Salem Community Patriot | March 9, 2012 - 3 In My Opinion... by the League of Women Voters of NH


NH Citizens Deserve Honesty From House Leadership


by Liz Tentarelli and Sally Davis, Co-presidents, and Joan Flood Ashwell, Election Law Specialist, League of Women Voters of New Hampshire


Liz Tentarelli, co-president


A recent op-ed by New Hampshire’s House leadership presented arguments for requiring photo ID to get a ballot on Election Day. It was an opinion piece but the authors included examples of fraud presented as facts. The League of Women Voters of New Hampshire believes clarification is needed. The op-ed says


Sally Davis, co-president


Joan Flood Ashwell, Election Law Specialist


voter fraud is well documented but gives only one instance in New Hampshire: a videotaped scam during the primary. House leadership supports the con artist behind the videotaping but others called for prosecution. The League said at the time, “The only thing this video shows is that those with time, resources and criminal intent and with no respect for the fundamental laws of our


nation can sometimes deceive our neighbors who work as election officials. There is no reason to believe that New Hampshire citizens engage in such un-American behavior.” The other examples deal with other states’ supposed fraud including the charge that “more than 950 ballots cast in South Carolina’s presidential primary were also from the ‘nonliving.’” Their Election Commission reported last month the alleged 950 ballots were actually from 74 separate elections, not the primary as the op-ed claimed. After investigating 207 cases from 2010’s General Election, the Commission found 10 cases didn’t have enough documentation to make a determination and 197 weren’t fraudulent votes. In other words, they didn’t find a single “nonliving” voter. The op-ed cites a Florida TV story to prove that nearly 100 non-citizens in two counties “had not only voted, but have been doing so for multiple years.”


Last month, Collier County reported that of the 69 alleged non-citizens of 169,000 registered voters only eight were non-citizens and only four voted at some point from 2004


to 2010 including one who believed his naturalization was completed. Lee County is still investigating whether any of the 84 people named of their 363,050 registered voters aren’t citizens. Somewhat confusingly, the op-ed says that


Iowa’s close caucus vote means “more than ever it is important to realize that voter fraud is indeed real, and to ignore this problem any longer is a disservice to the voters.” It’s hard to see how meeting in someone’s home to talk things over at an Iowa caucus relates to a New Hampshire election. We have close elections and many recounts but voter fraud has never been given as a reason for a recount. The authors also say Democrat-supported photo ID in Rhode Island proves minorities aren’t disenfranchised. The politics and demographics of R.I. are very different from ours and those who followed that vote could certainly dispute that conclusion. Rhode Island Rep. Brien is quoted without noting he is also state chairman of ALEC, the conservative think tank that wrote most of the voter suppression legislation introduced in New Hampshire and elsewhere.


About the op-ed’s polling data, there’s no dispute that about 89 percent of voting-age citizens have some kind of photo ID. That leaves about 50,000 New Hampshire citizens without a photo ID, according to our Secretary of State. The question is, should those 50,000 be denied a ballot on Election Day? They can use other documents to register but the proposed bills call for photo ID to get a ballot. As for research that concluded voter ID does not affect turnout, the study was of two states, Georgia and Indiana, and looked at overall turnout, not turnout among those without photo ID. Georgia ranks 50th in voter turnout and Indiana is 38th, so there’s not much room to drop in any case. It’s clear the authors of the op-ed have never listened to or read any of the testimony from the many organizations - a majority at every hearing - that oppose photo ID to get a ballot. Those opposing photo ID believe creating barriers to the Constitutional right to vote, especially for the elderly and disabled, is wrong. House leadership’s ranting about race baiting and fear mongering is offensive, an insult to our citizens and unworthy of anyone who holds elected office.


In My Opinion is strictly an OP-ED column that stands on the opinion of the writers, as opposed to a newspaper reporter who does not provide an opinion but reports the facts. This column, in many instances, is a counterpoint to published stories and does not reflect the unbiased report- ing policy of the Hudson Litchfield News or the opinion of the management, advertisers and ownership of Area News Group.


Vote for Betty Gay for Supervisor of the Checklist


As I run for one of the three Salem Supervisors of the Checklist positions, friends have told me I should be mentioning my community service. Previously I have posted descriptions of how the Supervisors protect your vote, and ways that other states have additional protections. So here goes: You may know me from Town Meeting for decades, or from Salemfest, which I started nine years ago and continue to chair. You may recognize me from writing Elsie’s column for a year - my column was “Betty’s Chat Room” - or from my other news articles and photos. You may have met me at Caregivers, or the Lions, or church events or the Salem Women’s Club. You may have come to the Garden Club Plant Sale that I have chaired the past few years.


Perhaps you heard about the “Afternoon Tea” fundraiser I just chaired last month at Triumphant Cross to benefit Family Promise, the church-based national program to get homeless families with children back into safe housing. Some of those photos are posted on my “Betty Gay” facebook page. You may know my adult


children Andrew Benjamin and Janabeth Benjamin Reitter, who started at Barron School and graduated from Salem High, and then UNH and beyond. Thank


you to so many great teachers who made such an impression on them and prepared them well. Please let me know any voting issues that concern you, and please cast your Salem ballot for me.


ATTENTION SALEM VOTERS ON MARCH 13 VOTE


YES TO ARTICLE 12


to ELIMINATE the 2nd DELIBERATIVE SESSION


Jim Keller Would Appreciate Your Support and Vote for Selectman on March 13


I humbly request your support and vote


on March 13! I ask this with a complete understanding that obtaining a seat is a privilege. I have worked hard to earn your trust and to explain what my approach would be in service to our town. That approach is one that is not based on past history, outdated thinking, nor agenda- based analysis. Rather, it is an approach that views progress in a positive, independent, and rational manner. Salem has a lot of challenges and we need a team of Selectmen that will work


together to tackle those challenges. Divisiveness will harm not help. Old thinking will lead to old solutions that will not be successful. We must bring a sense of responsibility, fairness, compassion, creativity, and modern thinking to the Board of Selectman. I owe it to my family, my friends and to the voters to fulfill my commitment to our town and our quality of life. Please execute your right as a citizen and vote on March 13. I would be honored to receive your vote to the Salem Board of Selectmen.


HOME


IMPROVEMENT BE A PART OF IT!


880-1516 Political ad- Paid for by FJ Leccese, 31 Cove Road, Salem, NH


Let’s STOP the back door deals which allowed the water meters and the $5 million road project to pass despite the fact the we, the voters, voted them down! Vote YES to


take the Town back and to ensure the voters, and NOT the Town Selectmen, have the final say!


Operation Stripes for Vets Franchise Promotion


Giveaway, sponsored by Black Dawg Franchise Group LLC, has returned for 2012, and one lucky returning Iraq/Afghanistan veteran will win his or her own Yellow Dawg Striping franchise valued at $28,000.


Started in 2011 by Black Dawg Franchise Group President, Jack Child (himself an Air Force veteran), as a way to draw attention to the stubbornly high unemployment rate for returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and as a way to say “Thank You” for their service, Operation Stripes for Vets awarded its first franchise to Andrew Smith of Pilot, VA, an Army Purple Heart recipient, on Memorial Day, 2011. When asked how Yellow Dawg Striping fit in with his personal goals, Andrew had this to say: “By working hard and investing my time and effort in my own business it allows me to provide a more comfortable life for my family. The customers are great and given the nature of the work I can schedule my work, meet the needs of my customers, and still have time for my family. I have been impressed with Jack and the entire Yellow Dawg crew and I give thanks every day for this opportunity.” For Iraq and Afghanistan vets who are interested in winning their own Yellow Dawg Parking Lot Line Striping franchise, entering the giveaway is easy.


Just visit www.StripesForVets.com for the


Giveaway Rules and submit a video on the Yellow Dawg Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ YellowDawgStriping) explaining why you should win the franchise. Then tell all your friends to “like” your entry. The top 10 vote getters will become finalists (others may be chosen as finalists


as well – see Contest Rules) and the winner will be chosen by Black Dawg’s panel of judges. The franchise and equipment is worth $28,000 and includes the Franchise Fee of $7,500 (waived), a Graco State-of-the-Art Airless Line Striping machine valued at over $8,000, premium traffic paint donated by the Sherwin-Williams Company, stencils, tools, uniforms, complete training and a custom cargo trailer with Yellow Dawg logo and markings (graphics donated by Fetch Graphics).


“One of the things we hope to do with our


Operation Stripes for Vets is to make the public aware of the difficulties our returning veterans are having finding work when they get home. We can’t give away a franchise to everyone who enters, but we hope this giveaway is used as a model or an inspiration for other businesses to do what they can to help those who have served our country,” said Child. Andrew Smith, last year’s winner, offered this


advice for those thinking about entering the Operations Stripes for Vets Giveaway: “First of all, thank you for your service. You have already accomplished so much with your life, but don’t stop now.


Veteran Helping Veterans: Operation Stripes for Vets for Returns for 2012


Just do it! You really do have a chance


at winning this and if you do win it will change your life for the better!” Yellow Dawg Striping is the Pavement Marking Affiliate of the Black Dawg multi-brand franchise system, which also includes Black Dawg Sealcoat and Blue Dawg Power Wash. Parking Lot Line Striping is a unique niche business and Yellow Dawg Striping is a leader in the industry. For franchise information Call 1-800-998-3294 or visit www.FranchiseDawg.com.


Greater Salem Rotary Club Celebrates 10 Years of Service


submitted by Greater Salem Rotary Club The Rotary Club of Greater Salem is celebrating its 10th year of service and invites local business folks to a Discover Rotary event at the Black Water Grill, 43 Pelham Rd., in Salem, on Thursday evening March 15, at 6 p.m. Club members will be on hand to greet guests in a casual setting of fellowship and conversation over light hors d’oeuvres. If you wish to attend, kindly send an e-mail to nancicarney@gmail.com. Greater Salem Rotary Club is one of 32,000 Rotary clubs in 200 countries worldwide. Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders who


voluntarily provide humanitarian service and build goodwill and peace in the world. The Greater Salem Rotary Club meets


every Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. Visit www. greatersalemnh.clubwizard.com for the Club’s meeting location, community service and goodwill projects, guest speaker schedule, membership, and fundraising events. For additional information about the Greater Salem Rotary Club, or the Discover Rotary event, contact Club President-Elect Peter Rayno at the Enterprise Bank Salem office, or Club Secretary Laura Allain at the Salem Co-operative Bank.


WHY WOULD WE WANT THEM TO HAVE A SECOND BITE OF THE APPLE…


Spring Coming Soon!


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