Todd Selig - This November, Vote Leadership

Leadership Qualities that are Essential for the State and the Nation

by Todd I. Selig 

With several short weeks remaining running up to county, state, and national general elections on November 6^th, citizens of New Hampshire have important choices to make concerning which candidates they believe will most successfully represent them to lead the state and the country into the future.  Whatever the office, leadership counts.

Harry Truman once wrote, "Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better."

Our collective challenge, then, is to identify those individuals on the ballot who possess the requisite qualities of leadership to move our state and our nation forward on a productive course.  As residents ponder who to support this November, they might consider the following.

Leaders lead with their values.   They possess integrity and effectively articulate what they believe to be right so that we may understand their vision and view of the world.

Leaders are data driven. They seek to comprehend complex, multi-faceted problems.  They use facts to inform their recommended solutions.  They offer objective information to substantiate their views.

Leaders listen. They consider differing perspectives and weigh the merits of these in crafting policies and solutions to address societal challenges. 

Leaders define success.  They establish goals and continuously work to improve external and internal policies and processes to attain them.

Leaders work hard and are committed.  Being in the right place at the right time is good, but success on behalf of citizens takes work.  Consistent with their values, leaders do what it takes to reach desired ends.

Leaders build trust, and trust and honor others.  They develop meaningful relationships allowing them to accomplish important initiatives and to productively work through conflict when inevitable disagreement arises.

Leaders practice tough love.  They talk about what is needed to improve the lives of the citizens they serve.  They hold people accountable to clearly established goals.  They don’t blame others.  They offer a path to the future and build consensus around it.

Leaders possess mental toughness and resilience during difficult times.  They remain calm, composed, and committed to their values.  Crises and emotional issues come and go, yet a leader takes these in stride and keeps a cool head.

Leaders have the courage to show weakness and admit mistakes.  “I’m sorry, I was wrong.” are five powerful words.  Once an error in course is acknowledged, a new path is chartered utilizing lessons learned.

Leaders keep their eye on the bottom line on behalf of citizens.  Yet even under difficult financial pressures, they make strategic investments to improve upon the effectiveness of the organization. 

Leaders keep it simple. They know they succeed when the citizens they serve succeed.

The N.H. Secretary of State’s Office (http://sos.nh.gov/2012ElectionInfo.aspx), the League of Women Voters of N.H. (http://www.lwvnh.org/index.html), and many local newspapers have good, nonpartisan information available concerning the upcoming elections.  Talk to candidates.  Review their literature and web sites. Take advantage of opportunities to learn more about the individuals who have put their names forward for public office.

Our counties, our state, and our nation require leadership to navigate economic and societal challenges.  Regardless of political affiliation, individuals with the capacity for leadership can help us weather a challenging economic and social time toward fair winds and following seas. 

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About the author:

Originally from Laconia, Todd I. Selig resides with his wife and two daughters in Durham, New Hampshire.  Mr. Selig has served as Durham Town Administrator since 2001.  After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Syracuse University, Mr. Selig went on to complete a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of New Hampshire.  He has served in a variety of positions within both the municipal and school sectors including positions in Raymond, Laconia, New Boston, Hopkinton, and now Durham, NH.  In 2003, Todd Selig was awarded the Caroline Gross Fellowship allowing him to attend the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.  He was named as one of New Hampshire’s “40 Under Forty” by The Union Leader in 2005.  Mr. Selig has previously served as chair of the board of directors for the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies and as a trustee and vice-chair of the board of PRIMEX (N.H. Public Risk Management Exchange).  He is a member of the International City/County Management Association, a member of the New Hampshire Municipal Managers’ Association, and a member of the Durham Historical Society. 

Frank W. Szabo - For Sheriff

Do you believe that your child has a Right to sell lemonade in front of your house? Do you believe that a bank should never be allowed to take someone’s home under foreclosure without clear title? I do. I am running for Sheriff of Hillsborough County specifically to protect the Rights and property of Citizens from unlawful and unconstitutional actions by rogue government agents.

 

The County Sheriff is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the county and reports to the people. The sheriff has no superior telling him what political agenda he has to abide by. The Constitution of New Hampshire and The Constitution of the United States of America are the laws which bind the Sheriff; and every other public official. The Oath of Office is to uphold and defend these constitutions. One of the unique authorities of the CountySheriff is that they can intervene when a public official violates their Oath of Office.

 

I am asking for your vote on September 11^th. Find out about the true nature and authority of the County Sheriff. Go to www.SzaboForSheriff.com for articles, videos, documentation and legal references which all support this concept of sheriff as protector – part of the checks and balances embedded in our Constitutional Republic.

 

In Liberty,

Frank W. Szabo
Goffstown
Candidate for Hillsborough County Sheriff

Karen Testerman - Endorses Kevin Smith For Governor

September 11 is just around the corner and we as voters will have the opportunity to put forth the best candidate for Governor. We have a choice. In this most important election year we have the chance to make some real progress towards reapplying the values and principles of our Founding Fathers.

Over the past several years, I have had the privilege of working with and observing the behavior and records of both Republican Gubernatorial candidates. While neither candidate is perfect, there are distinct qualities that stand out. Kevin Smith has demonstrated his ability to lead in a variety of situations in the private non-profit world and in government. Kevin has shown his ability to set a vision and to grow Cornerstone Policy Research from a struggling organization to one with a substantial operating budget. He has worked with many government and private organizations to develop programs to benefit the residents in the Department of Juvenile Justice.

A strong family man, I believe Kevin is best qualified to lead the State of New Hampshire in growth in business and economically while being financial responsible to her citizens. Therefore, I am pleased to endorse Kevin Smith for Governor.

Sincerely,

Karen Testerman

Carol Shea-Porter - The Truth about Medicare

Republicans and Democrats have been all over television and radio, and giving speeches all over the country, talking about the Ryan plan for Medicare. The Ryan plan turns Medicare into a voucher plan. Democrats say a voucher plan is an awful idea, leaving senior citizens financially vulnerable when they are most likely to need medical care. Republicans insist that it will give people more choices, as they can shop around for a plan.  To complicate matters, Republicans also claim that Democrats cut billions from Medicare in the Affordable Care Act.  First they claimed Democrats cut $500 billion, and now they have upped the claim to $716 billion. All this leaves senior citizens, their families, and those who will someday be senior citizens wondering what exactly are the facts.

First, we need to discuss the Ryan plan for Medicare. The Ryan plan would end Medicare as we know it. It would provide a flat premium support payment, a voucher, that senior citizens would use to shop around to buy private insurance or Medicare. This would intentionally undermine Medicare, since the private plans would take the healthiest away and leave Medicare with the most expensive, least healthy seniors, making it too hard to compete.  Even worse, the Ryan plan ties any voucher to the growth rate of the gross domestic product (called GDP) per capita plus one-half percentage point. It would cost them thousands more out-of-pocket each year, using this formula.

If your eyes are rolling already, just consider this.  Health care costs grow faster than the GDP, so seniors would have to make up the difference. They also would be responsible, along with the insurance companies, to pay the bills. Medicare currently is a remarkably easy and efficient program. Older people do not have to submit their paperwork to Medicare. When people are not feeling well, it is extremely difficult to keep track of paperwork, so this is a blessing. Also, Medicare has about a 3-7 percent overhead, so it is very efficient, which helps to hold costs down. All this would change with the Ryan plan.  This is truly a terrible deal for older people in this country, and they should reject it. 

As for the Republican claim that President Obama and the Congressional Democrats "robbed" $716 billion, this is an outrageous claim. That $716 billion is just savings from the program, and not one dollar is taken from seniors or traditional Medicare. That savings, a good effort to control costs, comes from several sources. The Affordable Care Act addresses the difference in costs for traditional Medicare vs. private Medicare Advantage plans.  Private Medicare Advantage plans were costing the taxpayers 14 percent more than traditional Medicare. That was stopped, and will save a lot of money. The Affordable Care Act also instituted administrative savings. Everyone should be happy that money is saved. Here is the kicker though. Paul Ryan's own Budget includes that savings—they just don't return it to the Medicare program.

This has been a difficult few years, and another ugly campaign season is here. The stakes are high, and every vote counts. But we should not drag our elders into the fight, try to alarm or confuse them, or use them like pawns. We should be better than that. Just in case though, I recommend that people go to FactCheck.org (http://factcheck.org/2012/08/medicares-piggy-bank/) and look for themselves, because knowledge really is power.

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Former Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter represented New Hampshire’s First District from 2007-2011, she is seeking a third term in the November, 2012 election.  She wrote the proposal for and established a non-profit, social service agency, which continues to serve all ages.  She taught politics and history and is a strong supporter of Medicare and Social Security.

Frank Szabo - REQUIREMENTS FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL SHERIFF

The Office of County Sheriff is an ancient one and rooted in English and American Common Law. It pre-dates our Constitution for the United States of America and is part of the checks and balances embedded in our Republic.

 

The Sheriff is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the county and is duty-bound and fully authorized to protect the Citizens, their property and their Rights - from any unlawful action. “Legal” and “lawful” are not the same thing. It used to be legal to restrict one’s access to public busses based on the color of their skin. However, it was never lawful and the Sheriff should have blocked its enforcement.

 

In New Hampshire, the statutory requirement for election to the Office of County Sheriff is 1) a registered voter 2) 18 years of age or older. That’s it. I believe that the list is so short for good reason.

 

When one serves in the military or as a police officer, you are conditioned to not question or challenge authority. When told, by a superior officer, “JUMP!”, you are to answer, “How high?”. The CountySheriff answers to the Citizens of the county alone and has no superior. The Constitution and its basis in Common Law is the law of the land and must be intimately understood to be honored and enforced. When a Constitutional Sheriff is approached by a public official and told to “JUMP”, the proper answer is “Why?”.

 

Currently, in the law enforcement community, there is a “spirit of cooperation”. Don’t make waves. Help other county, state and federal agents in their task. However, what if their task is grossly unconstitutional?

 

In April, Michigan authorities “determined” that small family farms’ heritage pigs were to be classified an “invasive species”. These are the breeds of pigs our grandparents raised. Later in the month, these authorities appeared with SWAT teams, guns drawn, and forced the farmers to destroy their own pigs! This effectively put them out of business.

 

In July, in rural Oregon, a man was sentenced to thirty days in prison and fined $1,500 … for collecting rain water … on his own farm!

 

Unfortunately, there are far too many similar examples. The CountySheriffs did nothing.

 

A Constitutional Sheriff would never allow such travesties of justice to occur. Who would you want as your Sheriff?

 

To find out more about the true nature and authority of the CountySheriff, go to www.SzaboForSheriff.com or the campaign FaceBook page. Inquiries may be directed to Frank@SzaboForSheriff.com.