Page 6 — THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Bob Meade
Trust. . . or lack thereof We’ve heard the president and his spokesman and other administration officials call all of their broken trusts, “phony scandals”. We watched multiple Sunday morning news shows try to challenge the “phony” claim, only to listen as the Secretary of the Treasury did his best to obfuscate what happened that led to the IRS scandal. He actually had the audacity to try to make a case that the treatment of the “right” and the “left” was evenhanded and equal. Secretary Lew went on to say that supervisors were removed from their positions, and tried to make that the end of the story. He didn’t say who. He didn’t say they got demoted. He didn’t say they got fired. He didn’t mention that Lois Lerner, the IRS director of Exempt Organizations and the woman who refused to give sworn testimony to the Congressional Committee and “took the Fifth”, has not been demoted, replaced, or fired, she has been given a nice gift in the form of an extended paid leave. A reward for deceit. This type of action on the part of the Obama administration is not new. It has become commonplace for the Obama team to ignore constitutional restrictions. It has become commonplace for them to selectively decide which laws they will prosecute and which they won’t. And, importantly, it has become commonplace for them to challenge the separation of powers called for in our constitution. The Supreme Court was embarrassed by the president during his State of the Union message. They were embarrassed again when, just recently, the Attorney General refused to accept the findings of the court and announced he is going to require the state of Texas to comply with the 60-yearold decision that was overturned by the court’s recent decision. Please understand, the separation of powers requires cooperation by the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. It is incumbent of the Executive Branch, through the offices of the Attorney General, to enforce the ruling of the courts . . . but this administration arbitrarily refuses to do so. That’s dictatorial! The president and his team have repeatedly talked of bypassing Congress when they don’t get what they want. One such example was the president making “recess appointments” when the Congress was in session. Such appointments can only be made when they’re not. The Con-
stitution provides two specifics in this area. The first is that the Constitution gives Congress the right to make its own rules. The other issue is that there are certain cabinet level and other appointments that the president can make that must receive “the advice and consent” of the Senate. Brazenly, knowing that he had people he wanted to appoint who would not have received the endorsement of the Senate, he chose to appoint them anyway as “recess appointments” when the Senate was technically in session. That’s not upholding the Constitution now, is it? Perhaps the most disturbing scandal of all is Benghazi. Four brave Americans were brutally murdered. Our ambassador was one of those four and he was raped/ sodomized, suffered any number of wounds, his body dragged through the streets, and tossed into a ditch along side a road. We watched as our in-territory diplomats testified that they had people that could have been to Benghazi in an hour. Other sources indicated that significant military might could be have been flown across the Mediterranean from Italy. But all were told to “stand down”. That cowardice was followed by words to the effect “We couldn’t have gotten there in time.” That excuse has two major flaws. The first is, how did the decision maker(s) know how long the battle would rage before our men were killed? The second point is that it appears the killings took place about six hours after the attack began. This tragedy demands answers. Not the “What difference does it make?” from former Secretary of State Clinton. And not the lies about the attacks being caused by some obscure video. Serious answers starting with, Mr. President where were you when the attacks in Benghazi were going on? What could have more importantly occupied your time than the Benghazi raid and the lives of our citizens? (If a soldier leaves his post and goes AWOL while his unit is engaged with the enemy, he can be charged with desertion.) And why have all the survivors of the Benghazi attacks been hidden from Congress? Why haven’t their names been released? Why are they prevented from telling their story? Transparent administration? It’s depending on you to be mute and stay uninformed . . . and so far, it’s working. (Bob Meade is a Laconia resident.)
LETTERS Thanks to Harry Bean family for skillful work on warming hut To The Daily Sun, Anyone traveling on Route 11-A near the Gilford Town Hall will notice that the former Gilford Outing Club warm-up hut has taken on a new and impressive appearance. It will not be long before the building is fully restored and added to the list of historic structures that have been saved from possible demolition. Harry Bean, a member of one of Gilford’s oldest families, recently came forward and volunteered to assist in the restoration project. He volunteered not only his services but also that of his construction crew, which consisted of his father, son, grandson, and an employee, Lou Sousa. During the initial meeting that was held to discuss the work required, Harry stated that he would be able to complete the work in a week. He and his crew did exactly that — they began on Monday morning and by Friday afternoon, he called us to let us know that the work was done and that they were moving on. He insisted that he did not want to be recognized for the volunteer labor he gave to this project. However, he and his
employees — his family — do need to be thanked for their thoughtfulness and generosity. They are truly dedicated to the town that their family has called home for many generations. Members of the Bean family never had a chance to belong the Gilford Outing Club — they were too busy working. Yet, they came forward and helped save one of the club’s historic structures, not for the recognition but because they felt it was the right thing to do. With that attitude, they would have made phenomenal members of the organization. The preservation of history is hard work, but it is rewarding and can bring out the best in people. There are some wonderful families living in Gilford, and the Bean family is one of them. We wish to wholeheartedly thank them for the skillful work they put into this restoration project. It has truly been a pleasure working with them. We are sure that the entire town appreciates their hard work, caring, and dedication. The Anderson Family Gilford
We need specifics: what Rx drug & what is the man’s ailment? To The Daily Sun, I found Hillarie Goldstein’s letter regarding Sarah Palin, death panels and a man who has to go to the emergency room every time he nears death because of some Obamacare rule to be highly suspicious. Firstly, a major goal of the ACA is to end the emergency room being the sole source of care for the uninsured. Hillarie Goldstein does not tell us what the drug that supposedly is not covered is so she makes it impossible to fact-check her. Very convenient, Hillarie!. Her story is very suspicious like all the nonsense that comes from the far right. I want to know what that drug is and what ailment the 60 year old suffers from that he has to go to the emergency room. No names. I understand privacy but in order for me not to suspect Ms Goldstein of being dishonest or just gullible, I have to be able to fact-check her. I see the ACA as a stepping stone towards universal health care. Sure, it has faults but it certainly beats a world where insurance companies can drop you when you get sick or refuse
to insure you because you have a condition. It beats a world where billions of dollars of unpaid emergency room bills end up jacking up everyone else’s premiums. Someone has to pay and it isn’t the people using ERs. Regarding all the whining about immigrant reform, that is fear mongering and in some, a degree of bigotry. Recently, over 100 conservative economists and the CATO institute have come out in favor of immigration reform because it will boost the nation’s economy. (http://americanactionforum.org/ topic/more-110-top-conservative-economists-send-letter-supporting-immigration-reform) Of course, we all know that the right wing obstructionist don’t give a damn about the economy or people in hard times. These high-functioning sociopaths will never be able to understand anyone else’s pain. They were born without empathy. Add to that the Obama Derangement Syndrome and there is a group that needs therapy. James Veverka Tilton