Anti-worker bills must be rejected

It was encouraging to read House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt's recent statement that the New Hampshire GOP House caucus plans focus on job creation and the economy in the 2012 legislative session. The question is: Will they follow through?

Currently the New Hampshire House has a long list of anti-public worker legislation filed. The goal is to weaken New Hampshire public worker rights and local influence. What is really troubling is that a national special interest group called ALEC (the American Leadership Exchange Council) has been giving our GOP legislators trips to its seminars where they are encouraged and coached on how to write and pursue anti-union legislation. Unknown to many of us here in New Hampshire, ALEC is made up of, and sponsored by, wealthy ultra-conservatives and large corporations like Corrections Corp. of American. ALEC also has a strong presence at the State House. This outside group is not acting in the best interest of the citizens of New Hampshire.

Bettencourt and the Republican caucus must follow through with their newly stated goals and distance themselves from this group. They need to focus on what is best here at home in New Hampshire and vote down the anti-worker legislation.

RANDY HUNNEYMAN

Salisbury