Also on today’s menu:
Laconia State School Sale Delayed Again
Cato Institute Gives New Hampshire Top Rating
Today I’m trying something new. The original idea for the News Café was to give people a chance to read the daily news and then discuss their views about it. When adapting that original idea, which was linked to a physical space, to make it work for a virtual audience, I’ve invited people respond to the newsletter, and sometimes offer my own thoughts. This new experiment — inspired by the way Kareem Abdul-Jabbar handles his Substack column — is to first present a news item, then offer ‘my take’ as a discussion prompt, hoping more people will then offer their views. So here goes ….
Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson believes her experience as an author, spiritualist, and political activist is just as valuable as that of a political “insider”. In response to a question from the Laconia Daily Sun during an editorial board interview — “How do you find an appetite within the Democratic Party for a candidate with your background when the very concept of an outsider candidate is still very much associated with Trump?” — she said, “The problem with Trump was not that he didn’t have experience. ... The problem is his character. The problem is who he is as a human being. It wasn’t what he didn’t know, but what he didn’t respect.”
Her position is that “the average American that I speak to is ready for a deeper conversation. People know that the political establishment is addressing issues in a transactional way, and we need a more transformational approach. The political establishment addresses symptoms, but does not address root causes. Too often it doesn’t want to address root causes, because if they address root causes, it’s glaringly obvious how often they are the root cause — the policies by which they consistently make it easier for those who already have capital to get more capital and more difficult for everyone else to get by.”
Asked about concerns about President Joe Biden Jr.’s age, she responded, “I’m very careful with that one when the press asks me about it because, first of all, I’m 71. And I also tell people that I’m only running for one term, because I don’t think that a baby boomer should be president in 2028. Nobody needs me to point out for them the obvious issues that President Biden has on that, so I’m careful. We don’t want to be ageist and we don’t want to be unkind. The American people can see what they can see.”
What would she do? She would “repeal that $2 trillion tax cut from 2017. We need to put back the middle class tax cut that should have been put in by us during the Obama years. Also, get rid of these absurd multibillion-dollar subsidies that go to companies that are already making billions of dollars.”
Conversation: Marianne Williamson has an intriguing perspective, and is correct in saying that the standard governmental approach is not addressing the underlying problems facing the country. I also applaud her for avoiding agism, because elders bring years of experience in what works and what does not work to bear in addressing problems, even though age does take a toll on the body. Under Biden’s leadership, the United States now has a historically strong economy and has regained respect for America around the world. His nuanced approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict is the correct way forward, even though he has been criticized for it. The question now is whether Williamson would be able to turn her intellectual understanding of what is wrong and her “moral approach” to governance into concrete action to address it. All she has offered is more of the same goals others speak of: issues of taxes and subsidies.
Laconia State School Sale Delayed Again
The closing date for the sale of the former Laconia State School property has been pushed back again, and a new closing date will not be announced until the end of the month. Mayor Andrew Hosmer says he believes that “communication from the developer is fizzling”. The city and the developer had been meeting regularly since the Executive Council approved the sale late last year, but Hosmer said the developer has not met with the city since September, and, without explanation, did not show up for the last scheduled video conference.
Robynne Alexander of Legacy at Laconia, whose earlier projects were incomplete or subject to litigation, won the contract by offering $21.5 million for the 220-acre state-owned property, despite misgivings by members of the Executive Council. The last hangup involved “unresolved easements” on the Laconia property. Now, Commissioner Charles Arlinghaus of the Department of Administrative Services says the parties are still working to finalize the details of the closing documents. “It’s a very complicated thing, with an enormous number of details to be worked out, and they’ve all progressed really well. I think we’ve worked really well with the buyer’s team,” Arlinghaus said.
Hosmer originally had reservations about the sale, but found Alexander’s team to be professional, giving the impression that “there was some real momentum behind this development”. However, “the drop off in communication and the postponement of the closing raises a lot of questions,” the mayor said.
Discussion: Charlie Arlinghaus’ failure to look into Alexander’s background had the Executive Council poised to approve the contract until reporter Annmarie Timmins uncovered the developer’s shady past. Governor Chris Sununu and Arlinghaus worked quickly to allay the fears, and the proposal passed, 3-2, last December. Councilors Ted Gatsas and David Wheeler remained unconvinced and voted against the sale. Arlinghaus has eroded credibility in the Department of Administrative Services and seems to have obtained the job because of his friendship with Sununu: He served as budget director prior to his appointment. Perhaps the next governor will replace him.
Cato Institute Gives New Hampshire Top Rating
New Hampshire holds the top spot among the 50 states in the Cato Institute’s rankings for its economic, social, and political freedoms. The institute’s mission is to advance solutions based on principles of individual liberty, free markets, and peace. Governor Chris Sununu attributes the high score to local control and civic engagement.
The “Freedom in the 50 States” report noted that New Hampshire’s overall tax burden of 7.4 percent is well below the national average. There is low government debt; more progressive state laws on housing, including allowing accessory dwelling units on homes and having a Housing Appeals Board; a broad scope and practice for health professionals; low lawsuit levels; and school choice.
The report included criticism of the state-run and -regulated liquor stores, high taxes on tobacco products, and state-mandated direct access to health care specialists which can result in higher costs and premiums for health insurance. The criticism also included the absence of right-to-work legislation and exclusionary zoning.
Discussion: Local control and civic engagement are laudable goals, but also are elusive in New Hampshire. Local control only exists to the extent that the state legislature grants it, and even then, the state often ignores or reverses local decisions. There was plenty of civic engagement during the redistricting process, yet the legislature ignored the public comments and drew up its own maps. Last night’s meeting of the Bristol Board of Selectmen included a discussion of the law allowing accessory dwelling units and the local planning board’s decision to require such units to be attached to the main dwelling, even though state law allows detached buildings to be included. That said, New Hampshire probably does do a better job than most states in ensuring freedoms.
By The Way…
National Gratitude Month
The News Café is among the publications that are “Reader Supported” — a revolutionary approach to publishing in response to the struggle of traditional news and magazine publishers, as well as unreliable social media. Many writers were at a loss as to how to reach their readers as their jobs and publications were eliminated. With the exception of the period of the pandemic, people read less and purchase fewer books.
Substack is a platform that aims to put readers and writers into a direct relationship that is not dependent on algorithms, advertisements, and profits. In traditional publishing, the money you pay a publisher is divided between executives and shareholders, distribution outlets like Amazon and other booksellers, editors, designers, agents, marketing and sales staff, and the cost of production. When you put down $25 for a hardcover book, the author receives between $2.50 and $4. If a successful book sells about 10,000 copies, the author may receive $25,000 for something he or she has spent years writing. Most of the authors you love are not rich. If they are lucky, they are a middle-class bunch, like artists, teachers, and preachers.
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