As an abutting neighbor of the Granite State, an owner of rental properties in NH (who would be stupid enough to be a residential LL in MA), and a thoroughly kindred spirit of the “ole Yankee farmers” of NH, I ask you to come to the aid of your brothers in kind south of your border.

The taxpayers of Dunstable and Groton are on the verge of getting a Louisville Slugger shoved into their anterior orifice sans lubricant. We are facing a HUGE prop 2 1/2 override bill precipitated by our regional school district’s outrageous budget request.

It is my opinion that the administration of the school district is a puppet and tool of the teachers’ union, as well as being inveterate woke lefties to the core. It is my understanding from several “public discussion forums” held by our town administrators, which, by the way, are correlated with similar “public discussion forums” being held in our partner town of Groton, that the school district’s administrators refuse to cooperate with any detailed investigation of the facts. They apparently have erected a granite wall against such audacious behavior by the serfs who toil in their fields to pay their rent burden. At best, we are to be allocated a small plot for our potato patch.

A town meeting is scheduled in BOTH towns for 3/26/24. How convenient is that? A mere coincidence, I am sure. The main article to be voted on is the question of placing the override on the concurrent 4/2/24 town elections. I am guessing the purpose of that coordination is so that the rebels in neither town will be able to use a NO OVERRIDE verdict by the other town’s electorate to influence the second town’s voters. The town administrators of both towns have worked closely hand in hand to put forth this agenda.

We want to thank Brian Flynn for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
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My daughter Erica and I have worked diligently to assemble a significant amount of data from the MA DOR and Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) websites, which, in our opinion, completely repudiates the need for additional funds. These facts have been assembled into spreadsheets with attendant notes, and a PowerPoint presentation was made by Erica to the Dunstable Select Board (talk about an arrogant name) on Tuesday, 2/20/24. A number of other taxpayers were present, the majority of whom supported our efforts.

Back in 2017, our town investigated the possibility of secession from the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District (GDRSD), but the matter was eventually dropped. The possibility of such a break up was mentioned earlier this year by our Town Administrator. I raised the question again at this meeting. Naturally we heard a lot of excuses why the matter isn’t being diligently pursued.

Immediately after the meeting, my daughter posted the PowerPoint presentation on both the Dunstable Facebook site and the Groton Facebook site. The video of the meeting is available on Dunstable’s website. Additionally, we are both working with as many Dunstable and Groton like-minded taxpayers as we can find. We need many, many more. I am sure both town administrations, as well as the entire school administration in conjunction with its union members, will be exerting great effort to have a record turnout for their team. I ask your help in doing the same for our side. If you need ready access to more of our data, just email me, and I will send you additional charts and spreadsheets for your review.

I don’t know how many followers this publication has in the border towns, but we need every hand on deck to beat this thing back. The school district has made it clear they “need” similar increases in their budgets for the next 4 -5 years.

On May 22, 1775, the patriots of your state joined ranks with those in our state to fight our common oppressor. We need your help again, about two months earlier this time. Any assistance you can lend us in getting out the vote will be greatly appreciated and returned in kind, as your need may dictate.

The post Massachusetts Border Towns Ask New Hampshire for Help appeared first on Granite Grok.

Here is the latest nonsense from New Hampshire’s fast-talking Sun-King, Chris Sununu … GOP voters don’t support Trump because of his policies but because they believe he is a fighter. I know it is just anecdotal evidence, mighty Sun-King, but you are a fighter and I certainly do NOT support you … because you fight for all the wrong things: boys participating in girls school sports, DEI, COVID-tyranny, destroying local zoning laws, doing nothing about stratospheric local property taxes, etc., etc. etc.. Roll the tape:

Sununu on Trump: “It’s quite simple, the enemy of my enemy is my friend” is why Republicans stick with Trump when Dems/liberal elites attack him. “It’s literally that simple of a psyche. It’s not about policy…at least someone’s putting up a fight.”#POLITICOGovernors https://t.co/NxP6wGNzYy

— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) February 22, 2024

Oh mighty Sun-King, you are such an entitled, spoiled, privileged bloviator. GOP voters support Trump because of his policies … securing the border, no endless wars, actually getting tough (as opposed to just talking tough) on China. That is why Trump destroyed the field in the 2016 primary. The other candidates were talking about “immigration reform” (recall John Kasich telling everyone illegal immigration was essentially like jaywalking … “you pay a fine”), still defending the senseless and stupid Iraq War, regurgitating globalist pablum about “free markets.”

Whether he is just an idiot or a liar, what’s undeniable is that the mighty Sun-King despises, loathes, hates actual GOP voters.

The post Night Cap: Chris Sununu … An Idiot Or A Liar? appeared first on Granite Grok.

As we embark on the latest city budget fiasco that’s going to cost us where it hurts, as a taxpayer who has to balance a home and business budget, here are some tips. First, I implore you to stay under the tax cap or, even better, below. Second, the key to successful budgeting is to start with income and work within those numbers backward, not the other way around!

Tips from personal observation with this city (and perhaps your town or city as well)!

1. When you leave a room, and no one is in there, turn out the lights and monitors. Energy and water conservation efforts are huge savings. Fix dripping faucets, etc…
2. Close all computers and detach chargers at days end
3. Turn down the thermostat to 68 and wear a sweater in winter. On this topic, I was at a meeting at city hall in a conference room not used all day. It was HOT, so hot the person who opened the room put the AC on. This was in January! In summer, open windows (especially at night) and use fans until it’s unbearable before turning on AC. Maybe some thoughts on insulation!?
4. Optimize staff to multitask. Instead of waiting for so and so, just do the job.
5. Stop trying to embark on new businesses when you cannot keep the basic city budget under control. The land/river development, electric company, waste management etc.
6. Stop pandering to the school board. At this point, the numbers enrolled are declining as fast as the test scores…. Ten years of this is enough. Say no.
7. Don’t say yes to everything right away. Pause and reflect. Sleep on it. Ask the people. Think how you save money in your home or business world!
8. Business development on existing facilities, ice arena, and schools during downtimes is underutilized!
9. Sandpits, it fries my butt that we own our own sand yet pay for it and allow a subcontractor to use it!?
10. Limit overtime.
11. Travel restrictions and don’t let city employees take city vehicles home or for personal use, period!
12. Riverfront development aka Dovers Big Dig is a bust, a money pit of despair, stop the bleed, sell it.
13. We supposedly have mechanics, yet seem to buy new equipment all the time… You should at least keep them until they are irreparable, then sell them for metal.
14. We pay a librarian(s) huge salaries, and they don’t read books!?
15. This city and schools are top heavy with Admin…need a serious audit on essential necessary jobs and cull the rest. Worth the consult fee.
16. Your tri-city homeless band-aid is a total mess and money pit. Enabling these mentally ill drug addicts has our city police and EMTs tapped out to the point where tax payers in need are now in line waiting while Dovers finest chase them around town.
17. Install time clocks or whatever time management tools are out there… Track specific jobs so you can be more efficient
18. Don’t leave vehicles running
19. Get trash compactors
20. Employees of the city need to be on a performance scale, especially teachers. There needs to be check and balances on the job performed by the measurable outcome. If a class is failing, then the teacher needs to be put on probation. If students continue to fail, fired. All this pandering has got us dumb kids and huge budgets. It’s time to fix that and aside from good/better curriculum, teachers who can teach. Same for all employees. You won’t find a production company keeping a slacker or poor performer. You may actually get measurable results!

Some purchasing tips

1. The lowest bidder is not always the cheapest, get solid references
2. Do not fall prey to the illusion of electric vehicles! And I hope you charge people to use the chargers in the parking garage and that money goes to the city electric bill!!
3. Get a Costco card for bulk
4. Use more UNH students in schools
5. You have a whole technical high school, start using it more for city projects
6. Start “go fund me’s” or baked sales for stuff like athletic fields and other things like new city hall clock that broke after a year.

There is a point to the following…

.Here’s a true story of my years engineering with government contractors, in the late 70s. I was part of the Total Quality Management team for Navy contractors. We wanted a way for the workers to understand that through their good “quality” work, in turn, they were saving their own tax dollars! So we did a movie on a submarine that was “dead in the water” the reason was a faulty bearing. A $50 item. The cost to fix it was $75,000. We showed this movie to contractor employees right down to the foundries. It worked. We saw less problems. The workers started paying more attention to their work. The city employees remind me of the contractor workers. They didn’t care until they realized they were hurting themselves, in a sense. City workers should realize every decision cost money from turning a light out to quality time on the job. Maybe they need a TQM course!

You’ve been overspending the city and school budget for years. Our city is overinflated with waste and people. If it were your personal money you were messing with, you’d lose your car and house and end up at Willand Warming Center. Be responsible with my money. I’m tapped out, and if you keep upping our “taxes,” the levy will break because there aren’t that many “rich” people here yet who can afford it.

The above consultation is on me (as in free) in an effort to save me money by lowering everyone’s taxes.

 

Editor: email to the town of Dover, lightly edited.

 

The post 20 Budget Tips for My Town, and Yours! appeared first on Granite Grok.

Being the small world that it is, I often run into familiar people on “our side” at Market Basket, and today’s encounter person was former Nashua GOP chair Chris Buda.  I asked him if he read my latest piece on Chuck Morse, and he said no and followed up with “I’m sure it’s not flattering.”

I said that I made the obligatory PSA in the beginning but added some animal-themed levity and ultimately went into the current school mask bill, HB 1093.  I went on to say how I expect the Damn Emperor to veto it, and he cut in with a supposition that I haven’t given any original thought to.  The conversation went something like this:

CB: “There’s a good chance that he won’t veto it.”
JS: “That would be great, a win-win for everyone, but WHY?”
CB: “He wants higher office.”
JS: “He already eschewed a federal senate run and the Oval Office.”
CB: “Oval Office for 2024, that is, but I’m thinking 2028.”
JS: “That’s possible, but why would you bet the farm?”
CB: “He just sent troops to Texas.”
JS: “Yeah, but so did other governors, it could be peer pressure.”
CB: “I don’t think so, plus he’s going to Texas to be a speaker at the NRA.”
JS: “He’s a narcissist and an attention-seeking ham.”
CB: “He’s building out-of-state exposure and recognition.”
JS: “But he’s been doing that for a few election cycles.  Again, the ego.”

At this point, Chris went on to explain how ALL presidential candidates have a pattern of putting their big egos on full display and that it’s a multi-year and multi-election cycle process building their campaigns.  He went on to talk about some out-of-state Gilmore (or is it Gilmour?) guy from several years ago.

I turned into a deer in the headlights when I heard that name because my mental knee-jerk thought was about Peggy Gilmour, that decaying old lobbyist and enemy camp event hostess who dyes her hair an unfortunate orange and looks just about ready to start using a D’Allesandro wheelie walker.

I should have taken notes or at least paid closer attention.  If you want to know more about the guy Chris was talking about, reach out to him.  Meanwhile, I need to take some Pepto Bismol over thinking about Peggy.

Back to His Excellency; much has already been discussed, surmised, and speculated as to what his next move might be.  He even pointed out to the whole legislature that he had time to change his mind about retiring from the Corner Office.  It was in his recent State of the State speech, and he even poked fun at Warmington when everyone in Reps Hall presumably gasped.

Because he’s in bed with CNN, MSNBC, and their ilk, it’s common to think that he’s got some pundit gig waiting for him in January.  I doubt he’ll quietly go back to his ski area and quietly live out his post-50 years in obscurity. He thrives on attention and is addicted to relevancy.

So my parting comment is to say don’t be so quick to dismiss Chris Buda’s prognostication.  And I’m interested in thoughts from a Grokster who’s gifted at calling a spade a spade.  That’s the one and only Ed Mosca.  Consider this a request.

The post His Excellency’s Long Term Plans … Don’t Be Thinking CNN or MSNBC. appeared first on Granite Grok.

Claims in a special counsel report that the president’s neurological decline has progressed to the point where he is too incompetent to be held accountable for alleged improper handling of sensitive documents drew rather furious responses from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Still, it seems obvious to a great many Americans that their president cannot possibly serve a second term. That the Biden campaign criticizes the integrity of the report further tarnishes his credibility, amplifying the national anxiety about the 2024 presidential election.

An Awkward Offensive

The race to rewrite special counsel Robert K. Hur’s report about Biden’s handling of classified documents reveals an awkward, if not Orwellian, effort. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) labeled the findings “right-wing extremism,” while the president’s personal lawyer, Bob Bauer, claimed, “This is a report that went off the rails … A shabby work product.” Biden and his defenders found the report’s criticisms of Donald Trump legitimate while condemning any negative observations about Biden.

The mainstream media has rallied to the president. The New York Times proclaimed that “[t]he report … cleared Mr. Biden of criminal wrongdoing,” and the commander-in-chief made similar assertions at his Feb. 9 press conference:

“I’ve seen the headlines since the report was released about my willful retention of documents. This [undiscernible] assertion is not only misleading, they’re just plain wrong.

“That’s the counsel’s decision to make … And they decided not to move forward. For any extraneous commentary, they don’t know what they’re talking about. That has no place in this report. The bottom line is the matter is now closed.”

This effort to sweep clear prosecutorial conclusions under the Oval Office rug instead kicks up more dust. Hur found that Mr. Biden illegally handled documents; the special counsel’s comments about mental acuity were necessary to determine whether he could establish that such actions were intentional. The two factual issues – mishandling of documents and the mens rea (criminal intent) to knowingly have done so – are both essential elements for prosecution. Democrats’ efforts to separate these facts from the report’s conclusions are even less credible than the administration’s claims that Republicans won’t permit Biden to secure the Mexican border.

Hiding Biden

Tellingly, as the chief executive addressed the nation, he railed against a prosecutor conducting required work:

“I know there is some attention paid to some language in the report about my recollection of events. There is even reference that I don’t remember when my son died. How in the Hell dare he raise that? Frankly, when I was asked the question I thought to myself it wasn’t any of their damn business.”

This indignation invites concerns over the president’s thinking processes – he is an attorney and surely understands that it is standard practice to ask such questions when assessing mental competence to stand trial or prove the intent element of a crime. The president defended himself against the faulty memory allegations by saying he never forgets because he wears every day “the rosary [Beau] got at Our Lady of …, ” unable to recall the name of the church. The Hur report noted other lapses and errors, including an inability to recall the name Roe v. Wade and the years when he was vice president.

Lying Again, or Forgetting Again?

There is little reasonable doubt that the president suffers from persistent memory problems. The special counsel report found “Mr. Biden’s memory was significantly limited, both during his recorded interviews with the ghostwriter in 2017, and in his interview with our office in 2023.” Those lapses formed a substantial basis for the decision not to prosecute Biden for mishandling documents. Now Democrats and the White House dismiss the weak memory evidence that rescued him and claim he was somehow “proved innocent.”

In his public statements, Biden snapped back:

“I did not share classified information. I did not share it. [Reporter in background: With your ghostwriter?] … with my ghostrider [sic]. Guarantee you did not. [Reporter: But the counsel said you did.] No, they did not say that. They did not say that.”

Small wonder the White House seeks to bury that statement by omitting it from the transcript. The Hur report found that various documents – including notes and notebooks containing sensitive information – were recklessly kept in bags, boxes, and other unsecured means at several different locations. The prosecutor specifically determined that Biden had provided classified material to his ghostwriter:

“Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen. These materials included (1) marked classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan, and (2) notebooks containing Mr. Biden’s handwritten entries about issues of national security and foreign policy implicating sensitive intelligence sources and methods …

“Mr. Biden shared information, including some classified information, from those notebooks with his ghostwriter …

“[W]hile reading his notebook entries aloud during meetings with his ghostwriter, Mr. Biden sometimes skipped over presumptively classified material and warned his ghostwriter the entries might be classified, but at least three times Mr. Biden read from classified entries aloud to his ghostwriter nearly verbatim …

“Mr. Biden’s lapses in attention and vigilance demonstrate why former officials should not keep classified materials unsecured at home and read them aloud to others, but jurors could well conclude that Mr. Biden’s actions were unintentional. We therefore decline to charge Mr. Biden for disclosure of these passages to his ghostwriter.”

Contrary to the president’s and the media’s claims that Biden was “cleared of any wrongdoing,” the report concluded, “The practices of retaining classified material in unsecured locations and reading classified material to one’s ghostwriter present serious risks to national security, given the vulnerability of extraordinarily sensitive information to loss or compromise to America’s adversaries.”

Ignorance Is Bliss?

Either the president is a savvy dissembler who outsmarted the prosecutor by playing stupid, or his current behavior exhibits precisely the neurological/memory problems documented by Hur as (1) a hurdle to establishing intentional (rather than negligent) mismanagement of files, and (2) a problem for a sympathetic jury: “[H]e is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt. It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him – by then a former president well into his eighties – of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”

The Democrat response reflects how far fact-deniers will go to advance their power – their ends justify their means. But the end for America is the 2024 candidacy of a man with obvious memory struggles. Biden ironically lashed out at Republicans on Feb. 9: “Time and again, Republicans show they’re a party of chaos and disunion. This is not your father’s Republican Party. They shout about a problem but then do nothing to solve the problem.”

Presumably, the president’s deficiency will serve him equally well when he denies memory of his foreign dealings with son Hunter. This is not your father’s Democratic Party.

 

John Klar is an Attorney, farmer, and author. Mostly farmer… And Regular Contributor to GraniteGrok and VermontGrok.

The post Biden’s Innocence Based on an Inability To Recall How Guilty He Is appeared first on Granite Grok.

I’m sure that the response of New Hampshire’s free-marketeers to this post would be something along the lines of … Google is a private company and as such has an absolute right to bias its search results any way it wishes, … has an absolute right to employ as may ex-CIA as it wants … if you don’t like it, build your own Google, … blah, blah, blah.

The reality, however, is that Google is a monopoly that has the ability to sway elections AND is being run by ex-CIA, AND rigging elections is exactly what Google (and other Big-Tech except for Elon) is doing.

Google’s algorithm (I don’t even know if that is the correct term) is weighted to disproportionately produce “news” from the hard-Left such as the New York Times and CNN. And as I discussed in a recent post:

… you can have voter ID, paper ballots, get rid of “early voting,” etc., etc., etc., and still not have a functional democracy if the government can censor the information available to voters (e.g., Hunter-laptop) and plant false information (e.g., Russia-bounties, the military are “suckers and losers”). America does NOT have a functional democracy because of government censorship.

Here is the data that shows the bias:

Google News' bias has gotten more pronounced since 2022.

63% of articles came from media outlets AllSides rates as Lean Left or Left. Just 6% were from the right.

Thread https://t.co/2U6I6GwRdf pic.twitter.com/ZyE1L6XMsv

— AllSides (@AllSidesNow) February 22, 2024

Even more ominous is that Google (and Facebook) is run by ex-CIA. But just keep pretending “land of the free,” that America is not a Police State, that our elections aren’t rigged, etc., etc., etc.:

1. Google & Meta function as extensions of the US Intelligence Community. With Jacqueline Lopour, Google's Head of Trust & Safety, and Aaron Berman, Meta's Head of Elections Content/Misinformation Policy, both being career CIA officers, it underscores the CIA's substantial… https://t.co/LdxZLGfekv pic.twitter.com/SpDlz5AGBj

— Name Redacted (@NameRedacted247) February 25, 2024

The post How Google Is Run By The CIA And Is Rigging The Election appeared first on Granite Grok.

Hundreds of millions of pounds of beef are imported into the US every year. Consumers believe because an American company is on the label, the beef is from the USA. As US farmland disappears, we slow down on exports with dwindling farms, imports are rising. The main sources of imported beef are from Australia, Brazil, Uruguay, and other countries.

Even if the label says “USA,” it only means some value was added to the meat in the US. Slicing, packaging, and shipping all qualify it to have the label “product of USA.” That means the cow may have been raised and slaughtered in another country under their rules, not our USDA and FDA rules. There is no way to know…

During the last millennial, there’s been a move from local farms to grocery store food produced in mass quantities. This brought about additives, coloring, fillers, and chemical preservatives. You need a chemistry degree to try and figure out the ingredients. Yet, we trusted the USDA and FDA to do right by us. At fIrst many chemicals were used as preservatives. Then “natural spices or flavoring was labeled without details of what exactly they were. We bought the food anyway.

We want to thank Julie P. for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
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Remember “mystery meat” at school lunch? Today, supermarket meat is a mystery. You don’t know if the animal was fed growth hormones, antibiotics, and during processing, preservatives, red dye 40 coloring, Pink slime fillers, carbon monoxide, or even if the cow was raised in the USA. You won’t find any information on the label. How do you even know if it’s fresh!? They inject carbon monoxide into the air during packaging, then heat seal it to give and keep that fresh reddish pink look. It is banned in Japan and Canada because it can mask spoiled meat and fish, but not here. Much of our meat from Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Uruguay is a long way from farm to table. The USDA and FDA do not require a point of origin on the label as long as it was trimmed or cut in the USA.

Move over cows; there are other options!

Redefine Meat:  Lab meat.

The USDA approved lab-grown meat and chicken in June 2023. A factory in Holland prints 500 tons of steaks per month through 3D printers.

The Redefine Meat company will supply printed fillets to German restaurants. Around 110 German restaurants are already buying “meat” from Redefine Meat.

“To begin the process of 3D-pressed meat, scientists biopsy a sample of animal stem cells depending on the desired type of meat: beef, pork, poultry, or even fish. These cells are then subjected to a proliferation process and are immersed in a nutrient-dense serum in a climate-controlled bioreactor. Over several weeks, these cells multiply, interact, and differentiate in the fat and muscle cells that make up the bioink.

This is how a robot arm uses a nozzle to spread this filament of baked meat over each other in thin layers. The arm follows the instructions of an uploaded digital file with computer-aided design software (CAD) to replicate the correct shape and structure of the desired meat. The 3D-printed meat material must be viscose but solid enough to achieve a full structural model of accurate vascularization of tissue depending on the type and cut of meat.” Enjoy your meal! This is the direction the globalist, WHO and WEF are moving toward for “the people.” I’ll bet Bill G (his last name rhymes with hates), doesn’t eat 3D meat or has it in his Hawaii farm/bunker. I doubt any globalists do.

Impossible Foods (impossible burger)

Plant-based meat: Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat sell plant-based concoctions. Using soy, oils, minerals or proteins, flavors, fats, and binders to imitate ground beef. An ingredient called “Heme”, a gene made using yeast and genetically engineered, that gives it the flavor of beef, is controversial for vegans and possible health risks. One has to wonder if the efforts and “processing” involved in an “impossible” burger are more about the “feels” than healthy eating!? Their biggest hype is no animal was hurt and saving the planet. Highly processed food, such as Impossible Burger, reports trouble with digestion due to a lack of enzymes to digest certain carbs and soy. The amount of water used and other environmental impacts in processing have become a question that remains unanswered.

I’m not a geneticist, chemist or biologist, just a consumer looking for answers. I encourage everyone to do their own research and ask questions about their food source. I’m not saying any of the following is safe or not. Just saying you may want to know where your food comes from, when, and how. I’ve been buying beef from a neighboring farm for many years. There is a distinct difference between store beef and the beef I buy from them. The hamburger is infinitely better! The cows are grass-fed and a mixture of silage treated very well, live in open pastures and have shelter. Their fecal waste is made into highly sought-after fertilizer. Every part of the cow is used for byproducts. When their time comes, they are ethically euthanized, and a New Hampshire USDA butcher processes the meat.

Save a farm and buy local!

The post Where’s The Beef? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Tulsi Gabbard, a former U.S. representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district and a decorated military veteran, has emerged as a fascinating potential candidate for the vice-presidential spot in Donald Trump’s administration. Her background, unorthodox political stances, and broad appeal marked by a unique blend of military experience, legislative understanding, and a distinctive foreign policy stance offer a compelling narrative for her potential role in the Trump administration.

Tulsi Gabbard’s political career has been marked by a strong focus on legislative achievements that resonate with a broad spectrum of constituents. During her tenure in Congress, Tulsi Gabbard demonstrated a multifaceted approach to governance, focusing on several key areas:

Environmental Advocacy: Gabbard cosponsored the Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act of 2016, aiming to promote coral reef research and conservation through federal grants. She supported green energy policies, including transitioning to near-zero greenhouse gas emissions and 100% clean renewable energy.

Affordable Housing Initiatives: Addressing Hawaii’s high cost of living, Gabbard focused on affordable housing issues, highlighting her commitment to economic development and social welfare.

Health and Food Policy Advocacy: Gabbard was a leading advocate for mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food, earning recognition from Food Policy Action for her efforts to improve the nation’s food system and fight against the DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act.

National Parks Conservation Support: Gabbard was honored with the “Friend of the National Parks” award from the National Parks Conservation Association for her support of the National Park System, underscoring her commitment to preserving the natural and cultural resources of the United States.

Gabbard’s legislative achievements reflect her dedication to serving the needs and interests of her constituents, showcasing her commitment to environmental protection, economic development, and social welfare.

Military Experience and Foreign Policy Stance: Gabbard’s distinguished military career and experience in the United States Army Reserve have shaped her unique foreign policy views, setting her apart from mainstream Democratic or Republican positions. Her service in Iraq and Kuwait has given her a deep understanding of military operations and strategy.

In this regard, her interactions with the Trump administration have also been notable. Gabbard has met with President Trump and has been critical of specific policies while supporting others.

The potential impact of Tulsi Gabbard’s inclusion in the Trump administration must be considered. The speculation around Gabbard’s possible candidacy for the vice-presidential spot in the Trump administration is intriguing. Her ability to appeal to women, military personnel, and Democrats presents a unique opportunity for the Trump campaign to broaden its support base.

Gabbard’s calm and logical approach could balance Trump’s aggressive style, potentially mellowing his rhetoric and making his administration more appealing to a broader range of voters. Her background in Congress and military experience could help reshape the administration’s policy and public engagement approach.

However, Tulsi Gabbard’s relationship with the World Economic Forum has raised serious concerns among conservatives. WEF is a globalist organization established by Klaus Schwab.

Gabbard’s willingness to support authoritarian regimes under certain conditions has both been criticized and contributed to her distinct foreign policy stance.

Gabbard’s foreign policy views are characterized by a critical view of “regime change wars” and an advocacy for a more diplomatic approach to international relations and a focus on environmentalism. She has shown a willingness to support authoritarian regimes in certain contexts, such as her meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which was controversial due to her defense of his authoritarianism and his use of force against civilians. Additionally, she has expressed support for brutal authoritarian repression in places like Egypt in the name of counter-terrorism, placing her outside of the mainstream of American progressives.

“Gabbard was scrutinized for a 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom the United States government blames for deadly attacks against Syrian civilians during the country’s civil war.”

“Gabbard endorsed independent senator Sanders’ run against Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. Gabbard ended her presidential candidacy in March 2020 and immediately endorsed Joe Biden.

Here is a long list of  Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (2013-202) Congressional Report Card. Conclusion

Is Tulsi Gabbard picture-perfect? No, she is not. Can Republican voters trust her should she become a VP nominee? That’s the question that is still lingering. But, hypothetically, let’s assume Trump chooses her as his running mate; what should we expect?

In a hypothetical situation, Tulsi Gabbard’s potential can be seen by some as a game-changer for the Trump administration. Her selection as Trump’s vice president could bring many benefits, including unifying the Republican base, appealing to a broader range of voters, and balancing influence on Trump’s more combative approach to governance.

“Tulsi Gabbard’s odds of becoming the 2024 Republican vice-presidential candidate surged with a leading bookmaker after Donald Trump said she was on his short list during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday.”

Her legislative achievements, military experience, and distinct foreign policy stance make her a compelling candidate for a vice-presidential role. The benefits of her selection, including her broad appeal and potential to influence the administration’s approach, warrant serious consideration.

In short, her candidacy remains speculative, and further developments will provide more insight into the direction of the Trump administration. Gabbard’s unique blend of experiences and perspectives could significantly influence the Trump administration’s policies and approach to governance, setting a new precedent for the role of vice president in American politics.

 

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

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No one, including (I suspect) the lone Democrat Rep who sponsored the legislation, New Market Democrat Ellen Read, expects HB1102 to get very far. The Bill would modify the state’s animal cruelty law to effectively ban English and French bulldogs, bull mastiffs, Boston terriers, boxers, pugs, shih tzus, Lhasa apsos, and Pekingese.

By ban, I mean the breeding for sale of Brachycephalic Dogs. These are flat-faced pups with shortened snouts that can lead to a variety of pre-ordained health issues. According to this source,

While not all of these dogs have associated health problems, the shape of the nose and head of a brachycephalic dog can place them at risk for a condition called brachycephalic airway syndrome, says Dr. Cheryl Yuill for Veterinary Centers of America. VCA Hospitals. There are four distinct upper airway abnormalities that can cause this condition, and a brachycephalic dog can have one or more of these abnormalities.

Read’s Bill would prohibit their sale in the state, their breeding being statutorily defined as animal cruelty, changes that include two or more of “an animal that has a birth deformity that causes suffering.”

No matter your thoughts on Bull Dogs, Pugs, or any other related varieties, labradors, for example, tend to be born with hip dysplasia. It may or may not cause suffering, but the odds of it are not low, while treatment can be reasonable and noninvasive. My dog, Cosmo, was diagnosed with hip dysplasia around the age of one. He’s been on joint supplements since (a daily chewable tablet), and, as he approaches his 8th birthday, has never once shown any discomfort, lack of mobility, or disinterest in testing his speed or agility at the dog park (or chasing critters in the yard) since diagnosed. But, technically, were the breeder to have had two such instances in that litter (his was eight pups), I believe they could be said to have violated the statute as modified by HB1102.

It’s absurd. The quality of his life, and ours for having him in it, have been exceptional. And while I’ve never owned a Brachycephalic Dog, I know people who have or do, and they love each other a great deal, experiencing the joys of pet and owner (not to mention the added commerce created by pet ownership in general).

In other words, whether a constituent requested this Bill or it came to Rep. Read in a progressive fever dream, it is a ridiculous proposition. Two of the (would be) banned dogs are in the top ten most popular breeds in the US, with the French Bulldog at number one (the other is the English Bulldog at No. 6). Related: The Climate Cult is “Coming” For the Family Pet – Dogs and Cats Contribute to Global Warming.

The Bill does not ban your getting a breed outside New Hampshire and bringing it home, but that then encourages prospective pet owners to take their business outside the state. The actual message is anti-local dog breeding, which you’d think might make them more accountable to their customers than those outside the state. I assume that HB1102 would also end the ability of rescue services to bring them here for adoption to good, happy homes.

If you are inclined to appear and express your doubts about this as an exercise of state authority, a public hearing is scheduled on 03/05/2024 01:00 pm LOB 301-303, with a Full Committee Work Session scheduled for 03/06/2024 10:00 am LOB 301-303

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Many Presidents have tempered their policy positions while campaigning for or during their second term. Bill Clinton was praised by many for his move toward the middle, allowing him to get much accomplished in his second term. What Joe Biden has been doing the last few weeks is evidence his reelection staff is in panic mode.

They will say or do whatever is necessary to counter the damaging polls coming out of swing states that will determine the winner in 2024.

Michigan is an excellent example to analyze because the President has to win Michigan and is currently behind Trump in one-to-one polling. Joe Biden’s Green Policies and his mandate to phase out internal combustion vehicles are destroying the auto industry in Michigan and thousands of good-paying union jobs. Green Energy has been the number one policy of this Administration, and Biden has been unyielding in his focus until now. The difference today is that the impact of Biden’s premature and poor policy decisions has been devastating enough to break Biden’s support by the Michigan voters. With his policy no longer set in stone, Biden will reassess exhaust emissions that will delay the death of gas-driven automobiles. Biden’s difficulty securing the support of the powerful UAW and the recent announcement that the Teamsters are backing Trump has forced Biden’s hand. This Teamster decision will mark the first time they have supported a Republican in nearly fifty years.

This policy change is good news for the autoworkers in Michigan but leaves automakers questioning their future focus. Do they continue shifting their attention to electric vehicles, or is this a short-term flip solely for votes, and Biden will return to his pro-green push? Nobody except Biden can answer that question, and who would believe his answer? The Radical Left will pay close attention to this issue as any deviation from his green policies will bring stiff resistance.

The other issue generating interest and debate is also a high-wire act for Biden as he does not want to alienate one block of Democrats as he satisfies another. Michigan has a significant Muslim population that has been critical of any sign of Biden’s support for Israel. This Muslim pressure, along with the Radical Left, in other words, The Squad, has been having an impact on Biden’s tempered support of Israel as they defend themselves against Hamas and Hezbollah.

Joe Biden has sent billions of our tax dollars to Ukraine and consistently demands more funds. There are reports of kickbacks from Ukraine into the Biden Family accounts. Biden tells us how important it is to give Ukraine the resources to protect its borders while ours remains completely open. When it comes to Israel, his message is very different. Instead of funds, he sends Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel to urge them to stop their attack on Hamas. He publicly denounces the push into Gaza by Israeli ground troops on their mission to retaliate for the Hamas attack of October 7 and to eliminate the potential repeat of such a breach of their sovereignty. Israel was once our strongest ally in the Middle East. Still, Biden is doing irreversible damage to that relationship if only to appease his connection with the Radical Left and to buy Muslim votes in places like Michigan. It is a transparent and shameless act but one we have come to expect from our Shadow president.

The post Biden’s Policies And Swing State Polls appeared first on Granite Grok.

The man who occasionally (rarely?) sits behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office (photo ops?) can’t seem to find his way onstage. He has difficulty making it to the podium.

He appears to shake hands with people who aren’t on the stage. He frequently speaks to or about people who aren’t there—because they’re dead (e.g., Francois Mitterrand, who died in 1996, Helmut Kohl, who died in 2017, or Rep. Jackie Walorski who died before a conference that she had convened).

He just spoke of asking President Lopez Obrador of Mexico to open the gate between Gaza and Israel. He continues to repeat tall tales about various events that have been fact-checked as false. He slurs words together.

When he is finally done. he can’t find his way off of the stage. Does he seem OK to you?

The latest buzz? The report about the classified documents about Afghanistan and Ukraine found in cardboard boxes in Mr. Biden’s garage and in his office at the Penn Biden Center. As Mr. Biden was the vice-president or a senator at the time, he was not legally allowed to declassify and retain those documents.

Will he be indicted? Per special counsel Robert Hur—no. Why?

Mr. Hur noted that Mr. Biden’s memory was so poor that he couldn’t remember when he was vice president or when his son Beau died, among other things. Mr. Hur stated that Mr. Biden would be a sympathetic elderly defendant and a jury wouldn’t convict. Not that AG Garland would actually issue an indictment against his buddy. C’mon, man

Are you still planning to vote for this person as president of the United States?

The post Night Cap: Biden Couldn’t Find Memory Lane With … appeared first on Granite Grok.

Nationally, Trump is ahead by nearly 60 points. Yesterday, Trafalgar had Trump up by 20+ points in SC. Today, inevitability has again raised its head as the real numbers finally roll in from South Carolina—another sweeping victory with what looks like 60 percent of primary voters choosing President Trump.

One thing I’m noticing as results from the primary continue to come in is Nikki Haley’s relative strength in Columbia and Charleston — two of the most Democratic-leaning areas in South Carolina. We don’t yet know just how many Democrats skipped their party’s contest on Feb. 3 in order to support her tonight. But it seems her campaign message has broken through to some.

Donald Trump has claimed all but three counties in the entire state (Charleston, Richland, and Beaufort), which has inspired the New York Times to update this headline.

Trump Defeats Haley, Delivering a Crushing Blow in Her Home State

 

It’s not a surprise; from what I recall, she has never polled well enough there to come even close. Sadly for the party, losing in her home state by double digits – typically an embarrassing drubbing in any other circumstance – is not a reason to acquiesce. She’s convinced that 60+ percent of Republicans isn’t the message. The other 39% are – keeping in mind that were it the other way around, it would be a different story.

But Haley has gobs of Deep State cash to burn and no reason to stop. She won’t be out by Super Tuesday or after. Her backers won’t want that. Every dollar they spent that forces Trump to spend money improves the odds that his Democrat opponents win in November.

That’s my take from here. The Republican moderates are more interested in losing, and the American people should take note.

As for Nikki Haley, what she should be thinking is about the words of Russ Kahn (Carolina in the Morning)

Dreaming was meant for nighttime
I live in dreams all the day
I know it’s not the right time
But still, I dream away
What could be sweeter than dreaming
Just dreaming and drifting away

They aren’t the most memorable lyrics from the 1922 song, but if you’re on team Haley, plenty could be finer than to be in (South) Carolina the morning after the 2024 primary – no matter how you spin it.

[Update] As the Carolina morning breaks Trump’ “crushing blow” is slightly under 60% (59.8)

And with 44 out of 50 Delegates allotted Trup has 107 to Haley’s 17 (with DeSantis and Ramaswamay Trump’s count is 129).

Michigan has a primary on Tuesday, the  27th. Michigan, Idaho, and Missouri have Caucuses in two days (March 2nd). DC votes on March 3rd, and North Dakota on March 4th. Sixteen primaries happen on Super Tuesday (March 5th). A total of 1077 delegates are up for grabs from now until then.

Not enough to sew up the abomination was Trump to sweep, but you only need 1215 to ring the bell and there are 12 more primaries in March.

The post Night Cap: Nothing Could Be Finer, Than to Beat Haley in ‘Carolina’ … With 60% of the Vote [Update] appeared first on Granite Grok.

My neighbors in Vermont passed a law allowing illegal aliens to vote in local elections, probably because all the cool progressive “kids” are doing it. Not far from the Green Mountains, New York City did something similar. Local Law No. 11, as it was called, would have stuffed ballot boxes with non-citizen votes.

It would, had it not just been struck down.

Appeal Court Justice Paul Wooten struck down the insane law, writing that, “We determine that this local law was enacted in violation of the New York State Constitution and Municipal Home Rule Law, and thus, must be declared null and void.”

The goofy, irrational 2022 law, supported by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also lost at the trial court level. The City appealed that earlier decision, and has now lost again. Back in 2022, the Associated Press estimated Local Law 11 would create over eight hundred thousand new non-citizen voters.

New Hampshire doesn’t have anything like that in the queue, but there is a bill (SB501) that would allow the state to give non-citizen driver’s licenses to anyone “Who has been granted conditional or permanent residence by the United States government.” That sounds like anyone the Biden Admin let in, but even if that’s not true,  a driver’s license is a ticket to same-day voting in the Granite State. State ID is proof of residency. Out-of-state college kids can still use Dorm IDs, so a state-issued license to drive suggests a desire to expand the Democrat’s “Love the One You’re Wit” approach to voting rights. And once you’re on the checklist, you can vote in every election as long as you have a valid driver’s license.

The narrative is that everyone should be able to vote by mail unless they are in New Hampshire on election day, in which case such demands are vote suppression. And we know they want them to vote in our elections, so it’s useless to deny it.

Meanwhile, back in the Big Crapple.

Oh, the Democrats in NYC are going to be madder than hornets. They have been importing these illegals for votes and now they can’t use them. They are stuck with criminals that are of no benefit to them.

A state appeals court ruled that a New York City law that would allow… pic.twitter.com/B1BJvOF14j

— Tired of being politically correct (@USBornNRaised) February 22, 2024

 

New York’s been bitching about the huddled masses teeming on its shores (and taking up hotel rooms that could be filled with paying tourists). After the Trump fine, businesses have fled, investment dollars are looking for a way out, and now this?

A problem that solves itself if, for some reason, they were all going to vote for Trump. Adams and the Bidenistas would have them on every boat and plane they could find, back to anywhere but here.

 

The post Judge Says Law Allowing Non-Citizens to Vote is Unconstitutional appeared first on Granite Grok.

The beleaguered girls’ varsity basketball team from Mid-Vermont Christian School in Quechee, VT, is headed to the New England Association of Christian Schools Championship game.  This is a year after they made international headlines for taking a principled stand against playing a school boasting a biological male athlete, identifying as “trans,” standing nearly 6’3” tall.

The school is currently awaiting a trial hearing for the suit brought on their behalf by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a non-profit legal firm.  The suit names head coach Chris Goodwin and his wife as the chief plaintiffs, especially on behalf of their children, who have been unfairly punished as a result of Vermont athletic policy being levied against them rather than on behalf of their constitutionally protected religious freedom of conscience.  Among the defendants are Vermont Principal’s Association Executive Director Jay Nichols, Interim Secretary of Vermont Agency of Education Heather Bouchey, Chair of the Vermont State Board of Education Jennifer Deck Samuelson, Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Hartland School Board, Orange East Supervisory Union Superintendent Randall Gawel, and the Waits River Valley School Board.

The irony escaping many in Vermont is the call for tolerance and inclusion by those in power somehow doesn’t extend to the small private school.  The same oppressor versus oppressed ideology the state of Vermont has imbibed and adopted from its political activists, including those crafting policies and laws, somehow misses the very obvious power of the state oppressing a tiny Christian school with even smaller girls playing against a well-funded private school that recruits from across the country.  However, this philosophical argument is not the crux of the matter, but rather the constitutional protection the school and students have per the first amendment.  This is the case being made by the ADF lawyers, who are no strangers to battling case law against the state of Vermont, which has repeatedly violated the rights of its citizens.

After speaking with ADF’s Media Relations Manager, Jaqueline Robeiro, she sent along the press releases and case filings as presented to the Vermont District Court, as well as other cases ADF has taken in the state.  Among them are parents and the Burlington Diocese case, which was won back in 2022, changing a twenty-year history of religious discrimination by the state. At the root of this case was the state withholding tuition from students of religious schools while offering them to other students who were eligible for the same benefit, the only difference being the religious nature of the student.

As a tax-payer and Christian myself, the stunning arrogance of public officials living off the largesse of tax money we, the earners, provide the state, to then deny us the very money we provide over constitutionally protected religious freedoms is the height of political oppression.  Specifically, the government is an institution built from the money of the people for the will of the people and supports itself with armed enforcement to enact that will.  To use the enforcing power of the state against religious people who simply want equal rights to an education violates true equity and is also tyranny.

Luckily, the ADF has a record of winning these cases, even in Vermont.

Also with a record of winning are the young ladies representing MVCS today (Saturday) in the championship game held at the Central Christian Academy in Southington, CT, at 1pm.  Though embroiled in an international story of controversy, the bantam team known as the Eagles has soared above the fray to win the NEACS Northern division and will face off against the champions of the Southern division from Central Christian.

The Eagles’ continue their David vs. Goliath saga as they bring not only an undersized team with only eight of a possible twelve players, they have no seniors while having to bring up more than one eighth grader to fill out their starting five.  MVCS Assistant Coach Helen Jenks is encouraged by the team’s growth over the season and ability to scrap with bigger and more experienced teams.

On their road to the championship, they have had to come from behind on more than one occasion carried by sometimes sharp-shooting guard, eighth-grader Myranda Goodwin, who hit three three-point goals in the Northern finals to bolster the Eagles to victory.  MVCS inside game is shored up by Lydia Dickey, who stands a solid 6’ and has the physical strength to dominate in the post.  Her 17 points, 15 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 assist in the semi-finals led to her being awarded the tournament MVP.

Though many schools may have succumbed to the media pressure and social ostracism so common in today’s cancel culture, the Eagles prove their faith is at least the size of a mustard seed, if not as big as a full-grown tree.  The story of this team reminds one of yet another Bible lesson taught by Joseph to his brothers, whom he admonished, “What you intended for evil, God intended for good.”

With any luck, the defendants who’ve used the power of government in Vermont to violate the rights of these girls will come to the same realization.

but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

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