2011 Budget Protest
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Some of you attended Thursday's rally and were as impressed, I am sure, as we were, with the numbers, the enthusiasm, the calm and focused behavior of the 5,000 present, and the quality of the speeches by so many passionate voices calling for social justice. We heard from a ten-year-old girl with two autistic siblings, a young man, a high school student, recovering from an addiction, (so brave!) and many others from the social service and medical communities. A rabbi gave the opening prayer and both the Catholic and the Episcopal bishops stood with us, with bishop Gene Robinson a particularly eloquent ceremony closer. The crowd was full of children and adults in wheelchairs being pushed by their parents and caregivers. There were no loud, attention-grabbing thugs among us. These were people who wanted their legislators to know that they disagreed with the proposed House budget, and they did so with dignity.
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2010 Grantham General Election Results
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I wish we could say, "As Grantham goes, so goes the state and nation," but alas, it was not to be, at least for this election cycle. But we are heartened by the quality and courage of Ben Lefebvre, Andy Schmidt and Matthew Houde whom we will send to Concord to defend the gains we have made these past two years. Here are the results for Grantham, followed by the results for Sullivan 1, our legislative district.
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| For Governor | Lynch | 907 |
| | Stephan | 547 |
| For US Senator | Hodes | 743 |
| | Ayotte | 702 |
| For Rep. In Congress | Kuster | 804 |
| | Bass | 615 |
| For State Senator | Houde | 799 |
| | Danforth | 633 |
| For State Rep. (2) | Schmidt | 787 |
| | Lefebvre | 695 |
| | Ward | 627 |
| | Wallin | 571 |
| For County Commissioner | Jarvis | 698 |
| | Callum | 644 |
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Our Mission
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To elect democratic candidates on November 2, 2010 to federal, state and local offices.
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Grantham Democrats Annual Blue Plate Specials Fund Raiser
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Here we go...It's time for our BIG fundraiser for our town committee. These events raise $$ for us, so that we can sponsor events for you and raise $$ for our local, state and national candidates. We, your executive committee, hope that everyone of you will consider signing up to attend one of these events. They are a terrific way to meet new people, eat home-cooked meals prepared by some of the best of the foodies among us and raise $$ at the same time. All of the hosts volunteer their time, their resources and their homes to make these events happen. It has been, I think, a democratic tradition in this town for at least 7 years now and some of us have been hosting these events for that long! So, read the menus and put your reservation in the mail soon.
For more information, e-mail me or give a call: 863-5663 (Judy) or 863- 2976 (Phyllis).
Thanks for considering this. You're in for a treat!
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Legislative update from Sen. Matthew Houde - December, 2011
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At this time of year, as we pause to give thanks and enjoy family and friends (and food!), my hope for each of us is a joyous holiday season with time both to celebrate and to reflect on the year gone by.
I wanted to provide a bit of a recap of the 2011 legislative session before looking ahead. Much of last year was focused on the state budget - and gun issues too, of course. Since the budget reflects the state’s priorities, that fiscal focus was appropriate - particularly in what continues to be challenging economic times. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the state chose to look only at one side of the balance sheet: reductions in expenditures. The state also actually reduced revenues by repealing or reducing a number of fees, including the vehicle registration surcharge as well as the cigarette tax. Despite the stated expectation that reducing this tax would increase sales, the cost from wholesalers has gone up and the revenue to stores (and the state) has come in below expectations.
As a result, funding to any number of areas was impacted. For example:
- Funds to the state university system were reduced - by approximately 50% - putting NH among the lowest in terms of state support for its universities.
- Virtually all state agencies saw cuts, including the Department of Transportation, which was required to reduce the number of road miles maintained - in an era of already deteriorating infrastructure. The reduction in funds to the DOT even threatened the plowing resources.
- Reimbursements to hospitals across the state were cut for the services these hospitals provided to people without insurance. This, along with unsustainably low Medicaid reimbursement rates, compelled several hospitals not only to reduce their workforces but also to file suit against the state.
I don’t believe that reducing government spending, which results in more than a thousand job losses across the state in one industry alone, is the answer. That is why I voted against the budget and why I will continue to vote for the priorities that reflect the real needs of NH citizens.
The 2012 legislative session will get underway in January, and I anticipate a number of issues will garner considerable public attention, including proposals for a constitutional amendment to allow for targeted education aid and a repeal of the recently passed same sex marriage law.
On a personal note, it has been a time of transition and celebration for me this fall. As you might know, I was married, moved to a new home in Plainfield, and started in a new position at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. (I don’t imagine the last comes as a surprise in light of the coverage in the Valley News about this change over the past month.) I believe that this is a unique opportunity to join an organization committed to advancing health care, which, I believe, is an extension of the advocacy in which I have been engaged over the previous five years I have served in the Legislature.
As always, please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.
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Who Pays
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Andy Schmidt sent an interesting document entitled "Who Pays". Describes who bares the tax burden in New Hampshire and the nation. Please see Who Pays here.
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Volunteer Opportunites for Grantham Democrats
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1. Support the Grantham Community Crisis Fund through regular financial contributions. A percentage of any fund-raising activity we have will go to support this much needed program.
2. Establish a volunteer program to:
A. Provide rides to individual Grantham citizens in need of transportation to a medical appointment or an occasional shopping trip for such things as groceries or prescription drugs, or other errands etc.
B. Offer home care with a family member for a few hours while a caregiver engages in similar activities or simply needs a respite.
Heddy and Ted Fantl, assisted by Ebba McArt, have agreed to coordinate this volunteer activity. They will contact relevant town officials, coordinate and organize the list of volunteers willing to help out and maintain continuity in the program. They will be the only ones who will contact you should you wish to help out. Town Officials will provide only their names as contacts. They, in turn, will draw from a list of volunteers so that no one Democratic volunteer is overly burdened.
If you would like to sign up to volunteer for either of the two activities, or if you have any questions, please contact Heddy Fantl at hlfantl@gmail.com.
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Voting Information
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Vote at Grantham Town Hall, Lower Level, 300 Route 10 South. Register with the town clerk, Rita Eigenbrode, 603-863-5608. More registration information here.
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Contribute to the Democratic Town Committee
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Send your contributions to the Grantham Democratic Town Committee to:
Robert Katz
Treasurer, Grantham Democratic Town Committee
PO Box 564
Grantham, NH 03753
Make check payable to Grantham Democratic Town Committee, these contributions are not tax deductible.
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