Reaching Higher NH has no track record for improving public schools in New Hampshire. Yet they try to remain relevant. Here is an email I recently sent to one of their team members on Social and Emotional Learning in the public schools.

I hope those in charge of policies and legislation will understand that their research leaves out important and critical information:

Dear Ms. Earle: s.earle@reachinghigher.nh.org

After reading your article posted on November 3rd, 2022 on Social and Emotional Learning in New Hampshire, one paragraph jumped out at me, and I wanted to bring it to your attention.    You wrote:   

Attitudes occasionally present obstacles to SEL as well. Though the practice has been widely embraced in New Hampshire and across the country, some conservative groups have recently attempted to connect SEL with controversial topics such as critical race theory.

To prevent the spread of such misinformation, local educators say they’re communicating regularly with the community about SEL practices and progress. 

  You linked an article posted on NPR but left out a great deal of information that contradicts what you reported. NPR did reference CASEL in their article, but also failed to report information directly from CASEL that has caused concern among many parents. For instance, Max Eden, Research Fellow at AEI, describes the transformation of SEL here: EXCERPT:

…. In 2020, CASEL fundamentally changed the ideological character of SEL in 2020. Before 2020, SEL was a broadly bipartisan enterprise. In 2018, the DeVos Department of Education touted it in their school safety report. In 2019, the Aspen Institute released a report on the promise of SEL based on the findings of a bipartisan commission. Why, then, did The Washington Post run an article last month titled: “In Social Emotional Learning, the Right sees Critical Race Theory?” Well, because in 2020, CASEL infused SEL with CRT-aligned ideology. SEL 1.0, as we could call it, focused on morally neutral student “competencies,” such as “self-awareness” and “selfmanagement.” Back in 2019, it struck me as an unsustainable enterprise: a morality-free attempt at moral education. In 2020, those neutral competencies became value-laden – with values derived from the left-academic ideology popularly known as CRT. CASEL embraced this ideological shift under the name of “Transformative SEL.”

In “Transformative SEL,” “self-awareness” encompasses “identity,” with “identity” defined now through the lens of “intersectionality.” “Self-management” encompasses “agency,” with “agency” defined through “resistance” and “transformative/justice-oriented” citizenship. “Transformative SEL” also embraces “culturally relevant/responsive” pedagogy. This approach was pioneered by Gloria Ladson-Billings, the professor who brought Critical Race Theory to K-12 education.

This information is not hard to find. CASEL revised their SEL definition to “emphasize the skills, knowledge and mindsets needed to examine prejudices and biases, evaluate social norms and systemic inequities, and promote community well-being.” Watch CASEL’s video here. 

The Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety-WestEd CISELSS has described equity as something that “introduces the notion of where power resides in leadership and decision-making,” and is now the top goal of SEL programs. CASEL believes that by expanding and aligning the use of both SEL and culturally responsive teaching, equity can be achieved.

They are now pushing to teach K-12 students about critical consciousness and oppression because it is crucial to a child’s social and emotional development.

CRT is a framework, or “lens,” for critically thinking about the significant culture, race, racism, social, economic, and power that influences people in the United States. It requires what critical race theorists and advocates refer to as courageous conversations about diversity as a way to guide teacher/student relationships in order to challenge racial injustice. (Simmons, 2019, para. 3)

The goal is to have children developing critical social-emotional learning competencies such as empathy, social consciousness, and apply critical thinking skills to the environment around them. The end goal is to have children question and analyze everything in their lives such as history, issues at school and outside of school—even at home. Once a child develops these abilities (academic and social-emotional) they will always view their world and make decisions through the lens of critical race theory.

I listened to the conversations by legislators many years ago when they were debating proposed legislation that added Competency Based Education to the public education model. At that time there was bi-partisan support for only measuring workforce skills like turning homework in on time. They wanted to make sure competencies would focus on skills that would help them succeed after graduation. The legislators agreed that they did not want competencies measuring dispositions, yet that is what we are now seeing with SEL. 

I hope in the future, you will take additional time researching these important changes to our public schools. Not only are conservative parents concerned about the shift away from a focus on academics, but parents of different political backgrounds are concerned too. 

As a parental rights advocate in New Hampshire, I hear from frustrated parents all across this state wanting our schools to get back to the basics. They see the transformation in their public schools, and have become concerned that their children will not receive the proper academic foundation they need to succeed. 

You can look at the public school enrollment numbers decreasing, and figure out what is going on. 

Parents are wise to look closely at what their schools are doing. Questioning SEL based on what CASEL has put forward shouldn’t be disparaged, it should be applauded. We need to support parents who are trying to make their public schools better for all children. 

I hope that administrators in New Hampshire see the problem with bringing in SEL using the new CASEL model. They should show parents the information on the CASEL SEL transformation and be completely transparent about what they are doing in their classroom.

Early on CASEL showed us that SEL in the classroom would shift public education away from a focus on academics because children now have access to the internet. I consider that a paradigm shift to illiteracy, and something I would never want for my children. 

No matter what SEL program is used, parents are questioning the validity of SEL in their public school. How will this impact the academics? Based on the video provided by CASEL directors, parents are rightfully concerned. If this continues, I predict more families leaving the public schools and looking for an alternative for their children.  That is not supportive of public education, that supports illiteracy in our schools. 

Sincerely, 

Ann Marie Banfield 

Parental Rights Advocate focused on Academic Excellence

 

The post Reaching Higher NH and a Lesson on CRT in Social and Emotional Learning appeared first on Granite Grok.

Every day we are seeing the “woke” left trying to promote their agenda, including sexualization and gender confusion of our adolescent children. One of their tactics is to simply ignore existing policies or laws around transparency as to why they are doing certain things.

A current and very active example of this is promoting drag queen story hours for children at public libraries. For children. Adult, sexualized entertainment for children. Incessant normalization of the LGBTQ+ community, use of alternate “pronouns,” and allowing “furries” in classrooms are a few more examples.

Recently, yet another example happened in Hollis at the Hollis Social Library (HSL). This instance is not a drag queen story hour (yet) but is an instance where the public library violated both its own policies and New Hampshire law. And they blatantly tried to cover it up when they were called out on it.

In August of 2022, the HSL advertised a summer computer coding class open only to girls and non-binary people that was to be run in partnership with the Hollis-Brookline High School (HBHS). Biological boys were not invited to participate in the offering. They didn’t mention the HBHS participation in their advertising of the class and attempted to hide that in a response to a Right To Know (RTK) request that I submitted. They also tried to hide the name of another Hollis resident who had voiced concern over the class. Why you may ask, are they trying to cover it up? Because they know it was wrong and intended to advance the woke left agenda.

Impossible, you may think. This stuff is not happening in our public institutions. But it is. I will describe it in detail below. And for those interested here is a DropBox link containing my RTK request, the HSL’s response, and the un-redacted email from another concerned citizen. You can read it for yourself. All of the quotes provided below can be found in those documents.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1fi0f3885ywrt25/AABs7lkHdZ9j1IwEyi6mEC4Fa?dl=0

Why is this a problem, other than just the immorality of the agenda? Specifically, the HSL’s own policy states that “All programs at the Library are open to the public and normally offered free of charge.“ And NH RSA 354-A:1 states “This chapter shall be known as the “Law Against Discrimination.” It shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the state for the protection of the public welfare, health, and peace of the people of this state and in fulfillment of the provisions of the constitution of this state concerning civil rights. The general court hereby finds and declares that practices of discrimination against any of its inhabitants because of age, sex, gender identity, race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, or national origin are a matter of state concern, that such discrimination not only threatens the rights and proper privileges of its inhabitants but menaces the institutions and foundation of a free democratic state and threatens the peace, order, health, safety and general welfare of the state and its inhabitants.”

The Kode With Klossy website, which was the curriculum chosen by HSL and HBHS, specifically states on its website: “Camps are available to girls, gender nonconforming & trans students ages 13-18 who feel comfortable learning in a female-identifying environment.” The intent is kind of hard to miss…

https://www.kodewithklossy.com/apply

This situation was brought to the attention of Tanya Griffith, HSL Director, and Amy Kellner, HSL Board of Trustees (BoT) Chair, and a response to why and how this occurred were requested. As expected, I got the run-around.

According to Ms. Griffith, the topic was to have been discussed at the September 2022 BoT meeting, but the email I sent on 30 August 2002 requesting that action “never made it to the BoT inbox,” according to Ms. Kellner. Well, it was delivered to all but two of the BoT members whose email addresses in the group address list supplied to me by Ms. Griffith bounced. All the others showed as delivered, including Ms. Kellner.

After inquiring as to the outcome of the September BoT discussion and being told it was not discussed, Ms. Kellner informed me that the topic was to be taken up in the October 2022 BoT meeting. And it was. There were five concerned citizens, including myself, who testified at that meeting. The BoT chose to discuss the topic in a non-public session. I wonder why that would be needed.

Despite numerous requests to explain, per NH RSA 91-A:3, why the discussion was non-public, no lawful reply was received from Ms. Kellner. Paragraph 91-A:3 II (c) was cited as the reason for a non-public session. It states: “Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of the public body itself, unless such person requests an open meeting.” That is an admission that one or more people acted inappropriately.

Further, Ms. Kellner repeatedly stated that everything discussed in the non-public session was attorney-client privileged information but failed to comply with RSA 91:A-4 IV (c) which states: “A public body or agency denying, in whole or part, inspection or copying of any record shall provide a written statement of the specific exemption authorizing the withholding of the record and a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the record withheld.” Merely parroting back the attorney-client privilege exception cited as she repeatedly did satisfies only the first part of that requirement. Also, I struggle to see how the HBHS is a “person” whose reputation could be adversely affected and therefore meet the attorney-client privileged exception. but the identity of the school was redacted from the reply to my RTK request.

A Right to Know (RTK) request under NH RSA 91:A-4 IV (b) was submitted to the HSL seeking clarification on six topics related to the offered class. That request in its entirety is included in the Dropbox link above.

It requires that the response be provided within five business days. The RTK request was delivered by Certified Mail on 21 October 2022 at 9:01 a.m. making a response due by 28 October 2022. Ms. Kellner replied to me after having received it that: “Your Right to Know request requires the Library Director, myself, and the other Trustees to sort through an enormous amount of information. In addition, the information must be thoroughly reviewed to ensure that any names are redacted so as not to violate the requirements of RSA 91-A:3II(c). This process will take time and, therefore, the information, excluding item 6, will be available on November 7, 2022.”

Extending the delivery by five days time requires a written statement of the time reasonably required as a justification for the delay, which Ms. Kellner provided. But it turned out to not be true. The response was delivered on 01 November 2022 at 8:39 a.m. Evidently, the time required to prepare the response was not well thought out.

There are several problems contained in the response provided by the HSL and some clear evidence that HSL staff knew about them and were attempting to hide what had happened. Here are some examples extracted from the RTK response and some detective work that I did.

In one of the email threads included in the RTK response, Ms. Kellner stated that the HSL BoT had just completed a policy review process: “I think this policy review process was an excellent way to establish a good working relationship with (redacted) which will be extremely useful going forward.” My guess is that the redacted item is HBHS, but that is just my guess. If a policy review had just been conducted one would think that they were fluent in their policies. Why were they not complying with their own policy in this instance?

In that same thread, Ms. Kellner states: “One of the complainants (that would be me) requested a response from the Trustees and Tanya will make it clear that the Trustees will provide a written response to their next meeting on 9/12. This is an excellent learning opportunity and an indication that the library will be under increased scrutiny going forward.” That written response never happened because the issue was not discussed at the meeting as promised. And why would the HSL Staff need to “learn” to withstand increased scrutiny? What are they hiding?

In another email thread between Ms. Kellner and Ms. Griffith, it was stated by Ms. Griffith that: “We did have an upset email from a man who claimed he wanted his visiting grandson to join the event and didn’t know what the word non-binary meant. I sent him a response, and then he sent me a reply sharing his thoughts. I am not going to respond at this point because I don’t want to encourage dialog.” And: ”I’m thinking that as he has had his say, he will disappear, but I just want to keep you in the loop.”

Ms. Kellner’s response was: “Ugh – I fear this is only the beginning. (Redacted, but it was me) posted about this on the coffee talk Facebook page. I think you handled it perfectly, and if you cancel the program, I’d personally like it made clear that it was canceled b/c of low enrollment, but it’s your call.”

Maybe enrollment would not have been so low if it was open to all citizens in compliance with HSL policy and NH law. Why did the HSL and the HBHS choose the Kode With Klossy curriculum, which openly states that it is for girls, non-binary and transgender people? Why not use something like this that is open to all individuals?

https://www.kids4coding.com/

It is curious that an email from a redacted individual who was talking excitedly about the class stated: ”…and (I) already know a small group of girls who want to participate.” This person is clearly a student at HBHS. Read the email. But the class was canceled due to low enrollment. Right.

How do I know about the redacted HBHS partnership? Remember the other citizen who sent a complaint email that I mentioned earlier? His name was redacted but I figured out who it is. He is Dave Parry and I use his name and un-redacted email (in the DropBox folder, his email address is redacted by me) with his permission. In his un-redacted email thread, Ms. Griffith states: “We’ve partnered with some Hollis Brookline High School students for this upcoming program.” So much for sweeping it under the rug.

Move along. Nothing to see here.

I have no issue with gender-fluid or transgender people. As an adult do what you want. But leave the kids out of it. This must stop. Let our kids be kids. The woke left is insidious and relentless in pushing the agenda of the LBGTQ+ community through their policies at even the lowest levels of government like the town library. It is even happening in our elementary schools.

Interestingly, Ms. Kellner also sits on the Hollis School board as the Chairman. In her recent campaign page on FaceBook (also in the DropBox link above) she states: “In the coming years, I will continue to support our teachers and administrators as we navigate the global pandemic, negotiate union contracts, and develop policies that support diversity, equity, and inclusion, while being fiscally responsible.” There it is – policies for our kids that support DEI – which includes the normalization of gender fluidity.

Public servants should not be jamming gender confusion and overt sexualization down the throats of our kids or ours. It is rampant, it is wrong, and it is getting worse.

Aaron Penkacik
Hollis, New Hampshire

The post Hollis Social Library Coverup – Not So Social After All appeared first on Granite Grok.

Hal Shurtleff and Camp Constitution won their day at the Supreme Court in May. The High Court voted 9-0 against the city of Boston, which is now on the hook for Shurtleff’s legal costs and fees totaling over two million dollars.

 

Boston has agreed to pay $2.1 million in legal fees and other expenses after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the city for refusing to allow a Christian flag to fly outside City Hall.

The settlement included an agreement to pay Harold Shurtleff and his Camp Constitution non-profit for legal costs incurred during the dispute

“We are pleased that after five years of litigation and a unanimous victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, we joined with Hal Shurtleff to finally let freedom fly in Boston, the Cradle of Liberty,” Liberty Counsel Chairman Mat Staver, whose organization represented Shurtleff, said in a statement.

“The Christian flag case has established significant precedent, including the overturning of the 1971 ‘Lemon Test,’ which Justice [Antonin] Scalia once described as a ‘ghoul in a late night horror movie.’ The case of Shurtleff v. City of Boston finally buried this ghoul that haunted the First Amendment for 51 years,” he added.

 

We know Hal, so we followed the case, including an interview with him here, after the 9-0 decision in his favor.

What About Boston?

The City allowed the flag to be flown after the verdict but has since announced a change to the policy regarding flags in front of City Hall. “CBS News Boston reported that the proposal would push for any group that wants to fly a flag on City Hall Plaza will “now need either a proclamation from the mayor or a resolution from the council.”

Translation:  If someone wants to fly a flag on the “special pole” in front of City Hall, they’ll need a Democrat to declare it a thing first. Guess what that means for any flag that is not Progressive-approved speech?

 

 

HT | Daily Wire

The post After Court Loss The City of Boston Agrees to Pay 2.1 Million in Legal Fees appeared first on Granite Grok.

So Never-Trumper Mikey Graham knows exactly …. EXACTLY … why the NHGOP did so miserably in the 2022 midterms.  And it’s a really surprising and novel take (VERY HEAVY SARCASM HERE) from a RINO Never-Trumper.

It’s all the fault of the … wait for it, wait for it, wait for it … the pro-lifers and … drum-roll please … DONALD TRUMP.

And the solution is simple. The NHGOP should give up on being Republicans and become pro-unrestricted-abortion, pro-BLM, pro-grooming, pro-woke-flavor-of-the-day, Democrats in virtually everything but name … just like His Wokeness, Sun-King Christopher Sununu:

Sununu’s example shows there are plenty of Granite Staters who will vote Republican. The job of the GOP is to give them Republicans they can vote for.

 

The post To Beat The Democrats … Just Be A Democrat appeared first on Granite Grok.

You’ve done your research, you’ve gone on test drives, and you think you’ve found the perfect used car. But then, a few days or weeks after you drive it off the lot, problems start to crop up. 

Maybe the engine starts making strange noises, or the brakes don’t work as well as they should. Is your car a lemon? And if so, are you protected by law?

The answer, unfortunately, is that it depends. In many states, there are laws known as “lemon laws” that protect consumers who buy new cars that turn out to be lemons, and you may need to hire a Los Angeles lemon law attorney.

Here’s what you need to know about used car lemon laws.

What is a Used Car Lemon Law?

A used car lemon law is a state law that offers protections for buyers of used cars. These laws vary from state to state, but they typically provide protections for buyers who purchase a used car that turns out to be a lemon. 

Under these laws, the seller may be required to take back the car or provide a refund in case they are not able to fix the car and bring it to the right condition.

Do All States Have Used Car Lemon Laws?

No, not all states have used car lemon laws. In fact, only a handful of states have these laws on the books. 

If you live in a state that doesn’t have a used car lemon law, you may still be protected under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. This act requires manufacturers to provide written warranties for products that cost more than $15, and a used car certainly falls under that. 

Which States Have Used Car Lemon Laws?

Some of the states with used car lemon laws include California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. 

It’s important to note that each state’s law is different, so it’s important to research the specific law in your state before taking any action.

What Are Your Options If You Think You Have a Lemon?

If you think you may have purchased a lemon, your first step should be to contact the dealership or private seller from whom you purchased the car and explain the problem. Many times, they will be willing to work with you to fix the problem at no cost. 

If the dealer or seller isn’t willing to help, your next step will depend on whether your car is covered by a warranty. 

If it is, you can contact the manufacturer and ask them to repair the problem under warranty. If they’re not able to do so or if they refuse, you may be entitled to a replacement vehicle or a refund under your state’s lemon law.

Conclusion

Used car lemon laws are designed to protect buyers of used cars who end up with lemons. Not all states have these laws on the books, but some do. 

If you live in a state with a used car lemon law and you think you’ve purchased a lemon, you may be entitled to a refund or replacement vehicle. 

Consult a Los Angeles lemon law attorney for more information!

 

The post What You Need to Know About Used Car Lemon Laws appeared first on Granite Grok.

As you all know, the midterms were not what many Granite State conservatives had hoped for. In the coming days, you will hear some in the New Hampshire GOP establishment lay these midterm setbacks at the feet of pro-lifers.

When you do, ask them this one simple question.

Every single poll, without exception, has shown that—when Granite Staters are actually asked to specify their position on abortion—the Democrats’ position of unlimited abortion-up-to-birth is highly unpopular.

While New Hampshire voters strongly reject both extremes on abortion, when they are asked specific questions by pollsters, they look favorably on moderate restrictions.

Given this indisputable fact, how can the GOP deny that the midterm losses were the result—not of our six-month law itself—but of Republicans’ near-total refusal to message and communicate on the law and on the Democrats’ extremism?

As the midterm defeats unfolded, the New Hampshire Journal moved quickly and relentlessly to frame the electoral losses as the fault of pro-lifers, citing numerous unspecified sources to that effect.

Yet the New Hampshire Journal’s very own polling, conducted with Praecones Analytica, showed that 62.2% of Granite Staters either support a six-month ban on abortion or favor a more restrictive abortion ban.

Of course, some establishment Republicans will present a straw man version of what Cornerstone is saying. They will claim we believe that the GOP should have pushed for more aggressive abortion laws.

But anyone who paid attention to anything that Cornerstone said during this election can tell you that this is not true.

The central problem is that, while New Hampshire voters reject both extremes on abortion, only one side focused on framing their opponents as extremists on the issue.

Republicans could have successfully sold themselves as moderates by attacking Democrats’ fanatical support for nine-month elective abortion. Instead, large Republican PACs and campaigns played ostrich, pretending that Democrats’ abortion ads did not exist and hoping that voters wouldn’t see them.

Cornerstone and other pro-lifers warned of this week’s outcome. We urged Republicans to adopt a moderate but proactive strategy supported by the data and our knowledge of the state’s abortion politics. But instead of listening to our advice, many Republicans followed a failed class of GOP consultants and “strategists.”

To those Republicans who are unconvinced of our analysis, consider a final question. Pro-lifers may have been the only conservative group in New Hampshire who continually cautioned that a red wave might not materialize. In contrast, so-called GOP strategists and out-of-state consultants assured you of the coming red wave until Tuesday night.

What are the chances that the very people who accurately warned you of the problem are now wrong in their analysis of what occurred, while those who entirely failed to anticipate the problem are suddenly correct?

“If you are explaining the abortion law, you are losing,” the consultants told New Hampshire Republicans. These consultants got their way. Many Granite Staters went to the polls believing that all or most abortion in New Hampshire is banned. Even more voted without knowing that the Democrats’ unanimous position is also unpopular and extreme.

In contrast, the Democrats’ consultants evidently gave their candidates, campaigns, and PACs much sounder advice: the side that is allowed to frame the issue will win. The side that silently acquiesces to that framing will lose.

The post When They Blame Pro-Lifers, Ask Them This One Question appeared first on Granite Grok.

The name of your committee is amusing.  We don’t need voter confidence, we need election integrity, then voter confidence would take care of itself.  The focus on “confidence” suggests that the powers that be want us to  believe elections to be  fair, though they do not actually want them to be so.

Before the 2020 election, I wrote in a  letter published in the Keene Sentinel, saying: “Both major parties cheat in elections. New Hampshire should spot-check the Democratic Party 2020 primary machine counts. ‘Democracy Lost: a Report on the Fatally Flawed 2016 Democratic Primaries’ is an informative read (free online) — please note the executive summary and the tables on pages 39-40.” I hope the members of the committee read at least those two parts. It is clear that Hillary Clinton cheated Bernie  Sanders in 10 to 12 primaries because of the size of disparities from exit polls.  In Iowa in 2020, we had the cheating app that changed the uploaded vote counts and cheated Bernie again, giving the win to Buttigieg. Almost 20 years ago, I saw, perhaps on CSPAN, testimony from a programmer who said he had worked for a former Congressman from Ohio who thought vote counting machines would be a great business.  The programmer said he programmed the machines to cheat and that the company name was Diebold.  New Hampshire machines have Diebold in their corporate history. Republicans tend to disenfranchise or block eligible voters, Democrats tend to create eligibility where there is none. Please also consider two recent articles, compared to the “nothing to see here” testimony we heard yesterday: I believe JustheNews.com to be unbiased: Bombshells Undercut the ‘BigLie:’ 21 confirmed illegalities. Irregularities from the 2020 election. This Granitegrok article discusses other election integrity issues as well: We’ve Got Another Case of Thumb Drives Flipping Votes in an Election. Too few states have made reform efforts. I would suggest the following reforms for NH: Facilitate ballot access to at least four parties.  It could be the top four in the latest Presidential election.  Alternatively, we could use a 1% rule to replace the current 4% rule.   According to Gallup, the plurality is independent 41% to 28% Republican and 29%, Democrat.  Look at the Democratic primary ballot – so few choices, Dr.Sherman and Kuster running unopposed.  The public wants recourse, not more control. Conduct exit polls and follow-up. Spot-check the machine counts, and recount maybe 5% of them.  Some checks should be random, with others having specific indicators like complaints or large disparities from last time, or disparities from the exit polls…  and some checks could be by subjective judgment of current election peculiarities. What’s with Congress’s reelection rate as compared to its approval rate?  Maybe reducing the advantages of incumbency would help. In New Hampshire we take defacing or removing election signs seriously. We let election mischief by the entrenched and elite slide.  We need to see justice as well as reform. “Voter Confidence” is a propaganda term, like “Vaccine Hesitancy,” each meant to bridge the gap between dishonesty and acceptance.  Consider also “The Big Lie” and “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated.” I am running for State Representative in Cheshire District 15.

The post To the Special Committee on Voter Confidence: appeared first on Granite Grok.

House flipping sounds simple; you pick a house off the market, fix it up a bit, and then sell it for more than its original value. Well, as the saying goes, it’s a lot easier said than done. Flipping houses can take quite a while to complete as well as cost a lot of money.

Unless you simply plan on making a few small adjustments, house flipping isn’t something you can take lightly. It requires a lot of financial planning and strategizing to see any kind of results. Without a good plan behind you, you could lose a lot of money quickly. In this post, we’ll be helping newcomers plan out their house flipping adventure by going over the most important things to consider.

The Finances

As you’d obviously expect, you’re going to need to have your finances in order before even opening up the real estate market. Though, it’s definitely worth noting that the cost depends on how you go about it. On average, you can expect to spend around $1,500 to as much as $100,000. It’s also important to keep property taxes in mind. Property taxes are what either homeowners or entire corporations pay for the area they currently own. The rates differ for each area, so you’ll have to review your state’s tax rate for more information. However, despite being a mandatory payment, property taxes barely crack the top 10 important factors. Does that make them any less important? No, far from it. Property taxes can become problematic because they can quickly add up for homeowners and investors alike.

The Location

Because it is important to stay on top of your finances and you’re doing this for investment purposes, you want to reap as much of the reward as you possibly can. One of the best ways to ensure that is to choose a good location. Location is among the most important factors for homebuyers, so you’ll want to pick one that has everything they would want. However, it’s also important to understand that no location is perfect and each one will have their own flaws. As you search through your options, you need to do it with a homebuyer’s mindset. Check to see what amenities surround the neighborhood, like schools, shopping plazas, and even alternative methods of transportation. These are what ultimately appeal to potential homebuyers along with the property you’re hoping to flip.

The Various Properties

House flipping is incredibly unique as it’s one of the most diverse forms of real estate investment. With so many homes, apartment buildings, and residential properties to choose from, it can be difficult picking the best option. But before you do make your final decision, we cannot stress enough how important it is for you to choose something that’s within your budget. Flipping an apartment complex is one of the most expensive ways to go about this. You must make sure you have the numbers crunched to the tiniest detail. Aside from that, you’ll want to choose a property that requires a fair share of work. Buildings that are old or worn down are very cheap to afford.

The post What to Consider Before Taking Up House Flipping appeared first on Granite Grok.

I am a snoop for ultra-vires (i.e., beyond power) acts by the US Congress. As soon as The Legislature does something for which Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution did not give it a grant of power, my hackles get raised.

But now I have found one such deviation that does not bother me as an act of ultra vires, per se. Rather it is a shocker unto itself.  It has to do with federal involvement in the vote count.

Well, not federal, sensu stricto.   Rather, there is a self-proclaimed body — to be exact it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It is private, not governmental, yet it has allocated an important assignment to itself. Please be patient, I will describe it below, if God spares me.

The Collier Brothers

You may recall that my 2011 book “Prosecution for Treason” discussed the work done by Jim and Ken Collier, which is presented in their 1992 book “VoteScam.” I said:

“The Collier brothers revealed in the early 1990s that the reason the TV networks are able to announce the national vote as soon as the polls are closed is that they knew those figures even before the polls opened! Elections involving computers can be rigged. … The main surprise Jim and Ken found was that the announcement made by the media was based on a private group’s count of the vote. …”

Hello?  What?  How is this possible? Back in 1992, it was a consortium of the three major networks, plus CNN, and AP. They were called NES — News Election Service. (Think about it! The unmitigated cheek! The colossal gall!)

The Collier brothers noted, in VoteScam, that a meeting on November 26, 1985 was attended by: Katherine Graham of Washington Post, Lawrence Grossman of NBC, Roone Arledge of ABC, Robert Tisch of Loews, William Leonard of CBS, and Hamilton Jordan of CNN.

Not to mention, also, Lane Kirkland, president of AFL-CIO, the chairmen of both the Republican and Democrat national committees, Sen Wendell Ford, Rep Tony Coelho, and New Hampshire Governor John Sununu… [not the current governor, but his father, born 1939, whose other son, John E Sununu, born 1964, is with the WEF]. Quite a meeting of the minds.

I can hear the TV voice of Walter Cronkite now, solemnly calling out the names of the winners as early as 8pm on election night — back in the 1960s. Maybe he was not apprised of the reality of “the News Election Service” — but most likely he was.

By digging around, Jim Collier found that a private group did the calling in of the numbers to headquarters. That was — wait for it — The League of Women Voters. Collier had noticed that some polling booths were housed in schools and fire stations, and in the 1980s these did not have computers, so he realized the “vote counts” must have been phone in.

In 2003, the News Election Service (“service” meaning, you know, they kindly help society on vote night) changed its name. Instead of NES we now had the slightly more opaque acronym, NEP, for National Election Pool.

Lawsuit of Dr Shiva, Candidate for US Senate in 2018 and 2020

I digress for a moment to tell you about a Discovery in a court case. Dr Shiva filed a lawsuit about his having been defeated in the 2020 race for the US Senate seat of Massachusetts of which Elizabeth Warren was the incumbent.

He is not a medical doctor but a techie man from MIT, full name: Vellayappa Ayyadurai Shiva, PhD, born 1963. He discovered irregularities that eventually led him to learn that the work done by League Voters and by the NEP is now connected to another organization — the NASED.  That’s the National Association of States’ Election Directors.

Per its website, NASED is a: “nonpartisan 501 (c)(3) professional organization that disseminates election administration best practices and information across the states.”

Professional organization? Best practice?  Disseminates information? Are you thinking AMA?  ABA? that sort of thing? I am guessing it is similar thereto, but where folks all know about the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association, the NASED is hush hush city. As I noted, Dr. Shiva learned of it as part of Discovery.

Still, his find wouldn’t have jumped out at me but for my having read the Colliers’ labor of love. And I must tell you that Jim went to every law enforcement person he could find and every journalist in town (Washington DC) with his story. None would listen. Robert Mueller at the DoJ — or should I say the Do”J” — chased him off.  Jim then died of cancer at age 60.

The Tie-in to Congressional Legislation

Recall my disgust with ultra vires actions of Congress. I have not yet researched to see if legislation has come about to give the NASED a formal role in vote counting.  The AMA effectively “nationalized” medicine by getting each state’s legislature to give it control over doctors, for instance, by approving medical licenses and disciplining any member who does not follow ‘best practice.’

Congress has insinuated itself into elections by “Right To Vote” Acts and by criminalizing certain behaviors. In 1993, it passed a law that is codified at 52 USC 20511 as follows:

“A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office—

(1) knowingly and willfully intimidates, threatens, or coerces, … any person for—(A) registering to vote, or voting, or attempting to register or vote; (B) urging or aiding any person to register to vote …  (C) exercising any right under this chapter; or (2) knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by—

(A) the procurement or submission of voter registration applications that are known by the person to be materially false …  or (B) the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held, shall be fined … or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.”

I suppose that suggests that someone would be in charge of catching the perpetrators of any of those crimes: the “procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false.”  Maybe the DoJ has appropriated that duty, although of course, that’s not proper. There is no federal role for guarding the polling booths.

Note: The Constitution does make it possible for the federal government to overcome bad state actions in the election of Senators and Representatives.  Namely, in Article I, Section 5, it says, “Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own Members.”

 

Inspecting the NASED

Let me know if you DON’T agree that the National Association of States’ Election Directors — and its hush-hushness — makes a complete mockery of the election system, and for that matter of democracy, and for that matter of the United States and its people, K?

According to its website, NASED.org was founded in 1989, and “is a nonpartisan, nonprofit professional association for state election directors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five US territories.”

Ah, so I see that while it is not governmental (its website is dot.org not dot.gov) the participants are members of state government, perhaps such as Secretaries of State. They are meeting like the Teachers Union, say. To continue:

“In each of their states, election directors are responsible for implementing election laws and policies, maintaining the voter registration database, working with local election officials to ensure a successful voting experience for all voters [Dear God], and more.”

In 2002, Congress passed “HAVA” — the “Help America Vote Act.” Per Nased.org:

“HAVA created new mandatory minimum standards for states to follow in several key areas of election administration, including provisional voting, voter registration, voter identification, and voting technology and equipment.  These requirements increased the importance of strong communication and coordination among state election directors.”

Sorry but I find this frightening. Government officials are meeting under private auspices. That means that the minutes of their meeting if such there be, are not open for inspection. I know you are wanting to know what action NASED took about the stolen 2020 presidential election, right? I wonder, if you approach your state’s Director, will he or she share with you the group’s thinking on that subject? And does he/she feel greater loyalty to the NASED entity than to you?

The Hot Dirt from Italy

To buttress my attack on election cheating, I now add three testimonies that contain major accusations.  One is from Italy, concerning the November 2020 presidential election, another is from a military man in the US concerning the 2022 midterm elections. One is a quote from Paul Craig Roberts on the suspicious hold-up of votes at Maricopa County, Arizona, today.

Arturo D’Elia is the former head of the IT Department of a company called Leonardo SpA. He was recently arrested in Italy about a matter that has nothing to do with elections, but he gave out some information and offers to sing a bit more, in exchange for the protection of his family and himself. I think his lawyer wrote the following:

“[O]n 4 November 2020, under instruction and direction of US persons working from the US Embassy of Rome, [they?] undertook the operation to switch data from the US elections of 3 November 2020 from significant margin of victory for Donald Trump to Joe Biden in a number of states where Joe Biden was losing the vote totals.

“Defendant states he was working in the Pescara facility of Leonardo SpA and utilised military grade cyber warfare encryption capabilities to transmit switched votes via military satellite of Fusion Tower to Frankfurt Germany. The defendant swears that the data in some cases may have been switched to represent more than total voters registered.

“…. Defendant states he has secured in an undisclosed location the backup of the original data switched upon instruction to provide evidence at court in this matter.” [Emphasis added]

That’s from the website Filmon.com, with the heading “from Testimony of Senior Italian Judge Alfio D’Urso – Italian Tax Court and Supreme Court Public Defender.” I hoe you can put it to use in some way.  Writing about elections is not my usual job.

The 2020 Election Manipulations

Here is Paul Craig Roberts on Maricopa County, as from his website parulcraigroberts.org on November 11, 2022:

“Roughly a half-million day-of-voting ballots, which are believed to be largely Republican, are sitting uncounted while Democrats continue to bring in unexplained tranches of votes after the deadline.  Where these tranches are coming from and why so late, and why they, but not the day-of-voting half million, are being counted is unexplained.

“It naturally raises suspicion that the incoming tranches are fraudulent votes to boost the Democrat candidates, and the day of voting ballots, largely Republican, are sitting there awaiting accidental deletion or some other way of disposing of them.”

Finally, but I have no way to authenticate this, a video has been posted at rumble.com by “We the People News” on Veterans Day. November 11, 2022, with the title “Situation Update, Resurrection Day.” I direct you only to the talk starting at 42 minutes and ending at 55 minutes. The man says he was allowed to view the screens of a software company fiddling with the midterm votes.

 

The post I Have Found the Elections’ Secret Group — the NASED appeared first on Granite Grok.

This past Saturday, I was invited to come to the 603 Alliance “after-hours” event as they had a day of training for their folks to help get them ready for plunging into the morass that can be the NH House.

I actually spent the first 45 minutes outside the meeting room as a number of folks were either circling around when I arrived, walked out of the room and wanted to talk, or were arriving a bit later, and I buttonholed them.

Anyways, in and about yakking with others, I did get four quick Grok MicroInterviews with these folks: NH State Reps Nikki McCarter, Kelly Potenza, Len Turcotte, and John Sellers.

 

NH State Rep Nikki McCarter:

 

NH State Rep Kelly Potenza:

 

NH State Rep Len Turcotte:

 

NH State Rep John Sellers:

The post GrokTV – Microinterviews at Saturday’s 603 Alliance Get-Together appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Union Leader recently reported on the schools in New Hampshire that are “in need” of extra support.

The state Department of Education has identified 23 schools across New Hampshire — including three in Manchester and one in Nashua — in need of extra support to help students succeed.

The schools, identified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools, include Beech Street Elementary, Henry Wilson Elementary, and West High in Manchester, along with Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary in Nashua.

Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools are designated once every three years — as required by law — as schools that are showing the greatest challenges with academic achievement and student performance.

CSI schools are defined as the lowest-performing 5% of all schools in the state receiving federal Title I, Part A funds, as well as all high schools in the state with a four-year graduation rate less than 67%, regardless of Title I status.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, a Title I school is one “enrolling at least 40% of children from low-income families.”

Schools are reviewed under the Every Student Succeeds Act, a law signed by President Obama in 2015 that succeeded No Child Left Behind.

Under NCLB, passed in 2001, schools were expected to reach 100% proficiency by 2014 – a standard considered too high for almost every school in the U.S.

ESSA instead asked states to set “reasonable” and ambitious” goals.

By 2025, New Hampshire’s ESSA plan expects 74% of students in the Granite State to score proficient in English, and nearly 54% to score proficient in math.

It also anticipates a graduation rate of nearly 94%.

ESSA requires states to calculate and release the list of public schools identified for CSI every three years.

The data represents elementary and middle school performance in academic achievement, growth, progress toward English language proficiency, and equity.

Key indicators for high schools include academic achievement, graduation rates, progress toward English language proficiency and college and career readiness.

“The New Hampshire Department of Education will be providing ongoing reviews, technical assistance and monitoring to support improvement efforts within each CSI school, and help aid with continued progress. These schools will develop improvement plans that ensure effective learning strategies are being implemented,” Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a statement.

In accordance with ESSA, a total of $3.44 million in federal funds was reserved by the state Education Department from its $49,193,724 Title I allocation to provide direct funding and support for improvement programming to identified schools.

In response to having three city schools appear on the list, Manchester Superintendent of Schools Jenn Gillis said the district’s goal is “student growth and achievement,” and as such they’ll respond to the designations “as a team.”

“We take this as an opportunity to re-examine the systems that support both student growth and staff development not just at the identified schools, but across the district,” Gillis said.

Read more here.

With the influx of changes to the education model that shifted focus away from liberal arts to workforce development model, academics has become less of a focus. This began with the dumbed down Common Core/Next Generation Science Standards. Since then schools have implemented competencies that oftentimes are not based on academic outcomes, along with social and emotional learning, Critical Race Theory, and Gender ideology. This paradigm shift has taken root in many of our classrooms throughout the country. What has been the outcome? The national test scores have plummeted.

Some of that can be attributed to the school closures, but many of the Catholic schooled children have not suffered in the same way. And while some private and religious schools have fallen victim to the fads in education that abandoned their main task of academic excellence, we can see that this change has hurt public schooled children the most.

Manchester continues to flounder because those in charge of the district cannot seem to acknowledge that going back to the basics would help their students. Year after year, they follow the same failed education fads, and their students suffer from it.

Manchester is made up of a diverse population of children, so they certainly have more challenges than some of the other districts in the state. But when you offer your students dumbed down curriculum, and shift focus away from learning a rich academic foundation, when do you admit that basic math is better than Common Core math? When do you acknowledge that learning basic grammar and science helps with their literacy.

Stop relying upon the state standards which we all know are failing our children. Elevate the curriculum as so many parents have asked for in local school board meetings. I know, I’ve attended many in the past.

If you wont do your job, these kids will go somewhere else.

The post 23 Schools in NH Flagged ‘in Need’ of Extra Support appeared first on Granite Grok.

Well, the elections are over, mostly (recounts here in NH this week and this bastardization of Election Day by the Democrats just seems interminable with “oh, another box of mailed-in ballots has just been “found”), so it is time to get back to work, mostly.

Certainly, a lot of catching up to do. One of them is to return to doing Right To Know demands for Public School District library card catalogs.  One of them was up in Berlin, SAU 3 and I sent them my RSA 91-A  demand back a while ago in early October:

—— Original Message ——
From: “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To: anolin@sau3.org; mbuteau@sau3.org; jcharest@sau3.org; ekelley@sau3.org; nmorin@sau3.org
Sent: 10/2/2022 11:22:44 AM
Subject: RSA 91A Right To Know demand – the SAU 3 Library Card Catalog

Good morning,

Please find attached to this email my Right To Know concerning the District’s card catalog for its libraries. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me

I have reproduced this RSA 91A demand below.

Thank you for your lawful response.

-Skip

Skip Murphy
Founder, co-owner
GraniteGrok.com | Skip@GraniteGrok.com

Now, this was a bit of a fun one to do when it was all said and done but here’s the Right To Know itself (and yes, you’ll be seeing a bunch of these going forward):

Pursuant to the Right to Know Law (RSA. 91-A:4 (I) ), I am demanding access, within 5 business days, to the below enumerated governmental records. Otherwise, if this cannot be fulfilled within that mandated window per RSA 91-A, please advise when the Responsive Records will be made available.

This request is for the Berlin/SAU 3 School District library “card catalog”. This is for any and all books located in the following:

• District-wide “main” library
• Each school within the District’s “main” library
• If a school has multiple “main” libraries (such as Brockton High, Brockton, MA)
• All classrooms with cataloged books that are tracked by the District.

The information for each Responsive Record shall include:

• Name of the book
• Name of the Author(s)
• Content Summary
• ISBN identification (or other such designated ID)
• Name of the School
• If a School has multiple libraries, a designation of which library is being referenced (in the case of Brockton High, the five libraries: Red, Azure/Blue, Green, Yellow, and the Science libraries)
• Name/designation of the Classroom within a School

Per RSA 91-A:4 IV(c) If you deny any portion of this request, please cite the specific exemption used to justify the denial to make each record, or part thereof, unavailable for inspection along with a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the information withheld.

As you are aware, in 2016, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that a governmental body in possession of records is required to produce them in electronic media using standard common file formats: Green v. SAU #55, 168 N.H. 796, 801 (2016). Unless there is some reason that it is not reasonably practical to produce such, explain why it is not practical to comply.

Please also note, per RSA 91-A:4 III, III-a, and III-b, you are required to maintain the safety and accessibility of such responsive records. This also includes such responsive records (e.g., emails) which may have been deleted from respective Inboxes but are still available on the applicable email server or in your / email host backup system(s).

Please let me know when these records will be sent to me for inspection. You may email the responsive records to me at Skip@GraniteGrok.com. If the volume turns out to be substantial, I have already set up a Dropbox folder to use in uploading those responsive records.

Thank you for your lawful attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

The post SAU 3 Berlin – Public School Library RTK appeared first on Granite Grok.

They’re flying so thick and fast it is amazing.  And take heart – there will be a Meme Overflow and I will back-edit to include the link.  And there will likely be a Friday Meme Overflow-Overflow.  Last week’s Friday Overflow (including a post-election TINVOWOOT diatribe).

Remember, ridicule and mockery are effective weapons:

1. Ridicule cannot easily be fought
2. Ridicule makes the enemy angry, and angry people make mistakes
3. For those in the “squishy middle” a Thought Splinter (and Part II and Part III) can often be hidden inside humor.

Don’t miss my weekly post on survival / prepping / sitrep links on varied topics:

SURVIVAL SUNDAY – Granite Grok

Now, let the mockery and mayhem begin.

*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

But first, a random sampling of three of my cartoons.  Please note these are my concepts but I pay a professional to do them.  If you snag them to use on your blog, please do, but please give me credit and a linkback to Granite Grok.

 

 

This was my very first cartoon idea.  Available as a T-shirt!  (Please… I need more ammo & other preps!)

—

 

 

My second cartoon idea.  Also available as a T-shirt!  (Again, I need more ammo!)

—

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

And from a few hundred yards away.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

This is the classic example of what I mean by something that wraps truth in humor.  IMHO even most Leftists will chuckle, and in that chuckle a Thought Splinter will insert into their mind, while a straight-on attack on either man’s *cough intellect cough* would be rejected.  Similarly:

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

     

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Pick of the post:

 

IMHO we have a tie.  Number one:

 

 

I was an atheist for over 25 years, but moving rightward during much of that time.  Most atheists are screaming libs (I was in that camp at the beginning as well).  But over time, I did move Rightward even as I remained a staunch atheist.  And I noticed that as I did, Conservatives / Libertarians were welcoming of me despite my non-belief in a deity, while those who shared my non-faith were increasingly hostile as I started to shed allegiance to all the “politically correct” causes.

Who was open-minded and tolerant?  Not the Left who preached it, but the Right who practiced it.

—

 

 

As with everyone on that side who passes, I’ll say what I always say:

One should only speak good of the dead.  OK.  “He’s dead?  Good.”

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

I am shocked, but I looked at my secondary Zazzle store and this bumper sticker is still for sale!  Get ’em while you can!

 

 

And a .223 version.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Palate Cleansers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post MONDAY MEMES appeared first on Granite Grok.

“It’s not an ideology!” was a common response to the Facebook ad for my NH state senate campaign that asserted that “Gender ideology does not belong in schools.”

An ideology comprises the assertions and theories that serve as the foundation for a sociopolitical program, and transgenderism is built on shaky assumptions that aren’t open to scrutiny or questions.

Here are a few assumptions that are damaging New Hampshire’s children:

A child can be born in the wrong body. Although child-transing advocates assert that a boy can be born with a girl’s brain, brain studies haven’t determined a distinct structure or pattern that accounts for atypical gender identity.

Teen transing isn’t a craze. The British government investigated a 4,000% increase in children seeking gender-affirming medical treatment and 9% of students identified as gender diverse in a recent survey of 13 US high schools. Research tells us that peer and social media influence are at least in part the cause of declaring a transgender identity. A prominent transgender therapist and activist has raised concerns about the spike in transgender identifications among teens during the COVID lockdown because of increased time watching social media influencers.

Being trans is an innate life-long condition. There are at least eleven studies that show that between 67% and 93% of children with gender dysphoria who aren’t socially transitioned or given puberty blockers and hormones will be content living as their biological sex as adults.

Regret is extremely rare. There are thousands of detransitioners, young people who previously identified as trans or non-binary but then “de-transition” to reclaim their sexual identities, sharing their stories of damaged bodies and lives of regret.

Although the rate of detransition for adolescent-onset gender dysphoria isn’t known, a recent study from a UK clinic suggests that 10% of youth treated with gender-affirming interventions detransitioned. Another 22% disengaged from gender services without completing their treatment plan. 

Affirming a child’s gender identity is the only way to prevent suicide. “Would you rather have a living transgender son or a dead daughter?” is the cruel sales pitch of the gender industry. Yes, suicide rates are elevated for children with gender dysphoria, but an analysis of data from the world’s largest pediatric gender clinic, Tavistock in the UK, indicated the rate of suicide for children with gender dysphoria is .03%. 

An international study concluded that suicidality rates among transgender-identifying youth are only somewhat elevated compared to teens being treated for other mental health issues. The claims of astronomical suicide rates usually come from biased self-reports, such as The Trevor Project Survey, which conflates self-harm and thoughts of suicide with completed and serious attempts of suicide.

More to the point, gender-affirming hormones and surgery have not been shown to reduce suicide in the long term.

In addition, children with gender dysphoria often have comorbid conditions such as autism, anorexia, PTSD, and depression that may account for the suicidality. New guidelines from England’s National Health Service recognize that “a significant number of children are also presenting with neurodiversity and other mental health needs and risky behaviors which requires careful consideration and needs to be better understood.” 

Related: Gender Clinics Are Coming for Your Autistic Children

Advocates of child transing claim that emotional disorders and autism are caused in part by gender dysphoria and can be alleviated by puberty blockers and hormones, but these conditions often predate the dysphoria.

Because these ideological assumptions haven’t held up to scientific scrutiny, England, Finland and Sweden have dropped the affirmative care model and strictly regulate puberty blockers and opposite-sex hormones for treating child gender dysphoria.

The French Academy of Medicine advises that “the greatest caution is needed in their use, taking into account the side effects such as the impact on growth, bone weakening, risk of sterility, emotional and intellectual consequences and, for girls, menopause-like symptoms.”

It’s past time for policymakers in New Hampshire to put gender ideology aside, to stop treating mental distress by damaging healthy bodies, and to conduct a systematic review of the research.

 

The post Transgender Ideology Harms Children appeared first on Granite Grok.

In a democracy, voting is essential to ensuring that everyone has a say in how their country is run. It is a way for people to hold their government accountable and to make their voices heard on the issues that matter to them.

Voting rights are a fundamental part of democracy, and it is important that all citizens have equal access to this right. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In many countries, women and minority groups are denied the right to vote, or they face significant obstacles to exercising this right. This is often done in an effort to maintain the power of the ruling party or to keep certain groups from having too much influence. When it comes to voting, it’s never as easy as going on national casino australia and making a request—people had to fight.

Europe

In European countries, voting rights have been a controversial issue throughout history. Early on, voting rights were often limited to nobility and land-owning classes. This gradually changed over time, with voting rights being extended to more and more people. However, it was not until the 20th century that all European citizens were granted universal suffrage.

Even today, there are some European countries where voting is not mandatory. This has led to controversy, with some people arguing that voting should be made mandatory in order to ensure that everyone has a say in the running of their country.

North America

North America has a long and rich history of voting rights, dating back to the early days of the continent. The first voting rights in North America were granted to the indigenous peoples of the continent. In 1492, when Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas, the indigenous peoples were already living in complex societies with their own systems of governance. They had their own laws and customs, and they recognized the right of every person to have a say in the decisions that affected their lives.

The indigenous peoples of North America were not granted full citizenship rights until the 19th century. In the United States, the Native American Citizenship Act was passed in 1924, granting full citizenship rights to all Native Americans. In Canada, the Indian Act was passed in 1876, which granted limited citizenship rights to Indigenous peoples. It was not until 1960 that all Indigenous peoples in Canada were finally granted full citizenship rights.

The right to vote was not extended to all people in North America until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the United States, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1870, which guaranteed the right to vote to all men, regardless of race. However, it was not until 1920 that all women in the United States were granted the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment. In Canada, the right to vote was first extended to all men in 1867, and then to all women in 1918.

Despite these advances, voting rights in North America are still not fully inclusive. In the United States, voting rights are often denied to people with felony convictions, and voter ID laws disproportionately disenfranchise people of color and low-income people. In Canada, Indigenous peoples and people with mental disabilities were not granted the right to vote until 1960.

Voting rights are an important part of a democracy, and North America has come a long way in extending these rights to all people. However, there is still work to be done to ensure that everyone has an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.

The post How Voting Became A Fundamental Right appeared first on Granite Grok.

Typically, after an election and the bigger it is, the more likely, things will slow down a bit. I hinted at this here. The days after, win or lose, are for the election hangover, a few days in detox, or a week of me-time.

ICYMI: Is Someone Trying to Undermine the Integrity of NH’s Committee on Voter Confidence

We get fewer emails and less site traffic, and it looked like that trend would hold until it didn’t.

The red wave that wasn’t has become a call for action in the Republican party from the roots to the tips to the recipient and donor lists of the RSC and NRSC. Failure was an option, and she’s come calling, and introspection, win or lose, is a good thing. We have an opportunity to use what we learn to do better. But be careful about signing on the blame trump coalition, not because of any complicity in the epidemic underperformance, but because his enemies think they can finally be rid of him.

Electile Dysfunction

There are plenty of reasons why Republicans lose elections. Raheem Kassam has a great piece about all of this on his substack. For example,

 

Democrats run “better” campaigns, mostly because they’re allowed to, which in turn is because they dominate in positions that exert pressure – in politics, media, and culture. It’s easier for Democrats to rip down Republican yard signs without recompense. It’s also easier for left leaning activists to get away with violence or intimidation. Their talking heads are rarely challenged when they lie. They use Chinese Communist-owned platforms like TikTok to radicalise impressionable young voters and they use issues like abortion and student loans to do it. We recognise all of this as immoral. But elections aren’t conducted by Marquess of Queensbury rules. Republicans play touch football and call it smashmouth. Democrats play smashmouth and call it kiss chase.

 

GraniteGrok plays by Democrat rules. When they hit, you hit back twice as hard. When they change the subject, pull them back. When they demand apologies, drag them in their dirt and demand apologies from them. A practice we apply to everyone regardless of party registration. A thing for which we are frequently scolded by “real” Republicans as if we care.

These are the same folks who ride sidesaddle with the Democrats poo-pooing Donald Trump’s mean tweets, which has become a metaphor for playing by Democrat rules from the right. Trump won the primary in 2016 because he played the Left’s game. He won the general election because the Dems didn’t think he could beat Hillary and Donald Trump ran on things that mattered to regular Americans. And except for clearing the swamp, he did a damn good job of keeping those promises but needed more time, and Democrats didn’t make the same mistake in 2020 or 2022, but it looks like Republicans did.

More from Raheem.

 

The GOP ‘McLeadership’ must change. If you accept that Republicans should have done better in this cycle, you have to go to the source of where the decisions are made and how the money is spent. That’s in the hands of people like Kevin McCarthy, Tom Emmer, Mitch McConnell, and Ronna Romney McDaniel. Trump isn’t a “party leader” in a European political sense. He wasn’t on the ballot this year. He doesn’t control the purse strings, nor the hires inside the GOP. His philosophy is ultimately beholden to centralised implementation.

And.

DeSantis has a big and bright future. But it cannot come at a cost to the MAGA movement. Even those surrounding and supportive of the victorious Florida governor accept that DeSantis is closer to the GOP comfort zone – including the neoconservatives – than Trump is.

 

You can read the rest here because I have one more thing to share.

The Machine wants to sell a story that divides the GOP and alienates Trump and his supporters no more or less than on any other day of the year. It’s all a distraction to protect the ruling class, which is the real problem with the Republican Party.

I’ll close with this from Jack Posobiec.

 

“There is a power vacuum right now caused by these vote delays and the DC Uniparty is using it to try to institute a MAGA Civil War” pic.twitter.com/LGgW2RIdmI

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) November 12, 2022

 

 

 

The post A Few Thoughts on Republican’s Electile Dysfunction appeared first on Granite Grok.

Here are what polls predicted for the Nevada Senate race versus the actual results. The disparity is explained by “ballot harvesting.”

All registered voters in Nevada receive a ballot by mail … even if they are dead, moved to another State, or are totally disinterested in voting … then the Democrat Party apparatus in Nevada gets to work on “harvesting” these ballots.

NEVADA –
Trafalgar: (R) Laxalt +5
Insider Advantage: Laxalt +6
Rasmussen: Laxalt +5
Emerson: Laxalt +5
Data For Progress: (D) Laxalt +2
Susquehanna: Laxalt +5
Suffolk: Cortez Masto +1

Current Count: Cortez Masto +.05https://t.co/BBJ47OD4AD https://t.co/6NcjTu9WEl pic.twitter.com/dieR6zvRxb

— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) November 13, 2022

And the really bad news for Republicans in New Hampshire is that Democrats cannot similarly “ballot-harvest” here … yet they won by much, much bigger margins than in Nevada.

The post What Ballot-Harvesting Looks Like appeared first on Granite Grok.

I am not an election denier, but I am an election cynic. The events of this past week should be embarrassing to all Americans. But the fact it does not seem to concern the Left might be because it is their design.

Related: Here are a Few Potential Problems in NH That are Undermining Voter Confidence

It is not a case of bending or breaking the law but about formulating the law to ensure a favorable outcome., COVID brought some extenuating circumstances to the process. Now that the Pandemic is behind us, we should put these provisions into mothballs. The provisions are too beneficial to Democrats for them to let them revert to pre-pandemic policies. Extended voting hours, mail-in ballots, and ballot harvesting favor the Left.

The Democrats continue to fight Voter ID mandates as racist and a burden to minorities. Contending that it is difficult for minorities to obtain an ID is condescending and more racist than the mandate itself. This ID policy is essential to ensure a one-person, one-vote election. The ID is also a concern, with some states allowing non-resident college students to use their college ID as proof of domicile and the ability to vote in all local elections. Many issues with this. The non-residents are, by definition, not residing in a voting district. They can obtain an absentee ballot from their home if they would like to vote, and there is no control that they haven’t, which would mean multiple voting instances. This is fraud and a possible felony.

There were many situations where Democrat candidates refused to debate, agreed to only one debate, or scheduled the debate late in the season. This was critical in the Pennsylvania Senate race, where all three situations happened. John Fetterman suffered a stroke in the spring and refused to drop out of the race. His cognitive skills were obviously impaired to the point where he could not complete sentences and required a teleprompter to communicate. He tried to avoid any debate but finally consented to one in the closing weeks. There were 1.4 million mail-in votes cast in Pennsylvania, and most before voters could witness Fetterman’s dismal performance in the lone debate with Mehmet Oz. Fetterman went on to win the seat and may not be mentally able to perform the job.

The following two are somewhat similar. Ranked voting defies logic. The election is supposed to be your vote for your best choice for the job. What is the purpose of ranking the four or five people in a given race? When no candidate attains over 50% of the votes, the second choice votes are added, and so on, until a candidate hits the 50% minimum. This method of election is coming into play in Alaska and Maine. It is possible that the candidate who got the most votes initially may not win the election. A run-off election is also being held in Georgia because no candidate hit the 50% mark. In a race with as many as five candidates, one candidate getting more than 50% of the votes is statistically improbable.

The last two situations happened in New Hampshire. Millions of dollars were spent by the Democrat Party on Republican candidates in the primaries. The purpose is to influence the election and to get a softer candidate into the general election against their candidate. This is nothing short of election tampering. And finally, we have to get methods to verify vote counts. Senator Maggie Hassan received over 1,100 votes in the town of Columbia. Not a lot of votes but nearly twice the actual population of Columbia. How does a town of 695 cast a total of 1,300 votes? I can guarantee you will not see an explanation from Hassan.

We are too good and sophisticated a country for our election process to be this questionable. I am not for federalizing state elections, but fine-tuning must be done. We are a week since the election, and we have some races where all votes have yet to be counted. At best, this is feckless. At least, it is embarrassing, and someone needs to lose a job in these situations.

 

The post Let’s Look at the Election Process appeared first on Granite Grok.

There is a post up with NHGOP Committeeman Chris Ager’s thoughts about the 2022 election. A quick response. First, stop sugarcoating it.

New Hampshire has neither ballot-harvesting (mail-in voting) nor early-voting … yet candidates for federal office did far worse than GOP candidates in States that have one or both of these mechanisms. And there is only the illusion of GOP control in the New Hampshire House because of all the RINOs. And the leader of the GOP in the State Senate would in any real swing state be considered a Democrat.

Second, ask yourself why Sun-King Sununu performed as well as the Democrats and yet had no coattails. I already covered this in prior posts such as my post-mortem on the election. But to save you some time … it’s largely a combination of (1) he is perceived … correctly … by Democrat voters as with them on most issues, so they vote for him and then “come home” on down-ballot races an (2) he is a lazy campaigner and indifferent to any race but his own.

Third, maybe just save some time and admit what is obvious … that New Hampshire is and has been for some time a BLUE  state … and rebuild from the ground-up. That is, shift the focus to winning school board and other local races and develop a cadre of candidates who can then run for higher office.

The post A Quick Response to Committeman Ager’s Thoughts appeared first on Granite Grok.

After a years of parents pleading with Superintendent David Ryan and the SAU16 school board to focus on improving academics, only to have those efforts fall on deaf ears, several parents and residents decided to open a Hillsdale Charter School.

Seacoast Classical Academy will be opening up soon, and offering students a quality classical education. Hillsdale is known for their rich classical curriculum focused on literacy and academic excellence.

Where one public school has failed, some of the parents and residents stepped up to the plate to make sure no more children fell through the cracks. The WOKE agenda flourishing in the SAU16 schools will not be found in any Hillsdale Charter School. Instead Seacoast Classical Academy will focus on the three important factors that make a school successful:

1) Academic excellence
2) Safe learning environment
3) Parental engagement and respect

As you can see, this recipe is not difficult –it’s really quite simple. Home-school parents can tell your Superintendent earning a 6-figure salary what curriculum to use. For instance, the math offered at Seacoast Classical Academy is far superior than what you will find in SAU16, or many of the other public schools around New Hampshire.

If you want to give your child a shot at engineering, mathematics, science, medicine, or any other field, Seacoast Classical Academy will help prepare them. It will be up to the student to take advantage of all that is offered. Dumbing down the core subjects is not an option, the bar will be raised, but raised in a way that is attainable. The roadblocks that come through the dumbed down Common Core and Next Generation Science curriculum will be removed. Your child will have far more opportunities now. They will learn real math instead of convoluted math.

Dr. Terrence Moore, Professor at Hillsdale College explains here, how Common Core destroys the minds and souls of children. Instead of ignoring these warnings like so many Superintendents have done, the founders of Seacoast Classical Academy want something better for your children. Knowledge is power, it is power to open doors so your children can rise to any level they want to achieve.

It’s not about political indoctrination, it’s about a content-rich curriculum that will allow your children to move into any direction they choose. It’s about educating children so they can succeed in college, career, and in life. All paths will be open to them.

SAU16’s failures created a desire by parents to do something to help children. They saw their own children suffer under the current regime that is more focused on WOKE ideology, then offering children a quality academic education. These people say they are social justice warriors, but they are the ones failing to provide a quality academic education for marginalized children, and the rest of the student body.

If you are looking for true social justice for marginalized children, you found an answer, Seacoast Classical Academy. They are not going to push any radical agenda on your kids, they are simply going to provide the best academic education your child needs to succeed in life.

Parents around the area who know that their children are not getting the best in their public school, now have another option. I would certainly choose this school for my children. You can do the parenting, and they will make sure that they stay on task, and focus on academics.

Many Charter Schools fail children too because they fall victim to the numerous fads in education. You can feel comfortable knowing that Hillsdale schools aren’t interested in the next fad that does nothing to help your children. They are going to use what has a track record of success.

It’s too bad that those tasked with the important job of educating children in SAU16 did not humble themselves to really listen to the parents who were fighting to save their school. These were parents who wanted nothing more than to make their school the best in the state. The ones who wanted the school open, where children go to learn, in a joyful environment. Those are the parents who will fight for you, instead of against you when you are truly committed to providing a quality public education.

Now they have something to fight for.

“The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune’s spite; revive from ashes and rise.” ~ Miguel de Cervantes

 

 

The post SAU16/Exeter Finally Does Something Right; They Helped Open a Hillsdale Charter School appeared first on Granite Grok.