I'M RUBBER, YOUR GLUE
Edward C. Mosca
New Hampshire State Republican Party Chairman Warren Henderson recently called
for the appointment of an "independent authority" to investigate "recent
allegations of misconduct by the governor, his staff and his campaign." If this
sounds familiar, it's because the Democrats used the same play-book against
Craig Benson when he was Governor. Neither party wants to talk about the issues.
Instead, our political discourse consists of arguing about whose scandals are
worse. And it's easy to see why.
The Democrat Party likes to carp about property taxes being too high. But to
reduce property taxes, either government spending must be cut or new taxes must
be enacted. Cutting spending is anathema to the Democrat base, while new taxes
are anathema to just about everyone else who votes. So muzzle the Mark Fernalds
and Arnie Arnesens, nominate a telegenic empty-suit like John Lynch, and program
him to keep repeating, "I will veto an income tax," "my education funding plan
is constitutional," and "Benson scandals."
The problem for the Republican Party is that its johnny-one-note no income tax
mantra doesn't apply to Lynch and it doesn't want to talk about the so-called
"values issues." Not a peep was heard when Lynch appointed a vociferous
proponent of same-sex marriage as his representative to a state commission
studying same-sex marriage. And this was despite candidate Lynch having said he
opposed same-sex marriage. And the silence was just as deafening when Lynch
indicated he would like to repeal New Hampshire's parental notification law to
prevent the U.S. Supreme Court from declaring the law constitutional.
For a while it looked like education funding would be a defining issue as Senate
President Tom Eaton and majority leader Bob Clegg opined that
the Governor's plan did not comply with the Claremont decisions and should be
sent for an advisory opinion. But once it looked like Lynch had the votes to get
his plan through the senate without an advisory opinion, Eaton and Clegg folded
their constitutional tent and supported a funding scheme concocted by Manchester
senator Ted Gatsas which also failed to comply with Claremont.
Lynch decided not to veto the Gatsas plan, despite his campaign pledge to
eliminate the statewide property tax. So at long last we have a bipartisan
solution to the education funding dilemma. Or at least until the next lawsuit,
which may not be very long.
In the meantime, it looks like we're stuck with the riveting issue of whether EZ
pass transponders should sell for $5.00 or $27.50. Or at least until December,
when we can talk about the findings the same-sex marriage commission is
scheduled to issue.
But what we should really be talking about is why we need to study same-sex
marriage. We don't. What we need to do is to let the people vote on a
constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one
woman. But that would mean the state GOP would have to take a stand on one of
those values issues it likes to avoid. Which is why we have a commission to
study the issue and Transpondergate is the front page news.
I don't mean to condone Lynch's attempt to circumvent the law and sell
transponders at Building 19 prices and whatever other peccadilloes Chairman
Henderson wants investigated. But Henderson wants Lynch to appoint the
independent investigator, which we all know isn't going to happen. And which
makes it look like all Henderson is attempting to do is to score some political
points.
And speaking about trying, and failing, to score political points, did you catch
State Democrat Party Chairman Kathy Sullivan's response toHenderson, which
essentially was to call him irrational? What's next - The Governor is rubber;
Warren, you're glue; whatever you say about the Governor bounces off of him and
sticks to you?
The worst part about all this is that there are important issues that are being
ignored. In particular, why are we striving so mightily to comply with the
Claremont decisions when these decisions are based on the undeniably incorrect
premise that the quality of an education is determined by its cost. The recently
passed health care law that takes from the poor to give to the rich. And the
morning-after-pill which takes away parental rights.
Don't get me wrong, I'm as concerned about the Governor bootlegging transponders
as the next guy, but can't we spend some of the time talking about the issues?
Mr. Mosca is an attorney practicing in New Hampshire.
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Posted August 8, 2005
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