I was an early Frank Guinta supporter and continue to be. Kelly Ayotte voted against the debt bill in the Senate and I stand my her as well. The vote was a tough one and the reason for ones vote is the important thing to me.
Frank's vote for the bill reflects his views on several things.http://newleafturning.com/wp-admin/post-new.php
First, because he is concerned for low and middle income families as well as small business owners, he saw a looming increase in consumer/business credit rates as potentially devastating for some. This is true especially for families already deeply in debt from the recession. If they are already struggling to pay their credit card payments, an increase in interest rates could literally financially sink them. An interest rate change might cause the rich to get a little cheaper bottle of wine at dinner; this same interest rate change might cause a poorer family to decide if they can afford dinner at all.
Second, Frank's approach to attacking the contentious governmental debt problem is to take the smaller victory that was available after intense negotiation and then keep pushing forward for more. This is one of the reasonable strategies often employed in situations like this.
It is a lot easier to have an opinion when you don't really have to make the vote. In fact, if there were enough NO votes to defeat the bill, people would be mad at those people now; they would be blamed for the S&P downgrade, etc. There was no big win to be had here. Frank Guinta decided to go for winning a small battle as a step to eventually winning the big war.
From comment on http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110808/NEWS06/708089969
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On Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at the Deerfield Republican Town Committee, Bob Johnson from Smarter Grid Consulting presented a view of the Northern Pass Project with regard to US energy policy. The two most interesting points to me address alternative energy development and energy independence. Any governmental “help” from our government from things like Eminent Domain undercuts alternative energy development that is a supposed priority of our policy as stated in the President’s State of the Union Address. Further, clearly depending on Canada doesn’t add to our energy independence; it huts it. Bottom line, Northern Pass flies in the face of our energy policies and objectives.
For more information, click here to download the presentation.
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I have dealt with a lot of people both inside and outside of business. Most people are usually pretty honest and as you would expect some are not. House (from House, M.D.) says, “Everybody lies.” I don’t know about that, but I would say that everyone has lied. As we grow personally, maybe one area we need to improve is not putting ourselves in a position where we feel the urge to lie. Lying, a form of cheating, is an issue of character. Character flaws hurt us more than anyone else and it is in our best interest to get rid of them.
Back to lying, people have different ideas of what a lie really is. I worked for someone once who thought that evaluating whether or not something was a lie was a technical exercise. You only needed to look at the exact words that were used in a statement without the context of the delivery or conversation. If the words conveyed something that was true, it was not a lie.
For instance, if you asked if it was raining outside and he said, “No, it isn’t,” you then looked out the window and saw the downpour, you might say you were lied to. However, this kind of person would say, “I didn’t lie to you. You didn’t ask where it was raining, and my statement was accurate for the Sahara Desert.” This variety of liar at least pretends to have comfort in their heart that they are not liars and do so by lying to themselves, too.
I don’t agree with this kind of thinking at all and believe that the determination of a lie is with the intent, not the act. Did you know or at least strongly suspect that the other person was being misled by your statement even though your words were internally true? Then, I would say that you lied. Many on the political left have accused George Bush of lying because we didn’t find WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) in Iraq. He said they had them, and we didn’t exactly find them. However, virtually every country in the world (and probably Saddam Hussein himself) thought they were there. While Bush’s statement was not true, he was not lying when he said it; he was mistaken. His intent was the opposite of lying and there was no lie.
In the same vein, your answer does not have to be technically correct as long as it conveys the proper information to the other person. “Are you going to the Mall?” When it is obvious that the person is interested in whether or not you are going to the mall today, and you say “No”, you are answering the question truthfully in spite of the fact that you know you will be going to the mall next week.
Whether or not you think you are a liar, it is likely that your personal community has an opinion. An important part of your reputation is how honest you are judged to be. It relates to how much the community feels you can be trusted. If you lie even just a little, it will taint everything you say because lying a little means you can be lying at any time; your word can never be taken at face value. Your relationships are weakened as trust is eroded. Unfortunately for our friend above who thought lies and truth are technical things, when I knew him his closer associates all labeled him as someone who would clearly lie if it was in his best interest. He was a liar. He was not trusted. Period.
Honesty is something that history remembers about people. George Washington was known for his honesty. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.” Abraham Lincoln (Honest Abe!) was equally pragmatic. He said, “No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar.” Clearly too many people try to prove them wrong. Take the advice, make honesty your best policy, and sleep well!
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The Northern Pass project in New Hampshire has peeked my interest in other power projects. Here is one in New Jersey.
In an article titled Tony Soprano must be the Project Manager on this one, Smarter Grid Consulting reviewed a program to put small solar panels on utility poles. Once again, what might sound like a good idea is almost surely a waste of money; it seems to be a project being done because it has to be good in spite that it violates economic and environmental sensibilities.
It has a lot of opponents many of whom are concerned with how this will affect the beauty of their towns.
The paper states:
"OK, just so we are clear – the project has no compelling economic benefit, the public believes the project generates "three million square feet of urban blight", and the consumer is rewarded with a rate increase."
Even if it does produce some temporary jobs, you would think that there are better ways to put people to work.
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There are a number of reasons that New Hampshire residents should be unhappy with the proposed Northern Pass Project. One of mine is that a proposed easement is adjacent to my home. When I bought the property ten years ago, the existing transmission lines were benign. A few years ago, they were enlarged upping the ante and the ones proposed will be monsters. Anyway, the issues are close to home, so to speak.
We in New Hampshire are greatly centered on freedom and responsibility. We were among the original signers of the Constitution of 1787 including the Bill of Rights when all the states were concerned with the potential encroachment of other states and the Federal government.
The concern was real back then and is a real threat now. While some states have been responsible, or are being responsible, by solving their own problems locally, many states are very happy to exercise their freedom, but don’t like the taste of responsibility. They look to “the government” to bail them out, but “the government” is just euphemism for other Americans. In my opinion, the Northern Pass project is a prime example of governmental irresponsibility and wealth transfer both between states and between individuals.
A paper published by Robert Johnson of Smarter Grid Consulting*, a consulting company dedicated to fact based research and analysis, states this about the Northern Pass project,
“The bottom line is a private company is asking New Hampshire to provide a right of way through its National Forests and wild lands, diminishing its economically important tourist trade and depriving citizens of their lands; to what end?”
His report indicates that New Hampshire produces 88% more power than it needs, which provides twenty-five years of growth capacity, and that our power is predominately environmentally clean. Further, while New Hampshire has set high environmental standards to maintain its wild lands and the associated economic advantages, the power from the Northern Pass is not needed for use by New Hampshire.
Who Benefits?
Bob goes on to look at who benefits and why:
“It is without surprise the states with the greatest need to import electricity are the more populous Southern Tier states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island with Massachusetts being the only regional net electricity consumer.
Massachusetts is in need of not only electricity, but also clean electricity, because the state adopted a very stringent set of RPS [Renewable Portfolio Standards] requirements. They have expanded beyond the requirement for renewable generation in the RPS with the stipulation of the Green Communities Act which requires Distribution Companies to periodically seek 10-15 year contracts for renewable energy. Unlike other states in the region, Massachusetts legislation allows utilities to use imported large scale hydroelectric power to meet the mandated requirement for renewables.
In addition to requiring utilities to grow the percentage of electricity from renewables, the state and Federal government are forcing the eminent decommissioning their fossil fuel plants like the Salem Harbor plant in Salem MA by imposing stringent environmental controls on the emissions… It is noteworthy that there is no plan Smarter Grid Consulting has discovered to replace the local generation capacity with an alternative technology plant. Therefore one has to assume the Northern Pass Project is the answer to this loss of capacity.”
How about New Hampshire?
New Hampshire may get a temporary employment benefit initially. People will be needed to clear the land and build the towers, and to the extent that they are New Hampshire residents, this is a good thing. But, the downsides are many and more importantly permanent. It is easy to conclude that:
·We will be helping an energy competitor to the detriment of selling our own excess power; this will unquestionably increase New Hampshire power rates .
·We are once again making ourselves dependent on another source of foreign power.
·Property values along the route are estimated to drop (one estimate is 30% and some more).
·As property values drop, either existing homeowners will be paying more than their fair share or the tax burden will be shifted to land owners further away (remember that the total tax collections need to remain the same, all else being equal).
·Business from tourism and recreational trades are anticipated to drop off substantially along the routes with the various industries that support the trade badly hurt.
·The beauty of New Hampshire will be permanently scared.
Additionally, we don’t really know what the high voltage electrical fields will do to the resident along the routes (unsettled science as far as I can tell).
Bottom-line
Johnson concludes, “It would seem NH has little to gain and much to lose.”
Due to the Northern Pass project, the economy and quality of life for residents of New Hampshire will be unquestionably reduced. Why? So states like Massachusetts can improve the quality of life for their residents without bearing the cost of doing so.
As a resident of New Hampshire, I just don’t feel that generous or selfless.
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Following is a very good article by Rich Karlgaad of Forbes. It is not surprising that someone from Forbes would take this view and it will likely irritate many on the Left, that bastion of protection for the poor and downtrodden. Yet, taking responsibility for your life and having hope that you can improve your situation is the real cure for poverty (both of money and spirit). Those who built our nation buckled down and worked; many prospered from their own efforts. Even when government support became available, many would not take it. Charity was something that you contributed to, not something that you took from.
Anyway, see if you like Rich's article as much as I did.
Out of the depths of the Great Depression came a modern American religion that still exerts a powerful influence. It has two strands.
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John Brandte and Kathleen Howard invite you to join them for an informal gathering to meet and talk with Frank Guinta, Congressional Candidate for New Hampshire’s First District.
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(Or, It is time to scrap the label “Representative” from the elected officials in Congress)
Contrary to what the vocal left wingers would have you believe, most people agree that we need major reforms in our health care system. Opposing the bill that just passed last night is not a call for the status quo except maybe in one respect: We want an honest, representative government back.
Obama, Reid, Pelosi & company had over a year to make their case to the American public. Several months ago, President Obama said that the lack of public support was a result of his failing to properly explain the bill; he went out to correct that problem. He failed again. The America that he is supposed to be leading said they did not want the bill. Sadly, as we have seen, that doesn’t seem to matter.
We still don’t know exactly what is in the bill. Even the President has both called it “his” bill and said he does not know exactly what is in or out of it. OK, so let’s look at it as we would a black hole; let’s see what happened around it to get some idea of what it is.
This bill was not good enough to garner enough support within the Democrat controlled Congress to pass without special deals and enticements to individual Senators and “Representatives”. If it is so wonderful, why didn’t the Democrats just jump at the chance to use their power to enact legislation that would benefit every American? Maybe Obama didn’t explain it properly to them either?
Well, it is funny how understanding comes when mixed with special incentives for certain states and rides on Air Force One; and keep in mind that those special enticements are being paid for by the people in the states that didn’t get them. Oh yes, don’t forget the personal sweeteners. Keep an eye on the private fortunes of those who decided to back the bill at the last minute.
At best the health care bill was naïve. In a time when we need fundamental economic stimulus, only the ignorant and the “hired guns” would say that the bill would do anything but further slowdown re-employment and derail our recovery. However, worse than that is the arrogance of the people who are supposed to represent their constituencies. Our system failed. For a short period we taste what it is like to live in a place more like Russia where the voice of the people is just a bothersome noise. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like it.
It is time to take back our government. Here in New Hampshire, I am supporting Kelly Ayotte for Senate, Frank Guinta for the 1st Congressional district and Jennifer Horn for the 2nd Congressional district. In or out of New Hampshire, find and support candidates who will represent you and your views. Get involved. There is a great deal at stake.
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Has anyone stopped to wonder why the federal government seems so rife with dirty side deals? In great part, it's because it was never set up to preside over internal state affairs; it was to deal with national issues.
Take my home state, New Hampshire, as an example. We have 2 out of the 100 Senators. That means that at most 2% of the people voting on bills have the specific welfare of New Hampshire (or any other state) in mind. In the House of Representatives, we also have 2 Congressmen, but out of 435 this time. That means that less than ½ of one percent might have a stake in the good of New Hampshire residents. So, if we want something for my state, we are almost compelled to make deals with other states; I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine.
The reach of Federal power into state internal affairs also promotes state specific deals in exchange for the support of national legislation. The reason that such deals (read “bribes”) are so effective is because Washington has mutated its role to be inconsistent with the structure of government established by our constitution in 1787. In other words, if the Federal government could not get involved in internal state business or craft its legislation that treated some states differently than others, deals and bribes for votes would be much less effective and frequent.
Our Congress is intended to provide fair representation to each state for the discussion and passage of legislation affecting all the states; it is not intended to provide fair representation for the discussion and passage of legislation affecting one or a few states. This goes to the heart of the call for “limited” government. It is a call to once again align the role of the Federal government with its form and original duties.
It is time to get Washington back to its original purpose and let the states get back to theirs. In this way, each level of government will provide the truest representation of the people for the people.
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Even though she was over 101 years old, I am still surprised that Aunt Hannah is gone. She must have decided, or at least agreed with God, that it was time to go. I believe that she could have gone on for years if that is what she decided. In life, Hannah McGuire was a force on the world; she did not take life lying down. She was not a victim; she would not allow that. This attitude was from her family and most, if not all, of her siblings shared this trait. She was a cold, hard realist without being a cold, hard person. On the contrary, she was a very warm, caring and generous person most certainly to her family.
The fact is that Hannah McGuire was frugal and interested in value. She would drive across town to save a few cents on a roll of paper towels and would stock up when she found a good deal. When she could, she would go out early to get fresh berries during the summer; if we were staying with her, she would serve us up bowls with sour cream and a little sugar. She spent her money carefully getting the best for the least. She was frugal and maybe even cheap when it came to her own needs. One of the reasons she was cheap with herself was so that she had more to give to her family; this was important to her and was a continuous theme in our discussions.
Hannah McGuire was a man’s woman. She enjoyed playing cards (for a little bit of money). She loved going to Finger Lakes race track and attended a Kentucky Derby with Uncle Mac. They vacationed in Cuba when you could still go there. One of her very favorite drinks was rum, coke and lime, and she taught me to fix it just right. She also enjoyed good Champaign, Crown Royal, Asti Spumante, cheap cold duck and Miller High Life. While she enjoyed all kinds of food, I think her favorites were Ukrainian dishes which she could make superbly, and when she found it more difficult to cook would obtain at her church. Aunt Hannah was a great cook, though; the precision with which she moved through the kitchen was something to see.
To a great extent, Hannah McGuire was a self-made woman. As far as I know, she was not involved in Uncle Mac’s businesses before he died. He was a man of great presence and was the leader of his partnerships. When he died, his partners thought that Aunt Hannah was going to be a lamb and a timid woman. No such luck. Instead, she quickly learned the business and was a force to be contended with in her own right. All her life, she had constantly been learning starting with reading the dictionary. She had training in nursing and bookkeeping early on. Those more formal studies came to an end when she was needed by her family, but she kept studing and learning on her own. Her knowledge was very broad and her ability to reason was excellent. On a related point, I put her in the class of my Father: She was not always right, but if you went against her judgment and advice, you needed to tread carefully so as not to hurt yourself.
Hannah was also a woman with a great sense of humor. Her humor was never mean and she would laugh at herself easily. That is one of the reasons that being with her was so enjoyable. More often than not, you would find yourself laughing almost hysterically with her and whoever else was around. I’ll always remember that she liked to get clobbered fish every Friday. She much preferred that to traditional battered fish
Aunt Hannah was not perfect. She felt hurt at times, sometimes because of things that happened and sometimes through misunderstandings. She felt like she was being used for her money at times and she was; other times she had issues with her family. Occasionally, in response, she could be less than charitable; But, this was not often and tended to be short lived. When all was said and done, when she was still herself, her primary concern was to not be thought of badly after her death. Her family was important to her. Above all else, she both wanted to take care of her family, and to be loved and remembered fondly by those same people after she was gone.
I know that she is and will be remembered fondly and with love by my sons, Alex and Max. She was a big part of their lives and they are fortunate to have many memories of her.
I know that I loved my Aunt Hannah and have a lifetime of recollections. Even during these last few years when she thought I was my father, was confused over who was living and who was dead, and no longer was the person who had taught me so much and always believed in me, it was impossible not to love and respect this remarkable woman. So, without any doubt on my part, I believe she was successful in life and successful in death.
This Whole Online Marketing Thingy Is It Worth It? (function() {var s = document.createElement('SCRIPT'), s1 = document.getElementsByTagName('SCRIPT')[0];s.type = 'text/javascript';s.async = true;s.src = 'http://widgets.digg.com/buttons.js';s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1);})(); 0Digg Digg I just got an email in my inbox today. I wanted to share it so you can see why I continue to blog and build marketing systems to help people. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear Sir,nothing......
Tired Of The Rat Race? What To Consider Before You Opt Into Country Life. If you're feeling cooped up, a life in the country could be just the right medicine. The feeling of space and the beautiful sounds of the countryside. The sheep in the paddocks, the chooks around the house and the roar of the ride on mower as it cuts your......
Throw Away your Television? One of my new favorite sites is Getting Rich Slowly. Recently they had guest post about how you can save a bundle by throwing away your TV. In it they mention a few benefits to a TV-free life. Playing devil's advocate, here's a pile of rebuttals to every claim made.......
Tough Money Love Tours the Personal Finance Carnivals Mr. ToughMoneyLove was excited to learn that two of his posts were selected this week for inclusion in personal finance blog carnivals. I've not been to a carnival in many years, and never using the magic of virtual participation. What a fuel-saving concept! First, in this week's edition 166 of the Carnival of Personal Finance......
Take Your Children Hiking [/caption] Not sure what to do on your next vacation? Why not take your children hiking! Hiking can be an enjoyable experience for the entire family. There are many benefits to hiking as a family. Whether you’re going out for a day, a weekend, or for a whole week, this article......
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Debt Warning Signs and How to Get Out Over the past decade, an insane amount of debt has been wracked up. Household debt has significantly eaten up a slice of personal income since around the mid 90s. Here are four clues that you are carrying too much debt: Clue 1 - Your debt to income ratio is too...... 
Common Credit Card Mistakes These are mistakes that we should definitely avoid and yet many people still do them. I have done mistakes #1-3. 1. Carry a balance: You can save money by transferring your balance over to a lower to no interest credit card while you try pay down your balance. 2. Making...... 
5 Ways to Get Out of Debt Welcome StumbleUpon users! Don't forget to subscribe with RSS or with email to get automatic updates. It's possible to overcome debt, but you have to be diligent. Try to make a commitment to yourself to get high interest debt out of your life as soon as possible. Here is a...... 
A Worthy E Credit Loan -- Please Comment and Decide I recently had the pleasure of interacting with a borrower seeking a loan on Prosper. The borrower as E credit and 15% debt to income ratio and is a homeowner... He has 4 endorsements (3 from bidders including the group leader). However, he has an E credit grade. But I...... 
How to Find the Best Place To Put Your Savings. The Federal Reserve has recently announced that it will be keeping interest rates that banks pay to borrow money at 0 - 0.25% for the foreseeable future. This is done in the hopes of encouraging borrowers and spenders, but punishes savers. This makes it harder than ever to find the...... 
