SOURCE:Boston Globe

Pressing to develop Navy land in Maine

Congresswoman courts Air Force Cyber Command

May 4, 2008

KITTERY, Maine - As the Navy explores private development of the former Portsmouth Naval Shipyard prison, US Representative Carol Shea-Porter is pushing to bring the US Air Force's Cyber Command to the long-neglected castle-like structure.

For Immediate Release

Grants are Aimed at Keeping Jobs in New Hampshire

CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today announced that companies in Keene and North Haverhill will receive Job Training grants, which are aimed at helping New Hampshire companies compete globally and at keeping jobs in New Hampshire.

Smith Medical ASD Inc., of Keene and Upper Valley Press of North Haverhill have been awarded grants through the newly reinstated Job Training Fund, which will distribute up to $1 million in matching grants annually to allow companies to train new workers or retrain longtime employees. Gov. Lynch made reinstating the Job Training Fund a priority.

"We are committed to helping New Hampshire workers and companies succeed, and our businesses need skilled workers to compete in this changing global economy. The Job Training Fund allows the state to partner with companies to keep jobs and businesses growing here in New Hampshire," Gov. Lynch said. "The Job Training Fund is important to businesses and workers, and the future economic growth of our state. That is why I am pleased see a number of companies using this important tool, and I look forward to seeing more New Hampshire businesses using these grants."

On March 13-14, a conference unlike any other will take place in Pittsburgh, PA. The event will launch a nationwide dialogue about moving our country rapidly toward leadership in promoting the benefits of a new green economy. Good Jobs, Green Jobs: A National Green Jobs Conference will bring together advocates representing local, state and federal policy makers; labor; business; the environment and public health; economic and workforce development specialists; investors; and scientists and technology experts.
We envision a confluence of big ideas and innovative strategies to help jump-start a nationwide green economic renaissance. Participants will share best practices about how we can revitalize our manufacturing sector, drive green building, promote safer chemicals, and realize the economic benefits of global warming solutions.
Join us.
http://www.greenjobsconference.org/site/c.rvI3IiNWJqE/b.3820537/

For Immediate Release

CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today criticized the owners of a Claremont company for continuing to refuse to honor the rights of 120 workers who were laid off on Christmas.

Attorneys for the company, Customized Structures, Inc., which is owned by Massachusetts-based investment firm Watermill Ventures, today asked a Merrimack County Superior Court judge to transfer state legal action taken against the company to federal court. That request was granted. A hearing in U.S. District Court has not yet been scheduled.

Last week, 120 workers in Claremont were notified they would be laid off effective Christmas Day.

"Watermill Ventures is choosing to hide behind legal maneuvers rather than to honor the rights of their workers. The law says that employees deserve either 60 days notice or 60 days pay," Gov. Lynch said.

"Watermill and the board of Customized Structures have a moral, ethical and legal obligation to follow the law, yet they continue to attempt to shirk their responsibilities," Gov. Lynch said. "New Hampshire state government is committed to helping these workers, their families and the community through this difficult time and we will work to try to get the employees everything they are entitled to under the law."

It was most distressing to tune into C-SPAN 2 yesterday and witness our senior Senator go on about Pay-go and Swiss cheese.  The best I could determine, he was inveighing against the policy of paying for domestic projects (unlike the wars that are being paid for with borrowed money) with tax revenues or allocations from other programs because it wasn't being strictly adhered to.  That is, he doesn't like it to begin with and likes it even less because, in his judgment it's not working as intended.  OK.

In addition, Senator Gregg, the previous chair of the Senate Budget Committee that's overseen an increase in the national debt from five trillion to nine in the time Republicans have been in charge, waxed enthusiastic about the fact that federal tax collections have actually increased (never mind that's what one would expect as long as the population was going up), but failed to mention that the increase is in dollars that are worth increasingly less.

UPDATE: Video

Success! Today, over a thousand miles away from each other, marchers in Iowa and New Hampshire converged on the capitols of each state. Here in New Hampshire, there was a great turnout. But more than the numbers, it was the spirit: hopeful yet determined, loud and joyful, united in our vision and our call - we are the leaders we've been waiting for to create a clean energy economy here in this country and around the world. There'll be more reflections to come, but for now, check out our videos from the New Hampshire march - and thank you to all who made this journey possible!

View the March at YouTube, and click for more info

Yesterday, over a hundred people crowded before Nashua’s City Hall to kick off the March to Re-Energize New Hampshire, a walk from Nashua to Concord calling for national leadership on real global warming solutions and a clean energy economy. After today, only 3 days to go until masses of Granite Staters converge on the State House lawn to send this message.

After walking from Nashua to Litchfield yesterday, the marchers will finish today’s (Thursday’s) journey at Bronstein Park in Manchester at 7pm, to music by the Powerkegs and speeches by business and community leaders.

Join us at Bronstein Park tonight (Thursday) at 7pm! Directions are at:

http://www.climatesummer.org/nhschedule

For info on the the march or the culminating rally on Sunday, Aug. 5 at noon at the State House in Concord, click here:

http://www.climatesummer.org/march

All of us, organizers and volunteers, are in the campaign office. Laptops, phone lists, signups on the walls, folded chairs, empty juice bottles strewn everywhere. There’s a nervous excitement in the air.

This evening – Tuesday, July 31 at 6:30pm – the March to Re-Energize New Hampshire is celebrating its kickoff in Greeley Park, at 105 Concord St. in Nashua. Granny D, no stranger to long journeys for a cause, will talk to us about the power of walking, and give her blessings as we prepare to go.

Join us for the March to Re-Energize NH! July 31, 6:30pm: kickoff celebration in Greeley Park; August 1-5: Nashua 6:30pm; Aug. 1-5, or the rally on Sunday, Aug. 5:

http://www.climatesummer.org/march

Summer is here and that means baseball games, farmers markets, and afternoons in the local park. For 25 students here in New Hampshire it also means canvassing neighborhoods, meetings with groups of all types from churches to local energy councils to Rotary Clubs and high schoolers. It means having as many conversations as we can with as many people as we can, all to build up to a five day march from Nashua to Concord where we will have the largest demonstration calling for action to halt global warming yet- over 3,000 people on the statehouse lawn.

Earlier, Nancy Tobi briefly mentioned this effort, which we call the March to ReEnergize New Hampshire. The March is a five day walk on August 1st through 5th to demand action to build a clean energy economy- 80% reductions in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and 2 million new job in a clean energy sector. That is the goal and the demand but the March to ReEnegize New Hampshire is so much more. It is thousands of conversations between the 25 of us working and citizens. It is the thousands more conversations between those citizens and their neighbors. It is 3,000+ people in Concord on August 5th, but also the hundreds (thousands?) in Nashua at Greeley Park on July 31st to kickoff the March that will happen the next day. It is the community events that will happen in Hooksett, Pembroke, Suncook, Litchfield along the way. The house parties, the presentations and discussions and community events that will lead up to the March.

For Immediate Release

CONCORD - Providing assistance to New Hampshire's working families, Gov. John Lynch today signed a law increasing New Hampshire's minimum wage.

"Many of our families are working hard just to get by. They are struggling to pay for gas, rent, childcare and groceries. The cost of all these things has increased significantly in the last 10 years, but New Hampshire's minimum wage has not," Gov. Lynch said. "Today, we are going to change that and provide relief to New Hampshire's working families."

The legislation, House Bill 514, raises New Hampshire's minimum wage in increments from the current $5.15 an hour to $6.50 on Sept. 1, and then to $7.25 next year.

The legislation received strong bi-partisan support in the House and Senate.

Prior to the bill's passage, New Hampshire had been the only state in the Northeast whose minimum wage rate was just $5.15 an hour.

The legislation was sponsored by Reps. Marjorie Smith, Ed Butler and Rip Holden; and Sens. Martha Fuller Clark, Peter Burling, Maggie Hassan and David Gottesman.

For Immediate Release

CONCORD - In an effort to help New Hampshire's working families, Gov. John Lynch today urged the Senate Commerce, Labor and Consumer Protection Committee to pass legislation increasing the minimum wage.

"Many of our families are working hard just to get by - to pay for food, gas, housing and childcare. There is often not enough for the basics, let alone the extras. It is time we do the right thing for our families and raise the minimum wage," Gov. Lynch said.

The New Hampshire House overwhelmingly passed the legislation last week with broad bipartisan support.

New Hampshire is the only state in the Northeast where the minimum wage rate is just $5.15 an hour. Hampshire House passed legislation increasing the wage. The state Senate killed the measure.

House Bill 514 would raise the minimum wage rate to $6.50 on Sept. 1, and then to $7.25 next year.

A recent University of New Hampshire study found the majority of people earning minimum wage in New Hampshire are over the age of 25, and a high percentage of those people are women.

Online Oreos send Congress a message

With “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” at PrioritiesNH.org,
citizens build their own federal budgets by stacking Oreo cookies

www.prioritiesnh.org

CONCORD, N.H. - As thousands of New Hampshire taxpayers put the finishing touches on their federal tax returns, a New Hampshire organization is encouraging them to ask “What would Ben do?”

Ben is Ben Cohen, president of Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities (and co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream). His animated image is the star of an award-winning Web video that demonstrates the federal discretionary budget using stacks of Oreo cookies. The video can be viewed on the PrioritiesNH Website at http://www.prioritiesnh.org/oreos/ .

Now Cohen’s PrioritiesNH campaign is letting the rest of us play. PrioritiesNH has posted a “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” game on its Web site at: http://www.prioritiesnh.org/oreos/ustack/ . The game allows users to do what Ben does: Shift Oreo cookies along a bar chart of the federal discretionary budget, with each cookie representing $10 billion in spending. After building their ideal budget, players click to the next page, which allows them to send their budget vision and a personal note to their Senators and Congressperson.

For Immediate Release

CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today applauded the House for supporting New Hampshire's working families and passing legislation increasing New Hampshire's minimum wage.

"Many of our families are working hard just to get by - to pay for food, gas, housing and childcare. There is often not enough for the basics, let alone the extras. I am pleased the House voted overwhelmingly to do the right thing for our families and raise the minimum wage," Gov. Lynch said. "I am hopeful the Senate will also support this important legislation."

The legislation, HB 514, raises New Hampshire's minimum wage in increments from the current $5.15 an hour to $6.50 on Sept. 1, and then to $7.25 next year.

New Hampshire is the only state in the Northeast whose minimum wage rate is just $5.15 an hour.

# # #

Washington, DC. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter today voted in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800), which would make it easier for unions to organize.

"I promised people that I would work for the bottom 99% of us who have been ignored by this administration. This bill gives working Americans a better tool to fight for higher wages and better benefits. That's why people sent me to Washington."

Congresswoman Shea-Porter had supported the legislation from her position on the Committee on Education and Labor. The bill survived a series of attempts by Republican committee members to add amendments which would doom the bill on the House floor. The debate ran long into the night on February 14th, Valentine's Day. "They tried to talk us to death," said Shea-Porter. "But we weren't about to give up."

The new legislation would make it easier for workers to join unions if they choose. It would allow the National Labor Relations Board to recognize a union if the majority of employees sign authorization cards permitting the union to bargain on their behalf. The bill would also empower the NLRB to seek an injunction against employers who wrongly fire or discriminate against employees during an organizing drive.

Peter Sullivan announced today that he will be a candidate for the Manchester Board of Alderman in this fall's municipal elections. Sullivan will seek the seat from Ward 3, which includes downtown and the millyard.

"Manchester city politics is ready for change. It's time for new voices, new ideas, and a committment to open and accountable government. That's why I've decided to run for alderman", said Sullivan.

"By tapping the talents and ideas of all of Manchester's residents, we can bring new voices to civic life. The era of political cliques and secret back room meetings must come to an end.

"By working together, we can craft a budget that ends the abuse of Manchester's taxpayers while meeting the needs of our residents.

"We can make our neighborhoods safe by putting more cops on the street, by cracking down on unresponsive slum lords, and by taking a tough, no-nonsense stand against the small number of irresponsible businesses whose actions threaten our community.

For Immediate Release: Gov. Lynch Urges House Committee To Raise Minimum Wage

CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today urged the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee to help New Hampshire's working families and pass legislation increasing the minimum wage. The legislation, HB 514, raises New Hampshire's minimum wage in increments from the current $5.15 an hour rate
to $7.25.

"Many of our families are working hard just to get by - to pay for food, gas, housing and childcare. There is often not enough for the basics, let alone the extras. It is time we do the right thing for our families and raise the minimum wage," Gov. Lynch said.

New Hampshire is the only state in the Northeast whose minimum wage rate is just $5.15 an hour. Two years ago, the New Hampshire House passed legislation increasing the wage. The state Senate killed the measure.

House Bill 514 would raise the minimum wage rate to $6.50 on Sept. 1, and then to $7.25 next year.

A recent University of New Hampshire study found the majority of people earning minimum wage in New Hampshire are over the age of 25, and a high percentage of those people are women.

For Immediate Release: Gov. Lynch Applauds Senate Vote To Restore Job Training Fund

CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch applauded a state Senate vote today to restore the Job Training Fund. Senators voted 23-0 in favor of a bill (SB 97) dedicating up to $1 million a year from the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund toward job training. The legislation now heads to the House.

"Our workers - and the companies that employ them - must continually master new skills and new technologies to compete globally. We can help our businesses and their employees get the training they need by reestablishing the Job Training Fund. The Job Training Fund allows us to partner with companies to train New Hampshire workers for available jobs. I applaud the state Senate for taking an important step toward re-establishing the fund and I look forward to continuing the discussion on this important piece of legislation in the House," Gov. Lynch
said.

Gov. Lynch called for the reinstatement of the Job Training Fund in his Inaugural Address.