Opinion
Letter: Energy independence
China is the world leader in the manufacturing and export of wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles. They’re investing in the infrastructure necessary to support EV markets. Tesla currently has a project under construction, building a 50-acre battery manufacturing plant larger than Boeings facility in Seattle with the help of the Chinese government. The strategy is to strengthen the energy storage business by creating the largest battery manufacturing facility in the world. The U.S., in the opposite move has pulled out of all environmental organizations, canceled tax incentives, halted leases for offshore wind farms ready to start construction after years of delays and programs designed to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. I guess this is one area the U.S. doesn’t want to be number one.
Letter: Remember Title IX, anyone?
In 1972, Title IX was signed into law. Over the years, it’s been tweaked and adjusted. Now, both Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan voted against keeping men out of women’s sports. Common sense says this is not an adjustment Title IX needs. Please, remember when these women run for election again, they care more about an agenda than they do about your daughters.
Letter: Harmful anti-trans bill
Rep. Lisa Mazur has introduced a bill to keep transgender youth under the age of 18 from accessing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. She accused the medical community of “rushing minors into irreversible medical interventions.” She ignored the fact that every major professional medical and psychological association approves these treatments and that both individual testimony and gender care clinics show there is no rush involved. She showed compassion when speaking of individuals she had talked with who regret their decision and detransition, but she admitted she had had no conversations with people who were happy and thriving after transgender care. Only 2% of trans individuals regret their decision, so perhaps speaking to some of the other 98% would have helped her craft this bill, or better yet, scrap it. She did not have a single question for the young people or their parents who came to testify. I don’t know why I am surprised. I’m a constituent and she refuses to talk to me. Legislators who see themselves as only representing those who agree with them do not truly represent us. When asked if she has a moral objection to transgender people, she said, “I love everyone.” I’ll believe it when I see it.
Letter: My child's transness is a tiny part of who they are, and a part of them that I love deeply
While testifying against anti-trans healthcare bans, a piece of my testimony was quoted by the Concord Monitor and WMUR saying “Why would I want this for my child?” I want to be clear that what I never wanted for my child was the hate, vitriol and political attacks aimed at them and other trans, intersex and gender non-conforming people. My trans child has given our family a wonderful gift. We are more comfortable in our skins and in the ways we don’t meet impossible standards of the gender binary. We are more understanding and are more willing to seek to understand. We are fiercer and more likely to stand with those being marginalized and most importantly- we have more love because we have created an amazing community for ourselves. My child’s transness is a tiny part of who they are, and a part of them that I love deeply. Having a trans child is not what brought me to tears at the State House, having a trans child who is being demeaned, threatened and attacked by our local and federal government is. My child deserves to play sports, see books that reflect who they are, use a restroom in public without threat, have documentation that matches their name and pronouns, be safe in school, have access to the same medical care and live a long and happy life, just like other children.
Letter: Kearsarge school tax questions
It appears to me that the New Hampshire School Fairness Funding Project (NHFFP) is a politically motivated group advocating for higher taxes to increase financial support of public schools. I have questions. Take for example, the Kearsarge School District budget of over $55 million which will represent a $33,000 cost per student per year because there are only 1,668 students in the district. Was the Kearsarge Superintendent and School Board advocating that all New Hampshire school districts should spend $33,000 per student by hosting a recent meeting for the public with the NHFFP? Does spending more per student equal better outcomes?
Letter: Learning respect vs. teaching hate
I’m writing to you as a retired educator, mother and grandmother. Nothing matches the sheer joy and pride of a child, teen or young adult learning a new skill, reaching a personal goal, feeling exhilaratingly excited and glad to be themselves. The equation doesn’t change, no matter the skin color, economic background or gender. Good parents know this, whether parents of binary, non-binary or transgender children. As the South Pacific song says, “You’ve got to be carefully taught” to hate and fear someone perceived as “different.” When you have personal experience with queer young people, you see these individuals as the human beings they truly are, not through the lens of fearful, preconceived stereotypes the current administration wants to teach you to use. The lies told by those who fan the fears of citizens lacking in empathy or personal experience are a travesty and nothing but hateful.
Letter: Do the difficult thing
The op-ed by Reps. Vose and Hill (Monitor, Feb. 27) stands the school-funding argument on its head. There is no encroachment on regulatory authority here. The NH Supreme Court was just doing its job when it ordered the state to pay for an adequate education, declaring that inequities in educational opportunity and funding were due, at least in part, to the state’s failure to cherish education. That would be cherish, as in the state’s constitutional obligation to cherish public education. What definition of cherish would these two gentlemen prefer? Using a watered-down definition of the word would not remove the problem.
Letter: We all lose together
The heavy hand of the state is poised to come down hard on a small group of children who want to play on their school sports teams. Why do our elected legislators propose so many cruel restrictions on the rights and opportunities of transgender children who are a tiny percentage of our population? I think they do it because, at heart, they want to live in a society where minorities are kept segregated and inferior rather than respected and embraced — an undemocratic, white supremacist society. Restricting access to bathrooms and sports teams may seem small matters, but together with other legislative initiatives to curtail health care, ban books, eviscerate school curricula and even to defund public schools, it all adds up to a vicious attack on democratic society and specifically democratic concepts of equality. The late Sen. Paul Wellstone was fond of saying, ”We all do better when we all do better.” In this case, the inverse of that is “when we beat up on our minority children, we all lose together.
Letter: History repeating?
Some have compared Trump’s demand for minerals in Ukraine to the odious reparations imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. There is a fundamental flaw in that argument. Germany in 1919 was a defeated foe. Ukraine in 2025 is a loyal ally who is still in the fight.
Letter: Farewell Judie Milner
Franklin has lost a valuable asset. The departure of our City Manager, Judie Milner, will no doubt set back all of the great work that has been done to revitalize this city. Judie truly cared about Franklin and its future and was very successful in obtaining grants and other revenue streams for the betterment of this community. I believe the new “players” in city government have an agenda and will systematically set us back 20 (or more) years. This regime has installed bad actors and has driven out those who worked hard to make Franklin a better place. City workers are succumbing to this toxicity as evidenced by the departure of other valuable staff. I strongly urge all citizens to look closely at what’s happening from the top down starting with the mayor and vote accordingly in the next election cycle.
Letter: Community Power scheme
I’ve been suspicious of the offers coming from the various Community Power outfits, and now I know why. The Community Power Coalition struggled to meet its mandate of providing power at a cost lower than Eversource. Their rate of 8.9 cents/Kwh was lower than Eversource by 0.03 cents. Applied to a 650 Kwh monthly electric bill, this reduction is 19.5 cents. Not even enough to buy the stamp needed to mail in the payment. That 8.9 cent rate began about the first of 2025, but in early March, the CPC defaulted on their deal and raised the basic rate to 9.7 cents which will prevail through July 2025. So much for lowering power bills. And the rate is not the only thing that went up. The CPC budget line for ‘Salaries and Benefits’ went from $1.4 million in 2024 to $1.7 million for 2025. Someone is making money off this scheme. I’m wondering if the New Hampshire Attorney General’s people need to have a look at CPC.
Letter: Not buying the recession narrative
The same media outlets that at best ignored — and at worst suppressed — the evidence of a real recession during the Biden years are now yelling “recession!” in a crowded theater every hour as the market begins a long overdue correction and as tarrifs and DOGE start to bring the industrial base back to America and wean our corporations off of inflationary federal subsidies. This is just a Democrat party in shambles trying to push a narrative and poison the country against it’s popular president. Give us a break.
Letter: Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
Did you know that March is nationally designated as Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month? And recently, Gov. Ayotte signed a proclamation to declare March as Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month in the Granite State. This recognition aims to raise awareness about bleeding disorders with the general public and foster a stronger sense of unity among all individuals in the bleeding disorders community. To help raise awareness for those living with bleeding disorders in the Granite State, the Concord Hotel was lit in red on Friday, March 14. In New Hampshire, there are an estimated 100 people living with hemophilia and about 13,000 living with other types of bleeding disorders, including von Willebrand’s disease. Having a bleeding disorder can be a very serious condition that often requires treatment and lifestyle modification. Thanks to recent medical advances, many bleeding disorders are able to be treated such that a person can live a productive life without fear of repeated hospitalizations or medical interventions. The Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon hosts a Hemophilia Treatment Center that is a critical source of medical expertise and support for residents of New Hampshire and Vermont with bleeding disorders. If you are interested in more information about bleeding disorders, visit the New England Hemophilia Association at www.newenglandhemophilia.org. Its mission is to create an inclusive community across all six New England states that empowers and enhances the lives of individuals with inherited bleeding disorders and their families.
Letter: New Hampshire must resist Project 2025 and Article V convention
In 2008 Putin, Russia’s fascist president, replaced his prime minister’s seat with a close ally followed by a term change from 4 to 6 years. In 2020, a constitutional reform allowed Putin to run for president two more times while increasing the power of the president. is this the playbook for the Trump regime? That could happen at a Article V convention, supported by the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025’s primary source. Can you hear the laughter all the way from Putin’s expansive desk? A convention was recently and surreptitiously touted in New Hampshire by Rick Santorum and Rep. Moffett as a pathway to “fiscal responsibility.” They neglect to tell you all of Project 2025/Article V aspirations. An Article V convention would allow Republicans to write amendments without compromise from Independents or Democrats! Project 2025 outlines their plans to dismantle protections within two years. Pages 531 and 532 regard the transfer of federal lands/wilderness, national parks and monuments. Page 557 regards civil rights, including abortion, diversity, a plan to dissolve fair housing and civil rights acts. Other pages promote destroying the endangered species act and the National Environment Policy Act, instituting term limits for the Supreme Court and tax reductions for the wealthiest. The dangers are not just lurking in the far distance but are upon our doors to undermine the constitution, democracy and freedoms every enlisted service-member and veteran has dedicated their life to. New Hampshire citizens become informed, resist and make your voices be heard!
Letter: The end of public schools?
It’s said that when you put a frog in a pot and turn the temperature up very slowly, the frog doesn’t realize it’s doom until too late. That is how the New Hampshire legislature is trying to destroy public education in our state. Despite a constitutional obligation to “cherish the interest of public schools,” the Education Freedom Account laws increasingly divert funds for public schools to parents who choose other educational options. At first, eligibility was limited to families who earned less than 300% of the federal poverty level. Then, it was raised to 350%. This year, the Senate passed a bill to expand funding to everyone regardless of income level. Currently, the program is diverting $27.7 million from public schools. Making eligibility unlimited is estimated to cost at least an additional $6-11 million in the next 2 years, and up to $100 million. Who do you think will pay for budget shortfalls in our local schools? Besides diverting funds, the Senate last year passed a bill that allowing the Department of Education to ban books. This year, the Senate passed a “parental bill of rights” that among other things gives parents the right to “direct the education and moral training” of their minor children. Taking money from public schools and creating new paths for parents to dispute how public schools operate is taking us down a path to destroy public education. The water is getting warmer. Pay attention now.
Letter: Congress: Step up to safeguard animal rights
The new Congress is in full swing, bringing with it many fresh challenges and opportunities. This year, I hope our federal lawmakers will harness the opportunity to protect America’s equines, dogs and farmed animals from cruelty and abuse. According to multiple studies, most Americans are passionate about animal welfare, but efforts to pass responsive legislation have lagged. Countless dogs trapped in the cruel puppy mill industry continue to suffer without adequate oversight, while thousands of American equines are still being shipped across our borders and brutally slaughtered. At the same time, industrial animal agriculture corporations are engaging in risky and inhumane practices without proper accountability. And yet, public dollars continue to be funneled to these large-scale operations over sustainable, higher-welfare farms. Past legislation like Goldie’s Act and the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act could help address these issues. I hope my legislators, Sen. Shaheen, Sen. Hassan and Rep. Goodlander, will co-sponsor these bills when they’re reintroduced, and I hope they’ll oppose dangerous legislation like the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act. These actions could transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of animals, consumers, farmers and farm workers, and horse owners. The public has spoken — now it’s time for Congress to act.
Letter: Direct your anger at the right people
Recently, President Trump, citing information from the White Coat Waste Project, correctly highlighted NIH-funded transgender research on mice. Unfortunately, some have misused this information to incite hostility toward the transgender community. This is both unfair and unacceptable, as the transgender community neither requested nor endorsed this research. Criticism should be directed at those who fund and conduct these cruel and unnecessary experiments, not at any other group of people. Animal experimentation is cruel, outdated and wasteful, and it must end. Just as technology has advanced beyond 1950s-era automobiles, medical research must evolve beyond reliance on animals. Modern alternatives — such as human cell cultures, organ-on-a-chip technology and computer modeling — offer more accurate predictions of human responses than animal models. For example, while some cancer treatments have shown success in mice for decades, they have failed in human trials due to fundamental biological differences between species. Funding should prioritize human-relevant research methods that drive more effective and ethical scientific progress. As President Trump stated, the NIH allocates millions of taxpayer dollars to studies involving animals. Researchers continue to profit from animal experimentation, which, despite being outdated, remains a standard research method. Securing grant money for animal-based studies is often easier than for more modern alternatives. To learn more, visit the White Coat Waste Project online. If you feel frustrated or angry, direct it toward the institutions and individuals profiting from these experiments, not innocent people.
Letter: Foreign aid cuts will hurt America
America will be less safe, less prosperous and weaker in the eyes of the world as a result of the Trump Administration’s abrupt and uninformed assault on foreign aid and the USAID. Secretary Rubio has canceled 83% of USAID’s programs, claiming that they do not serve national interests. As a retired Foreign Service Officer who has lived and worked across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, I know he is wrong.
Letter: Stop the focused attack
I am writing to express my concern with the focused attacks on the rights of transgender individuals, which is happening on both the national and local level. In New Hampshire, there have been numerous bills introduced this year regarding gender identity ranging from requiring school employees to disclose information to parents (SB 96), bills prohibiting “biologically male” students from participating in female designated sports (SB211), prohibiting gender-affirming care for those under 18 (HB377, HB 712), and rolling back nondiscrimination protections by permitting classification based on “biological” sex in bathrooms and detention facilities (HB 148). It is estimated that nearly $215 million dollars was spent on network TV ads targeting transgender people this past election. This estimate does not include additional money spent on streaming and cable ads. Approximately one percent of the U.S. population is comprised of transgender people and transgender rights are not at the forefront of the primary issues that Americans are concerned with. Yet, here we are seeing our trans service members being attacked, restrictions being placed on healthcare access and lifting of anti-discrimination laws for this specific population. Making matters worse, many of our elected officials are not listening to their constituents and recommending “ought to pass” on several bills despite in-person and on-line testimony reflecting the opposite. It is time that NH legislators listened to the people and address issues that matter to Granite Staters and stop just promoting the national agenda.
Letter: State budget in era of DOGE
At a time when federal government is being DOGE’d, the responsibility for ensuring that America continues to be a prosperous land of opportunity is being transferred from the federal government to states. This transition is something that conservatives have been advocating for for decades, and now, for better or worse, it is coming to pass. State government has an awesome responsibility to step in where the federal government has stepped back, and we must ensure that New Hampshire remains an amazing place to work, to raise a family, to go to school and to be part of a healthy and vibrant community. Unfortunately, in many respects this awesome responsibility and new reality is not reflected in the Republican budget bill. Rather than step up where the federal government has stepped back, this budget proposes many of the same kinds of short-term cost cutting measures that will have long term impacts to our state. While New Hampshire remains, for now, one of the wealthiest states in the country, that status cannot long endure unless we truly invest in our public education system (including the University system), health care (including mental health care), workforce housing, childcare, transportation, our environment and energy infrastructure. I urge all members of the House and Senate to consider the totality of our social and economic environment and to recognize that cuts to vital services will have real and immediately deleterious impacts on New Hampshire residents, families, small businesses, towns and cities.
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