A front-page article in last week’s Ledger-Transcript (“Reps may stay on ballot,” Aug. 30) talked about two local state representatives, Rep. Matthew Santonastaso of Rindge and Rep. Diane Kelly of Temple.
They are advocating that New Hampshire secede from the union. The two “seceders” align with, or are members of, a more-significant bastion of bloviators known as the Free State Project. No one is certain how many of these people have slithered into the New Hampshire Legislature. It is estimated that there may be close to 20 currently wandering the halls of Concord, looking for something to be against.
Their antics in Concord are nothing but disruptive and are played out as some sort of game for them. They’ve accomplished zero but have distracted needed attention from all the other necessary activities of the New Hampshire Legislature. Dealing with them is like dealing with a room full of disruptive first-graders; however, the first graders make more sense. It’s time that the voters of New Hampshire pull the chain and flush this group down the drain.
Every political gathering of legislative wannabes, or media interviews of candidates, should have a question that says, “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Free State Project?” The follow-up question should be “Is it your desire, or do you have any intention of joining that organization?” Maybe the Free Staters won’t answer the question truthfully, but that question must be asked as part of an effort to expunge this disruptive infestation from our Legislature.
Locally, voters from Rindge and Temple can get the ball rolling by ensuring Santonastaso and Kelley aren’t returned to Concord.
Ted Leach
Peterborough