“Regardless of party, Granite Staters ultimately want the same things: we want safe communities, economic security, and high-quality public schools. Most of all, we want the freedom to make choices about our own lives.“
The Climate is Changing and We’re Not Helping
That’s Lake Oroville, seen nearly dry on August 19, 2014 in Oroville, California. The world is changing… literally. In the…
A State of Many Kinds of People
The picture above is the Great Hall at Ellis Island in 1907. We were then and still are a nation…
The Right to Vote, and How We Could Lose It
The right to vote is the most important right we have as American citizens. It is our opportunity to make…
Public Education: The Other Kinds of Challenges
Public education has served many roles in addition to giving our children information. It has been a way for children…
Public Education Faces Major Challenges
Schools today are facing many challenges. Funding remains a nightmare for public schools (see my blog post “Property Taxes Up…
Abortion: The Unanticipated Consequences
Many people can reason well from A to B, but may not be able to get from B to C….
WHAT MATTERS
It’s Really the Cost of Living
The economy is often described in terms of how the stock market is doing. I see it as how everyday people are doing. Our local taxes and utility rates are rising. At the same time, the state has more than $400 million in surplus funds.
Women’s Health Care Choices Are Shrinking
The recent Supreme Court decision striking down women’s rights to determine their health decisions is the result of years of effort to limit women’s choices. New Hampshire is the only state in New England that has no law protecting the right to choose.
Public Education Is at a Crossroads
The state of New Hampshire provides less public school funding per child than any other state. Meanwhile, the state is spending over $7 million on vouchers paid from public funds to support private, parochial, and home schooling. That money comes from local taxpayers.
Voting Rights Are at Risk
Voting rights are the hallmark of a democracy, and have been expanded over the centuries since our nation’s founding. This trend has reversed over the last few years, with many states, including New Hampshire, initiating limitations on access to voting.
Discrimination Is a Rising Threat
We have seen unprecedented verbal and physical attacks on people who are viewed as different from their attackers: African-Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Jews, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ community. As citizens, we must speak out when we see or hear these attacks and confront those who commit them.
Our Climate Is Changing
We don’t have to look far to see the impact of climate change in New Hampshire. Nashua is now experiencing an extreme drought. Our ability to stay healthy, cool and heat our homes, and even enjoy winter snow is seriously threatened. The current state leadership is not addressing these concerns in any positive way.