Memo to those planning on attending tonight’s fireworks display in the Queen City. There’s been a change of plans. The city announced yesterday that the display has been rescheduled for Saturday night due to today’s weather forecast. We’ve linked to the details from this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
Westboro Baptist Church: Noth thinking this is how Jesus would do it.
Speaking of July 5th, the infamous Westboro Baptist Church intends to stage a protest at the funeral of a fallen Peterborough soldier Lance Cpl. Brandon Garabrant. In response, District Sixteen State Senate candidate Jane Cormier, a trained opera singer, plans to sing during their protest to help drown out the negative and disrespectful message that this “church” would put upon Garabrant’s family and friends during this tragic time. In a statement released by her campaign, Cormier said quote “While people have the right of free speech, it is despicable that any group would want to subject the families of fallen soldiers to this kind of disrespectful display. These families have already suffered enough and should not have to endure the extreme actions and statements of groups like the Westboro Baptist Church during the time of their grief.” Cormier is asking those who want to show their support for the family and join the effort to overwhelm Westoboro’s presence at the Garabrant Funeral to join her on Saturday at ConVal High School. We’ve posted Westboro’s flier with all the details: Note. WBC responded to our coverage of this news item with this tweet:
It’s true! @GirardAtLarge: Westboro Baptist Church is coming to a funeral near you. #mhtpolitics #nhpolitics LIVE @ http://www.girardatlarge.com/
Phone Scam Alert…Again…
The Londonderry Police Department is warning of a telephone scam where the victims are told they’re being investigated for a crime and that paperwork has been issued for their arrest. However, they are also told that if they pay a fine, they can avoid being arrested. According to Londonderry P D, the callers want the intended victims to purchase a Green Dot Money Card. After the cards are purchased, the scammer will call back to get the access code on the back of the card. Once they receive the code, they can then withdraw the money that was loaded on the card. The Londonderry P D says that no law enforcement agency would ask anyone to get any kind of money card to quote unquote take care of problem, so don’t fall for it. If you receive a phone call from someone telling you that you are being charged with some type of crime, about which the scammers are usually nondescript, or that you have a bench warrant, and you are asked to send money or obtain Green Dot card, L P D advises you to hang up immediately and asks you notify your local police.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Shaheen: Calls for 67% increase in federal gas tax.
Just one day after New Hampshire’s gas tax went up by twenty three percent, New Hampshire’s Democratic U S Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Health Care Queen, announced her support for a sixty seven percent hike that would bring the federal gas tax from eighteen point four to thirty point four cents per gallon. Shaheen said the increase in the tax is necessary to complete ongoing projects and tackle critical infrastructure needs around the country. Huh, where have we heard that before? Potential G O P rival Jim Rubens condemned Shaheen’s stance saying the tax hike will hurt the working poor and North Country more than anyone else and that Shaheen’s remedy for all problems is to increase taxes and spending. He argued if tax rates are to be changed, the purpose must be to grow good-paying domestic jobs, to make the federal and personal tax code simpler, fairer, and flatter, and there must be no net tax increases. He said quote “Memo to Jeanne Shaheen: The American taxpayer ATM is out of cash.”
Smith: Gets conservative PAC endorsement
While we’re on the topic of the senate race, former Senator Bob Smith announced the endorsement of Conservative Strike Force. In endorsing Smith, the group wrote quote: Senator Smith is an experienced leader, a true conservative, and a skilled campaigner who has what it takes to beat liberal New Hampshire career politician Jeanne Shaheen this fall.” End quote. Conservative StrikeForce is Virginia based political action committee formed in two thousand nine to assist fiscally and socially conservative candidates in their bids for federal offices. We’ve linked to their Web site so you can check them out. Speaking of endorsements, hundreds turned out for the midday endorsement of Scott Brown by Mitt Romney, yesterday. We’ve linked to the full text of Brown’s speech at the event and to the interview we did with him yesterday just prior to the event.
Kathy Benuck: Bye, bye Miss American Pie.
We close this morning’s news on a sad note. Our good friend Kathy Benuck, host of the Tell It Like It Is TV show on Bedford Community Television and award winning blogger on the Bedford Patch Web site has gone on to her eternal reward. Benuck, who often referred to Bedford as quote unquote “The Bubble” took on powerful interests in the town often and fearlessly. (Remember The Behavior Manifesto?) Meticulously well researched and extraordinarily well spoken, she was known as a tough but fair interviewer of political candidates on her TV show, which became a must do for candidates running for state, federal and local offices. She worked tirelessly to remind the powers that be in Bedford that not every body there lived in a McMansion and wasn’t shy about exposing shenanigans that caused folks to mend their ways. She was a voice of conscience in a town and time often too self absorbed to look beyond individual interests. When we have the details of her arrangements we will post them here. She leaves behind three sons and their families and her husband Jerry.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is straight ahead.
