Rick Zach: A Concord beer caucus founder for the Senate

To The Daily Sun,

I have known New Hampshire Senate candidate Tim Lang (R-Sanbornton) from when we both worked in the corporate information technology. I later became aware of his interest in Belknap County Delegation political work. This is a very high-paying job, I might add ($100 per year).

But in that time, I watched Tim tirelessly push back on the Free Staters who controlled the Belknap County Delegation. That put Tim in a very uncomfortable place. Tim Lang has worked behind the scenes with Harry Bean, Mike Bordes and others to create a tricky coalition to bring about the ouster of wildly ill-equipped Gunstock Area Commissioner Dr. David Strang. He was also instrumental in facilitating the resignation of Mike Sylvia as the delegation chair. Fortunately, most of Tim’s work has been much less dramatic, especially when it came to bringing some order to the routine Belknap County business that has been derailed for such a long time. I attended the Sept. 1 delegation meeting and I’m thrilled to observe that the Belknap County Delegation is back in business.

But all of that pales in comparison to an achievement that few of the public is aware of. It involves beer. Not a joke.

In this time of political extremism and mutual hostility, most voters agree that political polarization has not improved our democracy. While serving as a NH state representative, Lang helped to create “The Concord Beer Caucus.” This was a welcome off-site pub location where representatives of all persuasions could meet in a non-polarizing, low-pressure social environment where similarities and differences could be identified and worked out. And of course, some good beer didn’t hurt either.

The point is that Tim Lang sees creative opportunities to compromise and work toward a common goal no matter where the players come from.

Rick Zach

Gilford