Belknap County Races: July 2008 Archives
The 'Grok is a conservative blog - no doubt about it. The
philosophy that drives us includes individual responsibility, limited
government, free markets,adherence to the Rule of Law and property
rights, and an open and transparent government that is frugal with
taxpayer money. Government can not, and should not, try to be all
things to all people. It does not include the over reach of the
cloying collective of the Nanny State and the spend-with-no-constraints
attitude that seemingly has invaded both the national and NH scene.
We
are also Republicans as that party comes closest to the above ideal.
That said, this blog, GraniteGrok, is known for holding Republicans to
account for not only their words but for their actions as well. Our
motto is "spank'em when they're wrong, and thank'em when they are
right." We support like minded people who not only say the words but
put them to practice and live them.
This morning, we get to
thank a Republican that we have come to know as we cover the cultural
and political scene (especially here in NH). During our time in the
blogosphere, we have watched an extremely hard working, well spoken,
knows all the issues type of guy that shows how to make a dollar
stretch to the max in getting his message out. Coupled with a brevity
of speech that makes us envious in getting out a maximum message
(without sounding like a sound bite machine) and the ability and
willingness to always be working at Internet speed has impressed us.
He lives his campaign motto of "I may be outspent but I will never be
outworked" as he seems to be in all places at once. His conservative
foundation has rung a friendly bell here at the 'Grok.
We are proud to announce that in NH's 2nd Congressional District, we are supporting
for the U.S. House of Representatives. This is in no way a negative reflection on his competitors - we believe that any of his competitors would be a huge improvement over the current holder of that seat. We just feel that Grant epitomizes the philosophy, the work ethic, and the knowledge of the Internet that tomorrow's candidates will need - but he is doing it today!
We ask our readers who live in NH's Congressional District Second District to give Grant a very close look. If you feel that government should supply your every (or even most) need, he's not your guy. If you believe that we owe all that we are and have to government, he's not your guy. If you believe that government knows more than you do about taking care of your family, he's not your guy.
If you feel that government is more often the problem rather than a solution, that it costs more than it should, that government is slowly taking your freedom away via taxes, regulations, and laws - then HE'S YOUR GUY!
Please
vote Grant Bosse in the Republican primary in September. Then vote
again for him in November and take the seat away from Paul Hodes (you
remember him - the guy that tried to take on the Moms of Fury - and lost!).
Mars v. Venus: Dems & GOP forming battle lines over fiscal and social issues
By Ed Engler
Its hard for most people to get worked up about politics in the middle of a brief New England Summer so it was no surprise that the number of people who showed up at local Republican and Democratic gatherings a Sunday ago could be measured in 10s and not in hundreds. The folks who attended a kick-off event for Republican Greg Knytych’s campaign for the N.H. Senate at the Weirs Beach Community Center and, later in the day, at the annual Belknap County Democratic Party picnic at the Opechee Park Clubhouse are among the real die-hards.
Many of them were party officials and candidates.
Though almost exclusively “preaching to the choir”, the candidates had a chance to polish their public speaking skills and sound the themes that will dominate the local political discussion this fall.
The content of the speeches also dramatized that, to borrow a phrase, Republicans are from Mars and Democrats from Venus — or is it the other way around — for it at times is hard for a neutral observer to imagine that people who share the same general, American space could be so different.
The Republicans are on the outs in Concord for the first time since since the 19th Century. It has been that long since the Democrats have occupied the governor’s office and controlled both the Senate and the House at the same time.
“Now they have a record to run on,” Republican operative Sam Pimm of Concord encouraged the 15 or so people gathered for pulled-pork sandwiches and Kellerhaus ice cream at Knytych’s gathering, signaling the GOP’s aim to counter-punch against what they see as readily apparent Democratic failures.
Specifically, speaker after speaker blasted Democrats for increasing spending at the state level for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 by 17-percent and agreeing to borrow $80-million to fulfill the constitutional obligation to balance the state budget.
Knytych, who represents Ward 1 on the Laconia City Council, told friends he wants to go replace Sen. Kathy Sgambati in Senate District 4 because, “I want to stop this irresponsible spending”. “We don’t have a budget problem,” he said of the action to borrow millions, “we have a spending problem . . . (state) revenues are increasing, just not enough (to cover expenditures).”
The first-time candidate for state office scoffed at Democrat suggestions the state is facing a budget deficit that could run into the hundreds of millions because they were unaware of the likelihood of a national economic downturn when the two-year budget was drafted in 2007. “They knew,” he said. “They just didn’t care.”
Former Congressman Jeb Bradley of Wolfeboro, who is running to get his old First District job back, sounded another familiar theme when he predicted all the spending in Concord, left unchecked by Republicans, was going to lead to an income tax.
