Democrats show up to monitor Forrester's Tea Party appearance

MOULTONBOROUGH — When the Lakes Region Tea Party hosted Senator Jeanie Forrester, the incumbent Republican seeking re-election in District 2, this week the only fireworks were sparked by the smattering of Democrats among the three dozen or so people gathered in the town library.

The meeting closed with Forrester and Tim Carter, the chairman of the group, discussing the importance of compromise. The senator told of visiting with fourth grade class at the Hebron-Bridgewater Village School. She said that she divided the class into two groups, one representing the House and the other the Senate, and designated one pupil as governor. She than asked each to choose a desert. When they differed, they approached the governor, who suggested a settlement. Asked how they resolved their differences, one pupil answered "compromise."

Forrester opened by shrugging off criticism for appearing outside her district. She said that she thought nothing of "crossing lines" since she believed her responsibility as a state senator is "about helping anyone I can." A show of hands indicated that about two-thirds of the more than three dozen in attendance were residents of District 2, although Moultonborough itself lies in District 3.

"It's about serving my communities," Forrester said of her job. "All 31 of them." She said that posts newsletters by e-mail, offers a monthly column to local newspapers and visits with selectmen of every town in the district.

In introducing the senator, Carter lauded her for her contribution to legislation, inspired by opposition to Northern Pass, that narrowly restricted exercise of the power of eminent domain by public utilities. Forrester was quick to emphasize the bill succeeded because of the efforts of many lawmakers and citizens.

In response to Northern Pass, Forrester sponsored a bill convening a commission to study establishing an underground energy corridor, using public rights-of-way to carry transmission lines and fiberoptic conduits. If re-elected, she said that she intends to pursue the work of the commission.

At the same time, Forrester said that she will introduce legislation requiring the state to prepare a 10-year economic development plan. She said that plan would include initiatives in education, infrastructure and energy as well as other factors required to foster and sustain a favorable business climate.

Opening the meeting to questions, Carter began by calling Forrester's attention to the "Granite State Future" program. Funded by a $3.37-million grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the program aims "to develop comprehensive and coordinated regional plans in each of the state's nine regional planning areas."

"This is nothing but bad news for New Hampshire," Carter said, explaining that the outcomes of the process would be determined by the federal government.

"I don't have the same take on it as you do," Forrester replied. "The planning commissions do a lot of good things."

However, when Carter urged her "to put the brakes on," she agreed to consider the program more closely.

When Don Ewing prodded her about education, claiming that public education was a failure, Forrester countered "not all public schools are failing" while agreeing that parents should have a wider choice of schools for their children. She reminded Ewing that the Legislature created a scholarship program, funded by businesses in return for tax credits, to asset parents with tuition to private and parochial schools.

Paula Trombi, one of a handful of Democrats from Meredith at the meeting, apparently to keep an eye on Forrester, questioned why Forrester supported reducing the tobacco tax and the $30 surcharge on motor vehicle registrations, when funding to education, social services and highways was trimmed.

Forrester explained that the Senate opposed the reduction in the tobacco tax, but the House insisted on it, forcing the Senate to compromise in order to adopt the budget. Then she volunteered that she shared the House's position because businesses in her district believed lowering the tax would boost sales of cigarettes and other items.

Forrester said that the proceeds from the surcharge were not being applied to local roads and bridges but to personnel costs at the Department of Transportation. When Trombi claimed that Meredith Neck Road went without repair for want of funds, Forrester replied that the road has been in disrepair for years ands "nothing we did stopped that road from getting repaired."

Not without allies, Forrester was echoed by Karen Sticht who said she was on Meredith Neck Road everyday and liked it just the way it is. "People drive slower," she said.