Point/Counterpoint: Agenda 21

In testimony before the House Committee on Fish and Game yesterday, Rep. Al Baldasaro warned that United Nations Agenda 21 is threatening “to slowly get fishermen off the lake.”

Granite State Progress executive director Zandra Rice Hawkins, who captured Baldasaro’s comments on video, responded:

Rep. Al Baldasaro is off his rocker and his rampant conspiracy theories harm public policy making. To suggest that the United Nations is trying to eliminate fishing in New Hampshire or take over our country is beyond bizarre.

To which Baldasao replied:

Tell Progress to get their heads out of their butts and get with the program.

Chuck Douglas: Attack of the constitutional illiterates

In a scathing Union Leader op-ed, former Republican congressman and state Supreme Court Justice Chuck Douglas says the attempt to have 189 lawmakers removed from office and prosecuted is an embarrassment to his party and to the state.

If the gambit by former state GOP chair Jack Kimball were to succeed, writes Douglas, “every losing vote would result in some kind of a constitutional petition to throw out everyone who voted the other way:”

That is not the way a republican system works in the Anglo-American tradition.”

Our New Hampshire Constitution has served us well for the 200 years before Jack Kimball and the three legislators misread it.

It is a shame that we do not have a GED program for constitutional literacy. Pulling bits and pieces out of the constitution to create criminal charges reflects gross constitutional illiteracy, not an attempt at good government. It is this type of craziness that cost 120 Republican seats in the House last year.

Telegraph condemns ‘cockamamie’ redress petition

Today, the editors of the Nashua Telegraph joined the Union Leader in condemning Republican lawmakers and activists who are seeking to have 189 lawmakers removed from office and prosecuted for voting to repeal the state’s “stand your ground” law:

[T]here is room for a legitimate policy debate on the critical issue of self-defense without resorting to cockamamie calls for the removal or prosecution of those who disagree with us.

N.H. House debate: ‘Get your head out of your butt’

State House Rep. Al Baldasaro (R-Londonderry) is one of three lawmakers sponsoring a House petition that seeks to have 189 Representatives removed from office for voting to repeal the state’s “stand your ground” law.

One of those lawmakers, Rep. Peter Sullivan (D-Manchester), reacted on Twitter by calling Baldasaro, among other things, “an uninformed fool and a disgrace to the House.”

Baldasaro responded in kind — “get your head out of your butt and open your eyes” — but then took to Facebook to complain about Sullivan’s “name calling:”

Manchester Liberal, State Rep Peter Sullivan does not like our Redress Petition because it calls out House Representatives who voted to repeal the stand your ground sections of the law, where they prefer you retreat. So he went to name calling instead of debating the petition!!!

House lawmakers demand removal of 189 Reps

State House Reps. Al Baldasaro (R-Londonderry), John Hikel (R-Goffstown) and Lenette Peterson (R-Merrimack) have sponsored an Emergency Petition for Redress that demands 189 members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives be immediately removed from office.

The petition seeks to have the lawmakers removed from office for their vote in favor of House Bill 135, which would repeal the state’s “stand your ground” law.

The petitioners claim the Representatives “breached the Public Trust” and violated their oaths of office by voting for the bill, which they maintain would violate provisions of the New Hampshire and U.S. Constitutions.

The petitioners also demand the “immediate nullification” of every vote cast by the 189 lawmakers during their current term of office and request the scheduling of a special election to replace them with “people qualified to be those seats.”

They demand redress “in accord with Article 31 of the New Hampshire Constitution,” which states, “The legislature shall assemble for the redress of public grievances and for making such laws as the public good may require.”

Reps. Baldasaro, Hikel and Peterson sponsored the petition on behalf of Peter Hahn, Jr., former Rep. Kevin Avard, Larissa Saanakorp and Daniel Stuart. It was filed with New Hampshire General Court Clerk Karen Wadsworth on April 9th.

Baldasaro: I guess they don’t care about the kids

Democrats vote no on #school building aid159-206I guess they don’t care about the kids

April 3, 2013

During today’s House session, Rep. Al Baldasro (R-Londonderry) blasted Democrats for voting against increased funding for school building aid. “I guess they don’t care about the kids,” he tweeted.

Here’s a look at how much Baldasaro cares about the kids (as documented by Granite State Progress):

• Voted to repeal major sections of the anti-bullying law — HB370, Roll Call #69, 3/15/2011
• Voted to require confidential abuse and neglect investigation records be shared with parent under investigation — HB415, Roll Call #36, 1/11/2012
• Voted to repeal mandated coverage of children’s early intervention therapy services — HB309, Roll Call #3, 1/4/2012
• Voted to weaken judicial oversight of child welfare cases — HB1365, Roll Call #120, 3/7/2012
• Voted against banning BPA in baby food products — HB1182, Roll Call #126, 3/8/2012)
• Voted to provide services only to children who have a serious emotional disturbance and interagency involvement — HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011
• Voted to repeal prevention programs for at-risk children and incentive grants — HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011
• Voted to cut funding for Children in Need of Services (CHINS) — HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011
• Voted against Medicaid funding for developmental, acquired brain disorder, and family support services — HB1, Roll Call #153, 3/31/2011
• Voted against funding for Head Start State Collaboration — HB1, Roll Call #159, 3/31/2011

House Republican Alliance woos gun makers

Members of the archconservative House Republican Alliance have responded to proposed gun safety legislation in Maryland and Connecticut by urging gun manufacturers in those states to relocate to the Granite State.

HRA co-chair Rep. Al Baldasaro (R-Londonderry) denied the action is a cynical attempt to capitalize on the Newtown shooting. “This is about bringing jobs to New Hampshire,” he told the Associated Press. “It has nothing to do with what happened in Connecticut or anywhere else:”

The group recently sent letters to Beretta USA Corp. in Maryland and Colt Manufacturing Co. in Connecticut. Both companies have voiced frustration with proposals in their states that aim to tighten background checks as well as ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines.

But the group has done little beyond write letters, leaving open the question of whether its pleas will bring any new business to the state. The group has not enlisted the help of the state agency that would traditionally handle outreach to companies elsewhere. Rep. Al Baldasaro, a Londonderry Republican, said that’s because group members see it as an extension of Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan, whom they have also not reached out to. And neither gun maker has written them back.

Quote of the day: It sets a bad precedent

The Democrats are blindly thinking that everyone and anyone should vote. It sets a bad precedent.

— State House Rep. Al Baldasaro (R-Londonderry), in support of stringent voter ID requirements

‘Thirteenther’ conspiracy theory picks up support

Five Republican lawmakers today voted against a motion to recommend killing a bill that declares the “original Thirteenth Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution was swept under the rug.

Members of the House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 10-5 to recommend the full body kill the legislation. House Bill 638, ridiculed by the national media, declares, “As long as the original Thirteenth Amendment is concealed from the people, there shall never be justice or a legitimate constitutional form of government.”

Reps. Al Baldassaro (R-Londonderry), Jeanine Notter (R-Merrimack), Leon Rideout (R-Lancaster), Skip Rollins (R-Newport) and Todd Smith (R-Hookset) voted against the recommendation.

In a video shot by Granite State Progress, Rideout explained why he thinks it is premature to recommend killing the bill:

I think it’s open to very much interpretation on whether this was ratified or not. Why it was dropped is questionable. At the time, after we’d gone through a civil war, maybe people just figured it wasn’t that important.

Lawmakers embrace ‘Thirteenther’ conspiracy theory

A trio of New Hampshire lawmakers believe “what appears to the public as the United States Constitution is not the complete document” and have introduced legislation in which the state of New Hampshire would declare their version to be the law of the land.

In 1810, Congress approved a proposed constitutional amendment known as the Titles of Nobility Amendment. It stated that anyone who receives a title of nobility or honor from a foreign nation, without congressional approval, would lose U.S. citizenship. The amendment was never ratified by two thirds of the states as required by the Constitution.

“Thirteenthers” believe the proposed amendment actually was ratified and became part of the U.S. Constitution — but was later swept under the rug in a vast governmental conspiracy. They also believe that because American lawyers are referred to as “esquire” by the British Bar, a title of nobility has been conferred upon them, making them ineligible to serve in the U.S. government under the amendment.

House Bill 638, sponsored by Reps. Stella Tremblay (R-Auburn), Al Baldasaro (R-Londonderry) and Lars Christiansen (R-Hudson), would expose this conspiracy:

The purpose of this act is to recognize that the original Thirteenth Amendment, which prohibits titles of nobility, is properly included in the United States Constitution and is the law of the land.

The act is also intended to end the infiltration of the Bar Association and the judicial branch into the executive and legislative branches of government and the unlawful usurpation of the people’s right, guaranteed by the New Hampshire constitution, to elect county attorneys who are not members of the bar.

This unlawful usurpation gives the judicial branch control over all government and the people in the grand juries. As long as the original Thirteenth Amendment is concealed from the people, there shall never be justice or a legitimate constitutional form of government.

Zandra Rice Hawkins, executive director of Granite State Progress, was on hand when Tremblay introduced the bill before the House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee.

“Rep. Tremblay’s version of history is so laughable you’d think she was starring in a Mel Brooks film,” said Hawkins. “Unfortunately, she actually gets to vote on public policy.”

GOP conservatives plot return of ‘bloviating buffoon’

When state Rep. Roland LaPlante (D-Nashua) announced his resignation from the New Hampshire House, archconservative Republicans moved quickly to bring back one of their own, former Majority Leader Peter Silva.

Rep. Al Baldasaro (R-Londonderry), co-chair of the conservative House Republican Alliance, posted a message on Silva’s Facebook page asking for a public show of support:

Mr. Majority Leader, you ready to get back in the game? Rumor has it that a Rep from your district resigned, am I correct?

LIKE, if you think Honorable Pete Silva should run for the open seat?

Those who “Liked” the message include former House Speaker Bill O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon), state Reps. John Burt (R-Goffstown), Regina Birdsell (R-Hamstead), Peter Hansen (R-Amherst) and Gary Hopper (R-Weare). Former Republican state Reps. Spec Bowers, Bob Giuda and Paul LaCasse also signaled their support.

Silva, you may remember, replaced D.J. Bettencourt as Majority Leader last year near the end of the session after Bettencourt resigned in disgrace following an academic scandal.

The new Majority Leader was then immortalized in an email sent by fellow Republican state Rep. Jon Richardson that blasted him as a “Grade A, Class One, Top Tier, bloviating BUFFOON.”

Richardson’s email was a response to Silva publicly criticizing Republican lawmakers who voted against an educational funding amendment that had been favored by the GOP leadership.

Conspiracy theories take center stage at gun rally

Paranoia runs deep among those who oppose proposals to curb gun violence — if the speakers during Thursday’s gun rally in Concord are any indication.

Patch’s Tony Schinella reported that many of the speakers echoed the “black helicopter” conspiracy theories that are accepted as gospel in the right-wing echo chamber; conspiracies that involve Pres. Obama confiscating guns, throwing out the Constitution and assuming dictatorial control.

State Rep. Al Baldasaro “wondered out loud why Homeland Security was buying millions of rounds of ammunition,” suggesting DHS is stockpiling ammunition to put down insurrection among those resisting the gun confiscation.

The deputy chief of staff who handles 2nd Amendment issues for Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (R-Georgia) provides a more mundane explanation, “DHS buys in bulk to save you money:”

DHS entered into a contract that allows them to purchase up to 450 million rounds of 40 caliber ammunition over the next five years. … Setting up contracts in this manner allows for a cheaper purchase price, saving money over the long-term.

If DHS were to purchase all 450 million rounds over 5 years, then that would equate to only about 1,384 rounds of ammo per year per law enforcement personnel. … Considering those agents go through training exercises several times per year, that is not a lot of ammunition.

Baldasaro also asked “why generals were being let go in the Defense Department,” referring to a Facebook posting by Dr. Jim Garrow that went viral among right-wing conspiracy buffs. In his post, Garrow claimed a “former senior military leader” told him of Obama’s new military “litmus test:”

“The new litmus test of leadership in the military is if they will fire on US citizens or not. Those who will not are being removed.”

Snopes debunks the allegation:

Consider that: The only supporting evidence for this claim is a second-hand account from an anonymous source; not a single reputable news outlet has reported any such story; not a single member of the U.S. government or the U.S. military has come forward to confirm the claim; the claim fits a common model of conspiracy theory which has been repeatedly espoused many times over (but has never proved true) and the person spreading this warning is promulgating other discredited conspiracy theories, such as the claim that Adam Lanza did not use a version of an AR-15 rifle in the Sandy Hook shootings.

Not to be outdone, unsuccessful congressional candidate and former state Rep. Bob Giuda warned the crowd about Executive Order 13603, which “allows Obama to take over just about every sector of the economy if he declared a national emergency.”

Doug Mataconis, from Outside the Beltway, knocks this one down:

[O]nce you actually look at the facts (yes, I know, how dare I muddle up a good conspiracy theory with actual facts) it becomes pretty clear that not only is the reaction to this wildly over the top in some corners, but the Executive Order itself is nothing more than a restatement of policy that has been in place in decades and grants no authority to the President or the Cabinet that they don’t already have under existing law.