---by Dave Buhlman
There was some welcome news a month ago when State Senator Bob Clegg of Hudson announced his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District.
Senator Clegg has fourteen years of experience in the New Hampshire legislature, both as a Representative and Senator. For many of these years, he held leadership positions where he exercised a strong influence over legislation and in promoting conservative positions to protect the welfare and pocketbooks of his constituents. Since the Democrats took over the Legislature in the 2006 election, Senator Clegg has opposed all bills that raised fees and taxes on New Hampshire residents. Due to a majority of Democrats in both the House and the Senate, combined with the strong support of Democratic Governor John Lynch, these bills inevitably passed, and we feel the hit when registering vehicles and in other arenas of our lives.
Bob Clegg is an expert in state relations with the federal government, and has fiercely opposed any unfunded mandates proposed by the federal government. He has also been successful in maximizing federal aid to the state to reduce financial impacts on his constituents and the entire state. As a former two-term State Representative, I observed Bob Clegg's effectiveness in these matters from the inside, and know of the great resepect he enjoyed in the State House.
Previous to his political career, Bob Clegg was a successful contractor who owned a business that had to meet a weekly payroll. Based on this experience, he well understands the concerns of the business community regarding taxes and regulation, and he understands the pressures on wage earners to make ends meet.
The election is several months away, but please keep Senator Clegg's experience in mind as the campaigns get underway. No else vying for the 2nd Congressional District seat can match his experience, and this experience is desperately needed in Washington, DC
Dave Buhlman is a former two-term NH State Representative.
4.21.2008
4.13.2008
"Perp" on the loose
By Dave Buhlman
I read in the Boston Herald that the Pope is coming to the United States this week. According to the article, and Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, part of the reason for the Pope’s visit is to heal the wounds caused by the pedophile priests abuse scandal, discovered in Boston in the early 2000s. As a Catholic Christian, I wish the Holy Father success in this effort, and his other undertakings during his visit.
But there’s a big flaw in the basis for the healing the Pope seeks. Bernard Cardinal Law, formerly of Boston, is now ensconced in a high position in Vatican City, as head of one of the churches there. Cardinal Law was the main facilitator, the main enabler, of abusing priests in the Boston Archdiocese. There are too many instances of his passing on priests, that he knew were abusers, to other parishes. A number of these sorry excuses for human beings abused yet more kids in the assignments Law gave them. Then it was off for more counseling for these very sick men, then onto yet other parishes when they returned, courtesy of Cardinal Law.
Back a few years ago I remember a big Boston lawyer on a radio show stating that then MA Attorney General Reilly, as the head civil authority involved, could have indicted Cardinal Law, but did not. High places connect to high places, I guess. So Law was transferred rather quickly to Rome where he has enjoyed respect and lived a pampered existence as a Prince of the Church. This would be comparable to the FBI sending disgraced former agent John Connolly to a comfy gig in the tropics. Connolly was a finger man for Whitey Bulger, a Boston gangster, serial killer and pedophile in his own right. He set up victims for Whitey, the Corrupt Midget’s brother (thanks, Howie). Connolly is not in the tropics; he is quite rightfully serving time. Cardinal Law should be too.
One shudders to think of what guides the mind of a Cardinal Law. As a well educated member of the world elite, he must know, as even most of us commoners do, that pedophiles cannot be cured. Yet he sent them on to abuse other little kids, many of whom grew up with big-time troubles, some even committing suicide. Rough stuff. But Law was able to live with this knowledge for years, before he and the other perps were caught. For us run-of-the-mill sinners it’s hard to imagine doing this and living with yourself once, for even a day. The vast majority of us would go crazy with guilt.
So if the Pope wants to be taken more seriously in his efforts to heal, he needs to boot Cardinal Law, and others with a similar sordid history (e.g., the Archbishop of Manchester, NH, one of Law’s main assistants in Boston), out of the Church. We will all heal a lot better with these heels gone.
Dave Buhlman is a sinner who depends on Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for salvation.
I read in the Boston Herald that the Pope is coming to the United States this week. According to the article, and Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, part of the reason for the Pope’s visit is to heal the wounds caused by the pedophile priests abuse scandal, discovered in Boston in the early 2000s. As a Catholic Christian, I wish the Holy Father success in this effort, and his other undertakings during his visit.
But there’s a big flaw in the basis for the healing the Pope seeks. Bernard Cardinal Law, formerly of Boston, is now ensconced in a high position in Vatican City, as head of one of the churches there. Cardinal Law was the main facilitator, the main enabler, of abusing priests in the Boston Archdiocese. There are too many instances of his passing on priests, that he knew were abusers, to other parishes. A number of these sorry excuses for human beings abused yet more kids in the assignments Law gave them. Then it was off for more counseling for these very sick men, then onto yet other parishes when they returned, courtesy of Cardinal Law.
Back a few years ago I remember a big Boston lawyer on a radio show stating that then MA Attorney General Reilly, as the head civil authority involved, could have indicted Cardinal Law, but did not. High places connect to high places, I guess. So Law was transferred rather quickly to Rome where he has enjoyed respect and lived a pampered existence as a Prince of the Church. This would be comparable to the FBI sending disgraced former agent John Connolly to a comfy gig in the tropics. Connolly was a finger man for Whitey Bulger, a Boston gangster, serial killer and pedophile in his own right. He set up victims for Whitey, the Corrupt Midget’s brother (thanks, Howie). Connolly is not in the tropics; he is quite rightfully serving time. Cardinal Law should be too.
One shudders to think of what guides the mind of a Cardinal Law. As a well educated member of the world elite, he must know, as even most of us commoners do, that pedophiles cannot be cured. Yet he sent them on to abuse other little kids, many of whom grew up with big-time troubles, some even committing suicide. Rough stuff. But Law was able to live with this knowledge for years, before he and the other perps were caught. For us run-of-the-mill sinners it’s hard to imagine doing this and living with yourself once, for even a day. The vast majority of us would go crazy with guilt.
So if the Pope wants to be taken more seriously in his efforts to heal, he needs to boot Cardinal Law, and others with a similar sordid history (e.g., the Archbishop of Manchester, NH, one of Law’s main assistants in Boston), out of the Church. We will all heal a lot better with these heels gone.
Dave Buhlman is a sinner who depends on Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for salvation.
4.11.2008
China rises over a cup of tea
By Ron Dupuis
Beijing vs. Shanghai. As tense and gray as Beijing was, Shanghai was the opposite. The people there were helpful and friendly. They wanted to know as much about us as we them. The following event could never have happen in Beijing.
At about 6:30 in the morning, the Shanghai streets become busy with men and women rushing to get their children to school and still arrive to work on time. The transportation of choice seems to be bicycle or motorized scooter, although there are just enough private cars and full to capacity busses to cause the familiar morning and evening "rush hour" traffic jams of any modern city.
While getting a little exercise one morning I found myself in a small neighborhood tea room speaking with an elderly college professor who had a pretty good command of English. He informed me China, as an emerging world power, has come a long way since his youth.
"In my younger days, school was not necessarily mandatory. You pretty much went as far as your state mandatory proficiency exams would carry you." "Then" he continued, "you were pretty much regulated to the labor force that your parents worked in, the farm or factories."
"I was fortunate" he said in between sip of green tea and bites of some sort of dough cake with a flavored rice filling. "Academics came easy for me and I always tested well right on through university." "When I became a teacher it was the happiest day of my life."
My elderly Chinese friend went on to tell me how he now lives with his son and daughter-in-law. He receives a pension from the state and earns a few extra dollars, or "yuan," tutoring high school students in preparation for their college exams. "It's not much, but I have few needs."
When he finished his meal he poured himself another cup of tea then took out a pack of Chinese cigarettes. Keeping with Chinese custom he held the pack in both hands offering me one, saying "Do you smoke?" I answered "Yes, however I'm not used to smoking inside."
"In China almost everyone smokes despite the government's displeasure." "Some of the older generation like myself even consider tobacco a healing herb," he said with a broad smile.
"Boy, don't ever come to America," I thought to myself.
He began to tell me about his son and like dads around the world he sat a little taller and smiled, sort of off in the distance when one is thinking fond memories. He said his son was educated in Beijing and then went to school in London. He now travels the world as an import/export banker.
"My only unhappiness comes from not having any grandchildren yet. My son keeps telling me, 'Soon.'"
The conversation with my new friend lasted a little more than an hour. I found him both open and candid. We discussed his life as an educator and his son's life as a banker. It is pretty safe to say we both, subconsciously or not, stayed away from politics or human rights. I did however ask if he felt a Communist-controlled country could emerge as a valid economic world power. He smiled knowingly and told me China was an imperialist nation for thousands of years and perhaps we needed someone like Mao and the "Cultural Revolution" in order to arrive to the point we are at today.
"What point is that," I asked?
He responded: "My son tells me we are on the verge of significantly impacting world economic policies and this could only mean a better life for the billion and a half Chinese citizens."
I managed to get in one last question before we finished and went our separate ways. "Why is it the Chinese students studying in America all seem to be high achievers?"
He smiled knowingly yet answered, a little incredulously, "We have a population of over a billion people." "We send you only our best and brightest."
Beijing vs. Shanghai. As tense and gray as Beijing was, Shanghai was the opposite. The people there were helpful and friendly. They wanted to know as much about us as we them. The following event could never have happen in Beijing.
At about 6:30 in the morning, the Shanghai streets become busy with men and women rushing to get their children to school and still arrive to work on time. The transportation of choice seems to be bicycle or motorized scooter, although there are just enough private cars and full to capacity busses to cause the familiar morning and evening "rush hour" traffic jams of any modern city.
While getting a little exercise one morning I found myself in a small neighborhood tea room speaking with an elderly college professor who had a pretty good command of English. He informed me China, as an emerging world power, has come a long way since his youth.
"In my younger days, school was not necessarily mandatory. You pretty much went as far as your state mandatory proficiency exams would carry you." "Then" he continued, "you were pretty much regulated to the labor force that your parents worked in, the farm or factories."
"I was fortunate" he said in between sip of green tea and bites of some sort of dough cake with a flavored rice filling. "Academics came easy for me and I always tested well right on through university." "When I became a teacher it was the happiest day of my life."
My elderly Chinese friend went on to tell me how he now lives with his son and daughter-in-law. He receives a pension from the state and earns a few extra dollars, or "yuan," tutoring high school students in preparation for their college exams. "It's not much, but I have few needs."
When he finished his meal he poured himself another cup of tea then took out a pack of Chinese cigarettes. Keeping with Chinese custom he held the pack in both hands offering me one, saying "Do you smoke?" I answered "Yes, however I'm not used to smoking inside."
"In China almost everyone smokes despite the government's displeasure." "Some of the older generation like myself even consider tobacco a healing herb," he said with a broad smile.
"Boy, don't ever come to America," I thought to myself.
He began to tell me about his son and like dads around the world he sat a little taller and smiled, sort of off in the distance when one is thinking fond memories. He said his son was educated in Beijing and then went to school in London. He now travels the world as an import/export banker.
"My only unhappiness comes from not having any grandchildren yet. My son keeps telling me, 'Soon.'"
The conversation with my new friend lasted a little more than an hour. I found him both open and candid. We discussed his life as an educator and his son's life as a banker. It is pretty safe to say we both, subconsciously or not, stayed away from politics or human rights. I did however ask if he felt a Communist-controlled country could emerge as a valid economic world power. He smiled knowingly and told me China was an imperialist nation for thousands of years and perhaps we needed someone like Mao and the "Cultural Revolution" in order to arrive to the point we are at today.
"What point is that," I asked?
He responded: "My son tells me we are on the verge of significantly impacting world economic policies and this could only mean a better life for the billion and a half Chinese citizens."
I managed to get in one last question before we finished and went our separate ways. "Why is it the Chinese students studying in America all seem to be high achievers?"
He smiled knowingly yet answered, a little incredulously, "We have a population of over a billion people." "We send you only our best and brightest."
4.04.2008
Rocky Clinton and Professor Gore
By Ron Dupuis
If you were a Pulitzer Prize-winning author you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.
Last week, Hillary "Rocky" Clinton claimed that along with her daughter, and upon the completion of a tactical, defensive-type landing in Bosnia, a heads-down run for the car was necessary because of sniper fire. This claim was not just made once, but during several recent campaign speeches. Other prevarications include "Rocky" Clinton's role in the Irish Peace Accords, her support/opposition for NAFTA, and for those of you with short memories, her claim to not have made a dime in the Madison Guarantee Savings and Loan scandal.
Most people lie sometime during their life. They lie for varied reasons: To protect themselves, protect a friend, to create a favorable situation, create an unfavorable situation for others, and finally, to puff their own importance and ego. The last being why most all politicians lie.
Hillary's mentor and most ardent supporter is her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Let's not forget despite all his charm and charisma, Bill Clinton is a disgraced, disbarred lawyer, who among other discretions, lied to Congress, judges and the American people. Who can ever forget that obnoxious pointy finger scene and the "I did not have sex with that woman" fabrication? If, in fact, lying to Congress precludes you from practicing law, in Hillary's case, lying to the American people should preclude you from being president of the United States. Besides, who among us can bear the thought of Bill wandering throughout the White House with nothing to do except prey on women and young interns?
Other issues: One of my favorite musicals of all time is Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man." In the story, con man Professor Harold Hill convinces an unsuspecting Midwest town of a perceived problem "made clear by the presence of a pool table right here in your community." Not to worry though. Like every good con man, Professor Hill has a solution in the form of a boy's band, which is nothing more than a scheme to collect money and skip town.
"In My Humble Opinion" is here to warn unsuspecting earthlings that Professor Hill is back in the form of Al Gore. Professor Gore has not only identified the problem for us mere unsuspecting mortals: "Man is destroying life as we know it," he has graciously provided the solution in the form of "carbon credits." These "credits" are merely part of a scheme set up by Professor Gore in the form of a company he heads called Generation Investment Management. This legitimate company is going to take funds from large corporations and pension funds that want to ostensibly invest in a greener Earth but more importantly the carbon-offset market. A little more sophisticated than Harold Hill, but nonetheless, a money making scheme. I wonder if Professor Gore intends to skip town like Professor Hill's plan.
More on China: The Dupuis family, despite illness, managed to spend the first few days in Beijing doing all the touristy things visitors do in this mysterious city. There were visits to parks and temples observing local residents in their daily routine of exercise and socialization. There were visits to jade carving factories and pearl markets. The culmination was a walk along The Great Wall. Beijing, at the time of our visit, was a spotlessly clean city. The people were accommodating, however, not necessarily friendly.
An incident at Tiananmen Square gave me cause for concern. Around Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, in fact, throughout Beijing for that matter, the military is everywhere. When a group of citizens gathered and became a little vocal about concerns in Tibet a squad of soldiers quickly and quietly gathered them up, put them in trucks and hauled them off to God knows where. Not a riot by any standard, however for the remaining time in this city we kept our distance from any type of gatherings.
If you were a Pulitzer Prize-winning author you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.
Last week, Hillary "Rocky" Clinton claimed that along with her daughter, and upon the completion of a tactical, defensive-type landing in Bosnia, a heads-down run for the car was necessary because of sniper fire. This claim was not just made once, but during several recent campaign speeches. Other prevarications include "Rocky" Clinton's role in the Irish Peace Accords, her support/opposition for NAFTA, and for those of you with short memories, her claim to not have made a dime in the Madison Guarantee Savings and Loan scandal.
Most people lie sometime during their life. They lie for varied reasons: To protect themselves, protect a friend, to create a favorable situation, create an unfavorable situation for others, and finally, to puff their own importance and ego. The last being why most all politicians lie.
Hillary's mentor and most ardent supporter is her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Let's not forget despite all his charm and charisma, Bill Clinton is a disgraced, disbarred lawyer, who among other discretions, lied to Congress, judges and the American people. Who can ever forget that obnoxious pointy finger scene and the "I did not have sex with that woman" fabrication? If, in fact, lying to Congress precludes you from practicing law, in Hillary's case, lying to the American people should preclude you from being president of the United States. Besides, who among us can bear the thought of Bill wandering throughout the White House with nothing to do except prey on women and young interns?
Other issues: One of my favorite musicals of all time is Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man." In the story, con man Professor Harold Hill convinces an unsuspecting Midwest town of a perceived problem "made clear by the presence of a pool table right here in your community." Not to worry though. Like every good con man, Professor Hill has a solution in the form of a boy's band, which is nothing more than a scheme to collect money and skip town.
"In My Humble Opinion" is here to warn unsuspecting earthlings that Professor Hill is back in the form of Al Gore. Professor Gore has not only identified the problem for us mere unsuspecting mortals: "Man is destroying life as we know it," he has graciously provided the solution in the form of "carbon credits." These "credits" are merely part of a scheme set up by Professor Gore in the form of a company he heads called Generation Investment Management. This legitimate company is going to take funds from large corporations and pension funds that want to ostensibly invest in a greener Earth but more importantly the carbon-offset market. A little more sophisticated than Harold Hill, but nonetheless, a money making scheme. I wonder if Professor Gore intends to skip town like Professor Hill's plan.
More on China: The Dupuis family, despite illness, managed to spend the first few days in Beijing doing all the touristy things visitors do in this mysterious city. There were visits to parks and temples observing local residents in their daily routine of exercise and socialization. There were visits to jade carving factories and pearl markets. The culmination was a walk along The Great Wall. Beijing, at the time of our visit, was a spotlessly clean city. The people were accommodating, however, not necessarily friendly.
An incident at Tiananmen Square gave me cause for concern. Around Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, in fact, throughout Beijing for that matter, the military is everywhere. When a group of citizens gathered and became a little vocal about concerns in Tibet a squad of soldiers quickly and quietly gathered them up, put them in trucks and hauled them off to God knows where. Not a riot by any standard, however for the remaining time in this city we kept our distance from any type of gatherings.
4.01.2008
Too many Mannies
By Dave Buhlman
Manny Ramirez is the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox, as most people know. All players in professional sports have special talents that most can only dream about, but even among this rarified group, Manny stands out. He’s a hitter. Manny can hit a pitch thrown at about ninety miles an hour, often with plenty of movement on the pitch, like few in baseball today.
Because of his rare talent, Manny is paid a lot of money to play baseball. I’m not sure offhand how much, but let’s say it’s ten million dollars per year. But what if, instead of just one Manny, there were fifty of equal ability. Understandably, that is going to reduce Manny’s value to a professional baseball team because, if Manny does not sign, the team can go out an get one of the other forty-nine Mannys. Under these circumstances, our Manny Ramirez would make less money; let’s say one million dollars per year. Still a nice salary, but what if there were a thousand Mannys? Then the salary plummets.
So it is with the US dollar. If there are more of them, each is worth less.
That is the main cause of the economic troubles we see today. The privately-owned Federal Reserve Bank (the Fed) has increased the supply of paper money dramatically. Because of this increase, the dollars in our possession are worth less. Given that dollars are worth less, it takes more of them to get the things we want - food, gas, and clothes, for example - because prices are increased to reflect the devalued dollar. Those whose incomes are not increasing (most of us) are falling backwards economically. This pattern has been going on since 1913, when Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act, and was most pronounced during the Great Depression from 1929 to 1940. Obviously, we do not want to see those days again. We are not nearly as tough as our parents or grandparents, so the weeping and gnashing of teeth would create quite a din these days.
The Fed and the President are trying various things in response to the crisis, but they are all short-term fixes if, in fact, they actually work at all.
Long-term fixes were recommended by Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, who is still running for President. Congressman Paul was scoffed at by his Republican opponents and the media locksteppers, but he knew what he was talking about, and we’re seeing the problems he warned us about being played out right in front of us today. Still, only few are listening, and virtually none of those strut around the corridors of power. The main message is to stabilize our currency by working our way back to the gold standard, the system that was completely abandoned in 1971.
It looks like Senator McCain will be the Republican nominee, so Congressman Paul’s messages are fading even further from the stage. He has gone from being marginalized to being completely ignored. He’s not the first one in history to be so right, yet be ignored, but it’s Americans today who will pay the price for Congressman Paul’s message disappearing from the public eye. Are you ready?
Dave Buhlman is a former New Hampshire State Representative and published author who supports the return to the Constitutional Republic.
Manny Ramirez is the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox, as most people know. All players in professional sports have special talents that most can only dream about, but even among this rarified group, Manny stands out. He’s a hitter. Manny can hit a pitch thrown at about ninety miles an hour, often with plenty of movement on the pitch, like few in baseball today.
Because of his rare talent, Manny is paid a lot of money to play baseball. I’m not sure offhand how much, but let’s say it’s ten million dollars per year. But what if, instead of just one Manny, there were fifty of equal ability. Understandably, that is going to reduce Manny’s value to a professional baseball team because, if Manny does not sign, the team can go out an get one of the other forty-nine Mannys. Under these circumstances, our Manny Ramirez would make less money; let’s say one million dollars per year. Still a nice salary, but what if there were a thousand Mannys? Then the salary plummets.
So it is with the US dollar. If there are more of them, each is worth less.
That is the main cause of the economic troubles we see today. The privately-owned Federal Reserve Bank (the Fed) has increased the supply of paper money dramatically. Because of this increase, the dollars in our possession are worth less. Given that dollars are worth less, it takes more of them to get the things we want - food, gas, and clothes, for example - because prices are increased to reflect the devalued dollar. Those whose incomes are not increasing (most of us) are falling backwards economically. This pattern has been going on since 1913, when Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act, and was most pronounced during the Great Depression from 1929 to 1940. Obviously, we do not want to see those days again. We are not nearly as tough as our parents or grandparents, so the weeping and gnashing of teeth would create quite a din these days.
The Fed and the President are trying various things in response to the crisis, but they are all short-term fixes if, in fact, they actually work at all.
Long-term fixes were recommended by Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, who is still running for President. Congressman Paul was scoffed at by his Republican opponents and the media locksteppers, but he knew what he was talking about, and we’re seeing the problems he warned us about being played out right in front of us today. Still, only few are listening, and virtually none of those strut around the corridors of power. The main message is to stabilize our currency by working our way back to the gold standard, the system that was completely abandoned in 1971.
It looks like Senator McCain will be the Republican nominee, so Congressman Paul’s messages are fading even further from the stage. He has gone from being marginalized to being completely ignored. He’s not the first one in history to be so right, yet be ignored, but it’s Americans today who will pay the price for Congressman Paul’s message disappearing from the public eye. Are you ready?
Dave Buhlman is a former New Hampshire State Representative and published author who supports the return to the Constitutional Republic.
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