Andrew Hemingway: Laboring away without unnecessary government burdens

By Andrew Hemingway, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire

If you've been listening to Democratic rhetoric in recent months, you'd think Republicans were bent on destroying jobs with the budget they just passed. It's time for another reality check.

When Republicans promised to create jobs, that meant they would help create the conditions to encourage private-sector employers to start hiring. The best way to stimulate such job creation is to reduce the size and scope of government so that taxes and fees can be decreased or eliminated. In fact, that's exactly what Republicans promised to do during their 2010 election campaign. Right now, they're fulfilling their campaign promises—promises that the people clearly supported and still support.

So far, the Republican record is on track. July was the beginning of the fiscal year affected by the Republican budget that just passed. From June to July in preliminary findings by New Hampshire Employment Security, 6,100 jobs were created in the private sector, while 9,300 jobs (many vacant) were eliminated in the government sector. In an apples-to-apples, year-over-year comparison, private sector jobs increased by 12,400 since last July to 551,800 in July 2011, and public sector jobs in state and local government increased by 700 to 76,700 positions.

If you do the math (628,500 / 76,700 = 8.19), there are roughly 8 people working in private-sector jobs to support one person working in a state or local government job. Republicans still need to focus on private-sector job creation so more people are supporting fewer government positions. The economy will improve as a result.

Just to be clear, though, when Republicans say they want to “reduce the size and scope of government,” that means they plan to reduce the number of available government positions, which many times are vacant or unneeded. The job losses reported by Democrats in the New Hampshire Legal Assistance program, the New Hampshire Court System, New Hampshire Public Television and the State of New Hampshire in general were necessary reductions in government positions to give private-sector taxpayers a much-needed break. Democrats, thrown out for four years of excessive government spending, would have you paying ever-higher taxes and fees year-in and year-out, which has been shown to cause job losses in the private sector.

With continuing Republican leadership, government department heads should start thinking of more efficient ways of providing the same services, because the state is still far too large in New Hampshire, and more cuts have got to be made to make room for real tax and fee relief. This is a good thing. Government jobs do nothing to produce wealth or stimulate a healthy economy, while at the same time they destroy wealth for the people who actually produce it in the private sector. The people who might work in government jobs can do better working in the private sector or coming up with an innovative idea to start a company of their own. The economy will benefit from this transformation, although it will take time.

New Hampshire employs more public sector employees per capita than the average U.S. State. Does the Democrats' idea of job creation mean that everyone will work in a government job or a position supported by taxpayer dollars? If so, who is going to produce all the wealth needed to pay for those jobs—particularly when those still working in the private sector are facing expanded bureaucratic hurdles enforced by an army of government employees with nothing better to do than make it harder for people to do business. The Democrats' idea of job creation is simply not sustainable. On the other hand, Republicans are working to build an affordable and sustainable government that fosters job growth and development. They're just getting started.

As you relax at the beach or in the mountains this Labor Day vacation, take a moment to consider how employment statistics are starting to signal a growing private sector in New Hampshire, and if that trend continues, the people will have no one but the Republicans to thank in 2012.

Carol Shea-Porter - Our Government, Ourselves

While political discourse has taken a dive in terms of civility and substance, actually something far more sinister and frightening is occurring. There are people who are actually attacking the basic structure of our government and our faith in it.   A few are even talking openly about secession because they truly do not believe in our government and our way of life. (We have always had those people, but they were not politically powerful until now.) But most are being absolutely irresponsible, trying to foment—and gain from—a deeper anger.

In our past, most politicians for office publicly supported our system of government, and believed that we could stand together and solve severe problems. Candidates tried to inspire, or at least tried to be careful to attack the opponent or the platform, not our government itself.  That has changed. The attacks are damaging an already fragile trust, and many Americans and the world have responded by becoming increasingly convinced that America’s best days are behind us. Confidence and faith in our ability to solve our problems are absolutely essential if we are to move forward, but we have irresponsible politicians (and some media and special interest groups) tearing at that faith and trust.  Incredibly, a couple of them are actually running for President of the United States.

Here are some examples of how leaders in the past talked about our country and our problems.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt said at his First Inaugural, “This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper…The only thing we have to fear is fear itself…which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” It was a buoying remark, a call to hope and patriotism, helping people through the dark days of the Depression.  Remember George W. Bush’s talk to the nation after 9/11? “We have seen the state of our Union in the endurance of rescuers, working past exhaustion. We have seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers—in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people …” On January 9, 1961, President-Elect John F. Kennedy said, “Today the eyes of all people are truly upon us—and our governments, in every branch, at every level, national, state, and local, must be as a city upon a hill—constructed and inhabited by men aware of their great trust and their great responsibilities.”

Are these current politicians and influential public figures “aware of their great trust and their great responsibilities?”  One of New Hampshire’s members of Congress told the tea-party that the federal government was taking away all their individual freedoms.  And two tea-party Presidential candidates have also made inflammatory remarks about our government.  The Hill reported that Bachmann  “likened America to the sinking Titanic,” and said, “We have gangster government.”  Texas Governor Perry said, “When we came into the nation in 1845, we were a republic, we were a stand-alone nation…And one of the deals was, we can leave anytime we want. So we’re kind of thinking about that again.” This is not responsible leadership. These are outrageous comments, meant to denigrate our federal government. The interesting thing is that Michelle Bachmann has sought and received earmarks and Stimulus Act money from the “gangster government” (that would be US taxpayers) and Perry brags about all the jobs in Texas that actually came from United States Oil and United States defense dollars.

There are other reckless leaders. Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, got almost every single Republican in Congress to sign his no-tax pledge even though he was clear about his intention to hurt our ability to administer this great nation. “I don’t want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.”

How can this great country recover and grow with this kind of attitude? How can we pay our bills and invest in technology, infrastructure, and medical research with this blind vision? How can we handle natural disasters like Katrina or attacks like 9/11 if we drown our government? How can we educate or defend ourselves, if we drown the major sources of government funding?  

Harry Truman said, “No government is perfect.” We the people have to keep striving, but we need leaders who encourage progress, not defeat, and confidence, not despair.

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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.

Republicans must end the ‘government as usual’ model

By Andrew Hemingway, chairman, Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire

While New Hampshire’s unemployment numbers of 5.2 percent continue to impress by undercutting the national average of 9 percent, it’s important to take a step back from these numbers and consider what the often-quoted comparison doesn’t say.

The state’s unemployment statistics, however low, do not account for people who work part-time and would prefer a more comfortable full-time job. They don’t account for those who have given up looking for a job, because good jobs are too hard to find. They don’t account for the fact that our schools continue to fail us by graduating people unprepared for higher-end jobs, despite the fact that we give these government institutions a greater portion of our shrinking income year after year. They also don’t account for the falling dollar and the resulting increase in prices.

New Hampshire lawmakers certainly cannot address every economic problem, because some are larger than the state, but they can address many of them by developing the political will to rein-in the power brokers in Concord. Unfortunately, many of the Republicans sent to Concord to remove the rules and regulations that stymie jobs and the economy are falling into a government-as-usual mindset.

Rather than listen to the voice of reason and the loud call of the voters who sent Republicans to create a smaller, affordable government that leaves them alone, some lawmakers seem to be listening to the bureaucrats, lobbyists and special interest groups who only have their own interest at heart. “Regulate us” is a cry often heard by those who seek to get rid of the competition. Do Republicans really want to join their Democratic counterparts in support of such job-killing cronyism? It baffles me how politicians are so quick to listen to the people who are on the take and so quick to ignore the people who are having the fruit of their labor taken from them against their will.

Take the bill that repeals the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, for instance. This multi-state program may provide money to some companies for renewable energy projects, but that money is coming from energy producers, manufacturing firms and ratepayers, who are now facing a higher cost of doing business and a higher cost of living as a result. And wouldn’t companies that think renewable energy projects are a good idea pay for such projects on their own? Why should a multi-state bureaucracy pick the winners and losers? That drives up the cost for everyone.

The labor union special interest group has managed to use the law over time to solidify a power position over voters and companies (both employers in this state). A few common-sense efforts to rein-in the unions’ unique power position have had far too much trouble from some. These detractors should note that companies relocate to Right to Work states because they know they can hire workers there who will not force them into contracts they can’t afford. If politicians really cared about those jobs they promised, they would turn down the union money that was taken from workers against their will and support the right to work without interference from a third party. We need those jobs!

Whether Republicans ultimately garner the political will to change the way Concord works for the better really comes down to how they view government. If Republicans do what they said they would and create a limited government that respects free markets, their super majority might mean something come reelection time. If Republicans continue to see government as a mediator in the economy, we will all be losers in November 2012.

Freedom First PAC - Pawlenty: "Government is too damn big"

REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY TO 

TEA PARTY PATRIOTS AMERICAN POLICY SUMMIT

PHOENIX, ARIZONA, FEBRUARY 26, 2011

 

I’m here today to say “thank you.”  Thank you for standing up to the “ruling class.” Thank you for standing up to the liberal power brokers, guardians of the status quo, and the royal triangle of greed: big government, big unions and big bailed out businesses.

Thank you for being modern day Paul Revere’s – rallying Patriots to the cause of this great nation. The promising work of Governors Walker, Kasich, Christie, and so many others is the direct result of the dedicated Patriots in this room and across the country who had enough, stood up, fought back, and are restoring this country’s foundation. 

Our Founders put it in terms so simple even a politician should be able to understand: They started with a most important principle:  They didn’t say we’re endowed by our member of Congress or we’re endowed by our bureaucrat. 

They said we’re endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights -- and that government derives its powers from the consent of the governed. And what government did our Founders institute and our Fathers ratify?  The one that begins, “We the people…”

The message of the Tea Party, as I see it, is simple.  God made us to be free, and the Founding Fathers made the Constitution to keep us free.  And just about every problem our country faces today comes from a rejection of one of those two principles. And every solution we need today will come from a return to those core principles. The Constitution was not written to limit freedom, it was written to limit government.

It appears President Obama has forgotten what this says. It says in the Constitution: “In order to form a more perfect Union….” Mr. President, that does not mean coddling out of control public employee unions. And Mr. President, Wisconsin does not need a lecture from somebody who’s never balanced a budget in his life. 

Speaking of Wisconsin, will you join me in applauding Governor Walker for standing strong against overreaching unions?

Now, I’m not one who questions the existence of the President’s birth certificate.  But, when you listen to his policies, don’t you at least wonder what planet he’s from? We don’t share President Obama’s worldview. 

We don’t want a bigger government shoving mandates down our throats.  He’s got it completely backwards. They, the bureaucrats, don’t tell us what to do. We, the people, tell the government what to do!

My friends, we need to restore American confidence and American optimism by restoring American common sense. As Washington proves time and time again, not everyone’s born or elected with common sense.

We need leaders who remember where they came from, and what made this nation the greatest country the world has ever known. For me, that real world experience started in my hometown of South St. Paul, Minnesota – a place filled with good-hearted people, strong families and the rock-solid values of the heartland.

When I grew up there, it was home to some of the world's largest stockyards and meat-packing plants. But when those plants shut down, so did a big part of the spirit and soul of my hometown. My mom died when I was 16 and later, my dad, who worked for a trucking company, lost his job for a while.

The foundations of my hometown and my family were shaken hard. At a young age, I saw up close the face of challenge, the face of hardship, the face of job loss -- and I saw in the mirror -- the face of a very uncertain future. I know many Americans are feeling that way today. I know that feeling. I lived it.

But in those moments, we learn some things. We remember what’s important. 

We simply need more common sense, and less Obama non-sense. And let’s start with this: It’s complex -- and I know there may be some liberals watching this -- so I’ll say it slowly so they can follow along: We can’t spend more than we take in.

You can't do it as an individual, a family or a business. And we can’t let our government do it anymore! Just because we followed Greece into democracy, does not mean we should follow them into bankruptcy!

Big government spenders come with excuses. They say, "Oh, Governor, how do you do that? It's too hard. The politics are difficult and the unions are too tough”.

I know something about the spenders -- and I know something about difficult. I'm from the state of United States Senator Al Franken.

But we cut government in Minnesota. If we can do it there, we can do it anywhere. It wasn’t easy. I set a record for vetoes. Had the first government shutdown in Minnesota’s history. Took one of the longest transit strikes in the country’s history to get public employee benefits under control. And, I cut spending in real terms for the first time in the history of my state. 

My friends, it’s time for the federal government to do the same. We should not raise the debt ceiling! We should pass a constitutional amendment to balance the budget! We should appoint judges who will not legislate from the bench. We must repeal Obamacare! And we must throw the ridiculous federal tax code overboard!

And let’s require, under penalty of perjury, every member of Congress to do their own tax returns without the help of a tax preparer, accountant or lawyer. Let them experience firsthand the mind-numbing, burdensome, frightening beast our tax system has become.

Do you remember the guy who ran in the NYC mayor's race who ran his entire campaign on a simple motto:  He said over and over: "The rent is too damn high". So here’s our simple motto: "The Government’s too damn big!"

Americans need jobs, not more government-forced anything. The private sector, not government, is the answer to job creation. We shouldn’t ask Washington D.C. how to create jobs. We should ask the people who actually provide the jobs!

Their answer is clear and simple and it’s this: “Reduce my costs and get government off my back” Ladies and gentlemen, America needs job growth, not government growth!

My friends, none of this is going to be easy.  If prosperity were easy, everybody around the world would be prosperous. If security were easy, everybody around the world would be secure. And if freedom were easy, everybody around the world would be free. They’re not.

It takes extraordinary effort. It takes extraordinary commitment. It takes extraordinary strength to stand up to those who oppose these principles. But we can do it.

Valley Forge wasn't easy. Settling the West wasn't easy. Winning World War II wasn’t easy. And Going to the moon wasn’t easy. This ain't about easy. This is about rolling up our sleeves, plowing forward, and getting the job done.

This is our guide. This is our Constitution. "We, the People of the United States" will rise up again. We will take back our government. This is our country.

Our Founding Fathers created it, Americans embraced it, Ronald Reagan personified it and Lincoln stood courageously to protect it. Now, as ever, "This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom....” Our “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth….” and America will remain the greatest country the world has ever known.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America!



Satellite Internet for All Courtesy of the United States Congress

Was it not bad enough that Congress took yours and my tax dollars and used it to help some guy from Texas or Maine or where ever, buy a new Lexus, or whatever new car he bought (cash for clunkers). Now Congress is going to take your tax dollars and mine and help people buy satellite Internet. Sound crazy?
 
That's right, I am in the satellite communications business and I just received a rejoice full e-mail announcing that Hughesnet, a national satellite Internet provider, has been awarded $58.7 Million in Stimulus money to promote broadband satellite Internet. This e-mail was sent to prepare me for the many sales and installations I will be doing through this Government backed program.
 
But Hughesnet is a private company that has already been providing satellite Internet to those who want to pay for it.  So what's so wrong with folks actually paying for something they want? Does it really make sense for Congress to buy satellite Internet for people with your money? No! It makes absolutely no sense.
 
I have been a Hughesnet dealer for many years and although this would mean a big influx of dollars for my small company, I simply cannot and will not participate in this program. I know my unwillingness to participate in the program will mean nothing to Hughesnet, hey, I am just a small fry, but it means something to me. I simply cannot willingly participate in the continuous fiscal dismantling of our government.
 
This program is yet another example of Congress attempting to play god with the free market system, trying to pick winners by throwing money at them hoping to pick up many votes along the way, all the while continuing to dig deeper and deeper from the bottom of this huge financial hole they've got us in.
 
Tom Peters
Average American
For the United States