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How far are you willing to go to get guns from peaceful owners?
To the editor,
I enjoyed the letter from on Mr. Rogers in Saturday's Sun. His is typical of the of the "good people against bad guns" mentality. Since he has offered his opinions on the subject, let us explore his thought process a bit.
All of the hysteria against AR-15's began with the hideous Newtown School attack. We were told from the outset that a scary Bushmaster rifle was used so we must get rid of them. That was a the first big lie that has been perpetuated and never challenged. The truth is that the insane shooter used four common handguns for his rampage, the rifle was found afterward in the trunk of his car, unfired. This inconvenient fact did not support the argument for new sweeping gun control laws so it has been ignored. We can't hold this against you Mr. Rogers as you, like most people, want to believe that we are getting the straight story from our government and our news reporters. Most of your other facts are indeed accurate, however based on the Big Lie. People are indeed buying up all manner of guns and ammunition as if preparing for war. Many new gun owners have limited experience with them true, but that does not make them bad people, when their motive is to protect themselves, their family, their neighborhood and their country from attack by common criminals and other enemies, foreign or domestic. These are all legitimate purposes to own military style weapons as described in Article 2 of the Bill of Rights. This is what was intended to be an unalienable guarantee in the U.S. Constitution, that no matter how small of a minority an individual may find themselves in, even if they are the only one who chooses to exercise that option, that no one can take that away from them. And many millions of Americans have submitted to personal background investigations and paid good money to legally own their guns.
So Mr. Rogers, based on your incorrect understanding of the law and being duped by lies and misinformation, you have concluded that no one should own certain types of firearms and therefore the government should "buy them all back", and that will make everything okay again. Let us continue with your line of thinking and how that might play out. And let's use me as an example of the gun owner that I have just described. So the government passes a law which I have understood all of my life would violate my civil rights, and says that I must give up my gun for which they will pay me some money. And what if I tell them no, my guns are not for sale and Ill just keep them but thanks for the offer. Now Mr. Rogers, how far are you willing to go with this? If it were up to you, would you favor having me be raided by heavily armed soldiers or police, and perhaps have me and members of my family shot and killed in the name of public safety? If the government were to declare war on otherwise peaceful gun owners, how many people like me would it be acceptable to kill or put in prison for refusing to submit? Do you really think Americans would tolerate such attacks by our own government or would it light the fuse on a civil war? How many? Would you yourself risk your life and your family to disarm the rest of us? Think carefully on your answer, and remember, I'm just minding my own business, enjoying my hobby and bothering nobody. You are the one that is threatening me.
Alan Moon
Tilton
I enjoyed the letter from on Mr. Rogers in Saturday's Sun. His is typical of the of the "good people against bad guns" mentality. Since he has offered his opinions on the subject, let us explore his thought process a bit.
All of the hysteria against AR-15's began with the hideous Newtown School attack. We were told from the outset that a scary Bushmaster rifle was used so we must get rid of them. That was a the first big lie that has been perpetuated and never challenged. The truth is that the insane shooter used four common handguns for his rampage, the rifle was found afterward in the trunk of his car, unfired. This inconvenient fact did not support the argument for new sweeping gun control laws so it has been ignored. We can't hold this against you Mr. Rogers as you, like most people, want to believe that we are getting the straight story from our government and our news reporters. Most of your other facts are indeed accurate, however based on the Big Lie. People are indeed buying up all manner of guns and ammunition as if preparing for war. Many new gun owners have limited experience with them true, but that does not make them bad people, when their motive is to protect themselves, their family, their neighborhood and their country from attack by common criminals and other enemies, foreign or domestic. These are all legitimate purposes to own military style weapons as described in Article 2 of the Bill of Rights. This is what was intended to be an unalienable guarantee in the U.S. Constitution, that no matter how small of a minority an individual may find themselves in, even if they are the only one who chooses to exercise that option, that no one can take that away from them. And many millions of Americans have submitted to personal background investigations and paid good money to legally own their guns.
So Mr. Rogers, based on your incorrect understanding of the law and being duped by lies and misinformation, you have concluded that no one should own certain types of firearms and therefore the government should "buy them all back", and that will make everything okay again. Let us continue with your line of thinking and how that might play out. And let's use me as an example of the gun owner that I have just described. So the government passes a law which I have understood all of my life would violate my civil rights, and says that I must give up my gun for which they will pay me some money. And what if I tell them no, my guns are not for sale and Ill just keep them but thanks for the offer. Now Mr. Rogers, how far are you willing to go with this? If it were up to you, would you favor having me be raided by heavily armed soldiers or police, and perhaps have me and members of my family shot and killed in the name of public safety? If the government were to declare war on otherwise peaceful gun owners, how many people like me would it be acceptable to kill or put in prison for refusing to submit? Do you really think Americans would tolerate such attacks by our own government or would it light the fuse on a civil war? How many? Would you yourself risk your life and your family to disarm the rest of us? Think carefully on your answer, and remember, I'm just minding my own business, enjoying my hobby and bothering nobody. You are the one that is threatening me.
Alan Moon
Tilton
Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 February 2013 01:07
Hits: 173
It was discouraging to see the wasteful spending by the county
To the editor,
I read with amazement the letter from the Belknap County Commissioners in your paper dated the 29th of January. They would make you believe that they are watching out for the taxpayers.
Nothing could be further from the truth. For the last two years I had the privilege of serving Belknap County in District 1 as your state representative. It was very discouraging to see the wasteful spending at the county — like the rainy day funds and stimulus funds from the feds. They spent about $ 800,000 on renovations and gave sizable salary increases when many of our citizens
were struggling to make ends meet.
I urge the taxpayers of Belknap County to get involved. Write to your state rep with a copy going to the paper and demand we see no increase in county taxes.
Tyler Simpson
New Hampton
I read with amazement the letter from the Belknap County Commissioners in your paper dated the 29th of January. They would make you believe that they are watching out for the taxpayers.
Nothing could be further from the truth. For the last two years I had the privilege of serving Belknap County in District 1 as your state representative. It was very discouraging to see the wasteful spending at the county — like the rainy day funds and stimulus funds from the feds. They spent about $ 800,000 on renovations and gave sizable salary increases when many of our citizens
were struggling to make ends meet.
I urge the taxpayers of Belknap County to get involved. Write to your state rep with a copy going to the paper and demand we see no increase in county taxes.
Tyler Simpson
New Hampton
Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 February 2013 01:03
Hits: 67
No. of county employees has gone down but pay has gone way up
To the editor,
Many citizens have questioned why the Belknap County Delegation has made an issue of the 2013 county budget that is only a few percentage points higher than in 2009. Well, it's not about just the overall spending; it's about where it is being spent and why it is being spent. In fact, over the past few years the county commissioners have done an admirable job controlling spending and maintaining almost level budgets. But, they have let spending on salaries climb dramatically.
First, let's look at the number of county employees. In 2009 there were 208 full time, and 26 part time employees. In 2013 there will be 171 full time, and 46 part time employees. For the sake of comparison we need to convert these numbers to full time equivalents (FTE) based on part time employees working 30 hours per week (some may work less). Although an approximation, this will give a more accurate picture of how employment has changed. At 30 hours a week, 26 part time employees would equal 19.5 FTE and 46 part time convert to 34.5 FTE. Addition will show 227.5 FTE in 2009, and 205.5 FTE in 2013. In summary, since 2009 the county work force has decreased by the equivalent of 22 full time employees.
The county commissioners have been saying that the county payroll has remained essentially flat, up only eight percent in four years. That is true, but what is also true is that we are now paying 22 fewer employees, about 11 percent fewer than we were paying in 2009. If you adjust today's payroll to account for the reduced number of employees you will see that the payroll has increased almost exactly 20 percent. That is, county pay has been going up at about five percent each of the last four years, during a time when most of our citizens, both working and retired, have seen almost no increases at all. I do not intend to imply that all county employees have benefited equally from these 5 percent per year increases. Indeed, the additional payroll may have been expressly focused on segments of the employees, but it remains that the county taxpayers are paying for some fairly large increases in payroll. So, that is the way I see the situation and why I, and much of the county delegation, has tried to draw a line in the sand.
Another point to ponder: Although we have only glimpsed the top flag on an approaching ship (a $45 million jail and its attendant staff of more than 25 new employees) please keep in mind that those new employees will start at these newly increased wage levels, adding at least two million dollars to the annual budget, and that will be on top of the roughly two million in yearly payments on the bond. If I may continue my maritime analogy, to change the direction of a large ship requires small navigational adjustments well before you get close to shore.
Rep. Herb Vadney
Belknap District 2
Gilford-Meredith
Many citizens have questioned why the Belknap County Delegation has made an issue of the 2013 county budget that is only a few percentage points higher than in 2009. Well, it's not about just the overall spending; it's about where it is being spent and why it is being spent. In fact, over the past few years the county commissioners have done an admirable job controlling spending and maintaining almost level budgets. But, they have let spending on salaries climb dramatically.
First, let's look at the number of county employees. In 2009 there were 208 full time, and 26 part time employees. In 2013 there will be 171 full time, and 46 part time employees. For the sake of comparison we need to convert these numbers to full time equivalents (FTE) based on part time employees working 30 hours per week (some may work less). Although an approximation, this will give a more accurate picture of how employment has changed. At 30 hours a week, 26 part time employees would equal 19.5 FTE and 46 part time convert to 34.5 FTE. Addition will show 227.5 FTE in 2009, and 205.5 FTE in 2013. In summary, since 2009 the county work force has decreased by the equivalent of 22 full time employees.
The county commissioners have been saying that the county payroll has remained essentially flat, up only eight percent in four years. That is true, but what is also true is that we are now paying 22 fewer employees, about 11 percent fewer than we were paying in 2009. If you adjust today's payroll to account for the reduced number of employees you will see that the payroll has increased almost exactly 20 percent. That is, county pay has been going up at about five percent each of the last four years, during a time when most of our citizens, both working and retired, have seen almost no increases at all. I do not intend to imply that all county employees have benefited equally from these 5 percent per year increases. Indeed, the additional payroll may have been expressly focused on segments of the employees, but it remains that the county taxpayers are paying for some fairly large increases in payroll. So, that is the way I see the situation and why I, and much of the county delegation, has tried to draw a line in the sand.
Another point to ponder: Although we have only glimpsed the top flag on an approaching ship (a $45 million jail and its attendant staff of more than 25 new employees) please keep in mind that those new employees will start at these newly increased wage levels, adding at least two million dollars to the annual budget, and that will be on top of the roughly two million in yearly payments on the bond. If I may continue my maritime analogy, to change the direction of a large ship requires small navigational adjustments well before you get close to shore.
Rep. Herb Vadney
Belknap District 2
Gilford-Meredith
Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 February 2013 00:55
Hits: 226
Belmont pressured McDonoughs into selling their building at a loss
To the editor,
We are writing in response to the front page article about Bill and Carolyn McDonough and the Town of Belmont. My family and my relatives have lived in the Lakes Region for more than 100 years. Whoever wrote the article should be ashamed of themselves. The article was twisted so as to insult and criticize the McDonoughs. They ran multiple local restaurants and always treated people fairly. Bill McDonough is over 80 years old and never seeks to file lawsuits. He and his family have been generous and kind and big supporters of the Lakes Region community. They always sought to avoid expensive legal proceedings.
In this situation, it is the Town of Belmont that is in the wrong. The McDonoughs purchased a property on the town "green" and the town began to notify tenants and costumers that they were moving the road and changing the location of the road and the parking. Many tenants would not want the location if they did not have the road frontage, location, and parking. Obviously, as owners, the town plans damaged the McDonoughs, they repeatedly sought to resolve it directly with the town and just got the run-around.
Indeed, we understand the town is the one that involved lawyers long before the McDonough's did. Town lawyers started pressuring the McDonough's to "cave in".
After having a vacant building for years because of all this mess, the McDonoughs finally sold to the town, at a reduced price, far below the price it was worth, and listed in your article ($300,000).
These folks are retired and this building was critical to their retirement. Only after numerous efforts to settle it cooperatively did they resort to lawsuit, and now the town is stonewalling and apparently leaking false information of the press. It would have been nice if your paper connected both sides to get the straight story.
Let's give the locals a break and sympathize with them when the town damages them, not tarnish them with inaccurate and misleading reporting.
Andy Pannagio
Alexandria
(Editor's note: The article Mr. Pannaglo was published on Dec. 21, 2012. In it, reporter Gail Ober noted that town voters authorized selectmen to pay no more than $250,000 for the property. The $300,000 number was noted in reference to a 2008 warrant article regarding the same building that was defeated.)
We are writing in response to the front page article about Bill and Carolyn McDonough and the Town of Belmont. My family and my relatives have lived in the Lakes Region for more than 100 years. Whoever wrote the article should be ashamed of themselves. The article was twisted so as to insult and criticize the McDonoughs. They ran multiple local restaurants and always treated people fairly. Bill McDonough is over 80 years old and never seeks to file lawsuits. He and his family have been generous and kind and big supporters of the Lakes Region community. They always sought to avoid expensive legal proceedings.
In this situation, it is the Town of Belmont that is in the wrong. The McDonoughs purchased a property on the town "green" and the town began to notify tenants and costumers that they were moving the road and changing the location of the road and the parking. Many tenants would not want the location if they did not have the road frontage, location, and parking. Obviously, as owners, the town plans damaged the McDonoughs, they repeatedly sought to resolve it directly with the town and just got the run-around.
Indeed, we understand the town is the one that involved lawyers long before the McDonough's did. Town lawyers started pressuring the McDonough's to "cave in".
After having a vacant building for years because of all this mess, the McDonoughs finally sold to the town, at a reduced price, far below the price it was worth, and listed in your article ($300,000).
These folks are retired and this building was critical to their retirement. Only after numerous efforts to settle it cooperatively did they resort to lawsuit, and now the town is stonewalling and apparently leaking false information of the press. It would have been nice if your paper connected both sides to get the straight story.
Let's give the locals a break and sympathize with them when the town damages them, not tarnish them with inaccurate and misleading reporting.
Andy Pannagio
Alexandria
(Editor's note: The article Mr. Pannaglo was published on Dec. 21, 2012. In it, reporter Gail Ober noted that town voters authorized selectmen to pay no more than $250,000 for the property. The $300,000 number was noted in reference to a 2008 warrant article regarding the same building that was defeated.)
Last Updated on Saturday, 02 February 2013 01:28
Hits: 53
The prison industrial complex is alive and doing well in U.S.A.
To the editor,
One would think that the civil Rights Reform of the 60s eliminated most of the discrimination against blacks and minorities. One would be wrong in thinking so. Michelle Alexander's new book "The New Jim Crow" makes an impressive case showing how the U.S. criminal justice system uses the so called "War on Drugs" to continue the use of new and old forms of discrimination.
In 1973, the National Advisory Commission on criminal justice standards and goals of the justice department stated that there is overwhelming evidence that prisons and jails create crime rather than prevent it and recommended no further construction of adult facilities. Of course the U.S. went in the exact opposite direction as they embarked on an "unprecedented in human history expansion of its prison system".
As with guns, one only has to follow the money. Fortune 500 companies (too numerous to mention here) are invested in "prison labor". The potential profit of the prison labor boom has encouraged U.S. corporate society to move their production forces into American prisons — and why not? The lowest prison wage is .17 an hour! This is a nifty profit since these companies turn around and sell their products to the U.S. government — i.e. the taxpayers — at premium prices.
The U.S. has 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of the world's prisons. According to the ACLU, the U.S. imprisons more people per capita than any nation in the world — including Russia, China and Iran. Enter private prisons for profit. A system outlawed in Israel in 2009 because these prisons for profit severely violated the prisoners' basic human rights. Again, Michelle Alexander: "The majority of young black men are 'warehoused in prisons' because their labor is no longer needed in today's globalized economy. Labeled as 'felons' they are permanently trapped as second class citizens."
Dead center in all this profit making is the Correction Corporation of America (CCA). They along with the GEO, another for profit prison company, get 40 percent of their revenue from federal source — namely we the taxpayers. The CCA has reached out to 48 states as part of a $250-million plan to own existing prisons and manage their operations. In return CCA wants a 20 year contract and assurances that the state will keep the prisons at least 90 percent full. The CCA is also a major player in the conservative organization known as ALEX, the American Legislative Exchange Council. One has to wonder why these conservative groups want to privatize industries such as defense, schools, prisons and hand them over to their largest donors? Oh, I think I just answered my own question.
Immigration convictions in record numbers are fueling corporate profits. Private prisons spend $45 million on lobbying and rake in 5 billion for immigrant detention alone. The prison industrial complex is alive and well and we're all paying for it. In the words of an astute observer on the national scene: "Every prison we build becomes a lasting monument to greed and fear and political cowardice that is now prevalent in this society".
George Maloof
Plymouth
One would think that the civil Rights Reform of the 60s eliminated most of the discrimination against blacks and minorities. One would be wrong in thinking so. Michelle Alexander's new book "The New Jim Crow" makes an impressive case showing how the U.S. criminal justice system uses the so called "War on Drugs" to continue the use of new and old forms of discrimination.
In 1973, the National Advisory Commission on criminal justice standards and goals of the justice department stated that there is overwhelming evidence that prisons and jails create crime rather than prevent it and recommended no further construction of adult facilities. Of course the U.S. went in the exact opposite direction as they embarked on an "unprecedented in human history expansion of its prison system".
As with guns, one only has to follow the money. Fortune 500 companies (too numerous to mention here) are invested in "prison labor". The potential profit of the prison labor boom has encouraged U.S. corporate society to move their production forces into American prisons — and why not? The lowest prison wage is .17 an hour! This is a nifty profit since these companies turn around and sell their products to the U.S. government — i.e. the taxpayers — at premium prices.
The U.S. has 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of the world's prisons. According to the ACLU, the U.S. imprisons more people per capita than any nation in the world — including Russia, China and Iran. Enter private prisons for profit. A system outlawed in Israel in 2009 because these prisons for profit severely violated the prisoners' basic human rights. Again, Michelle Alexander: "The majority of young black men are 'warehoused in prisons' because their labor is no longer needed in today's globalized economy. Labeled as 'felons' they are permanently trapped as second class citizens."
Dead center in all this profit making is the Correction Corporation of America (CCA). They along with the GEO, another for profit prison company, get 40 percent of their revenue from federal source — namely we the taxpayers. The CCA has reached out to 48 states as part of a $250-million plan to own existing prisons and manage their operations. In return CCA wants a 20 year contract and assurances that the state will keep the prisons at least 90 percent full. The CCA is also a major player in the conservative organization known as ALEX, the American Legislative Exchange Council. One has to wonder why these conservative groups want to privatize industries such as defense, schools, prisons and hand them over to their largest donors? Oh, I think I just answered my own question.
Immigration convictions in record numbers are fueling corporate profits. Private prisons spend $45 million on lobbying and rake in 5 billion for immigrant detention alone. The prison industrial complex is alive and well and we're all paying for it. In the words of an astute observer on the national scene: "Every prison we build becomes a lasting monument to greed and fear and political cowardice that is now prevalent in this society".
George Maloof
Plymouth
Last Updated on Saturday, 02 February 2013 01:23
Hits: 368
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