As the April 15 tax day approaches, I am feeling bamboozled, once again, by the Bush Administration. Here’s why:
In the President’s recent budget proposal, key programs that aid low-income people – the majority of whom are women – will face considerable cuts. For example: funding for programs designed to combat domestic violence will be cut by $100 million. Funds for Medicaid and Medicare will be cut by $195 billion over five years. The Child Care and Development Block Grant, which helps low-income people afford child care, will have its funding frozen at last year’s already low levels.
Well, you may say, the economy is in deep trouble, so cuts are necessary! Think again. Increases appear in the budget too. Here are some that make my blood boil: $28 million More for abstinence-only education programs, programs which were proven ineffective in a study last year by the Department of Health and Human Services!
And especially appalling is an almost $36 Billion Increase in Defense Department spending. And not included in these numbers are emergency appropriations that the Pentagon relies upon to maintain operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president’s budget stops short of outlining the likely needs for the full year and instead anticipates only a $70 billion fund to carry into the next administration. The $70 billion appears to be less than half of what will be required for the coming year. (These figures are supplied by The Politico and Politico. Com. and authored by David Rogers.)
The only way for an ordinary citizen to challenge the philosophy that is the basis of this kind of inhumane, irresponsible spending is, of course, by your vote. The election is several months away, but it seems obvious that the Republicans do not take seriously the needs of the American people over the desired “victory” in Iraq. To end the war and to return to responsible peace time, socially responsible spending, we must elect a Democratic administration in November. That’s the only remedy I can think of as I get ready to pay my taxes for a government that is Not using my money – or anybody else’s to protect democracy!
Pat Yosha
Exeter
To the Editor:
Testimony against carbon offsets bill
On March 20, the new Hampshire House voted overwhelmingly to pass HB1434, a bill that will put in place a carbon offsets trading program that will greatly increase our energy costs while doing nothing to offset global warming. I would like at this time to share with you my testimony against this bill, which I gave before the House energy committee:
This bill proposes to set up a carbon offset program to collect revenue in the name of stopping man made global warming. It presumes a great many assertions of dubious truth.
First, that global warming is man made. Al Gore maintains that there is a scientific consensus that global warming is and man made. In a sense this is true. Every scientist whom the global warming proponents choose to cite agrees with their position. Every scientist who disagrees, and there are many such, is denounced as a heretic and, even worse, denied grant money. Thus is an artificial consensus manufactured, by politicizing science. Mao would have applauded.
If Al Gore truly believes that global warming is man made why does he not take steps to reduce his own infamously large carbon footprint? Because he says he has bought offsets. But as I'll show below offsets are worthless!
Second, that reducing our carbon output will reduce the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is silly. Right now China is outputting many times more greenhouse gases than the entire United States, and nothing in this bill is going to put a dent in that.
Third, that carbon offsets will reduce our carbon output. Carbon offsets are like the indulgences racket of the pre-Reformation Church. Indulgences never reduced sinful behavior. On the contrary, they made sin easier by offering easy absolution. Why should the sale of carbon offsets be any different? The Financial Times has done a study of global offsets programs and found that they do nothing to offset carbon at all, but only line the pockets of carbon brokers. And help Al Gore justify his huge mansion. For companies, the costs of the offsets will be passed on to customers.
Furthermore the notion that planting trees will somehow offset carbon is particularly absurd here in New Hampshire. We’ve got so many trees already a few more wouldn’t make a difference even if we could find a place to put them.
Fourth, that money given to the government will be well spent. Are we to put our faith in the Public Utilities Commission's audits? I think not. No government agency can be trusted so completely.
This bill says that money is to be given to private corporations. Which private corporations? Who decides, and on what basis? Does the biggest kickback win? This is a recipe for corruption.
While I sat waiting for a chance to speak at the first HB1434 hearing, the various vested interests repeated themselves seemingly without end. One point they hammered in with particular vigor was that even if we opted out of RGGI we'd end up paying the costs anyway. The RGGI programs of neighboring states would raise the price of power we import from then due to our state's energy dependence.
I questioned PUC Commissioner Clifton Below on this. He told me that in fact our state produces more power than it consumes, and that our energy dependence is the result of our participating in an interstate market, and this in turn is purely a 'policy choice'.
The only reason anyone could offer for this policy choice was that it would somehow enhance the reliability of our electric power. This seems unlikely to me given that first, all the power outages I have experienced were caused by problems with the lines close to my home, and secondly, the great Northeast Blackout of 2003 was actually spread and exacerbated by the interstate power grid.
Furthermore, if we were to build more hydroelectric, wind and nuclear plants and the separate our state's grid from the larger grid, we could heat our homes cheaply with electric instead of oil and have no carbon footprint at all!
The energy dependence blackmail is specious. My point is not that we ought to go the energy independent route. My point is simply that this is a viable option which all the proponents of this bill are implicitly denying exists. Are we to put our faith in their testimony on other points if they mislead us in this way?
John Sununu said it best: money is power. This bill makes the state Department of Environmental Services a money broker, and thus a power broker, all in the name of an ideology, an ideology which been draped in the flag of 'science'.
It can hardly be expected to work as advertised, because its reasoning is specious at every step. It makes absolutely no sense, but the vested interests are hoping if they throw enough facts and figures at you they will keep you from noticing that. They seek to confuse you into acquiescence. As you listened that long Thursday morning, without a single view permitted to be heard that was not from a vested interest of some sort, from an ideologue, or from an academician who dared not contradict its thesis for fear of losing tenure, did you not suspect in the back of your minds that you were being fed a massive snow job?
And do you really imagine that there are not many New Hampshire voters who oppose this measure? Among the fellow citizens I have talked to, the vast majority abhor this bill. But you had no opportunity to hear from ordinary voters. You got to hear what lobbyists from Massachusetts think, but not what your constituents think.
Its thinking is authoritarian and anti-liberty. It presumes that the vested interests know best, that the rich can play by different rules than the rest of us, that markets exist at the pleasure of the government, and that a good policy decision can be made by hearing only one side at length and ad nauseam.
Nothing good is likely to come out a scheme that is being advanced in such a way, especially since it makes less sense the more you think about it. It can only distort our economy, enrich the corrupt, raise consumer costs and undermine our social virtues. It is un-New Hampshirite.
Neil Rowland
Fremont
To the Editor:
A Big Thank You on a Big Success
On behalf of the Region 10 Kid’s Carnival Committee, please accept our sincere thanks for all the support you gave to the Kid’s Carnival, which was held on February 9, 2008. It is because of the wonderful people like you that the Carnival was a huge success. Everybody young and old had a great time. We raised lots of money, which will benefit the children and adults with developmental disabilities or acquired brain disorders that we serve. Your generosity and thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated, and will not be forgotten.
This event is made possible through the generosity of our main sponsors: Salem Co-operative Bank, Ride-Away and Sandlot Sports & Entertainment.
All other generous donations came from, All-Ways Accessible, Ben & Jerry’s, Ms. Nancy Begin, Mr. and Mrs. Len Dichard, The Dudal Family, Mr. and Mrs. Fran Forgit, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Frim, Ms. Dawn Frim, Ms. Leah Frim, The Hatch Family, Ms. Karen Hill, The Garvey Family, Ms. Jill Johnston and Family, Mr. and Mrs. George Hilenski, Hill Top Food & Deli – Neil Dunn, Mr. James Kozack, Jeff Lavoie, Nancy Murphy, Ms Pam Tand, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Prairie, Ms. Addie Prairie, Mrs. Lisa Ricci and Friends, Ms. Chris Roy, Ms. Cathy Spinney, Ms. Kelly Spinney, Mrs. Marion Stanley- Longaberger Consultant, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Steir, The Sheehan Coyne Family, Ms. Linda Stinchfield, Ms. Susan Parker, Gym-Ken, Manchester Monarchs Hockey Club, Mr. Raymond Bateman, Jr. - Route 108 General Store, McDonald’s - The Napoli Group, LLC., McDonald’s of Raymond – Dwight Barnes, Chickadee Hill Cakes – Shara Hill, Pentucket Bank – Mary Lonergan, Atkinson Graphics – David Tremblay, Camp Ucandoit – Mencis & Meehan Family, Sandlot Sports & Entertainment – Mitchell Mencis, Playmates Learning Center- Linda Meehan, Grand’s Discount – Norman Grand, Portland Sea Dogs, Mr. Michael Delahanty - Salem School District, Metamorphosis Children's Museum, Ride-Away , Salem Co-operative Bank, Ms. Rose – Kindermusik, Boston Celtics, New England Revolution, Mr. Edward Murphy - Power Search, Inc., Mr. David Rosenberg- Ira Toyota, Ms. Bonnie Brooke Severence - Bonnie Brooke Academy of Irish Dance, Boston Red Sox, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Papa Gino's Restaurant – Derry, Plaistow and Salem, Shaw’s - Plaistow, Salem, Windham and Derry, East Derry School of Music Stagecraft Concert, Life is Good, Salem Police, Junior Hurricane Drumline of Windham
Thank you to all the Dedicated Committee Members, Leah Frim, Linda Stinchfield, Linda Meehan, Mitchell Mencis, Tammy Dudal, who donated their time to make this event such a great success.
A huge “Thank You” goes out to all the wonderful people who volunteered the day of the carnival. Without your helping hands, friendly faces and enthusiastic attitudes this event would not be possible! Thanks again for making the Region 10 Kid’s Carnival 2008 a huge success! Dianna Winward, Stacy Merriam, Ryan Keiran, Christine Swinerton, Richard and Melissa Sweeney, Ariel Buchholz, Leah Frim, Dawn Frim, Dottie Knickle, Jim Kozack, Andrea Glynn, Jill Johnston, Alex Bieniecki, Kristine, Macy and Kenny Houle, Michelle, Conor and Erin Murphy, Adele Prairie, Ricky and Sandy Prairie, Robin and Mandy Knight, Nancy Murphy, Pam Tand, Leslie Coughlin, Linda Stinchfield, Nancy Begin, Colleen O’Shaughnessy, Chris Roy, Kim Flynn, Andrea Bernier, Rose Lemay, Rebecca Garone, Linda Meehan, Edward Mencis, Mitchell Mencis, Jen Mattinson, Eddie Zaramba, Joey Damore, Jeff Disalvo, Andrea Karpinski, Meghan and Patrick McKinney, Susan and Meagan Parker, Meghan Mahar, Rose Lemay , Jane and Len Dichard, Robert, Tammy and Travis Dudal, Salem Police Department – K9 and Nick McRae.
To all of you who brought cakes and donated items without leaving your names please accept our heartfelt thanks and especially to the Region 10 Staff.
Our appreciation also goes out to Carole Fongemie, Sheila Prunier and Chris Roy for all their support on the hard work that is done behind the scenes.
Tammy Dudal on behalf of Region 10 Kid’s Carnival Committee
