If ever there was a voice in the wilderness, it has to be Renny Cushing. The only Democratic representative among many Seacoast towns, he spoke recently at a meeting of local Democrats, detailing the prevarications, depredations and other slimy moves by New Hamsphire Republican state representatives as they raid stable parts of the state budget and systematically eviscerate the workings of good government.
Funding for higher education, lower education, any program which might benefit the dispossessed or disadvantaged has been gutted. Basically, everything of any importance to running the state, providing services for its citizens has been stricken. Only the cigarette tax survives unscathed--no raising that because it is thought to attract Massachusetts smokers across the border. New Hampshire aims to export lung cancer to its neighbors.
It has finally dawned on Renny the primary motivating idea of the Republicans in Concord is that government is bad, and if they defund the government, it will stop the government from working and when that happens people will say, "Government is bad. Government is dysfunctional. Let's get rid of government."
The Republicans have a solid point: When Republicans are in charge of government, government is BAD.
It is the old story of the person who murders both his parents and then asks the judge for leniency on the grounds he is now an orphan.
I'm not sure I can spell it, but I can recognized it when I see it: "Chutzpah."
Mad Dog,
ReplyDeleteWhat is truly terrifying is that Renny Cushing won by literally the slimmest of margins, in a recount..If one or two citizens had opted to stay home that day, we wouldn't even have his lone voice of reason representing our towns. There would be no one up in Concord, from our neck of the woods, to bear witness to the Republican attack on social and financial safety nets and structures that have taken decades to put in place. But, as you point out, the Republican attack on government programs and policies doesn't end with those designed to assist our most needy citizens. Their stripping of funds for things like infrastructure improvements and tourism promotion effects everyone in the state. Unfortunately most voters are too busy with their daily life to notice they are being effected every day by this Republican created mess. If we were to randomly poll 200 local residents regarding these issues how many do you think would have a clue as to what is going on and what is at stake..Probably more than it would take to screw in a light bulb-but not much more...
Maud