FALSE ADVERTISING

By Dave Buhlman

Last year, Governor Lynch and legislative leaders got together to reinstate the state’s motto on the highway signs at the entrances to New Hampshire. Previous to the change, the signs read, “You’re Going to Love It Here”, or “It’s Better Here Than There”, or it’s “Neither Here Nor There”, or something like that.

They changed the signs to read, “Live Free or Die”, clearly the best, most moving motto among the fifty states. But these signs, and the state motto itself, need to change because it’s clearly false advertising. New Hampshire does not abide by this motto anymore. This is especially true after the Legislature and Executive Council were taken over by the Democrats in the 2006 elections.

Previous to the Democrats taking over, the Republicans ran the show and were able to keep a light lid on the infinite spending desires of the bureaucrats and their numerous supporters, most of whom are those saddled with masters degrees in social work that are useless outside of government bureaucracies. No realistic budget cutting could happen under the Republicans, because they too were beholden to the established spending patterns. They raised the cigarette tax and felt pretty good about it. But that was about it for increased taxes and fees during my four years there as a backbencher Representative.

The Democrats have raised the cigarette tax again, increased motor vehicle registration fees, increased tolls, and added another fee on all real estate transactions to support the CowChip (aka, LCHIP) program of using public money to buy property from wealthy landowners so the property can be set aside for squirrels, birdies and opossums. The Democrats also pulled a Mussolini by eliminating smoking in private bars and restaurants in order to protect the health of the employees who freely choose to work in these establishments. Then they turned their know-it-all guns on the social arena and eliminated the very sensible Parental Notification bill, and created a category of civil unions. It all just feels so good to intrude fascistically into the operations of private businesses, come between parents and children in what could become life-or-death abortion decisions, and toss away centuries of bedrock tradition to declare that men and men and women and women unions are acceptable in New Hampshire.

The second year of this session begins next month and one has to shudder at what could be on the Democrat agenda. Perhaps a broad based tax to support and “adequate” education which includes instructions in Yoga, a cornerstone prayer/meditation procedure in polytheistic Eastern religions. Or maybe there will be some more restrictions on gun ownership and hunting. Then there’s the trans fat threat to deal with, and the obesity “epidemic”, especially involving the heart rending Fat Kids aspect. If there are so many Fat Kids, does that mean that the “Healthy Kids” program is failing? It must need more money. The Healthy Kids budget needs to be fattened up.

In the sacred name of truth in advertising, it’s time to change the state motto. How about, “We’re Blue Here Now Too”.

Dave Buhlman is a former two-term New Hampshire State Representative, a published author, and a supporter of our Constitutional Republic.
Copyright 2007