Bob Perry (right) with Gov. Howard Dean (left); July 26, 2009
photo by Marcia Moody
Additional commentary by Timothy Horrigan; August 2, 2011 & August 5, 2011
See Also:
In late July & early August 2011, I wrote two letters to the editor of the Dover (NH) Foster's Daily Democrat in support of my friend Bob Perry, who was running in a special New Hampshire House election against a Republican named Honey Puterbaugh. In addition to being a Republican, Ms. Puterbaugh is— or at least has previously claimed to be— a member of the New Hampshire Free State Project.
I will go in reverse chronological order and include some letters from my fellow state reps for context.
Here is my most recent letter, written August 4, 2011 and published the next day. My gushing praise of the awesome Bob Perry is effusive, but utterly truthful:
|
Original URL: or: |
|
"Choice of Verb" (August 5, 2011)
To the editor: My fellow Strafford County representative, Fred Leonard, was incensed (August 3 letter) that I used the verb "attacked" to describe what Pam Tucker was doing to Bob Perry. I stand by my choice of verb. It is understandable why Rep. Tucker attacked Bob (as did Rep. Leonard, Rep. Sam Cataldo and others.) Rep. Tucker wants her side to win the hard-fought special election in Strafford District 3 on August 9. I want my side to win, too. But, for me, there is more to it than that. Bob Perry is one of the most
honest people I know: sometimes honest to a fault. He
is also one of the most thoughtful people I know. He thinks
before he speaks, he says what he thinks, and he does what he says
he will do. If he takes an unpopular position, he never
denies having taken it. if he disagrees with you, he will
politely but firmly explain his thinking to you. If you
disagree with him, he will attentively listen to you. If he
makes a mistake, he quietly corrects it. When he does something
good, he lets others take credit for it. Most of all, Bob is 100% Bob.
He is exactly who he says he is. There is nothing phony
about him. I urge the people of Strafford District 3 to give
him their votes on August 9th in the special election. Timothy Horrigan |
Bob Perry (right) with Gov. Howard Dean (left); July 26,
2009
photo by Marcia
Moody
Rep. Sam Cataldo's (R-Farmington) letter ran on August 4, 2011. His insinuation that Bob Perry hates the constitution is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard— and believe me I get to hear plenty of absurd things in my line of work. The part about Bob being a "socialist" is pretty ridiculous as well: Bob is in fact a capitalist. As far as I know, Rep. Cataldo is not an expert on socialism: I am pretty sure he couldn't tell Karl Marx from Harpo Marx.
|
Original URL: or: |
|
"Bob vs. Honey" (August 4, 2011)
To the editor: Bob Perry, a Democrat, voted with the majority to increase the debt. He even voted on a bill when a child releases a balloon that would have cost the parent money. Mr. Perry, took an oath the two terms he served to preserve and protect the Constitution, "so help me God". When he stepped forward at my political booth on Hayday 2010, in the town of Farmington; a town in his district, and as my state representative, pointed at the U. S. and New Hampshire constitutions, and said, "... that has to go," I walked away in disgust. The next time he appeared with more comments on Election Day that I represented the party of "no" my reply was "yes I do, no to socialism." He is against parents' rights. "Providing that the state shall not abridge the right of parents to control the welfare and education of their children," he voted against your rights as a parent. He is against children and local control of education in the New Hampshire constitution is reestablished. All part of the socialist program to destroy our country, from within. And, lastly in the many votes he cast against the elderly, parents and children, he voted against: establishing the women's health protection act and relative to parental notification. Vote for Honey Puterbaugh. Honey is a candidate who will do her best to keep the state off your back and out of your face. She will support realistic revenue projections, budgets that address our real world needs.
Sam
Cataldo |
The inimitable Fred Leonard (R-Rochester) wrote the following. (He actually was pumelled pretty hard on BlueHampshire.com, and was banned twice in one week under twio user names— but only because he was a verbal bully) By Fred's standards, this is a mild diatribe:
|
Original URL: or: |
|
"How?" (August 3, 2011)
To the editor: I don't understand how Tim Horrigan makes the claim that Pam Tucker attacked Bob Perry when all she did was talk about his voting record and other public stances he's taken. I suggest if you want to see what a real attack looks like, then go to bluehampshire.com and read the posts on the New Hampshire Democrat's website. You will see that Tim and his friends take great joy in tearing people down on a very personal level. I think most of you know that real personal attacks on political candidates do little to focus on what's important to you. The special election for state representative on Aug. 9 in Barrington, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham and Strafford is about whether you want bigger government that cost more than most of you can afford as you all know Bob Perry represents or smaller government that allows you to keep more of what you earn as Honey Puterbaugh has pledged to work for. The labels of extreme and radical are only meant to scare you, but when you look at the alarming rate of government spending growth Bob Perry and his Democrat friends gave us from 2006 — 2010, it is clear what you really need to be afraid of. Please vote for Honey Puterbaugh.
Fred Leonard |
|
Rep. Leonard just couldn't let go of his annoyance with me— so he wrote a second letter, repeating his previous points while also attacking me for using the verb "to attack." It ran on Saturday, August 6: |
|
Original URL: or: |
|
"Not an attack" (August 6, 2011) To the editor: I'm still not sure why Rep. Horrigan insists on characterizing a discussion about Bob Perry's voting record as an "attack?" All Rep. Tucker, Rep. Cataldo and myself wanted to do was remind the people in Barrington, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham and Strafford that Bob Perry voted for over 100 new or increased taxes and fees. And that just nine short months ago the people in these towns said they had had enough of Mr. Perry. Bob Perry, Rep. Horrigan and his Democrat friends left the state with a $790 million deficit to clean up. Had the current legislature decided to fill that deficit with more taxes, it would me a $595 tax on every man woman and child in New Hampshire. So a family of four would have been burden with $2,380 in additional taxes and fees. I don't see where the attack is if all we are dealing with is facts.
State Rep. Fred
Leonard |
I wrote my first letter on July 30, 2011: it ran three days later in the August 2 edition of the Dover (NH) Foster's Daily Democrat.
I now feel a little bad about making fun of Marty Harty, the hapless 92-year-old rookie state rep who resigned 19 weeks ago after making some foolish statements. On Sunday, July 31, I was out canvassing for Bob, and one of the citizens on my walk list was one John Harty, age 50, of 8 Harty Way in Barrington. This is Marty's son, and that is Marty's address. John and Marty had a very good excuse for not being home, waiting to be canvassed: they were out working. (They sell collectibles and other merchandise at swop meets.) God bless him, neither age nor bad publicity can slow down Marty Harty. I met his wife, who was a very nice woman, who was good-humored about her husband's notoriety.
There were a couple of typos in the newspaper version (my fault) which I am correcting below.
|
Original URL: or:
|
|
"Attacked" (August 2, 2011) To the editor: Deputy Speaker Pamela Tucker attacked my friend Bob Perry (July 30) for being a Democrat, which is not shocking since Tucker is a Republican. She claims that Perry's voting record was "repudiated by nearly one thousand votes in 2008." Bob actually fell short of the low Republican (William Panek) by 902 votes, not a thousand. The high Democrat in Strafford District 3 (Dennis Vachon) fell short by 562 votes. 2008 was a wave election where many mediocre (or worse) candidates won just because they had the letter "R" after their names. The representative who resigned his seat a few weeks into his first term to make room for Bob Perry (or Honey Puterbaugh as the case may be) was not even the worst member of the Class of 2010. Marty Harty at least bothered to show up, and he did think for himself (even if some of his thoughts turned out to be bizarre.) That's more than I can say for some of his classmates. Rep. Tucker also attacked Bob Perry for supporting the 2009 increase in the Rooms and Meals tax: this increase was not rolled back during the 2011 budget cycle. She also attacks him for supporting an income tax: he never sponsored any income tax bills during his first two terms, and no income tax proposal ever came close to passing when the House Democrats held the majority. Bob's main priority as a state rep — and a citizen — is not tax policy, although he does favor reforming our state's antiquated tax system. His #1 priority is election law: he wants to make sure that the vote is counted fair and square. He wants to make sure that the next time someone like Marty Harty or Honey Puterbaugh gets elected, the people will at least know that he or she truly did get the most votes. Timothy
Horrigan |
Finally, here is
the letter I was responding to, which was dated July 30, 2011:
|
Original URL: or: |
|
"For Puterbaugh" (July 30, 2011)
To the editor: On Aug. 9, the voters of Strafford County, District 3 will have an opportunity to help keep the momentum of lower taxes, less spending and a smaller government going in New Hampshire. Honey Puterbaugh is ready to go to the State House in Concord and join with other like minded representatives who grew tired of a state government that simply would no longer live within its means. Honey Puterbaugh knows that New Hampshire has one of the highest business tax rates in the country; she is aware that the state has a spending problem and not a revenue problem. Ms. Puterbaugh understands that over regulation and taxation has hurt the businesses in our state. She is committed to reducing the excessive burdens on our businesses so they may provide job and economic growth within our state. The alternative to Ms. Puterbaugh's fiscally conservative philosophy is Robert Perry who, during his two terms in Concord, supported a progressive fiscal policy of an income tax, an increase in the Rooms and Meals Tax, and the LLC income tax on small business in New Hampshire. In the last election, the voters of Strafford County rebuked Mr. Perry's tax-and-spend voting record by nearly one thousand votes. He is looking to return to Concord and renew his attack on the New Hampshire Advantage. On Aug. 9, the choice is clear. Send Honey Puterbaugh to Concord to protect the New Hampshire advantage and help businesses create jobs for the people of New Hampshire. State
Rep. Pamela Tucker
|
See Also:
August 5, 2011 Foster's Daily Democrat editorial: "Free Staters: Voters deserve an answer"
Video of Honey Puterbaugh's spouse explaining their involvement in the Free State Project
Bob Perry on Doris "Granny D" Haddock & Campaign Finance Reform
Miscellaneous 2010 Election Law bills (Bob & I served on the House Election Law Committee)
My October 19, 2011 Foster's Daily Democrat op-ed; “Part Time Citizen Legislature”
|
|
