Portfolio

Archive for the ‘Political News’ Category

, ,

Perry makes Granite State stop in presidential bid

In News, Political News on August 29, 2011 at 12:49 pm

GREENLAND — Texas Gov. Rick Perry made his first New Hampshire campaign stop Saturday night to show his respect for the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary.

The stop came just hours after Perry made his official announcement in South Carolina that he’d be seeking the office of President of the United States in the 2012 election.

“I feel right at home among people whose motto is live free or die,” said Perry during his speech at the home of Deputy House Speaker Pam and John Tucker in Greenland.

Perry went on to say that Americans can’t live free if the federal government takes over one-sixth of the economy, if their children inherit a mountain of debt, or if they don’t have the dignity of having a job.

“We’re being told we’re in a recovery right now,” Perry said. “It sure doesn’t feel like a recovery to those 9 percent that don’t have a job.”

Perry said that the country is facing an economic disaster and that two dollars of every five get stacked on the future generations’ back as debt.

“How can the wealthiest nation on the earth fail miserably to pay its bills?” Perry asked.

He said that as governor of Texas he lead by four guiding principles, which included not spending all the state’s money, having a light tax burden on job creators, having fair regulations in place, and having a legal system that keeps frivolous lawsuits at bay.

He said that since June of 2009, Texas is responsible for 40 percent of all the new jobs created in the country.

“Now you know that the recipe I just talked about worked,” Perry said.

Perry also said that in addition to the “tax and spend and borrow agenda” of President Obama leading to a downgrade of America’s credit rating, Obama has also downgraded American jobs, financial stability and hope for America’s children.

“Our nation cannot and must not endure four more years of rising unemployment, rising taxes, rising debt, and rising energy dependence on nations that will truly do us harm if given the opportunity,” Perry said.

The former United States Air Force Captain said that as President he would work to keep the government out of peoples lives, and to repeal Obama’s “one-size-fits-all” health care plan.

After his speech, Perry was asked by an audience member how America can become more energy independent, which he replied to by saying that he’s an “all of the above energy guy,” with the exception of ethanol, and that he supports nuclear energy.

America’s position as “leading from behind” in Libya was also brought to Perry’s attention by an audience member, which Perry said he didn’t support. He also stated that he would make sure that America stands with its allies.

“Israel is not ever going to have to worry if I’m President,” Perry said.

Later in the night, Perry was asked when America would get to a balanced budget, which he promised, “as soon as we can,” and said that stopping Obamacare would be his first priority. He was also asked how to secure the border, which he said would come about by an increased presence of national guardsmen and law enforcement in the area, as well as unarmed predator drones to monitor the ground from the sky.

As Perry wrapped up his visit, he attacked Social Security, calling it a Ponzi scheme that won’t be there for his 27-year-old son Griffin when he’s older, and re-emphasized the importance of getting America back to work by freeing the country from its massive debt.

After the speech, JoAnn Actis-Grande, assistant vice President of O’Brien Energy Resources, a privately-owned Portsmouth-based company, said she appreciated what Perry had to say about energy.

“I believe him, he seems to be straight-forward,” Actis-Grande said.

She added that she likes that Perry knows how to govern a large state like Texas, but also understands the needs and values of smaller states as well.

Donna Slack of Seacoast Republican Women said that she thought Perry came off as very dynamic and gutsy.

“Maybe he’ll show some backbone that these other guys don’t have,” Slack said.

Originally published by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

, ,

Huntsman discusses economy with La Festa patrons

In News, Political News on August 29, 2011 at 12:46 pm

DOVER — Seacoast republicans were greeted with handshakes and pizza on Saturday afternoon as presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman paid a visit to La Festa Brick and Brew in downtown Dover.

For many of the nearly a dozen people that attended the 1 p.m. event to meet him, it was their first chance at getting close to the former Utah governor.

“I’m on a fact-finding mission,” said Dover resident Randy Heller while enjoying some of La Festa’s pizza before Huntsman arrived.

Heller, a retired Navy commander who currently teaches middle school children in Dover, belongs to the Dover Republican Party and has already met republican candidates Herman Cain, Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann.

He said he was attending the event to learn more about Huntsman.

Dover resident David Thompson said that he was attending the event because he was pleased with Huntsman’s view that politicians from both sides should compromise to work out the country’s debt problems.

“I was impressed with his statement that both Democrats and Republicans should work to get the debt ceiling squared away,” Thompson said.

When Huntsman arrived, he greeted and shook hands with La Festa patrons before sitting down with a table of curious members of the public to outline his platform.

He began by stating his concerns about the “cancer” of debt that the county will be leaving behind for future generations, and spoke of his support for a balanced-budget amendment to make it unconstitutional.

Huntsman also said that neither party should have “sacred cows,” when it comes to cutting things from the budget, and that “entitlements must be on the table.”

“We don’t want to have a lost decade like they did in Japan,” Huntsman said.

He said that he believes the country needs an economic revolution through meaningful, competitive tax reform and that it needs to kick its “heroine-like” addiction to foreign oil.

Huntsman’s final point before taking questions was that the U.S. should avoid nation building. He said that he sees no definable goal in Libya and that the war on terror should be fought with counterterrorism and intelligence rather than troops.

“If our core isn’t rebuilt, we’re of no value to the rest of the world,” Huntsman said.

He then fielded questions from local citizens, at which time Heller asked what Huntsman thought of using the American military, specifically the National Guard, as a world police force.

“I’d rather use the national guard to secure the border,” Huntsman said.

Heller also asked Huntsman if he supported the movement to audit the Federal Reserve.

“I do,” Huntsman said, which pleased Heller.

Thompson later asked the former U.S. Ambassador to China what vehicle he might use to break the impasse between the two major parties in Washington. Huntsman said that combining good ideas on how America can “clean up our act financially” with getting the “stamp of approval” from the people during the 2012 election will motivate congress.

Huntsman also replied to questions about “Obamacare,” which he is in favor of repealing and letting the marketplace among various states decide how to fix health care.

When the event ended, Heller said that he admired Huntsman’s views on national defense and his economic approach. He said that while he still preferred Ron Paul, it wasn’t a definite choice.

“I can easily switch,” Heller said.

After thanking the event’s attendees, Huntsman made a short walk down Central Avenue to Central Paint & Coatings to shake hands and speak with Parker Humphrey, the store’s owner. The two talked about how people aren’t spending as much money anymore, and their hope that things will turn around economically for the country.

“Keep up the good work, I respect what you’re trying to do,” Huntsman said.

Originally published by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

,

Former Rochester manager named town administrator in Barrington

In Local News, Municipal News, News, Political News on June 12, 2011 at 6:01 pm

BARRINGTON — Former Rochester City Manager John Scruton, who was asked by the Rochester City Council to resign from the position in January, has been appointed by the Barrington Board of Selectmen to serve as the new town administrator there.

Scruton was appointed on May 17, and will officially begin as town administrator on June 1.

“We are very pleased and excited to have John on board,” said Barrington Selectmen Chairman Keith Pratt in a news release that went out on Thursday. “The depth of experience and knowledge of municipal issues in New Hampshire allows him to hit the ground running.”

Scruton was asked publicly to resign as Rochester city manager during an Oct. 5 City Council meeting by Ward 4 Councilor Dave Walker. Walker had been displeased by constant delays and cost overruns pertaining to the North Main Street bridge project.

Seven members of the Rochester City Council voted for Scruton to resign in a nonpublic meeting on Jan. 5. Rochester Mayor T.J. Jean cast the deciding vote, saying that he did so to break gridlock within the council.

“He’s probably the most honest person I know,” Jean said of Scruton in January following the council’s decision.

Scruton said that his resignation was a result of his desire to go in a different direction from that which the council wanted.

“I had five good years in Rochester, and I did a lot of good things,” Scruton said, adding he wishes the Rochester city councilors well.

While serving as Barrington’s town administrator, Scruton said his first objective as town administrator is to reach out to the town’s residents.

“My first goal is to get to meet people, to understand better what the issues are,” Scruton said.

In addition to being Rochester’s city manager, Scruton has also served as president of the New Hampshire Municipal Management Association. Scruton is currently serving as president of the New Hampshire Certified Public Managers Association.

Scruton said that through his experiences he has learned that techniques for working with people and solving problems are essentially universal, and hopes to apply what he has learned to Barrington.

Members of the local Board of Selectmen are optimistic about Scruton’s appointment.

“As a selectman and as an individual, I’m very pleased,” said Selectman Dawn Hatch, adding that she could see nothing negative in appointing Scruton.

“It was a hard job making that decision, but John gave us exactly what we wanted and needed,” Hatch said.

Scruton started to work for the town May 18, meeting with staff and working on various projects. He will officially begin as town administrator following the effective date of current Town Administrator Carol Reilly’s resignation June 1.

The board thanked those community members who helped in the interview process to narrow the field to three finalists who were interviewed by the members of the Board of Selectmen.

The board especially thanked Carol Reilly for her many years of dedicated service to the town, including more than 10 years as town administrator.

Keith Pratt noted on behalf of the entire Board, “She will be missed and we wish her the best of luck.”

Originally published by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

,

Former New Mexico governor visits seacoast

In News, Political News on June 12, 2011 at 5:56 pm

PORTSMOUTH — Two-term former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson visited downtown Portsmouth Saturday afternoon as part of his U.S. presidential campaign.

Johnson, who announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in April at the New Hampshire State House in Concord, stopped in at Runner’s Alley on Congress Street to meet with patrons and talk to store employees.

Johnson said he finds Granite Staters are more inclined to interact with politicians and, in some cases, feel that they have a responsibility to do so.

“The difference here is that people are really engaged,” he said. “They have a general obligation to vet political candidates.”

A 10-time visitor to the state, he said he believes candidates should not be given special treatment when meeting the public, such as cutting in line at a store to shake hands with the owner.

“That’s not my idea of communication,” said Johnson, who served two back-to-back terms as governor of New Mexico beginning in 1995. “My idea is a conversation.”

He said 60 percent of Americans describe themselves as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, and feels he is the candidate who best represents that demographic.

“I’m arguably the most fiscally conservative governor that’s ever served,” said Johnson, adding that he also believes social issues such as gay marriage and abortion should be decided by the people and not the government.

Johnson said he supports abolishing the Federal Department of Education in favor of letting individual states control and compete over education and to free them from having to take federal funding.

“The Federal Department of Education gives each state 11 cents for every school dollar that each state spends, but it comes with 16 cents worth of strings attached,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said he would not raise the debt ceiling and would submit a balanced budget by 2013, which he views as the only way to avoid an economic catastrophe.

He said although both parties are to blame for the country’s current economic situation, he believes the problem only can be solved if Republicans control both the executive and legislative branches.

He also said he thinks Republicans should repeal President Barack Obama’s health care plan because the nation can’t afford it, and that the party could also gain a lot of credibility by repealing Medicare Part D, passed when Republicans were in control of the House, Senate and White House.

Recently it was announced Johnson would excluded from the Republican Party’s first presidential primary debate in New Hampshire, set for June 13 at St. Anselm College.

Johnson said he feels he might be being excluded for being too socially liberal. He added that although CNN maintains he does not the debate’s criteria of polling above 2 percent nationally, he feels simply being on the poll’s list is proof that he is well-known enough to be allowed to debate.

“I’m not a fringe candidate,” he said. “I’m the candidate that everybody’s writing articles about, the one they wish would run.”

Johnson, who has competed in the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii four times and climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest in 2003, took time to discuss running and biking in Portsmouth.

Stephanie Carignan, manager of Runner’s Alley, said she didn’t know about Johnson before his visit, but she feels more inclined to research his campaign after meeting him.

“I’m definitely more inclined to look up information on him because it’s a fresh face,” she said. “I’m not really excited about the candidates that are out there right now.”

In addition to Runner’s Alley, Johnson also visited Federal Cigar and Maine-ly New Hampshire in Portsmouth as well as Cafe on the Corner and Harvey’s Bakery and Coffee Shop in Dover. On Saturday morning Johnson attended the Leadership Institute Grassroots Activist Training Seminar in Bedford.

Originally published by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

,

Fitzpatrick sworn in as Rochester city manager

In Local News, Municipal News, News, Political News on June 12, 2011 at 5:49 pm

ROCHESTER — The Lilac City welcomed its new city manager on Tuesday night as Interim City Manager Bob Steele formally resigned, passing the torch to Daniel Fitzpatrick during a special meeting of the Rochester City Council.

“He’s a seasoned veteran,” Steele said of his successor, who had been serving as city manager to Englewood, N.J. since 2008.

Steele said that prior to the meeting, he and Fitzpatrick had spent the day reviewing issues that Steele had been working on, but had not yet completed. They also met with various department heads and staff.

Rochester Mayor T.J. Jean said that he anticipates that the transition from Steele to Fitzpatrick will be a smooth one.

“Out of the approximately 40 candidates we interviewed, he had by far the most experience and the strongest qualifications for the job,” Jean said. “I’m sure he’ll be hitting the ground running starting tomorrow morning.”

Jean added that he is optimistic about the knowledge and proficiency that Fitzpatrick will bring to the city.

“We’re definitely looking forward to having him evaluate the city in terms of areas for improved efficiencies and to get his insight and experience on how we might do things better for the citizens of Rochester,” Jean said.

After the meeting, Fitzpatrick said that he is looking forward to being part of a city with as much social capital as Rochester.

“It’s an exciting place at an exciting time, and I’m glad to be a part of that,” Fitzpatrick said.

The city council decided unanimously to allow Jean to enter into an employment agreement with Fitzpatrick during a special meeting on April 19.

At the meeting, Jean said that Fitzpatrick possessed two important characteristics: overall experience and a history of managing cities comparable in size to Rochester. Both Rochester and Englewood have a population of about 30,000, Jean said.

“Rochester is on the cusp of some pretty significant growth,” Fitzpatrick said at the April 19 meeting. “I think my experience will serve the city well in taking it to its next level.”

Fitzpatrick has held a city manager position in various states since 1979. Prior to serving in Englewood, he was also city manager in Peekskill, N.Y., Ocean Park, Mich., Augusta, Maine; Ogdensburg, N.Y. and Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

The new city manager has also served as vice president and chief financial officer at an environmental consulting firm in Syracuse, N.Y., and as a regional vice president of an industrial building services company in Poughkeepsie.

Fitzpatrick replaces Former Rochester City Manager John Scruton, who was asked publicly to resign during an Oct. 5 city council meeting. The resignation followed a dispute with members of the council regarding constant delays and cost overruns pertaining to the North Main Street Bridge.

Bob Steele, who has twice previously served as Rochester’s city manager and once as Dover’s city manager, has been serving as interim city manager since Jan. 7.

Jean said that working with Steele taught him a great deal in the previous months about working in government and how to approach various issues.

“I have the utmost respect for Bob Steele,” Jean said. “He is a first class individual and someone who I have tremendous respect for. He’ll be greatly missed.”

Steele, whose formal resignation was met with a standing ovation by all in attendance, said that returning to Rochester gave him the chance to settle unfinished business.

“I had been a little bit disappointed to find that some of the things I thought I’d completed when I left here really didn’t quite get wrapped up, and I’ve been able to do that and finish them off,” Steele said.

Steele added that while he honors his experience in the Lilac City, he is ready to step down from the position.

“I won’t say it’s always been enjoyable, but it’s a pleasure to work in Rochester,” Steele said. “To some extent I will miss it, but I am tired. I turned 71 in this position. I’ve done my duty.”

Originally published by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

,

Pensions on council agenda

In Local News, Political News on November 7, 2009 at 6:27 pm

Pension Plan Concerns Addressed to City Council

Citizens voiced their concern over the costliness of Pensacola’s pension plan during the open forum segment of the Sept. 25 city council meeting.

Pensacola resident Bill Cummins began the discussion when he presented the council with his assessment of the pension’s cost to city taxpayers. According to Cummins the sum of money that the city is obligated to pay for this pension has risen to $103 million, a huge jump compared to the $2.9 million that was owed just 12 years ago.

“You will have more money going to that plan than you will have received in taxes,” said Cummins.

The discussion was started as a response to one of the councilmen publicly denying that they had a pension plan under the city at the Sept. 22 meeting of the republican women’s club. Cummins was the first of three Pensacola residents who had attended the Sept. 22 meeting and had come before the council to express their views on the subject.

Members of the city council agreed with Cummins on the urgency of the matter. Councilman Sam Hall explained that the pension’s unfunded liability is approximately $20 million more than what the city takes in from its general fund and places like the Energy Services of Pensacola.

“It’s one of those things that the council is going to have to get its arms around, and pretty quickly,” said Hall, “I’m not sure exactly when it’s going to get to crisis level, but I think it’s going to reach up and bite either this council, the next council, or certainly the one after that.”

The city switched its pension plan for newly hired employees from the city plan to the Florida retirement system in June of 2007. When this happened all employees hired prior to 2007 were given the option of switching to the Florida retirement system or to stay with the city pension plan.

As Councilman Marty Donovan explained, the reason the city owes so much is because over 95% of employees didn’t switch to the Florida system.

Originally published at Ricksblog.biz for the Independent News.

, ,

Bailey: current charter hurts city

In Local News, Political News on November 7, 2009 at 6:21 pm

Former CRA director says city charter limits problem solving

The Pensacola City Charter inhibits the city’s people and government from successfully working together to solve tough problems, Pensacola architect David Bailey told the Charter Review Commission at their meeting on Wednesday.

Bailey referred to a section of the charter, which states that the city council can only interact with the members of the city staff through the city manager. This rule creates a bottleneck that prevents the council from effectively dealing with major problems such as generational poverty and housing issues.

“The structure of the city government does not lend itself to leadership on the part of the elected officials,” said Bailey.

Bailey said that during his five years as the director of the Pensacola community redevelopment agency his working relationship with the city council was inhibited to the point of being meaningless. According to Bailey, there were members of the council who never met with him at his office during his time on the staff.

Commission Member Natalie Prim explained that the rule was in place to keep staff members from going around the city manager.

“It doesn’t mean that they can’t discuss, or that they can’t present or grieve, or hear what they have to say,” said Prim, “I think it’s just to keep order in the house and not let it get out of hand.”

Bailey responded by suggesting that the language of the charter provide an individual with the responsibility to keep that problem in check rather than using “soft” language that prevents the separate departments from communicating.

“The problems that I dealt with were not tidy problems,” said Bailey, “don’t let the desire to have very tidy structure prevent us, when we’re in the trenches, from solving problems.”

Pensacola’s government was also compared to that of big cities that exhibit a more progressive form of government, such as Jacksonville, Fla. and Austin, Texas. Bailey used the example of the mayor of Austin, Will Wynn, sitting down with members of the pubic to draft a budget.

Bailey told the review commission that Pensacola’s political boundaries do not reflect the significance of the city within the state of Florida or the United States, and that it should be more progressive.

Originally published at Ricksblog.biz for the Independent News.

, , , , , ,

Presidential hopeful John McCain makes appearance at PJC

In News, Political News on November 7, 2009 at 6:13 pm

Republican Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain made a campaign stop Jan. 22 at The Hartsell Arena on PJC’s Pensacola campus.

The Arizona senator held a Florida Military Veteran’s Rally to meet with his supporters in Pensacola as he began his campaign to win the Florida primary election.

He used the opportunity to discuss the economy and the war in Iraq.

“We are succeeding in Iraq,” McCain said. “Al Qaeda is on the run, but they are not defeated.”

McCain confessed that if it wasn’t for the war on terror and the war in Iraq, he might not have considered running for President. He said that he has the military experience needed to win the war, and promised that he could find Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden if elected.

In addition, McCain would also expand the military to keep troop rotations on schedule, and keep America present in the Middle East for as long as necessary.

“I’d rather lose a campaign than lose a war,” said McCain.

McCain also advocated restraining government spending and keeping taxes low.

He spoke passionately about improving health care for military veterans, noting that treating veterans well is an incentive for others to serve in the military.

A military veteran himself, McCain lived in Pensacola briefly to attend flight school, and considers Florida the most patriotic state in the U.S.

“[Sen. McCain] knew that something very good was going to happen in his future, he just didn’t know what,” said Col. George “Bud” Day, who met McCain in a P.O.W. camp during the Vietnam war. “We have very high expectations that he’ll do well in Florida, proceed to the next series of elections, and come out of that the number one man.”

Originally published by The Corsair for Pensacola Junior College.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.