Tuesday • May 24 • 2022
Vol.XIV • No.XXI
Manchester, N.H.
We learned that Rep. Mike Yakubovich (R-Hooksett) is not only a talented legislator, but is a talented musician as well, and he played the Star Spangled Banner for us today as we opened our session.
We learned that as part of his tour of New England, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and past President Lech Walesa of Poland came to address the General Court today as an honorary guest. He spoke through an interpreter and presented some interesting thoughts. His main theme was talking about his hope that the United States would become a strong leader in world politics again. While he criticized capitalism, he lauded free markets and a free market economy, which was sort of a mixed message to me. His speech also touched on moving the world forward towards a “New Order”, which is not exactly a concept that I am thrilled about either. That being said, he did decry totalitarian and oppressive countries such as China and Russia..and he did talk about the importance of religion, … so there’s that. It was interesting to hear from this historic Polish icon, especially as I was aware of the struggles he and his country endured under Soviet control and their fight for independence and freedom. It was an interesting morning during this joint session of the House and Senate.
We learned that this House session was all about concurring (mostly) and non-concurring with House bills that came back with amendments from the Senate. We also agreed with the Senate to establish committee of conferences for about 14 Senate bills that the House amended. Both bodies will be busy with committees of conference in the next week or two. Let the horse trading begin!
We learned that HB1178 came back with an amendment from the Senate. This bill prohibits the State from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or Presidential executive order that restricts or regulates the right of people to keep and bear arms. The Senate amendment clarified some language having to do with reporting domestic violence to NICS. One NH gun group came out against this amendment, but the truth is we do this reporting anyway, so nothing was added to the statutes as a result of this amendment. The concur vote passed 163-143 with a roll call vote. Rep. John Burt (R-Goffstown) supported the amendment, so you know it’s good gun legislation. Now, it is off to the Governor’s desk.
We learned that HB1022 passed a concur motion with a roll call vote of 157-148. This bill permits pharmacists to dispense the drug Ivermectin by means of a standing order and it established a commission to study Ivermectin to treat Covid-19. Rep. Jerry Knirk (D-Freedom) apparently supports the unlicensed practice of medicine! He said, not only once, but twice, to the House that, “We should not legislate the practice of medicine”. Has he become a Medical Anarchist or something?? Who knew?? We’ll have to remind him of this next time he proposes legislation for more medical regulations!
We learned that sometimes the bills coming back from the Senate for concurrence have some very important changes… like in HB1495, the bill prohibiting the state from requiring businesses to require vaccine or documentation related to vaccination or immunity status. What was their important change? In HB1495 the Senate added a comma and the word “a” into the bill’s language. A similar change happened to HB1160, the bill relative to obedience to signals at railroad crossings. In that bill they placed an “or she” after a “he” and made a “he shall not” into a “he or she shall not” in the language. Aren’t you glad these egregious linguistics are now gender inclusive in this bill? I know I will sleep better at night as a result. Both bills passed on a voice vote.
We learned that all in all around 76 bills were voted “Concur” and will be off to the Governor’s desk. One important bill, HB1097, will protect NH remote workers from having their income taxed by out of state companies that employ them. If signed by the governor we will have placed into our statutes important language which could help our citizens if future lawsuits are brought to federal court on this matter. The concur motion passed on a voice vote.
We learned that five bills were voted by the House”Non-Concur” and died today because the Senate changes were too onerous to have allowed them to pass. Those bills were: HB254 (relative to placement of minors in secure settings), HB144 (relative to absentee ballot request forms), HB1203 (relative to voter registration and verification of voter identity), HB1195 (regarding public comment periods at school board and board of education meetings), and HB1474 (relative to annual vehicle inspections). I will guarantee that HB1474 will return next year… again.
We learned that this month we should honor all NH veterans for Military Appreciation Month. House Speaker Sherm Packard presented a Joint Resolution that proclaimed the General Court of New Hampshire’s support to honor our veterans and to end veteran homelessness. NH Major General David Mikolaities, Adjutant General and the men and women who have served were guests today in the House gallery. Rep. Terry Roy (R-Deerfield) and Rep. Steven Shurtleff (D-Penacook) both gave wonderful unanimous consent speeches, at the end of session today, regarding the sacrifices our military men and women make and our obligation to end veteran homelessness. God bless our men and women in uniform and let’s pause to remember those who sacrificed their life for our country as we head into Memorial Day at the end of this month.
Finally, we learned that bills will be landing on the governor’s desk shortly. We have one more House Session to go to finish up all of our work for the year… Then it is off to campaign season!Let’s elect more Republicans to the House and Senate, and continue the great work our majority accomplished in lowering taxes, advocating for medical freedom and election integrity, and a host of other great policy changes.
The post So Kids, What Did We Learn From Thursday’s House Session (05/12/22)? appeared first on Granite Grok.
I put this into the same category as “if they are threatening to kill themselves via a hunger strike, gimme a lawn chair, popcorn, and a great prime rib steak.”
If you and your self-important weirdo’s fanboys & fangirls wanna chain yourselves together across a highway for some stupid reason that Normals don’t care about but you’re stopping them from getting to work, doing errands (or worse, an ambulance rushing to take a dying person to a hospital), I have a similar solution.
Cut one of these morons loose from the crash barrier on one side of the highway, walk them (and the rest of these “we’re all in this together” nincompoops) to the other side, and then weld that just-freed lost soul to the barrier there (which side, asphalt or grass/dirt) is your call – I don’t much care). Then just pack up and everyone walks away from them.
They continue to be the Stupid Show Spectacle and Normals get to go about their normal day. WINNER!
Adapt the tactic as needed – like with those that decide THEIR issue is more important than you in just getting that simple pleasure of a cuppa joe (reformatted, emphasis mine):
A Hollywood star is sticking it to Starbucks. Actor James Cromwell — featured in films such as L.A. Confidential, Babe, and The Green Mile — recently came upon a sweet way to cream the coffee company. As it turns out, the chain charges extra for plant-based milk. This heated PETA member James, so he percolated a plan. In order to stop Starbucks from choosing their preferred charging scheme, the 82-year-old glued himself to a New York City cafe’s counter — that’ll teach ’em.
From there — because, given the glue, he couldn’t do it from anywhere else — he read a prepared statement. As reported by Harrisburg’s ABC27, he even managed to raze the restaurant as racist:
[H]e denounced Starbucks’ vegan-milk upcharge, calling it harmful to the environment and discriminatory toward those who suffer from lactose-intolerance, which affects people of color at a greater percentage, according to the National Institutes of Health.
While “situated among a group of PETA-affiliated protestors near the Starbucks register,” he posed the following:
“When will you stop raking in huge profits while customers, animals and the environment suffer? When will you stop penalizing people for their ethnicities, their morals?”
Racism solved? Fake milk made free? Are a staggering number of nonwhites ordering at Starbucks, demanding non-mammalian milk, and then leaving without their drink because they couldn’t afford it? Or, worse, are they still buying it with regular milk and then suffering the KKK-caused squirts? Questions continue to drip.
I dryly note that Cromwell calls Capitalism “a cancer” even as it has enriched his life beyond the reach of even Kings just a couple of centuries ago.
…Police officers eventually responded to the scene, telling protestors that the Starbucks district manager wanted them vacated from the property. Cromwell and John Di Leonardo, another activist who superglued himself to the counter, later unattached themselves about a half-hour after the protest began.
I woulda superglued his other hand to the counter top and then one side or the other of his nether region to the side of it. You know, an updated version of the stocks:
(H/T: RedState)
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Look, I know that some of the regulars — and heaven help me, one or two times a year, me, myself — will fall into doomer mode at times.
Standing on the ramparts is tiring work, and not only are the slings and arrows painful, what hurts the most is the HOWLING incoherence of the opposition. For a certain type of odd, who seems to congregate here, to be honest, we prefer to be called bad names than to be screamed random slogans at. Because we don’t so much mind being hated, but we’d like it to MAKE SENSE.
Sometimes we all fall into doom.
But you have to realize, if you’ve read military history that when the enemy’s main tactic is yelling at you to shut up and give up, they’re losing.
They’re losing big.
To an extent the leftist/collectivist project always was losing. You can’t fight reality. She’s a stone cold b*tch.
But they controlled the mass media, and therefore their shouts made many people give up. Most people, really, including a lot of the “opposition” who became the loyal opposition in the hope of being killed last.
Well, Thank G-d Almighty that time is past.
-Sarah Hoyt (According To Hoyt via Instapundit)
Indeed: Be Brave. Do Something. Get up, get your posterior off the couch and your feet into motion. The battle is raging and reinforcements are needed. No longer let the single digit warriors on your side carry it both to the enemy and you on their backs. DO SOMETHING – and if you have no idea what you could do, ask. Happy to help with answers.
In the meantime, realize that the time for that old bear joke (“I don’t have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you”) no longer applies because it’s one bear after YOU, another after your SPOUSE, and a pack coming after your kids.
Whaddyagonnado?
The post Notable Quote – If They Are Yelling at You, Know That They Are Losing! appeared first on Granite Grok.
A few years ago, one of the firefighters in Manchester, presented a program for the schools that they believed would curb drug use among the Manchester students.
Drug abuse is impacting cities and communities at an alarming rate, so it makes sense that communities want to address this problem head on. But what happens if the programs you use in schools, has the opposite effect on the children you are trying to reach? What if, what they present to the children, makes them even more curious about the risky behavior?
During the firefighter’s presentation, he mentioned how they told the kids that the internet can teach you how to make fentanyl. That’s all I needed to hear. I knew that someone didn’t do their homework. If they are telling kids where to go to learn how to make a dangerous drug, some kids will actually do that. You have to wonder about the people who put these programs together. They may mean well, but the consequences can be deadly. Some kids will ignore the dangers and instead, take that information, and find a way to make the deadly drug, and use it.
I’ve been warning about how society has put schools in charge of a child’s mental health. The CDC also has plans to turn our schools into mental and medical facilities. What can go wrong? A lot, and I explained here.
In this interview in People Magazine with a reality tv star, Crystal Kung Minkoff opens up about how a program on bulimia in school caused her to become a bulimic:
On the latest episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Crystal Kung Minkoff decided to share a part of her life that she doesn’t typically talk about — her longtime battle with bulimia.
The new housewife, 35, shared with her castmates that she’s “a recovering bulimic.”
“And I say recovering because I don’t know what it’s like to be any other thing,” she said.
Kung Minkoff explained to the other women — Lisa Rinna, Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke, Kathy Hilton and Kyle Richards — that she started struggling with disordered eating at age 11, and added in a confessional interview that she learned about bulimia after watching a video about eating disorders in school.
As you can see, her introduction to an eating disorder at school has had a life-long devastating impact on her life.
Some of these problems were highlighted the other night a Londonderry’s school board meeting. It starts out with a school administrator explaining the process of how books are approved when they are placed in the school library. But we’ve heard about this process before. The bottom line is, even if you have librarians working in the school choosing these books, the buck stops with the leaders. The Superintendents and Principals do share some of the responsibility when it is determined that something has run afoul. Any attempt to point their finger in a different direction, shows poor leadership. Take responsibility and fix the problem, stop making excuses. (Watch 51:28)
Londonderry is the same district that currently utilizes what they refer to as the “committee of truth.” This is where the district office and administration can refute claims made by parents, but offer no opportunity to have a back and forth discussion. The police and parent-facing cameras are also being utilized at the school board meetings, which has been described as an intimidation tactic.
One parent pushed back during the school board meeting, (1:16:00) and addressed the importance of sharing concerns at these public meetings. She has young children, and has to decide where to send her children to school.
Other parents are saying that they are being told not to bring their concerns to the public meetings, and instead have them handled quietly. Is this a way to build trust in the community? Hardly. Someone needs to eat some humble pie, and realize that what they are doing, isn’t working well.
Londonderry is experiencing big problems, and that tends to start from a lack of poor leadership. Is anyone trying to bridge this gap? Who has extended an olive branch to these parents who have genuine concerns about what is going on in this school district?
But the worst part of all of this is when parents began reporting about a book that was given to a child who is experiencing serious mental health issues. (1:00:05) This child, who is 12 years old and in 7th grade, was given the book called SUICIDE / Opposing Viewpoints, to read. As his mother explains, in tears, she has had to completely rearrange her home based on the depression, anxiety, cutting and suicidal thoughts her son has been having over the last few years. She had to remove medication, sharp objects and anything that he could possibly use to harm himself.(1:18:00) The school administrators and teachers have been made aware of this situation, so how is it possible that a book on suicide was made available to him? Who is watching out for these children?
This courageous parent even said she will not be returning this book to the school because she didn’t want any other child to have access to it. Could this book cause potential harm to all children in Londonderry? I don’t think anyone believes that, but you can see that this book caused a big threat to this one child. This parent taught administrators earning 6-figure salaries how to do their job. She refused to make something dangerous available to the rest of children in Londonderry.
Each parent still has the ability to purchase this book or visit a local public library if they want their children to read it. But in a public school, parents do not always have the ability to monitor what their children are choosing to read, or what is assigned to them by the teacher.
Parents are challenging books that are available to their children in their public schools. Whether it be sexualizing children and grooming children for predators, teaching them how to make dangerous drugs, or any other social ill, the one-size-fits-all approach to fixing these problems can prove to be dangerous and deadly.
These are mistakes that parents cannot afford. They are too dangerous for our children.
This is a balancing act. You want to make as many books available for children to read, but even the entertainment industry has ratings for children. A book on suicide for a 12 year old child? After the news is reporting about the increase in mental health problems among children post-pandemic? Who thought this was a good idea? Does that sound like someone who should be in charge of children?
Parents still have access to the local libraries and the internet if they feel the material is appropriate for their child. This isn’t about denying your child information, this is about what to offer all of the children in a public school. In this case, school officials are lucky this story doesn’t have a tragic ending to it.
Londonderry is in big trouble. This serious incident just exposes more issues that are happening in this school district, and the lack of leadership needed to make improvements. The leadership in the school and on the school board, has tried to beat back parents instead of extending a much needed olive branch. These are good parents who want the best for their children, they are not neglectful or abusive parents.
A good leader will work to build a bridge so that parents who hold a different viewpoint or worldview are not excluded from this school system. An appreciation for diversity means you also accept and work with all of your families.
It was good to see the other families rally around this parent during the school board meeting and afterwards. Let this be a lesson to those involved in the school–you avoided a situation that could have ended in tragedy, learn from it.
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Sun-King Sununu’s Supreme Court has announced that it will resolve the impasse created by the Sun-King by redrawing New Hampshire’s Congressional districts:
This court has both the authority and the obligation to ensure that the upcoming election proceeds under a legally valid congressional district plan. We conclude that changes in New Hampshire’s population, as reflected in the 2020 census and undisputed by the parties, have rendered the existing congressional districting statute, RSA 662:1, unconstitutional in violation of Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. Accordingly, we will take the necessary steps to formulate a district plan that complies with all applicable laws in order to protect the fundamental rights of New Hampshire voters. We reiterate that the legislature is not precluded from enacting a legally valid congressional district plan at any time prior to the close of this case.
And it sounds like the map to be drawn by Sun-King’s Supremos is going to look very much like the Democrats’ desired map, which makes CD-1 less Republican while leaving CD-2 a safe Democrat seat:
… we will use as our benchmark the existing congressional districts because the district plan enacted in 2012 is “the last validly enacted plan,” “the clearest expression of the legislature’s intent,” and “the best evidence of State redistricting policy.” Below I, 148 N.H. at 13 (quotation omitted). Further, we will adhere to the “least change” principles that, to the greatest extent practicable, each district should contain roughly the same constituents as the last validly enacted plan, and that it is preferable that the core of the districts be maintained, while contiguous populations are added or subtracted as necessary to correct the population deviations. See id.
The post Sun-King Sununu’s Hand-Picked Supreme Court Delivers — Court to Draw Democrat-Favorable Map for CD-1 appeared first on Granite Grok.
Today, I had an eye-opener, reality check, slap in the face, call it what you want, can you guess what it was?
It’s the cost of heating oil. Heating oil is now up to $6.50 per gallon. If you were to get a delivery of 200 gallons that fill-up will cost $1,300. A year ago, I paid $400. Folks, that is more than triple in price.
If this continues to increase then I’ll have to start making drastic changes. I’ll carpool for groceries, buy less food or buy food that can be used for several dishes. Reduce traveling to see my kids or grandkids and stop taking them out for a meal/ice cream. I’ll have to spend less on gifts this year. I’ll cut out the luxury items like coffee with friends every week or even having coffee every day. I’ll let the chickens free range to save on feed and hope a predator doesn’t get them.
We want to thank John Sellers for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
What changes can you make now so you can buy heating oil for next winter because winter will come again faster than we want it to? And it’s not just oil, but oil drives everything from groceries, clothing, transportation, farming, electricity, plastics, and more.
Is this caused by President Joe Biden? Well, he is our leader and he now has to own it. Russia is not the cause; we only get three percent of oil from them. Biden and our leaders are destroying our country and failing us, especially the Democrats since they have the power to make changes – and are refusing to do so.
My idea is for all of us to repent and ask Jesus/God to save us and the USA and if we all can’t do that, then vote Republican and hope they can fix this mess.
Got a better idea?
The post Heating Oil Costs Are Rippling across My Life and Family appeared first on Granite Grok.
I am approaching my 500th post. The negativity we have experienced in the last fifteen months has been overwhelming. I have started writing a positive story every Sunday about someone deserving. I want to write something positive about Biden, his administration, or Democrats, but I cannot. They continue to lie, defy the letter of the law, and take steps to tear down this great country.
Let’s take a look at a few examples:
He ramped up the rhetoric on Republicans by changing his catchphrase from MAGA Republicans to Ultra MAGAs. New polling data must have shown the new phrase worked better. Unfortunately, the term was challenging, and he stuttered each time he said it. He pointed to Senator Rick Scott of Florida, saying he was from Wisconsin, and misrepresented Scott’s 11-point plan claiming it was the position of all Republicans. That is just not true. The President’s speech was filled with blame, lies, and no answers. Americans deserve better from their leader. We are not getting better.
These three examples all happened in one day. These are not exceptions but indicative of the performance of President Joe Biden and his team. The abortion protests will probably fester until the actual opinion, and if the decision follows the draft, the protests will amplify. These protests will pull attention away from the other administration deficiencies, but it will be difficult not to notice the impact on our shrinking IRAs and cash in our wallets. This administration is in a death spiral that will crash on the first Tuesday in November. The Ultra MAGA Crowd better have some solid plans ready to rescue this country being pulled by Biden to the abyss. When Republicans control Congress, Americans will be razor-focused on quick solutions.
This article was first published on The Liberty Loft thelibertyloft.com
The post I Want to Give Liberals a Break. I Cannot appeared first on Granite Grok.
I want to start this letter out by giving thanks to the 3,854 voters in Laconia for believing in me when they elected me to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2020. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
When I ran, I made promises to my constituents like fighting for religious liberty, protections for the unborn, and education freedom; promises kept. Earning the trust of my constituents is and has been a top priority.
I’m a lifelong Laconia resident, I was born and bred here. I grew up in the 1990s which were great but boring years for the city. I went through the Laconia School system and graduated in 2006 from the Adult Education Program.
Republicans and Democrats were able to talk politics at Dunkin Donuts back then. I know that’s a big shock nowadays but it was normal for folks to disagree between sips of coffee.
We want to thank NH State Rep. Richard Littlefield for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
The last twenty years or so have been anything but simple for my beloved city: Drug abuse, and addiction. Fatal overdoses affect so many families. As with the rest of the State, homelessness is a serious issue here in Laconia.
Laconia’s schools, mainly Laconia Middle School and Laconia High, have been in a sharp decline in proficiency, but never fear! SAU30 will save our kids from inappropriate non-academic surveys that ask about drug use and prior sexual abuse. Bullying in these schools is at a ridiculous all-time high with seemingly no end in sight.
For the reasons above and so many more, I have decided to run for a second term in the New Hampshire House of Representatives for the city of Laconia.
The Left is going to call me everything under the sun for it, and that’s ok! It’s fine because strong and reliable elections mean much more to me and my constituents than any “sticks and stones” moment I might deal with.
I want to bring all three of my children to vote not too long from now without any shadow of a doubt that their voice will mean something. A parent bringing their child to vote for the first time is a special experience, a right of passage into adulthood.
Parenting 101 is something that I believe in and that’s why I co-sponsored Rep. Paul Terry’s Parental Bill of Rights (HB1431). Parents around the country have been forced to speak out, and bring serious and valid concerns to school districts, school boards, and superintendents. Sadly for far too many, their concerns fall on deaf ears, nothing changes, and nothing gets better. If given the opportunity I will continue to stick my neck out for families and students that have been left behind by ideology that most parents do not want in our classrooms.
I will continue to tirelessly advocate for those who need a strong and steady voice. I will continue to be a reliable public servant accessible to everyone whether or not they vote for me. Lastly, I will continue to tell the uncomfortable truth, not because it’s a popular thing to do but because it’s what’s right.
I am proud to be one of a hand full of Representatives for Laconia and I hope to earn Laconia’s support in November.
Proudly, unapologetically yours!
Representative Richard Littlefield
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Seriously – no collusion here? At all? Just a simple case of “coincidence”, I’d be willing to bet. Yep, that’s gotta be it…
SHOT: I HAVE TO INTERVENE (entire letter to the Delegation at post bottom)! My personal letter and mine alone!
January 24, 2022
Re: Gunstock Mountain ResortHonorable Members of the Belknap County Delegation and Gunstock Area Commission,
I begin by acknowledging that I have no statutory authority to intervene in the events that have overtaken the Gunstock Mountain Resort. However, I feel it’s important to let you know that I’ve received a very significant number of emails written personally by my constituents in the five Belknap County communities I represent in Senate District 2 (New Hampton, Meredith, Center Harbor, Sanbornton & Tilton), as well as from citizens within Belknap County but not in S02. Without exception, they are increasingly aggravated by the contentious relationship between the delegation and the commission and the resulting uncertainty about Gunstock’s future. Their concerns have been heightened by the retention of legal counsel (an added expense to Belknap County taxpayers and Gunstock), as the two bodies are now facing each other as adversaries. This is truly unfortunate. I also believe it’s unnecessary, and that the growing displeasure of our citizens should bear significant weight in establishing a way forward.
The Gunstock Area Commission has developed, publicly presented, and approved a Master Plan designed to make the enterprise a successful, sustainable entity. The next step will be to execute against that Plan, and doing so will require Commissioners who are proven, world class community and business leaders with the specialized skills to make Gunstock an enduring success, consistent with the vision and expectations of the citizens of Belknap County. Doing so will also require a management team capable of maximizing Gunstock’s potential to benefit the County, with employees confident in the future of their livelihoods. Please consider the effects your actions are having on the employees whose confidence in the future of the mountain is being undermined by politicizing the operation of the business….
CHASER: Bought and paid for Gunstock Mountain Resort’s law firm – Devine-Millimet?
Bob Guida Devine 02-22-22Really – a personal letter requiring legal review by the same firm that GAC Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch seeming has been using as his own personal lawyer? And then Gary Kiedaisch having a long phone call with the lawyer, Tom Quarrales, about it? Somehow, to me, “personal” and “heartfelt” don’t seem to fit in well here.
It must be because I’m tired…maybe…perhaps…or I’ve become cynical? How about “a setup in the making” for public relations putsch?
HANGOVER: Butting in using NH State Senate letterhead (no credit to Devine-Millimet for review)?
By the same guy who says, I’m told, he doesn’t speak to mere Representatives when he’s in a pique (which seems to be more often than in years past) and has threatened to replace a number of the present Belknap County Delegation’s State Reps. Yeah, persuasive, that.
With whose money, there, Bobby? More than a few have thoughts on that…
Letter:
January 24, 2022
Re: Gunstock Mountain ResortHonorable Members of the Belknap County Delegation and Gunstock Area Commission,
I begin by acknowledging that I have no statutory authority to intervene in the events that have overtaken the Gunstock Mountain Resort. However, I feel it’s important to let you know that I’ve received a very significant number of emails written personally by my constituents in the five Belknap County communities I represent in Senate District 2 (New Hampton, Meredith, Center Harbor, Sanbornton & Tilton), as well as from citizens within Belknap County but not in S02. Without exception, they are increasingly aggravated by the contentious relationship between the delegation and the commission and the resulting uncertainty about Gunstock’s future. Their concerns have been heightened by the retention of legal counsel (an added expense to Belknap County taxpayers and Gunstock), as the two bodies are now facing each other as adversaries. This is truly unfortunate. I also believe it’s unnecessary, and that the growing displeasure of our citizens should bear significant weight in establishing a way forward.
The Gunstock Area Commission has developed, publicly presented, and approved a Master Plan designed to make the enterprise a successful, sustainable entity. The next step will be to execute against that Plan, and doing so will require Commissioners who are proven, world class community and business leaders with the specialized skills to make Gunstock an enduring success, consistent with the vision and expectations of the citizens of Belknap County. Doing so will also require a management team capable of maximizing Gunstock’s potential to benefit the County, with employees confident in the future of their livelihoods. Please consider the effects your actions are having on the employees whose confidence in the future of the mountain is being undermined by politicizing the operation of the business.
The Commission serves as a Board of Directors for the enterprise, and it would be negligent, if not in fact reckless, to remove and/or appoint Commissioners without a careful search process that seeks and selects the most qualified applicants based on the needs of the Commission and the enterprise. Such a process would be well-advised to include a venue allowing our citizens to express their thoughts in a public forum dedicated expressly to the future of Gunstock. Commissioners Mclear and Kiedaisch, both highly accomplished and proven businessmen and leaders, have put in place an outstanding management team that is, according to Chief Financial Officer Cathy White, delivering the best financial results ever achieved in the history of the resort. Their removal and/or unwarranted interference by the delegation would deal a serious blow to the trajectory they have established and the team they have assembled.
To that end, a one-night application, interview, and selection or removal process that excludes input from the citizens of Belknap County can in no way be in the best interests of any Gunstock stakeholders, including the delegation. Selecting and appointing Commissioners should be based on qualifications and experience. not on a political agenda that was neither requested by nor presented to the citizen-owners of Gunstock.
Due regard for the importance of the actions being contemplated must be part of the delegation’s calculus. While you certainly have the authority to appoint and remove Commissioners at will, the exercise of that authority should be done using a process that assures the best possible outcome for the resort, its employees, and above all, the citizens of Belknap County. Based on the number and nature of the emails t’m receiving, there is clearly a serious question as to whether the public supports the delegation’s current course of action. I am quite certain that the public will express its thoughts freely, in a public forum about the Gunstock’s future if one is provided, and in November if one is not.
Because the delegation has neither the business acumen nor the continuity of membership needed to run a multi-million-dollar business in a capital-intensive, weather-dependent, highly competitive tourism industry, I’m asking each of you think very carefully before deciding on whether the present course of action will produce the best outcome, or if an alternative process would better serve the interests of all Gunstock stakeholders.
Last week (January 18th) I sent a private email to delegation Chairman Sylvia and acting GAC Chairman Kiedaisch asking for a private meeting to consider a different way forward. Mr. Kiedaisch responded immediately that he would welcome such a meeting. At the January 19th GAC meeting the next evening, the delegation Chairman Sylvia indicated to me that he was not willing to meet privately. After the GAC meeting adjourned, I asked Mr. Sylvia if he would reconsider his decision, and after a thoughtful discussion, he agreed to do so. To date, no reply has been forthcoming.
A private meeting attended by Chairmen Sylvia and Kiedaisch and facilitated by a neutral party would be an excellent first step towards developing a constructive process to address any and all concerns. There would be no quorum of the delegation or the commission at this meeting, thus it would meet the requirements of RSA 91-A. I am convinced that a private discussion will be needed to put an end to the vitriol that has overtaken this matter, and to reach consensus between the leaders of both bodies to develop the best possible collaborative process for governing and managing the Gunstock Mountain Resort in the future.
Results of the process developed at the private meeting would be presented to the delegation and the commission by the facilitator and respective Chairs at a subsequent (preferably joint) public meeting, respectful of the provisions of RSA 91-A. The two bodies could then evaluate and amend the proposed process if necessary. Our objectives should be (1) to de-escalate the adversarial relationship impeding progress and potentially endangering Gunstock’s future; and (2) to unite behind, and endorse, a plan that prioritizes and serves the needs of all stakeholders in the enterprise to assure its future success.
I am willing to facilitate such a meeting and the subsequent process if you are amenable. However, regardless of whether or not you choose a more constructive way forward, and regardless of who you choose as a facilitator, one thing is certain: there will be no constructive outcome by continuing the current hostilities. We must be committed to delivering the best possible outcome for Gunstock, the Delegation, the Commission, the patrons of the mountain, and most importantly, the good people of Belknap County, who have a right to expect that the governance and management of Gunstock will be accomplished responsibly, in clear view, and with full credence given to their input as the owners of the mountain.
Because of my enduring friendships with many of you over the years, I am quite certain that you share those expectations, and humbly stand ready to do whatever is necessary to end the divisiveness and attend to the issues at hand in way that reflects credit on all involved in the process. I hope you’ll contact me to discuss this proposal in person (at home or in Concord), by phone (603-219-9643) or by replying to this email.
On behalf of the citizens we serve, thank you for your consideration as we work to build a better future.
Respectfully,
Bob Giuda
State Senator
NH District 2
So, Bob, is the smirk you had on your face tonite at the Belknap County Republican Committee meeting (showing up an hour late, knowing you wouldn’t be confronted during the program, and then scurrying out like a little mouse almost before the gavel fell to adjourn the meeting) still there?
Are you beaming with pride that “you’ve put one over the Conservatives” that folks voted to make them NH State Reps?
Or is it Gary Kiedaisch, instead, the one beaming like Emperor Palpatine?
(H/T: They already know)
The post NH State Senator Guida “Bemoans” Legal Expenses at Gunstock – Uses Same Law Firm to Write Letter? appeared first on Granite Grok.
Not long ago, many of us saw the movie ‘The Perfect Storm’, where a surprisingly perfect storm pattern of battling low-pressure systems catches some commercial fishermen unaware and puts them in mortal danger, washing one ship and crew away forever. Today, we, in America, are living in another perfect storm, whose eye is centered on Washington DC and the increasingly dangerous currents in Democrat rule, where a doddering old man, Joe Biden, also known as Tio Pepe Biden, or Uncle Joe Biden, has the helm of the foundering ship of state and our local federal representatives, our Maggie Hassan, ‘Flap Jack’ Pappas and silly Annie Kuster are all down for our sinking and the end of our dreams.
Politico recently ran a puff piece on what it’s like to be a White House reporter in the Biden years. It’s boring, the non-stop Trump scandals involved in increasing employment for all, making America an energy exporter with low energy costs at home, and attention to details like crime, are long gone. Now, with Biden in the White House, the career of a White House reporter, according to those in the know at Politico, is “dull, dull, dull.”
We want to thank John Burtis for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
But, from politics to birds, if we depend on the Left-leaning media for actual information instead of entertainment, we avoid the growing evidence of the perfect storm surrounding us.
Today, as skies darken, our DHS Secretary, Mr. Myorkas, explained that he had no idea about the Truth Tsarina’s, poor bedraggled Frau Jankowicz’s, troublesome past. Nope, he had no conception about her once vast output of plain old malarkey. What? His “What, me worry?” is right out of the pages of MAD Magazine and demonstrates that the rising tide of inflation combined with the huge, almost limitless, tsunami of illegal aliens swarming our southern border like murder wasps is beyond his ken. And do we expect the new Truth Teller to claim we have other than sunny skies and Biden weather?
Then we learn that CNN masturbation expert, Jeffrey Toobin, hero of his surprising self-pleasuring exhibition on a TV cutaway is upset about the possible overturning of Roe because he knocked up a coworker’s daughter, tried to pressure her into getting an abortion, and had to be dragged into court to pay child support. Should Roe be overturned, it will affect shirkers and shills just like Toobin and our old friend and heavy weather sailor, Hunter Biden, who has paternity issues of his own. What a pair of lads. And stars of adult media have called Br’er Toobin’s escapade a tempest in a teapot.
Dangerous pro-abortion mobs rioted in Democrat-run Los Angeles last Tuesday, where the cop’s hands are always tied thanks to the far Left radical DA George Gascón’s pro-criminal positions, following the incendiary leak of a draft opinion indicating the Supreme Court is on track to reverse Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion. But neither DA Gascón nor US AG Merrick Garland, nor even Tio Pepe Biden, were heard to issue the merest discouraging word about rioting for this dying cause.
In fact, our own Jen Psaki, Biden’s herald, defended protests outside the suburban homes of conservative Supreme Court justices as “peaceful to date” — despite the fact that more of the potentially illegal rallies are planned Wednesday to pressure the judges. Illegal? Neither Psaki, Biden nor Garland have tried to pour oil on these troubled storm waters while knowing full well they are illegal under 18 US Code §1507.
In a crie de Coeur tinged with melodramatic bathos, Uncle Joe Biden stuttered, a few weeks after his self-descriptive stab at being thus handicapped, “I mean, there are so many fundamental rights that are affected by that. And I’m not allo- — I’m not prepared to leave that to the whims and the — and the — ah — of the public at the moment in local areas,” our “elected” leader mewled about the alleged upcoming diminution of Roe v. Wade. The latter promises to be a big cyclone in our burgeoning storm front.
Bah, remember that lawbreakers and rioters represent a single leg supporting the Democrat ‘stool’ just like those other favored groups where the sainted dead are a leg and the illegal aliens represent yet another supporting leg. They all buttress the increasingly fleshy tushes of the Bidens, Pelosis, the Gascóns, Psakis and the rest of the bad weather cognoscenti.
Not to be outdone as the anti-establishment waters rise, a book has been given to young children at one Washington, D.C. elementary school which explains that white people “hold all the power in America,” unless of course if we overlook the Obamas who are pulling Mr. Biden’s puppet strings and loud mouth entertainers like Madam O. Winfrey, who never misses a chance to diss honest working folk.
The book also includes a recommended lesson for parents titled “Throat Punching Racism In Schools.” Another lesson is titled “Curb Stomping Racism In The Workplace,” referring to a bit of urban violence in which a victim’s head is laid upon a curb to be stomped upon by an aggressor. All this is beyond simple wind and rain and into deep uncharted waters in our nation’s capital which has morphed from an early Roman Republic into a Nero-like dictatorship.
While “Blue Collar” Joe Biden rails against the evils of gasoline while buying 550,000 barrels of Russian crude a day, more than 30 states have already begun adding new taxes to their books to be piled on the owners of hybrid and electric cars. This raining on the Green parade, which is growing into a torrent, is being done to make up for the loss in gasoline tax revenue which is used for road maintenance and repair. How does this work out for your Tesla and Ford Mustang SUV buyers? Kentucky is set to double the registration fees for hybrids and EVs because gas taxes don’t affect them, and the feds help defray their purchase, WPTV noted last Friday.
AG Merrick Garland recently announced his formation of the ‘Office Of Environmental Justice’ strictly for ‘Communities Of Color’. Auld Merrick explains that the OEJ “will serve as the central hub (where it will act like a Soviet center) for our efforts to advance our comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy,” working alongside the Civil Rights Division and United States Attorneys’ offices, to “prioritize meaningful and constructive engagement with the communities most affected by environmental crime and injustice.” Just one more blatantly racist call for one more storm we can ill afford. Don’t other communities have environmental crime? Nah, it’s simply not visible to those wearing the new astigmatic glasses worn by our current effete ruling elite.
And I said birds. They’re not immune to these winds of war. Some thirty-five million birds in the U.S were reported to have died or been killed due to the avian flu, the second-worst spread of the disease in history, Reuters recently reported. France has culled 16 million birds and the disease is happening in Britain, Italy, and Spain and is spreading like wind-whipped wildfires.
From politics to inflation to birds, we are being battered by an immense growing storm which was hatched in the White House and it’s being fanned by utterly insane policies being pursued with such rapidity to frighten me, us, and stultify those geniuses charged with forecasting and weather explanations.
We are totally adrift, our ship is steered by an elderly nincompoop whose brain is bordering on dementia, and members of the ship’s company are either jumping overboard, like Psaki and most of Kamala Harris’s staff, or are issuing orders designed to scuttle our ship of state, like those coming from Messrs. Merrick and Gascón.
They say it may end this November but will we survive this perfect storm until relief arrives?
The post By Golly, We’re Living in a Perfect Storm appeared first on Granite Grok.
With Permission from DCE:
“I don’t care.”
This has become my response to a lot of issues that are allegedly plaguing our society. Not all of them, but a lot of them.
I find that almost all of the ‘woke’ issues are ones I care less and less about. My reason is that so many of the ‘woke’ issues are pure unadulterated bulls**t. So many of them are trivial, but blown all out of proportion until they seem of major importance. But they aren’t. They are still trivial. Some are even non-existent.
It seems that so many privileged (and bored) white Progressives find they don’t have a cause to fight for, unlike their parents or grandparents. All the good causes have already been won, most of them in the 60’s and 70’s. Good causes are in short supply, so the ‘woke’ needed to find something. Little things are blown all out of proportion to create a cause and the cause is pushed. Even ridiculous causes are treated as if the fate of humanity depends upon it.
Another thing I don’t care about? LGBTQA+. Why?
Because none of that makes any difference to me. I don’t care if someone is homosexual. I don’t care if someone is bisexual. I don’t care if someone is trans. I don’t care if someone is ‘+’. None of that makes any difference to me and never has. To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “I want people to be judged by the content of their character, not their sexual orientation or gender identity.” My problem is that an increasing number of the LGBTQA+ community have made their sexual orientation or gender identity their sole purpose in life. They go on and on ad nauseum all day, every day, and they don’t stop, ever. They aren’t helping their cause. Rather they are damaging it. Their entire identity is wrapped up in their cause to the exclusion of all else. They become a parody of the very thing they say they are fighting for and people start ignoring them, just the opposite of what they say they want. They become boring to talk to or interact with because all they ever talk about is their community, period.
I know so many other members of the community that don’t like this. They don’t like the In-Your-Face confrontation and theater that masquerades as support.
Another topic I don’t care about?
Sexism, and its ‘related’ issue, patriarchy.
I think my biggest problem is how every problem women experience is solely the fault of the patriarchy (which is based on sexism). My problem with such claims? It seems those complaining the loudest about patriarchy can’t even define it. (A definition can be found here.) All they seem to know is that it has something to do with men and is therefore, evil. How can anyone be against something they can’t even define?
Then there’s racism.
It is a problem…but I don’t care. Why?
It is claimed the US is a racist nation, one of the worst on the face of the planet. But most of the folks making that claim have never been anywhere else on this planet. They have absolutely no clue how little racism exists here. For such a racist nation we seem to have little racism, particularly when compared to the rest of the world. (I have traveled to 40+ countries and I have seen and been subjected to racism.) We do have it here. I do not claim we don’t. What makes me not care is that the ones screaming the loudest about racism tend to be the racists in the room. They somehow have the idea that our racially disadvantaged citizens (meaning non-white) can’t possibly get ahead without their helping hand, a hand that more often holds them back. We have seen many of these same racist anti-racists speak on behalf of racial groups they neither know or understand.
A couple of examples of this paradox include the ‘woke’ pushing to change the team names of the Washington Redskins (NFL) and Cleveland Indians (MLB). They saw the names as demeaning and racist. However, they never bothered to ask the Native American tribes how they felt about it. If they had, they would have found most had no issues with the team names. In fact, a poll taken of Native Americans about the name of the Washington Redskins found that a majority were proud of the name with the next largest number of those polled being ‘indifferent’ to the name. Yes, one tribe, the Oneida, expressed their dismay at the name. But the Blackfeet tribe was upset at the change considering Walter Wetzel, a member of the Blackfeet, created the logo that had been used since 1971.
The one thing that has me not caring about racism is the claim we hear from the woke that only white people can be racist. I cannot even begin to explain just how clueless and stupid that claim is. That told me I didn’t need to care about the racism.
I could continue on and on about issues ‘plaguing’ our country about which I don’t care, many of which are faux causes or trivial grievances. I have more important things to care about and deal with. So do we all. It’s time for more of us to say “I don’t care” when it comes to the aforementioned causes and grievances. We all have more important things to deal with.
The post Cross-posted from Weekend Pundit: “I Don’t Care” appeared first on Granite Grok.
Once again, Black Lives Matter’s rears it’s ugly head in Educational Matters, now just being euphemistically called “Equity”. Different name, same thing – not equal opportunity but equal outcomes. And how to best achieve that “lofty” (/sarc) goal?
Barrington, Rhode Island, public schools are among the best in the state. Many parents move to the district, and tolerate the higher taxes, because of the academic rigor that sets their children up for attending Ivy League schools or receiving academic merit scholarships. However, all of that academic appeal is being chipped away after the district brought in a so-called “equity and inclusion” agenda.
De-leveling, or a system of universal learning, was first implemented in Barrington on the most vulnerable students—the students with learning disabilities and Individualized Education Programs (IEP).
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
So, chop the top classes for the smartest kids, chop the bottom classes for those that need help, and you end up with “universal learning” in which there is just the group/Collective where there are no Individuals – just a mass of kids that are inseparable from one another. Just a cog in the teachers’ socially engineered classrooms because in Equity, nobody can be better than anyone else, no one can be worse than anyone else…even though all know that can’t be true.
And that silly “Civil Rights Movement” back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s? Yeah, the newest Educational Fad kicks that right to the curb. As the saying goes – Segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever! White Racists fought for it then, now BLM Racists fight for it now:
Oakton Community College, a small college in the Chicago area, has now established a special academy for black men only, dubbed the Emory Williams Academy for Black Men.
As a member of the Academy, you will join a community designed for Black male-identifying students who are on a journey to advance their education and achieve their goals. Whether you want to earn your associate degree and transfer to a four-year school or kick-start a career with training, the Academy will meet you where you are and help you thrive.
The Academy is led by dedicated Black faculty and staff. You’ll be supported every day by a group of committed professors and student-success coaches—and your fellow scholars. [emphasis mine]
That website also describes its values like so:
We embrace the diversity of the Black men of our academy and honor the multiple representations of Blackness and maleness in our community. We advance equity by acknowledging the harm perpetrated against Black men by systemic racism in all levels of their education, and intentionally disrupting it here at the College.
…no whites need apply.
Just wait until they find out that some of their Black Men have no sense of what “Maleness” really means because of their chromosomal makeup…and accuse the real men of Toxic Masculinity and Patriarchy! Let the Identity Politics begin!
And who knew that the Alton (NH) Selectmen had trained an Ohio School Board – you don’t tell constituents to shut up at meetings (Alton paid a 5 digit amount for damages + legal fees to learn that themselves):
Parents continue to fight for a say in their children’s education, often against hostile administrators. Three cheers, then, for Ohio mother Ashley Ryder for successfully challenging a policy that limited what parents could say at school board meetings. Ms. Ryder sued the Big Walnut Local School District Board of Education in an Ohio federal court in March. She said it had violated the First Amendment with a policy that allows the presiding officer at school board meetings to “interrupt, warn, or terminate” any public statements he deems “abusive,” “personally directed” or “antagonistic.” In late April the board settled with Ms. Ryder and agreed to end its restrictions on speech.
Ms. Ryder’s experience illustrated how the school board had abused the policy to silence critics. The Ohio mother believes schools should provide mental-health services for students, and she criticized newly elected school board members about the veracity of their statements on the issue. “Now that you’ve made a complete 180, my question for the board is this: Were you lying to your base to get elected, or are you lying now to the parents?” Ms. Ryder asked at a February meeting.
At that point, School Board President Doug Crowl interrupted Ms. Ryder, told her to “zip it for a minute,” and refused to allow her to complete her prepared statement. He then instructed other parents that “public participation is to explain to us your position, not to make accusations, not to call names,” and that “any personal attacks, name-calling, I will call out.”
Reasonable people in government have no problem in being admonished or being called out for mistakes. Tyrants and hubristic/full of themselves do and will use their Powers to retaliate. Kudos to Ms. Ryder for standing up and taking them on. Be Brave, Do Something.
And how long might it be before this becomes reality here in the US (if it hasn’t already happened)?
It’s a conversation many have had at least once in their life. A friend or family member shares that he or she is struggling with same-sex attraction. No doubt there are countless opinions on the most loving way to respond in these moments, but a new law in Canada mandates the response to be given. Affirm the same-sex attraction—or risk jail time.
Yes, Canada’s “conversion therapy” ban requires parents, pastors, counselors, friends, and others to affirm a person’s gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, or face jail or prison time.
Canada has surrendered “to the political sphere to let them decide how we can counsel, how we can love our LGBT neighbors in the name of Jesus, and how to teach our own kids what a biblical view of sexuality and gender looks like,” says Jojo Ruba, the communications director for the Calgary, Alberta-based Free to Care.
And make no mistake – this is a political decision by the politically powerful. In this case, Canada’s LGBTQRSTUV lobby that, like here in the US, is far more powerful than its numbers would belie. After all, didn’t President Asterisk basically just tell us that we must do the same thing simply on his-say-so. We here in NH already have had these sexuality missionaries ban therapists from even talking to those that would seek them out; in essence, taking away Free Speech to keep their sexuality ideology intact (and our “esteemed Governor” being in favor of it.
And this one, she’d be fired as well. Good on Florida’s Parental Rights Law:
A Florida teacher claims that she was fired after discussing her status as a “pansexual” with students earlier this Spring. Cape Coral middle school art teacher Casey Scott claims that students were curious about her sexual orientation and that she had the conversation with them back in March, which she followed by telling the students to draw pictures showing their sexual orientations.
“The subject matter angered some parents and students who wrote to administrators to voice their displeasure,” the New York Post reported. “Scott, who was working on a probationary basis and not part of the teachers union, was eventually told not to return to campus and that her contract was being terminated.”
“A discussion happened in class and because of that, now I’m fired,” Scott claimed in an interview with NBC2. “I like anyone despite male, female, non-binary, transgender.” The Lee County School District said that Scott was fired from Trafalgar Middle School because she did not follow the mandated curriculum.
Scott reportedly displayed the pictures that her students drew of their sexual orientations for everyone at the school to see and was told to take them down.
NO teacher should be talking about their personal sexuality or sexual practices in a classroom. From my perspective, for ANY grade and not just the K-3rd. I would make the claim that even older, perhaps even those in high school, do not have the emotional wherewithal (on average) to totally grok what that level of intimacy really does to one’s emotions, especially to girls. Does that sound sexist? Too bad – even with the decades of the Left’s propaganda that such an act is merely physical exercise. It isn’t – not even close.
Oh, and that story two times above? Yeah, I knew that it already has started here in the US – of course in California. Except this starts with medical staff
California Senate Committee Advances ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Bill Despite Opposition
A California Senate committee voted 8-2 this week in favor of Senate Bill 923, the Transgender Inclusive Care Act, which would force all health care providers to promote “gender-affirming care.” The proposed legislation would require health care providers to compel their staff to complete “evidence-based cultural competency training” for the purpose of providing “trans-inclusive” health care to patients who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex (TGI).
…Eight Democrats on the committee voted in favor of SB 923, including Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) who introduced the legislation. The two Republicans on the committee Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) and Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) voted against the bill.
…Dozens of California parents of gender dysphoric teens, as well as multiple associations representing medical professionals, also opposed the bill. The legislation would apply to all staff and contractors working for health care providers, including health insurers, Medi-Cal, and PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) organizations.
Once again, the Left has decided that what you and I are allowed to speak, say, believe, or do is wrong. While a founding Pillar of our Republic, the Right of Conscious is no longer a highly valued attribute – that’s an Individual thing and we will only be allowed those things/ideas that provide for and enhance a Collectivist mindset.
Go read the link to see how the Democrats ignored everyone against this bill.
The post Barrington RI City Destroys School System Academic Rigor Because EQUITY and More! – Stack of Stuff Part 25 appeared first on Granite Grok.
For months you have been at the epicenter of conflict between the Belknap County Delegation and the Gunstock Area Commission. You have garnered public support through falsehoods and outright lies. Now that the GAC legal bills have become public, the general public can compare the legal activity that you have initiated to the timeline of the dispute and the GAC minutes, and it is extremely disturbing. For over 60 years, the GAC and Belknap County Delegation, have enjoyed a harmonious working relationship. Despite your claims of partisan political appointments, it was essentially the same Delegation that appointed you, Brian Gallagher, and RustyMcLear to the GAC. The Delegation entrusts the GAC with running the County’s most prized possession, Gunstock Mountain Resort, in an ethical manner while representing the interest of the Belknap County taxpayers that own the resort. There are By-Laws in place that assure that no one Commissioner wields any more power than another. No one Commissioner can unilaterally act or occur cost without authorization in the form of a vote, from the entire Commission. State open meeting laws (RSA 91-a) should ensure that the Commission’s work is done in an open and transparent manner. This has never been an issue; in fact, my research indicates that the Delegation has never removed Commissioners for cause.
This all changed when you launched an expensive and unreasonable vendetta against a fellow commissioner. Peter Ness did what was expected of him, he asked tough questions. Those questions seemed to make you uncomfortable. Back in September 2020, quietly and with no authorization to do so, you engaged legal counsel to begin researching Mr. Ness’s background and qualifications. You had the Gunstock attorney investigate Mr. Ness’s Bar status, and the status of his Ski instructor certification, and researched the businesses that Mr. Ness has an ownership interest in. None of this was done in the open and is not reflected in any of the minutes. You also unilaterally sought legal counsel to issue a creative, yet incorrect interpretation of the law to allow Gallagher to remain a commissioner despite no longer meeting the basic requirement of being a “resident property owner in Belknap County”, a requirement that has not been amended and remains to this day. You feared losing political control of the GAC if another Commissioner was appointed in his place. During the July 29, 2021, GAC meeting, the Commission (including Gallagher) held a vote to ask legal counsel to research the legality of a redundant ethics policy that Mr. Ness was challenging. The authorization was limited, yet you improperly used it to Commission a full-blown investigation and report (soviet style dossier) into Mr. Ness that would later be used as the basis for a vote of no competence in Mr. Ness and a referral to the Delegation asking for Mr. Ness to be removed.
We want to thank Kevin Leandro for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
Once again, you acted unilaterally and without any authorization, costing Gunstock many thousand dollars. The investigation and dossier resulted in trumped-up charges that Mr. Ness was attempting to sell a software program to Gunstock, although no evidence existed that this happened, not a single proposal or sales presentation was produced and there is no record that Gunstock ever considered a purchase of similar software. Charges of Mr. Ness being rude to employees were also made, although it was all hearsay, not a single firsthand account was produced of the alleged behavior. Mr. Ness was not interviewed during the investigation. The Dossier was immediately published with the minutes on the Gunstock website (despite your recent statement, memorialized in the Laconia Daily Sun that the charges against Ness have never become public) and presented to the Delegation as evidence. When it became apparent that members of the Delegation were not pleased with the way this all transpired, you, without authorization engaged legal consul again to attempt to have more than half of the Delegation disqualified from the removal proceedings based on a conversation that you claim you had with Norm Silber and Mike Silvia – a conversation that we now know did not happen. Ultimately, the Delegation concluded that no evidence existed that would raise to the level “cause” and declined to remover Commissioner Ness. The Delegation did have questions of how this dispute raised to the level that it did and began to review public minutes, looking into the actions of Gallagher, McLear and yourself. You personally recruited McLear because of his experience in the hotel industry, even though Gunstock does not operate a hotel.
It became public knowledge that the three of you have quietly using the Masterplan Committee to open a door for a public/private partnership with a hotel operator who would build and operate a slope-side hotel on Gunstock Mt. The Masterplan Committee seemed to operate in complete secrecy in violation of state law, no minutes of its meetings seem to exist. You publicly stated that there was interest from private entities in the proposal, yet you have refused to identify those private entities. Rumors begin to spread of a plan that would ultimately land yourself and McLear investor stakes in the new hotel.
Ness was asking questions that seemed to disturb you, so you attempted to have him removed.
The Delegation discovered that the investigation into Ness was commissioned without authorization and a slew of severe RSA 91-A violations causing them to create a schedule to hold removal hearings for the three Commissioners that have caused all the strife. A vote was held to authorize the lawyer sue the Delegation to prevent it from exercising its statutory authority to remove Commissioners for cause. Once again, this authorization had limits, limits that you far exceeded. You directed the Lawyer to refer Silvia and Silber to the Attorney General to be “criminally charged”, that was rejected. You authorized the attorney to do opposition research on a GAC candidate, research that was used in full page attack ad paid for by an unregistered citizen group.
The GAC lost the lawsuit as it didn’t seem to have any basis in law. After Dr. Strang was appointed to the commission, you once again, improperly and with out any authorization, engaged legal counsel to prevent a properly posted meeting from occurring. The meeting happened after a long and embarrassing protest by you and McLear. At one point you claimed that GAC by-laws trump state laws! A majority of the GAC voted to drop the lawsuit and legal activity completely; however, you improperly instructed the attorney to continue. You then improperly and without authorization engaged legal counsel on the question of McLear’s term, presenting a lengthy opinion to the GAC but refused to identify it’s author.
The entire dispute seems to trace back to your vendetta against Commissioner Ness, who was asking questions that you were not comfortable with. You have improperly racked up over $110K in legal fees to the County Owned GMR and Caused the Delegation to rack up $50k to defend itself against your frivolous lawsuit.
Your actions violated your Oath, the GAC By-laws, state law and the trust placed upon you as a Commissioner. You don’t have anything to add to the GAC and your presences is distraction to the important work of the GAC.
As a “resident property owner in Belknap County” I am demanding your immediate resignation from the GAC.
The post An open letter to Gunstock Area Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch: Resign appeared first on Granite Grok.
I just sent this to the Gunstock Area Commission members:
—— Original Message ——
From: “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To: PeterGNess@gunstockcommissioners.org; dstrang@gunstockcommissioners.org; dlambert@gunstockcommissioners.org; “jwood@gunstockcommissioners.org” <jwood@gunstockcommissioners.org>; “gkiedaisch@gunstockcommissioners.org” <gkiedaisch@gunstockcommissioners.org>
Sent: 5/11/2022 1:26:23 PM
Subject: Re: RSA 91-A Right To Know DemandCommissioners,
I have not yet received a formal response to the below RSA-91:A demand for the public record that President Tom Day admitted existed – either that you require more time or in properly responding with that “Responsive Record”: RSA 91-A:4, IV:
(b) If a public body or agency is unable to make a governmental record available for immediate inspection and copying the public body or agency shall, within 5 business days of a request:
(1) Make such record available;
(2) Deny the request; or
(3) Provide a written statement of the time reasonably necessary to determine whether the request shall be granted or denied and the reason for the delay.While it was discussed during the Public Meeting (I or II) on 5/2, I have not formally received either an acknowledgment of receipt nor a response to its contents. Mere talking about it during a GAC meeting does not meet the requirements of the Law.
Thus, the Gunstock Area Commission is now out of compliance. Do I need to start the process as outlined in RSA 91-A:7 and 8? I showed a willingness to be patient on my demand concerning the GMR Budget at your request. Is this going to be an on-going process?
Further, my RSA 91-A concerning Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch’s emails (that I handed out in hardcopy form at your last Public/Non-Public/Public meeting at the Stockade on 5/2) has but two more business days for action or that goes into non-compliance status as well.
All that I am asking is that the GAC Follow The Law.
-Skip
Skip Murphy
Co-Founder, co-owner
GraniteGrok.com | Skip@GraniteGrok.com
Without repeating the entire demand, here is the relevant point (emphasis mine, again):
The approved Gunstock Area Commission Meeting held on January 19, 2022 at the Gilford Library (Gilford, NH) has the following:
“Rep. Bordes asked for the average cost per skier. Tom said that they have that number, but it is not something they want to share in a public forum due to competition.”
Thus, with that remark, Mr. Day revealed the existence of a government record which IS a public record and subject to RSA 91-A. Thus, this Right To Know is demanding that Gunstock supply the following information:
- The average cost per skier for both last year and the current season just completed
- The average revenue per skier for both last year and the current season just completed
- If Gunstock Mountain Resort has broken out the various categories for either/both #1 and #2, this Right To Know is also asking for those breakouts.
That average cost per skier is a known data point. I cannot ask, in an RTK (Right To Know), that a government agency assemble the data to compute such a data element – but I didn’t have to ask for that to be done. Tom Day, President and General Manager of Gunstock Mountain Resort, told everyone that this data element exists and the work has already been done.
And I also put in the RTK demanding of Commish Gary Kiedaisch’s email interactions with GMR staff, other Commissioners, and Devine-Millimet even if they were with his personal email accounts – he has refused to use his now official one using GunstockCommissioners.org. The response, refusal, delay, or production, is due this Friday.
The NH House will be voting tomorrow on the Amendment to HB1397 that will totally restructure the enabling legislation that created the GAC 60 years ago simply because a few people decided that they could no longer have their political way on the GAC and what/how GMR conducts is business. My fear is that such a GAC, elected in county-wide election races, will be worse to deal with than the present one..
The post Well, I’m Still Waiting – And the Gunstock Area Commission Is Now Out of Compliance with RSA 91-A appeared first on Granite Grok.
Friends, the NHGOP is being held back by corrupt politicians who break the bylaws and work for their own personal gain and to elect the candidates they want. This is of course the head of the party Steve Stepanek and Elliot Gault.
From February 1st to March 20th, there were 7 emails and over 150 social media interactions by Stepanek and his staff supporting the election of specific candidates who are involved in contested primaries!!! Stepanek’s Executive Director, Elliot Gault even had “Sununu For Governor” signs on his Twitter account image and currently says “Executive Director @NHGOP x2 forever Team @GovChrisSununu”!
Stepanek has said several times that part of the NHGOP goals for this year is to “re-elect Governor Sununu” despite Governor Sununu not having won the primary. Stepanek has still not apologized for his statements in the summer of 2020 at the Manchester Trump Victory headquarters opening when he told the gathered crowd we will send Corky Messner and Matt Mowers to DC during two other contested primaries.
We want to thank Idaho for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
The NHGOP continues to host events that party leadership and Stepanek were involved in where, coincidentally, specific candidates attend but not others. After asking around, the candidates who had attended mentioned they received notice from party leadership of the event, while other candidates were never notified.
After Joe Sweeney left his NH GOP Executive Director job, Stepanek hired Elliot Gault, an elected officer of the NHGOP Executive Committee, to replace him. After that hiring, Elliot is now both an employee and officer of the NHGOP Party leadership. Stepanek refused to have Elliot resign one of the two positions, despite violating the NHGOP State Bylaws. Stepanek didn’t care…
Over the past few weeks, all but one of the NHGOP paid employees left the Party to go join Chuck Morse’s campaign for Senate (favoritism, anyone?). Rumor is…because they refuse to work for Elliot Gault and/or Steve Stepanek! Have they been replaced? If they can’t hire new people because of money, guess what? Steve just insisted he gets paid for his volunteer work $2,000 per month PLUS 10% of fundraising PLUS all expenses!!!
You might not know this but only one non-employee member of the NH GOP is given any compensation while the rest of us are volunteering time. A compensation package was offered to Stepanek. He rejected the offer and had the audacity to counter-propose for more money with a package HE wanted!!! His employee, Elliot Gault, is said to have participated in the discussion of what Stepanek’s compensation should be. This demonstrates the conflict of interest in Elliot not resigning from one of his two positions within the Party.
After the compensation package was approved, Stepanek’s fundraising emails claim that 100% of fundraising goes directly to candidates. However, Steve himself vouched for a compensation package where he skims 10% off the top after meeting a minimum quota for the month. The compensation package he demanded also provides $2,000 per month plus FULL expenses.
These concerns show the clear and repeated pattern of behavior that violates the NH GOP Bylaws and show a lack of ethics in Chairman Stephen Stepanek and his hired Executive Director, Elliot Gault. We need to demand his immediate resignation.
If we want to stop the Party from being corrupt, we need to share the message. Please be sure to share this with all your New Hampshire Republican friends!!!
The post For a “Republican Non-partisan” Party, Is the NH Gop Putting Its Thumb Down on the Candidate Scales? appeared first on Granite Grok.
Parents in Hampton Falls became aware of the 2nd reading on an effort to adopt a policy that was recommended by The New Hampshire School Boards Association several years ago, Policy JBAB. You can read the JBAB policy on Barnstead, NH school district website. JBAB is the policy that governs the district on transgender non-conforming students.
Parents were concerned that this policy, which is now being challenged in court in three different districts in New Hampshire, would be adopted by the Hampton Falls School Board. Much to their surprise, when they arrived at the school board meeting on May 10th, the meeting began with an announcement that the agenda item would be tabled. It was then mentioned during public comments that the policy would not be adopted by the school board. The parents who attended the meeting were cautiously optimistic by this announcement which caused one parent to inquire about this announcement during the public comments.
As you can see at the beginning of the meeting, the Chair opens the school board meeting by saying the policy would be redundant based on the laws that are already in place. In other words, the current laws already cover the rights of transgender non-conforming students. There is no reason to adopt the JBAB policy. He then further makes a motion to remove the policy from the agenda and to table it. He mentions the possibility of bringing it up at a later date. This left a little bit of confusion as you can see from the discussion with the first parent during public comments at 43:40.
During this discussion, it was revealed by the Board Chair and Superintendent that the NHSBA withdrew this model policy they drafted and sent to all school districts years ago. The Superintendent also mentions the provision within the JBAB policy that does not allow staff members to share information with parents about their children. It should be noted that this is a gross violation of parental rights and does not allow for due process, but that didn’t stop numerous districts across the state from adopting the JBAB policy.
It should be noted that New Hampshire School Boards operate under Dillon’s Rule. That is reflected in school board policy BBA where it says:
SCHOOL BOARD POWERS AND DUTIES
The Hampton Falls School Board enjoys all the powers and duties prescribed to them by applicable state and federal laws and rules of the State Board of Education.
This means that policies adopted by the school board must be based on laws that have been passed by the state and federal governments. This would mean that the school districts must follow the Law when it comes to Transgender and non-conforming students. But now this policy is being challenged in court for violating the rights of children in New Hampshire schools. This policy was never based on state or federal law. Where does federal or state law instruct school staff to lie to parents about their children or to deny your child their free speech rights?
Within JBAB policy under the section titled “privacy,” it says:
Privacy
The Board recognizes a student’s right to keep private one’s transgender status or gender-nonconforming presentation at school. Information about a student’s transgender status, legal name, or gender assigned at birth also may constitute confidential information. School personnel should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender-nonconforming presentation to others, including parents and other school personnel, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure.
This appears to violate federal law:
FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act:
Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student’s education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.
How can a school policy instruct staff lie to parents about their children when federal law affirms a parents right to obtain and inspect their child’s records?
Within the model policy developed by the NHSBA it also says:
Names/Pronouns
A student has the right to be addressed by a name and pronoun that corresponds to the student’s gender identity. A court-ordered name or gender change is not required, and the student need not change his or her official records. The intentional or persistent refusal to respect a student’s gender identity (for example, intentionally referring to the student by a name or pronoun that does not correspond to the student’s gender identity) is a violation of this policy.
This is compelling the speech of staff members and students which has already proven to violate free speech rights. Note that while there is the threat of punishment, there is no due process mechanism published; arbitrary and capricious.
In Meriwether v. Hartop, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit handed down a major ruling in favor of Shawnee State University Professor Nicholas Meriwether, who was disciplined for refusing to use a student’s designated pronoun choices.
At the beginning of the school year, Shawnee State emailed all faculty members to order them to refer to students by their “preferred pronoun[s].” The University was ordered to pay the defendant $400k for violating his free speech
This model policy put forth by the New Hampshire School Boards Association is proving to be costly to districts that now have to defend themselves in court. Not only is this costing the district in legal fees, but it also appears to be violating some of our most basic rights.
The NHSBA has come under fire numerous times for standing in the way of parental rights in New Hampshire. Parents are fed up with paying dues out of their school budget to this organization. If the NHSBA is finally withdrawing their model policy, good. It’s about time. But let it be known who put your district in this vulnerable situation. They have a staff of attorneys that you paid, that developed this model policy. They’ve stood behind their model policy for almost a decade now and you paid for it.
The board members across this state that voted to approve this policy also ignored the gross violations of parental rights and free speech. While they may not be constitutional scholars, a novice could see problems with the language if they really cared about potential lawsuits and civil rights violations.
Look to see if you have Policy JBAB in place. Some school boards were wise to never adopt the policy, some revised it to remove the gross violations against the staff, parents, and students.
If you have this policy in place, take it to your school board and update them on what is going on in Gilford, Manchester, and Exeter. Let them know that this policy is followed in your district, opens your district up to a lawsuit too. And not only does it open your district up to a lawsuit, but it is also a policy that can violate your child’s basic fundamental rights.
There is an alternative to The New Hampshire School Boards Association in New Hampshire. Check them out: New Hampshire School District Governance Association.
They don’t appear to be hostile to parental rights. There is no need to pay dues to NHSBA, schools have opted to not pay dues to this organization in the past.
The post SAU21 – Hampton Falls School Board Rejects Policy Jbab from Agenda Due to Legal Issues in Other Districts appeared first on Granite Grok.
I just watched her latest political commercial in stunned disbelief. In the video she proposes giving us simple serfs a federal gas tax holiday, while concurrently emptying our strategic oil reserves.
Does she think that by taking these actions, the more than doubled gas prices she’s given us, will temporarily be lowered until after the election?
Does she really believe that this transparent ploy will fool Granite Staters?
Does she really believe that we will forget the rampant inflation, rising interest rates and crime, out of control spending, weak foreign policy, open borders, and the general incompetence of this congress and this administration? Let’s dig a little deeper into her shamelessly political plan.
We know this because Congress just passed a 1.2 trillion dollar slush fund to repair our infrastructure – sound familiar?
We want to thank Michael Petruzziello for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
It should, the $800 billion dollar American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was supposed to do the very same thing. It didn’t.
The common thread here is that the American taxpayer is paying for it all. We pay the gas tax, we pay to fill the oil reserves, and we pay for every other bit of their wasteful spending.
Now she wants to give us, as Nancy likes to say, some “crumbs” back, using our own money!
Imagine paying a dishonest contractor, multiple times, to repave your driveway, but they never show up to do the work.
Would you continue to trust that contractor, and continue to pay them for doing nothing? Why should we re-elect any of them to “repave” our country?
They’ve already spent more that 2 trillion dollars, and given us nothing in return.
Maybe it’s time we start electing real people, not politicians.
People who will not serve themselves, people who will not serve foreign nationals, and people who will not serve their political party masters.
We need to elect real people, who understand that they are elected to serve the people of New Hampshire, period.
This November, we the people, should send a message to our so-called representatives.
This is our land, not yours, and we are not your serfs.
Sincerely,
Michael Petruzziello
Major, USMC (Ret)
Wolfeboro, NH
The post No Thank You, Senator Hassan! appeared first on Granite Grok.
Recently, State Representative Tim Baxter (R-Seabrook) dared to oppose the UniParty foreign policy establishment by declaring his opposition to sending an additional $40 billion to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the corporate media and political establishment in Congress are commending themselves for their “virtuous” efforts to save the lives of Ukrainians and to “spread democracy”. Just like what Americans were told about Afghanistan, our efforts at arming a corrupt narco-state were going to ensure human rights and everlasting peace. Even though that turned out to be not only wrong but also a blatant lie [Afghanistan Papers], many of our fellow Republicans in Congress are declaring that Ukraine is different. If you oppose your hard-earned tax dollars going overseas and causing even more inflation at home, you must be a Russian agent who supports Vladimir Putin. Unsurprisingly, none of the other major candidates in the race for NH-01 have come out in opposition to this bill, all of whom claim to put “America First”. Apparently, their pledge to fight against the unconstitutional dictates being forced upon the American people by the Biden Administration requires you to send your money to the very same country his family was using to line his pockets.
As the readers of this news site do not need to be reminded, America faces unprecedented economic and mental crises. Our national debt of 30 trillion dollars is spiraling out of control, causing massive inflation at the gas pump, grocery stores, and for those looking to buy a home. Our trade deficit hit its highest point in recorded history last month, all while the Biden Administration eliminates $200 billion of Section 301 Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese goods. Labor force participation is at its lowest point in over 40 years as many have simply given up on looking for work and are no longer counted as unemployed. Meanwhile, a record 160,000 of our fellow citizens have died of despair, from drugs, alcohol, or suicide.
We want to thank Dylan Iacoboni for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
What’s the political establishment’s answer to those that want the $40 billion of their own money spent to address the problems that America faces, or who better yet doesn’t want that money spent at all? It’s that we’re Russian sympathizers, that we need to learn to code, or that we’re racists. Our country and state cannot send any more people of this globalist ideology representing us in Washington. We cannot send any more people who will simply go along with these last few Congressional bills to advance themselves within the party establishment. Any candidate who does not actively oppose sending $40 billion should be disqualified in the minds of the voters of this district. Tim’s courage to stand up against the political establishment on this issue and many others proves that he is the only true America First candidate in this race. That’s why I encourage everyone to support Tim Baxter in the upcoming Republican primary on September 13th.
The post Does Your Hard Earned Money Belong to You or Blithely Shipped around the World? appeared first on Granite Grok.
I read a lot of tech stuff on a regular basis but I just don’t blog about it much as this is much more a Politics & Culture site than a tech one. But this is just plain cool tech. Billions over budget, years late, the James Webb Space Telescope was supposed to the next coming of the Hubble Telescope. Well, if this is any indication, it’s a home run:
The Webb just got through its alignment process in which all parts of its segmented mirror were precisely aligned to the same spot (two months of work). Both pictures are of the same part of the sky (both telescopes are space based) but the Spitzer image is rather old (Spitzer is already retired) but it is clear what the updated tech can do.
More info at the link below. I just happened to like the pic; it’s like using my computer glasses to see the other side of my land and then using my “driving/distance” ones.
(H/T: Gizmodo)
The post Palate Cleanser – James Webb Space Telescope: Alignment Complete appeared first on Granite Grok.
“The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem and very often makes the problem worse.”—Milton Friedman
You’ve been flagged as a threat.
Before long, every household in America will be similarly flagged and assigned a threat score.
Without having ever knowingly committed a crime or been convicted of one, you and your fellow citizens have likely been assessed for behaviors the government might consider devious, dangerous or concerning; assigned a threat score based on your associations, activities, and viewpoints; and cataloged in a government database according to how you should be approached by police and other government agencies based on your particular threat level.
If you’re not unnerved over the ramifications of how such a program could be used and abused, keep reading.
We want to thank John W. Whitehead and Nisha Whitehead for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
It’s just a matter of time before you find yourself wrongly accused, investigated, and confronted by police based on a data-driven algorithm or risk assessment culled together by a computer program run by artificial intelligence.
Consider the case of Michael Williams, who spent almost a year in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Williams was behind the wheel when a passing car fired at his vehicle, killing his 25-year-old passenger Safarian Herring, who had hitched a ride.
Even though Williams had no motive, there were no eyewitnesses to the shooting, no gun was found in the car, and Williams himself drove Herring to the hospital, police charged the 65-year-old man with first-degree murder based on ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection program that had picked up a loud bang on its network of surveillance microphones and triangulated the noise to correspond with a noiseless security video showing Williams’ car driving through an intersection. The case was eventually dismissed for lack of evidence.
Although gunshot detection programs like ShotSpotter are gaining popularity with law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and courts alike, they are riddled with flaws, mistaking “dumpsters, trucks, motorcycles, helicopters, fireworks, construction, trash pickup, and church bells…for gunshots.”
As an Associated Press investigation found, “the system can miss live gunfire right under its microphones, or misclassify the sounds of fireworks or cars backfiring as gunshots.”
In one community, ShotSpotter worked less than 50% of the time.
Then there’s the human element of corruption which invariably gets added to the mix. In some cases, “employees have changed sounds detected by the system to say that they are gunshots.” Forensic reports prepared by ShotSpotter’s employees have also “been used in court to improperly claim that a defendant shot at police, or provide questionable counts of the number of shots allegedly fired by defendants.”
The same company that owns ShotSpotter also owns a predictive policing program that aims to use gunshot detection data to “predict” crime before it happens. Both Presidents Biden and Trump have pushed for greater use of these predictive programs to combat gun violence in communities, even though found they have not been found to reduce gun violence or increase community safety.
The rationale behind this fusion of widespread surveillance, behavior prediction technologies, data mining, precognitive technology, and neighborhood and family snitch programs is purportedly to enable the government to take preemptive steps to combat crime (or whatever the government has chosen to outlaw at any given time).
This is precrime, straight out of the realm of dystopian science fiction movies such as Minority Report, which aims to prevent crimes before they happen, but in fact, it’s just another means of getting the citizenry in the government’s crosshairs in order to lock down the nation.
Even Social Services is getting in on the action, with computer algorithms attempting to predict which households might be guilty of child abuse and neglect.
All it takes is an AI bot flagging a household for potential neglect for a family to be investigated, found guilty, and the children placed in foster care.
Mind you, potential neglect can include everything from inadequate housing to poor hygiene but is different from physical or sexual abuse.
According to an investigative report by the Associated Press, once incidents of potential neglect are reported to a child protection hotline, the reports are run through a screening process that pulls together “personal data collected from birth, Medicaid, substance abuse, mental health, jail and probation records, among other government data sets.” The algorithm then calculates the child’s potential risk and assigns a score of 1 to 20 to predict the risk that a child will be placed in foster care in the two years after they are investigated. “The higher the number, the greater the risk. Social workers then use their discretion to decide whether to investigate.”
Other predictive models being used across the country strive to “assess a child’s risk for death and severe injury, whether children should be placed in foster care and if so, where.”
Incredibly, there’s no way for a family to know if AI predictive technology was responsible for their being targeted, investigated, and separated from their children. As the AP notes, “Families and their attorneys can never be sure of the algorithm’s role in their lives either because they aren’t allowed to know the scores.”
One thing we do know, however, is that the system disproportionately targets poor, black families for intervention, disruption, and possibly displacement because much of the data being used is gleaned from lower-income and minority communities.
The technology is also far from infallible. In one county alone, a technical glitch presented social workers with the wrong scores, either underestimating or overestimating a child’s risk.
Yet fallible or not, AI predictive screening program is being used widely across the country by government agencies to surveil and target families for an investigation. The fallout of this over surveillance, according to Aysha Schomburg, the associate commissioner of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, is “mass family separation.”
The impact of these kinds of AI predictive tools is being felt in almost every area of life.
Under the pretext of helping overwhelmed government agencies work more efficiently, AI predictive and surveillance technologies are being used to classify, segregate and flag the populace with little concern for privacy rights or due process.
All of this sorting, sifting, and calculating is being done swiftly, secretly, and incessantly with the help of AI technology and a surveillance state that monitors your every move.
Where this becomes particularly dangerous is when the government takes preemptive steps to combat crime or abuse, or whatever the government has chosen to outlaw at any given time.
In this way, government agents—with the help of automated eyes and ears, a growing arsenal of high-tech software, hardware, and techniques, government propaganda urging Americans to turn into spies and snitches, as well as social media and behavior sensing software—are spinning a sticky spider-web of threat assessments, behavioral sensing warnings, flagged “words,” and “suspicious” activity reports aimed at snaring potential enemies of the state.
Are you a military veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder? Have you expressed controversial, despondent, or angry views on social media? Do you associate with people who have criminal records or subscribe to conspiracy theories? Were you seen looking angry at the grocery store? Is your appearance unkempt in public? Has your driving been erratic? Did the previous occupants of your home have any run-ins with the police?
All of these details and more are being used by AI technology to create a profile of you that will impact your dealings with government.
It’s the American police state rolled up into one oppressive pre-crime and pre-thought crime package, and the end result is the death of the due process.
In a nutshell, due process was intended as a bulwark against government abuses. Due process prohibits the government of depriving anyone of “Life, Liberty, and Property” without first ensuring that an individual’s rights have been recognized and respected and that they have been given the opportunity to know the charges against them and defend against those charges.
With the advent of government-funded AI predictive policing programs that surveil and flag someone as a potential threat to be investigated and treated as dangerous, there can be no assurance of due process: you have already been turned into a suspect.
To disentangle yourself from the fallout of such a threat assessment, the burden of proof rests on you to prove your innocence.
You see the problem?
It used to be that every person had the right to be assumed innocent until proven guilty, and the burden of proof rested with one’s accusers. That assumption of innocence has since been turned on its head by a surveillance state that renders us all suspects and overcriminalization which renders us all potentially guilty of some wrongdoing or other.
Combine predictive AI technology with surveillance and overcriminalization, then add militarized police crashing through doors in the middle of the night to serve a routine warrant, and you’ll be lucky to escape with your life.
Yet be warned: once you get snagged by a surveillance camera, flagged by an AI predictive screening program, and placed on a government watch list—whether it’s a watch list for child neglect, a mental health watch list, a dissident watch list, a terrorist watch list, or a red flag gun watch list—there’s no clear-cut way to get off, whether or not you should actually be on there.
You will be tracked wherever you go, flagged as a potential threat, and dealt with accordingly.
If you’re not scared yet, you should be.
We’ve made it too easy for the government to identify, label, target, defuse and detain anyone it views as a potential threat for a variety of reasons that run the gamut from mental illness to having a military background to challenging its authority to just being on the government’s list of persona non grata.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, you don’t even have to be a dissident to get flagged by the government for surveillance, censorship, and detention.
All you really need to be is a citizen of the American police state.
The post You’ve Been Flagged as a Threat: Predictive AI Technology Puts a Target on Your Back appeared first on Granite Grok.