Covid violations: forgive and forget?

TO THE EDITOR:

The Covid virus caused illness, death and economic hardship, it was well beyond the inconvenience of masks and one-way aisles in supermarkets. Hospitals postponed elective procedures, schools and day care centers closed as social distancing limited their in-person capacity. Everyone searched for personal protective gear and toilet paper.

The vast majority of New Hampshire business owners did their best to comply with restrictions in the governor’s state of emergency declarations. They weren’t required to believe the pandemic was real but were required to follow the guidance developed by state and federal medical experts. The New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association participated in the interests of their members, employees and customers who, in turn, supported them, ordering takeout and tipping generously. Congress appropriated funds to mitigate their lost revenue, through the Paycheck Protection Program and $1.25 billion distributed by the governor.

Some handled it differently. They chose to ignore/defy the guidance, likely contributing to the spread of the virus. When reported to the Attorney General’s Office, warnings were issued, followed by fines only when the business again failed to comply.

It wasn’t just restaurants. An interstate hockey tournament in an indoor sports center was the setting for several exposures, followed by a similar event at a wrestling tournament.

This reckless conduct placed their business interests above the risk to public health.

What was the response of the Republican majority legislature? They inserted a free pass for these scofflaws into the state budget, which was signed by Governor Sununu. Your tax dollars will be used to repay their fines. I’m surprised the proponents of this section did not demand an apology from the governor.

I conclude by thanking the residents and businesses of New Hampshire whose actions and sacrifices have brought us to where we are today. It may not be over, but they will act responsibly if we see another wave.

REP. MICHAEL CAHILL
NEWMARKET

Get big money out of elections

TO THE EDITOR:

A lot of money is being spent trying to defeat the For the People Act, or S.1. Makes you wonder who would want to spend this money. What do they have to gain?

This is what is called “dark money.”

We don’t know who is paying for it, but it must be people who want to be able to pump as much money as they have (a lot!) into influencing how you vote. Dark money is also used to influence politicians to pass legislation that benefits billionaires and corporations, rather than regular people.

The For the People Act (also known as S.1 or HR 1) would make political money transparent. We would learn who is paying for campaign ads, close campaign finance loopholes and end foreign attempts to influence our elections.

In addition, it would bring federal funding to New Hampshire, contrary to the New Hampshire secretary of state’s assertions. This money would pay for modern election equipment and software, to prevent election hacking.

Those expensive ads against S.1 are not telling you the truth. The ads use terms like “power grab” and “fraud.” So let’s stop the fraud and the power grab by billionaire donors! S.1 will protect our elections, preserve New Hampshire’s “first in the nation” status, and make sure that a billionaire’s voice is not any stronger than your voice when you go to the polls. S.1 is good for democracy, it’s good for all parties, and it’s good for New Hampshire.

SUSAN RICHMAN
DURHAM

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