FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 10, 2010
Citizens for Sensible Legislation
Contact: Andrew J. Manuse
Communications Director
Tel: 603-703-8857, e-mail: ajmanuse@cslnh.org, Web: http://cslnh.org

FAR-LEFT LAWMAKERS IN CONCORD ARE ABUSING POWER AS A MATTER OF COURSE

Reps. Rous, Day and others on House Education Committee routinely evade process to force their will on parents

CONCORD, N.H.― Citizens For Sensible Legislation strongly condemns the actions of House Education Committee Chairman Emma Rous and her band of scofflaw progressives, who are trying to evade the state's constitutional processes and force their unpopular, authoritarian agenda on families with children.

Last year, radical-leftist Democrat Rep. Judith Day of 141 Mill Road in North Hampton introduced a bill (H.B. 367) that would have forced parents to get permission from a local government employee to keep educating their children as they see fit.

This year, the same progressive lawmaker tried to resurrect the bill (H.B. 368) that would have, among other things, forced home-schooling parents to certify with a government-run school system that they are teaching a state-sanctioned curriculum. The New Hampshire Legislature recognized the extreme, authoritarian nature of these bills, and defeated both handedly—the second with a 324-34 roll call vote.

Then on January 25 of this year, Rous, a Democratic state representative who lives at 64 Adams Point Road in Durham, tried to circumvent the legislative process by sending a letter on official House Education Committee letterhead without a vote from her committee to John E. Lyons Jr., chairman of the New Hampshire Department of Education. In that letter, supported only by a minority of committee members, including Judith Day, Rous recommended that the Education Department adopt regulations that would have effectively forced the same rules defeated twice by the state Legislature.

"One of the reasons parents choose to educate their children at home is to have ultimate authority over the educational process and teaching material," said Andrew J. Manuse, spokesman for Citizens for Sensible Legislation. "It is unconscionable that this small group of progressive lawmakers think they know better than a child's mother and father. Perhaps even more disturbing is that these liberal Democrats felt so drunk with power that they thought they could force their will on New Hampshire families, circumventing the legislative process and even their own committee."

Unfortunately, Rous's rogue action late last month was not unique. This out-of-touch lawmaker so mistrusts the people of New Hampshire that she stacked the deck against a bill (H.B. 1580) that would affirm that parents have natural, fundamental rights to determine and direct the education of their children. She brought in Rep. Kimberley Casey of 109 Giles Road in East Kingston and made her chairman of the subcommittee hearing the bill, even though Casey had no prior involvement with the effort. Casey had not even been a member of the House Education Committee. At the same time, she left out Rep. Paul Ingbretson of Haverhill, the Republican sponsor of the bill.

"Rous and her far-left colleagues seem to have an agenda against the natural rights of parents and the effort of liberty-minded folks to protect those rights from the overreaching arms of government," Manuse said. "Clearly, this government has shown that a law protecting such rights is necessary, particularly when its members so freely abuse their power."

Rous and her co-conspirators have tried to circumvent the legislative process on another front. Last year, the Legislature defeated the so-called "bathroom bill." Now the far-left members of the Education Committee are ironically using an anti-bullying bill (H.B. 1523) to force the same agenda into government-run schools. Not only would the bill give one class of students more protection than others, violating the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the first two articles to the state constitution, it would also force schools to teach a radical sexual agenda to young children.

"The Democrats under the direction of Rous are trying to write discrimination into our laws by giving protections to one group of citizens that other groups don't have," Manuse said. "Not only are these legislators hypocritically shunning their own stated opposition to discrimination, they are ironically bullying the majority of New Hampshire residents who don't want their laws."

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PRESS STATEMENT
Watch our press conference in full on YouTube!

January 14, 2010
Citizens for Sensible Legislation
Contact: Andrew J. Manuse
Communications Director
Tel: 603-703-8857, e-mail: ajmanuse@cslnh.org, Web: http://cslnh.org

CSLNH: Progressive NH Rep. Susan Almy wants government to regulate your earnings

Prepared Statement of Andrew J. Manuse, spokesman

CONCORD, N.H. ― "As the spokesman for Citizens for Sensible Legislation, a volunteer coalition of residents committed to educating the people of New Hampshire about candidates, legislation and issues that affect individual and economic liberties, I'd like to welcome you to our press conference today about the pending LLC tax.

"Limited Liability Companies already pay Business Enterprise Taxes on payroll and interest like other businesses in the state. But with this new LLC tax, such company owners will have to pay taxes on net profits. According to the way LLCs are organized, company profits are really just an accounting term for the owners' personal income. The state has also assumed a power to define "reasonable compensation," which will literally seize the money that business owners have rightfully earned to pay their mortgages and feed their families.

"Working families of New Hampshire know that raising taxes in the midst of a struggling economy defies common sense. If these new taxes are allowed to stand, it will lead to more job losses, fewer business opportunities and less innovation. The idea of creating new taxes during tough economic times is so irresponsible that there is clearly another motive behind the spend, then tax policies of the current Legislature.

"If history is any lesson to us, it is clear that power hungry liberals will not stop with taxes on LLCs that effectively dictate the income that business owners can make. The Democrats ruining New Hampshire are trying to get citizens used to the idea of new and increased taxes. They are intentionally spending more than the state can afford. This will set up an opportunity for them to use spin and deception to rally support for an income tax for everyone. Clearly, a sales tax would be part of that package.

"With more spending will come more taxes, which will naturally make government bigger. How much of the new tax revenue will pay for this useless government waste, while the Legislature's spending problem remains unaddressed? And as constituents are burdened with more taxes, politicians will continue to lobby for one special interest group or another. The tax law will be used in this capacity to over regulate the private affairs of businesses and individuals.

"It's time for spend, then tax progressive Democrats in Concord to follow the example of working families and small business owners who are sitting around their kitchen tables trying to make ends meet. It is time to bring responsible, efficient government back to Concord, which like any family or business in the state, spends only what it can afford."

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2010
Citizens for Sensible Legislation
Contact: Andrew J. Manuse
Communications Director
Tel: 603-703-8857, e-mail: ajmanuse@cslnh.org, Web: http://cslnh.org

CITIZENS FOR SENSIBLE LEGISLATION: PROGRESSIVES SETTING THE STAGE FOR INCOME TAX

Coalition says excessive spending, LLC tax are steps in longer-term effort to control economy

CONCORD, N.H. ― Now that the Democratic Party controlling the state Legislature has successfully spent more money than New Hampshire residents can afford, these irresponsible progressives are working overtime to promote new taxes, such as the LLC business income tax, to try and cover their spending spree.

"Working families of New Hampshire know that raising taxes in the midst of a struggling economy defies common sense," said Andrew J. Manuse, communications director of Citizens for Sensible Legislation. "If these new taxes are allowed to stand, it will assuredly lead to more job losses, fewer business opportunities and less innovation. The idea of creating new taxes during tough economic times is so irresponsible that there is clearly another motive behind the spend, then tax policies of the current Legislature."

Limited Liability Companies already pay Business Enterprise Taxes on payroll and interest like other businesses in the state. But with this new LLC tax, such company owners will have to pay taxes on net profits. According to the way LLCs are organized, company profits are really just an accounting term for the owners' personal income. The state has also assumed a power to define "reasonable compensation," which will literally seize the money that business owners have rightfully earned to pay their mortgages and feed their families.

"If history is any lesson to us, it is clear that power hungry progressives will not stop with taxes on LLCs that effectively dictate the income these business owners can make," Manuse added. "The Democrats ruining New Hampshire are trying to get citizens used to the idea of new and increased taxes. They are intentionally spending more than the state can afford. This will set up an opportunity for them to use spin and deception to rally support for an income tax for everyone. Clearly, a sales tax would be part of that package."

With more spending will come more taxes, which will naturally make government bigger. How much of the new tax revenue will pay for this useless government waste, while the Legislature's spending problem remains unaddressed? And as constituents are burdened with more taxes, politicians will continue to lobby for one special interest group or another. The tax law will be used in this capacity to over regulate the private affairs of businesses and individuals.

"The proposed LLC tax is just another big government scheme to expand Concord's control over the state's economy," said John Slattery, chairman of Citizens for Sensible Legislation. "The LLC tax is a direct result of Democrats' desire to line the government's pockets at a time when New Hampshire families and businesses are cutting back. At the end of the day, this will just add to the pain New Hampshire residents are already facing."

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2009
New Hampshire Citizens for Sensible Legislation
Contact: Andrew Demers, Chairman
Tel: 603-703-1633, e-Mail: aedemers@cslnh.org, Web: http://cslnh.org

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS USE COMMITTEE RULE TO OUTLAW GUNS AT STATE HOUSE

Citizens for Sensible Legislation rebukes unconstitutional policy-making in the dark of night just before Christmas

MANCHESTER, N.H.― In a surprise action today, a cadre of anti-liberty lawmakers in Concord acted behind closed doors to ban guns at the State House, the Legislative Office Building, the Upham Walker House, legislative parking garages and lots, and any other facility that the Legislature controls.

In a partisan, 8-3 vote, progressive Democrats sitting on the Joint Committee on Legislative Facilities today used a policy-making authority for legislative buildings to impose their out-of-touch and unconstitutional agenda on citizens, lawmakers and state office workers who would want to protect themselves from criminals who might try to harm them in these buildings. Section 2(a) of the New Hampshire constitution clearly protects the right to bear arms.

"The Democratic legislators on the Joint Facilities Committee are a rouges gallery of the strongest opponents of personal and economic liberty in New Hampshire," said Andrew Demers, chairman of Citizens for Sensible Legislation. "These are extremists who have failed in their attempts at restricting liberty through the legislative process, so they've now turned to an unprincipled and underhanded tactic. Clearly, these legislators are out of touch with average citizens on this important issue."

"The citizens of New Hampshire are undoubtedly less safe and less free because of the Joint Committee's actions today," Demers added.

Democratic committee members Sylvia Larsen, Terie Norelli, Margaret Hassan, Mary Jane Wallner, Lou D'Allesandro, Marjorie Smith, Daniel Eaton and Martha Fuller Clark were behind today's vote against liberty and safety, while Republicans voted to honor citizens' right to defend themselves.

Republican leadership condemned the scheme by progressive Democrats. "It won't allow people working in the buildings to protect themselves from someone just walking in with a weapon," said Gene Chandler, senior assistant House Republican leader. "Once again, we are favoring the criminals."

According to Chandler, state Rep. Mary Jane Wallner slipped in the measure at the last minute. It wasn't on the agenda and no one from the public had the chance to comment. He said a law to ban guns in state buildings failed measurably a few years ago, so the anti-gun extremists turned to dirty tricks to impose their will on the people. A similar law has come up again for the 2010 session, which will likely be defeated.

"Senate President Larsen and House Speaker Norelli are the architects of the Democratic Party's progressive anti-freedom policies. This underhanded deal, done four days before Christmas, shows the utter contempt that they have for New Hampshire citizens", said Andrew Demers, chairman of Citizens for Sensible Legislation.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 3rd, 2009
Contact: Andrew Demers, chairman
New Hampshire Citizens for Sensible Legislation
Tel: 603-703-1633, e-mail: aedemers@cslnh.org, Web: http://cslnh.org

CITIZENS FOR SENSIBLE LEGISLATION CELEBRATES SPENDING CAP VICTORY

Coalition says positive Spending Cap vote in Manchester shows citizens want more accountability

MANCHESTER, N.H. ― Please attribute the following statement to Andrew Demers, chairman of Citizens for Sensible Legislation, a Manchester-based political action committee:

"In voting widely for the Spending Cap in Tuesday's elections, Manchester residents clearly said they do not trust City Hall to spend their money wisely. Too often has pressure from special interest groups driven aldermen to suspend their better judgment and support unsustainable budget hikes."

"Manchester businesses and families have to trim their budgets during tough economic times and so should Manchester City government. With the Spending Cap in place, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Manchester School District will be forced to work hard and use common sense to keep raises and other city employee benefits in line with Manchester businesses. Like city families that have to save enough money before they can build an addition on their house, aldermen's pet projects will just have to wait until the city has the money to pay for them."

"No longer will pressure from city employees who are only looking out for themselves and their out-of-state political backers have more staying power than the will of the people. It makes me proud to know that Manchester citizens did their homework and came out in force to dispel the myths and distortions of progressive groups funded by wealthy out-of-state donors."

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 21, 2009
Contact: Andrew Demers
Chairman, New Hampshire Citizens for Sensible Legislation
Tel: 603-703-1633, e-Mail: aedemers@cslnh.org, Web: http://cslnh.org

Watch Part 1 of our press conference

Watch Part 2 of our press conference

CITIZENS FOR SENSIBLE LEGISLATION DECRIES TAX SUMMIT AS WRONG APPROACH

Coalition says New Hampshire Legislature should reign-in state spending and shun new taxes or fees

CONCORD, N.H. ― As progressive, big government lawmakers met at a managed Tax Summit inside the State House to push their pro income tax and sales tax agenda, Citizens for Sensible Legislation met outside the legislative office building with concerned New Hampshire residents to explain how uncontrolled spending by the New Hampshire State Legislature has led to large but reversible deficits in the state budget.

"The long-term strategy of the Democratic leadership in New Hampshire is to change our state political culture and significantly increase the size and scope of government," said state Rep. Jennifer Coffey, R-Merrimack 6. "One of their main and most successful tactics so far has been to overspend us into a serious fiscal crisis."

"Legislators in New Hampshire need to understand that the solution is reigning-in state spending, not engaging in out-of-control spending and then looking for more ways to fleece the hardworking families of this great state,"
Coffey added.

It took 79 New Hampshire governors 200 years before state spending reached $1 billion; it only took six years for Gov. Jeanne Shaheen to double state spending and enact the state's first statewide property tax. It's true that Shaheen was governor 10 years ago, but her spend-then-tax historical record is about to repeat itself unless voters have something to say about it next year.

Democrats now control 56 percent of the state House, 58 percent of the state Senate, the governor's office and 60 percent of the Executive Council. It should be clear to voters that the Democratic Party's progressive agenda is trying to strip New Hampshire of its free market, low-cost advantage over other Northeastern states.

New Hampshire's current $250 million state budget shortfall is partly the result of poor planning by Gov. John Lynch and Democratic state lawmakers as well as their brazenly audacious and unconstitutional idea that the state could steal $110 million from the private Medical Malpractice Fund to help balance their irresponsible spending. The Democratically controlled Legislature also passed 42 new or increased fees, but it wasn't enough to quench their undying thirst for residents' hard-earned dollars.

With the House Ways and Means Committee's Tax Summit this week, progressive lawmakers are now looking for ways to take more money from Granite Staters so they can continue their uninhibited spending spree. "The House Ways and Means Committee should have held a summit to talk about spending cuts, not a summit to find out how much more money they can take from New Hampshire citizens," said Jim Forsythe, treasurer of Citizens For Sensible Legislation. "This is a problem of too much spending, not insufficient taxation."

Citizens for Sensible Legislation also noted today that Democrats are trying to play word games by saying they are just "talking" about possibilities for new revenue in the state budget. Don't let them fool you.

Susan Almy, a Democrat from Lebanon, is leading the House Ways and Means Committee toward broad-based taxes for New Hampshire. Democrats have said the Tax Summit would put all options on the table.

Any reasonable person knows that "all options" includes an income and sales tax, which if passed will create entirely new bureaucracies to collect these taxes and administer the new funds. Again, New Hampshire doesn't need additional sources of tax revenue and new, all-consuming state departments. The governor and state Legislature need to control their spending problem.

New Hampshire has one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation due to its current tax structure, which is focused at the local level. When taxes get too high, citizens can show up at Town Hall meetings and vote against spending increases. Don't be surprised if the spend-then-tax rhetoric of Democrats is reflected in the results of the next election.

"The Legislature should pay very close attention to the mood of New Hampshire citizens. Due to the economic crisis, everyone in the State of New Hampshire has tightened their belts ― except for the state Legislature,"
Forsythe added. "The voters of New Hampshire are incredibly angry about the declining economy and their heavy tax burden. Increasing their burden by adding additional taxes is likely to result in a vicious backlash
against big spending and pro-tax state legislators in 2010."

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2009
Contact: Andrew Demers, chairman
New Hampshire Citizens for Sensible Legislation
Tel: 603-703-1633, e-mail: aedemers@cslnh.org, Web: http://cslnh.org

CITIZENS FOR SENSIBLE LEGISLATION CONDEMNS MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN AT CITY HALL

Says progressive groups are disenfranchising voters by trying to halt Manchester's spending cap initiative

MANCHESTER, N.H.―New Hampshire Citizens for Sensible Legislation tonight strongly condemned the misinformation campaign of the progressive group Keep Manchester Moving and its organizer Zandra Rice Hawkins, who is using gimmicks and trickery to thwart the will of the people in Manchester.

In an effort to oppose Manchester's spending cap, Rice Hawkins, who is also the executive director of Granite State Progress, commissioned a report to study the effects of Franklin's spending cap, a city without highway access that is otherwise nothing like Manchester. Yet Derry and Nashua, two of the largest communities in the state behind Manchester, have prospered with their spending caps in place.

"It strikes us as quite disingenuous that this group selected Franklin as its study area, when two communities similar to Manchester are doing just fine with their spending caps," said Andrew Demers, chairman of Citizens for Sensible Legislation. "They're bringing in so-called 'experts,' but clearly these paid data miners are having trouble making their case if they're stuck comparing apples to oranges."

What makes matters worse, the leading operatives involved in this propaganda parade of big government are from outside the city and their funding comes from outside of the state.

"This organization is headed by people who aren't from New Hampshire," added Demers. "Their spokeswoman moved to the state as a political operative only a couple of years ago, and she doesn't even live in Manchester. Clearly, these people support outside special interests, and not the voters and citizens of Manchester."

Members of Keep Manchester Moving who are trying to silence the public include operatives from MoveOn, America Votes, Granite State Progress, and several city labor unions. Opposition funding comes from out of state progressive networks, but mainly from Progress Now, a Colorado-based group dedicated to changing the political environment of a dozen or more key states.

Keep Manchester Moving's misinformation session this evening at Manchester City Hall is meant to invoke fear in the hearts of voters and to manipulate the courts into stopping the people of Manchester from having their say at the polls. Thankfully there were real Manchester voters who also showed up to set the message straight: the spending cap is simply about reigning in excessive city spending.

Leading up to the November 2008 election, more than 4,000 Manchester residents signed a petition to put a spending cap question on the ballot. Because of the petition, Aldermen are required by law to give voters their say on the matter.

If passed, the cap would amend the city charter to prevent aldermen from spending more than they did the prior year, plus inflation as measured using the National Consumer Price Index. Aldermen could override the cap with a two-thirds vote.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2009
Contact: Andrew Demers
Chairman, New Hampshire Citizens for Sensible Legislation
Tel: 603-703-1633, e-Mail: aedemers@cslnh.org

CITIZENS FOR SENSIBLE LEGISLATION CONDEMNS EFFORTS TO DISENFRANCHISE VOTERS

Says progressive groups are thwarting the will of the people by trying to halt Manchester's spending cap initiative

MANCHESTER, N.H. - New Hampshire Citizens for Sensible Legislation today strongly condemned the actions of the progressive group Keep Manchester Moving and its spokeswoman Zandra Rice Hawkins, who is trying every political trick in the book to thwart the will of the people in Manchester.

Leading up to the November 2008 election, more than 4,000 Manchester residents signed a petition to put a spending cap question on the ballot. Because of the petition, Aldermen are required by law to give voters their say on the matter.

If passed, the cap would amend the city charter to prevent aldermen from spending more than they did the prior year, plus inflation as measured using the National Consumer Price Index. Aldermen could override the cap with
a two-thirds vote, but the effort is expected to force discipline on a board that typically does not exercise any when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars.

Now, Zandra Rice Hawkins, who is also the executive director of Granite State Progress, is behind a lawsuit filed by attorney Bob Backus for Keep Manchester Moving in an effort to disenfranchise voters. Rice Hawkins, who
lives in Goffstown, has also organized an anti-spending cap forum that will be held tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Manchester Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall.

"The tactics of these outside interests are clearly designed to disenfranchise the voters of Manchester and to disrupt the Democratic process," said Andrew Demers, chairman of Citizens for Sensible Legislation. "It's really quite shameful what they're doing."

Members of Keep Manchester Moving who are trying to silence the public include operatives from MoveOn, America Votes, Granite State Progress, and several city labor unions. Opposition funding comes from out of state progressive networks, mainly from Progress Now, a Colorado-based group dedicated to changing the political environment of a dozen or more key states.

"This organization is headed by people who aren't from New Hampshire," Demers added. "Their spokeswoman has been in the state for only a couple of years, and she doesn't even live in Manchester. Clearly, these people support outside special interests, and not the voters and citizens of Manchester."

New Hampshire Citizens for Sensible Legislation urges residents who signed the petition to show up at the anti- spending cap rally to make sure their voices are heard.

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paid for by Citizens For Sensible Legislation - not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee