Activism

I’m not one to sit around and get trampled.  I advocate for things in which I believe.    Not necessarily in a confrontational way, but trying to persuade people to see the sides of the issue they may not want to see.   Some examples in the last few years are:

Antrim Wind Energy’s proposed industrial wind facility on Tuttle and Willard mountains.   I’m not necessarily opposed to wind.  But when it involves clearing mountain tops adjacent to a 4,000- acre “super-sanctuary,” the largest such tract in southwest New Hampshire,  and the placement of 496′ towers on 2,000 ft elevation mountains, I object.    I also object to local officials being too cozy with the company proposing it, a company which has never built a project of this magnitude, and has been run out of every community in which they’ve attempted a project.    This is one project where you need to look at the facts, not just which way the wind is blowing.

When my local school district was presented a petition from two dozen disgruntled citizens wanting to close the middle school serving Antrim, Bennington, Francestown and Hancock and consolidate it with a second school in Peterborough.  This was against the position of the school board, would overcrowding the remaining school, and forcie our four towns into an hour-long bus ride.  I objected and worked to defeat it.   The same group has filed the petition again this year, and we’ve dusted off the signs and started writing letters to the editor.

There has been an effort since the 1970s to locate a casino, or casinos, in New Hampshire.  In all this time, the New Hampshire House has had the good sense to keep casino gambling out of New Hampshire.    The fact is, casinos harm people.  It’s one of the few businesses which makes it a priority to take your money.  ALL your money.  And the closer you live to one, the more threat there is.  Addiction, bankruptcy, embezzlement, violent crimes.     I’ve been to Las Vegas many times for trade shows.   We do not need that in New Hampshire.  I’m proud to be part of team which works so hard to protect our state and the citizens who can least afford to lose their money to this predatory business.

brb