NH Rep Dan Itse Calls Out the House. Again.

And yet again, we must inquire, why aren't they embarrassed? Even just a little bit. But no-o-o-o. . . The first time, no one seemed sufficiently and justifiably contrite. This time, from 10/28/2009 -- the same day the Senate couldn't see fit to extricate itself from peaceful individuals' medical decisions -- is clearly no different.

Rep. Itse first references last term's SB153, "relative to business practices between motor vehicle manufacturers, distributors, and dealers," specifically. But he could just as easily have used as examples the recently eviscerated payday loan industry. Or any of the far too numerous professional licensing boards and mandatory requirements in NH (one of the most onerous lists in the country), and all of which directly restrict the forms of contracts into which your state "allows" you to enter. Our government is flatly prohibited from passing such legislation by the Constitution, by rule of law, and all these are just violations of merely one particular Constitutional provision.

Then Rep. Itse goes on to cite intentional Constitutional limitations on the imposition of taxes. You know, like income taxes?

And what is the reaction of this august body to the notion that they've violated their oaths (which they took most recently less than a year ago), and that violation thereof is, in fact, a serious matter for honest citizens? Chortles. Snickers from the peanut gallery, so to speak. It's just so much mindless trivia, not an intentional proscription on the expansion of government's delegated authority that they should be remotely expected in any substantive way to adhere to. And then -- get this -- they quite vocally don't want a record of his chiding published! Stunning.

But I suppose no criminal wants evidence laying around, though, right? Well, by request of the orator, here it is, dear viewer, for all posterity. Including the "honorable" House's reaction... <shudder>

Hey, I just thought of a great statist campaign slogan:

"He simply knows better than you. And the Founders.
So just let him run your life, already!"

Must be true. It's on the internets...

On NH's failure to override Lynch's medical marijuana veto

Sent this afternoon to my representatives, regarding HB648, "relative to the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes," following the NH legislature's failure this morning to override Democratic Gov. Lynch's supercilious veto, which itself followed the meticulous rewriting of the bill to meet his very own stated requirements (btw, Sen. Gallus was the only Republican Senator -- again -- to vote in favor of smaller, less intrusive government, not to mention compassion):


Representatives and Senator Janeway of Hillsborough 7 (and Sen. Letourneau),

A great 'thank you' to those of you -- Rep. Hikel, particularly, for your floor speech (although you did miss the opportunity to point out that while the dismissively challenged 53% of your "they-haven't-read-it" constituents support this, 63% of the House, itself, supported it back in March, then 68% in June, and presumably they read it, so...) -- who voted to defy our "liberal" governor and return just the tiniest yet still wildly restrictive shred of my civil liberty. You know who you are. I do...

A shred that was originally and unconstitutionally stolen from me (thanks primarily to authoritarian prohibitionists and crony capitalists -- sure, that's how a "limited-government, free market capitalist society" should work...) equally without the "100% certainty" (which we enjoy when, exactly?) that we were told in today's House floor debate should nevertheless be needed before government deigns to return any of its self-delegated control. Rush to regulate, inertial stagnation to rescind, neither with better knowledge than the marketplace. Or, in this case, than the patient actually in pain and her doctor.

My only concern, had the veto override mercifully also passed in the Senate today, would have been that "the good enough" would have proven to be the enemy of "the perfect." Or even just "the better," and we would have been stuck at this marginal level of returned freedom for the foreseeable future. Instead, we now have a prime opportunity starting next session -- perhaps with a little help from a finally fed-up electorate -- to do, perhaps not "perfect," but at least even "better." I can only hope we don't have to wait longer to take advantage of it, and remove just a little Draconian, non-omniscient, unauthorized government from peaceful people's lives.

As Rep. DiFruscia positively noted this morning, (even non-patient) activists have been smoking openly in Keene and Manchester. And surprise, the world hasn't ended. The empire hasn't collapsed. Chaos hasn't descended on quiet hamlets (although, yes, dogs and cats are living together, though causation has yet to be established). Indeed, law enforcement is largely ignoring them. So if, per law enforcement (and presumably its local governments, too, and despite its incongruously contrary hearing testimony), the law doesn't actually have to be enforced because it's demonstrably not a problem, then why is it still arbitrarily illegal? What is the specifically demonstrated compelling state interest that should continue to trump the individual's? (And please, no one give me essentially that the 10th Amendment is dead, and we simply must continue to submit to a self-appointed "higher authority." It's dead only if we allow it to be. But then, so is the Republic.)

And I find it profoundly disheartening, disturbing and hypocritical, too, that legislators such as Sen. Letourneau can appreciate and outspokenly champion the fundamental underlying principle of liberty for his own pet issues (such as motorcycles -- which is also one of mine, btw, so you can bet you'll be hearing from me on the upcoming helmet bill), but as per his own floor address today, loses any semblance of consistency on others, such as (even compassionate medical) marijuana. "Let those who consume decide." Especially those whose pain you mercifully don't have to share.

What a barbaric outcome. Shame on Gov. Lynch. Shame on the Senate. Undying, iniquitous shame.

Please maintain the consistent spirit of individual liberty and personal responsibility when considering legislation -- related or otherwise -- that comes before you in the future.

Taxing Times in NH?

The NH House Ways & Means Committee holds another the-public's-not-invited-to-instruct-us "House Information Session," this time jointly with the NH Senate's analogous committee, 10/21/2009.

Faithful viewers may recall that I recorded the first such session, back on 9/10/2009. But this one's slated for 2 full days, so all I could stand was the opening ceremonies. If you can stand it, Chair Almy promises the audio will be posted on the state's website.

Surrounding the "session," anti-tax activists commence a parallel 2-day rally, and hold a press conference outside the Legislative Office Building. If you just wanna jump to the good stuff, the press conference begins at minute 4.

The rally will continue tomorrow, 10/22/2009, tracking the second ponderous day of outsiders reinforcing NH government's desire for more of your money. Be there or be... poorer. Whenever you can make it, between 8:30am and 3:00pm...

EDIT: Grant Bosse is live blogging from the "session" over at NH Watchdog.