In reference to John Gregg’s “A Look Back: 1992 NH primary full of surprises” (Feb. 3): In early February of that year, I was one of three people who introduced Bill Clinton to a packed crowd that had already been standing in Dartmouth’s Alumni Hall for about three hours. There was no room for chairs, and he had finally shown up an hour late. My carefully prepared script would have consumed five minutes. But with the man himself beside me and the crowd aching to hear his voice, I felt as if I were standing next to a Titan rocket with the countdown already in progress. So I jumped to my final paragraph, ending: “the governor of Arkansas, and with our help, the next president of the Unite States: Bill Clinton!” Never before or since have I heard a roar like that.
JAMES HEFFERNAN
Hanover
How does a 38-year-old man prepare himself to be president of our country at one of its most critical junctures in our history? If his name is Pete Buttigieg, here’s how.
From his college days, if not before, forming discussion groups on world and national political and economic topics and attracting some of the best minds of his generation, because he listens, analyzes, debates and merges ideas from diverse individuals.
Serving in Afghanistan as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve, he extended his group of friends and admirers to the highest levels of national security.
Becoming mayor of his failing industrial city of 100,000 people, he kept listening, included residents from the whole city to work out solutions, and turned the city around in his first four-year term, winning reelection in a landslide. He was 30 when he started that.
And on deciding to run for president, the standard-bearer for the generation that is inheriting what we left, he has put together huge networks of people across the country who helped design workable policies and who stand behind his own enormous ability to take us forward. All of us, because he — and I — do not believe the changes we need will take hold unless almost everyone has a stake in them. The primary is Feb. 11. Vote.
SUSAN ALMY
Lebanon
The writer represents Lebanon in the New Hampshire House.
I am voting for Sen. Amy Klobuchar because I believe she can win. In 2016, she won her Senate race in 42 counties of Minnesota that also voted for Donald Trump. That shows she can attract independents and even some Republicans. She has the proven track record of working with Republicans to pass more than 100 bills in the Senate. Klobuchar knows how Congress works, and can work with the opposition. We need that. Klobuchar is a good moderate who will lead us forward. She is sharp, and will stand up to Trump well in any debate. I hope you will join me in voting for Amy Klobuchar.
HENRY HOMEYER
Cornish Flat
No election in our lifetimes will be more critical to our nation’s future than this November’s. President Donald Trump aspires to be a despot, and — now with the shameful, pathetic acquiescence of the Republican Senate — may succeed in that goal.
The chances are good that he can be stopped. No president in history has ever matched the longevity of his negative poll numbers. But not by Sen. Bernie Sanders. I have great respect for Sanders’ ideals, as well as the passion of his followers. His message of massive, systemic inequality is powerful and wholly accurate. But he is the wrong messenger.
If Sanders is the nominee, all we will hear about from Trump and his lieutenants, on TV and on the internet, for months in advance of the election, will be the perils of a “Socialist America.” Sanders will be painted as a dangerous subversive, a threat to take away our health care, our rights, our guns and our free choice. The message will be unfair and horribly twisted, as is so much else from the mouth and mind of Trump — but it will resonate powerfully, most critically among the working-class voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Iowa, the states that delivered the last presidency and will almost certainly deliver the next one. And Donald Trump, without much doubt, will be reelected.
I don’t know for certain at this point who I will vote for in the Democratic primary on Tuesday. I’m leaning right now toward Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who I think, despite his youth, might bring a wonderful new sensibility to the White House. But I will not be voting for Bernie Sanders, as much as I respect him. I ask humbly, in the interests of our future, that you not, either.
GEOFFREY DOUGLAS
West Lebanon
If you are frustrated by the Iowa caucus fiasco and exhausted by the long impeachment process, you’re not alone. Millions of people are fed up with Washington. We’re sick of the infighting and ineptitude that has dominated for decades and we’re tired of waiting for incremental change to impact our lives. I agree with Bari Weiss, who wrote in The New York Times that “the animating political conflict of our era may not be left versus right, but establishment versus insurgency.” Until the establishment starts working effectively for people again, insurgent outsiders will keep winning.
Against all logic, President Donald Trump still wears the sheen of insurgency that won him the job three years ago. As long as he garners disdain from elite media, he will hold sway over the disenfranchised majority. The mantra of “vote blue no matter who” will not be enough to beat him. To win, we need to nominate an alternative insurgent who actually believes in democracy and loves the American people more than himself: Andrew Yang. While other candidates talk pretty about unity, Yang is making it happen. According to an Emerson poll, he is the only candidate with a net positive favorability rating across party lines. In other words, everybody likes him. Is this a democracy or not?
Nobody who’s spent decades in Washington is going to beat Trump. Nobody who talks like a clever politician is going to beat Trump. The only one with a fighting chance is the insurgent Democrat with fresh ideas, a likable personality and passionate grassroots support across party lines. We in New Hampshire have the power to give him the name recognition he needs to sweep the country. Don’t be fooled by media smoke and mirrors. Andrew Yang is our country’s best hope and New Hampshire is his.
ANNA MUNSEY-KANO
Lebanon
It’s hard for me to believe that our daughter is about to graduate from high school and that our son is a sophomore. It feels like we’ve arrived at this point in the blink of an eye.
The reality is, our kids will likely spend little to no time on the proposed K-12 Sunapee schools campus or play on the new fields. However, our family wholeheartedly supports this project. We recognize the need to invest in the infrastructure that allows grades prekindergarten-12 to stay in Sunapee. We want the next generation of students to have the same nurturing and formative educational experience as our kids.
A 15-year bond carries a tax impact of $2.07 per $1,000 on the assessed value of your property. If your house is assessed at $300,000 that means a yearly tax increase of $621. Over a year, that averages out to $51.75 a month. We think that is a worthy investment in a school system that provides an outstanding and well-rounded educational experience to all our children.
Please join us in voting yes for Article 3 on March 10.
JEAN MOLLOY
Sunapee
I am writing this letter as a parent, as a member of the Sunapee community and as the president of the Sunapee Parent Teacher Organization.
My story is very similar to many other families in town who moved to Sunapee because of the schools. The Sunapee School District allows our children to grow, learn and achieve incredible things. They are encouraged and guided through their education with compassion, knowledge and understanding by every member of this district. Though my reason for moving to Sunapee is not unique, it speaks volumes about the quality of these schools that so many people chose to make Sunapee their home and entrust their children to the Sunapee schools.
I am time after time amazed at the amount of support our children receive from the Sunapee community. This support is shown, of course, by the teachers and other parents, but also, and maybe most importantly, by the community as a whole. The schools are clearly a valuable asset to this community. The Sunapee Parent Teacher Organization has been shown support repeatedly by the community as we all work to support our children.
There are some serious shortcomings to the current elementary school. I am concerned about the walk up the hill that our children make many times each week, the lack of adequate space to teach in the building and numerous other safety issues that have become apparent. Although the building is full of charm, I and many others are concerned that this building is no longer meeting our needs. I would encourage everyone in the Sunapee community to take the time to visit the SAU website or to attend one of the community forums. Have conversations with friends, family and neighbors on this topic. It is time to stand up for our children and this incredible community.
RENEE CLARK
Sunapee
One of the warrant articles that Canaan residents will vote on at the March 10 election asks the town to provide a property tax exemption equal to 100% of the assessed value of qualifying solar, wind and wood-heating installations. This 100% exemption has been approved in many New Hampshire communities, including nearby Enfield, Grafton, Dorchester and Lebanon.
The ongoing decline in our planet’s health has troubled my husband and me for a long time. So, five years ago, we installed solar panels, knowing that there might not be amortization in our lifetime. Since then, our electric bill has been close to zero.
With our grandchildren, we often visit a site called Solar Edge, which tracks our system’s data. They love the graphs that show the amount of solar energy collected on a daily and even hourly basis. Recently, we learned that since August of 2019, our system has prevented 4,700 pounds of CO2 emissions.
I know some will say that the town needs the revenue it would gain if those with renewable energy systems paid more in property taxes. I asked the Town Office personnel for the number of solar installations in Canaan. They could not provide an exact number but estimated it to be 25 or 30 at the outside. So, let’s look at a hypothetical case, with 30 solar installations. A typical cost of $20,000 per system would add $660 to the annual bill; 30 such systems would generate $19,800 in additional revenue. Calculating the cost of solar for a typical eight-year payback, the taxes add about $5,300 to the cost of the system — clearly a disincentive to purchase.
Please vote yes on this warrant article. Give our neighbors an incentive to install sustainable energy systems. Everything we do to protect our planet is an investment in generations to follow.
JOANNA CARR
Canaan
Title 18, Section 2071, of the Code of Laws of the United States of America makes it a federal crime to destroy federal documents. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did this in front of the Supreme Court, Attorney General William Barr, the mainstream media and millions of Americans. She can’t deny it, and she can and should be removed from public office. But the voters will send her a message — that her hate will not be tolerated. No reasonable people would allow her to be their spokesperson.
JIM ARGENTATI
Lyme
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton had, deserved or not, a cloud of suspicion that followed her everywhere. Donald Trump made sure to point out this cloud at every opportunity, and this may have cost Clinton the Electoral College victory. I have to wonder if Trump realizes he now has his own cloud of suspicion, which will follow him through the 2020 campaign and beyond.
Although the impeachment trial was, unfortunately, destined to end with a verdict of not guilty because of the Senate’s Republican majority, it could have done so cleanly, with proof of Trump’s innocence displayed for all to see. Instead, there will always be suspicion that the only evidence in existence points to Trump’s guilt and that’s why this evidence was kept hidden from the world.
MARY JEAN MUECKENHEIM
Windsor
I agree with one point Bob Scobie makes in his Feb. 5 letter (“It all leads to McConnell”): After holding the articles of impeachment for 33 days after the investigation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally delivered these articles to the Senate. The Constitution requires the Senate review the House’s information and determine acquittal or conviction. The senators are the jury.
The House managers trumpeted their case as a slam dunk. But they announced that the Senate must call more witnesses. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set rules for the proceedings at the onset. A vote would be taken after both parties had hours to make statements describing their positions. That vote was then taken, and a majority voted 51-49 not to have further witnesses. That’s how a democratic government works.
I disagree that McConnell showed anything like “blind” partisanship to undermine justice in the trial. The blind partisanship, I contend, occurred in the House of Representatives, when the Democrats rushed the investigation through in record time, calling 18 witnesses and allowing the president of the United States none. The Democrats in the House used blind partisanship to determine that outcome, and also denied the president due process, in my opinion. Thankfully, the Senate saw this for what it was and voted to acquit.
JOHN NELSON
Wilder
As an English teacher, I am often asked why Shakespeare is still relevant. OK, so the question most frequently sounds something like, “Why do we have to read this Old English stuff?” After my explanation of the difference between modern, Elizabethan and Old English, which they would not even recognize as English, I give them the standard explanation that Shakespeare is relevant because his plays touch upon truths that will always be part of the human condition. When they respond by staring at me as if I had, in fact, just spoken to them in Old English, I do what any teacher would and pass the blame on to the powers above my pay grade who have determined that it must be part of the curriculum.
Recently, I saw an excellent production of King Lear by Northern Stage. It reminded me that my initial English teacher response to that question really was valid. Four hundred years after Shakespeare, we are still looking for answers to the same problems. Lear, a play about how the quest for power, and the greed and corruption it breeds, destroys a once great kingdom, seems especially pertinent to America in 2020. On several occasions, lines from the play elicited somewhat nervous laughter from the audience.
One line that seemed especially appropriate to the circus that has replaced our government was when Gloucester says, “ ’Tis the time’s plague when madmen lead the blind.” The big difference, however, is that, unlike President Donald Trump, Edgar is feigning madness, and unlike the congressional GOP, Gloucester’s blindness is not voluntary.
SKIP CHALKER
Wilder
Many of our legislators are first- or half-generation Vermonters. What was the attraction that brought you here? Did you come here to transform Vermont into the places you left? Did someone pay you $10,000 to locate here? I’m not being snide; these are straightforward questions.
I feel Sen. Dick McCormack’s recent “Something to Write Home About” legislative report leads us to a very important conversation on climate control and the political process. The protest in the Capitol during Gov. Phil Scott’s recent State of the State address was disrespectful and inexcusable. Many of those there were students. Was this not a school day? What do these kids know of real-world situations? Only what is taught by their peers and educators — educators who excuse their school attendance for this disrespectful display. How is climate change protest productive when roads are blocked, causing people to idle and preventing the passage of emergency vehicles and people going to work or appointments? I see the end result — a carbon tax — burdening young families and struggling seniors.
Though the U.S. is one of the top polluters in the world, China is No. 1, and India, Russia, Japan, Germany and Canada are all in the top 10. Vermont has 0.002% of the U.S. population, about equal to Boston, and we think we’re going to save the world by a further tax burden — a tax burden that will give a rebate to those wealthy enough to afford an electric car and solar panels?
And about those electric cars: Where is the lithium mined? How is it recycled? Solar panels have a 20-year life span; are they recyclable? Why are our state agencies so against hydro power? Modern hydro is “green” and, with diversion dams, allows fish migration.
Do we want to make a change in global pollution? Almost everything is made of plastic, not just grocery bags and straws. Stop burning the rainforests, our natural air filter, and plant a tree.
No tax will cleanse the Earth.
RANDY GRAY
North Springfield
I was able to be part of a rehearsal audience for the upcoming show at Shaker Bridge Theatre: Every Brilliant Thing, which opened Thursday and runs through Feb. 23. The experience of this play is like no other. The cast of characters is creative and entertaining. The story is deeply moving. You will be reminded of all the brilliant things worth living for — especially laughter, and … oh yeah, ice cream! I’m encouraging everyone I know, and even those I don’t know, to see this show. It’s that good. It will stay with you. It will inspire. Go for it. You’ll be glad you did.
JEANNIE HINES
Plainfield
February is “Love My Library” month at the Etna Library. When you sponsor a book from our display, a bookplate will be placed in the item with your name or the name of someone you wish to honor. If you are not able to visit the library, we would be happy to talk with you and to help you pick a book to be inscribed. Donations can be mailed to Etna Library, P.O. Box 207, Etna, N.H. 03750. We invite you to take a look at our webpage at www.hanovernh.org/etna-library for upcoming programs, including Stories and Art, making valentines, games in Spanish for children, Chinese cooking, flower arrangement, the Etna Library book group, and the Needlecrafts and Tea group. For more information, please call 643-3116 or e-mail etna.library@hanovernh.org.
BARBARA PRINCE
Hanover
The writer is the Etna Library librarian.