The Almy 91A Caucus-Meeting Conspiracy

The other day the deceptocrats caucused with DRA Commissioner Kevin Clougherty on state wide tax policy.  They called it a meeting right up until the point where they got busted doing it, at which point it became a caucus except for when it was not a caucus. At lease that was what the (not so) Hon. Susan Almy called it, then didn't.   The Union Leader quotes her as saying,

"We wanted to be able to talk to each other and discuss where the issues are interrelated, and political strategy," ... "That's what caucuses are for."

That's What caucuses are for. --The (not so) Hon. Susan Almy.

Later in the same article, regarding some emails about the meeting Almy is quoted as saying,

"That's the full records I have of this conspiracy that they're alleging, that we held a caucus," she said

'..of this conspiracy that they are alleging, that we held a caucus" -The (not to) Hon. Susan Almy.

Confused? The (not so) Hon. Susan Almy is, or the reporter was.  Almy is quoted as saying that the meeting with Clougherty "is what caucuses are for," then that the idea that they "held a caucus" was "this conspiracy that they (Republicans) are alleging."

Well?  Susan?  Aren't you the one alleging that is was a caucus, and that..

The meeting was held to discuss new rules covering both reasonable compensation and the repeal of the interest-and-dividends-tax exemption for LLC owners, said Rep. Susan Almy, D-Lebanon, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Would you like to now claim that the Commissioner was not present at your one-party tax party non-caucus meeting?

No?  No one else seems to have a comment.  But you had a meeting, or a caucus, or a caucus meeting and there was an email, and everyone in leadership who could comment is suddenly sick (Sneaker Norelli), or dumb (Larsen and D'Allesandro)--or in your case just acting the part.  But you must have been there so you know who was there and what was discussed.

Can I lend you some advice?

The minute Commissioner Clougherty appeared at your meeting/caucus/caucus-conspiracy meeting, (apparently at Sneaker Norelli's invitation) to discuss state tax business with just deceptocrats, it became a PUBLIC MEETING.

And no matter what you call it, you know that.  So even if you are willing and able to produce the minutes or reports or details of what was discussed, you are still guilty of a violating 91A by holding it.  That makes you and your "Caucus" (all persons present at the illegally held meeting) guilty of a crime.

Here's RSA 91-A:2 .  And it is chaptered law.  It's not almost law, or sort of law, or sometimes law.  It's the law you just broke.

So I'm looking at the exceptions to the public meeting rule.  It's hard to argue that it was a chance social encounter given that Sneaker Norelli invited people.  There was no collective bargaining.  It was not a matter of private legal counsel.  It can't be a caucus of elected political party members because the head of DRA is not elected.  That leaves 91-A:2 I (d).  Good luck with that one.

I think you are screwed.

You broke the law.  Sneaker Norelli premeditated it.  Your deceptocrats all attended it (whomever you all may be) and you kept it private in violation of 91A.  And now you are all scrambling around trying to figure out how to cover it up or make some lame excuse. 

Why not just blame Kevin Clougherty. The minute he saw no Republcians, he should have stood up and left without saying a word.  Are you busy trying to figure out how to hang him out to dry?

I'm sorry, did I just ruin your surprise ending.

Comments

[Ed Naile]

Susan Almy quote:

Becaucus I said so!

[Steve Mac Donald]

Does she have a 'queen of hearts' rig she puts on for these secret meetings?