong names.

The surest way to accelerate the erosion of our rights is to continue to elevate outcomes above principles, which begins by talking about consequences as if they are problems.

That’s what’s about to happen now. So pay attention, and when you get a chance, vote accordingly.

 

 

The post Consequences Are Not Problems appeared first on Granite Grok.

Well, it was going to happen sooner or later. In uploading some documents for information they requested, they didn’t like the answer and last night, told us that we were effectively locked out of our account from using it (we can log in but can’t send or receive money). I’ve heard that this has happened to Conservative sites so I’m not surprised.

I’m on hold with Paypal as I write this to see if I can straighten this out.

Now, we have a backup Paypal account so we can still pay the bills (good thing we are an ultra-low-budget/frugal entity compared to our competition!)  and we’ll start redirecting people, as needed, for sponsored posts and for those of you who have been nice enough to support us on a monthly basis.  If you get any kind of a bounceback because of their action that we can’t take the money you’ve offered, we apologize and will let you know either then it has been fixed or we’re going elsewhere.  I’ll be first shutting off the DONATE page, then moving it around to our backup account. If you would, give me a couple of days since it has been years since I did this last and I’m betting things have changed as well.

It’s funny, Steve and I were just starting to talk about finding a “Right side” / Conservative payment processor. Turns out to have been the right question to ask, just a wee bit late in asking it. So there are several out there now (The Left taunted the Right “well, go create your own if you don’t like ours”. Now they’re ticked because it has happened and we on the Right ARE leaving. So if you know of any, or are using any yourself, let us know in the comments.

So, let us know if you have any questions – we’ll answer them the best we can.  In the meantime, know that the lights will stay on! And please “hang with us” while I start tinkering with stuff “under the hood”.

And we DO thank you for your support!

The post Announcement: PayPal Has Decided to Shut Granitegrok off from Its Services appeared first on Granite Grok.

I had called the Prime Sponsor of HB1431 (a Parental Bill of Rights) yesterday afternoon (NH State Rep Paul Terry) while traveling back from Massachusetts. Having been away from my keyboard for more than a few hours, I wanted to see if there were any updates on this bill.

Did Governor Groomer (Chris Sununu) admit he was wrong and allow this bill to become Law? Unfortunately, he had no update on that but DID say that the National Legal Foundation had written a Letter concerning the fallacies that Sununu (and before him, the weak legal tea from NH AG Formella) had uttered.

They were logically the same as the Left complaining about the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida that only stated that NO sexuality lessons or discussions were to be taught or held in K-3 classrooms.

HB1431 does not do what either Sununu or his legal lackey claim so their only purpose was to throw shade at those who believe Parents are in charge of their kids and that we do not consent to the idiotic idea that we “co-parent” our children with Government.

Here is that Letter; it starts thusly:

Re: Constitutionality of HB 1431– NH Parental Bill of Rights

Dear Speaker Packard and Majority Leader Osborne:

The National Legal Foundation (NLF) supports parental rights, which the U.S. Supreme Court has declared as a fundamental right. NLF therefore supports HB 1431 as presently drafted. NLF is a public interest law firm dedicated to the defense of constitutional liberties. We write on behalf of ourselves and our donors and supporters, including those in New Hampshire. The NLF has had a significant federal and state court practice since 1985, including representing numerous parties and amici before the Supreme Court of the United States and the supreme courts of several states.

The Fundamental Right of Parents to Direct Their Children’s Education

Beginning with Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923), a case involving a state
education policy for minor children contrary to the desire of their parents, the Supreme Court has consistently recognized the fundamental right of parents to direct the welfare, education, and upbringing of their children without undue interference by the state. This liberty interest is protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and was long established previously in the common law.1  The “Fourteenth Amendment ‘forbids the government to infringe . . . “fundamental” liberty interests at all, no matter what process is provided, unless the infringement is narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest.’” Wash. v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702, 721 (1997), quoting Reno v. Flores, 507 U.S. 292, 302 (1993) (emphasis in original); see Jordan by Jordan v. Jackson, 15 F.3d 333, 343 (4th Cir. 1994).

I really do like this line on page 3 – it seems that Sununu, Government as a whole, and Schools HAVE forgotten this:

Public schools must not forget that “in loco parentis” does not mean “displace parents.”

And this, too:

HB 1431 declares this “oldest of the fundamental liberty interests” to be also a fundamental right under New Hampshire law, and imposes upon the government the usual burden if the State seeks to limit this fundamental right – the State and its political subdivisions and/or schools must show that its limitation is “reasonable and necessary to achieve a compelling state interest and that such action is narrowly tailored and cannot be achieved by less restrictive means.”

Limitations – now flip that around: do you believe that either Sununu or schools boards recognize the founding idea of Limited Government?  Add to that, is coercing someone’s Free Speech (insisting on the use of only Government approved “preferred pronouns”) and lying to Parents (“Ve vill tell you NOTHING!”).  How is either of those a “compelling state interest” other than “they’re doing it because they believe they can” (which is no limitation at all).

And with Sununu giving NH School Boards “cover”, they are actually doing so – displacing parents and their Constitutional Authority. Here is the entire Letter:

NLF Letter_NH HB1431

It is clear that Sununu believes that “He Trumps Parents” in this regard of Schools/Government having the Power to insert themselves in between Parents and their children. It is clear that, unlike both Sununu and Formella, the NLF has brought real legal firepower to the argument. Both Formella and Sununu merely waved their hands, set off a teeny-tiny smoke bomb to try to hide behind, then mumbled a bit about discrimination and transgenders, and believe the rest of us would simply and calmly accept that codswallop.

Yeah, not happening.  The Gilford School Board make it PERSONAL to me by lying (by refusing to tell me) what the transgender status of my legal son is. And that Mom in Manchester has the same problem with her daughter who, it seems, the Manchester School District turned trans and refused to tell her, either.

And Sununu is perfectly fine with this. His Leftist Social Justice side makes it impossible for him to have any empathy for Parents trying to protect their children from the Government they used to trust; he’s now sowing Distrust and Disinformation on what we have actually caught the NHSBA (who has retracted their Policy JBAB that is the source of why HB1431 is needed in the first place) and various school boards across the state.

Remember, they “govern” by our consent – I hope that, just like with Policy JBAB having been retracted, we withdraw our consent in allowing Governor Groomer to continue to Rule.

 

 

The post National Legal Foundation Corrects Gov. Groomer’s Erroneous Positions on Parental Rights and the Constitutionality of HB1431” appeared first on Granite Grok.

At the May 10 meeting of the Nashua Board of Aldermen, after I spoke during the public comment period about my Save Women’s Sports flag being taken down from the Citizen Flag Pole by the order of Mayor Jim Donchess in October 2020, Alderman-at-Large Melbourne Moran responded by saying:

I’ve had many, many people in this city that have approached me to say that the Satanic flag needs to fly with the Save Women’s Sports flag in the city because they are so closely related together.

And these aren’t my words. These are the words of my constituents and I just want to share them with you that it might be a good idea and symbolically to have these two flags flying together as they are so closely related.

I’m a God-fearing Catholic. I can’t stand on the side of the Satanic Temple but thankfully people like Ms. Scaer can lock arms with them and I do appreciate that and for the sake of freedom and the freedom of speech for everyone around the country.

Related: City of Nashua Admits They Were Wrong to Take Down My Save Women’s Sports Flag

This was my response to Alderman Moran during my public comments at the May 24 Board of Aldermen meeting:

Alderman Moran,

After I gave my public comment at May 10’s Board of Aldermen’s meeting about my delight that the Mayor and the City of Nashua admitted that it was wrong to have my Save Women’s Sports flag removed from the Citizen Flag Pole, I was prepared for sharp remarks in opposition to my flag.

Criticism of my flag is welcome because it keeps the dialogue going about what should be done about the issue of men competing in women’s sports and because freedom of speech is a right that I, and I assume all of you, hold dearly. If no one criticized the SWS flag, I would have no opportunity to defend it.

I was shocked when you went beyond criticizing my flag into a personal attack, calling me out by name and saying that I “lock arms with [the Satanic Temple].”

You, the person with power, disparaged me, the person without power, to your friends and colleagues and did in front of me but you spoke as if I weren’t there in the room with all of you, and with the residents of Nashua watching from home.

You used the classic bullying tactics – singling me out, making false accusations against me, humiliating me, and encouraging others to turn against me. I would compare it to middle school except this is the real world and canceling people has much more dire consequences.

And you violated the Board’s Code of Conduct and all of the members of this Board in attendance also violated it when they did not speak up about your violation.

You may say your attack on me was justified because my message is an attack on LGBTQ people. If that is so then why do Martina Navratilova and Caitlyn Jenner, two of the most famous LGBTQ people in the world support the cause of saving women’s sports? It is because as former elite athletes, they know better than anyone what a disadvantage women are at in physical competitions against men.

Last year, Martina retweeted this statement:

“The reputation of the gay rights movement is tarnished when activists that claim to represent us deny biological reality and undermine the sporting chance of girls and women.”

When you make a personal attack on me because of my message of saving women’s sports, you may score points with the powerful and connected of this city and you may believe you are being virtuous and speaking up for vulnerable people but you are in fact piling on and helping to cause serious harms to girls and women who only want to compete on a level playing field.

The post “God-Fearing Catholic” Nashua Alderman Says Fly Satanic Temple Flag With Save Women’s Sports Flag appeared first on Granite Grok.

Maggie Hassan is the junior Senator from New Hampshire and our former Governor. A great question is how she achieved either office. Hassan is a poorly rated Senator and votes 100% along party lines.

According to GOVTRACK.US, there are only four Senators rated lower than Hassan. Hassan knows that she is vulnerable and has been in desperation mode since last fall. One year out from the 2022 mid-terms, you could not watch any channel for more than fifteen minutes without seeing a Re-Elect Hassan campaign spot. Her ads went dormant for some time but have started up again in earnest. They target her followers and those not aware of the facts.

Her latest ad is hugely disingenuous and misleading. She claims she will get us relief from surging gas prices at the pump. She plans to pass a bill, against the will of her party, that would halt the Federal Gas Tax for the remainder of the year. The Federal Gasoline Tax is 18.4 cents a gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents for diesel. The average price per gallon of gas in 2020 was $2.19 and is now $4.59. With an increase of $2.40, a 110% increase, how much relief do we realize with a suspension of the Federal Tax? My tank holds 25 gallons. It would cost $115.00 to fill the tank. The tax savings would be $4.60. It would still cost me over $110.00, so, please, Maggie, don’t insult our intelligence.

The other claim in her ad is she will urge President Biden to release more barrels per day than the 1 million barrels he is already withdrawing each day. Biden predicted his action would have an immediate reversal in the rising costs. Instead, we have seen a new record high gas price every day since he started to tap the strategic reserve. By the way, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is supposed to be used in the case of natural disasters or external impacts like war. It is not to be used to repair lousy policy decisions by a failing President who lousy Senators like Hassan support.

We know that politicians will say anything to get into and stay in office. Somebody running for re-election should be able to tout their record. Maggie cannot count on her record to entice people to vote for her. She has to go to the “promise” mode and fabricate vague statements that make it sound like she has been productive. She has not.

Congress has a lower approval rating than even Biden and Harris. Congress does not accomplish very much, and that is unfortunate. When the Legislature does not legislate, they leave the door open for the President to use Executive Orders. EOs are not binding and are not law. We need Congress to step up and negotiate solutions to some of our most dire issues. Crime, Border Security, and Comprehensive Immigration should be priorities, but not in this partisan branch.

Hassan claims she is for an increased effort to curb the rash of Fentanyl deaths, but she does not want to address the need for securing the border and completing the wall. If she is not concerned with the entry point, how serious is her effort?

Hopefully, we are coming to the end of Maggie Hassan’s political career. In the meantime, we need to make sure we call her out on every mistruth or any effort to color the truth.

Ray Writes for GraniteGrok.com and the Liberty Loft

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