Massive changes in how we do things can be counterproductive

A recent visit to Representatives Hall at the State House reminded me of several rules legislators should keep in mind when considering whether to introduce, and then pass, legislation:

1. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In other words, if a problem really does not exist, or if the status quo is working, a law changing things or imposing new restrictions on people or organizations can be worse than leaving things as they are.

2. New Hampshire really does not need a thousand or so new laws every year, so be skeptical when an advocate tells you something is needed.

3. History and tradition count. Massive changes in how we do things can be confusing and counterproductive.

4. New Hampshire should do things the New Hampshire way, and not fall into national waves of action.

I was reminded of these while listening to consideration of the House-passed congressional map by a Senate committee. Historically, the 1st District has gone from the Seacoast west to include Manchester and surrounding towns, then north to Winnipesaukee. The 2nd District has been the rest of the state, including the cities of Nashua and Concord, with a few towns in Rockingham County to balance the population. A shift of only a few communities would have balanced the districts and left people the representation they are used to, and have two competitive districts.

Instead, the GOP-dominated House passed a map that displaces over 200,000 people into a new district. Governor Sununu has expressed displeasure. It will be interesting to see if he vetoes the map — which he should, if it passes the Senate.

Another discussion that led to concern for the process was about a constitutional amendment proposed to once again try to define “domicile” for the purposes of qualification for voting.

This has been an issue for years, largely concerning the right of college students to vote in the communities where they go to school, rather than requiring them to return home or vote by absentee ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court has determined students have the right to vote where they go to school, so whatever anyone thinks of that decision, the continued attempts to change New Hampshire law on the subject are getting tiresome.

The actual debate, however, was depressing, with such arguments as “6,000 people used out-of-state driver’s licenses as identification when registering.” Had it not occurred to those making the argument that people who have just moved here probably still have a license from another state? It was not an enlightening debate.

Legislators would be well advised to help us all by dispatching much of the proposed legislation, especially those aimed at our election system, which works well and produces clean, well-run, trustworthy elections and “ain’t broke.”

On a completely different topic, recently my wife and I had the opportunity to go back in time to a place from my youth — the Rosewood County Inn on Pleasant View Road in Bradford. This renovated former summer hotel, now owned by innkeepers Odo and Stan Orreik, has lovely suites of rooms and a varied menu of great food. It is off the beaten track on the Bradford-South Newbury border, but GPS finds it easily at 67 Pleasant View Way.

It is well worth a visit for dinner or a getaway weekend, any time of the year.

The inn is the former main building of Pleasant View, an American Plan resort that operated the hotel, cabins, a ninehole golf course and swimming facility, with shuffleboard, a recreation building with one TV, a pool table and pingpong.

The Messer family ran the place, which was an addition to its dairy farm, which was how many such resorts developed in the late 1800s as a way to make more money, until Pleasant View closed around 1970. My father started going there in 1921 and continued until his death, interrupted by World War II, and my parents started taking me there for the last two weeks of August, starting in 1951.

Returning to Pleasant View Road, and eating in that same dining room, brought back days of watching the cows graze out the window, playing golf with three generations of family (on sand greens), and it was very special.

Even if you have no such memories to summon, a visit to the Rosewood Country Inn is worth it, and might even start such memories. It clearly is a New Hampshire gem.

Brad Cook is a Manchester attorney. The views expressed in this column are his own. He can be reached at bradfordcook01@gmail.com.