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DFNH statement on Norquist connection to New Hampshire politics

May 18, 2005

Hello and thank you for coming today. I'm Peter Glenshaw, the Chairman of Democracy for New Hampshire.

DFNH is a statewide grassroots organization. We believe our legislators should be loyal to New Hampshire. Therefore, we call on legislators to renounce their incompatible pledges to outside organizations and instead serve New Hampshire’s citizens.

DFNH has learned that 25% of New Hampshire’s state senators, and nearly 16% of our state representatives, have signed a pledge of allegiance to a radical right-wing political organization based in Washington, DC. The organization is Americans for Tax Reform.

That organization is led by Grover Norquist, one of the most feared and radical members of the right-wing in Washington, DC. USA Today called him “the most influential Washingtonian most people have never heard of.” Norquist engages in a unique bullying type of political hardball that leaves no room for honest compromise or political independence, both of which are cherished values in New Hampshire.

Gorver Norquist – who has said,

• "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub."

and who has also said,

• "Bipartisanship is another name for date rape." (Denver Post, May 26, 2003)

-- has unfortunately seen fit to bring his bully politics to New Hampshire.

The primary instrument he uses in New Hampshire and other states is his Pledge. It says simply that anyone who signs it agrees to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes."

“No new taxes” sounds idealistic, doesn’t it? But the Norquist pledge is a smokescreen.

In fact this pledge is not a signed commitment to an ideal -- it is an oath of allegiance to a hidden agenda. This agenda, as we have seen in our communities, is that the private business sector should be unencumbered by government in any way. As we shall see today—this agenda trumps all other values we hold dear in NH. Values like local control, honesty, and political integrity fly out the window.

The Pledge also comes with bullying tactics. If a legislator signs the Norquist pledge but then votes for a tax increase, the legislator is publicly labeled an “enemy” on his website and in press releases. If a legislator tries to renounce the Norquist Pledge, it is not permitted until that legislator holds a public press conference with Norquist present at the press conference. To the best of our knowledge, no one has ever gotten out of the pledge.

It’s intimidation straight out of “The Sopranos.” As Norquist himself put, “we are trying to change the tones in the state capitals-and turn them toward bitter nastiness and partisanship." (Denver Post, May 26, 2003)

Unfortunately, the Norquist pledge is incompatible with the oath of allegiance to the New Hampshire Constitution, which every New Hampshire representative and senator takes when being sworn into office.

Today, DFNH would like to release the names of the New Hampshire state Senators and Representatives who have signed this binding document.

Today, we call on these Senators and Representatives to renounce the Norquist Pledge and re-affirm their oath to the citizens of New Hampshire.

Democracy for New Hampshire believes this type of allegiance is undermining the democratic process in New Hampshire.

• First, it undermines the oath that representatives are supposed to have to their constituents. New Hampshire state senators and representatives are welcome to make whatever promises they see fit, but they should make such pacts with their constituents, and not to Grover Norquist and his pledge. As you will hear in a minute from David Little, the recent Tamworth vote in the Senate perfectly illustrates allegiance to economic interests rather than to the local control interests of Tamworth. The bill to repeal Tamworth was opposed by every single NH senator who pledged their allegiance to Grover Norquist.

• Second, it legitimizes bullying tactics at all levels of state government. You will hear in a minute from Chuck Grau, former chairman of the Bedford School Board, whose efforts to create a high school in his town were delayed at great cost (both time and taxpayer dollars) because of this type of behavior, which was supported by at least one NH representative who made the Norquist pledge. Some of these same individuals are also connected to the Coalition for New Hampshire Taxpayers, the state organization that does much of the day-to-day dirty work for Grover Norquist in New Hamsphire.


• Third, we believe that many NH citizens are unaware of the Pledge to Norquist, or its binding nature. I think we can all agree that we deserve legislative representation that answers to us, and not to a radical Washington right-winger. In fact, our Constitution demands this.

• Fourth, the Pledge kills honest debate about complex policy issues by requiring a lifetime allegiance to one-way decision-making that require no further thought than the representative’s allegiance to Norquist.

• And fifth, the pledge neatly divides our NH representatives along lines of for-us or against-us. The peer pressure in Concord on any one who votes his or her conscience has been immense. And in NH, this has the chilling effect of undermining the bi-partisan spirit that is required to govern effectively in a state where registered Independents continue to outnumber either registered Republicans or Democrats.

Democracy for New Hampshire encourages honest and passionate political debate. We believe that partisanship plays a legitimate role in the political process. Partisanship is not our issue today.

Instead our complaint is with the influence of Grover Norquist -- a radical Washington right-winger -- in New Hampshire politics, and the culture of bullying and intimidation which he has brought to Concord and other parts of the state.

We believe New Hampshire citizens, regardless of their political affiliation, will find these heavy-handed tactics to be out-of-step with the political and civic culture for which we strive, and which is embodied each year in Town Meeting.

We want our representatives in Concord to represent the people who elected them, to speak honestly about the policy choices they face, and to not be intimated by bullies like Grover Norquist.
By pglenshaw at 05/19/2005 - 10:45 | DFNH | Fair elections | login or register to post comments

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You are all proving my point!

The bile contained in this thread - from both sides - is proof of what is wrong with our country today. We are all so polarized that we can't even engage in civil discourse anymore. Here's a reality check for all you "extremists" out there on both sides of the aisle - There IS such as thing as "shades of gray!" Almost nothing is Black and White in our society. The sooner we realize this and remember how to treat each other with respect and realize that everyone has the potential to have a good idea on some issue or another - the better. If we cannot do this, then we all deserve the government we get, as well as the consequences (local or global) for our actions.
By Hunter Dan at Wed, 03/12/2008 - 11:16am | login or register to post comments

To: Andy Sylvia

I don't know who you are as I've never heard of you before, but did you know that accusing people of taking money from someone who is a convicted criminal is considered libelous? So unless you can prove your 'Norquista' comment, the citizens of towns who have been harassed by the people on this website can easily sue. Maybe you are new to NH and don't know how things work here, but when people vote on things in their towns, or state, it has nothing to do with national figures, unless they have taken money from them, which would not make sense since the national figures have nothing to gain by influencing a local vote on something like a school.

About 70% of people who latched onto the 'message of hate' of the Democrats in the last election, turned out good people who helped them from the NH legislature because they were too stupid to know that those people don't have one damned thing to do with Bush, war, federal spending, etc...so they merely cut off their own noses and will get the bigger state government control they deserve.

Also you seem to be obessed with this woman who ran for office, which is usually the case when someone feels the need to post names and personal information. I do know that what you are doing is the mark of a stalker when you are so obsessed with printing her name out like that, inciting violence toward her even if she is not the one posting. Did you know stalking is an offense as well? This fits right in with the others inciting violence from this website. It looks like a lot was done to some from the other posts.

I looked up the tax increases in Bedford and apparently it's 29%. That's about $2,000 on an average home there, not just a 'few dollars'. There are 48 home foreclosures as well. I think I know something about this since Real Estate is MY BUSINESS.

Finally I did some research on both this group and you:

This group is one of the heavily funded 153 that gets money from outside NH from internationally convicted criminal and global socialist George Soros. He uses the UN for his games and runs the Democrat party. War is his game and he made his billions by breaking the banks of various countries. NOW THERE IS OUTSIDE MONEY! I could not find any other NH groups claiming to be 'grassroots' who had '990s' showing contributions from any outside person such as Norquist, Abramoff, etc. Thus DFNH is NOT grassroots by any means folks. They are NOT people from NH but specials interests OUTSIDE NH trying to influence people IN NH.


I looked up your name on the web.
Apparently you are a failed candidate from Merrimack, who did not even garner half the votes the other candidates did in the primary.

You also seem to have admitted to having some sort of illness on this website here:

http://www.americansforhealthcare.com/health_care_stories/andy_sylvia.cfm

Apparently you have been on various forums on the web where if you don't like what someone says, you have accused them of being some woman you don't know. Knowing you are on medication makes me wonder if you don't have problems with anger management and if that person should be made aware that you are basically stalking her? Because that is what it looks like...

On the other hand you could be someone posing as this guy 'Andy' and the poor dumbass is going to be the one who gets reported to the police and who ultimately gets in trouble for it.

In conclusion, before you join any local NH groups, you should always ask to see their 990s. If you look back at the 990s on this group you will definitely see they are but one of a chain of groups across the USA and definitely NOT NH grassroots and subject to MUCH outside influence and money, money that comes from the biggest questionable source in the news today....
By ByStander at Sat, 11/18/2006 - 1:54pm | login or register to post comments

Che Guevarra

And just to let everyone know in case they don't already, "CheGuevara" is actually Jane Aitken, one of the Norquistas here in New Hampshire trying to poison our political discourse.

Fortunately, even the Republican Party doesn't want her, she finished seventh out of seven in the GOP State Rep Primary in Bedford, with the top 6 moving on to the General Election.
By Andy Sylvia at Fri, 11/17/2006 - 3:43pm | login or register to post comments

Freedom of Speech not tolerated by Soros-istas

Looks to me like these folks have done nothing to deserve your hatred except oppose your views on local spending. Their opposition to this spending is a fundamental right of voting/free speech.

It speaks to the fact that you apparently do not tolerate freedom of speech.

This is typical oppressive behavior from extreme leftists who sit around trying hard to figure out ways to criminalize and marginalize people who are simply not voting for the bigger government/spending that you so desire.

This kind of behavior is inexcusable.
By ByStander at Sat, 11/18/2006 - 2:52pm | login or register to post comments

It's not Dale Gribble?

Thanks for the info, Andy. I had begun to wonder if Dale Gribble had moved to New Hampshire as part of the Free State Project.
By Peter Sullivan at Fri, 11/17/2006 - 6:07pm | login or register to post comments

The only cowards are those afraid to vote NO!

Again, if Norquist and Abramoff have committed any crimes, then to connect them with a local grassroots group is libelous. The above post by DFNH could be considered libelous because there is no proof that the local groups they are talking about have any money or have taken any money from those two people.
If they can't then this site is nothing more than a rag like the National Enquirer who dreams up stories about aliens.

Furthermore, the truth about DFNH is they are funded by a vast left-wing network under the control of Global Socialist George Soros...that in an of itself is scandalous. I don't want Global Socialist and one world government proponents controlling ANY TOWN in New Hampshire.

When you know the facts, you then can see who the cowards really are here, and the pot calling the kettle black with regard to massive, highly funded bullying in order to get people to pay more and more taxes to fund pet projects by the NEA and NHMA. It's rather disgusting...
The only heavy handed tactics are those that were used to force the people in some towns to vote for more spending or have their businesses, children, and personal property be attacked. This is called thuggery and is against the law.

Wake up people. Even if you want to spend, do you sanction this kind of terrorism?
By CheGuevara at Mon, 07/10/2006 - 8:36am | login or register to post comments

These post apear upside down

The posts here should read from top to bottom hope someone can fix them. This guy has it throw in one piece of truth like people can no longer afford thier homes, and then links education to massive spending. I come to this site because i find NH politics appalling. Intimidation is used at the local levels in this state as well. They must take it right out of the rule book. I have witnessed this at the election as well. It is hard to have particapary goverment with these tactics. The politicans local and federal need to realize we are thier employers. They are the party of exclusion and thier loyalties are are not to the people. Grover Norquist and Jack Abromoff are crooks and i believe they tie together somewhere don't they. What i want to know is now that the vast majority of Americans are bleeding at the pump and creditcard debt is setting records,just in time for the new bankruptcy laws to kick in, when will people realize they have to become involved. And how do they get involved when the door is slammed inthier face. I guess Grover did a good job drowning New Orleans. I know Bradley voted no on levees. I heard today there was bad blood between Delay and Bush senior after Bush the elder raised taxes. No doubt.
By Sophie Blue at Thu, 09/29/2005 - 9:21pm | login or register to post comments

To Sophie

If Americans are bleeding it's groups like this that are attacking them for not wanting to spend more.....so you are contradicting yourself in your post... you don't make sense.

And now you are blaming Norquist for New Orleans? This is typical of the extremist nonsense coming from this website...there is what you have 'next' for the poster who asked.
By CheGuevara at Mon, 07/10/2006 - 8:44am | login or register to post comments

Here is what kind of person Norquist is...

Apparently he is up to his eyeballs in the Delay scandals...Interestingly enough, I'm not surprised by any of these scandals. What I am surprised by is HOW MANY of them there are. Haven't these guys heard the old saying about living in glass houses?

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/052305O.shtml
By stnord at Mon, 05/23/2005 - 5:43pm | login or register to post comments

stnord

Doesn't matter about those you mention in the national scheme of things, unless......

Unless you have proof that those people gave money to a small group at the TOWN level, it is off-topic and has nothing to do with what a few people in the town mentioned above were up against.

Please address the valid points, not introducing some suppositions you can't prove just to hijack the conversation to another topic altogether that has no bearing on the truth.

By the way, this country is a REPUBLIC, not a democracy. It has been said that democracy is like two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner.
By ByStander at Sat, 11/18/2006 - 2:14pm | login or register to post comments

Cowards

What kind of cowards would attack women and children to get the money they want from them? It is just despicable what some will do to get their way.
By CheGuevara at Mon, 07/10/2006 - 8:46am | login or register to post comments

Typical Extremist Rant from A Coward Afraid To Show Their Name

Comparing a new High School to Ethnic Cleansing? Che, whatever your name is, you should be ashamed comparing the deaths of millions of innocent people to a few extra dollars on your tax bill every month, which was approved by the electorate of Bedford.

I wonder what these extremists will say next...
By Andy Sylvia at Fri, 05/20/2005 - 10:31pm | login or register to post comments

Approved

It was only approved after failing 3 times, and after many many people were harassed, intimidated, threatened and run out of town because they feared what would happen to their businesses and children. This is called racketeering. State officials were often threatened as well.

Do you approve of this? If this had happened in MY town those people and town officials would be in jail for sure. Some town officials in Bedford should have been locked up for what they did.
By CheGuevara at Mon, 07/10/2006 - 9:01am | login or register to post comments

HIGH SCHOOL COSTS TAXPAYERS BIG MONEY

Grover Norquist has nothing to do with NH legislators not wanting to raise taxes on the poor people of NH. But, go after Grover if you will, it doesn't matter one whit. When legislators make a promise to keep taxes at bay, it IS INDEED to their consituents who demand such.

Without the high school Bedford's taxes would have remained stable.

With bonding $50M their taxes will soon double when the costs of operation are added in year after year.

This has caused many to have to move already because they can't even afford homes they already own outright -- mostly young and elderly.

This process is called ETHNIC CLEANSING and it has begun in Bedford just so the minority of greedy wealthy people can have what they want at the expense of others -- and I suspect to line their pockets in the process as well.

The Democrats should truly be ashamed to allow posting of the lies and junk emanating from these people in Bedford, all because they were opposed by people who cannot afford their massive spending schemes.

After all, opposing government spending is the people's right, as it is the people's money. Certainly DFNH can agree with that?
By CheGuevara at Thu, 05/19/2005 - 1:19pm | login or register to post comments

Ethnic cleansing . . . REALLY?!?!

So that's what you're calling it, ETHNIC CLEANSING? Isn't it a little harsh to compare a debate over school funding in little old Bedford, NH to the holocaust . . . or don't you believe that ever happened?
By Hunter Dan at Wed, 03/12/2008 - 1:05pm | login or register to post comments