---by Micheal
The mideast trouble has become one of nations fighting non-nations. Hamas and Hezbollah and Iraqi sectarian death squads are not nations. Yet, they field armies as if they were nations. They sometimes build some schools and hospitals for the locals, as if they were nations. But they're not nations. When the bullets and rockets fly, they really don't care if the locals' homes are bombed and jobs destroyed. They've proven that repeatedly.
These non-nation groups live like parasites within someone else's feeble "nation" state, but these groups have no citizens, no commerce, no infrastructure to worry about. This leaves none of the customary leverage which diplomacy has relied upon to coax nations into behaving themselves. Treaties and accords mean nothing when one of the parties has nothing to lose.
While shadowy non-nation militant groups have no reason to restrain themselves, their "host" nations do. It's the host nation's citizens, businesses and bridges that kick whacked. Host nations should not excused culpability any more than the owner of a vicious dog is excused when it attacks someone. "Hey, I didn't bite the girl, Rocko did." No one accepts that excuse. If a nation, weak or otherwise, adopts a vicious "pet" within their borders, they become responsible for its attacks.
If Lebanon is too weak to control its savage dog, or too weak to stop malicious neighbors from prodding their dog to attack, the nation of Lebanon is still responsible. It's not "unfair" that Lebanese citizens and infrastructure suffer. The Lebanese government thought it was just fine to harbor Hezbollah as a pet. They're now paying the price, just like any other homeowner would if their dog attacked someone.
If Lebanon is too weak to control that dog, then they'll just have to accept allowing Animal Control onto their property to put Rocko down. It's absurd to complain that Animal Control is trespassing.
Vicious breeds do not make acceptable pets. Property owners are held responsible.
7.25.2006
7.18.2006
A Little Clarification is Due
-- by Ed Naile
I know we are all ga-ga at the doings of our governor (the press and questionable polls anyway) and his endless photo-ops at changing weather patterns and all, but the credit for getting Massachusetts to pay up for a past agreement to reimburse New Hampshire for land lost to flood control projects designed to protect property south of our border should be directed where it belongs – with State Representative Stretch Kennedy.
Stretch started nudging our taxpayer organization several years ago about Massachusetts's failure to pony up $3.2 million they owed us per the interstate agreement. His thoughts were that if US Senator John Kerry was running for president he may want to grease the NH wheels with paid up back debts due our state but not coming out of his wife's campaign chest.
That did not work out so Stretch asked CNHT to start mentioning to candidate Mitt Romney when we see him that it may be wise to pay up. Smart move, good timing!
Enter the photo-op governor and his threat of a lawsuit on the heels of Stretch's plan. I don't know if this lawsuit deal was in fact a reality or another campaign production but to sue Massachusetts over $3.2 million would probably cost $3.2 million and take forever.
Besides, the possibility that a real live effective Governor like Mitt Romney would be intimidated by a more or less pip-squeaky one like we have is pretty remote – in my humble opinion.
So once again Stretch, thanks for doing the old-fashioned political arm wrestling no matter who tries to take the credit.
I know we are all ga-ga at the doings of our governor (the press and questionable polls anyway) and his endless photo-ops at changing weather patterns and all, but the credit for getting Massachusetts to pay up for a past agreement to reimburse New Hampshire for land lost to flood control projects designed to protect property south of our border should be directed where it belongs – with State Representative Stretch Kennedy.
Stretch started nudging our taxpayer organization several years ago about Massachusetts's failure to pony up $3.2 million they owed us per the interstate agreement. His thoughts were that if US Senator John Kerry was running for president he may want to grease the NH wheels with paid up back debts due our state but not coming out of his wife's campaign chest.
That did not work out so Stretch asked CNHT to start mentioning to candidate Mitt Romney when we see him that it may be wise to pay up. Smart move, good timing!
Enter the photo-op governor and his threat of a lawsuit on the heels of Stretch's plan. I don't know if this lawsuit deal was in fact a reality or another campaign production but to sue Massachusetts over $3.2 million would probably cost $3.2 million and take forever.
Besides, the possibility that a real live effective Governor like Mitt Romney would be intimidated by a more or less pip-squeaky one like we have is pretty remote – in my humble opinion.
So once again Stretch, thanks for doing the old-fashioned political arm wrestling no matter who tries to take the credit.
7.12.2006
Taxpayer Reunion '06
-- by Ed Naile
Last Saturday was our Coalition of NH Taxpayer's Family Reunion at the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds. This was our eighth such event. We call it a family reunion because that typifies the comments we most often hear from people who attend - so we went with it. We gave up trying to have speeches because people come to talk and meet each other.
Over two hundred of New Hampshire's small government, low tax, freedom loving activists were in attendance. We had a great time networking with people, some of whom we only hear about on the web or read about in the papers.
Dozens of candidates including Republicans, Libertarians, and Democrats signed our "CNHT Taxpayer Protection Pledge." Republican Gubernatorial candidate Jim Coburn waited to sign his Taxpayer Protection Pledge until the cookout. We thank him for that. There are 72 pictures of the event posted on our web site at www.cnht.org so far.
Congressman Charlie Bass attended and spent quite a bit of time walking around eating lunch and talking to our determined band of tax activists. We missed Congressman Jeb Bradley who usually comes due to a tight schedule in-state. His staff waited it out most of the day but it wasn't to be this year.
State Senator Bob Clegg rode his motorcycle this year. State Senator Chuck Morse was there as well. In fact, Sen. Morse and former Sen. Russ Prescott, both candidates for the Executive Council, talked and ate with cookout attendees. Chet Lapointe, Libertarian candidate for Congressional District 2 moved among the guests as well.
Our pal Al Kulas of WKBK 1290, fresh off a win in the NH Broadcaster awards for radio talk show hosts took time to drive out and see us. Al manned the microphone at WKBK for twelve hours straight during the floods this spring giving details of what was going on to police and citizens in the Keene area.
Ron Dupuis with his new Saturday morning show on WLMW 90.7 (also CNHT's Taxpayer Radio station) stopped by as well. Then Gardner Goldsmith of WNTK 99.7 in New London with his new "trimmed" look shook things up late in the day.
Our "Wall of Shame" of captured municipal documents was a big hit again this year with the new two foot by three foot Geoff Wetrosky "Missing" poster. We almost made a giant milk carton to put this little vote thief's face on but the posters are impressive enough.
We also have SCJ David Souter's interesting assessment card and property map, photo evidence of voter fraud from different towns, voter fraud confessions from UNH students, a poster-sized hand written superior court pro se petition, and all kinds of interesting stuff that takes up about fifty feet of wall space. We also like to call the “Wall of Shame” “What the Papers Won't Print.”
The only “speech” of the day which I call a “list” was when I got up on a chair and asked how many people were running for office. About half the hands went up! I predict it will be an interesting legislature next year with this group as part of the debate.
Our next “reunion” will be on July 7, 2007. This will be a Presidential Primary Cookout with a straw poll. The last time we held such an event we sold all 1,500 tickets two weeks in advance. See you there!
Last Saturday was our Coalition of NH Taxpayer's Family Reunion at the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds. This was our eighth such event. We call it a family reunion because that typifies the comments we most often hear from people who attend - so we went with it. We gave up trying to have speeches because people come to talk and meet each other.
Over two hundred of New Hampshire's small government, low tax, freedom loving activists were in attendance. We had a great time networking with people, some of whom we only hear about on the web or read about in the papers.
Dozens of candidates including Republicans, Libertarians, and Democrats signed our "CNHT Taxpayer Protection Pledge." Republican Gubernatorial candidate Jim Coburn waited to sign his Taxpayer Protection Pledge until the cookout. We thank him for that. There are 72 pictures of the event posted on our web site at www.cnht.org so far.
Congressman Charlie Bass attended and spent quite a bit of time walking around eating lunch and talking to our determined band of tax activists. We missed Congressman Jeb Bradley who usually comes due to a tight schedule in-state. His staff waited it out most of the day but it wasn't to be this year.
State Senator Bob Clegg rode his motorcycle this year. State Senator Chuck Morse was there as well. In fact, Sen. Morse and former Sen. Russ Prescott, both candidates for the Executive Council, talked and ate with cookout attendees. Chet Lapointe, Libertarian candidate for Congressional District 2 moved among the guests as well.
Our pal Al Kulas of WKBK 1290, fresh off a win in the NH Broadcaster awards for radio talk show hosts took time to drive out and see us. Al manned the microphone at WKBK for twelve hours straight during the floods this spring giving details of what was going on to police and citizens in the Keene area.
Ron Dupuis with his new Saturday morning show on WLMW 90.7 (also CNHT's Taxpayer Radio station) stopped by as well. Then Gardner Goldsmith of WNTK 99.7 in New London with his new "trimmed" look shook things up late in the day.
Our "Wall of Shame" of captured municipal documents was a big hit again this year with the new two foot by three foot Geoff Wetrosky "Missing" poster. We almost made a giant milk carton to put this little vote thief's face on but the posters are impressive enough.
We also have SCJ David Souter's interesting assessment card and property map, photo evidence of voter fraud from different towns, voter fraud confessions from UNH students, a poster-sized hand written superior court pro se petition, and all kinds of interesting stuff that takes up about fifty feet of wall space. We also like to call the “Wall of Shame” “What the Papers Won't Print.”
The only “speech” of the day which I call a “list” was when I got up on a chair and asked how many people were running for office. About half the hands went up! I predict it will be an interesting legislature next year with this group as part of the debate.
Our next “reunion” will be on July 7, 2007. This will be a Presidential Primary Cookout with a straw poll. The last time we held such an event we sold all 1,500 tickets two weeks in advance. See you there!
7.11.2006
Back to Court!
-- by Ed Naile
Next to the Attorney General's Office one of the most incompetent and unreliable levels of government in New Hampshire is our court system.
Yesterday I was watching John Babiarz put together his State Supreme Court appeal of a Superior Court decision regarding the sloppy election this past March in his hometown of Grafton.(Did you notice Grafton has “graft” in it?)
A short refresher.
During a machine count at the Grafton Annual meeting some school ballots were counted in the town machines and showed about 39 more votes being counted than there were voters on the checklist. This caused great concern amongst all involved and in a moment of weakness or stupidity some election official called the AG's office. Enter (waddle) Assistant AG Orville “Bud” Fitch.
For some reason Fitch ordered the seizure of all the ballots and a full recount ensued which when proper machines and techniques were used consistent results appeared. But the hand counts involved in the recount were less than consistent so as you would expect they were used instead of the machine counts to determine a planning board seat and Warrant Article #22.
Resident, taxpayer, and all around citizen John Babiarz filed a Superior Court case to stop the process and follow the logical path of using the consistent vote tallies and following the law regarding boards of recounts.
He lost. Surprise!
The town attorney claimed that Mr. Babiarz had no “standing” to bring the case based on RSA 677:4, a zoning and planning statute. The Town's case law:
Nautilus v. Exeter, which says in the first sentence of the issues heard: Only “persons aggrieved” have standing to appeal planning and zoning board decisions to superior court. RSA 677:4, :15
Superior (to what I have no idea) Court Justice Burling, wife of our esteemed State Senator Peter Burling, agreed that this was a legitimate argument, as you would expect, and rejected the argument in John Babiarz's case that RSA 669:35 should apply. It reads:
669:35 Appeal from Recount. – Any person aggrieved by a ruling of the board of recount with respect to any ballot may, within 5 days thereafter, appeal to the superior court for the county in which such town is located; and such court shall have jurisdiction in equity to hear and determine the question presented.
Source. 1979, 410:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
So here we are in the State Supreme Court arguing over plain English and the totally transparent intent of the legislature just because we live in a state in which courts like to play politician and render decisions that make them feel warm and fuzzy.
This judicial activism or blind stupidity only encourages town attorney's to to invent even more flatulent arguments in an effort to deny taxpayers their place in the political process. And it is another reason we may no longer deserve to have the first in the nation primary. We have become just too corrupt.
I should note that after John and I finished lunch his fortune cookie said, “expect good things to come in the mail.”
We will see.
Next to the Attorney General's Office one of the most incompetent and unreliable levels of government in New Hampshire is our court system.
Yesterday I was watching John Babiarz put together his State Supreme Court appeal of a Superior Court decision regarding the sloppy election this past March in his hometown of Grafton.(Did you notice Grafton has “graft” in it?)
A short refresher.
During a machine count at the Grafton Annual meeting some school ballots were counted in the town machines and showed about 39 more votes being counted than there were voters on the checklist. This caused great concern amongst all involved and in a moment of weakness or stupidity some election official called the AG's office. Enter (waddle) Assistant AG Orville “Bud” Fitch.
For some reason Fitch ordered the seizure of all the ballots and a full recount ensued which when proper machines and techniques were used consistent results appeared. But the hand counts involved in the recount were less than consistent so as you would expect they were used instead of the machine counts to determine a planning board seat and Warrant Article #22.
Resident, taxpayer, and all around citizen John Babiarz filed a Superior Court case to stop the process and follow the logical path of using the consistent vote tallies and following the law regarding boards of recounts.
He lost. Surprise!
The town attorney claimed that Mr. Babiarz had no “standing” to bring the case based on RSA 677:4, a zoning and planning statute. The Town's case law:
Nautilus v. Exeter, which says in the first sentence of the issues heard: Only “persons aggrieved” have standing to appeal planning and zoning board decisions to superior court. RSA 677:4, :15
Superior (to what I have no idea) Court Justice Burling, wife of our esteemed State Senator Peter Burling, agreed that this was a legitimate argument, as you would expect, and rejected the argument in John Babiarz's case that RSA 669:35 should apply. It reads:
669:35 Appeal from Recount. – Any person aggrieved by a ruling of the board of recount with respect to any ballot may, within 5 days thereafter, appeal to the superior court for the county in which such town is located; and such court shall have jurisdiction in equity to hear and determine the question presented.
Source. 1979, 410:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
So here we are in the State Supreme Court arguing over plain English and the totally transparent intent of the legislature just because we live in a state in which courts like to play politician and render decisions that make them feel warm and fuzzy.
This judicial activism or blind stupidity only encourages town attorney's to to invent even more flatulent arguments in an effort to deny taxpayers their place in the political process. And it is another reason we may no longer deserve to have the first in the nation primary. We have become just too corrupt.
I should note that after John and I finished lunch his fortune cookie said, “expect good things to come in the mail.”
We will see.
7.06.2006
Why Work? Patent your way to financial freedom!
---by Micheal
You can make a lot of money if you have a hot product that people want. Trouble is, it takes a lot of smarts to design a hot product. It takes a lot of sweat and real equity to make a product. If you hang in there for the long haul, you can make good money.
You could do all that hard work, OR you could take the easy way to riches. Be a Patent Troll. A patent troll is someone who takes out a patent for a widget with no intention of actually producing the widget. Their plan is to wait until someone else puts in the hard work actually developing and building widgets. Then, the troll sues them for patent infringement. Typically the widget-maker pays a settlement to the shadowy widget-patent troll -- like an extortion ransom -- in order to stay in business.
Why work? Patent your way to financial freedom. It's like a modern day version of the seventeenth century caribbean pirates (if you read my column last week).
A few high profile examples tell the Troll tale. eBay, the hugely successful online auction firm, was sued by some obscure outfit for infringing on their patented online payment system. RIM, the hugely successful makers of the Blackberry, was sued by some no-one firm for patent infringement. Apple has its hugely successful iPod, and gets sued by a second-tier struggling outfit because they claim they patented listing music in menus, etc. Huh?
Is all this patent troll stuff a new plague of evil on modern civilization? Was it better in the "good old days"?
No. The most famous patent troll is George B. Selden. Back in the 1870s, he could see that it was just a matter of time until the motorized "horseless carriage" came about. In 1879 he patents a basic design for four-wheeled vehicle powered by a "hydrocarbon" fuel engine. Now, Selden had no intention of actually making any automobiles. He wasn't a mechanic, nor an entrepreneur. He was a patent attorney. Surprise!
Eventually, Selden was right. Automobiles became very hot products. By about the year 1900, all across the USA and in Europe, mechanics and industrialists were inventing and building early automobiles. Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz were building the seeds of Mercedes. Henry Ford was tinkering with Model Ts. Ransom E. Olds was making his first Oldsmobiles, etc. etc. Almost any city of any size had its own automobile maker.
That's when the granddaddy troll sprung his trap. Selden swept in from the dark corners, announced that he owned the rights to the automobile. Everyone must pay him a royalty percentage of every automobiles they sold. Bwahaha!
At first, the patent looked solid. Many fledgling car makers knuckled under and paid Selden his "licensing fee." One brash upstart refused to pay. Henry Ford challenged the Selden patent in what turned out to be a long court battle. Ford eventually won. No one had to pay Selden license fees anymore. Everyone remembers Henry Ford. He actually made automobiles. Almost no one remembers George B. Selden, supposed "inventor" of the automobile.
Patent trolls. They're nothing new. Even though Selden eventually lost, he made a lot of money before that. Many other patent trolls have extorted their way to riches. Why work? they say. Easier to guess what someone else is likely to produce as a hot product, then wait for them to do all the heavy lifting.
America would be far better off if patents protected producers and makers instead of do-nothing pirates who lay in wait for someone else to put in the sweat equity. America needs more producers and far FAR fewer trolls.
You can make a lot of money if you have a hot product that people want. Trouble is, it takes a lot of smarts to design a hot product. It takes a lot of sweat and real equity to make a product. If you hang in there for the long haul, you can make good money.
You could do all that hard work, OR you could take the easy way to riches. Be a Patent Troll. A patent troll is someone who takes out a patent for a widget with no intention of actually producing the widget. Their plan is to wait until someone else puts in the hard work actually developing and building widgets. Then, the troll sues them for patent infringement. Typically the widget-maker pays a settlement to the shadowy widget-patent troll -- like an extortion ransom -- in order to stay in business.
Why work? Patent your way to financial freedom. It's like a modern day version of the seventeenth century caribbean pirates (if you read my column last week).
A few high profile examples tell the Troll tale. eBay, the hugely successful online auction firm, was sued by some obscure outfit for infringing on their patented online payment system. RIM, the hugely successful makers of the Blackberry, was sued by some no-one firm for patent infringement. Apple has its hugely successful iPod, and gets sued by a second-tier struggling outfit because they claim they patented listing music in menus, etc. Huh?
Is all this patent troll stuff a new plague of evil on modern civilization? Was it better in the "good old days"?
No. The most famous patent troll is George B. Selden. Back in the 1870s, he could see that it was just a matter of time until the motorized "horseless carriage" came about. In 1879 he patents a basic design for four-wheeled vehicle powered by a "hydrocarbon" fuel engine. Now, Selden had no intention of actually making any automobiles. He wasn't a mechanic, nor an entrepreneur. He was a patent attorney. Surprise!
Eventually, Selden was right. Automobiles became very hot products. By about the year 1900, all across the USA and in Europe, mechanics and industrialists were inventing and building early automobiles. Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz were building the seeds of Mercedes. Henry Ford was tinkering with Model Ts. Ransom E. Olds was making his first Oldsmobiles, etc. etc. Almost any city of any size had its own automobile maker.
That's when the granddaddy troll sprung his trap. Selden swept in from the dark corners, announced that he owned the rights to the automobile. Everyone must pay him a royalty percentage of every automobiles they sold. Bwahaha!
At first, the patent looked solid. Many fledgling car makers knuckled under and paid Selden his "licensing fee." One brash upstart refused to pay. Henry Ford challenged the Selden patent in what turned out to be a long court battle. Ford eventually won. No one had to pay Selden license fees anymore. Everyone remembers Henry Ford. He actually made automobiles. Almost no one remembers George B. Selden, supposed "inventor" of the automobile.
Patent trolls. They're nothing new. Even though Selden eventually lost, he made a lot of money before that. Many other patent trolls have extorted their way to riches. Why work? they say. Easier to guess what someone else is likely to produce as a hot product, then wait for them to do all the heavy lifting.
America would be far better off if patents protected producers and makers instead of do-nothing pirates who lay in wait for someone else to put in the sweat equity. America needs more producers and far FAR fewer trolls.
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