After reading the comments of Rep. Steve Smith and Margaret and Virginia Drye (“Proposal splits up Cornish, Plainfield,” Nov. 9), I have concerns.
Rep. Smith didn’t explain why Newport, with a population of 6,299, was not given a single-town district in the majority’s redistricting map. In fact, the proposed map added Cornish (which shares no border with Newport) and more towns to Newport’s proposed district. According to Rep. Smith, the majority’s redistricting map proposed creating single-town districts for Grantham, which has only 3,404 residents, and Sunapee, which has only 3,342. The majority’s map enabled it to split Cornish and Plainfield. Was this gerrymandering for partisan gain?
Rep. Smith currently serves as the redistricting committee’s vice chair has worked with the Dryes as a Sullivan County Republican Committee chair. The Dryes mentioned their support for splitting up Cornish and Plainfield. The new districts that they support include towns that do not have organizational or institutional connections with Cornish or Plainfield.
I have to ask, is their support of the split tied to the future goals of the Sullivan County Republican Committee, where they have held positions?
The number of registered Democrats in Cornish is twice the number of registered Republicans. These Democrats also have goals, such as science always matters, whether it’s health or climate change. Other goals include a strong public school system, economic fairness and opportunities for all, and access to affordable health care for families and individuals, regardless of whether it’s reproductive health care, disease prevention or other wellness issues.
In the proposed gerrymandered districts, I fear the goals and aspirations of Cornish and Plainfield Democrats, who are in the majority locally, might be lost in the dust. I agree with others who want nonpartisan commissions to determine redistricting decisions. Last year, Cornish joined 80 other New Hampshire communities in sending a resolution to the New Hampshire Legislature supporting a fair redistricting process.
JUDITH KAUFMAN
Cornish
The writer is chair of the Cornish Democratic Town Committee and former chair of the Sullivan County Democratic Committee.
Gov. Chris Sununu has backed the New Hampshire attorney general in joining 10 Western red states in a lawsuit to overturn the federal vaccination or weekly testing mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees. The plaintiffs claim that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “unlawful mandate will cause injuries and hardship to working families (and) inflict economic disruption and staffing shortages” on the states and private employers. The group also claims that OSHA lacks the statutory authority to issue the emergency temporary standard.
The claim apparently predicts or encourages mass action to boycott or otherwise disrupt workplaces. Absent such action, vaccination would have the opposite effect by reducing numbers of deaths and days lost from work.
In effect, the lawsuit says, “Let some live free so that some shall die.”
DOUGLAS McILROY
Etna
I don’t always read Jim Kenyon’s columns, but the Nov. 7 entry (“Taking the Bait”) caught my eye, and my ire, because I make my home in Charlestown, and am proud of it. I like my town government and our police department just fine, thank you. The only thing corrupting the town is the self-serving crusade of Concord-area resident Marc Manchon. At least Don Quixote’s intentions were noble.
Manchon has a long record of creating trouble. He’s not wanted here, and he is certainly not needed.
I wasted a few minutes watching a portion of his video, with him pacing up and down the sidewalk outside the Charlestown town offices, stalking Selectboard Chairman Jeffrey Lessels with his camera. The only thing I find more mind-boggling is the fact that Manchon apparently has “followers” who believe he is doing something worthwhile and important.
In addition, shame on Kenyon for referring to Lessels as a “self-appointed town hall bouncer.” That comment was gratuitous, unfounded and insulting. I expect better from your columnists. Lessels has many, many years of selfless public service on his résumé; a decent respect is deserved.
RICHARD LINCOURT
Charlestown
As I consider the train wreck that is the Biden administration, I am reminded that I am committed to prayer for our president and vice president, but my prayers have necessarily taken on the form of praying that God will somehow limit the damage they and their policies and programs will do to our nation.
Interestingly enough, I’m also reminded of the saying, “God works in mysterious ways.” What could be more mysterious and surprising than his using at least two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, to limit the damage that could be done by the “social infrastructure” bill? It appears that because of the influence of these two senators, the cost will be pared from $3.5 trillion to well under $2 trillion. It appears free community college is the first domino to fall, and I’m sure there will be others. Manchin has said he can live with “zero” as the bottom line, and he was quoted as saying, “We shouldn’t do it at all.”
Another surprise involving a Democrat concerns former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii, who is saying some very sensible things about our civil liberties, which are being threatened by vaccine mandates and other ill-advised initiatives. It appears that Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is a potential front-runner in 2024, and Gabbard has been floated as a possible running mate. She seems ill-suited as a Democrat anyway, since she seems to have a grasp of our government now lacking among Democrats.
It should be very interesting to see what additional “mysterious ways” God may use to effect the salvation of America. While I would not ask God to curse Joe Biden or use profanity against him, neither can I ask God to bless his agenda. We’ll all have to wait and see what it takes to collapse the shaky house of cards the Democrats have been building. It may involve Biden’s attempts to pack or otherwise tamper with the Supreme Court or to destroy the Senate filibuster.
WILLIAM A. WITTIK
Hartford
The New York Times recently reported that three times as many residents in Trump-voting, Republican, red counties have died of COVID-19 than those in Biden-voting, Democratic, blue counties. I am not surprised that this highly infectious, deadly disease is affecting more people in places that have undermined the Biden administration’s attempt to end this pandemic by refusing to be vaccinated or to follow public health measures such as wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.
Republican leaders and their venal acolytes, such as Fox “News” host Tucker Carlson, have spread lies about COVID-19 and the vaccines and encouraged their followers to undermine public health measures in order to effect a political “win” against the Democratic president. Yet they have themselves been protected from the disease by getting vaccinated. Shame for such immoral behavior and hypocrisy no longer has any meaning for such members of the Republican Party.
Recently, as I took my daily walk around the village, a driver in a black pickup truck accelerated and tried to run me down as I crossed Route 5. Just as I responded to the vandalizing of my first truth-telling sign in front of my home explicating the lies and seditious behavior of Trump Republicans by erecting three more signs alongside it, so I will respond to threats of violence by writing another letter to the newspaper.
ALICE MORRISON
Newbury, Vt.