It may seem a lifetime ago, but the 2014 election was just over a month ago. I want to thank all who participated, and especially those who voted to re-elect me to represent our three beautiful towns of Andover, Salisbury, and Danbury. My buddy, David Karrick, also got the nod, as did Senator Andrew Hosmer […]
There's a lot to like about the Beacon
Polite letters to the editor! A whole lot of pages, every issue! High-quality paper and large type! Absence of political rants and raves! Spelling and grammer correct, mostly! You only have to read it once a month! The “Beacon Members Win!” giveaways! You get it free – whether you want it or not! Lots of […]
County Administrator Bateson retires
Much has happened during these last few months. You will be very pleased to know that Merrimack County has recently received the highest rating possible for our Tax Anticipation Notes – an SP1+. Our long term rating has been upgraded to AA by Standard and Poor. Due to internal reviews by our insurance company, we […]
Senator Andrew Hosmer wants New Hampshire to adopt Common Core State Standards (CCSS). These standards very profoundly restrict students and teachers: New Hampshire, and therefore parents, abandon local control over curricula and standards which measure academic standings. Parents’ rights to oversee their children’s education are stolen. Students’ rights to be prepared for the ever-more complex […]
There is so much information flying around at election time that I wanted to give some factual background on some of the claims I have heard. As a general rule, I like to find out about a candidate by checking their voting record. A good way to do this for federal candidates is to go […]
Ours is the last with real authority
During every state election, we find candidates for Executive Council on the ballot. I suspect this office remains mysterious to many voters. New Hampshire is the only state that retains an Executive Council with real authority. Our Executive Council goes way back to 1679, when King Charles II directed that New Hampshire be separated from Massachusetts […]
Rising property taxes are being ignored
This will be my last report before the November 4 election. Yes, it has been two years since the voters of Merrimack District 1 — Andover, Danbury, and Salisbury — did me the honor of electing me to the New Hampshire legislature. I want to thank all who wrote letters endorsing my re-election; your support is what […]
State revenues will fall short
We had our last legislative session on September 17 to address the Governor’s vetoes of three bills. A two-thirds vote is necessary to overturn a veto. A Yes vote was to overturn, a No vote to uphold. HB 591, an anti-bullying bill which the Governor thought was written too broadly. Veto sustained by a vote […]
Vote in the primary election on September 9
Reporting from Rye State Park: The historical John Smith (in the person of Paul Strand) made an appearance on August 14 to inaugurate his new monument in Rye State Park to commemorate the 400th anniversary of his expedition and landing at the Isles of Shoal. The expedition marks the first time that the expression “New England” […]
A chance to choose the fall election candidates
We take political parties for granted most of the time. It is only when someone asks why two parties dominate political life in our country, or when the ballot clerk at a primary election asks us which ballot we want, that we even think about our relationship with a political party. There is nothing particularly […]