Campton Forward Meeting August 2018

Campton Forward Meeting Minutes
August 14th, 2018
6:30-8pm
@Mad River Coffee Roasters, Campton
 
District 1 US House Candidates
Terence O’Rourke 
Lincoln Soldati
 
NH Gubernatorial Candidate
Steve Marchand
 
Register of Deeds, Grafton County 
Kelley Monahan
 
 
6:30pm – Mix and mingle
 
7:00pm start time
 
Primary election is Sept 11th.  Won’t get to meet again before then.  Have two candidates on county level here. 
 
Kelley Monahan - 20 years in Orford, seeking 5thterm
Marsha -- didn’t make it
 
Mike – my job is to keep time, keep the forum open and light. Enjoy a good discussion
 
Introductions
 
Terence – City Attorney of Rochester, NH, Liberal Dem. This fall is an opportunity to defeat republicans, take back the democratic party.  Get it back from corporate democrats and Rockefeller party. Rockafellers will defend war, unions, never push the envelope. See them as a part of the ‘wall street dems’. Took the party to the right. We have the same dems that learned nothing from the last election.  Reverse direction in 2018.  Dems trying to tamp down progressive dems. Coherent vision for the country.  Belief in universal health care, Medicare for all, restore Glass-Steagall, raise cap on Social Security, Iraq war veteran (end wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc). Reclaim authority to declare war.  Should not be on one person (president), but should be in congress.  
 
Lincoln – NH native, Portsmouth/Exeter, went to St Thomas, University of Notre Dame, first began first protest of Vietnam in 68. ’69 was drafted. Army. Back to Notre Dame, then back to NH for law school. Trial lawyer for 40 years, retired year and a half ago. Ran for county attorney and won, and loved it.  Served 18 years for Strafford county.  Proud of revolutionizing sexual assault cases and how they were handled.  Became a standard for the state. Only prosecutor to testify for the repeal of the death penalty in NH. Criminal defense attorney, Somersworth school board, mayor of Somersworth...  2016, mentored in Palestine. Spent some time in Standing Rock defending water rights. Climate change, have to do something, single payer medicare, anxious to take on questions. Medicare recipient myself. Check out my website. Thank you for coming out. 
 
Steve – Both gents as friends, vote for your favorite dem, don’t get too strategic. Winner of the primary will be favored to win the general. I’m running for governor. Listen to exchange tonight – Kelly (current dem opponent) declined debate this morning. Running because there has been goal post movement (referring to the political standard). It’s messy, people are looking for leadership. Define the future, specific, unabashedly leading. Republicans could define the future (Reagan). Politics have been defined by the right (NRA, other politics). Dems of my life time have been playing between the Rep goal posts.  Trump represents transition. We need to define the future before someone else does.  Dem party says get dark money out of politics.  Public financing of elections is the only way to change the systems that are broken. If we define the future, we will win the future and we will be a better place for it. 
 
Molly Kelly was invited tonight, but she declined. 
 
Q: Have you read the IPCC’s fifth assessment? 

• No’s all around. 
• Do you know what it is?No’s all around. 

Intergovernmental panel on climate change. Will you read this?Yes all around.
 

• Marchand – climate change is the number one issue
• Lincoln – climate change is an existential issue
• Terence – if we don’t address climate change we won’t be here. If we want humans to exist, we have to fight climate change.  

 
--Lincolns’ website had the most info on climate change.  Marchand’s website didn’t mention it.  
 

• Marchand – I’m running for governor.  Focus is on NH. Specifics – (on website) 1. Renewable portfolio standards. Way to accelerate conservation is to communicate to market. Increase goal for where we have to be as state for RPS standards. VT, ME poised to be here. Should be doing what other states are doing with explosive growth. Should eliminate net metering caps. We have a lot of ideas for energy efficiency, but don’t follow these. Progressive formula for this.  Matched 50 50. 

 
 
Q: Change of democratic party – how do you feel about the way we do the super delegates – the electoral college? 
 

• Lincoln – We can no longer afford the electoral college. Get the intention of the college, but never envisioned what the states are like now.  Need constitutional amendment to change the college. 
• Marchand – super delegates – eliminate all together. Most votes should get the most delegates.  Eliminate senators from the count for the college to get it back to representative numbers. 
• Terence – Electoral college should not be there. Easy fix – laws at the state level to change. Will agree to send electors to send to change the vote. Dem party – system is broken. Should have 4 primary days for president (not caucuses). Person who gets the most votes wins.

 
Q: Did you join up (to run for office) because of 9/11? Did you support the Iraq war?
 

• Terence – Joined army in 1996. Against Iraq war the minute they thought about it.  In law school in 2002.  Dems in control in 2002. Dems were wimps politically and that allowed us into war.

 
Q: What do you think about school shootings and guns in general?
 

• Steve – 7 point gun legislation plan in Lebanon in February. 20 people showed up with their guns. 4 kinds – homicide, domestic violence, suicide, mass shootings. Had a loved one come close to suicide. Need 48 hour wait period to get a gun, bump stock ban, universal background check, concealed carry permitting process, big guns not in the hands of civilians. When I can get someone to leave my event with an ar-15 and their vote, I know I’m doing something right.
• Terence – What would make these people [those carrying out mass shootings] do this? (listed examples). Have to have these conversations, and we’re not because we’re wrapped up in red/blue. Federal level – gun owner, hunter, fought in a war, ak47, m4 experience. Universal background checks – federal prosecutor, had a guy going to gun shows.  Did undercover sales with him, monitored him, etc. took 16 months from beginning to indictment. No way to chase these guys down without the checks.  #2. Immunity to gun man needs to be eliminated. Weapons of war don’t need to be in civilian hands. The laws that other states have have been upheld. 
• Lincoln – echo what both said. I bet everybody as a drivers license.  Why? Because government requires you to obtain one. Automobile is considered dangerous, capable of causing serious death and bodily injury.  What else does? A firearm.  It makes sense.  You have to show you know how to handle a gun safely. 80% of suicides are by gun. Some form of waiting period to purchase a gun. This will save real lives. What the students have done at Parkland is a lesson for every one of us. NRA passed legislation in FL due to their activism. You can make a difference when you speak truth to power.  Need to embrace that. 

 
Q: Follow up – what do you do about the guns already in circulation?
 

• Terence – guns will likely remain in their possession for current owners. Should do buy back programs. Some owners of ar-15s have started selling back.  It is voluntary. Would fund this program. 
• Lincoln – would support voluntary buy back program. No other legal option otherwise right now. Introduce idea for this program.  Other measures mentioned – need to make progress. Be realistic about this. Have time where we pass common sense legislation. Fewer people who are owning the guns mentioned.  
• Steve – Certain policies that I can support that are better done at federal level. Supportive of buy back, but better at federal level.  55-95% of people support the 7 points of my plan for gun control. Reality is that numbers are on our side, not as many people are NRA numbers. If we give people something to be for, that will be the message that excites voters.  

 
Comment toward Steve - Dem party needs a direction – you insert yourself into every community, you have been working hard. Kelly got Dem backing, but you have been doing the work. 
 
Plymouth Area Democrats – Get Involved! We need to show up and tell them what we DEMAND.  We have to be involved. Need to get people in office, local level. If you don’t get involved with one of the two parties, they’re going to ignore you.  
 
Q: I’m a physician, came back to NH 7 years ago and was startled by attempts made for patients who needed psych care but couldn’t get it for them. Where do you put this on your agenda? 
 

• Lincoln – Health care. What you’re talking about should be part of health care. Medicare for all – physicians for a national health care program. They put together a solution to health care in this country. They’re savvy on the solution, no clue about the politics.  Until you change congress, you won’t change health care.  We don’t have health care, we have health insurance, goes aback to Nixon and Ehrlichman. Health, eye, hearing, dental, etc. No co pay. No deductible, no lifetime limits, and that’s cheaper than what we’re spending. Single payer medicare for all is cheaper.  Biggest beneficiaries are businesses.  Good for business, everyone in this country.  
• Steve – how it fits in the priority – increase state aid for local education. Single biggest challenge for funding.  Third is infrastructure. Second is mental health. It’s personal. Greatest fear we have is that someone we know is underpaid, undervalued at seacoast mental health because she can’t make enough money. Used to be one of the leaders in the country for mental health support. Need additional revenue for mental health in the state. 
• Terence – Professional experience, seen how people getting care actually works.  In Rockingham country court – someone is arrested, its decided they can uses services.  They don’t get the services until they’re’ arrested. Saw people who came into the court who were truly sick and it got better for them with help. For millions out there, they can’t access or don’t know how to access the system. Mental health services will be part of health care. 

 
Q: Opioid epidemic – abhorrent job helping these people get over this epidemic – what are your plans for the state with this?
 

• Steve – 6-8mil dollar difference in what we have vs what we need across the department. Need sustainability of the money coming to these programs. A fraction of 1% of our budget could help with what they need. Hard to get people to take jobs because there isn’t job security. Seminal responsibility of the state government. 
• Terence – City attorney for Rochester, have been hit hard with the opioid situation. Why do people go down the road of drug abuse? Lack opportunity, lack of hope,… no sane policy is sane or rational unless you’re talking about legalizing marijuana.  Less of all opioids in states where its legal. Money spent on marijuana crimes could go to other programs. 
• Lincoln – prosecutor and defense attorney and have seen this from both sides. Had clients who overdosed as defense attorney. Problem in this state to get people treatment. 18 to 24 months out from when they need a bed.  They’re in jail until they can find a bed. Problem of addiction is not a criminal justice issue. It’s a medical condition and need to deal with it as such. Agree with legalizing marijuana. 

 
Q: Revenue – how would you pay for the programs you want? Do you feel there is enough money coming into US government?
 

• Steve – have 19thcentury style of government.  2ndhighest administrative cost per pupil in NH. Lost a quarter of our pop in 15 years. Need additional revenue. Reverse business profit tax cuts. Increase gas tax 4 cents per gallon. Legalize and regulate marijuana. Need carrots in budget to encourage collaboration and consolidation of regional services. Allow government to use a circuit breaker to allow you to use income to determine local tax liability. Tax on property taxes. 
• Terence – I’m a frugal guy, budget officer in army brigade. People are willing to spend money if they think they’ll get a result.  When people see things happening with their money, they understand where their tax money is going. Tax code is a moral document. Revenue – tax cuts reversed, but more brackets up top. Taxation on passive income – its taxed at half the rate at the top level. Needs to be doubled. Military budget needs to be cut way back. 
• Lincoln – Corporations have had record profits for the last 8 years. Others pay have nearly flat lined.  There is plenty of money, we’re just giving it all to the top of the 1%.. Where was the democratic tax plan?? We need our own tax reform bill to give money back to the working class. Those off the charts need to pay more. All investments should be dealt with as income. Social security – why is there a cap? Pay a fair share. Invest in infrastructure as that will come back to us. Military – corrupt system because there’s too much money in the system and we’re all paying the price.  

 
Q:  What do we do about debt for college?
 

• Lincoln – support debt free public colleges. Need to deal with current students saddled with this. Deal with interest rate, develop programs for forgiveness, forbearance, etc. Some form of public service for a certain number of years and your loans are forgiven. Should have debt free public colleges.
• Steve – debt free college, info on website.  Issue with the goal post problem. Highest in-state tuition in America. Keno is a cheap option. No funding for pre-k here in NH.  Need to offer pre-k through 14 or 16 years.  Half pays for in-state tuition, businesses pay for half who are seeking talent. Challenge grant matched by private sector entities. Stay in the state for 3 years after you graduate, we will pay for your debt. State/private entities. Freezing tuition is not dealing with the problem. 
• Terence – I have been employed continuously since law school, and this year have just started paying down principal on my loans, $130K. I won’t be able to help my kids pay for college while paying my debt. Need a bailout for the people with the debts. Believe in debt free college. Commit to service and get debt relief. 

 
Q: Restaurants and hotels pay sales taxes. What do you think of sales tax?
 

• Steve– Not a fan of sales tax vs other options. They’re regressive in nature.  Hits lower income people more. I want to help make cultural change make happen with progressive principles/sensibilities. Increase state revenue. Will have uncertain partners at the state house, so hard to say which way to go. Inject fairer way for local governmnet to pay for remaining liability. 

 
Q: Feeling on militarization of police departments and private prison system?
 

• Terence – If you provide local law enforcement with the guns, they’re going to use them, and they’re going to find reasons to use them. It’s ridiculous. For profit prisons is ridiculous. Goal of for profit is to have more people in prison. 
• Lincoln – no one should make a profit on denying someone their liberty. They want them there longer too. Government function should be to manage prisons. Militarization of police – irony in that. It’s the least effective things for law enforcement to do. Community policing is best. 
• Steve – share view to oppose private prisons. Militarization – explosion in consultants to police departments to define best practices. We have reached crisis proportions with this. 

 
 
Q: Conservation of land on localities backs.  How can we change this?
 

• Steve – We want people to preserve land.  Incentive system is pushing people away from that. Two things that address it – how politicians raise the money, how local county state government raise the money to spend on services. 

 
Q: Steve, would you commit to remain in agreement – for Paris climate agreement?
 

• Steve – yes

 
Wrap Up
 
Steve – in Plymouth in the near future. Go on FB page. Come out to the events. Take a yard sign.
 
Lincoln – thanks to all of you. Go to my website, grab a flier. A lot of information and my resume. Need to tell the people what we would do if we are in power.  Need to speak up , speak often, and speak loudly. Give a call, send an e-mail. 
 
Terence – check out handouts, have done virtual town halls on FB live. If you comment, email, etc I will respond. If you vote for me, you’ll have a veteran, counter terrorism prosecutor …
 
 
Mike - Need $60 more for website. [Got the money] We will have a website soon for two years! 
 
Next Meeting:Tuesday September 18th, 6:30pm, Mad River Coffee Roasters