Quote:
Originally Posted by Evenstar
I really don't understand voting against a senator or a representative just because they didn't vote the way you wanted them to on one little bill. That seems like an extremely narrow focus to have. In the big scheme of things, a lake speed limit (while it is very important to many of us on this forum) is a very minor issue.
I had to be in Concord on Monday for a doctor appointment, so I stopped in at the State House to visit some of the people that I had worked with last year. The senator who I worked for as an intern gave me a big hug and invited me to lunch. He told me that the speedlimit bill and a bill protecting animals that race (greyhounds and horses) generated the most email for him (I used to handle much of his email). He said that those bills were not even major issues, compared with many other bills, yet those were among the most contentious.
When HB165 was defeated, Senator John Gallus was one of the Republican Senators who defeated it - yet I never held that against him in any way and I still voted for him in the following election. And then I testified in opposition to one of his bills - and we laughed about it later when he blamed me for defeating his bill. This is not supposed to be personal. You stand up for your beliefs - and the other side presents their arguments - then our legislators decide. And then you accept their decision and get on with your life (at least until until the next important issue comes up). That's how democracy works.
I've worked for a NH Senator (actually I worked for a couple of them), so I know how hard they work and how much time many of them devote to doing what is an extremely difficult and often very frustrating job.
Bear Islander is right: If your Senator and Representatives are honest and are trying to do what is right for the people of NH, you should be very thankful for their service - even when you disagree with the way they voted on one little bill.
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Many people vote solely on the basis of party affiliation, some based on personal rights or gun issues solely, this isn't new stuff here.
WINNFABS thought it was important to show the voting records of those in State office. Someone even commented about them being instrumental in getting some out of office? Whatever. I note that WINNFABS didn't bother to update their site for the Senate vote, much less the Governor waiting for the bill itself. Perhaps they are off to other exciting things.
I might add the following to your comment about
"He said that those bills were not even major issues, compared with many other bills, yet those were among the most contentious. ".
If these bills were the most contentious, and generated a lot of correspondence and calls, he should therefore deduce that they ARE important, at least to his constituents. Perhaps he should get out more often, and maybe find out why this issue IS important. The fact that people went out of their way to express their concerns should have been a hint. This is a mistake that our leaders in Washington make every day. Far too often, politicians think that legislation that involves people's rights are not important issues, so they treat these issues in a vacuum.
In the grand scheme of things, yes, this is an important issue to the people on this forum, and boaters everywhere. Far too often, bad idea spread like fungus. Safety issues in particular, are far too often addressed by people that know squat about the problems and issues themselves. They are easy targets for those that set up elaborate campaigns for whatever benefit. If these groups as a whole had their way, every boater would be wearing an expensive inflatable PFD, a helmet, knee pads, and have a governor on the engine set to golf cart speed.
Politically, it's pretty easy, generally speaking, to guess correctly which party does this more often than not. There are three main groups in these issues.
1) A group that thinks legislation is the only way to protect people from their own stupidity and other's stupidity. They rarely follow up on the results, the primary focus is on legislation, not results.
2) A group that thinks it's every man/woman for themself. Any restriction of rights is bad.
3) A group that thinks moderation and caution should be used, extreme care, when tampering with rights issues.
I form opinions by issue, not party affiliation. I tend to research all issues before forming an opinion, and look for common sense and pragmatism when doing so. I value the opinions of people directly impacted by issues, since they are on in the line of fire. I discount opinions and research offered up by fringe groups, trade groups, or special attack groups setup for lobbying of specific issues.
I have read all of the posts I could here and elsewhere on this subject, waded through reports and articles from around the country, and solicited opinions from fellow boaters I meet. This is how I formed my opinion on the speed limit issue, and led me to the unanimous conclusion that the primary causes of boating accidents are,
1) Drunks
2) Irresponsible, careless and negligent boaters.
3) Inexperienced, unknowledgable boaters that get themselves into trouble unwittingly
4) Accidents happen in any activity.
While boater education has picked up markedly the last decade, (Hat's off to Boat US and power squadrons, to name but two fine organizations), enforcement has either broken even or declined. Enforcement of existing laws, more and more attention to boater education and training, and safe boater's involvement in the process are the proper course to take to solve the problems.
We have drunks running boats up on islands, PWC's buzzing around like bugs, people drowning, hitting docks, and occasionally, hitting other craft. We also have a lack of funding for enforcing the boating laws already on the books for a variety of reasons. Budget crunches abound, energy costs are sky high, and HSA has a much higher priority than the relatively low number of boating accidents each year. No, yelling for help with bogus stats does not help the issue.
In the meantime, the only thing that will help is concerned boaters have to chip in. Call in their hull numbers for the crazies out there (there aren't that many really, an easy thing to do). There are a couple of boaters here in prison for accidents the last dozen or so years. But you have to catch them first.