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Not for the first time reading a foreign policy news piece in the Monitor from the Washington Post, I was reminded of the Cold War era joke about the Soviet journalist visiting the US to study propaganda. When learning the purpose of his visit, an American asked, “What propaganda?” and the Soviet replied, “Exactly!”

Over and over we hear about the contentious use of public bathrooms. Here’s a suggestion, one that always makes me smile. For several years the bathroom doors at Bagelworks Concord have great signs on them which read “Whatever, just wash your hands.”

On Monday, Feb. 24, 63 countries voted ‘yes’ on the United Nations resolution condemning Russian aggression and demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces on the war’s third anniversary. China abstained. Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Hungary, Israel and the United States voted ‘no.’ Is there a new Axis of Evil?

Representatives Vose and Hill provide an eloquent argument to deny our children an adequate education in their Feb. 27 My Turn titled “Legislature has the power to loosen the purse strings.” They argue that the state Supreme Court has overstepped its authority to mandate more state funding for education since the “voter reigns supreme” by “using the ballot box to tell candidates for governor, the executive council and the legislature what they want and don’t want.” I can therefore assume that they will strongly advocate for the abolition of gerrymandering in our state, since that will more accurately reflect the will of the voter.

My name is Laura A. Gerard, and I am running for the Gilmanton School Board because I care deeply about the future of our schools and the success of our students. As a parent of two school-aged children, I understand firsthand the importance of strong, effective educational policies that prepare our children for their futures. Our wonderful school is not only an asset to our community but also the primary reason my family chose to move to Gilmanton.

How can the only member of the Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee with the knowledge and background to make sound decisions on the bills before it be summarily removed for “not supporting the party?” Is this what we elect representatives to do: support a political party even if it’s deleterious to the public it’s supposed to serve? Speaker Sherman’s action shows a level of ignorance and disregard for the public good that goes beyond rational understanding. Why are Speaker Sherman and members of the Republican delegation blatantly crushing informed, educated and honest discourse on pieces of legislation for partisan ideology to the detriment of the health and well-being of every New Hampshire resident? Every constituent should ask their representative this question.

On Nov. 6th, 2024, New Hampshire Democrats found out they had officially lost the House, Senate, Executive Council, the governor’s office and the presidency. This was a sad day for Democrats. We knocked on doors, made calls and reminded our family and friends, but we failed. During this election season, local Democratic organizations were not getting the proper resources and funding to connect with voters, and voters were not getting engaged because they simply did not know how or who to go to.

Some family, friends and neighbors — transgender individuals — face abhorrent vitriol. A core value of the American promise is the protection of everyone’s rights, including the outnumbered, but once again, the legislature seeks to restrict trans rights.

As a Concord business owner who knows the important role housing plays in building and maintaining a strong workforce, I strongly encourage the Concord Zoning Board to reconsider its denial of a necessary variance to build 200 units of housing known as Monitor Way. Concord’s business community is acutely aware of the struggles inflicted upon current and prospective employees by New Hampshire’s ongoing housing crisis. Our workers are struggling to find clean, affordable and attractive housing in the immediate and surrounding areas. The impacts of the housing crisis extend far beyond the businesses already in our community. It discourages large companies from considering Concord for their newest location. The successful development at Merchants Way is proof that the area is ready for growth, but it is only a piece of the Whitney Road/Exit 17 puzzle. Monitor Way proposes 100 affordable housing units to be built and operated by CATCH Neighborhood Housing, which has empowered many of our neighbors and coworkers with the housing they need to thrive. It also offers 94 townhomes for sale, which could help free up existing rentals by offering those who can an opportunity to buy. Monitor Way is right for Concord and good for our economy. Please, do your part to make it happen.

Dear Gov. Ayotte: As you well know, it has always been the task of New Hampshire State Police and local law enforcement to arrest people committing crimes. It is disingenuous of you to infer otherwise. You also know that ICE regards immigrants without proper papers as criminals. I hope you have budgeted for counseling for the state and local officers who will potentially be asked to take neighbors, parents and families into custody for ICE. Even ICE employs chaplains to counsel officers affected by what their jobs demand that they do. Our state and local officers who “partner” with ICE will potentially be asked to arrest their neighbors, fellow church members, chefs and kitchen staff at local restaurants, construction workers, summer camp and resort staff and students in ESL classes knowing they could be “detained” anywhere from local jails to Guantanamo without access to legal representation. These “round-ups” of immigrants will now be brought home to us all. If empathy and Christian charity have not been enough, perhaps now we will wake up to how much these immigrants contribute to our state and local economies and to our communities in general.

I urge my fellow New Hampshire citizens and in particular members of the Senate’s Education Committee to oppose SB 211. I don’t see how or why the state has any compelling interest in regulating who can participate in student athletics, on what teams, under what conditions. Regulating participation should be the job of the athletic organizations, coaches, league officials and other experts who oversee individual sports. SB 211 represents a gross legislative overreach and I urge the senate in the strongest terms to oppose it.

I just listened to five hours of testimony on HB377 hearing trans kids, their parents, doctors, social workers, lawyers, therapists, hospital reps, state reps and excellent questions from the committee. More spoke for the bill than against it. Many expressed how they feel the transgender population is being bullied and has become a political target. Some pediatric endocrinologists are leaving our state! I feel our kids are being abandoned. I’m a mother, grandmother, teacher and nurse, and I believe government has no place in health care decisions between a child, their parents and their medical team. Each side had a lot of statistics, research and supportive organizations on their side, but what matters to me is keeping the government out of decisions about children’s medical issues! Children in New Hampshire need to be free to decide with their parents and all their health team professionals.

Divisiveness is our greatest risk. It’s trendy today to build walls on foundations of false dichotomies and misleading information. What kind of democracy has members who too often vilify those who vote differently? A failing democracy. Is our democracy worth saving? If not, what should replace it? Who should benefit?Unity could salvage US democracy. Unity does not mean we have to like each other. It would entail listening, respecting, and perhaps understanding. It’s impossible to find commonalities if we do not listen, understand, and show respect. US democracy would be more apt to succeed if people were to judge others by levels of integrity, not by superficial criteria e.g., race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or political party. Efforts at influencing tend to be more successful if opposing views are shared calmly. Hearing “the other” with an open mind can be thought-provoking and insightful.

As a resident living just around the corner from the proposed Monitor Way project, I was disappointed to learn that the project was denied the variance needed to move forward even after being scaled back to focus solely on much-needed affordable housing. The argument that this space must remain “industrial” in case we might need it someday is laughable, especially considering Lincoln Financial and The Concord Group just sold their plots for redevelopment. Affordable housing is essential for Concord’s growth. Without it, businesses and restaurants will struggle to attract workers who can afford to live here. The proposed 200 housing units would have been an ideal option for employees at Merchants Way and others in our community. As that area continues to develop, prioritizing affordable housing should be a priority. I urge the Concord ZBA to reconsider its decision and grant the necessary variance for this project to move forward. Keeping the site industrial is a missed opportunity, especially in a state grappling with a severe housing shortage. This project would not only support Concord’s growth but also help ease the tax burden on homeowners by attracting new businesses. I hope we don’t let this chance slip away.

Is this what you expected, Gov. Kelly Ayotte, when you courted President Trump’s support for your campaign, then turned and supported him? The tariffs he is imposing on Mexico and Canada are going to affect the lumber industry. Canadians are bypassing New Hampshire ski resorts in protest and booing our national anthem at hockey games. He’s cutting services to the vulnerable and proposing major cuts in education funding. Our state has been welcoming to LGBTQ+, but now he’s going to cut federal funding if we don’t comply with his erasure of certain programs and policies. If you sign into law expanded voucher programs, it’s the children who will suffer. Don’t you care about them? Actually, what do you care about, governor? It’s becoming clear that your vision of our state as ”the New Hampshire advantage” isn’t doing us much good at all.

That sucking sound you will soon hear is the sound of money being sucked out of your wallets to pay increased property taxes because wealthy people no longer pay interest and dividend taxes. The repeal of the I&D tax disproportionately benefits wealthy households and hurts the rest of us.

At the upcoming Bow town meeting, voters have the chance to preserve open space. The Bow Conservation Commission will seek approval, through a town warrant article, for optional powers that are available under New Hampshire law. This would allow the Commission to provide funding to a qualified land trust for purchasing properties or conservation easements in Bow. This would give Bow landowners another option to receive funds for conserving their land.

The real crisis isn’t the rising cost of eggs, it’s the horrific reality that billions of chickens spend their short, miserable lives crammed into factory farms, which serve as breeding grounds for disease. They are subjected to extreme crowding, confinement, abuse and ultimately brutal slaughter.

House Bill 524 is an outright assault on public health and small medical practices, and it should outrage every New Hampshire resident. This reckless bill seeks to dismantle the New Hampshire Vaccine Association, a system that ensures vaccines are accessible, affordable and efficiently distributed. Why? To appease a small group of anti-vaccine extremists at the expense of children’s health and small businesses.

To my neighbors in Wilmot, I am running for re-election to the Wilmot Selectboard. Wilmot is my home by choice. I’ve gotten to know Wilmot, and you, by being there. When I agreed to run for the Selectboard in 2022, Chuck Thompson sat me down to ask my intentions. I told Chuck then the same things I would say now: to preserve all that is good in Wilmot, while watching out for the challenges of the future, and to make sure that Wilmot moves carefully and sensibly towards that future.