Today is the special election for state representative for Rockingham 32 [Candia, Deerfield, Northwood, Nottingham]. Need your votes.

Meanwhile, whatever the results your support has been AMAZING. I may not have Rick Perry or Carly Fiorina or Marilinda Garcia or Kelly Ayotte going door to door with me, or the Koch Brothers funding my campaign, but I have you.  Thank you.

Endorsement from the NH Alliance of Retired Americans

The New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans, representing more than 13,000 retirees, older Americans, and community activists throughout our great state of New Hampshire, endorses your candidacy for State Representative for Rockingham District 32, the towns of Candia, Deerfield, Northwood and Nottingham. 

Your positions demonstrate a strong commitment to improve the quality of life for all New Hampshire citizens.  Your proven track record in the New Hampshire House and your unwavering dedication to economic and social justice have earned you the respect of your neighbors, constituents and our organization. 

We thank you for co-sponsoring HB 1555 during the 2014 legislative session.  This bill provides protection for seniors, disabled and impaired adults, making it a crime punishable by imprisonment to exploit them in any financial manner.   Your continued advocacy, leadership and ability to work across the aisle in the New Hampshire State House will ensure that quality of life programs will be around for current and future generations.  Your involvement in your community, including cooking and serving meals to Deerfield seniors, being a library trustee and helping to start The Forum, a newspaper that has for 10 years provided local news to the four towns in Rockingham 32, has helped to make this area a better place to live. 

In closing, our members support your candidacy because you have proved that you will work to protect the rights of all our citizens and to safeguard our environment. If we can be of assistance, please contact Lucy Edwards, President of New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans.  We congratulate you on earning our endorsement.

Lucy Edwards, President Jane Lang, Executive Vice President

Letter to the Editor: Concord Monitor on Constituent Services

I believe the job of an elected official is to represent the interests of constituents and the people of New Hampshire and not to promote a political agenda.

While proud to be a Democrat, I can rightly claim to have worked across the aisle to get results. After two years of work, I was able to get a traffic signal installed at the intersection of Routes 107 and 4. Prior to my taking the lead, Republicans in Rockingham District 32 had been asked for years to deal with this dangerous intersection. None did. Since that light was installed, there has not been one fatal accident there.

At the request of constituents in Northwood and Nottingham, I sponsored legislation giving communities more control of resources, and concerning large groundwater withdrawals.

At the request of constituents in Northwood, I sponsored legislation giving abutters control of a dam at Jenness Pond.

At the request of constituents in Deerfield, I sponsored legislation reclassifying Pleasant Lake as a class A lake.

At the request of a constituent in Candia, I sponsored legislation concerning home wine making and promotion of New Hampshire-made products.

At the request of a constituent in Deerfield, I sponsored legislation seeking labeling of genetically engineered foods.

I have co-sponsored legislation with Republicans calling for cameras on state police, decriminalization of marijuana, disclosure of “model” legislation and transparency in campaign funding. I am particularly proud of co-sponsoring legislation [HB 155-2014]demanding stiffer penalties for neglect and exploitation of the elderly and disabled.

MAUREEN MANN

Deerfield

Endorsement by NEA-NH

Maureen Mann, a former educator and state representative, has been endorsed by the New Hampshire affiliate of the National Education Association – a union representing educators in public schools and universities – in the May 19 special election for Rockingham District 32, which encompasses Candia, Deerfield, Northwood, and Nottingham.

“I’m honored to have the support of my fellow educators,” Mann said. “As a former public school teacher, I know how important it is to make sure the public’s tax dollars schools are spent on keeping our public schools well-staffed and properly-equipped.” 

Mann, who has served 2.5 terms in the New Hampshire legislature, has a long record of advocating for properly funding the state’s public K-12 schools and universities. If elected, she has pledged to fight for a budget that ensures state dollars are used to fund public schools, rather than religious and private schools.

“Too many educators are forced to pay out of pocket for basic supplies that their students depend on, and education cuts will further downshift state responsibilities to our teachers,” Mann said. “Our government must properly provide for our public schools, so that they remain some of the best schools in the nation. Students and parents deserve nothing less.”

Mann, who won her March 31 primary uncontested, has also won the support of the American Federation of Teachers for the May 19 special election in Rockingham District 32.

Thanks for Your Support Jim Hadley

LTE In the Suncook Sun:

 Having read recent letters regarding the special election for state representative I needed to respond. The contest is between former state representative Maureen Mann of Deerfield and a newcomer, Northwood’s Yvonne Dean-Bailey, a soon to be full-time student at UNH.

The most recent letter by Ms. Dean-Bailey talks about ‘the success of the NH House passed budget’. One of the successes she claims is that there are no new taxes or fees imposed at the state level. However, she fails to mention that the House passed budget and related bills downshifts new taxes and expenses onto local property taxpayers. NH already has the third highest property tax rate in the country behind New Jersey and Illinois. Putting NH on the road to being #1 in property taxes should not be considered a successful budget.

The House passed budget makes sweeping cuts to state agencies that provide services to the elderly, disabled, the homeless, and the working poor. Their passed budget also discontinues New Hampshire’s expansion of Medicaid where 37,000 people will no longer have affordable access to healthcare. One would think that cutting these programs that are a lifeline for so many of our vulnerable citizens would be a difficult decision to make. Not so for the majority of House Republicans in Concord.

In a recent order issued by the NH Public Utilities Commission on April 17, it mentions that ‘the average retail price of electricity in New England is the highest in the continental US’. The House Republications voted to raid the dedicated funds which were earmarked for renewable energy projects for $50 million. They also voted to empty the state’s rainy day fund for $10 million. These actions were ill-conceived and short-sighted. Not considered successful by any means.

Please vote for Maureen Mann, a voice of reason.      

Jim Hadley

Northwood

NH Sierra Club Endorsement

Former New Hampshire state representative Maureen Mann has won the endorsement of the state’s most prominent environmental advocacy group. The New Hampshire chapter of the Sierra Club is encouraging members in Rockingham District 32 to vote for Mann in the May 19 special election based on her record of supporting the preservation of New Hampshire’s natural resources.

“We appreciate her support for winning solutions like energy efficiency and energy saving programs that the state has implemented,” said NH Sierra Club chapter director Catherine Corkery. “We also share her optimism that we can do more to address climate issues in New Hampshire.”

Mann, who was the chief sponsor of HB 660, a 2013 bill that would have required the labeling of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), previously won the NH Sierra Club’s endorsement during her 2014 re-election campaign, which she narrowly lost. Mann’s opponent, Brian F. Dobson, resigned shortly after his swearing-in, prompting a special election on May 19. Mann was uncontested in the March 31 Democratic primary.

“It means a lot to have the support of the New Hampshire Sierra Club,” Mann said. “I firmly believe that the Granite State’s natural resources belong to all of us. I’ll continue to fight for the preservation of our shared resources if the voters of Deerfield, Candia, Northwood, and Nottingham send me back to Concord.”

In 2014, the New Hampshire chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-NH) presented Mann with the Legislator of the Year award for her work on HB 660. Mann has also stood up for local control over energy projects that towns chose to support.

Thank you Paul Crowley for your letter of support.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/16644836-95/letter-mann-fights-for-taxpayers

Thank you to Fred McGarry of Deerfield for your support.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/community/town-by-town/deerfield/16644831-95/letter-a-republican-for-mann

Tourists come to NH every season of the year. Tourism is our second largest industry. Why are we passing a state budget which will harm that industry?

http://www.eagletribune.com/news/new_hampshire/state-budget-cuts-worry-nh-tourism-officials/article_d3608bd6-f92f-5992-8f7c-89459e0c60ed.html

Thanks to Mal Cameron for pointing out the truth about campaign financing in state rep races in NH. He did the obvious thing and checked for facts with the Secretary of State.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/16644763-95/letter-a-fundraising-primer

Stamp Money Out of Politics

Was invited to a meeting today with Ben Cohen,
co-founder of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Cohen is
working hard to get anonymous, unlimited campaign donations
out of politics. Honored to meet Cohen and Dan Gross who
owns the Euphoria Emporium oxygen bar in Manchester and
is involved in the same cause.

May 19 is Special Election Day for State Rep. for Rockingham 32

Polls open at the Candia Town Offices  [not the school] at 9:30 am and close at 7:00 pm
Polls open at the Deerfield Town Hall on Church Street at 7:00 am and close at 7:00 pm
Polls open at the Northwood Town Offices [not St.J Church] at 7:00 am and close at 7:00 pm
Polls open at the Nottingham Town Offices  at 8:00 am and close at 7:00 pm

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR VOTE!

Interesting map of what residents pay in property and 'sin' taxes in each state.  New Hampshire is the only state where more than 10 percent of state revenue comes from each of these taxes. Probably fine if you are high income. Not so fine if you are middle income or lower.

About Me Part Two: Legislative Work

Meeting with residents and DOT about traffic signal

This is a sampling of my work in the state legislature:

First, an accomplishment of which I am very proud. After two years of work, and help from Senator Jack Barnes and Epsom reps Carole Brown and Charlie Yeaton, I was able to get the DOT to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Routes 107 and 4 in Epson. This was a particularly dangerous intersection and at the time Deerfield students often drove to Concord High School as there was no bus transportation. 

I was also instrumental, again working with Senator Barnes, in getting road signs honoring Bob Johnson of Northwood and Joe Stone of Deerfield installed in their communities. Both were Republicans.

I have sponsored or co-sponsored bills at the request of each of the communities I represented.

I have sponsored several bills seeking to give communities [Nottingham and Northwood locally as involved in USA Springs] control of their own resources, and relative to large groundwater withdrawals. While local control has never been achieved, at least the permit granting period has been reduced to five years rather than 10 if a town is stuck with a company which does not complete construction during that time. Also, more local input has been granted in some instances.

I have sponsored bills:

Permitting abutters control of a dam at Jenness Pond in Northwood    

Classifying Pleasant Lake in Deerfield a Class A Lake; usable for town drinking water in emergency                                                                                                                                                 

Relative to municipal lease agreements for certain equipment.

Relative to the composition of public agency boards concerning housing standards.

Establishing a canine veterans day--deals with service dogs such as military, search and rescue, fish and game dogs.

Relative to the neglect of elderly, disabled, or impaired adults and relative to financial exploitation--stiff penalties for financial or physical abuse.

Requiring state police to wear a camera when interacting with the public.

Decriminalization of marijuana

Repeal of the Death Penalty

Home wine making 

Promoting of NH-made products

Town control over energy projects they chose to support

Signing town manifest--dealing with glitch affecting only 7 NH towns including Deerfield

Requiring collision insurance for motor vehicles

I have also sponsored two bills to prevent ALEC and similar out-of-state groups [left or right leaning] from writing legislation which is not acknowledged by the sponsors to be model legislation from special interest groups.

I have co-sponsored two bills dealing with transparency in campaign contributions and expenditures, and relative to reporting of campaign expenditures.  

Study committee on DOT policies on mitigating highway noise 

I was the prime sponsor of HB660 requiring the labeling of genetically engineered foods and agricultural commodities. In 2014 I was the recipient of the NOFA-NH Policy Maker of the Year award for my work on this bill.

I have also been the legislative liaison to UNH Co-operation Extension.

About Me Part One: Background

At my mother's teacher retirement party

Over the last month, I have attended Democratic caucuses in our four towns. I was asked to supply some background information and information on some of the bills I have sponsored. So thought I would also post it here. You can always contact me for more information at mmann@metrocast.net.

Background:  My father died when I was a child leaving my mother with five children under the age of 10.  I still have memories of the first year after he died when my previously stay-at-home mother applied for job after job only to be told they would not hire a woman with children as she would probably stay home from work if the children were sick, or not concentrate on her work, etc.

Finally she got a teaching job at an elementary school. You can be damned sure someone was almost dead before she missed a day at work. Two of the issues when she started teaching were that HS teachers received more than elementary teachers and men more than women. Through the union this was changed and she always spoke of how important union support was to her. The stability of her teaching job gave each of her five children the opportunity to pursue higher education but she particularly stressed it for me, the only girl, as she knew how importance independence and self-support were for women.

Through her experience I learned about the importance of equal treatment for women and other minorities, and the need to allow workers to organize.

When I graduated from college I had been accepted to graduate school but loved student teaching. So when I was offered a job at that school I took it. The first thing my mother said was to join the union. I ended up being a member of the contract negotiating team for many years.  I continued my education getting a M.Ed and went on for 45 credits beyond.

An initiative was passed in Massachusetts where I taught called Proposition 2 ½.  It decimated public education and one-third, about 11 teachers, were immediately let go from my Department. Because the person below me on the salary schedule was the brother of the chairman of the school committee I had a job but only a part time schedule which just covered health care. I had earned my RE broker license in the past so I went to work selling real estate.

I was quite successful and after a few years, still teaching two periods a day, I opened my own company with three other women.  It was a 24-hour-a-day job.  I continued doing this for about 10 years until we merged with another company. At that same time the union had made a decision not to allow part-time teaching so I decided to go back to teaching full time, and train new sales associates and do real estate part time.

I took early retirement when we moved to New Hampshire in 2000. Because I was used to reading a daily local newspaper, as well at the Boston Globe, I found it hard to get information about what was going on locally. So in 2005 I wrote the grant which resulted in The Forum. It has received several awards as well at the Knight Foundation award for citizen journalism. I have served in just about every position in the Forum.

My first real job, during high school, was in a library although I had done babysitting and was a Jr.  Counselor in a girl scout camp, etc prior to that. I have always loved to read and worked in the library [and dishroom and cafeteria] to help earn my way through college. I have been a Friend of the Library and volunteer wherever I have lived.

My first effort in Deerfield was to become a library volunteer and help revive the Friends of the Library. I have also served as a library trustee for several terms. I have volunteered with the Deerfield Community Church, supported the Nottingham UU Church, been a member of the MBC, a member of UNH Cooperative Extension, in charge of chowder for the Deerfield Fair, cooked and volunteered for Senior Lunch, and volunteered in several other capacities in the town. In 2006 I was given the Sherburne Award for service to the community of Deerfield.

In 2007 when the Honorable Robert Johnson resigned his state representative seat I was asked to run. I was successful and was elected again in 2008. I lost in the veto-proof Republican landslide in 2010, was re-elected in 2012 and lost again in 2014 to Brian Dobson who resigned the first day of the session to take a job with Congressman Frank Guinta. I served on the Committee on Public Works and Highways during all my terms, and was Committee Clerk during the last biennium.