Opinion: Increase base adequacy to lower property taxes, create new opportunities for students

By JONAH ORION WHEELER

State representative Jonah Orion Wheeler lives in Peterborough. Even before the November decision in ConVal School District v. State of New Hampshire, I filed House Bill 1583 seeking to codify the base adequacy increase that the ConVal plaintiffs...

Letter: 2024 presidential candidate

Oh for a presidential candidate with the intelligence of Jefferson and Garfield, the leadership of Washington and Lincoln, the courage of Roosevelt (TR) and Bush (#41) and the charisma of Kennedy and Reagan.But in today’s political and social media...

Letter: Vivek changes tactics

Many media pundits claimed Vivek Ramaswamy was giving up because he had decreased the number of TV ads. In fact, like a wise leader, he reevaluated which programs were most effective and which were less effective. Analysis showed that face-to-face...

Letter: The Civil War and Donald Trump

There has been so much stupidity emanating from the mouth of Donald Trump since 2016, it is difficult to keep up. His latest comment on the Civil War, though, warrants a comment. Mr. Trump feels the Civil War could have been prevented by negotiation,...

Letter: Truth ought to matter

The following quote by Robin Winks is from the introduction to his book entitled, “The Historian as Detective: Essays on Evidence,” “Someone ought to be interested in finding out the truth about things, for the truth ought to matter.” Like History...

Letter: Vote no incumbents in federal elections

Voters need to evaluate and elect fit candidates to federal offices. We must perform our due diligence. Ask the following. Have they held elective office at the state or federal levels? What did they do before? Have they served in the military? What...

Opinion: NH patients, and families, deserve better

By JOHN M. RODGERS

John Rodgers lives in Sunapee. My mother passed away a year ago at a for-profit hospital in southeastern New Hampshire. A doctor called just after 10 p.m. to tell me a nurse had found her, it was likely a cardiac arrest, they would be moving her body....

Letter: Climate concerns

It’s wonderful to see increasing coverage of climate concerns in the Monitor! A recent example among numerous commentaries and letters, is Jamie Henn’s piece, “Who pays for climate disasters,” (12/27/23). Beyond the costs of the disasters, Henn points...

Letter: End cruel coyote hounding

On Jan. 9, a bill will be heard in the NH Senate to prohibit the cruel practice of hounding coyotes. Unlike other hounded animals, coyotes cannot climb a tree to escape. Their only recourse, once exhausted, is to turn and fight. Being outnumbered the...

Letter: A different view

For all Israel’s efforts at peace, why do Palestinians keep attacking them? A different view: In 1947 Britain was ending its control of Palestine. According to the UN Charter, Palestinians should have been allowed to form their own state. Instead,...

Letter: Life as a transgender person

Some in America are targeting transgender people. This news site and others regularly share such stories. Protests at drag queen recitals. Bills proposed to curtail healthcare for trans children. Prohibitions on transgender girls playing sports as...

Letter: Do you have any other subject to talk about?

I’m wondering if in the current environment if you have any other subject you are educated on. It appears you suffer from Trumpism and wonder if you can talk about inflation or violence in America, or even locally. I can see why the paper is super...

Letter: A 365 day open season on squirrels would be unique

If Senate Bill 548 passes on Tuesday it will remove gray squirrels from the definition of “game animals” allowing anyone, anytime, for any reason, to shoot them. The current hunting season for gray squirrels is Sept. 1 through Jan. 31 (5 months) and...

Opinion: You aren’t fooling us

By LYNN CURRIER STANLEY

Lynn Currier Stanley, LICSW, of Penacook, is executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, NH Chapter. This legislative session we are again inundated with legislation targeting transgender youth and their families. But we aren’t...

Opinion: Violence and dehumanization: The MAGA calling cards

By JONATHAN P. BAIRD

Jonathan P. Baird lives in Wilmot. In understanding what makes Donald Trump and his MAGA movement unique, I would argue it is both their incitement to violence and their dehumanization of opponents. That rhetoric echoes fascist tradition that sees...

Opinion: From an agrarian tool to a Clint Eastwood western

By JEAN STIMMELL

Jean Stimmell, retired stone mason and psychotherapist, lives in Northwood and blogs at jeanstimmell.blogspot.com. Here’s a little-known historical fact: Northwood had turkey shoots in the hardscrabble 1950s before the flatlanders flocked here, when...

Opinion: PBMs vs. patients: Congress can help decide the winner

By RICH PEZZILLO

Rich Pezzillo is the executive director of the New England Hemophilia Association. The rising cost of medications is becoming a burden for Granite Staters who are paying more out-of-pocket than ever before. If real policy reform is not passed in...

Opinion: The necessity of context

By JOHN BUTTRICK

John Buttrick writes from his Vermont Rocker in his Concord home, Minds Crossing. He can be reached at johndbuttrick@gmail.com The congressional hearing concerning antisemitism became a controversy when college presidents being interviewed stumbled...

Opinion: Stuck in the middle with New Hampshire politics

By RICHARD GULLA

Richard Gulla of Hillsboro is president of the State Employees’ Association. Standing amidst the Hall of Flags, Gov. Sununu to the left of me, and New Hampshire Senate Minority Leader Donna Soucy to the right of me, I wonder, what am I doing here? I...

Opinion: Safe health care for women, not politics

By OGE YOUNG

Oge Young, MD lives in Concord. Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony regarding four reproductive rights bills. One of those bills, CACR 24, would amend the NH Constitution (if passed by the Legislature and ratified by voters in...