The $6.9 million question

You’ve heard about the camel’s nose under the tent, but what happens if it’s a whole caravan of camels?

That appears to be the direction NH — and more precisely, NH’s education system — is headed, thanks to Ed. Commish Frank Edelblut, Bored of Ed. Chair Andrew Cline and a whole host of folks who succeeded in enacting NH’s “education freedom accounts” into law. You know, the law that supposedly helps pay for private and religious school tuition for students from lower-class families.

At the time of debate, NHers were told that the cost of such a program would be minimal, since there wouldn’t be too many families taking part. An “estimate” from the commish himself put the number of students taking part at less than three dozen. Lawmakers liked the idea, and went with the commish’s estimate, budgeting $129k for the first year — that’s about $4,600 per kid.

Well, lo and behold, now the estimate of participating families — who know a good deal when they see one — is between 1,000 and 1,500, meaning the cost could be as much as $6.9 million in the first year. That’s over 50 (fifty) times more the commish’s estimate.

We know the NH Legis. has a reputation for frugality, and perhaps that passion will kick into gear to force them to at least ask questions about why the commish’s “estimate” was so far off base.

Either that, or we’re gonna have to get a way bigger tent.

For a brief few moments, as NH waited to learn if Guv Sununu had Covid (fortunately he didn’t. But it was a bleeding ulcer — oy!), thoughts turned to a photo taken only days earlier, when the guv was on one of his ‘Super 603’ trips, this one on the Conway Scenic Railroad, where he meeted-and-greeted 500 Granite Staters eager to share some alone time with him. As you can see from the photo, no masks were in sight, which is what you would expect. But what would folks be thinking today if the guv actually were Covid-positive at the time?

Agenda items

Every once in a while, a politico actually tells the truth, and like it or not, the soft underbelly of the pol. system is exposed for all the world to see — and most of the population gets grossed out by it.

Take the recent tour into political campaign theory espoused by one Belmont GOPer Michael Sylvia, R-Free State, who — in a video confab with his fellow travelers — let us in on exactly how a segment (a growing segment, actually) of the GOP actually feels about many of their fellow human beings.

The bottom line: not much. And that’s being kind. During the video confab, MS opined thusly: “Frankly I’m going to throw in there, and one you’re going to hate is the whole border situation. This is not my feeling, but you know the atmosphere out there is that those dirty Mexicans or Guatemalans or whatever are coming across the border bringing in Covid with them. It’s a bit of nonsense, but that is a genuine mood that is out there, and whether or not it’s true and real, you know, if we could take advantage of it, why wouldn’t we?” Now, the immediate response was — rightly — that this statement is racist at its core, despite the protestations of MS and a disturbingly large number of fellow Belknap County GOPers. After all, even if you throw in a “warning label” like “it’s bit of nonsense …” don’t mean you ain’t been thinking it yourself, does it?

But the other, and probably just as disturbing aspect, of the opinions/agenda of MS is that his comments were made about drumming up support for a movement he and fellow Free Staters and other GOPers are pushing: Getting NH to secede from the US. Yes, secede.

This is what the confab was about, folks. And this is what not only MS — an elected member of the General Court, along with another member, Rindge GOPer Matthew Santonastaso, R-Rindge, who was also in on the confab — but a growing number of members of the legit GOP are starting to dabble in.

Three questions:

1. The MS twins might want to rethink taking their seats in the General Court when it reconvenes, since they are both violating their oath of office, which says, “I do solemnly swear, that I will bear faith and true allegiance to the United States of America and the state of New Hampshire, and will support the constitution thereof. So help me God.”

2. While it’s fine for people to have different views about the right direction for a state and a nation, the racist logic of Sylvia — that they can manipulate NHers into following them off a secessionist cliff — is stunning. Especially since NHers have never been asked how they feel about secession. Chances are, even in these troubled times, most would stay put.

3. Has taking over NH and then seceding from the union been the Free Stater agenda all along?

MAKING THE ROUNDS

Yes, Carroll County Commissioner Matthew Plache, a Wolfeboro GOPer, actually complained that if there were a vaccine mandate imposed on nursing home staffers, it would amount to “medical apartheid.” Did he think to ask the residents of the county nursing home and vaxxed staffers what they think first?

That trip to Kentucky the guv took to check out how that state is handling its Covid surge — and that surge is pretty damn impressive, if that’s the right word — has anyone figured out why Dean Kamen was the guv’s pilot/chauffeur on the trip?

Just FYI, the NJ native and ex-Chris Christie aide who desperately wants to represent NH in Congress, will be holding a fundraiser in the Garden State on 9/27. Will he also be getting a sense of how Garden Staters feel about the issues facing the Granite State?

Speaking of Mowers and the rest of the GOP 1st CD primary field, they’re sure gettin’ mighty testy with each other already, ain’t they?