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Sununu Statement On The Retirement Of NH Chief Justice Broderick
CONCORD
6/17/2010 – Former New Hampshire Governor and Republican State Committee
Chairman John H. Sununu released the following statement today on the retirement
of New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice John Broderick:
“For 15 years, Justice John Broderick has served with honor
and integrity on the New Hampshire Supreme Court. I am grateful for the positive
contribution Justice Broderick has made to our judicial system, and wish him the
best in his well deserved retirement.”
ROCK A BYE BUDGET: A LULLABY
By Jeb Bradley 7/7/2010
The Democratic authors of New Hampshire’s budget and
its current $300 million deficit have accelerated into full spin campaign mode. They are
chanting across New Hampshire that tough decisions were made, the budget is
balanced, taxes are low, and the economy will recover.
Democrats are hoping to lull voters to sleep until November so nobody realizes
the budget cradle is about to fall.
What did the budget package do and what are its authors not telling you?
First and foremost,
overall state spending increased dramatically from $10.4 to $11.5 billion, or
10.5% on top of a similar
11.2% increase in the previous
budget.
Second, 38 taxes or fees
were raised in this budget on top of 29 in the previous budget. Some of the most notable hikes were the
LLC Income Tax on small
business owners, the Camping Tax, higher Rooms and Meals Taxes, more cigarette taxes, a tax on gambling winnings, higher boat and car
registration fees, and higher highway tolls. Many
Democrats also tried to implement a capital gains
tax, an estate tax,
remove a key business tax credit, and raise the
gasoline tax. They also
shortchanged cities and towns by nearly $100 million which has the perverse
impact of raising homeowner’s property taxes. The LLC and Camping Tax proved .....(click to read entire
article)
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Jeb Bradley wins state Senate
contest
By MARK HAYWARD
New Hampshire Union Leader
Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009
Former Republican congressman Jeb
Bradley revived his political career yesterday by winning an open seat to the
New Hampshire Senate in a special election.
The victory also provided a morale boost
for Republicans, who campaigned hard to keep the seat in the Republican column
and grab a win after last year's defeat in state and national elections.
Bradley, a Wolfeboro resident, defeated
retired Judge Bud Martin 61 to 39 percent, according to numbers supplied by
state Republicans.
The tally was 5,996 to 3,789, with
Martin only winning two towns: Tamworth and his hometown of Sandwich. Bradley
proved a strong contender. In Chatham, Freedom, Moultonborough, Tuftonboro,
Wakefield and his hometown of Wolfeboro, Bradley won by a 2-to-1 margin or
more.
"The people are saying enough is
enough," Bradley said. "They've seen the new spending, they've seen the new
taxes, they've seen the extraordinary lurch to the left and said enough's
enough."
Read full article
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Dear Friends,
Today I
announced that I am running for the District 3 State Senate seat. I'm
running because I believe now more than ever, the budgeting decisions
we make today will affect our way of life.
I have lived
in the Lakes Region for most of my life and have always enjoyed our
beautiful lakes and mountains. Raising taxes, like rooms and meals
tax, will harm the tourism industry -- the lifeblood of small
businesses in the Lakes Region and Mt. Washington Valley.
Our friends
and families are struggling - many have lost their jobs and can't
afford to pay their bills. While New Hampshire citizens have
tightened their belts and made painful decisions, state government
spending grew by 17%. Now with the faltering economy and shrinking
revenues, our state must make difficult budget decisions.
We can't
shift costs from the state to property taxpayers. Rather it is time
to reduce unnecessary spending by prioritizing the services and
programs necessary for our friends in need, while making sure we don't
keep raising spending to levels we can't afford. Creating jobs in New
Hampshire and getting people back to work means
not raising taxes on businesses and
means no sales or income tax...ever!
On April
21st, there will be a special election for the District 3 Senate
seat. The Democrats want to win so that they can increase their
majority in the Senate. We need to show them this isn't going to
happen and that struggling families don't want more state spending and
more taxes.
We don't
have much time, so please join
my team today.
We need your contributions (click here),
and we need LOTS of volunteers.
Help us today
by signing up (click here) to phone bank, to walk door to door, and to
get a lawn sign.
And as
always, many thanks for your help!
Jeb Bradley
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For people who think I
have been too tough on the Democrats by accusing them of
ruining New Hampshire, to understand my criticism you
don’t need to look any further than the recently proposed
HB415 “Bathroom Bill” as well as Governor Lynch’s attempt
to raid the Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting
Associating Plan to understand my criticism. These actions
serve as reminders of the radical agenda being pushed by
the Democrat Leadership in Concord that threatens to
damage New Hampshire’s special quality of life and
government structure.
This week a house
judiciary subcommittee voted along party lines to
advance the Bathroom Bill to the full committee. The
legislation, which makes changes to existing laws,
grants universal access to public restrooms based on
individual’s preferred “gender-related identity,
appearance, expression, or behavior of an individual.”
This would allow an individual to legally choose if they
would like to use a men’s restroom or women’s restroom
based purely on their own personal preferred gender -
regardless of their actual biological gender.
The Democrat’s Bathroom Bill is a radical assault on
personal privacy that poses,
at the least, an
undue level of discomfort on users of public facilities
and at the worst a mischief risk for families who
utilize public restrooms facilities across New
Hampshire. It’s about time that Governor Lynch shows
some backbone and stands up to the extreme liberals that
dominate the Democrat leadership in the New Hampshire
House and Senate. He should publicly denounce and commit
to veto egregious pieces of legislation like the
Bathroom Bill before they reach his desk
A second example of the
Democrats disastrous agenda is Governor Lynch’s attempt
to take money from the New Hampshire Medical Malpractice
Joint Underwriting Association Plan and use it to
balance the budget. The fund consists of premiums and
payments from doctors that were intended to provide
stability to the medical malpractice insurance market.
In the event that the plan was to have a surplus, New
Hampshire regulations clearly states that it shall
“repay members for assessments previously levied.”
Legal opinions can’t make
this kind of expropriation justifiable. This is private
money, not state revenue, and any attempt by the Governor
to use it to fund the operations of state government
amounts to nothing more than the theft of private
property. If they are to succeed in these efforts to
pocket this money from New Hampshire’s doctors what is to
stop them from taking money from other groups to balance
future budgets?
John H. Sununu
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NHGOP
Chairman John H. Sununu's Statement on the Lynch Budget
CONCORD -- Former New Hampshire
Governor and Republican State Committee Chairman John H.
Sununu released the following statement on Governor John
Lynch’s budget proposal:
“It is always difficult to comment on a complex budget without
having time to examine all the details. However, some aspects
of Governor Lynch's budget are readily apparent, and can be
addressed after a first review.
The Governor is to be commended for applying fiscal discipline
to the spending side of the budget. He made some of the hard
decisions required at this time.
However, there are serious issues on the revenue side, even
beyond concern over his increases in taxes, tolls and fees.
Tapping the long standing malpractice fund for $110 million
over three years is very questionable, as is covering school
building aid by $83 million of bonds. Serious problems are
created for future budgets by counting on a one-time federal
bailout program to make up for short changing the cities and
towns of $167 million due to them from rooms and meals taxes
and direct aid. And the additional $230 million in one-time
federal stimulus money also included on the state revenue side
is a serious concern for future budgets. These one-time
patches on the revenue side completely undermine the integrity
of the fiscal system of the State of New Hampshire.
But of course the Governor's biggest problem will come when
his budget works its way through the legislature. Historically
the House and Senate Democrats have spent more than the
Governor has proposed. The critical question for this budget
will be whether Governor Lynch will be willing and able to get
the Democratic legislature to send him back a responsible
fiscal package.”
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Shaheen's
Contribution: More spending, more debt
Union Leader Editorial
February 9, 2009
While Sen. Judd Gregg worked last week to curtail the shockingly
irresponsible levels of spending in the economic stimulus bill,
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's modest contribution was to propose another
couple of billion dollars be added to it.
On Thursday, Shaheen
championed an amendment to restore $2.5 billion "to repair,
renovate and modernize higher education facilities," which had
been cut in a Senate compromise. With the addition of tax credits
for home and automobile buyers, the package had already grown to
more than $900 billion by the time Shaheen introduced her
amendment. And then she sought to add billions more.
Shaheen announced
her amendment the day after the Congressional Budget Office
released a letter concluding that the stimulus plan would produce
an economic boost for about two years, but then would contract the
economy because the debt incurred to finance it would crowd out
private investment. The CBO's letter was written in response to a
request from Judd Gregg.
This was a week
after Shaheen supported keeping $800 million for birth control in
the bill. Late last week, Shaheen's office said she had been
working to focus the bill on spending that would create jobs.
Birth control subsidies create jobs?
Shaheen resisted
cuts to the bill, pushed to add more spending, then at the last
minute reportedly became involved in efforts to trim some
spending. That's just like Shaheen. Push higher spending then hide
behind Republicans who request cuts.
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Judd Gregg withdraws commerce secretary bid
By
Julie Mason
Examiner White House Correspondent
2/13/09
www.dcexaminer.com
Citing disagreements with the administration over control
of the census and the direction of the economic stimulus package, Republican
Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire abruptly withdrew as President Obama’s nominee
to head the Commerce Department.
“We are functioning from a different set of
views on many critical items of policy,” Gregg said in a statement citing
“irresolvable conflicts.”
At issue for Gregg was a plan announced by the
White House last week to strip the 2010 census from the commerce secretary’s
control and have the U.S. Census Bureau report directly to White House Chief of
Staff Rahm Emanuel.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs noted
in a statement that Gregg approached Obama about the commerce position and
“offered his name.”
“He was very clear throughout the interviewing
process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support,
embrace and move forward with the president’s agenda,” Gibbs said. “We regret
that he has had a change of heart.”
Among other things, the results of the 2010
census will be used for congressional redistricting and distributing funds for
federal entitlement programs. Some minority groups had complained about the
Republican Gregg presiding over the census. Later, Republicans were sharply
critical of the White House plan to assume more control of the process.
Republicans also mounted a strenuous
opposition to Obama’s stimulus package, creating an awkward scenario for Gregg.
Earlier this week he abstained from voting on the program in the Senate.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of
Kentucky hailed Gregg’s withdrawal as a principled stand and welcomed him back
to Congress.
“Sen. Gregg made a principled decision to
return, and we’re glad to have him,” McConnell said. “He is among the smartest,
most effective legislators to serve in the Senate — Democrat or Republican — and
a key adviser to me and to the Republican Conference. It’s great to have him
back.”
Obama last week nominated Gregg to his
Cabinet, saying at the White House that the two did not agree on every issue,
“but we agree on the urgent need to get American business and families back on
their feet”
The Granite State senator would have been the
third Republican in Obama’s Cabinet, along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates
and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Instead, Gregg became the second Commerce
nominee to withdraw and the fourth high-profile Obama pick to bow out before
confirmation. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Obama’s first choice for
commerce, stepped down amid a federal investigation of his campaign
contributions.
Also among the recently departed are former
Senate leader Tom Daschle, who was to head Health and Human Services, and Nancy
Killefer, who was to be Obama’s chief performance office. Both had problems with
their taxes.
In announcing his withdrawal, Gregg called
Obama’s nomination “a great honor” and praised the president’s interest in
working with Republicans.
“Obviously the president requires a team that
is fully supportive of all his initiatives,” Gregg said.
As Gregg deal
done, Lynch eyes Republican
February 3, 2009 - By
JOHN DISTASO
Senior Political
Reporter - Union Leader, Inc.
The deal appears done: Sen. Judd Gregg will be replaced by a
fellow Republican when he leaves the Senate to become President Barack Obama's
secretary of commerce.
Obama plans to nominate Gregg as commerce secretary today, the
White House confirmed on the eve of the formal announcement.
Yesterday, Gregg and Gov. John Lynch commented publicly for
the first time on the dramatic turn of events, making it clear that Democrat
Lynch, with the blessing of the Obama administration and U.S. Senate Democratic
and GOP leaders, is on board to name a Republican rather than a member of his
own party when Gregg moves to the cabinet post.
J. Bonnie Newman, Gregg's former congressional chief of staff
and long-time associate and a former official in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush
administrations, continued to emerge as the top contender to succeed him.
Newman is close to Lynch as well as Gregg. She co-chaired
"Republicans for Lynch" during the governor's first campaign in 2004; the two
have strong ties to the state university system.
It has been widely
reported that Newman would promise not to run for a full term in 2010 if she is
appointed, but that has not been confirmed.
Full Article...
Republicans
to Gregg: Stay put
January 31, 2009 - By
JOHN DISTASO
Senior Political Reporter, Union Leader, Inc.
New Hampshire and
Capitol Hill Republicans are nervous that Sen. Judd Gregg will leave the GOP
weaker in both places if he becomes Democratic President Barack Obama's
secretary of commerce.
"I'd think he would not take that position if it endangers his
seat for us," state Rep. Fran Wendelboe, a leading conservative, said yesterday.
Michael Dennehy, a GOP strategist and former senior adviser to
Sen. John McCain, said, "It would be a brilliant move by President Obama, and it
would be good for the country, but it would put the Republican Party in a
position that is worse than we are in now, both nationally and locally."
Gregg
yesterday confirmed he is under consideration for the Cabinet post, saying he
was "honored to be considered, along with others, for the position. Beyond that,
there is nothing more I can say at this time."
Obama reportedly hopes to announce his commerce secretary
appointee on Monday or Tuesday.
►Special
election scenario would depend on Lynch
►AP:
Hodes to join exclusive Super Bowl party at White House
►Reports:
Gregg up for Commerce post? (66)
If Gregg was named, Gov. John Lynch would appoint his
replacement until the 2010 election, and speculation was intense yesterday that
Lynch was considering a Gregg request to appoint a Republican.
Full article....
New GOP chairman Sununu comes out fighting
by Stephen Beale, Union Leader
January
22, 2009
BEDFORD –
There may be no second acts in American life, but former Gov. John H. Sununu
stepped easily into the role of state Republican Party chairman yesterday on
stage at the Bedford High School theater, blaming Democrats for ruining the
state and promising a GOP revival.
Sununu
was elected unanimously as chairman. Outgoing chairman Fergus Cullen did not
seek re-election and no one opposed Sununu for the position. Sununu was governor
of New Hampshire from 1983 to 1989 and was White House Chief of Staff for the
first President Bush from 1989 to 1991.
Sununu seized the reins of the party leadership yesterday and did not hesitate
to immediately fire shots across the bow, accusing Democrats of taking the
Pledge against no new income or sales taxes, while letting the state budget grow
by 17.5 percent.
"The Democrats have done a good job of fuzzing up the difference," Sununu told
the New Hampshire Sunday News. "They give lip service to the Pledge and they
spend like drunken sailors, which puts pressure on the tax structure, so they
don't really mean it."
Sununu said he would focus on defining differences with Democrats, calling on
his fellow Republicans to help educate New Hampshire voters.
read the complete article
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