On Executive Council, Katherine Harake will support children, families, seniors
Oct. 14 — To the Editor:
The “noise” from various campaigns may seem deafening. But, we cannot let the partisan harangues deflect from what is at stake!
Did you know that New Hampshire’s five-person Executive Council largely determines what federal funds reach our communities — including our schools and healthcare agencies? Currently the councilor elected from our region has persistently voted against directing federal dollars to family planning clinics across the Granite State. This means the end of contraceptive counseling and cancer screening for thousands of women and men who use these clinics as their source of primary care.
Katherine Harake is running to represent us on the Executive Council. She is thoughtful about the resources our communities require to meet the needs of families, businesses and organizations in our towns and cities. Your vote on Nov. 8 is vital to electing individuals to public office who will hear and respond to the needs of our children, families and seniors.
The upcoming election will have consequences for many of the agencies and institutions that impact day-to-day life here on the Seacoast. Voting for responsible public servants like Katherine Harake for Executive Council will help to safeguard the resources necessary to meet the needs of New Hampshire’s citizens.
Alice Passer, MD Greenland
Ronna Flaschner, Rye
Janet Stevens has impressive track record and deserves re-election
Oct. 14 — To the Editor:
This letter is in support of Janet Stevens, who is running for Executive Council of District 3.
I have known Janet for many years and I know that she is a leader. In a crisis, leadership is defined. During the COVID pandemic and her first term as executive councilor, Janet has distinguished herself in many ways. Of her many accomplishments, three stand out:
Firstly, Janet’s leadership in addressing mental health in New Hampshire has been a cornerstone of her agenda. Janet was instrumental in supporting the state’s acquisition of Hampstead Hospital along with related contracts for behavioral healthcare.
Secondly, Janet has championed veterans in New Hampshire. Her efforts will fund the development and transformation of Camp NH, a 15 acre campus in bucolic Franklin, NH to centralize services to our nation’s heroes.
Thirdly, work force housing is a cause that Janet is behind in order to retain and attract the next generation of workers in New Hampshire. Janet is supporting the $100 million investment in housing in District 3 along with other districts.
In just one term, Janet Stevens has made significant progress. I urge you to vote for Janet Stevens, a leader who will maintain and enhance the New Hampshire Advantage and improve our lives in the Granite State.
Peter White
Rye
Vote Sherman for governor, Harake for Executive Council; protect reproductive rights
Oct. 14 — To the Editor:
This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Now, individual states have the power to ban abortion — and we know they won’t stop there.
Since June, 1 in 3 people have lost access to safe, legal abortion in their home state. In New Hampshire, the Governor Sununu’s Executive Council has defunded Planned Parenthood and are now attacking funding for after school sex ed programs – even though they require parental consent.
These attacks won’t stop unless we elect leaders who are committed to protecting access to the full range of reproductive health care.
That’s why I’m urging you to vote for Dr. Tom Sherman for governor and Katherine Harake for Executive Council District 3.
Harake’s opponent for the Executive Council has voted four times in the past year to deny funding for birth control, STI testing, and cancer screenings — even though two of the reproductive health providers she voted to defund are in her district. Harake is committed to reinstating family planning contracts and protecting reproductive rights.
Dr. Sherman has a proven track record of fighting for reproductive rights. He has fought against Governor Sununu’s abortion ban and worked this year to reduce the harm of that ban, while also working to enshrine abortion rights in state statute.
The future of abortion access in our state depends upon who we elect to represent us. On Tuesday, November 8, join me to vote Dr. Tom Sherman for governor and Katherine Harake for Executive Council District 3!
Meredith Murray
Exeter
Americans must unite against would-be dictators
Oct. 14 — To the Editor:
I have worked hard for what I have, and I’m proud I got a good education.
I’m tired of the lies and posturing. If yesterday’s (Jan. 6) hearings don’t seem like the truth to you, I don’t know what does. I get that you’re angry about something, trying to support a family in an economy where workers get screwed. Democrats and Republicans have done a poor job of improving our standard of living.
Tanking our democracy to achieve this isn’t the answer. Leaders on both sides represent the wealthy, but some have a conscience and are less power hungry. And you know that darker skin, loving who you want to love, owning a gun, catching criminals, or getting pregnant doesn’t make your fellow human a second class citizen, right? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
To quote Heather Cox Richardson in today’s Letters to an American, “Cheney made it crystal clear, Trump’s coup attempt failed in 2021 only because of those who stood against him, but there is no reason to believe that such people will always stand in the breach. Indeed, more than half the Republicans running for office in 2022 have signed on to Trump’s lies about the election. Urging all Americans to come together to hold Trump accountable, Cheney noted that if he is not held to account, we will lose our democracy, if not to him, then to some other wannabe dictator who sees our laws don’t matter. “Some principles must be beyond politics,” she said.
Peter Cady
Rye
Gov. Sununu has long history of vetoes against gun safety legislation
Oct. 13 — To the Editor:
The Democratic majority passed, and President Biden signed into law, the first gun safety legislation in 30 years. But although we’ve had an increasing number of horrific shootings, especially those targeting children in schools, most congressional Republicans voted “No.” The new law expands mental health services, stops gunrunners, closes the “boyfriend loophole” to stop violence against women, and encourages red flag laws to stop those wanting to harm themselves or others from getting guns.
NRA asset Gov. Sununu, who vetoes all gun safety legislation, surely would have been one of those “No” votes. He has a long history of working against gun safety. In 2018 when asked if it was “legal for an adult who is not a student to walk into a school with a concealed weapon,” Sununu said, “the Constitution protects the right” (it doesn’t). Sununu recklessly signed legislation to allow weapons in schools, universities, the legislature, city halls, and bars. This year he signed a bill prohibiting our state from enforcing federal gun laws or regulations—which would put us in danger. Luckily, federal law preempts state law (U.S. Const. art. VI., § 2). Sununu vetoed other gun safety legislation like prohibiting guns on school grounds, closing the gun show loophole, requiring criminal background checks, red flag laws, and the 3-day waiting period. More than 75% of our citizens wanted this protection.
Sununu doesn’t care what our citizens want. He’s too deep in the gun lobby’s pocket to care about that. Vote Sununu out on Nov. 8!
Kathy Cavallaro
Rye
Maggie Hassan distorts Don Bolduc’s position on abortion
Oct. 13 — To the Editor:
Don Bolduc who is running for U.S. Senate is confronting attack ads by Sen. Hassan and her allies that state he will vote for a national abortion ban. This is nonsense since the U.S. Supreme Court stated abortion was not a right in the U.S. Constitution, it recognized the individual states have jurisdiction. Don Bolduc supports local control by the New Hampshire legislature. Further, this is a moderate country and no political party would propose a national abortion ban. Even if such a bill is proposed it would never get past either party’s caucus nor the U.S. Senate’s rule requiring 60 yes votes to get by the filibuster and it would assure defeat at the polls for most proponents.
Sen. Maggie Hassan voted this year for the Woman’s Health Protection Act of 2022 which would eliminate any restrictions on abortion right up to the moment of birth. This was a radical bill allowing partial birth abortion. It never got past the 60 vote threshold of the filibuster.
For reference, New Hampshire law allows abortion up to 24 weeks and after that for a fatal fetal diagnosis and for saving the life of the mother.
Sen. Hassan’s ads are meant to deceive you on this very sad and emotional issue and deflect attention from her lack of attention to horrible inflation, an out-of-control border, and high crime.
Tom Pearson
Rye
Vote Stratham’s Zoe Manos for state representative
Oct. 13 — To the Editor:
Zoe Manos would make an excellent new state representative from Stratham. Zoe has lived in Stratham since 1999. She is an attorney with over twenty years of experience in representing parents and children in neglect and abuse cases in Portsmouth and Lawrence and Haverhill, Massachusetts. Currently, she practices family law.
Zoe lived with and cared for her mom, who had dementia and Parkinson’s disease, for eight years. During those eight years, Zoe was her mom’s advocate and care coordinator. Zoe saw the health care system up personal and close and she
believes strongly that our health care system needs improvement, so that it serves all of Stratham’s and NH’s residents. If Zoe is elected as a state rep, she will seek appointment to the House Committee on Health Care. Zoe also strongly supports efforts to bring health insurance coverage for mental health care and substance
abuse treatment in parity with insurance coverage for physical health care.
And, of utmost importance, Zoe strongly supports the right of all people have access to safe and affordable contraception in NH and she will work hard to protect the right to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy under the standards of Roe v. Wade in NH.
Ken Straus
Exeter
Thanks to all who made Kittery’s 375th birthday celebration a success!
Oct. 14 — To the Editor:
On Sept. 23, in front of the Kittery Community Center, Kittery held it’s 375th birthday bash! Community members young and old came out to converse, laugh and have fun! After a few years of social isolation the excitement, enthusiasm and joy at the event was palpable.
The bash never would have happened without the generosity and hard work of the volunteers.
I would like to publicly thank the Kittery Rotary club and the After Hours Rotary Club, The Rice Public Library, The Kittery Police and Fire Departments, The Traip Football team and Julie Matthews, Traip Academy boat building class, Danielle and Rich LaFlamme, Maddy Pitcairn (Jo Fries) and her lovely voice, Libby Hite PNS STEM outreach, the fantastic group of the military our own PNS Navy, Wendy Collins and the Kittery School Nutrition Program including her amazing group of sous chefs, the Kittery Community Center, Tammy Melcher, Nancy Hoyt and Kristin Sanborn, the Kittery Boy Scouts, the Kittery School District staff and administrators, the Traip Academy Art department for creating a wonderful photo friendly wooden submarine for all to enjoy.
My apologies if I have forgotten I would also like to give a big thank you to every person who attended and helped support our local PTA and the Pam Hoyt Scholarship. Happy 375th Birthday Kittery! We can’t wait until the 400th birthday celebration!
Jane Durgin
Kittery Maine
In Maine, Michele Meyer and Janet Mills are clearly the best candidates
Oct. 14 — To the Editor:
Midterms are all about your personal life and the choices you “elect.” Local and state elections impact your taxes, roads and bridges, health care, school costs and quality, senior services, housing value/availability, infrastructure, recreation, fill-in-your-daily-depend-on-blank.
Our 2nd District, two-term Rep. Michele Meyer has a long list of achievements, awards, and service to all the communities she serves. She’s a Nurse-legislator and Chair of Health & Human Services. She’s improved water safety standards, expanded long term care workforce, grown financial support for family caregivers. Michele lifted thousands of poverty-stricken kids, reduced drug overdoses, increased health and disability services for 250,000 Mainers. Her Nurse Faculty Loan Repayment Program alone has made huge differences in the nursing shortage. Michelle’s Eliot Strong program is legendary. She knows us. We’ve all been enriched by her good work. Who is her opponent? Where has he been? What has he ever done for our communities, or for Maine?
In 2019, Gov. Janet Mills brought back stability, respect, economic achievement, budget surplus, and the health care to the 90,000 Medicaid-entitled Mainers held hostage by LePage during his reign of xenophobia and humiliation. She kept us atop the safest states in the pandemic where LePage, who called himself “Trump-before-Trump,” was voted “Worst Governor in the U.S., multiple times by multiple media. His list of wrongs, insults, and do-nothings is colossal, and he is NOT for Women’s Choice!
This election is personal in every way. Please choose decency and democracy.
Carol Selsberg
Eliot, Maine