RAYMOND – It’s coming back in the 2010 House session, as HB-304, which was retained, passes through the House Judiciary Committee and will be forwarded to the full House for action. I attended the sub-committee hearings on this bill and was applauded by the manor that the Committee Chairman conducted the meetings. He was very rude and refused to allow anyone attending to speak on the bill. Why announce a Public meeting if no one can speak and comment on the issues?
Isn’t it ironic that the three sponsors, all Democrats (Rep. Charles Weed, Keene; Rick Watrous, Concord; and Bonnie Michell, Jaffrey), titled the bill “Death With Dignity”, when in reality there is NO dignity in Doctors becoming the instrument of death.
Besides me, there are many Legislators, the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and many churches of all faiths, that are against this bill. It is one thing for a Physician to be authorized by the patient through the legal authority of a living will not to perform heroic measures to prolong life, but it crosses the line from the healing arts to the killing arts to tell physicians that they should be active participants in causing death. Currently, it is a Class B Felony if a person aids or solicits another to commit suicide, and that protection should remain in place. Call your Legislators and tell them to vote NO on HB-304.
This weekend, the witches and goblins will be out canvassing your neighborhood wooing you to provide them with goodies or suffer the consequences. The ugly or grotesque spirits are out celebrating the American holiday of Halloween. Enjoy the time and allow the youngsters to have their fun. Please open up your door, provide a treat, and let the youth enjoy the evening. Halloween in Raymond will be held on Sat., October 31, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Several people have asked me lately, how to apply for a disability privilege temporary placard or permanent license plate. What you have to do is: go to your local vehicle registration office, pick up a State of NH Dept. of Safety’s form DSMV 16, an “Application For Walking Disability Privileges”, and take this form to your doctor, who must fill it out, and mail it to the state. Then the state will mail it to you. There are various fees depending on what you want. For more information, call the Dept. of Safety at 603-271-2275.
In this poor economy, did you ever wonder what the different bankruptcy terms, you so often hear, really mean. With the number of bankruptcies rising in New Hampshire and nationally, we hear more and more of this problem. Many debtors first try to succeed using Chapter 11, but a high percentage, unfortunately, are later forced to file under Chapter 7.
Chapter 11 is more complex and expensive, and also requires the debtor to present a viable business plan showing sustainability, which is very difficult in this economy. Chapter 7 - provides for “liquidation”, that is, the sale of a debtor’s nonexempt property and the distribution of the proceeds to creditors. Chapter 11 - a reorganization bankruptcy, usually involving a corporation for some type of partnership. Self employed or an individual can also seek relief under Chapter 11. The debtor proposes a plan of reorganization to keep its business alive and pay off creditors over a period of time. Chapter 13, - provides for adjustment of debts of an individual with regular income, often called the “wage-earners” plan, allowing the debtor to keep property and use their disposable income to pay debts over a period of time, usually 3 to 5 years.
Although we don’t see it very often in New Hampshire, there is also a Chapter 12 which gives debt relief to a family farmer with regular farming income.
