Campton Forward Meeting July 2018

​Campton Forward Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, July 17th
6:30-8pm
@ Mad River Coffee Roasters
 
Updates

• New logo proposed - take a look; thoughts, feedback, comments
• GoDaddy, Weebly - $144, then $163 second year. Two yr - $108, $127 second ($235 total)
  • Unlimited storage
  • Dedicated url
  • Analytics
  • Site search capability
  • Can password protect certain sections
• After the meeting, connect with Mike about donating for the website.  He will write a receipt.  Want to track all finances. Need 14 people to give $20 each.

 
Dick Osborne here, running for Grafton 7 NH Rep
 
Candidate Introduction - Mike

• 6 months ago gathered around a kitchen table saying we wanted a group representing Campton specifically. 

Rules: 

• Each candidate has 3 min for intros, Jen has 30 sec warning. 

 
Chris Pappas

• Best moments at state house is when 4th grade comes. Lifelong resident. Restaurant business in Manchester.  Not about the bottom line - impacting lives around you.  Impacting greater community.  Servant leadership. Opportunity to serve my community. Member of NH Executive council past 5 years. Not about party, but about impacting people’s lives.  Council has been a thrill.  Protecting funding for women’s health, implementing medicaid expansion. Supporter for renewable energy projects.  Good constituent advocate. Jumped into the race because our country needs us. Maggie Hassan, organized labor, state senators, want our support too. Bottom up campaign, bottom up. Need to say we don’t live in DT america. Need top push back with a Dem congress.

 
Naomi Andrews

• “Democracy is not something we have, it’s something we do” - Granny D. From Epping, public school system, have been Carol Shea-Porter’s Chief of Staff and Campaign manager for winning comeback campaigns.  Practice campaign finance reform -- right thing to do.  Overturn citizens united.  Debt free college.  Care about the environment - deep love for the outdoors. Hiked all 48 4000 footers.  Committing to Apollo type program.  Allow opting into Medicare. Have the experience, enthusiasm and courage to serve.  Naomiandrews.com. I hope to earn your vote.

 
Mindi Mesmer 

• State rep. 33 years ago. Rye, newcastle.  Got involved through the pediatric cancer cluster. Enviromental science background. Public health field.  Health and human services committee.  Women’s rights, trans rights, single payer health care, mentally ill.  Sponsor of 41 bills, 4 last year. 13 have been signed into law.  Protecting health care, elderly and vulnerable.  Want to fight for single payer healthcare. (see website for more details). $15 min wage minimum. Tax code what works for all of us. Drinking water protection. Climate Change. Get money out of politics. Will fight for the people.  No pac money. We need more than 1 scientist in congress.  Need your support and volunteers. 

 
Mark McKinsey

• 27 years as Manchester firefighter.  25 years of AFL CIO. Worker issues.  Represent firefighters, teachers, police, etc. Have served on most committees in workforce development. Supporter of Bernie Sanders. Have been fighting for workers. Dignity and respect, income equality. Economic security. Too few people making too much money, and others work every day - they’re struggling.  I’m a democratic socialist as with others in the labor movement. I believe that what we need is someone with leadership skills to hit the ground running.  I have insight into governing at the state cap, I’m a state rep, etc. Answer -- what do we want.  My job is answering that call. I’m good at it, I move people. I beat the right to work. 

 
Questions
 
Q: Have you read the 5th assessment of the IPP?All said no
It is a condensed version of the climate change assessment in 2014.  Each section has a summary for policy makers. Climate change is the most important issue. If we don’t deal with this, none of us will matter.  Will you pledge to read it - All said yes. 
 
Q: What specific measures will you take to deal with problem of climate change?

• Mindi - Cut to zero by 2035. Cap and trade, carbon tax - not a fan.  Should not cut back on efficiency standards. Tighten emission standards.  Cut back on emissions. 
• Naomi - get rid of subsidies for mature industries(coal, fossil fuels). Invest in research/development for battery life with solar. 
• Chris - End subsidies for fossil fuel industries. Open shorelines to wind. Increase energy efficiency programs. Done these at state level - made investments by capturing savings by not relying on fuel sources over time. Subsidize green technologies. Do not include nuclear energy as renewable. Deep concerns with seabrook today. Need renewed activism to protect this issue.

Q: Where is the money going to come from? - no clear answer

• Mindi - lobby got my bills killed fighting against seabrook facility. 
• Mark - proponent of carbon taxes. Take away incentives. Move toward development of new technologies. Wind solar, thermal, etc. Nuclear power is not in our future. Coal is done. Common ground - this issue needs a sense of common ground. If we don’t change this, we will poison our air, water, etc. Mediator, arbitrator for years.  Have the energy ann commitment to move in that direction.  Can’t leave workers behind. Thousands in the energy business. Can’t leave them behind.

 
Q: Kids in our society in NH are caught in a monetary problem - early years, financing is not important. Don’t hear a huge cry … what are you thoughts about a better financing system for education in NH?

• Naomi - Education is the key to prosperity. Invest in the future.  Will ask to serve on Education and Workforce committee. Need to not have unfunded mandates. If we pass something, need the money to implement.  Debt free college. 2 year community college, 4 year public college - need debt free.  We can do it with pell grants, work study.  
• What does debt free mean? 
• Naomi - Would maybe have to work, or have some grants, would pay toward school what you can afford.  No student loans when you get out of college. 
• Chris - Education is the great leveler.  Universal pre-k. Higher ed. 60% of high school grads go out of state.  Highest debt load in the country. We provide the least amount of state support for universities. Under fund universities but give tax cuts. $10 billion out of higher ed across the country.  Congress can lower the student loan rates. Expand pell grants. Debt free college. Large tax cuts took the money we needed for this. Businesses across NH don’t know where they’re going to find young workers because they’re leaving the state. 
• Mark - Have two boys, 2 grandchildren. Mom and dad and have children.  Have prenatal health care? Have healthcare for the hospital.  Is there support in the daycare system? Teachers paid well enough in this system? No. Kindergarden, are teachers getting paid, etc. We don’t value children in this process or we would change the way we work and the way we invest. I want my children having protectings, needing money for my grandkids. We’ll get the money from where the money went. Take it back. 
• Mindi - STEM educated person.  Provide education for all our people. Backdrop for many of our issues.  Active proponent for Full day kindergarten.  Lead people to fight against KENOgarden. Cosponsor of bill - made sure UNH couldn’t use publicly funded money to fight organizations. Pre-K through 16.  Perdue university plan. Pay 10% of salary for 10 years after school. Critical issue. 

 
Q: What to do with kids when not in school? Trying to bridge the gap between working parents and afterschool/between school

• Chris - Provide increased assistance for childcare so its affordable. Need paid family leave.  We offer paid leave at our restaurant. Raise wages in the state. Our neighbors have higher wages and forms of paid leave. 
• Mark - fighting for family leave in the legislature for 20 years. Family friendly workplaces. Workplaces should be able to accommodate family needs. No subsidy in daycare. 
  • Did a daycare coop down in RI with other families since we all were self employed.  Unbelievable principal at Campton for their spending needs. Government should be taking care of the people. The only trickling down that’s happening is the urine going down our backs from them pissing on us. 
• Mindi - Medicare for all - insurance for everyone.  Higher minimum wage so folks don’t feel they need to have multiple jobs.  Co-op childcare is great, but would be nice to have a parent stay home. DHHS committee.  Need to use the money in the rainy day fund. 
• Naomi - Middle class is stumbling, poor has fallen.  2007 last raise of the minimum wage. Our office wanted to allow teachers to deduct what they spend out of pocket, it got stopped in Congress. 

Q: What about parents that are struggling with going back to work or taking care of kids due to high daycare costs?

• Chris - no proposal for how to contend with that.  Need to look at all tools available. Want to learn more about what’s available. 

 
Q: Higher Ed - Statement about which option you favor - Debt free or first two years free. 

• Mark - should come out not owing any money. Tuition free
• Mindi - perdue program, some tuition free for some students
• Naomi - Debt Free
• Chris - Tuition Free

 
Q: [missed the question here]

• Naomi - It’s not the lobbying, it’s campaign finance reform. Need more people in Washington committed to campaign finance reform. Term limits - bigger issue is gerrymandering.  I don’t support term limits because what I want to see is the voters deciding whether their members stayed.  The gerrymandered districts make it difficult to compete.  Like diversity in congress, but there is value in some institutional knowledge. If we still have the money in politics, then yes, let’s put term limits in place.  
• Oil industry/ranchers lobbying, not a single recommendation has been put into effect. 
• Chris - See a lot of lobbying going on now with members of congress and the lobby. Need to get big money out of politics.  Government by the People Act.  Repeal Citizens United. Get the money back into the hands of the people. Term limits - never supported, but I’m open minded on it right now.  Need to stop business as usual. Leaving people behind.  Giving outside influence too much power.  Would serve as long as I’m being effective for my constituents. 
• Mark - Don’t support term limits, up to the people of the district.  Evidence in the military industry ending up in the defence industry.  Money in politics in an issue. Pay attention to the money. You can’t take the money if you’re against the system. Needs to be a balance between what you need and how much is in this race. Believe in campaign finance reform. People should have the right to run for office. 
• Mindi - Big problem. Lobbying against my bills for no pesticides on school grounds from big companies like Monsanto, etc. My campaign is walking the walk. Encourage all candidates not to take money from lobbyists.  Need a longer delay for lobbyists to end up with industry.  Need some of the leadership out of Congress. Need some yojng people in there, get out the entrenched people.  

 
Lobbyist - people who’s job it is to lobby? Big companies?  

• Industry lobby, energy companies, etc. 

 
Mark - i’ve lobbied for working families.  I sponsored some of the bills Mindi has 
 
Question from Dave: Minimum wage - I employ full time folks and start at $12-$15, $5/hr in tips. Have 3 high school students learning the ropes and at $15/hr, that’s 16,000/year, that crushes me.  I have 12 employees. I can’t pay a high schooler $15/hr to wash dishes.  To move every one of them up is crushing. It seems like an ed base question.  This wage for this degree. Thoughts?

• Mark - $12 would have been minimum wage would have been the wage had we kept with inflation.  Peak of minimum wage relationship with productivity.  What are we paying people to do? What is the purpose of working?  A lot of young people are working because they have to.  What is the base level we should provide so people that are working can support themselves? Minimum wage would be the single most game changer for people in NH. Would pay dollars for donuts that if people make more, there’s more money in our economy.  My debate is what is the floor for people. 
• Mindi - I agree with some of what Mark said about looking at what we want to do for the people that work in NH. If we did medicare for all and some other protections, then you wouldn't have to spend so much out pocket.  Raise some prices of things to cover the costs. Would love to talk more about how to cover that cost. We are suffering because of drinking water, opioid crisis, etc. 
• Naomi - fair wages act - incrementally increase min wage. Protections for small businesses.  Need to readjust our values and priorities.  Collect taxes from corporations, give more tax breaks to small businesses so they can raise their wages.  Average  for 2 bed apt.in NH -- $22/hr. Put protections in for small businesses. 
• Chris - Was just at Hermit Woods.  Started employees at $15/hr and have a surcharge of something on each check.  Most are happy to pay it to support employees. In this labor market, there’s a lot of upward pressure in this market. Support increasing min wage, giving tax credits to small businesses to smooth the transition.  Abomination that our state min wage is $7.25. 
• Mark - sub minimum wage in NH too.  We should not have a sub min wage. Why is that the case? Do away with it. Disabled people end up at sub min wage. 

Q: What about govt following up to pay the gap between min wage and inflation? 

• Mark - new concept, but it's an interesting idea. Should have a guaranteed wage. 
• I grew up in Newport, RI, started washing dishes at 13. They had diff rates for kids working, and had a lower rate. 

Q: Have all of you committed against taking pac money, if not, why?

• Mindi - individual money
• Naomi - no pac, no corporate
• Chris - no corp pac money, applaud carol shea porter, set the tone
• Mark - no corp money, wouldn’t give it to me anyway.  Do take pac money from workers.  Unions have supported me.

 
Q: Should we have single payer, universal health care? Should it pay for abortion?

• Mindi - yes
• Naomi - medicare for all. Knew ACA getting train out of the option.  Public option should be medicare - know it trust it, that’s the next step.  Will drive down premiums and cost. Pay into at cost.  Pay less due to income, but those that can pay more will. Yes to abortion. 
• Chris - Healthcare for all. Getting to a system where everyone has healthcare. Expanding medicaid, protecting women's health. Medicare program is successful.  Suport Medicare Choice act.  Support public option.  Yes to abortion included. 
• Mark - Favor of everyone paying under a single payer system.  Support funding of women's health. Includes abortion. 

 
Q: What is one specific action you would take to reach out to the minority party to find common ground?

• Naomi - Shea Porter was on top of bipartisan efforts.  2007 discovered military had open air burn pits. Introduced legislation to find out where they are and what’s going on.  Biden said these may have been a factor to his son dying from cancer.  We are doing these at home.  We reached across the aisle to work with Republicans on this issue. 
• Chris - #1 issue from voters is getting something done in congress.  Look for districts impacted like ours (opioid crisis, etc) to reach across the aisle.  Lack of access points in Northern NH. Need to do a better job of working across the state for opioid crisis. 
• Mark - All for partisanship - need mutual respect for each other.  Not happening in congress right now.  Think of how you’re going to get around them (sports analogy) if you’re stuck.  I’m not going to go to the table. This election is about fighting for the power.  Every dem, if you don’t leave this meeting standing up about what is important and what you need.  Need to claim this again, know what democrats are, know what we’re fighting for.  Move forward with a clear message.  
• Mindi - Look at state house body similar to congress.  Working in the same size body.  Have passed 13 bills in 2 years.  Have worked across the aisle. Worked with Jeb Bradley. Understand how to work within that body, though many are not workable.  There is a middle ground to work with.  Have worked to stop the passing of an abortion registry bill.  I’m assertive and bold, not rash and aggressive.  If in Congress, Climate change, drinking water protection, chronic disease will be top fights. 

 
Q: Contingent of Dems wanting nothing to do with compromise, working with republicans, etc. What do you say to the party that is angry, not wanting to compromise, looking for blood, etc? 

• Chris - I share those sentiments. We’ve got to stand up and go beyond what we think is permissible. This is about our democracy, who we are.  Need to put forward econ agenda that will work for people.  Can attract independents with that message. We have to push back and reclaim what this country is all about. 
• Mark - I’ve been a leader for a long time.  Elected for 25 years.  Leader in the fire dept. I can understand the interest in getting along in Washington, but its so lopsided. It’s about passion, not anger.  People need and want to live a better life.  Whole adult life has been fighting for that. Not new to this process.  I know who I am and i know what it takes to fight and win.  Willing to work with anyone, but from a position of strength. 
• Mindi - there are people you can get along with, There are opportunities for working across the aisle.  Cannot compromise core values and need to get things done.  Find the middle ground and I pick them off to sign on for what I believe in.  Don’t think every Republican in congress believes in Trump.  There are opportunities there.  
• Naomi - I’m a Progressive democrat, when we could work with them on issues, we did.  Worked with a republican member on privacy issues.  Cannot meet them half-way, have to stand up and have the courage to fight. 

 
Q: If you get into Congress, if we od become majority, what do you see as being his impeachable offenses that he has committed?  Would you push for impeachment? What terms?

• Mindi - Investigations should continue.  Need to know exactly what happened.  Concerned about Pence as a backup.  If there’s illegal medaling, they whole admin hasn’t been elected by us.  Don’t know theres a clear path about next steps, but want to know what’s actually happened. 
• Naomi - Signed onto articles of impeachment with Emoluments Clause.  Abdication of constitutional duty of oversight.  
• Chris - Emoluments clause, treason, obstruction of justice… Mueller investigation needs to get to its conclusion so we know what’s happened.  We know who we’re dealing with.  If we get to the point where things move forward, it has to be done where everything is out on the table.  Won’t commit since we’re not there on knowing what’s happened.  Rep need a way to speak out against this president. Can’t get to a final conclusion with just Dems pushing. 
• Mark - Republicans are terrified of the president going down - they’re tied to them. In favor of impeachment.  Take him out as soon as we can.  Stand up and say we want him out. 

 
Closing Remarks
 

• Mark - [Kennedy quote.]  We need, the party needs, America needs the people to believe that what’s going on is undermining our liberty, our nation.  We need to fight back against those people.  You shall not take our liberty away from us. 
• Chris - Thank you. Hope you stay involved. MO of current administration is to wear us down.  We can’t think like that. We have to be in this fight - sustained effort.  Need to support middle class, and opportunities for people.  Need to be together on Sept 12th no matter what happens Sept 11th (primary)
• Naomi - I will be hard working - Huffington Post said we were the hardest working office.  Carol won in 2016, Trump won in 2016. Honest, hard working, and people will vote because they know where we stand on issues.  Optimistic that we could win the majority in the elections.  I believe our state and country will be well served by someone who knows the issues, has the knowledge, the courage to serve you.  Would love to welcome you as part of my team.  Keep an eye on my website.  Would love to earn your support and vote. 
• Mindi - Disturbed by what has happened when Trump was elected, so I got involved.  I can write good policy, can get the job done, work across the aisle, get the money out of politics and that’s what I’m doing. Ask all the candidates to commit to that as well. Great to see you out on a night like this.  Glad to be a part of this.  Would love you support, volunteerism, thanks. 

 
Next Meeting (Aug) - 14th, 6:30pm, same place