New Hampshire: The Real Facts

My View
May 6, 2008

On May 1st the Cheshire County Republican Committee held their annual Lincoln Day Dinner. As usual the crowd of 200 or more gathered with tremendous enthusiasm regarding the upcoming 2008 election, but the person who lit the room with enthusiasm, hope, and delight was former Governor John H. Sununu.

When Governor Sununu came into office he, like too many Republican Governors, faced the dilemma of cleaning up the tragic and unnecessary debt created by the opposition.

Just think, Governor Sununu took the reins of the corner office in 1983 with a deficit that, then Governor Hugh Gallen and fellow Democrat legislators created, and at the same time they almost had everyone hoodwinked into believing the debt could only be corrected by either a sales or income tax. Sound familiar! Governor Sununu knew better than to fall into a trap that would crush the character of New Hampshire; all that was necessary was to reduce the budget with sensible spending.

Governor Sununu unashamedly has a passion for this state that each and every citizen should possess. I have to confess to being a “flatlander”, but I came to New Hampshire with the desire and excitement of being part of a state that truly recognized the value of common sense legislating, smaller government, local control, and most amazingly, this all being accomplished with a citizens legislature. Unlike too many these days, I knew enough to leave the mess of Massachusetts' government behind me. It is astounding the number of people that relocate to NH from a state that has a failing government only to want to enforce this same failing government onto the citizens of New Hampshire.

Being the wise man that he is, Governor Sununu knew the only way to help the citizens of New Hampshire to manage the exorbitant cost of electric power was to move forward with nuclear power. Against much criticism from NH and Boston newspapers and other media, the Governor moved forward with the development of Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant. Daily there were protests at Seabrook to prevent the construction of the plant. Well, they didn’t stop the site from completion, but they did manage to escalate the cost to the New Hampshire residents due to interruptions and delays. One guess as to who is now in support of nuclear power!

There were other areas within the authority of the New Hampshire government that needed direr change. Governor Sununu was the first to recognize the need for a better mental health system, as well as, updated correctional facilities for both men and women. But the Governor’s message stayed the same, local control, smaller government, no sales tax, or income tax and that is just what Governor Sununu accomplished for the citizens of New Hampshire.

As the Governor concluded his speech, we all went home with a renewed pride of being part of a state whose citizens know how to question the actions of those in charge of their city or town, but we need to do a little more! Proud that we are the most politically educated group of citizens in the United States, we have more people per capita that have run for, or elected to office at either the local, state, or federal level.

It was a wonderful night with a brilliant man, a full room of men and women who are ready to roll up their sleeves to ensure that the upcoming election will not be another 2006. We need to get good people back in office after the votes of 2006 removed too many good elected officials, thus creating a disaster for our state.

Hold on New Hampshire, we are on our way and we promise not let you down.

Just my view – Marilyn Huston.