Mother's Milk Or Granny's Hooch

On my TV show, a semi-regular segment is entitled, "Money in Politics--Mother's Milk or Granny's Hooch."  The mother's milk part derives from the saying, "Money is the mother's milk of politics."  I add granny's hooch because I fear that rather than being mother's milk, money in politics is too often Granny's hooch, Granny as in the little old woman from the Beverly Hillbillies who brewed her own hooch (an old-fashioned word for liquor--my dearly departed aunt, who used to beat me at Scrabble, was fond of it).

Thus, it should come as no surprise that I'm not a big fan of raising money for campaigns.  Any thought I'd entertain of running for higher office would quickly be negated by the need to raise money.

The fact that more than a hundred thousand is raised for a $100 a year seat in the NH Senate has always saddened me (not perplexed or amazed, simply saddened me).

Yesterday I heard that big labor was pouring thousands of dollars into the campaigns of some running for Manchester Alderman.  Hmmm.   A sentient human being would be forced to believe that if organized labor is pouring so much money into electing certain people, organized labor expects something in return.  Something like more taxpayer money going for public employee contracts when they come up for renegotiation this coming year.

Don't get me wrong.  There's nothing illegal about this, and as a libertarian, I support people being able to spend their money any way they see fit.  Voters simply must realize there's always a quid pro quo.

For my campaign for Alderman, I expect to raise a small amount of money.  I sent out a fund raising letter to those who have contributed to me in the past.  I basically stated my concerns about my opponent being a no show State Rep who has proven he is unwilling to do the job once elected, noted how I will devote any amount of hours needed to bring more efficiency to our budgeting process.   I also noted how a Gallup poll reveals that people believe 38 cents of every tax dollar is wasted at the local level.  You can't stop wasting tax dollars unless you're willing to show up and work as an elected official.

Obviously, big labor won't be contributing to me.

I also lost one former contributor, someone who fought with me against the $55 million civic center in Manchester (it's costing property tax payers in Manchester $5 million each and every year), but this person is rather liberal and doesn't like the fact that I readily admit I support tea party principles of less government spending, free enterprise, and devotion to the Constitution.

As part of my letter, I wrote, "If you share my concerns, I hope you will consider contributing."

He circled that phrase to indicate he does not share my concerns.  He also wrote a letter back suggesting I was now in cahoots with the some brothers, Koch brothers I think he sad, whom he believes are financing the tea party.  No more than Soros financing the left wing loonies I thought as I went to the bank depositing other contributions (but not his).

He has the right not to contribute. I'll survive.  What I won't do is change my views to pander for money.

Hopefully enough people agree with me and want to elect people like me.  For example, those who read this blog might want to send a few sheckles.  I'm not begging, but the address is Steve Vaillancourt for Alderman, 161 Faith Lane, Manchester, NH 03103.

Maybe I should just ask the Koch brothers for a few grand!  Ah, no thanks.

Cities Must Even Out Wards Populations

              Even as we prepare to draw up new population-driven districts for 400 House members, 24 Senators, five Executive Councilors, our two Congressmen, and various County Commissioners, keep in mind that cities should be realigning their ward lines to equalize population as well.

               The “one man one vote” principle applies at the city level as well as the state level, so if city aldermen are elected by wards, the wards need to be as equal in population as possible.  Portsmouth, it seems, is exempt from this requirement since it elects all aldermen at large.  One cannot help but wonder why Portsmouth bothers to have wards at all.  Here are population numbers for its five wards:  3343, 4426, 2444, 5961, and 4605.  Yes, you read that correctly.  One ward has nearly two and a half times the population of another ward.  Why bother?

               Some cities have already begun the process of bringing ward populations into line.  In Manchester, Mayor Ted Gatsas has established a committee consisting of two Democrats (Bill Gardner and Bill Cashin) and two Republicans (David Wihby and Bobby Rivard).  Usually, wards can be evened out by moving a few streets from an overpopulated ward into a neighboring one.

               With a population of 109,565 and 12 wards, the ideal number for a Manchester ward is 9130.  Currently Ward 6 at 10,188 is 11.6 percent over and Ward 12 at 9856 is 8.9 percent over the idea.  Three wards are rather dramatically under the ideal:  Ward four at 8632 and the West Side wards of 10 (8599) and 11 (8550, 6.4 percent deviation from average). 

               Expect the realignment panel to move people from Ward 12 down to Ward 11 and then move some from Ward 1 down into Ward 10.

               On the East side, expect people to be moved from Ward 6 into Wards 4 and 5.

               Several wards are close to ideal as currently configured.  Ward 7 has 9178 people and my own Ward 8 has 9185 people.

               Overall, the deviation in Manchester is totally unacceptable 18.0 percent.

               With nine wards and a population of 86,494, the ideal number for a Nashua ward is

9610.

               Here are the current ward populations for Nashua—9773, 9552, 9373, 9605, 9297, 9128, 9969, and 10,478.

               Unlike Manchester, I understand, Nashua is allowing the city clerk to do realignment.  Also unlike Manchester which establishes ward lines in its charter (and thus will require a charter change for voters to act on this November), Nashua simply uses an ordinance.

               You can look at deviations within your own city ward if you so choose.  Census data is available.

               The House redistricting committee has sent a letter to all mayors and city clerks asking their intentions.  Most likely, the House panel will proceed under the expectation that wards will be evened out in population.  At least, that’s what my plan presumes.



A Commitment to Keeping You Informed

Ever since I was elected to my first of eight terms as a State Representative from Ward 8 in Manchester (the airport area), a prime goal has been to keep people informed of what’s going on in Concord and indeed anywhere I can find it.

To that end, I spent ten of the last 13 years hosting a weekly show, More Politically Alert (MPA), on Manchester Public Access Television (Channel 23).  I’ve written hundreds of pieces for the media and fellow Reps over the years.  Unfortunately you haven’t seen them (and most likely won’t see them) in the Union Leader because editorial page director Drew Cline and publisher Joe W. McQuaid don’t like me personally.  Cline as much as admitted that in an email to me last week when he said they use my letters to the editor (200 words a pop), but never anything more than that.  Not by mere coincidence, I suggest they stopped using longer features about five years ago when I inducted the two of them into the MPA Hall of Shame.

Similarly Cline revealed they don’t use pieces from Ed Mosca, a prolific conservative writer who was recently named NH House legal counsel, because he posts them on his web site prior to submission.  What a lame reason!  Other papers have used writings from Mosca and me, but apparently the Union Leader is too busy giving Democrat hack Kathy Sullivan banner space every week.  Wonder if she posts any similar thoughts before sending it on to William Loeb Drive or if Cline is singling out Mosca for “special” treatment?

Hey, that’s their choice.  I’m not complaining, just stating the facts.

Now that I’m on both House Finance and the House Redistricting panel (thank you, Speaker O’Brien), I have even more to report to the public on a regular basis.

That’s why I gladly accepted the opportunity to become a Front Page blogger for nhinsider.com.

I’ll try to post something every week day and hope to provide the kind of information you won’t see or hear any place else.  That’s what I do on my television show, which airs live every Wednesday night at 9 p.m.  By Friday, I find I have more to impart, so this site will blend in perfectly with the show.

Everybody knows that I don’t pull any punches—I abhor those on both the left and right who would use government to enslave us.  Everyone also knows that I usually have the facts down cold before I say or write something, and while the Union Leader (and other media) is not overly vigilant in correcting errors, I believe a far greater sin than making an error is failing to correct an error in a timely manner.

Issues matter most to me.  I’ll support an issue even if the cause is championed by someone I have come not to like, and vise versa.  If I personally like someone, I will not sign onto his or her plan if it’s against what I stand for.  That’s the way it should be.  For example, just today Durham Rep.Tim Horrigan, D-Durham (whom I like) was on the opposite side on HB113, to stop funding Channel 11 with taxpayer dollars.