The ultimate exercise in Washington spin is the naming of a bill. I imagine it starts with five or six junior staffers sitting in leadership offices pouring over polling and contemplating how to sell 755 pages and hundreds of billions in new spending to Americans who are getting crushed by historic inflation and soaring costs at every turn. It needs to be simple, one says, so a child can understand it. Around the room, bobble heads start nodding in agreement. Polls say inflation is top of mind. This bill may do nothing about inflation, but at least it could sound like it does, another one blurts out.
And so, they arrive on the ironically named Inflation Reduction Act, which contains $740 billion in new taxes and alleged savings within days of entering a recession, and months from the pending heating oil crisis that will hit New Hampshire families with thousands in additional costs. With the House set to vote on this misnamed bill later this week, Congresswoman Ann Kuster is, not surprisingly, promising to vote for it and extend her 100% voting record with the Biden Administration. Kuster clearly does not have the best interests of her constituents in mind, but she continues to perform her duties as an extra in Joe Biden’s political theater well. New Hampshire voters need to put a wrap on that performance in November. That’s why I’ll proudly be voting for Keene Mayor George Hansel for Congress.
Raymond Pinard
Concord