Governor Sununu keeps NH at the bottom of education funding
March 23 – To the editor:
Congratulations, Governor Sununu.
In the final year of his eight-year stint in the corner office, he successfully maintained New Hampshire's ranking at the bottom of the nation in terms of state aid to education, with support from the Department of Education. Although he has been adamant about lowering business taxes for multinational corporations, local real estate taxes have been increasing year after year, severely impacting the finances of retirees on fixed incomes, first-time homeowners, and low-income tenants. It's having an impact.
While state-wide revenue appears to be increasing, the headlines show that education funding is not keeping up. We read about significant layoffs at UNH, the closure of the university's art museums and several liberal arts programs (as well as proposed increases in in-state tuition). In Dover, the proposed school budget reflects a nearly 18% year-over-year reduction in state funding. How can that difference be bridged?
Twenty years ago, in Claremont v. New Hampshire, the Supreme Court held that it is the state's duty to provide a constitutionally adequate education to public school students. Historically, the state has clearly failed to meet this standard, so much so that a Superior Court judge last year ordered the state to comply. (It is very likely that the state will spend significant tax money to challenge this decision.) Meanwhile, the burden of funding the public school system will increasingly fall on local property owners, or , the necessary staffing and programs are also becoming more burdensome. postponed or abolished at the district level.
It is often said that our most precious resource is our youth, but ensuring that all schools and communities in our state are adequately funded must be done at the state level, even without the threat of legal action. It should have been an ongoing priority. Instead, Sununu and all those past and present who could have made a difference were clearly more than content to remain at the bottom.
anthony mcmanus
dover
Sununu said what he really thinks about Trump.
March 24 − To the editor:
I have a friend who, years ago, dated a man who left her in a burning building. He ran away, but left her to fend for herself. Fortunately, she escaped unharmed. She laughed when she admitted that she continued to date him. She quickly learned that it wasn't a good idea, and she ended up walking away from a relationship that was doomed from the beginning.
That got me thinking about Governor Chris Sununu's support for Donald Trump. “Donald Trump is a crazy son of a bitch and will soon be a four-time loser who can't beat President Biden,” Sununu said, according to Democratic National Committee Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd. “Mr. Sununu described President Trump as a coward and the definition of an extremist with little capacity for straight thinking.”
Sigh.
And obviously, as with Sununu, the story may be cheap, but Sununu is a candidate who not only disrespects women, minorities, democracy, and the law, but also said, “Well, Hitler did it.” It seems quite surprising to support someone now. He is a candidate who supports not only the “bathing of blood” but also the acquittal of the January 6 rioters. The current governor is standing by those who, both literally and figuratively, condoned and supported this horrific attack on the rule of law and decency, and is now calling the rioters “hostages.”
Mr. Sununu seems able to ignore all that by projecting an image that not only undermines common sense, but democracy itself.
A friend of mine ended her relationship with her boyfriend who left her in a burning building. Sununu isn't just staying in the burning building, he's campaigning for all of us to join him.
susan dromy heater
new market
Donald Trump poses a danger to national security
March 21 − To the editor:
For Americans who have traditionally had to protect sensitive government information, it is easy to conclude that Donald Trump is extremely dangerous to national security. If anyone who was paid by Uncle Sam, in uniform or not, did something like him, he would be court-martialed, dishonorably discharged, fired for cause, and heavily fined. , or already in jail.
My letter, titled “'Reading Form 86 can be an enlightening experience,'” was written to ensure that people who work in the government do not share sensitive information with people who would normally do harm to the United States. Categories of shared information collected. Letters from April 2016 indicate that Donald Trump does indeed have multiple foreign bank accounts and is currently facing multiple criminal and civil lawsuits, but the rules for handling classified information have not been met. In addition to failing to comply, he was convicted of sexual assault and business fraud. His large legal debts alone, as well as his extensive overseas connections, now make him a heightened security risk. Just how many secrets could he sell to raise $500 million? Or has it already been sold/shared? The general public will probably never know.
Years ago, he asked Russia to help him smear his political opponents, and then, as a newly elected president, he shared classified information with Russia and revealed secret satellite capabilities.
After inadvertently declassifying intelligence information, Russian intelligence sources began to disappear. After he left office, he improperly kept highly classified information, including an unredacted binder related to Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Sharing state secrets with an adversary is not typical behavior for someone aspiring to be commander in chief.
Even though his indifferent, short-sighted, and narcissistic actions are already causing too many deaths for people at home (e.g., negligent coronavirus response and pushing forward ineffective and harmful treatments) ), it is difficult to understand why so many Americans praise and condone this behavior. ) and abroad (e.g. blocking military aid to Ukraine). If you don't want to research or read about security-related concerns, check out our “Comey Rule” series of streaming videos. It takes you through historical events that have been in the news for years and may have previously been difficult to put into perspective. . Please read the Mueller report and understand that it does not exonerate Donald Trump and that Trump's presidency is beyond Russia's wildest dreams. . Also understand that Iran is an ally of Russia and neither country is currently a friend.
don cavallaro
rye
Fiction reflects fact: here it can happen
March 26th To the editor
In his novel, It Doesn't Happen Here (1935), Sinclair Lewis accurately foresaw the danger that Donald Trump's presidency would pose to our democracy. Lewis is one of America's most famous and accomplished writers, and she also wrote Babbitt (1922), Arrowsmith (1925), and Main Street (1920).
“It Can't Happen Here” tells the story of populist senator and high-profile orator Buzz Windrip's rise to the presidency of the United States. When people attend Windrip's gatherings, they learn “how charismatic Windrip is.” Although Windrip does not make consistent claims, he is so passionate and empathetic that people begin to truly believe that he will solve all their problems. ” (list chart)
As I learned over the years while living or dying in New Hampshire, many in the Granite State want to believe that America has a rock-solid democracy that cannot be shaken. We are too independent, too intelligent, and fiercely protective of our freedom. It might be a joke. As soon as Windrip becomes president, he will dismiss the Supreme Court, suppress Congress, control the media, and suppress all political parties except his own. Even now, Trump's authoritarian nature means he seeks to control others who disagree with him.
“Through satire, Lewis encourages his readers to reject political movements that argue that it is necessary to take away people's rights and freedoms in order to protect their country's democracy and protect them from threats. Don't let this threat go unnoticed.'' (List Chart)
Gary Patton
(Formerly Hampton)
princeton new jersey
