This week, we discuss the upcoming Manchester city elections, the school charter commission, who is running (me! and I ask for your vote), what this commission might entail (it’s not clear, but things seem fishy), why good education is important, and more!
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America’s imagination has been captured by the “miracle” of the Scandinavian “third way” – a mix of socialist safety net policies and market-friendly policies that seem to have helped them avoid the worst excesses of socialism while continuing to grow their economy.
But is the story really that simple? Your hosts explore the real story of Scandinavian socialism, focusing on Sweden. From the historical forces that shaped the Swedish welfare state to the economic collapse that their government’s largesse brought on in the early 90s, it’s been anything but a utopian fairytale.
Find out if the Scandinavian third way is the future for New Hampshire on this week’s episode of Told You So!
We mentioned the following lectures, topics, and articles in the show – follow the links to get more info!
This week, Tammy and I discuss the upcoming Fall City elections, and how to stay cool when it’s hot, hot, hot.
I was invited by School Choice for NH to share my views on school choice.
Every child is a unique individual and “one size” does not fit all when it comes to his or her educational path. Some children thrive in government-run schools, others do not. I support school choice and expanding options for parents who know what is best for their child…
The answer lies in freeing the education market to more choice and competition. In Nordic countries, often cited by Democrats as the future “democratic socialist ideal” for America, school choice actually forms the bedrock of their educational system.
School choice is a form of freedom, and improves your child’s chances for success. As your Senator in District 20 (Goffstown and Manchester Ward 3, 4, 10 and 11), unlike my opponent, Lou D’Allesandro, who opposes school choice, I will support legislation that provides more educational choices for your child, which is ultimately good for your kids, good for you, and good for New Hampshire. A vote for me, Carla Gericke, is a vote for a better, brighter future!
You can read the full letter here. I ask for your vote on November 6th. Let’s get to work!
Pamela Ean, who is running in District 15 and I recently penned an op-ed for the Concord Monitor in which we make a case for your support and vote on November 6th.
"New Hampshire consistently ranks as the best state in which to live, work, and play exactly because of our limited government, low-tax approach to life. Low taxes result from low spending, allowing you to keep your money to spend on the things you personally like and value, allowing you the freedom to choose where to spend your money – including on private charity and the needs of others – instead of having it taken from you under the guise of “helping.” If increasing taxes ended poverty, wouldn’t poverty have disappeared by now?
Raising taxes, increasing fees and adding more regulations, as Democrats advocate, do not help working families and do not put people first. Letting us all make our own decisions on how our hard-earned money is spent is what puts people first.
Instead of suffering under the disastrous ideas trotted out by incumbent Democrats Dan Feltes and Lou D’Allesandro, why not give Republican women like Pamela Ean (District 15) and Carla Gericke (District 20) the chance to show you how rich your life can truly be when you are free from these entrenched politicians’ failed economic policies?
We ask for your vote on Nov. 6 and promise to serve with integrity, character and compassion."
Read the entire op-ed at the Concord Monitor.
(Pamela Ean is a former police officer and public school teacher who lives in Concord. She is seeking the state Senate seat as a Republican in District 15, which includes Concord, Penacook, Hopkinton, Henniker and Warner. Carla Gericke is a former lawyer and writer who lives in West Manchester. She is the Republican nominee for N.H. Senate in District 20, which includes Goffstown and Manchester Wards 3, 4, 10 and 11.)
Last night, I was honored to attend a graduation ceremony at West Side High for students receiving their High School Equivalency certificates.
These students ranged in ages from young to not-so young, but what they all had in common was a dedication and desire to better themselves. They worked hard, and you could tell they were proud of what they had accomplished.
The audience was encouraged to whoop and holler when "their" student received their certificate, and it brought tears to my eyes to hear dads proudly (and loudly) yelling: "That’s my son!"
Sitting next to me was a woman who warned me I might need ear plugs when her sister received her certificate. "Don’t worry, I’m loud too," I said, laughing. When her sister, in mid-life and dressed in a purple gown and cap stepped up to receive her certificate, the lady went wild. While it was moving to see her family and friends so supportive of her accomplishment, I did jokingly say, "Maybe I did need the ear plugs after all!"
Life is all about challenges. It is also about how YOU face and overcome those challenges. Every day, you have a choice about how you are going to live your life TODAY. It was rewarding to see all these people willing to put in the work and take the steps to improve their futures!
Thanks for having me. Kudos to all!
Life in NH is never dull! Look at this turnout for the injunction hearing in the matter of NHDoE vs. Town of Croydon school board.
Cliff-ish Notes:
The state is arguing that *it* needs an injunction to immediately remove 4 kids who were placed in a Montessori school otherwise *the state* will suffer irreparable harm. Notwithstanding the fact that the children are FLOURISHING at their new school, and despite the fact that the taxpayers of Croydon are actually saving $3,000 per kid.
Said the AG’s office: “Public students with public funds need to be in public schools. Those children don’t belong there [at Montessori]!” The state lawyer asked for an injunction, saying that parents can either pay privately, out of pocket for their children to go to Montessori (double taxed jeopardy, anyone?) or the court must order the kids back to the Newport public school IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
This, argued with a statist-straight-tist face after the DoE KNEW about the issue in JUNE DURING THE HOLIDAYS and after this is the second year in which this approach has been taken for kids who need it.
In a June letter to the DoE, the Croydon attorney wrote: “This practice [sending kids to the best school for them] will continue,” and yet, the AG and the DoE did NOTHING…
…Until the school year started to… sue and disrupt perfectly happy kids lives… I smell… let me be gracious… incompetence?
The Croydon attorney, who is a former NH Supreme Court judge, more rationally argued–after saying, “We told them in June, so BRING IT ON, BABY!” (best line of the day)–that allowing the children to go to a school better suited to their needs was better. *Doh.* He went on to say: “The bill is already paid until February 2016. The parents want their kids there. The school board wants the kids there. The kids WANT TO BE there. They are paying less money for a better education.”
BUT NOOOOOOO… the state in all its wisdom wants to kids back in their pre-approved reeducation camp. Must not allow this flight, this, shall we say, brain drain to begin, otherwise, oh, lordy mama, everyone might want to… choose what is best for them, and we can’t have that now, can we???
My money is on the DoE’s request for injunctive relief not being granted, mostly because the state dillydallied and didn’t file the motion during the vacay. If that’s the case, 1-0 for Croydon and school choice. Either way, a hearing will be set on the merits of the case, and this too should be interesting. The AGs office, IMO, overplayed its hand in trying for injunctive relief. But, then, this is the nature of statism: you belong to us. They also underestimated the courageous people who believe in what is best for the individual person.
If the court does the right thing–the order about the injunctive relief will come out in the next 48 hours–then the children can at least see out the current school year at their CHOSEN, CHEAPER school.
This case can have a monumental impact on school choice in NH, where, btw, several other schools already send their kids to non-public schools, like Pinkerton and schools in Vermont. Stay tuned for details as they unfold.