House Majority Leader Statement on the tabling of the DOT nomination

The following statement was issued today by House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt following today's  decision by the Executive  Council to table the nomination of Chris Clement as the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation:

 

"I applaud the Executive  Council for holding off and not rushing Governor Lynch's nomination through today.  I believe that the councilors should continue to hold Chris Clement's feet to the fire until he fully explains his future plans for the I-93 widening project.  I also remain concerned with Mr. Clement's intentions to 'hold hostage' the I-93 project until the taxpayers of this state are forced to come up with additional funding.   The fact that he supports any and all sources of revenue to fund DOT projects is also very troubling.  We should not hand the controls of our state's infrastructure over to someone who remains so vague on such a critical project.  In the days ahead, prior to the next Executive Council meeting, I call upon Mr. Clement to further clarify his position for the taxpayers of this state."

House Majority Leader Blasts Governor's Choice of Gas Tax and Toll Supporter to Head the Department of Transportation

CONCORD – House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem) and Salem Selectman Stephen Campbell today blasted the decision by Governor Lynch to nominate a supporter of “any and all sources of revenue,” including tolls, as the next Commission of the Department of Transportation.  At last Thursday’s hearing for his nomination, Chris Clement indicated that he would wait for additional revenue – higher taxes, fees or tolls – to complete the expansion of Route I-93.

House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt

“It’s clear that Governor Lynch is committed to increasing the cost to New Hampshire’s citizens to drive in their own state with his choice for DOT Commissioner.  Mr. Clement has indicated his willingness to "hold hostage" the I-93 expansion project until he can dig more deeply into the pockets of our taxpayers, and that’s an outrage.  The governor has always said he opposed a gas tax increase, so that’s clearly off the table.  The Republican legislature just repealed the massive car registration fee from the Democrats this year, so they have to know that’s a non-starter.  That leaves toll hikes as way to get more funding.  Mr. Clement  needs to receive the same lesson that his predecessor, George Campbell learned when he planned to put a toll on I-93 in Salem – that the communities of Southern New Hampshire will not tolerate a new tollbooth, and that Governor Lynch needs to be clear exactly what his nominee means when he claims to support ‘any and all sources of revenue’ need to be raised.”

Salem Selectman Stephen Campbell

“The idea that the I-93 project would be stopped as a way to leverage more money from taxpayers should offend everyone who uses the highway.  This is clearly the most important infrastructure project in New Hampshire and it is critical to both the residents and businesses of Salem.  There is no way we will stand for a tollbooth in our community, and the notion that the two should be linked is irresponsible.  Governor Lynch should reconsider this nominee and come back with someone who is more committed to meet the transportation needs of the state and not growing a bureaucracy with more taxpayer dollars.”

Rep. Frank Guinta appointed to House Budget Committee

(WASHINGTON – JANUARY 31, 2011)   Representative Frank Guinta (R, NH-01) has been appointed to serve on the House Committee on the Budget.  Each year, the blueprint that is used to guide the United States government’s spending for the following fiscal year originates in that committee.

“The House Budget Committee welcomes Rep. Frank Guinta, a fierce advocate for fiscal discipline, limited government, and pro-growth economic reforms,” said Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI).  “I look forward to working with and learning from Frank, as we chart a new course to put Washington’s fiscal house in order and help tackle our nation’s most pressing fiscal and economic challenges.”

“I am excited to receive this new assignment,” said Guinta. “It’s an opportunity to make sure New Hampshire’s voice is heard as Congress sets about restoring fiscal sanity and responsibility to Washington.  I look forward to doing everything I can to roll back spending and to slam the brakes on waste.”  

Guinta was previously appointed to two other committees.  He serves on the House Committee for Oversight and Government Regulation, where is Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs.  He also serves on the Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management, as well as the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending.

In addition, Guinta is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he serves on the Subcommittee on Aviation, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

KIMBALL ANNOUNCES NHGOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Concord, NH   Jack Kimball, Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, announced today that Will Wrobleski will be the next Executive Director for the NH Republican Party.

"I am very pleased that Will has accepted this position," said Kimball.  "He brings a deep passion for the Republican message and over ten years of political experience to the job.  He is well-respected by Republicans across the state and has worked closely with many of the new Republican activists who have come to the effort in the past two years.  I am confident that he has the knowledge, the experience and the enthusiasm the job requires."

"Will will play an important role in our efforts to maintain the Republican majority in Concord, to return principled Republican leadership to the Governor's office and to deliver New Hampshire to the Republican nominee for President," said Kimball.  "We will not allow New Hampshire to return to the failed leadership of the previous Democratic majority; their broken promises, overspending and radical agenda driven by out-of-state interests is wrong for New Hampshire families and businesses."

Wrobleski also commented on his new position.  "I look forward to working closely with our Chairman, the County and Town Chairs, and the grassroots activists across the state as we move forward aggressively to insure that the Republican Party in New Hampshire continues to grow and our newly earned majorities are preserved.  2012 offers new opportunities to spread the message of limited government, free markets and individual freedom."

Wrobleski recently managed Ovide Lamontagne's Senatorial campaign.  He has also worked for Mitt Romney For President, John Stephen For Congress and for US Senator John Sununu.



Obama Appointment Has Castro Ties

From NetRightNation.com:

President Obama made a terrible mistake nominating Mari Del Carmen Aponte to be ambassador to El Salvador. Aside from the fact that Aponte has given tens of thousands of dollars to Democrats, why would Obama waste more political capital trying to get this controversial and incompetent nominee into government?

Nearly a dozen years ago, President Clinton nominated Aponte to be ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Several months later, her nomination was withdrawn because Aponte did not wish to answer Senators' tough questions about her past.

Aponte's biggest problem was her eight-year relationship with Roberto Tamayo, a man who was friendly with and indisputably in regular contact with Cuban intelligence. Some have even called him a spy. Tamayo loaned Aponte money, which allegedly came from the Cuban intelligence service; and Aponte never repaid the loan.

A Cuban defector once even asserted that Cuban intelligence wished to recruit Aponte. Of course, she denied any knowledge of Cuban intelligence efforts to recruit her.

The FBI questioned Aponte about her contact with Cuban intelligence, and she gave somewhat inconsistent answers. The FBI then requested that she take a polygraph test, but she refused saying that she was not subject to a background check.

These are hardly the actions of a trustworthy public servant who has nothing to hide. Over the objections of career personnel at the State Department, she received her top-secret security clearance — after all, she was a good friend of Hillary Clinton.

Regardless of the truth about her dealings with her boyfriend and his connections to Cuban intelligence, Aponte would seem to have divided loyalties. Although she has experience serving as an ambassador, she previously represented the "country" of Puerto Rico in the United States.

That's right, from 2001 to 2004, Aponte served as the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration. In this cabinet-level role, she represented the governor of Puerto Rico in the United States. It appears that she viewed herself as an ambassador to the United States. At an official gathering in 2003, she referred to Puerto Rico as a "country." And this was no slip-of-the-tongue: several days later her office issued a press release calling her office building in D.C. an "embassy."

But even if we were to set these loyalty concerns aside, there are still plenty of troubling things about Aponte's record. Her record conclusively shows her to be both radical and incompetent.

She has served on the boards of the National Council of La Raza, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (now LatinoJustice PRLDEF), Democracia USA, and PODER PAC. La Raza (the Race) and LatinoJustice PRLDEF both advocate for rights for illegal immigrants, among other things.

Democracia USA is a group founded by the radical People for the American Way. Like ACORN, Democracia USA has been accused of voter registration fraud. PODER PAC is a discriminatory group that only supports liberal, female, Hispanic Democrats. Fittingly, its slogan is "by Latinas, for Latinas." This slogan is not far from the slogan of the blatantly racist group Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), which is, "For The Race everything. Outside The Race nothing."

Aponte is also a member of the Belizean Grove, and she recommended Justice Sonia Sotomayor for membership. Of course, Sotomayor quit the females-only club before her Senate confirmation.

But even if we set aside concerns about Aponte's loyalty and her radicalism, she still has a disturbing record of incompetence. For example, she served on the board of the United Way of America as its president, Bill Aramony, lived a lavish lifestyle, and funneled United Way's money to his family and cronies.

What was the board's reaction as the problems came to light? After an internal investigation, the board unanimously offered its support for Aramony and attributed the problems to sloppiness and inattention to detail. Ultimately, Aramony went to prison, and the lackadaisical board was shaken up after local chapters withheld their dues to the national organization.

Aponte was a partner at a minority law firm that routinely changed its name partners — five times over the course of six years. At one point, the firm owed the IRS $1 million in back taxes. Eventually, the firm collapsed, and a creditor sued for $1 million claiming that the firm had filed fraudulent documents to obtain money.

The business license of Aponte & Tsaknis, another firm at which she served as partner, was revoked. Aponte was the registered agent for the firm. Furthermore, she was managing partner of KJN/DC, an advertising firm, whose business license was also revoked.

Finally, Aponte served as an unofficial advisor to the unpopular, one-term mayor of Washington, D.C., Sharon Pratt. Presumably, Aponte's relationship with Pratt helped her land a seat on the board of the University of the District of Columbia. Throughout Aponte's time on the board, the university was beset by problems.

There is certainly enough in Aponte's past for Senators to justify placing holds and demanding recorded roll call votes on this controversial nominee, whose radicalism on display, loyalty concerns, and incompetence are just another example of this Administration's astounding arrogance.

Read this and more at NetRightNation.com.