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NH News...
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Online Child Safety Act targets predators
By Tom Fahey
New Hampshire Union Leader
July 3, 2008
CONCORD – New Hampshire prosecutors will be able to seek
extended prison terms for sexual predators who use the Internet
under a law Gov. John Lynch signed yesterday. The Online Child
Safety Act also toughens penalties for anyone who makes,
possesses or distributes child pornography, described as "child
sex abuse images" in the new law...
Governor signs Net predator bill
By Kevin Landrigan
Nashua Telegraph
Thursday, July 3, 2008
CONCORD – Gov. John Lynch signed into law new, harsher criminal
penalties for those who use the Internet to prey on children or
engage in child pornography Wednesday...
Press Release: Governor Lynch Signs Online Child Safety Act
Office of the Governor
July 2, 2008
CONCORD - Calling it an important next step in the state’s
ongoing efforts to better protect children from sexual
predators, Gov. John Lynch today signed the Online Child Safety
Act. Gov. Lynch worked with the Attorney General, the state’s
law enforcement community and a bipartisan coalition of
legislators to develop the Act, and made its passage a
priority...
Dover defends sex offender ordinance in NHCLU challenge
By Clynton Namuo
New Hampshire Union Leader
July 3, 2008
DOVER – Municipalities have a history of enacting regulations
for the safety of their citizens, and a Dover ordinance
restricting where registered sex offenders can live falls into
the same category and thus is protected under the law, officials
said this week in a response to a legal test of the ordinance.
The New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union is challenging Dover's
sex offender residency restrictions in a case that could have
ramifications for the entire state...
Lynch signs jobless benefits extension
By Jeff Feingold
New Hampshire Business Review Daily
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Gov. John Lynch Wednesday signed an agreement with the U.S.
Department of Labor that allows unemployed workers to receive
extended benefits while looking for work. Lynch, who said “the
current downturn in the national economy is impacting New
Hampshire families and businesses,” added that the federally
funded extension “will give more of our hard-working men and
women the opportunity to find a new job without having to worry
about how they are going to provide for their families”...
NH unemployment benefits expanded
Associated Press
July 2, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. --Gov. John Lynch has signed an agreement with the
federal government to extend unemployment benefits for New
Hampshire residents. Lynch says extending benefits is one way to
help families through the tough economy. Under the agreement,
anyone who has exhausted the regular 26-week unemployment
benefits in the state since May 1, 2007, may be eligible to
receive an additional 13 weeks of payments, if they are not
eligible for any other state or federal benefits program...
Press Release: Gov. Lynch Announces Extension of Unemployment
Benefits For NH Citizens
Office of the Governor
July 2, 2008
CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today signed an agreement with the
federal government extending benefits to New Hampshire citizens
who have exhausted their unemployment compensation benefits...
2008 state-by-state summary
Legislative year in review
New Hampshire OKs borrowing, raising taxes
By Pamela M. Prah
Stateline.org
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Democrat-controlled Legislature gave Gov. John Lynch (D) the
green light to borrow from bonds if the state runs into a
deficit, but only after lawmakers debated until after midnight
behind locked doors so that Republicans couldn’t walk out. The
state ended the fiscal year in the black, but the bonding
measure will allow the governor to tap into up to $80 million in
bonds if the economic downturn deepens. It was the first time
“in a very long time” that Democrats used such dramatic
measures, says Dennis Delay, deputy director at the New
Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies. Democrats won both
the governorship and control of the statehouse in the 2006
elections, the first time since just after the Civil War that
the party had control of state government...
Some New Hampshire Residents Turn to Massachusetts for
Psychiatric Crises
By Dianne Finch
New Hampshire Business Review Daily
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
This week Catholic Medical Center in Manchester officially
closed its inpatient psychiatric unit. They cited
underutilization as the reason for the closure, but several
studies reveal rising needs for mental health services in New
Hampshire. The problem is severe enough that many patients are
heading to Massachusetts to find the help they need. NHPR’s
Dianne Finch has more...
Pair mulls referring Wiggin matter to AG
By Cutter Mitchell
Laconia Citizen
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Two political watchdogs who allege Belknap County Sheriff Craig
Wiggin threatened them over their continued challenge of the
manner of Wiggin's appointment are saying they might take the
matter of Wiggin's demeanor to the state Attorney General's
office...
Home care agencies struggle with high gas prices
Associated Press
July 2, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. --High gas prices are making it harder for New
Hampshire nurses, therapists and aides to serve chronically ill
elderly and disabled patients in their homes. A recent study by
the National Association for Home Care and Hospice found that
home care staff traveled more than 10.6 million miles to make
1.4 million home visits in 2006. Susan Young, director of the
Home Care Association of New Hampshire says there often is no
other way to reach those patients, particularly in rural areas,
but the rising cost of gasoline makes doing so a challenge...
Dartmouth sells Mt. Washington summit land to state
By Lorna Colquhoun
New Hampshire Union Leader
July 3, 2008
THOMPSON AND MESERVES PURCHASE – A wedge of land atop Mount
Washington became the property of the state of New Hampshire
yesterday afternoon, concluding a 10-year effort between the
state and Dartmouth College. The papers needed to seal the deal
were delivered to the 6,288-foot summit by a contingent of state
park and Dartmouth College representatives, who hiked nearly
four hours to the signing ceremony at the historic TipTop
House...
The Raw Milk Debate
By Warren Johnston
Valley News
July 2, 2008
Raw milk is rich in nutritious proteins and healthful bacteria
and enzymes that have the power to prevent or cure a long list
of maladies stretching from tuberculosis to tooth decay, natural
food advocates say. Maybe, but probably not, say health
officials, and if you're not careful, unpasteurized milk could
kill you. For consumers, the subject is as confusing as it is
controversial. But for those concerned, intractable lines are
drawn -- with neither side budging...In recent years in Vermont
and New Hampshire, lawmakers have yielded to pressure from raw
milk advocates and been cautiously voting to relax the
restrictions on selling unpasteurized milk. As a result, more
raw milk is showing up at farm stands and farmers markets around
the Upper Valley this year, and health officials in both states
say they're hoping no one becomes ill...Things are a little
looser in New Hampshire, where farmers can sell up to 20 quarts
a day or 140 quarts a week without a license. Sales can be from
a farm stand or at farmers markets...
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Parties crowd platform for veterans care
Both sides push for full-service hospital
By Lauren R. Dorgan
Concord Monitor
July 3, 2008
New Hampshire's veterans need a full-service hospital in this
state, candidates from both political parties are arguing this
year on the stump. Ailing or elderly veterans should not have to
travel to Vermont or Massachusetts for surgeries and hospital
stays, they say...
Several of the state's political leaders criticized that
announcement, with U.S. Sen. John Sununu calling the decision
"shortsighted" and U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes deeming it an insult
from the Bush administration...
US
SENATE
Sununu targeted in possible medicare cuts
By Michael McCord
Portsmouth Herald
July 3, 2008
PORTSMOUTH — The combustible combination of health care and
election-year politics has put U.S. Sen. John Sununu in the
cross hairs. The issue is a bill to stop a cut in reimbursement
to doctors whose elderly and disabled patients use
government-run Medicare. In response to the temporary collapse
of the bill — which is expected to be resurrected when Congress
returns from the July 4 recess next week — some senators like
Sununu, R-N.H., who opposed it, have been targeted by the
American Medical Association with television and radio ads. The
ads are claiming doctors will be forced, for financial reasons,
to stop providing care to Medicare patients — and that private
insurance companies are the ultimate beneficiaries...
Today in the U.S. Senate race
By Brian Lawson
Politicker NH
July 2, 2008
Editors note: This is a daily summary of news about the U.S.
Senate race between U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley)
and former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D-Madbury)...
CD-02
Clegg hires GOP activist
By Brian Lawson
Politicker NH
July 2, 2008
Dover Republican activist Matt Mayberry has been hired to help
with grassroots organizing for Bob Clegg's congressional
campaign. During the New Hampshire primary, Mayberry served as
Strafford County chairman of U.S. Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.)
presidential campaign. Mayberry is also running for the state
House from Dover...
Petrones host fundraiser for Horn
By Brian Lawson
Politicker NH
July 2, 2008
Joe Petrone and his wife Augusta hosted a fundraiser for
Jennifer Horn Tuesday night. The Petrones are honorary
co-chairmen of her campaign for congress...
GREEN
/ PDA
Pease loses its pilot: Dick Green quits
By Clare Kittredge
New Hampshire Union Leader
July 3, 2008 10:16 AM
PORTSMOUTH – Pease Development Authority Executive Director Dick
Green announced that he is stepping down from the PDA helm today
over "philosophical differences" with the PDA board about how to
run the converted military base...
Green steps down from PDA
By Charles McMahon
Foster's Daily Democrat
Thursday, July 3, 2008
PORTSMOUTH — After nearly two years serving as Executive
Director of the Pease Development Authority, Dick Green
announced today that he will be stepping down from his position
effective immediately...
Dick Green and PDA to part ways? Announcement to be made later
today
PORTSMOUTH — With rumors of Dick Green's departure from the
Pease Development Authority swirling about on Wednesday, PDA
officials plan to make an announcement today but wouldn't say
about who or what it may involve. Green, the PDA executive
director, confirmed an agreement over what he called a
"situation" between him and the PDA board had been reached
Wednesday. He also said the details of that agreement would be
released early this morning...
NH
DEMS
N.H. Dems launch ‘GOP dirty tricks’ website
By Brian Lawson
Politicker NH
July 2, 2008
The New Hampshire Democratic Party has started a website aimed
at keeping track of what they call "Republican dirty tricks."
The website, "GOP Dirty Tricks," encourages visitors to fill
out a form that details phone calls they have received, mailers
being sent to mailboxes or any advertisements that are being
aired...
N.H. Dems hiring canvassers
By Brian Lawson
Politicker NH
July 3, 2008 9:57 AM
The New Hampshire Democratic Party has begun hiring people who
could canvass neighborhoods on weekday nights and weekends...
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
Anti-tax group sets up in N.H.
By Kevin Landrigan
Nashua Telegraph
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
CONCORD – A national anti-tax group supporting free enterprise
set up shop in New Hampshire on Tuesday and its leaders vowed to
organize citizens against raising state or federal taxes. New
Hampshire becomes the 22nd state chapter of Americans for
Prosperity, a tax-exempt organization pledged against taxes and
government-earmarked spending...
DONOHUE / NHIOP
Donahue named NHIOP political director
By Brian Lawson
Politicker NH
July 2, 2008
Granite State political analyst Jennifer Donahue has been named
the political director and manager of civic education at Saint
Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics...
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Political columns...
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John DiStaso's Granite Status: NH Advantage Coalition making its
presence felt
By John DiStaso
New Hampshire Union Leader
July 3, 2008
THINKING AHEAD. Agree or disagree with its conservative
views, the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition is becoming a
factor in the 2008 elections. And it will be a more of a factor
in the fall. Group chairman Mike Biundo confirmed this week
that, knowing the most sought-after time slots will be filled up
quickly, the group has already secured $140,000 worth of
television air time for issue ads in the final three weeks
leading to the Nov. 3 election...
DOCTORS VS. SUNUNU. Doctors are now targeting Sununu. The
American Medical Association and a group called America's Health
Insurance Plans are going up with a television ad this week
critical of Sununu and Republicans in Mississippi, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming...
GIVING GREEN. Shaheen is the beneficiary of a new League of
Conservation Voters fundraising tool. The "Give Green" Web site
allows donors to bundle their money through the LCV, much like
Act Blue and the leading bundler, Emily's List...
CSP'S NEW COS. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter has a new chief of staff.
We've learned he is Mike Brown, an eight-year Capitol Hill
veteran who has been on the staffs of Democratic Reps. Brad
Sherman and Jim Moran of Virginia. He will be officially
announced next week.
HE'LL BE BACK. John McCain will make his third visit of the
general election campaign to the state on July 22. State
campaign co-chair Peter Spaulding made the announcement at the
grand opening of the campaign's state headquarters in Manchester
Tuesday night...
DIRTY TRICKS. The state Democratic Party has regenerated a Web
site it first set up in 2004 to exploit alleged Republican
"dirty tricks"...
MONDAY DEADLINE. The federal Justice Department has until Monday
at 2 p.m. to produce the information on the illegal 2002 GOP
phone jamming operation demanded in a subpoena issued last
Friday by a Democrat-led subcommittee of the House Judiciary
Committee...
COLLINS MAKES HIS MOVE. Paul Collins has taken a leave as
Sununu's Senate chief of staff and is now on board full-time as
campaign manager. It's a move Collins has made during all of
Sununu's campaigns...
THE CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS:
-- GOP 1st District congressional candidates John Stephen and
Jeb Bradley continue to face off in debates and forums...
-- 1st District incumbent Shea-Porter was recently aided by
big-name Democrats at fundraisers...
-- Ambassador Joe Petrone and his wife, Augusta, hosted about 90
people at their Dublin home on Tuesday for a fundraiser for 2nd
District GOP candidate Jennifer Horn...
-- GOP 2nd District congressional hopeful Bob Clegg's campaign
says veteran activist Matt Mayberry has taken a paid consulting
position.
QUICK TAKES:
-- Republican Executive Council challengers are fundraising
hard. District 5 candidate Steve Stepanek raised about $7,500 at
an event last week while former state GOP chair Steve Duprey
will host an event for District 2 candidate Dan St. Hilaire
Monday.
-- The Senate Republican PAC raised more than $50,000 at its
annual golf tournament last Friday at the Candia Woods Country
Club.
-- Gov. John Lynch's campaign will formally open its office in
Manchester on July 16.
-- We've received reports that "informed ballot" polling is
under way in the governor's race, with the caller gauging both
positives and negatives about Lynch and Republican candidate Joe
Kenney.
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Op
Ed...
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Editorial: Spiked: State pension reform unfinished
New Hampshire Union Leader
July 3, 2008
WINDHAM POLICE officer Greg Malisos retired on Monday after 20
years on the job. Last year, he earned $141,531. Windham's
police chief, Gerald Lewis, earned $83,381. Police officers and
firefighters often work a lot of overtime to make ends meet,
which is understandable. They and other public employees also
work a lot of overtime for the purpose of boosting their
retirement pay. That's become a big problem for the state...
Editorial: Let's not be fooled by white pride rally
Nashua Telegraph
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Supporters of a so-called "white pride" group are expected to
gather Saturday at 2 p.m. at an undisclosed location in Hudson
to stage what is being billed as an annual "Close the Border"
demonstration. If it is anything like the group's event two
years ago at Library Park, participants will meet to drum up
support from passing motorists while holding signs containing
messages like "Keep NH safe, deport illegals"...
Editorial: State could turn into a dour, left-leaning place
Concord Monitor
July 3, 2008
Divide America into red and blue states based on which political
party is dominant and, over the past few decades, New Hampshire
has gone from dark red to purple to a pale blue that could be
deepened by the November election. The Granite State was once
the most conservative in the land...Since those ruddy days, the
state recognized Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a
holiday, sanctioned civil unions and elected Democrats to run
the government for the first time in more than a century.
Residents of moderate to liberal bent are pleased by this trend,
but it may come at a cost few foresaw. New Hampshire might be
turning into a less happy place...
Gregg, Sununu voted for less primary care
By Dr. Elizabeth Sanders
Concord Monitor
July 3, 2008
I was saddened and angered by the votes of New Hampshire Sens.
John Sununu and Judd Gregg against the Medicare bill, H.R. 6331.
This bill needed 60 votes to pass; it got 58. This bill passed
the House by a vote of 355-59, with support by Reps. Paul Hodes
and Carol Shea-Porter. It directly impacts the medical care of
millions of seniors and disabled citizens. As of July 1, without
this bill there is a 10.6 percent decrease in Medicare payments
to physicians...
Countdown to Accountability
By Kathy Sullivan
Bllue Hampshire
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
As Dean has diaried, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has
issued a subpoena to the Department of "Justice" for production
of documents related to a number of actions (or lack thereof) by
the Department, including civil rights enforcement, US Attorney
firings, and the investigation and prosecution of the phone
jamming case. The phone jamming done to help Senator* John E.
Sununu win a US Senate seat. The deadline is July 7 - yes, we
have a countdown of less than seven days to see if the DoJ will
be accountable for turning itself into a political arm of the
Bush White House. The question is, will DoJ stonewall?...
Sununu Front Group Attacks Shaheen in New Hampshire
By Kathy Sullivan
Huffington Post
July 1, 2008
As the 2008 election draws ever closer, New Hampshire voters
will be seeing lots of political activity. Former Governor
Jeanne Shaheen has been out talking to voters and running
positive television ads describing the issues she will champion
in the United States Senate, such as reducing gas prices, fixing
the economy and brining our troops home from Iraq.
Unfortunately, Republican operatives, hiding behind a front
group named Americans for Job Security, have already spent over
$250,000 attacking Shaheen on radio and in the mail, and they're
employing the same sort of behavior that has prompted outrage
among New Hampshire voters in the past. Shaheen is the top
target for Republican attacks this year, and she'll need as much
help as possible in responding: www.jeanneshaheen.org...
Sununu Spreads Debunked Cuba Oil Drilling Story Again
By Dean Barker
Blue Hampshire
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Remember when
John E. was pushing Cheney's talking points about drilling
for oil off the coast of Cuba? The ones that were
quickly debunked? Well, what do you do when you've been
caught peddling propaganda? You just drop the word "China" and
hope nobody notices. Too bad for John E's integrity that
someone noticed and it ended up at TPM:...
Big Wednesday Night Rundown
Senate Guru
July 2, 2008
New Hampshire: How will popular former Governor Jeanne Shaheen
encourage voters to oust Sprintin' John Sununu? She'll simply
present his atrocious record to the voters. And what is the
comically lame response from Sununu's spokeswoman? “"Senator
Sununu has been an independent voice in the Senate and voted
with New Hampshire 100 percent of the time," spokeswoman Julie
Teer said in a prepared statement.” Why do these GOP hacks make
it so easy? Quick note to Julie Teer: no, Sununu does not vote
with New Hampshire "100 percent of the time." Some very quick
examples after about eight seconds of research:...
ZOMG!!!! 100% is TEN MORE than 90% !!!!!
By Dean Barker
Blue Hampshire
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The DC elites are always telling us how smart our engineer in
the senate is, but I didn't really see it
until now:...It's settled - I think I can vote for Sununu.
He's voted for our state 100% of the time! That's one more time
than every time he voted with Mr. Bush! "Statistics" are so much
fun!...
Paul Hodes continues to do the people's business
By Bill Duncan
Blue Hampshire
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
What does John Sununu get for his blind loyalty to the Bush
administration? Veterans Administration Secretary Peake comes
all the way to New Hampshire at Sununu's invitation just to tell
him, Carol Shea-Porter and our veterans that the Bush
administration will not increase the capacity of the Manchester
VA hospital or facilitate access to alternative local services.
Lots of vets must be wonder just what it is that our good
Republican soldier can do for them. Meanwhile, Paul Hodes
and Carol Shea-Porter continue working away doing what they can
in the face of Bush administration efforts to hide the true cost
of the war...
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