January 1983 Legislative Journal

Author’s note from the future -

When I served my first term in the New Hampshire legislature Ronald Reagan was the President. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of Great Britain. Yuri Andropov was the Soviet Premier. There was a worldwide recession and a cold war. The 1981-82 recession was the worst economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression. There was 11% unemployment in the US. Money was tight and state government budgets, most having requirements to balance written into in their constitutions, were busted and in deficit spending. Government was out of money at the local level all over America. Paul Volcker and the Federal Reserve raised the federal borrowing rate to 20% in December 1980 and kept it above 16% until May 1981. American business and rank and file citizens were hurting.

Mark Knopfler summed up the worldwide mood in his song:

Why Aye Man

We had no way of staying afloat,
We had to leave on a ferryboat.
Economic refugees,
On the run to Germany.
We had the back of Maggie's hand,
Times were tough in Geordie-land.

I was twenty-seven years old when I was elected to the New Hampshire legislature. It was during my senior year of college at what is now named Plymouth State University. Back then it was named Plymouth State College. My Political Science professor, Dr. Robert G. Egbert, Jr., assigned this journal project to me in lieu of having to do the course work that the rest of the class undertook in his 400 level State and Local government class. I cannot thank Dr. Egbert enough. I wish that I had thanked him back then; he has long since passed from among us. But I did not. Not thanking him was bad form on my part.

This journal, more than anything, takes me back to a time that was one of the most formative periods in my life; second only to my experience in the US military. If not for Dr. Egbert this journal would not exist and my memories of that time would be clouded by the mists of time. I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday, let alone remember my legislative experience, day by day, from four decades ago; though I know assuredly this experience was my crucible, my teacher for all the years and decades that followed.

The bracketed paragraph opening my legislative journal was written specifically as a disclaimer. I wanted to make sure that Dr. Egbert would not judge the content by the many spelling and grammatical errors that were in the handwritten version of my journal. This account, in which I poured my experiences contemporaneously, was written on the fly in the state house cafeteria, more than one pub, and late at night after driving fifty miles from Concord, NH back to my home district. I kept my account in a lined paper journal with the red hardback covers. Old school.

[Statements contained herein do not represent my final opinions on the subjects covered. In fact, the ideas contained within this journal only represent the formative process to achieve resolutions to disputes that I choose to investigate. With the disclaimer, I shall feel free to be biased and prejudiced and to misspell any word I choose not to look up.]

Here I am watching a soap opera and contemplating tomorrow's official opening of the General Court of New Hampshire. I hope this will only be the first of many entries in my journal.

I am excited as hell about tomorrow. Too bad I am just a lightweight in the political arena, but such is my station. That is not to say that I am without a patron political saint, I have one in Executive Counselor Raymond Burton. He encouraged me to run for the legislature and he paid for my campaign literature. Much to my surprise, I won. The ball is in my hands now. I have the vote and the seat; it is up to me to use them properly.

I have already made points with the Chair of my committee (ED&A). Madame Chair, Representative Kay Ward, needed a ride to the initial meeting of the Committee, an informal meeting at the Vice Chair’s house, Hal Watson. By being selected to give the Chair a ride I was allowed to have her ear for about three hours. However, I must note that she did not offer to give me gas money. And she is a wealthy woman. I wonder why she neglected to pay me something. Maybe she felt that it was a tribute to her position, or something. I do not know why, but I sure did not ask for any money.

Even though I did not get the committee assignment I wanted, I am happy to have been selected to serve on the Executive Departments and Administration Committee (ED&A). I am told by the returning veterans that ED&A is a committee of some distinction - I am told this committee does a great deal of work and that many careers have been launched from it. It pleases me that I am what Kay Ward calls a member of the chosen ones. Well enough for today. At least for right now.

Well, I am here. Just went through the formalities of picking up the legislative license plates for my car and my ID card. Following that I signed up for a locker. And I was lucky, too. I was assigned a locker in the State House rather than in the Legislative Office Building (LOB) where most of the hearings take place and all the committee work is done.

What a big deal it is. Or it seems like a big deal. We all dress up in our uniform: tie, nice dress shirt, jacket, shoes, raincoat, scarf, brief of some sort, topped off with plenty of reverence for tradition.

You cannot guess just how important having those license plates is. Karen decided not to have the plates put on her car. I never drive it anyway; and according to her, "why pretend she is someone she is not." I decided it was her decision, but I agree with her. The plates would have made her car stand out more, something we do not need in a state with bi-yearly car inspections. Besides, the plates are more to soothe my ego than to serve any functional purpose.

It is quite amazing how cordial people are at the State House. They, the legislators, are a rather polite group; at least they are now. Who knows what they are like in the heat of battle. I suppose they can be quite tenacious, as they should be, by the way.

Today we will accept the popular vote for Governor and the Council. Following the session the Legislature will send a committee of veteran House and Senate members to carry the news to the Governor and Council (G&C). Following that they will escort the Governor and Council, tomorrow, to accept their offices and be sworn in. Tomorrow will be an exciting day. But little real business will be conducted other than that.

Following today's session, we will meet in committee for the purpose of electing a Clerk. Rep. Wayne King has been suggested by the Chair, but he is uncertain about the move. The Clerk's position can be stifling according to old hands. But never-the-less, he would become a member of Democratic leadership immediately.

He has been advised by the Minority Leader, Chris Spirou, to step away from the offer. He claims that it may be an effort to tie Wayne King's hands, therefore keeping him from fully participating in committee debate. But I do not believe that. Although it appears so on its face. Unlike on other standing committees of the House, Wayne King will have a secretary to take notes and do most of the paperwork. On any other committee (without a secretary) the charge made by Leader Spirou might stick.

Personally, I see it as a way to have a bright, attractive (Kay Ward likes her young men), and articulate Democrat as Clerk. By giving the position to a Democrat, she makes a mollifying political move, because she is under no obligation to appoint a Democrat with a Republican controlled House. Not only that, but Wayne King is also a freshman, and the freshmen outnumber the veterans 16 to 7. So, by appointing a freshman she reaches out and kills two birds with one stone.

The session just started. The old bird on my right keeps trying to see what I am writing. I hope he gets an eye full.

We are in recess awaiting a joint convention of both the Senate and the House.

Following the joint convention the House retired to individual standing committee meetings at which we, or rather the Chair, appoints the Clerk. Well, Wayne King accepted, and I think he will be pleased to have made this decision. The Clerks selection was complicated by the fact that a veteran member of the committee expected to have been chosen. In fact, she had already asked the Speaker's office for a parking assignment. One of the perks of leadership is a parking space in the LOB. That will come in handy considering that Wayne King and I carpool.

At the Committee meeting we outlined our agenda for the next couple of weeks. What was intended as a ten-minute meeting turned out to take one-and-one-half hours because of the windy nature of the Chair.

Today the Governor and Council were officially sworn into office. The House went into session at 10:30 a.m. awaiting the ceremony. We passed a few resolutions regarding House rules and so forth. Then at 11:20 a.m. the Sargent at Arms announced "Mr. Speaker... Irene Gallen, the first lady of the State of New Hampshire." The applause was enormous and brought everyone to their feet; and we stayed on our feet as the as the Sargent at Arms continued to inform the Speaker and the General Court about the arriving dignitaries. "Mr. Speaker... the New Hampshire Supreme Court and their escorts. Mr. Speaker... the New Hampshire Congressional delegation and their escorts... Mr. Speaker the honorable President of the Senate, Senator Vesta Roy."

This went on until 12:10 p.m. without us regaining our seats until the committee to escort the Governor entered Representative's Hall. "Mr. Speaker, the Governor Elect, the Honorable John H. Sununu." Just having regained our seats, awaiting the escort committee's return, we promptly gave the Governor a standing ovation.

Following the swearing in ceremony we pledged allegiance to the flag and sang our national anthem. After that great song, I was tempted to say to my seat neighbor, "So, who's on first?" But I thought it was better to keep quiet and be silently amused. Not that I do not get a charge out of the anthem, because I do get a charge from our national anthem, but because sometimes I feel irreverent at these types of ceremonies. But I observed decorum and kept my mouth shut.

Following the ceremony, we were given the treatment by a rabbi, a priest, a methodist minister, and last, but not least, a hell raising Baptist evangelical minister. What a day!

The House (joint convention) recessed, and everybody rushed to the Council chambers to run through the receiving line. But not this kid; no thanks. All I wanted was to get a letter of appreciation for Cleona Farrington signed by Executive Councilor Ray Burton and our delegation. Unfortunately, Ray has yet to sign the thing, so I contemplated getting in line and when I reached him, springing the document on him for his signature. In the end, however, I thought that would be tactless, so I abandoned the idea in favor of going home and getting it another day.

Stayed on the couch today and finished A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Great book. I love Twain; always have.

Karen and I have dinner with Tom Duffy and Phil Young tonight. We do not really want to go anywhere tonight, but we both love Tom and Phil's company. Besides they owe us a dinner or two.

Had dinner with Ray Burton, Wayne King and Diane King tonight. Great company, but I am getting frightfully ill with a seasonal cold. Always seem to catch one this time of year. Company left early, thank God. I retired immediately to the couch.

Stayed on the couch today and read "Last of the Mohicans." I feel horrible. Sure am glad not to have anywhere to go today.

Watched the football in the afternoon, NY Jets 44 and Cincinnati 17. Good game until the fourth quarter when NY scored three times.

Had class today. I still feel horrible by any account; and my account is all I care about.

We discussed the political, socio-economic, moral, and class differences between 6th century Arthurian England and 19th century America. Stimulating discussion but being sick made it difficult to rise to the occasion. I hope I was not rude today in class, but when I am sick my attitude can be so confrontational.