Salem School District Employees
A recent daily newspaper article notes that the Salem School Board, by a 4 – 1 vote, will back a request for a special meeting from the Salem Educational Personnel Association, the school district secretaries, whose contract was rejected by a handful of votes in March. According to the collective bargaining laws of the state of New Hampshire, the Salem School Board and SEPA reopened the contract, re-negotiated a settlement in good faith, and are now seeking a reconsideration.
The windy anxiety voiced by school board member Bernard Campbell regarding this legal and unremarkable sequence of events might be expected from the budget committee’s Campbell, or others of his ilk, who don’t really give a fat rat’s knuckle about the collective bargaining process; coming from a school board member and an attorney, however, his voice crying in the wilderness position is a sore disappointment.
Mr. Campbell’s antidote for a failed labor contract – to shrug indifferently and walk away – is a professionally poor prescription, hardly engendering harmonious labor-management relations, and in no way measuring up to the state mandate to bargain in good faith.
In the article, Mr. Campbell lauds the custodians’ union for not seeking a special meeting. He states: Several years ago, the custodians’ contract was voted down. No, it was not. Whether a lapse of memory or selective memory on his part, the statement is totally inaccurate – and dangerous. Failed labor contracts have not historically been a part of Salem’s labor history, and for Mr. Campbell to make that stretch is to confuse perception with reality. Several years ago, the custodians switched union affiliation from AFSME to NEA – NH. In the process, contract negotiations passed deadlines, and no custodians’ contract was presented to voters in March.
However, some years ago, school district administrators’ raises were placed in a separate warrant article and voted down. Mr. Campbell and the then-sitting school board ignored this mandate and awarded the administrators their raises anyway. Mr. Campbell said at the time the school board was honor-bound to do so. Really? Honor-bound?
Salem school secretaries are asking only for what they are entitled to by law, and school board members are honor-bound – and legally bound – to follow the law: the largesse Campbell extended to administrators some time ago clearly doesn’t apply to school district secretaries.
When an elected official’s statements and actions can be neither explained nor justified, they can at least be defined: in Bernie’s world and in Orwellian terms, all Salem school district employees are equal – but some are far more equal than others.
Jack Brouse – Salem
Another Hypocrite in Washington, Why?
For those who don’t remember, Jennifer Horn, GOP candidate for New Hampshire’s 2nd congressional district, was one of the loudest critics of Bob Clegg when a local daily newspaper published a story regarding the efforts of lobbyists in Concord. She made her appearances and released her press releases calling for Clegg to return all of that money.
Now that the second quarter fundraising numbers will conclude on June 30, I can’t help but wonder if Ms. Horn will raise more or less lobbyist money in this quarter than she did in the first quarter. That’s correct – while deriding Clegg out the right side of her mouth about lobbyist money the left side of her mouth is begging for the same lobbyist money.
We don’t need another hypocrite in Washington. Ms. Horn wants the voters of the 2nd congressional district to believe she is “a different kind of candidate.” Well, a hypocrite is a hypocrite regardless of how “new” he or she may be to politics.
For those who want to see Hodes defeated in November there are much better choices than Jennifer Horn.
Ray Brun - Litchfield
Open Meetings
With this being near the fourth of July when we celebrate the brave men and women that fought to set us free from a tyrant, I think it is appropriate that we discuss our Board of Selectmen (BOS).
I tried to speak at the most recent BOS meeting and the Chairman would not let me point out an important issue when they were discussing the budget for Cable TV. I pointed out to the chairman that she had let other people speak before the board had taken votes in recent weeks. Selectman Roth was adamant that I would not be allowed to speak until the end of the meeting.
There are a number of problems with this attitude. The first problem is that the board has let people speak in the past because they were aware that if the individual had information then it made no sense to not hear it until after the vote. They would then have to reconsider and take another vote. The second problem is that it appears the chairman is letting people speak that she is friendly with and not letting people speak that she does not agree with. That does not look good and goes a long way to confirm people’s views that some people are treated better than others. The last problem is that it makes people once again think that when the Selectmen say that they want everyone’s input that they only want people that agree. People then tend to vote against things because they believe things only get done for friends of the board.
I hold the whole Board of Selectmen accountable for this undemocratic running of the meetings. Any Selectman that does not agree with this should challenge the ruling of the chair and let people speak to their elected officials. Anything less and Salem will no longer be a democracy, but a dictatorship. The BOS does not have a monopoly on wisdom and should be happy that people are willing to come to the meeting and offer their knowledge and insight.
Stephen Campbell - Salem
Lions Make a Difference!
At a time when the cost of living for the average family is skyrocketing, we thank God for organizations like the Lions Club, which continues its fundraising efforts to serve the community. This past week, St. Joseph Food Pantry (and several other pantries in Salem) received a check for $1,000 to help us help those families whose budget has been squeezed by rising fuel prices. This kind of action on the part of churches and civic organizations is going to be even more important in the coming winter months when families try to figure out how to heat their homes and feed their families as well. Well done, members of the Lions Club. We pledge to be good stewards of the funds that you have raised to help those in need.
Deacon David Costello - Salem
Back-to School Clothing Drive Begins July 7
As a kid, going back to school after a fun and relaxing summer was tough! If it wasn’t for the new clothes and supplies that we got it would have been even tougher! Well, some things never change. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford those costly outfits and supplies. The holiday season is not the only time that some families need a little assistance. Windham’s Helping Hands would like you to join us in helping to lessen the burden of these Windham families by providing new school clothing for 45 school-aged children.
Beginning Monday, July 7, there will be a large red schoolhouse set up in the Nesmith Library displaying “paper dolls” signifying a child who could use specific school supplies, a new outfit or a pair of shoes (sizes will be provided). To help, simply choose a “doll” purchase the item(s) and return it to the library with the doll attached no later than Friday, August 15 (attach a gift receipt if possible). As you are purchasing these items, you can imagine the feeling that that child will get when he/she receives your gift. Your gift will help provide a positive and confident beginning to their school year!
For additional information, contact Ruth-Anne Calandra at 880-7040 or Denise Dolloff at 912-5051. To make cash donations, mail a check or money order to: Windham’s Helping Hands, P.O. Box 4073, Windham, NH 03087.
The Windham’s Helping Hands thanks the kind and thoughtful people of Windham who support our projects and events.
Windham’s Helping Hands - Windham
Character Assassination of Barack Obama
Howard Wilson brought out an issue last week that has escaped America’s right wing over the past five years: Where is Osama bin Laden? Days after the 911 attacks in 2001, President George W. Bush famously declared that the United States would get bin Laden “dead or alive”. American citizens were hoping that our newly deployed forces in Afghanistan would quickly carry out that threat due both to the heinousness of the assaults and the huge death toll of innocent Americans. As a “twofer,” our military would also eliminate the monstrous Taliban regime, a totalitarian government guilty of torturing and murdering many Afghan citizens while forcing an extreme fundamentalist lifestyle upon them for years.
But Bush in reality had little stomach for pursuing bin Laden aside from a few token months of war in that barren land. His administration began withdrawing our soldiers the following year as the world watched in disbelief, as bin Laden was still free and the Taliban, while scattered, was far from eliminated. And we all know where our men and women were installed the following March under the Republican trumped-up charges against Iraq (charges now taking a real beating as Scott McClellan’s testimony before Congress maintains its expose of Bush’s corrupt rush to war).
In reality, what the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld hierarchy did in 2003 was trade America’s future security from the 911 mastermind, for what appeared to be an easy oil heist against a seemingly defenseless Arab nation. So much for getting bin Laden “dead or alive,” at least as long as Iraq’s oil and the financial opportunities for many Republican-friendly corporations still beckoned. This is a commander-in-chief interested in “keeping America safe”?
Now bin Laden is still free to make his anti-Western videos, conduct interviews threatening America and our allies, and preach violent jihad. Meanwhile, our young soldiers continue fighting and dying along with thousands of innocent Iraqis, none of whom ever asked for any confrontation with America.
One would think that no self-respecting neocon would ever forgive a president who took such a half-hearted stab at capturing and punishing the architect of the deadliest attack ever on American soil. But there are obviously a lot of Bush apologists still out there. They will continue to defend the myriad of crimes committed by a corrupt organization, ignoring the pain and bloodshed they’ve instigated, in favor of spurious, lying attacks against Democratic nominee Barack Obama. The hate screed in these pages two weeks ago is a prime example. Full of negative hypotheticals and ludicrous reaches of logic ($10 gasoline tax? Huh? Obama will destroy the economy? It already IS destroyed) etc., this kind of fear-mongering is exactly what we’re all going to be inundated with from the conservative base through November 4.
But what other options do they have? On virtually every issue affecting rank-and-file Americans, the Republican party loses. The ruined economy? Inflation spiraling ever higher, the dollar’s worth ever lower, a $10 trillion debt, a ruined infrastructure from federal down to city level? Check. Using the 911 attacks to “justify” a bloody, unnecessary attack on an innocent land, causing over a million deaths? Check. Worsening the healthcare/pharmaceutical mess for most Americans by allowing the corporations themselves to write most of the policy? Check. Promising to reform Social Security, a program in dire straits that will begin affecting a major slice of our population very soon, and then ignoring the problem for eight years? Check. Breaking whole sections of our Constitution by engaging in illegal wiretapping, secretly torturing suspects, and eliminating habeas corpus for hundreds of Guantanamo Bay captives, most of them innocent men? Check. And there’s so much more, as anyone paying attention throughout this sorry decade knows full well.
The Republican election machine is ramping up for what promises to be an ugly campaign of misinformation, character assassination and guilt-by-association hate tirades against a man who ran a clean, issues-oriented, raceless primary to win the Democratic nomination. Hopefully in November enough voters will be able to separate the factual points from the smoke screens.
William F. Klessens - Salem
The Other Side of the Story
Recently a number of State Representatives have written letters complaining about the special House session on June 4. Since those letters all come from the minority party, which opposed the basic purpose of the session, we feel the voters of our district deserve to hear the other side of the story - why this session was necessary, and the goals it accomplished.
During the past two years, we Democrats in the majority party addressed problems that had been ignored by previous legislatures. The Republicans claim that this legislature (by which they mean the new Democratic majority) did “too much, too fast.” We believe that the legislation we supported was long overdue, because the previous majorities had done “too little, too slowly.” Even with all that needed to be done; the total budget consisted of less than 3 percent of new, discretionary spending. That included such things as finally eliminating the developmental disability waiting list (not instantly, but over a couple of years, to lessen the tax impact).
While the budget passed last year was heading into deficit, it was primarily because, as is the case in many states, that budget was based on economic estimates that were undermined by the major national economic downturn of the past year. (Actually, many states are in much greater difficulty than we are.) Governor Lynch and the legislature had already made millions of dollars in cuts over the past several months, reducing the total size of the budget, but trying to retain at least some of the most urgent new programs. We wanted to make sure we would be on sound financial footing next year, even if the general economy doesn’t turn around quickly. However, it appeared that those cuts might not be enough, and Governor Lynch and the Executive Council called the special session, in a last-minute attempt to ensure a balanced budget.
Because the legislature was about to adjourn for the summer, when many members would not be available to return to a session, Governor Lynch felt it was necessary to address the financial issues immediately, when there were still enough members available to conduct business. A couple of sessions earlier this year showed how difficult it can be to get anything done if there are too few Representatives present, and acting promptly avoided a repeat of that problem. When the minority party threatened to walk out of the session, it was very clear how this might have played out, but we Democrats stayed, united in our determination to do the job that we had been summoned by Governor Lynch to do.
The special session was necessary to get authority to bond some capital expenditures for education. Because of IRS rules, the bonding authority had to be in place within 60 days of the time the education funds were paid to the school districts, and that deadline was about to pass. Most of that authority will probably not be used; in fact, if things turn out better than the projected worst case, perhaps no bonding will be necessary. However, having the authority in place is a safety net to protect us against that worst case. What we have done is basically to set up a line of credit, which we can use or not use, but which will be available if absolutely needed. This is just sound fiscal policy, and was recommended by the State Treasurer as the best way to protect our bond rating. Getting the authority was just adding one more tool that the state could use to keep the budget in balance, while still maintaining necessary services.
The Republicans objected that the special session was run under different rules, without requiring the more usual process of committee hearing and deliberation. Using special rules was not something that any of us took lightly, but new rules were necessary since the regular session had adjourned, and they were based on those used in former special sessions. This was a case where it was important to act expeditiously. The basic ideas being discussed had either already been considered in public hearings or other deliberations, or just involved implementing existing agreements.
It was a very long day, due in large part to continued minority party efforts to delay and disrupt. But we felt privileged to be there (until nearly midnight), and we listened carefully to all of the debate, from those on both sides of the aisle. We believe that we did the due diligence that was required by Governor Lynch and the Executive Council, and we stand by our votes in favor of the measures they proposed.
We take our responsibility to our constituents very seriously. We have deliberated carefully and cautiously, and have done our best to uphold the dignity of our office at all times. If you have any questions or comments about any issues, we will be happy to hear from you. Please contact us at 880-4908 or by email at maryann.knowles@leg.state.nh.us and john.knowles@leg.state.nh.us.
State Representatives Mary Ann and John Knowles - Hudson
A Survivors Thanks
A huge thank all of my team members on “Team Mom-O-Gram “for Relay For life. All of you ladies went above and beyond - it’s an honor have you on my team. One of the best things about being a cancer survivor, is that it provides me the opportunity to be surrounded by loving and supportive friends who are willing to stand by me. Some of you have lost loved ones to cancer, or know someone who is currently dealing with it. I sincerely hope that being part of this effort is as comforting to you, as you have all been to me in my fight back. Thank you all for never saying no to me and helping Team Mom-O-Gram be so successful. Another thank you goes out to all of the kids that joined my daughter’s team, “The Lucky Charms.” You all worked so hard to raise your sponsorship money to join this team, and once at the event, continued to work even harder to raise more money. Each and every one of you should feel very proud because, you’ve helped to make a difference. I hope you will join us again next year!
Dawn Mastrogiacomo – Salem
Thank You
To all my girls Ariana, Amy, Jayla, Dena, Emily, Valerie, Elena, Malory, Samantha, Alex, Ariel, Annie and also Coach Steve and our scorekeeper and lineup man Coach Mike for a great season this past spring. Also I want to say thank you to all my parents who sacrifice a lot of their time to have the girls there at all the practices and games and also the playoff games which we fell one game short of the big game to an also great team and coaches the Hawks. I hope I see you all in the fall and enjoy your summer and keep playing softball.
Michael Mell and Steve Garcia, FireBirds Manager and Coach – Hudson
Secretaries Union Asking for Court Intervention on Pay Raises
Greed and arrogance have reared their ugly heads again. This time it is in the school district! Greed comes from the secretaries union. They want a raise even though the voters said “no” to their request back in March. Their arrogance comes from their demand that the district take the matter to court to try to override the voters. This is especially arrogant since the voters also said “no” to a special meeting.
The arrogance also comes from the school board. They did not have to agree to go to court. They and the secretaries union are thumbing their noses at the voters. Only in government can the workers (secretaries and school board) ignore the will of their real bosses (the voters).
The only member of the school board who has any understanding of reality is Bernie Campbell. He would like to give the raise but knows such an underhanded trick if it succeeds will only sour the people against them. The janitors union is smart enough to wait until next March as the people have instructed. The secretaries can’t wait to snub the voters. As to the cost of this special election if it passes in court, let the secretaries union pay the full cost. It should not be borne by the taxpayers who took the time to vote and to say “no” to a raise and “no” to a special meeting.
I suppose the school board should have another meeting to try to understand why the voters were so “mean-spirited this year. It is really simple: It’s the economy!
It will cost me today over $800 to fill my oil tank with 200 gallons of heating oil. And you want me to feel bad for you? I’m on a fixed income. Try it for a year but make sure it is less than 50 percent of what you now make.
I will vote “no” on your raise in September if the judge allows your arrogant and greedy scheme to happen.
Earl Merrow - Salem
Want Summer Information?
With summer upon us, many want to visit the beach or launch their boat. Some areas such as Rye pier or North Hampton State Beach are well known, but many other areas are not as well known.
The New Hampshire coast includes 18.57 miles of ocean shoreline and 235.38 miles of estuary shoreline.
If you are looking for a new place to go, check out http://www.des.nh.gov/Coastal/Resources/documents/coastalaccessmap_final.pdf. This document shows all of the public land access points and public boat launches for our beautiful seacoast.
Another good resource is http://www.nhstateparks.com/. While you can also find beach and boating information on this site, you’ll also find information about water falls, covered bridges, hiking, historic sites, watch towers, bike riding and, of course, state parks and their activities. Want to fish? Fishing locations are given by region.
Check out New Hampshire and pack up your family for some inexpensive and yet, enjoyable family fun.
State Representatives Russ and Lynne Ober – Hudson
Strawberry Fest a Fun Family Affair
We’d like to thank those who worked on the Litchfield Presbyterian Church’s annual Strawberry Fest. Once again all of us who attended enjoyed a terrific lunch. The highlight of lunch was strawberries from McQuesten Farms. Should we have strawberry shortcake or strawberry cheesecake or, our favorite option, buy one of each and share?
Parents had a chance to sit and chat while kids enjoyed the games on the lawn. Litchfield Boy Scouts monitored the games and helped spot for those who wanted to try the climbing wall.
Long time Litchfield volunteer Erdine MacDougall Kelley, recipient of the Boston Post Cane, gave an interesting history of the church. Litchfield’s Historical Society opened their museum so that attendees could view the many interesting artifacts in their collection.
Baked goods were for sale and we were unable to pass up the strawberry bread. It was an entertaining afternoon kicked off with those great strawberries. If you missed this year’s event, watch for it next year.
State Representatives Russ and Lynne Ober - Hudson
Salem High School’s Upcoming 20th Class Reunion
The Salem High School Class of 1988 is planning its 20th reunion. The event is to be held on Friday, November 28, at the Radisson in Manchester from 6 p.m. to midnight.
The reunion committee is looking for contact information for many classmates. If you have not updated your information recently, please do so, or if your child was a member of the class of 1988 and has since moved out of the area, please inform him/her of the upcoming event.
Additionally, pictures from high school or Woodbury Middle School are needed for a slideshow that will take place that night.
Finally, sponsors for the faculty table as well as door prizes for raffles are needed for the night of the reunion. Donations will be accepted from individuals as well as local businesses. All donations will be acknowledged in the slideshow that evening.
Please contact us at shs1988reunion.com for further information.
Maureen Regan-Milchuk, formerly of Salem - Perrineville, New Jersey
“Thank You” to Some of Hudson School’s Finest
My daughter has gone through the Hudson public schools for 12 years and is a 2008 graduate of Alvirne High School. I would like to take this time to thank all of the staff and support personnel who have been part of her educational experience. As the parent of a child who was eventually diagnosed with true ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), I often found myself overwhelmed when trying to scaffold her for success in an environment where class sizes are growing and standards are rising. She experienced many good things as she moved through the school system. There are many, many educators who deserve thanks and you know who you are. There are others who need to re-examine their interactions with students and learn from them as well. You also know who you are. I would, however, like to publicly acknowledge some particular individuals who do their job every day and make a difference in many lives.
I would personally like to thank Ms. Beverly Landry (also known as Cluffee the Clown) for being a most wonderful preschool and kindergarten teacher. When my daughter graduated from kindergarten you took me aside and said, “Don’t try to break her spirit; guide her spirit and hand pick her teachers to get the “best fit” so that she isn’t broken!” I followed that advice as much as possible, and it was the best advice I have ever received. Thank you Bev, for being so insightful and seeing the shining spirit within!
In addition; to Mrs. Leslie Liakos, a huge, monumental “thank you” for lighting a flame within my child for music and theater. You recognized her unique gifts and encouraged her to grow. You made sure that you emphasized that I must pay attention to those gifts and help her cultivate them. You also recognized her unique learning style and brought out the best in her, which I wish all educators would do everywhere. You have no idea how valuable your influence has been and I will forever appreciate what you did for my daughter. A lot of her love for learning comes from her one brief year in your wonderful classroom. I am also proud to say that she is going on to college to pursue a career in theater and communication!
To Mrs. Jennifer Lafrance (also known as Mamma Duck), I owe a tremendous “thank you” for so much! You are truly an inspiration to your students and an asset to Hudson with your unselfish enthusiasm for Class Act in every capacity. It has been a privilege! Your wonderful teaching style and your willingness to accommodate difficulties truly distinguishes you. You are, indeed, a Class Act.
Finally, “thank you” to Mr. Bryan Lane. As a high school principal you often get the brunt of the angst and complaints of both students and parents. I appreciate your role in my daughter’s education and your cooperation when I have needed to call upon you. You are a true professional.
To everyone else who deserves individual thanks, I’m sorry that I don’t have time or room to list you … but as I stated before, you know who you are. Keep doing what you’re doing, because it truly does make a difference! Again, to those who I “bucked heads” with, you know who you are also. Please, please, please take lessons from the untraditional students that you teach, and realize that they are people, not cattle. In my own 25 years of teaching, I have learned more from my more challenging students than I could learn in any honors level course that could be taught. Thank you, Hudson, for being an integral part of my child’s journey into the adult world.
Denise Saindon - Hudson
‘I’m Just Grateful to Have Been There’
I’ve been watching little league baseball games for 53 years. As a player in the 1950s, then as a coach, umpire and parent … something on the order of a thousand games.
The games themselves are filled with lots of walks, wild pitches, passed balls, errors, overthrows, and a million strikeouts. The dominant background noise at little league games is the constant encouraging parental shouts of “good swing,” “almost,” “nice try” and “you’ll get ‘em next time.”
But, here’s the thing: Once in a while, every game or two … and maybe just a couple of times each season … something extraordinary happens in these games. It usually comes out of nowhere and quickly recedes. A second-stringer makes contact with a wicked fastball or a kid stabs a line drive ticketed for right field or the right fielder tracks down a long fly ball near the fence. And these things are such great fun to see, great moments.
But last week, on Monday evening, a Nottingham boy named Dow – a first baseman - provided me with the most extraordinary moment in my 53 years of watching little league baseball.
We live in a world of instant replay and digital camcorders and phone cameras, but this moment was not recorded. Words will have to do:
It is the sixth inning of an “away game” for Nottingham, played in a truly wonderful field in Auburn with real lights (kids love playing under the lights), and the teams are locked at 3 - 3. It is late twilight and – to the delight of the boys – they have turned those lights on. Two outs, runners in scoring position.
The right-handed batter fights off a pitch and pops it foul, wide of first base. The ball – at its apex – is less than 25 feet in the air, and it is slicing toward the home team dugout. Probably out of play.
The Nottingham boy – our first baseman - is blocked out from the play by the first base coach, an adult who is one head taller and many pounds heavier. In a second the ball will land harmlessly.
But this boy has in mind somehow catching the ball and recording the final out of the inning. Seeing that his path to the foul pop up is blocked by the first base coach, the youngster astoundingly runs a tight half circle around the adult and reaches the five-foot fence that guards the field.
Having successfully negotiated himself around the adult who was blocking his path to the ball, the boy simultaneously begins a jump and reaches his glove over the fence. His arm extends two feet outside the field of play. The glove is open wide with palm turned upward.
An instant early or an instant late, an inch too short, a jump to the left or to the right … and we would have watched the ball perhaps tick off his glove … and we would have heard parents shouting “nice try” and “almost.”
But on this Monday under the lights in Auburn, the Nottingham boy is neither early nor late, and so the ball lands slap-dab in his glove, and, in one motion, the boy from Nottingham squeezes it and lifts his arm to the sky as he lands back on the ground. He takes the ball out of his glove and shows the ball to the umpire who, after a dazed moment, signals the batter “out.” Inning over. Game still tied. We’re going to extra innings for crying out loud!
His teammates mobbed him. Parents are jumping up and down, shouting and laughing and applauding. But our Nottingham boy seems unaware of the noise and oblivious to the excitement around him. There is a certain expression on his face. It is as if he knows that something momentous has just taken place. Something that maybe he will remember all his life.
As for me … well I’m just grateful to have been there, grateful to have seen that wondrous catch and grateful to have met the boy from Nottingham who made it.
Robert Sprague - Nottingham
Sami’s Striders Are “Striding Toward a Cure …” Again!
Sami’s Striders is a team raising money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Samantha Weis, a 13-year-old girl, is afflicted with Crohn’s disease. She is a seventh grade student at Hudson Memorial School. We will be walking in her honor at the Guts and Glory Walk in Manchester on Saturday, June 28. Last year, you the community, our friends and neighbors, helped us to be one of the top fundraisers in New Hampshire.
Sami has benefited directly from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. They raise money to not only research for a cure, but also to raise awareness and fund Camp Oasis, a camp for children with either Crohn’s or Colitis, which Sami has been able to attend the last two years, thanks to the CCFA, and is looking forward to attending this August.
Please make a donation and help us to “stride toward a cure.” You can learn more about our efforts and make a donation by visiting the following Website: http://www.active.com/donate/takestepsMNH07/SWeis3 or you can call us directly for more information at 598-4167 or 566-5832. We appreciate your support.
Sue Weis, Captain, Sami’s Striders – Hudson
Libertarian Invitation
Two political parties are necessary components in a democracy. The party that wins an election is known as the empowered or ruling party. The party that loses an election has traditionally been known as the Loyal Opposition Party. If the Loyal Opposition Party fails to be in opposition to the ruling empowered party then, the result is a dictatorship since there is no effective opposition. In such a case in reality, there is only one party which is made up of a merger of the two parties making but one party. When this happens the result is a failed democracy.
In today’s America we find the tragic reality of a failed democracy because it can clearly be seen that there is little if any difference between the two parties. No matter which party is in power the will of the people is largely ignored.
Making things worse, we find that the greatest constitution ever devised is collecting dust with the reigning attitude towards it held by elected officials, that the constitution is a relic of the past that has outlived its usefulness. If America is to truly be a nation that fulfills Lincoln’s Gettysburg address proclamation that “government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the Earth”, then respect for the constitution must be restored.
If America is to reclaim its claim of being a democracy than there has to be a birth of a new party that will form a true second party. It is to achieve this objective that the Libertarian Party now cries out to the people to give it birth and in so doing Restore the American Democracy.
It is because like the majority of Americans, who believe in the two party system that we, the Libertarians, extend this Libertarian Invitation to the people of New Hampshire to sign the petition to put Bob Bar on the New Hampshire Presidential Ballot and thereby create an effective second party that will uphold the constitution and restore the American Republic.
Howard L. Wilson - Andover
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