Stephen the best choice
To the editor:
I strongly urge all of you to vote for John Stephen for Congress on Sept. 9. John is a man of character, integrity and principle. He will represent the people of New Hampshire and hold to the ideals of small, effective government which is something that Washington has long forgotten. Washington is broken and John will be a great first step to mend a broken system that urgently needs common sense and fiscal conservatism. As the head of the largest agency in New Hampshire government, the Department of Health and Human Services, John did something that is unheard of. John, through fiscal constraint, was able to return $143 million back to the state over his four-year tenure as the head of the department. When was the last time you saw any government agency underspend its budget and return money back to the people? John did just that because he understands and believes that government should serve the people and not be self-serving.
Let's send someone to Washington who is fiscally conservative. Someone who understands that government is supposed to serve the citizens. If you want true, meaningful change in Washington, vote for John Stephen for Congress on Sept. 9.
Andy Greco
Londonderry, N.H.
Bradley a true leader
To the editor:
Recently I have seen columns asking the question, "Who is a leader and who is a follower?" in the race for the 1st District Republican nomination. I would pose the question differently when considering the merits of Jeb Bradley and John Stephen. The question I would ask is, "Who has gotten the job done for New Hampshire and who has not?"
The person who has gotten the job done is Jeb Bradley. In the N.H. House, Jeb delivered as a 12-year member and chairman of the Science, Technology and Energy Committee as well as chairman of the Ethics Committee. As a member of Congress, Jeb has delivered to our state and our veterans through leadership in the Armed Services Committee, Budget Committee, Veterans' Affairs Committee and Small Business Committee, where Jeb served as chairman of the sub-committee on Tax, Finance and Exports. Most notably as a member of the Armed Services Committee and in conjunction with all members of the N.H. congressional delegation, Jeb worked to successfully remove the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from the base closure list, saving over 5,000 jobs on the Seacoast.
Also as a member of both the Armed Services and Budget committees, Jeb was able to earmark funds aimed specifically at equipping our field servicemen and servicewomen with night vision technology, allowing them to "see" roadside dangers and protect our service men and women from harm in the field of battle.
John Stephen's record is quite different. As commissioner of Health and Human Services, through John's direction, funding responsibility for nursing homes was diverted from a state cost to the counties. This resulted in a direct increase in county burden of millions of dollars which was paid by increases in each and every property owners property taxes. And more infuriating, this cost shift resulted in a loss of millions in federal Medicaid funding. John's accounting "trick" raised property taxes across our state!
When Jeb was a member of Congress, John Stephen called on Jeb to assist in arranging earmarked funds for communication equipment for our State Police; now today, John states that he will work to eliminate "earmarks." Interesting, when he needs the targeted aid it is OK, but when running for Congress, it is not OK? John, are you for earmarks or against them?
There is nothing "conservative" or "fiscally responsible" about John Stephens.
Jeb has gotten the job done. Let's return him to Congress as a representative with seniority and standing.
Please join me in supporting Jeb Bradley in the 1st District congressional republican primary.
Christopher Wolfe
Derry, N.H.
Stephen deserves vote
To the editor:
John Stephen is a good man. He's incredibly hard-working, smart and ethical. He sees our federal government for what it could be but also understands the mess that it's become. We need to clean up Washington. It's turned into a special interest feeding frenzy devouring our taxpayer dollars. We need someone who is independent; independent of the special interests and independent of the good-old boy network that feeds them and is in turn fed by them. John Stephen will be our independent voice in Washington. We can once again be proud of our representative. Please vote for John Stephen on Sept. 9.
Doug Newell
Derry, N.H.
Baldasaro has her support
To the editor:
State Rep. Al Baldasaro is hard-working and honest. We can count on him to control spending and to protect our individual rights and freedoms. He is a proud career Marine, and knows what it means to defend our country against threats of all kinds. Since being in N.H.'s House of Representatives, he has consistently worked to make additional and improved resources and benefits available for our veterans who have returned home from fighting for our freedom.
Rep. Baldasaro is one of the most responsive state representatives I know. After speaking to him for only a few minutes, it is clear that he cares deeply about the constituents he represents. Any town or city in New Hampshire would benefit greatly from having him as their representative; I'm just very lucky he lives in and represents my own town of Londonderry.
Abby Sykas
Londonderry, N.H.
Foster parents needed
To the editor:
"The wheels on the bus go round and round ..." Remember that song — or, if you have little kids, are they singing that one to you as they get ready to take the bus from your house to school? I need to say it again, folks: There are children out there needing foster homes. DCYF needs foster parents. Children need foster parents to care for them, maybe forever, or maybe only until their own families can get their lives back on track so their kids can return home. In your mind's eye envision your foster child standing out there with your child waiting to take the bus to school, maybe singing "the wheels on the bus go round and round ..." Call your local Salem DCYF foster care worker at 1-800-852-7492.
Jan Feuer, intake specialist
Concord
Planned Parenthood helpful for women
To the editor:
Women of all ages have a demand for family planning, a demand which is met by health centers like the Planned Parenthood in Derry. Protesters who claim they have the welfare of young people at heart gather outside this clinic and make each woman who approaches that clinic to receive services such as checkups, birth control and STI testing feel like a criminal. Should women not be able to have an annual checkup to ensure that they do not have cervical cancer? Should women have no access to contraceptives? Should those same young people who are so at risk that 25 percent currently have a sexually transmitted infection have no access to testing? It seems that the protesters in Derry would have it that way. Does it make sense? I think not. It seems to me that the only result from this protesting is that women will be at greater risk for a whole variety of health care issues including unplanned pregnancy, disease and sexually transmitted infection. I wonder if the protesters ever take a moment to step back and actually assess the damage they cause by protesting at a family planning clinic.
Ashley Adam
Newmarket, N.H.
Bradley failed residents
To the editor:
The 1st District campaign for Congress is very informative. The candidates are sticking to the issues. Fortunately, the candidates have records from which we can compare them. While John Stephen ran Health and Human Services like a lean business returning $143 million to the state taxpayer, Jeb Bradley was in Congress spending $1 million on the study of brown tree snakes in Guam, $50 million for a rain forest in Iowa a $500,000 for a teapot museum in North Carolina. What possible reason is there to justify why the taxpayers of New Hampshire are paying for a teapot museum in North Carolina? Jeb Bradley wants his old job back, but he failed us when he had the chance. Instead of bringing down gas prices, he voted against offshore drilling five times. It is time for fresh leadership in Washington. John Stephen proved himself at Health and Human Services and ought to be given the chance to succeed in Washington.
Sheila Melanson
Bedford, N.H.
Stephen has momentum
To the editor:
John Stephen has the momentum to win!
There is something exciting brewing in the 1st District congressional race. People are starting to reject Jeb Bradley's politics of old which pale in comparison to John Stephen's new and exciting leadership. John Stephen will bring a level of energy to Washington that we have not seen. John will be the hardest-working congressman fighting for New Hampshire citizens every day. John's message of preserving the New Hampshire Advantage with low spending, less government and less crime is a winning combination. John's energy plan will bring gas prices down. Bottom line, John Stephen is well on his way and will beat Carol Shea-Porter in November. First, we need to keep the momentum going by voting against the politics of old and for the John Stephen's new, energetic and exciting leadership on Sept. 9.
Brendan J. Reilly
Manchester, N.H.
Sununu sides with big business
To the editor:
At this point we all know that the economy is having serious problems; it seems every day it is getting harder and harder for working and middle-class families to make ends meet. Fuel, food and other essentials are getting more and more expensive and wages are not going up quickly enough to meet this inflation, or in some cases not going up at all. As a result of Bush's economics, which John Sununu has overwhelmingly supported, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow.
John Sununu has consistently voted to help large corporations instead of middle-class families. He has accepted $220,000 from oil companies and $250,000 from pharmaceutical companies. In return, he has voted for big tax cuts for big oil (while they make record profits and we pay rising prices at the pumps) and against allowing negotiation of drug prices and against allowing importation of drugs (the exact same drugs) from Canada at cheaper prices. Sununu feels helping wealthy corporations is more important than struggling NH families.
Jeanne Shaheen is against giving tax cuts to big oil, supports drug price negotiation and importing drugs from Canada, and in general feels that it is more important to give tax cuts to working and middle-class families as opposed to wealthy corporations. We need a new direction, we need a new senator, we need Jeanne Shaheen.
Nicholas Maggio
Atkinson
