More teens were picked up in Nashua for vandalizing property with spray paint and permanent markers. It’s a problem in Nashua and Manchester, but also in small towns. What to do?
I don’t like the idea of jailing kids whose only crime is graffiti vandalism. There must be better alternatives that would deter this behavior without helping turn vandals into hardened criminals by mixing them with thieves, drug dealers, gang members, etc. Here are a few possibilities:
* Vandalize their property. If a kid is convicted of graffiti vandalism, his room should be painted with Lawrence Welk images. His car should be painted pink with a glittery Hannah Montana logo on one side and a Powerpuff Girls logo on the other. His personal belongings should be defaced with scrawled messages such as “I love kittens” and “Star Trek forever!”
* Make them scrub it off. Generally, teens don’t have money to pay for professional graffiti removal if they’re caught. So make them remove it. If it takes six weeks to scrub a “tag” off a stop sign or store wall, too bad. You broke it, you fix it. I’m sure there are plenty of citizens who would be happy to volunteer to supervise the cleanup.
* Make them read literature. Given the choice between paying a fine, spending a few weeks in jail, or reading Shakespeare, I bet most vandals would choose the fine or prison. We have plenty of retired teachers who miss their old jobs. And we have lots of kids who’ve skated through or dropped out of school. Don’t send them to jail; send them to English class. They’ll never want to commit a crime again. And they might learn something.
NH Senate Republicans actually sent out a press release today announcing that the Senate GOP is on Twitter and Facebook:
Concord, NH – Today, New Hampshire Senate Republicans launched new social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook.
“New social media are important communication tools to keep people informed of our actions in the state Senate as we fight for disciplined spending, less government intrusion and lower taxes,” said Senate Minority Leader Peter Bragdon (R-Milford).
You can find the New Hampshire Senate Republicans by following them at www.twitter.com/NHGOPSenate or by becoming a fan of NHGOPSenate on Facebook.
But the best part was the headline: New Hampshire Senate Republicans Embrace Social Media
Could they look any more like old guys trying to act hip?
From the Manchester mayor’s office this afternoon:
The State of New Hampshire Liquor Commission – Bureau of Alcohol Enforcement announced that an emergency hearing has been scheduled regarding Three Cousins Pizza and Lounge. The hearing will determine whether to revoke the restaurant’s liquor license. The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2009, at the NH State Liquor Commission; 50 Storrs St.; Concord.
Mayor Frank Guinta, Chief David Mara and others will be testifying in support of permanent revocation of the restaurant’s liquor license. This stems from a raid of the premises on Wednesday, October 21, where three people were arrested for allegedly selling cocaine. Overall, raids throughout the day turned up illegal drugs and tens of thousands of dollars in cash.
“The safety of Manchester residents is my top priority, and because of that, I will be strongly pushing for the permanent revocation of Three Cousins’ liquor license,” Mayor Guinta said. “It is important that businesses that engage in such activity understand that such actions will not be tolerated.”
Mike Castaldo, who is challenging Frank Guinta and Bob Bestani for the GOP nomination for Congress in the 1st District, has a fun take on the campaign fundraiser. For $10, you can “sponsor a day on the campaign trail AND eat unlimited wings. How great is that?”
The event is at the Dover Margarita’s on Nov. 17th from 6-7.
If you read Pat Buchanan’s column today, you will note that he quoted NH GOP Chairman John H. Sununu on global warming. Here’s the piece Sununu wrote, which was originally published by the Heartland Institute earlier this year.
Per our Sunday editorial on Keep Manchester Moving, I have seen it alleged that the chairman of KMM, Josiette White, claimed to be a Concord resident last year when she opposed that city’s spending cap. As far as I could find, that is not true. The allegation stems from the minutes of the Sept. 8, 2008 Concord City Council meeting. At the end of the meeting, the council took up the question of holding a vote on the spending cap. The deputy city clerk reported that the city solicitor’s report on the scheduling of the spending cap vote was presented to the council along with “communication from Josiette White, Concord resident.” But that was a mistake by the presenter of the materials.
What was submitted at that meeting was White’s e-mail letter to Council member William Stetson. I obtained a copy of that letter. The very first sentence begins with White stating, “While I’m not a resident of Concord…”
White did not falsely pose as a resident; the staffer who gave that letter to the council misidentified White.
Frank Guinta’s campaign for Congress just announced that he has raised $125,755 in the third quarter, an increase over his disappointing 2nd quarter haul of $90,115. The campaign reports 399 donors (364 from NH) in the third quarter. The money total is about $25k less than rumored expectations, from what I hear, but $25k more than what he needed to hit to be considered a strong candidate. He has $180,121 cash on hand, the campaign says.
Here is the text of a letter Rep. Carol Shea-Porter has written to Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer urging the extension of home buyer tax credits:
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer:
I write to urge that the House of Representatives take quick action to extend the tax credit for first-time home buyers, including the important changes made in the Recovery Act, and consider including a smaller credit for other home buyers as well. In these tough economic times, Congress must continue to enact sound fiscal policies that help our economy recover. The Recovery Package is working, and we should not let this important tool expire.
The tax credit for first time home buyers has obvious benefits for the housing market and the economy as a whole. Some 400,000 home sales have been directly attributed to the tax credit. Those purchases lead directly to increased sales of home appliances, furniture, and other household items. The National Association of Realtors has estimated that every home purchase injects more than $60,000 into the economy. All of this leads to companies retaining or creating more jobs. Creating a smaller tax credit for other home buyers could lead to even greater economic benefits and job creation.
The 111th Congress has faced uncharted economic territory. Congress must continue to carefully weigh the benefits and costs of every piece of fiscal policy. I believe the tax credit for first time home buyers has proven to be a reliable and sound investment, and Congress should immediately extend and consider expanding it.
Thank you for your continued leadership and for your attention to this most important matter.
Personally, I’d rather have a flat tax than a tax credit for home purchases. Although I’m all for reducing tax payments when they are needlessly high, I find it interesting that Shea-Porter thinks this tax break is good while she opposes other tax breaks. This one is good, she believes, because it encourages people to do what she thinks they should do. But as Thomas Sowell points out, redirecting economic activity to some supposedly “good” purpose has all sorts of other effects that hit every one of us in unpredictable ways.
I wonder if Carol Shea-Porter would support tax credits for any of the following economically stimulative behaviors:
* New car purchases
* New yacht purchases
* Used motorcycle purchases
* Firearm purchases
* Movie ticket purchases
* Chocolate cupcake purchases
* Vacation cottage rentals
* Newspaper subscriptions
* Dining out
* Leaf peeping trips
* Spam purchases
Is it just the total dollar amount that makes it worthy of a tax credit? If so, why not give a credit for any purchase worth more than $100,000? What if you bought $200,000 worth of Spam?
Is it the fact that buying a home is, statistically speaking, a good investment and has rippling economic benefits? Well then why not a credit for buying stock?
Wouldn’t it be better to lower taxes across the board by the amount that would be lost to a tax credit and let people decide for themselves how to spend the money rather than have the government direct their spending decisions to behaviors the government prefers?
E-ZPass might save your baby’s life? I’m skeptical of the grand claims in this study, but it’s interesting.
State employees explain why they voted against the contract.
Elected officials in the I-93 corridor in southern NH ask for an eight-lane I-93.
Charles Krauthammer: National decline is a choice.
I was on vacation when this aired, maybe you’ve seen it: CNN fact checks SNL. If you ever doubted whether CNN were in the tank for Obama, doubt no more. CNN fact checks an SNL sketch critical of Obama.
Just a reminder: Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” wasn’t entirely truthful. Nor was his response when errors were pointed out.
Autumn in New Hampshire
I’m out of town all week. Check back Monday.
