The stakes are being raised and the chips are stacking up high in favor of renewed efforts to bring gambling and casinos into New Hampshire. The NH House Bill HB593 will be debated this week and has brought out of state and off-shore heavy hitters to Concord to secure lobbyists to pave the way through what they consider favorable conditions for passage.
Millenium Gaming, doing business as Cannery Casino Resorts has hired Robert Blaisdell, James Demers, and Thomas Prasol, of Demers and Blaisdell Inc of Concord, to act as their lobbyists in favor of HB593. According to NH Secretary of State documents Casablanca Casino LLC has secured the services of Rick G. Newman for the same purpose. Casablanca has the same address as Newman according to documents, but rolls their dice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
By coincidence Newman is the Lobbyist for Potts Gaming LLC which recently acquired the Lodge at Belmont where Newman is cited as the General Manager. Potts Gaming also owns a company called Elite Gaming which operates in...you guessed it, the Turks and Caicos.
New Hampshire Gaming and Entertainment out of Chicago is represented in NH by Dupont, Monahan, Barry, and Paschell of the Dupont Group in Concord.
As if Millenium did not have enough representation through it's Cannery operations, the owner himself, William Wortman, has hired Lucy C. Hodder as his personal Lobbyist.
Representative D.J. Bettencourt from Salem and State Senator Nancy Stiles have both supported the bill that may allow gaming in Rockingham Park (Bettencourt) and Hampton Beach Casino (Stiles).
Opponents of the bill have stated that the monopoly of casinos would detract from the 300 charities in NH which raise revenue by gambling events and invite a criminal element into the state.
Who is writing NH Laws and for what interests?
Monday, February 6, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Payday Loans
In his article, on January 28th in the Nashua Telegraph, Kevin Landrigan reported Governor Lynch's veto of SB160. Landrigan describes how "after lobbying by House GOP leaders and industry leaders" the tide seemed to have turned. Quoting Jamie Fulmer in the piece, an Advance America (sounds patriotic does it not?) frontman, “We look forward to working with New Hampshire legislators to encourage an override of this misguided veto.”
Fulmer wants to repeal current law, that caps payday loans at 36% APR, and increase it to almost 400%. With enough pressure it is possible that this law will be resurrected in some other legislation that will reach a veto proof majority of support. How could that happen?
Many NH politicians are listening to lobbyists instead of their constituents.
Advance America (AARC) in the weeks preceding the legislation had lobbyists Alexander K. Koutronbas and Erin K. Haas of Dennehy & Bouley in Concord, NH on their payroll. In addition to this formidable team Select Management Resources LLC (dba Loan Max) had no less than ten additional lobbyists working towards the same goals. Bianco Law firm of Concord had six assigned to the case according to the NH Secretary of State's documentation.
Lobbying is, like abortion, indefinate detention and loopholes in tax law, of course legal; but, at what point do we let lobbyists take over our government?
Landrigan reported that the original legislation was "authored" by NH State Senator Sharon M. Carson (R-14) of Londonderry but, seeing as she is a Civil Justice Task Force member of ALEC, it seems to have ALEC's fingerprints all over it.
Similar legislation has been highlighted recently by Susan the Bruce and Granite State Progress, now we know where these oddball bills come from.
Fulmer wants to repeal current law, that caps payday loans at 36% APR, and increase it to almost 400%. With enough pressure it is possible that this law will be resurrected in some other legislation that will reach a veto proof majority of support. How could that happen?
Many NH politicians are listening to lobbyists instead of their constituents.
Advance America (AARC) in the weeks preceding the legislation had lobbyists Alexander K. Koutronbas and Erin K. Haas of Dennehy & Bouley in Concord, NH on their payroll. In addition to this formidable team Select Management Resources LLC (dba Loan Max) had no less than ten additional lobbyists working towards the same goals. Bianco Law firm of Concord had six assigned to the case according to the NH Secretary of State's documentation.
Lobbying is, like abortion, indefinate detention and loopholes in tax law, of course legal; but, at what point do we let lobbyists take over our government?
Landrigan reported that the original legislation was "authored" by NH State Senator Sharon M. Carson (R-14) of Londonderry but, seeing as she is a Civil Justice Task Force member of ALEC, it seems to have ALEC's fingerprints all over it.
Similar legislation has been highlighted recently by Susan the Bruce and Granite State Progress, now we know where these oddball bills come from.
Friday, February 3, 2012
ALEC Invasion
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a corporate funded conservative organization that does more than lobby for its members. They draft laws in favor of them and get local representatives to sponsor the bills. Thought your state legislator's were writing your laws? Think again.
In the last two months more than eighteen corporate members of ALEC have descended upon New Hampshire and secured the services of registered local lobbyists to promote their agenda. Is it any wonder that Granite State Progress was able to recently expose seven pieces of such legislation brought to the floor of the NH House of Representatives?
ALEC did not come to the Granite State without first laying the groundwork for their success. Thirty members of the NH House are "affiliates" included among them two Democrats, Kris Edward Roberts of Keene, and Robert L. Theberge of Berlin. Two State Senators are in their club also.
Now swoop in the influence peddlers to rewrite our laws. Some names are familiar like: American Express, Bayer, Comcast, General Motors, and Walmart. Others are thinly disguised like RAI (Reynold's American Tobacco) and Altria (Altria Group previously Phillip Morris). How about Archer Daniels Midland? Astra Zeneca? Glaxo Smith Kline? Why are they so interested in New Hampshire?
Right to Work legislation hurts NH Union Members, dodgey education laws will hurt NH Children, scurrilous energy bills could defraud NH Landowners, and deregulation could jeopordize our NH Coasts and natural resources.
We need to keep ALEC out of our politicians pockets.
Full list of ALEC Corporations here.
Full list of politicians here.
Listing of their NH Lobbyists here.
In the last two months more than eighteen corporate members of ALEC have descended upon New Hampshire and secured the services of registered local lobbyists to promote their agenda. Is it any wonder that Granite State Progress was able to recently expose seven pieces of such legislation brought to the floor of the NH House of Representatives?
ALEC did not come to the Granite State without first laying the groundwork for their success. Thirty members of the NH House are "affiliates" included among them two Democrats, Kris Edward Roberts of Keene, and Robert L. Theberge of Berlin. Two State Senators are in their club also.
Now swoop in the influence peddlers to rewrite our laws. Some names are familiar like: American Express, Bayer, Comcast, General Motors, and Walmart. Others are thinly disguised like RAI (Reynold's American Tobacco) and Altria (Altria Group previously Phillip Morris). How about Archer Daniels Midland? Astra Zeneca? Glaxo Smith Kline? Why are they so interested in New Hampshire?
Right to Work legislation hurts NH Union Members, dodgey education laws will hurt NH Children, scurrilous energy bills could defraud NH Landowners, and deregulation could jeopordize our NH Coasts and natural resources.
We need to keep ALEC out of our politicians pockets.
Full list of ALEC Corporations here.
Full list of politicians here.
Listing of their NH Lobbyists here.
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