On Wednesday, November 2, senior members of the NH House and Senate announced plans to meet on November 16 in order to pass a special resolution that would funnel $17 million in "emergency assistance" to families having trouble paying their heating bills.

Both House Speaker Doug Scammon, and Senate President Ted Gatsas are in favor of moving state "surplus" funds (recently discovered, after the Lynch adminstration accused former Governor Benson of creating a funding deficit -- Surprise, Surprise!) into these "charitable" uses.

There is nothing "charitable" about theft, no matter how it is portrayed, excused, or rationalized by politicians, the very politicians who were given seats of power in order to protect our individual lives, livelihoods, and property from threats by others.

Today, Governor John Lynch will visit Berlin, where a Church Bingo game will welcome him back for the first time since his campaign. It does seem ironic that a governor who stated last night on NH Public Television that he is on the fence about "legalized gambling" should oversee a state-run numbers racket in the form of the lottery, and feel happy about visiting a quaint gambling hall run in a church. He seems to favor all sorts of legalized gambling, except that which gives EVERYONE the choice to play or not to play, to run a casino, to run a video gambling hall, etc.

Freedom to establish business, and the potential that such business could also invite higher levels of crime, traffic, etc., is eternally tied to freedom in general. Establishments that do not cater to gamblers -- establishments such as stores, movie theatres, and bars -- all run the risk of increasing the crime rate in the areas in which they operate, yet we do not look to the NH state government to ban or allow them. We leave it to the local communities. Gambling ought to be seen in the same light.