By D.J. Bettencourt – April, 2014 State Senators should strengthen New Hampshire’s domestic violence laws and further protect our beloved four-legged friends. This month, the New Hampshire State Senate has the opportunity to strengthen New Hampshire’s domestic violence laws and further protect our beloved four-legged friends. House Bill 1410 provides our judges with flexibility in […]
D.J. Bettencourt While this special 10th Anniversary edition of The Valley Patriot represents a wonderful accomplishment for this publication, it also represents a personal milestone for the Bettencourt family. This month, the career of a man who is both very special to me and the Merrimack Valley region came to a close. After 37 years […]
By: DJ Bettencourt – February, 2014 Granite Staters might assume that New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan’s pledge to veto legislation passed this month to legalize marijuana would end the discussion of the issue for this legislative session. Instead, it has intensified the debate at a time when marijuana policy is making history and emerging as […]
By: DJ Bettencourt – January, 2014 The founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Fredy, once observed that, “those who find themselves first in physical exercises are also first in their studies because serious commitment in one area promotes the desire to be first throughout.” By first eliminating the national sport of baseball from its […]
By: DJ Bettencourt – December, 2013 The vast majority of Granite Staters know from experience that New Hampshire public schools offer an outstanding education for most students. But while many flourish in their assigned school, some students need a different educational environment. Every child learns differently, and all children hold within themselves their own particular […]
By: D.J. Bettencourt – October, 2013 Earlier this year, State Representative Cynthia Chase (D-Keene) opined on a fringe New Hampshire liberal blog: “Free Staters are the single biggest threat the state is facing today. There is, legally, nothing we can do to prevent them from moving here to take over the state, which is their […]
By: D.J. Bettercourt – September, 2013 A vote is the ultimate equalizer in American politics. The idea that every citizen, regardless of race, gender or background, is awarded the same power of choice and influence in the voting booth has been the backbone of the American electoral system. This has been predicated by the simple […]
By: DJ Bettencourt – August, 2013 As a general rule, when liberals lash out with nasty hyperbole against a political leader you can be almost assured that they are doing a good job. Such is the case with Maine’s Governor, Paul LePage. For those of us in the Granite State, we see Maine as a […]
By: DJ Bettencourt – July, 2013 (Other Pet Stories) SALEM- The Salem Animal Rescue League (SARL) today announced that the American College of History and Legal Studies (ACHLS), a two year undergraduate college located in Salem, NH, has become the first business member of SARL. Earlier this month, SARL announced that for the first time […]
By: D.J. Betterncourt – July 2013 One of the most intriguing questions for New Hampshire that emerged out of the 2012 elections that produced a Democrat controlled House of Representatives and Governor but a Republican controlled State Senate was whether all sides would be able to find common ground on the next state budget and […]
D.J. Bettencourt – June, 2013 SALEM, NH – Keller Williams Realty associates today donated their time to “Give Where They Live” as part of RED Day, one of the biggest events in the real estate industry. Short for “Renew, Energize and Donate,” RED Day was created to unite Keller Williams Realty offices and associates in […]
By: D.J. Bettencourt – June, 2013 All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the State. ~ Article 2A, New Hampshire Constitution Immediately following the 2012 elections, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan and legislative Democrats began filing legislation to strip Granite Staters of their […]
By: D.J. Bettencourt – May 2013 By any measure, the “Market Place Fairness Act” currently under consideration by Congress is terrible policy. However, its negative effect on New Hampshire and small business is particularly pronounced. The proposed legislation is an internet sales tax that seeks to force every on-line retailer with annual sales exceeding $1 […]
By: D.J. Bettencourt – APril 2013 The Mercatus Center, on the campus of George Mason University, is billed as an “education research and outreach center” and does something incredibly rare for an institution within higher education. It thinks seriously about freedom and how states can protect and expand it. Not ironically, Mercatus takes its […]
