Category: Mary Kate Smither
Homeland Security Goes Local
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2002–As part of a monthly drill, a Vermont emergency operations center sends out a notification that a local nuclear power plant has had a major “catastrophe.” There’s only 15 minutes to phone the key people who have been designated to alert the public, and the local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), already busy with routine emergencies and 911 calls, does not have the time to relay the information.
If this sounds like something that could never happen in a security-heightened, post-9/11 world, think again. Despite hard work and good intentions, it does.
Recently, Vermont Emergency Management encountered this very situation during a General Emergency-Fast Breaker drill for the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, just over the New Hampshire border in Vernon, Vt. During the exercise, the Rockingham, Vt., PSAP failed to notify the Brattleboro, Vt., fire department and police dispatcher about the plant’s mock catastrophe. The plant is the state’s largest power generator, producing more than 30 percent of the energy used by Vermont’s consumers.
According to Duncan Higgins, deputy director for Vermont Emergency Management, the state routinely conducts exercises in preparation for a disaster at the Vermont Yankee plant. Vermont is the only state that conducts the General Emergency-Fast Breaker drill, said Higgins, and over the course of the four years it has been run, this is the first time a major problem has occurred, he said.
“There were some miscommunications because they were very busy in Rockingham,” Lou Stowell, radiological emergency response planner for Vermont Emergency Management, said. “Had this been a real emergency, they would have dumped what they were doing [by rerouting the 911 calls to other area dispatchers] and responded to the emergency.”
Both Stowell and Higgins said that a variety of things are being done to correct the problem, including better organization and additional training for all workers. Higgins, one of two evaluators on site at the time of the problem, said, “Every time we do an exercise, we’re looking for better uses of technology, lapses in training, and there is a process for evaluation and looking for ways to improve.”
Protection of the plant has increased overall since Sept. 11, Rob Williams, spokesman for Vermont Yankee, said.
“We took the initiative to go to the highest security status on Sept. 11,” Williams said, adding that precautions, including increased detection systems and barriers surrounding the plant, have been added. “We’ve increased staffing in the security force and training, and also upgraded their weapons.”
The issue of security at a nuclear power plant, like many other public safety issues, has been magnified after the events of Sept. 11 and recent terror alerts. Consistent safety measures are now a priority more than ever, and with the passage of legislation last month authorizing creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the federal government is attempting to ensure that as many Americans as possible are protected from the threat of both international and domestic terrorism.
The new department will combine 22 existing agencies to guard against terrorism attacks inside the United States, reduce the nation’s exposure to terrorism, reduce damage from terrorism attacks and aid in the recovery from future attacks. Nevertheless, questions remain of how the new department will provide the financing and the protection that New Hampshire and other states need.
Don Bliss, the New Hampshire state fire marshal and director of fire safety and emergency management, praised the Bush administration for the relationship the White House Office of Homeland Security, the predecessor to the new department, established with the state office. Bliss added, though, that the amount of money the states will receive for anti-terrorism programs remains uncertain.
“Many of these very costly initiatives were not able to move forward because Congress is funding the government off of a continuing resolution,” Bliss said. “We just need them to get back in session and pass a budget with funding.” Congress departed this year without completing its budget work.
According to Jim Van Dongen, spokesman for New Hampshire’s Office of Emergency Management, “the agency did not discover terrorism on 9/11.” The turning point for New Hampshire’s emergency management came, he said, in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
“From an emergency response perspective, terrorism is just another hazard, and the effect is going to be the same on people,” he said.
Van Dongen added that his office uses an “all-hazards approach,” with a single plan spelling out who is responsible for what in case of an emergency, including law enforcement groups, firefighters, and groups such as the Red Cross who provide shelter and food to large groups of people during a crisis.
Bliss said that the “all-hazards approach” has been effective in New Hampshire and he hopes that the federal government will use this same approach in its fight against terrorism. He added that while he doesn’t believe New Hampshire will immediately see the benefits of the new Department of Homeland Security, he thinks the department will help to streamline and simplify communication between the federal government and state and local agencies.
New Hampshire has been successful with its anti-terrorism prevention and training efforts not only because of the all-hazards approach, Bliss said, but also because the state opted not to create a new government agency after Sept. 11 and instead pooled resources to save money and “draw upon the best of existing agencies.”
In addition, Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen established the New Hampshire Commission on Preparedness and Security, which Bliss also heads. Bliss said the group was formed to evaluate New Hampshire’s ability to respond to terrorist attacks and make recommendations on how to better prepare for and deter such attacks.
Under legislation signed by the governor in May and put into effect in July, the commission soon will become a permanent body known as the Advisory Council on Emergency Preparation and Security, said Pamela Walsh, spokeswoman for the governor’s office.
“Governor Shaheen wanted to make sure we had our arms around the issue and a good understanding of all aspects of emergency preparedness,” Bliss said.
During its evaluations, the commission identified several key areas for change, including the need for improved training, equipment and communications for first responders such as firefighters and police officers. As a response to this need, New Hampshire recently received a U.S. Department of Justice grant of $104,704 to purchase air-purifying respirators and splash suits for police officers and emergency medical personnel. Of this money, the Keene Police Department will receive $5,162 for equipment for its officers.
“People in Washington know that the public is concerned about terror and that there’s a value in protecting first responders,” Van Dongen said.
Jack Zeller, the terrorism and intelligence officer for the Keene Police Department, said he believes the Department of Homeland Security will help his department receive necessary protective equipment and information about terror alerts and news.
“Until Homeland Security was set up, it was very different because you were dealing with 20 different agencies,” Zeller said. “People didn’t used to work together, and now things are different.”
New Hampshire also has received an $8.4 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services for protection of public health and prevention of bioterrorism, Bliss said. The money has been earmarked for projects including increased training in local hospitals, disease surveillance, and laboratory improvements.
On Tuesday, Bliss said, the commission released its smallpox vaccination plan, as mandated by the federal government. The plan is intended to ensure that all New Hampshire government officials and the general public will be safely vaccinated in the face of a possible epidemic.
New Hampshire is also working to protect its drinking water and wastewater against the threat of contamination, said Harry Stewart, director of the water division of New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services and a liaison to Bliss’s commission.
“Both in our drinking water programs and in our wastewater programs, we had training courses developed [as part of the New Hampshire Commission on Preparedness and Security’s plan] on prevention and heightened security of those facilities,” Stewart said. Stewart added that the state legislature recently passed legislation allowing the governor to extend increased security measures in the event of a contamination.
While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already given New Hampshire funds for water vulnerability studies to protect against both terrorism and natural events in Manchester and Nashua, Stewart said, the agency will also allocate money for vulnerability studies in all New Hampshire communities with populations below 100,000 in early 2003.
New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, which voted unanimously in favor of the homeland security bill this fall, has shown its support for state and local efforts directed at the threat of terrorist attacks. Rep. Charles Bass (R-2nd) says that having one centralized location to apply for grants from the Department of Homeland Security will make the process less difficult for local and state agencies, said Sally Tibbetts, Bass’s spokeswoman.
Bass has made a point of visiting the Seabrook nuclear power plant to ensure that necessary safety procedures and defenses are in place, and he has plans to visit the Vermont Yankee plant in the future, she added.
“Shortly after 9/11 the congressman held a town meeting with the heads of state agencies to speak with constituents about their safety concerns,” Tibbetts said.
Both Bliss and Van Dongen said Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) has played a large part in ensuring that New Hampshire receives the money and support that it needs. According to Bliss, Gregg was a leader in setting up local and state programs for disaster preparation even before Sept. 11.
Gregg sees the Department of Homeland Security as an essential force in helping not just the federal government but also state and local administrations persist in the fight against terrorism, Jeff Turcotte, his spokesman, said.
“We need an efficient, effective and coordinated arrangement with our government to protect and continue the war on terrorism,” Turcotte said. “We need a process that will take years but will keep people safer, improve port security [and] streamline the training of first responders and the proposals for their needs.”
Van Dongen said he believes it is most important for everyone to work together, from the Department of Homeland Security to local police departments and ordinary citizens.
“This is still a free society, and you don’t want a cop on every corner,” Van Dongen said. “It’s most important to get back to basics, with heightened police awareness and people being more aware of what’s going on around them.”
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
N.H. Not Making the Grade on Drunk Driving, Report says
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2002--New Hampshire continues to fall short on making the grade when it comes to drunk driving, and underage drinking may be significantly contributing to the problem, according to "Rating the States," a report released Thursday by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Of the 142-traffic crash deaths in New Hampshire last year 70 were alcohol-related, and 28.7 percent of under-age drivers involved in fatal crashes in the state from 1999-2001 were alcohol-positive, the report said. Nationally under-age drivers represented 24.1 percent of alcohol-positive traffic deaths in 1999-2001.
"Drunk driving continues to be the most frequently committed violent crime," Wendy J. Hamilton, MADD national president, said at a press conference Thursday. "Alcohol is still the number one youth drug problem. We are losing ground in the war on drunk driving and under-age drinking."
Additionally, although it is illegal for vendors to sell alcohol to minors in New Hampshire, the state is one of only five states where it is not illegal for youths to purchase alcohol.
"We need to go after both," said Jim Fell, a Northeast spokesman for MADD and a member of the group's national board. "You have to go after the youth to make sure they don't attempt to purchase, and you also need to go after the retailers to make sure they don't sell."
In the report, New Hampshire, along with seven other states, received a grade of C-. The national grade was C, and only eight states received a grade of D+ or lower. New Hampshire also received a C- on the last "Rating the States" report, released in 2000.
While New Hampshire received grades of C- or above on six of MADD's eight categories, it received an F in both the fatality trends and under-age drinking and driving categories because of the number of under-age alcohol-related traffic deaths as well as a 24.8 percent increase in alcohol-positive fatal crashes in 1999-2001 over the previous three-year period.
The report graded states on criteria ranging from a review of alcohol-related fatality trends to political leadership gave each a numerical grade and then averaged them to determine an overall letter grade.
Data for the report were gathered from federal sources, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and from a questionnaire completed by each state's MADD office, each governor's highway safety representative and other agencies, Fell said.
In addition, New Hampshire is the only state that does not have a seatbelt use law for people 18 and older. Fell said there 18 states have primary enforcement of a seatbelt law, meaning a person can be pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt. New Hampshire is the only state that doesn't use secondary enforcement, meaning that if a car is stopped for another infraction, its occupants can also be cited for not wearing seatbelts.
"New Hampshire is the only state that doesn't have a law that says you're supposed to wear your seatbelt," Fell said. "Every other state has such a law. That's why we say that New Hampshire needs to pass a seatbelt law."
A primary enforcement seat belt law, Fell said, would increase seatbelt use by 12 to 15 percent. While 70 percent of the nation's front-seat passengers currently use seat belts, Fell added, this could be boosted to 85 percent with primary enforcement.
"If you do that, that's your best protection against drunk drivers, obviously," Fell said. "Innocent people will be saved but, also, as you get up to that 85 percent you're hitting high-risk drivers, drinking drivers, people who don't really care about safety, and they're beginning to buckle up, so you're actually saving their lives too."
Peter Thomson, coordinator for the New Hampshire Highway Safety Agency, disputed the NHTSA numbers released in the MADD report and said his office showed only 46 alcohol-related traffic deaths for the year 2001. Thomson added that traffic fatalities are tested at a 0.04 level, the same level that the federal government uses to test truck drivers, to determine if they are alcohol-related.
Fell said the NHTSA numbers are based on testing blood alcohol levels at 0.01. He said that the 0.01 level is "not a fair way" to test if someone is drunk, but that the test works to determine if a crash is alcohol-related.
He added that New Hampshire tests 83 percent of fatally injured people for their blood alcohol levels, while the NHTSA uses an estimation to determine how many of the other 17 percent of drivers were part of an alcohol-related crash, also accounting for the difference in statistics.
Fell said that the next step following the release of the report is to work on issues at the state and local levels.
"The national level is fine and well; we need the leadership there," Fell said. "But really drunk driving is really won at the local and community level, and we're hoping our MADD chapter in New Hampshire will take the ball now and carry it to the governor and the legislature and try to get these things fixed."
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
Mr. Smith Comes Home, For Now
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2002--His inspiration was Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." For Sen. Bob Smith (R-N.H.), playing the part of an idealistic, patriotic man who goes to Washington as a politician was his dream.
"I was Jimmy Stewart," Smith says. "I was the guy who came to Washington to help people who couldn't help themselves."
Reflecting on his career in a telephone interview Thursday, Smith seems to believe that he has lived up to most of his dream when he talks about what he accomplished during his 18 years in Congress. Smith highlights his initiatives for missile defense, his work for the recovery of the remains of prisoners of war in North Korea and his defense of those whom he describes as not being able to defend themselves, including animals and unborn children.
"I was fighting for the unborn child, even though it was not the politically correct thing to do," Smith says. "I did it because I thought it was right."
Smith emphasizes that it was always important to him to do what was right, even if it was not popular, and that if he saw a wrong, he tried to make it right.
He says, however, that he is proudest of the fact that his family has stayed "intact" throughout his political career and that "his kids turned out well and still love us "It's been a long career, and I've tried to keep things in perspective," Smith says.
Smith began his political career in 1984 when he was elected to the House. Before his election, he served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, taught high school history and government and ran Yankee Pedlar Real Estate in Wolfeboro. After three terms in the House, he was elected to the Senate in 1990.
Leaving the Senate floor for the last time on Wednesday, Smith says, was "probably the most difficult day of my political life."
"Losing [the primary against Sen.-elect John Sununu] was difficult, but this was right up there," he says. He adds that the most emotional part of his departure has been the dozens of people, including Capitol Police, Capitol elevator operators and Senate chamber pages who have approached him for autographs and comments, or shared their thanks for his service.
Smith also looks back on some of the people who have influenced him during his career or whom he has looked at as mentors. He names retiring Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) as the "finest, most decent man I've ever known in politics" and says that he loved Helms not only for his politics but also for the kind of man he is. In addition to Helms, Smith says he was privileged to work with several political icons, including Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and former Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.).
Smith adds that he appreciates the way he has been able to work with many of his colleagues and how he has "been able to get things done and reach across the aisle and work with people in both parties."
He emphasizes that he plans to continue fighting after he leaves the Senate for anyone who needs help. Although he says he doesn't know what the future holds, he adds that he would contemplate a position within the Bush administration, including in the new Department of Homeland Security.
"If the president of the United States or his representatives made it clear they want me to serve, I would consider it," Smith says. "Everything's in play, and everything's still up in the air."
He adds that whether he is in Washington or home in New Hampshire, where he will keep his house, there are "all kinds of ways to express yourself about policy outside of being in politics," including through newspaper columns or talk shows.
"I'm certainly not going to be silent about what I think," Smith says. "There have been other congressmen and senators who have left office and spoken out…. I'm not going to be a shadow puppet because I know how tough this job is."
Smith says he sees many challenges, including homeland security and a potential war with Iraq facing both the New Hampshire delegation and Congress as a whole in the months ahead.
"They have a huge amount of material on their plates," Smith says. "America right now is under threat as it never has been before. It's worse than the Cold War, in my view."
He says he will "miss being a player and making things happen" in Washington, but that one thing he will not miss is the reporters and living a "fishbowl existence" where everything he does is noticed and receives comment.
"It's very hard to maintain a personal life," Smith says. "If you miss a vote and you're criticized for it, it's hard because maybe you had a doctor's appointment or your wife was sick, and you don't want to talk about it."
Despite his clear disappointment over not retaining his Senate seat, Smith still seems excited and ready for the two-week vacation he has planned with Mary Jo, his wife of more than 35 years. He says there won't be any exotic locations included during their vacation, possibly just a relaxing trip to Florida.
Smith, who as the senior senator from New Hampshire has sat at Daniel Webster's famed Senate desk since 1993, compares himself to Webster and says, "We're just a blip on the screen of eternity." Yet, he's quick to add "never say never" about running again, and that it has been "my life for 18 years serving the people of New Hampshire."
Smith says he hopes he can continue to do exactly what he has done most of his political career.
"Some nights I put my head down to sleep and ask myself, 'Did I do anything to make the world a little better,''" Smith says. "If you can say yes, then you're doing okay."
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
Sununu Looks to the Future
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2002--Permanent tax cuts, a department of homeland security, terrorism insurance and a prescription drug benefit attached to Medicare. During an appearance on "John McLaughlin's One on One," Sen.-elect John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) discussed everything from the importance of these issues to an impending war with Iraq to his own recent victory over New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.
The program, produced and hosted by John McLaughlin, also featured Sen.-elect Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and will air on Sunday, Nov. 24, on New Hampshire Public Television.
Sununu said that although he supports the president now as he has before, his "primary role is not to work for the re-election of President Bush" but to provide the leadership his constituents are expecting because they want "leadership on issues even if they don't agree with you all the time."
He was elected because of the support and visits he received from both the president and First Lady Laura Bush and because he demonstrated the qualities that citizens of New Hampshire want during his campaign against Shaheen when he stood by his beliefs on Social Security despite attack ads against him, Sununu said.
"This is an important issue," said Sununu, who supports Bush's private investment plan for Social Security. "Retirees care about their future, and I didn't shy away from my ideas about Social Security."
McLaughlin praised Sununu and said he may be instrumental in winning over wavering senators. He "has a very bright future in the Senate and I admire him for sticking to his guns on Social Security," McLaughlin said during the taping.
When McLaughlin questioned him about how the Republican agenda would fit into a war with Iraq that might cost upwards of $9 billion to $13 billion a month, Sununu, a member of the House Budget Committee, stressed the importance of setting priorities when creating a budget.
"We've put together tough budgets before, and we'll do it in the future," Sununu said.
He added that it is difficult to estimate how much of the financial burden the United States might carry in a war against Iraq until it is known what part coalition partners will play in sharing those costs.
Alexander and Sununu agreed about the importance of passing bills for terrorism insurance and a Department of Homeland Security, saying that the threat facing the nation is different from what it was 10 to 15 years ago and that the passage of the two bills will help instill confidence in the American people about their protection.
In a post-taping interview, Sununu said his transition from the House to the Senate is going very well and that it is "a busy and exciting time."
"Finishing work in the House has given me an opportunity to see a lot of friends," Sununu said. "In the House there are people who are excited about the results of the election, picking up seats and taking back control of the Senate, and the orientation has gone very smoothly, I think, in part because I'm going to be entering the Senate with a number of other new senators that have been friends for years."
Following the Senate appointment in Alaska to succeed Republican Sen. Frank Murkowski, who won the state's gubernatorial race, and the resolution of next month's runoff election in Louisiana, Sununu said he expects to learn his committee assignments. Because of his background and interest in technology and science, he named the banking, commerce or foreign relations committees as his preferences.
Sununu added that he looks forward to working closely with Sen. Judd Gregg, the new senior senator for New Hampshire, and the entire New Hampshire delegation during the next session of Congress.
"We'll work closely on any issue that has a direct impact on families and the economy back in New Hampshire," Sununu said. "I don't think anyone has been happier about my election and regaining the Republican majority than Judd Gregg."
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
Keene Native Endures Sniper Attacks
WASHINGTON, Nov. 07, 2002--"I know these people have been caught, but I can't help still thinking about it because one of the killings happened at my gas station," Elizabeth Hamshaw said of the recent sniper attacks in the Washington area. "There was no discrimination; all you had to be was a human being to be a target."
Twenty-four-year-old Hamshaw, who has lived in Washington for two years and works for the Council of Independent Colleges, fills her car at the Mobil station in the Aspen Hill section of Montgomery County, Md., where one of the sniper's first victims, cab driver Premkumar A. Walekar, was gunned down. The station is located near Silver Spring, Md., where Hamshaw regularly goes horseback riding.
As a Keene native, Hamshaw's first experience of living in a large city came when she moved to Washington after attending Sweet Briar College, near the Blue Ridge Mountains in rural Virginia.
Hamshaw said she first found out about the sniper killings from a friend who works in Rockville, Md., and initially thought the killings were a random spree and would end the first day. As they continued, though, Hamshaw said she made a point to fill her gas tank only in Washington because "she felt pretty safe in the city." She said that she is thankful the suspects were caught because one of her biggest fears as time went by between each killing was that "he would stop and we would never catch them."
Sniper suspects John Allen Muhammed, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17, who have been linked to 14 area shootings as well as a mounting number of killings in other parts of the country, were brought into custody on Oct. 24. Until then, many Washington-area residents were shaken into altering their daily routines throughout the almost month-long reign of terror.
Despite having the mindset to go about their daily lives, Hamshaw said, her friends who live in Maryland and Virginia often came into Washington, where they would just "stay in and watch movies" or go to places that they knew would be crowded with people.
"It's so ironic because after 9/11, I was nervous to be in any big crowds or to go on the Metro, and now it was a completely opposite feeling," Hamshaw said.
While she is relieved the sniper has been caught, she can't help but still be nervous because of her surprise at the identity of the suspects, whom she had expected to be "monsters." "The two suspects were really unsettling because they looked like nice family people," she said.
She added that even though she was "put off by how the media made it into entertainment, the police department did a great job and really used all of their resources."
Although she never contemplated moving home during the sniper killings, Hamshaw said her parents, Douglas and Marianne, who have lived in Keene for more than 25 years and own Hamshaw Lumber and the Cheshire House, "were very worried and pretty nervous" about her living alone in Washington. She said she believes though that "wherever you are, you're at risk for certain dangers."
"I think it's made me realize it could happen anywhere, in any small town, which I didn't think before," Hamshaw said. "They [the snipers] almost went into rural areas on purpose."
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
N.H. Race Tight Despite Fundraising Differences
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2002--In politics, money may not be everything, but it certainly might matter. In one of the tightest Senate races in the country, New Hampshire Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen leads Rep. John Sununu by only 48 to 42 percent, within the 5 percentage-point margin of error in a poll conducted last week by the Becker Institute. The poll results were reported in Hotline, an online political daily.
While Sununu has raised $2.8 million during his campaign, Shaheen has almost doubled Sununu's fundraising efforts with $4.7 million through Oct. 16, according to the Center for Responsive Politics at its opensecrets.org Web site, which tracks candidates' contribution filings to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Financial resources were an integral part of the preparation, said Colin Van Ostern, spokesman for the Shaheen campaign, since it was believed that Sununu would outspend Shaheen by the end of the campaign.
"In addition to the money raised for the Sununu campaign, we've seen millions upon millions of dollars coming in from the national Republican Party, and when you see that kind of money coming in, you have to be prepared," Van Ostern said.
Van Ostern attributed Shaheen's fundraising to her wide range of support throughout New Hampshire and the United States.
"She offers a compelling solution to get the economy back on track, and she supports a woman's right to choose," Van Ostern said. "She's mounted a very strong campaign and gone from being 10 points behind in the polls to ahead in the polls."
Shaheen has also outspent Sununu, spending $3.7 million to Sununu's $2.4 million and still has $995,000 on hand as compared to Sununu's $442,000.
Julie Teer, spokeswoman for Sununu's campaign, said that the campaign does not see having less money than the Shaheen campaign as a hindrance because "John Sununu has always been out-raised and outspent in every election, and he always wins."
Teer added that a lack of funding would not deter Sununu from his mission of winning because "the political graveyard is full of people who had all the money and didn't win."
"He's going to continue to run the kind of campaign he's always run," Teer said. "Person to person, door to door, community to community, a traditional grassroots campaign."
Both candidates have received funds from a variety of political action committees (PACs) in support of their campaigns. Among Shaheen's contributors are EMILY's List, a PAC in support of pro-abortion rights Democratic women candidates, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
Sununu counts the Business Industry PAC, which is supported by leaders in the business community, including Lockheed Martin Corp. and General Motors Corp.; and the New Republican Majority Fund, the PAC for Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.).
Additionally, the League of Conservation Voters has spent $118,381 for polling, mailing, and ads attacking Sununu, while the American Society of Anesthesiologists PAC spent $126,414 preparing and running radio and newspaper ads against Shaheen.
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
Gregg Protects N.H. Voting Exemptions
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2002--Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) succeeded in preserving two key New Hampshire exemptions-same-day registration on Election Day and no "motor voter" provisions-- in an election reform bill that President Bush signed into law Tuesday.
Gregg said Wednesday he felt the exemptions were important because "New Hampshire has an extremely aggressive and effective election system." He added that because the state has relied heavily on local election officials to oversee elections, "it has allowed us to deliver elections to people in the most effective way with integrity."
New Hampshire, along with five other states, will continue to be exempt from federal motor voter laws, which allow voter registration at department of motor vehicle offices. The other states are Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
According to Patricia Little, city clerk for Keene, motor voter registration creates additional problems for voters instead of making the process easier. The problem, she said, is that every time people visit the department of motor vehicles they are asked about registration, regardless of their current voting status.
"The bureaucracy that results from motor voter is much worse than the bureaucracy from same-day registration," Little said. "The people aren't even there to register, they're just there for [department of motor vehicle] social services."
Additionally, voters in New Hampshire will still be allowed to register on Election Day, under an exemption from the new law's provisional voting regulations.
Under those regulations, voters will be allowed to cast their ballots even if their names are absent from the registration list at their voting precinct. Election commissioners would then have seven to 10 days to verify the validity of a voter's registration status.
Gregg said there is no need for provisional voting in New Hampshire because regardless of their status, voters can register on the spot when they go to vote on Election Day.
"Election Day registration in a small state where there is a high level of integrity is very appropriate, although it might not work in New York City," Gregg said. "If you have this, you don't need provisional voting."
The new law, which the Senate passed earlier this month by 92-2 and the Houseapproved,357-48, was a reaction to the issues that arose in Florida in the 2000 election-including concerns about voters' registration that could not be verified in time to allow them to vote. Joining Gregg in favor of the bill, the Help America Vote Act of 2002, were New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith (R-N.H.) and Rep. John E. Sununu (R-1st). Rep. Charles Bass (R-2nd) did not vote.
Bill Gardner, who has been New Hampshire's secretary of state since 1976, lauded Gregg for his efforts on the bill.
"I appreciate the considerable time and effort undertaken by Sen. Gregg to make sure New Hampshire is able to retain control of how we run our own elections," Gardner said in a statement. "In New Hampshire, we have seen a constant increase in voter turnout and more accurate and efficient elections in the past few years."
During an interview, Gardner said the problem with the new law is similar to the problems in the 1993s Voter Registration Act--which enacted the motor voter provision--in that it attempts to create a blanket solution for every area of the country.
"The problem with the federal law was that it affected metro areas as much as rural areas, and what you need in a city is not what you need in the country," Gardner said. "We didn't need to have the problem areas fixed because they didn't exist."
According to Gregg, Gardner was instrumental in explaining the importance of the New Hampshire exemptions to the staff of Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.). Dodd, the author of the legislation, had initially opposed the exemptions. Gardner said the more Dodd's office found out about New Hampshire's voting system, the more his support increased because "they certainly couldn't argue with the turnout, and New Hampshire has one of the highest voter turnouts in the country."
Gardner said New Hampshire has been ahead of the curve with voting procedures because of the high number of elections in the state as well as the number of recounts following many close elections in the state. With 400 members, New Hampshire has the largest state House of Representatives in the country, accounting for many of the elections.
"In a state like Florida, you don't become aware of problems as quickly as you do with a state that has a lot of recounts," Gardner said. For example, Gardner said, New Hampshire banned punch card voting machines in 1986 after discovering the amount of inaccurate counting that occurred.
While approximately $5 million of the $3.9 billion the new law authorizes is supposed to go to New Hampshire, Gardner said he is concerned about whether Congress will even appropriate the authorized funds. He pointed out that much of the money that was supposed to be spent to carry out the Voter Registration Act was never appropriated.
"Until they appropriate the money, I'm not sure how much of this bill will be administered," he said.
According to Gardner, the funds would be used to build a statewide database, in which registered voters' names could be checked instantaneously, and to buy the computers and hardware necessary for each town to link to the system. Additionally, money could be spent on voter education, training of election officials and purchase of voting machines that would allow blind people to vote without assistance.
Gregg, however, said he believes the problem will not be appropriating the money but making sure each state spends it effectively.
"I think we're going to see the reverse a lot more," Gregg said. "Places like Broward County [Florida] are going to go out and buy new equipment because they have the money and then find out it doesn't even work, like they did in the [recent] primary with the touch-screen voting machines."
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
Washington Speaks on Importance of N.H. Senate Race
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2002--The New Hampshire Senate race between Rep. John E. Sununu (R-1st) and Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen "could make or break who controls the Senate," Jennifer Duffy, a political analyst for The Cook Political Report, said.
Because both the Senate and the House are so closely divided, Duffy said, not only the New Hampshire race but also other races around the country could be historic.
"This is the closest both the House and Senate have been since 1932, so it's really an election 70 years in the making," said Duffy, whose Washington-based publication is regarded as a key source on political contests. "This election is a true reflection of a 50-50 America."
However, the particular aggressiveness of the New Hampshire race is fairly typical of New England general elections, Duffy said, because the state doesn't hold its primary election until September.
National representatives of both political parties agree that the New Hampshire Senate race is one of the keys to control of the Senate.
"With the Senate so closely divided, every race in the country is important," Dan Allen, press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said. "New Hampshire is important because we don't want to lose a seat already held by a Republican."
In addition to fundraising, the NRSC has been working with Sununu's campaign by running ads examining Shaheen's record and issues "where she's dropped the ball," Allen said.
"Our objective is to regain the majority so that the Senate will work with President Bush as opposed to the Democrats who have blocked him," he said.
While Republicans in Washington know the value of keeping Republican-held seats-the New Hampshire seat is held by GOP Sen. Bob Smith, whom Sununu defeated in the primary-Democrats see the race as a chance to gain a seat and maintain the Senate majority.
"The Republicans hold the White House, the House, they seem to have a slight edge in the Supreme Court," said Tovah Ravitz, communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).
The DSCC sees the New Hampshire race as one of the party's "best opportunities to pick up a seat" because of Shaheen's strong record as governor, Ravitz said. She added that Shaheen's ability to speak out about her beliefs and to raise funds across the state-demonstrating a wide base of support-make for a great combination.
However, running as a governor can sometimes be a campaign detriment, Duffy said, because many governors from both parties have suffered in voters' eyes as a result of the struggling economy. "Shaheen is probably not an exception to that rule," she added.
Although Shaheen's being a woman is not a defining factor in the race, Ravitz said, the DSCC's experience has been "that a lot of women candidates are overthrowing these guys." She named Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) as examples of women elected in 2000.
"We've had very good experience [with women candidates], and people obviously like to hear new voices," Ravitz said.
Both Duffy and Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute, said the New Hampshire Senate race is set apart from other races because of a write-in effort for Smith.
"When a race is close, every vote counts," Duffy said. "I think when analyzing the race, you have to take it [a Smith write-in effort] pretty seriously."
The race could be complicated not only by the write-in campaign, Ornstein said, but also by the divisive split in the Republican Party over Sununu's battle with Smith.
Ornstein said a Republican win in New Hampshire and GOP control of the Senate would be important for that party's judicial nominations.
"Control of the Senate means control of the agenda, which means that you get to see what happens and when," Ornstein said.
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
Bush Signs Resolution Authorizing Force Against Iraq
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2002--Joined by members of his Cabinet and congressional lawmakers, President Bush signed a resolution Wednesday authorizing the use of force against Iraq. Congress approved the resolution last week with comfortable majorities in both houses.
Rep. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.), the only New Hampshire representative to attend the ceremony in the White House East Room, said later in a phone interview that he felt it was important to be there because he wanted to witness the signing of the resolution.
Sununu added that he also wanted to be present because a congressional vote authorizing the president to go to war is a rare occurrence.
"It is important to show that the country is united behind the president," Sununu said.
"The resolution I'm about to sign symbolizes the united purpose of our nation, expresses the considered judgment of the Congress and marks an important event in the life of America," Bush said in his speech. "The 107th Congress is one of the few called by history to authorize military action to defend our country and the cause of peace."
Bush praised members of both parties in Congress and said, "They have deliberated with care and they have spoken with clarity on behalf of the American people."
Sununu agreed and said he believes that "people in New Hampshire understand that we need to do what's necessary to protect our national security."
Throughout his speech, Bush reiterated that Iraq must meet demands that include disarmament and destruction of all biological and chemical weapons, dismantling of any nuclear weapons program, release of or accountability for all Gulf War personnel and an end to support for terrorists--or force by a united coalition would be required.
"I have not ordered the use of force," Bush said. "I hope the use of force will not become necessary. Yet confronting the threat posed by Iraq is necessary, by whatever means that requires."
Sununu said he believes the next step following the signing will be to turn to the United Nations Security Council for action before the use of force becomes necessary.
"I believe that the president is committed to working through the Security Council and to work with the U.N.," Sununu said.
"Every nation that shares in the benefits of peace also shares in the duty of defending the peace," Bush said. "The time has arrived once again for the United Nations to live up to the purposes of its founding to protect our common security."
Bush signed the resolution as the United Nations began its first day of debate on the situation in Iraq.
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
Congress Approves Resolution for Use of Force Against Iraq
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2002--Reps. Charles Bass (R-NH) and John E. Sununu (R-NH) voted with the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday in favor of a resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to use military force against Iraq without approval by the United Nations. The Senate was also expected to approve the resolution.
The measure was adopted by a vote of 296 to 133 following three days of consideration on the House floor, weeks of national debate and several speeches by President George W. Bush outlining his case for the use of force against Iraq.
"This bipartisan bill gives the President the military and diplomatic flexibility that he needs in America and with our allies to deal with Saddam Hussein and his regime," Sununu said in a statement released following the vote.
On Wednesday, Sununu spoke in favor of the resolution on the House floor and said that he believed the resolution would send a clear message to Iraq and the rest of the world that Congress supports the president on national security.
Sununu added that waiting until the U.N. begins inspections with restrictions placed by Iraq would delay action and "allow a covert weapons program to begin to bear terrifying result."
Rep. Bass said in a statement that he believes the resolution is in the best interest of America's national security. "After a decade of deceit and deception, in which we have permitted a hostile dictator to repeatedly violate every agreement we have in good faith put before him, the use of force has become a necessary option."
Bass said he hopes that military force does not become necessary but insisted the resolution protects Congress' ability "to remain fully involved in future decisions and actions in Iraq."
Although the resolution authorized the president to use force against Hussein if necessary, Bass said, he is "confident that the President will be successful in his efforts to build support from the United Nations and our allies for any effort on the part of the United States to deal with the current and ongoing threats posed by Iraq."
In a statement released following the vote, President Bush said, "The House of Representatives has spoken clearly to the world and to the United Nations Security Council: the gathering threat of Iraq must be confronted fully and finally. Today's vote also sends a clear message to the Iraqi regime: it must disarm and comply with all existing U.N. resolutions, or it will be forced to comply."
New Hampshire's senators said before the vote that they planned to vote in favor of the resolution.
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) spoke in favor of the Senate version of the resolution this week and said he hopes the vote is overwhelming and strongly bipartisan to ensure a better position for the president with the United Nations and to send a clear signal to Hussein.
"The president is absolutely right to pursue an aggressive policy to disarm him, and to do that he needs the support of the Congress and the American people," said Gregg.
The Senate passed the resolution 77-23 shortly after 1 a.m. on Friday. Both Sens. Bob Smith (R-N.H.) and Gregg voted in favor of the resolution.
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
