Hundreds of people stepped up to the plate yesterday afternoon and evening to protest the deep and irresponsible budget cuts being proposed by the gun-toting NH State Legislature.  Dominated by newbie Tea-Partiers, Free-Staters, self-proclaimed “experts” like Tom Kean, and oldies like Weare’s Neal Kurk who’ve been waiting around for an opportunity like this for decades … the NH legislature has finally lost all its marbles.

Their values are reflected in their actions and proposed actions … you know, stuff like carrying guns to their workplace (first thing they did), narrowing the statutes that address bullying in school, changing the high school drop-out age back to 16, and of course slashing and burning the already-tattered safety net that exists in New Hampshire.   But by god we’ll have no taxes on the richest among us … no, and we’ll remove rungs from the ladder so that others can’t climb toward success.

I love what Bishop Gene Robinson said at the budget hearings yesterday:

“When sacrifice is perpetrated on the vulnerable and weak by the strong and prosperous, it is social abuse,” Robinson said. “If there is belt-tightening to be done, we should be tightening our own belts and coming up with the resources to do what a civilized society does: to care for, and not cut services for, the poor, the disabled, the blind, the unemployed, the impoverished elderly, the uninsured and children living in poverty.

“Do what you are going to do,” Robinson continued, “But make no mistake: This budget is simply irresponsible and immoral.”

Immoral, indeed. So immoral that I think we should all consider visiting our legislators at their homes when we begin to personally feel the impact of their rampant irresponsibility.

If you check out the links above, you’ll see Tom and Neal’s voting records … as well as their home addresses.  But heck, why don’t I just share them here – I am sure they have nice houses and yards.

• Tom Terrific:  8 Heidi Lane, Bow, NH  03304-3712 — Phone: (603)715-1875
• Kneel Kurt:  RR 1, Weare, NH  03281-5412 — Phone: (603)529-7253

Maybe it’s time they felt some personal impact from their egregious, irresponsible, and cold-hearted actions.  What they are proposing not only has an immediate effect on the lives of thousands of the most vulnerable people in NH, but will not be easily repaired once they are voted out of office.  These are small-minded and supercilious men … stubbornly protecting what’s theirs, and creating/exacerbating the suffering in every nook and cranny of this State.  They and their opinions deserve the same consideration that they afford to others … which I am guessing is about zilch.

Is this really who we are?   NH, is this really a reflection of the content of our character … these Neals’ and Tom’s and the other nasty dudes voting their heads off in Concord these days?  I know that they certainly don’t represent me or my values … not even a tiny, tiny bit.

And even beyond that, I continue to be flabbergasted by the way that the Free-Staters and Tea-Partiers and Christian Right are basically, to my eye, consistently working against their own interests and doing the selfish and short-sighted bidding of the very, very wealthy in this State and the rest of the Country.

Wake up Tea-Partiers!  Wake up Free-Staters!  We’re in tough times and your fears are being played on bigtime.  It’s nasty stuff that is being floated out and about by the likes of HuckaPalmann, folks … and the end result is that you cut your own legs out from under you — tearing up supports you and your loved ones may well need one day …  while the super rich hang onto their money and thumb their noses at everyone else.