Transportation Secretary Norm Manetta announced yesterday that the federal government will impose new regulations on auto manufacturers in the US.

For the leftist position, which conveniently overlooks the US Constitution, economic reality, and freedom, go here:

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2006/2006-03-30-02.asp

For a different perspective, listen to this sound file.

Vive la France!

(plus, a little bit on immigration in the US)

Continuing our conversation about HB 1177, the regulatory bill that stands in opposition to the concept of private property and free exchange.

Peter Ames supports the passage of HB1177 in the state Senate.

You can hear his arguments here, and in part two.

As reported by "USA Today" and Newsmax.com, George Bush and the Republican-led House and Senate can now claim to have been so "compassionate" with other peoples' money, that they have brought about the most sizeable expansion in social spending in the history of the United States.

Write the folks as Newsmax:

"The expansion of benefit programs since 2000 has led to the greatest increase in social spending in American history - with entitlement programs now accounting for more than half of all federal spending, a new report shows.

A USA Today analysis released Tuesday of 25 major government programs - including health care, college aid and food stamps - revealed that enrollment surged an average of 17 percent from 2000 to 2005, while the nation's population increased by only 5 percent.

Enjoy.

The number for the Manchester Chamber of Commerce is 603-666-6600.

Conspirators may want to use it, often.

This is part two of two from "Against the Grain", as Gard and Charles look at the smoking ban, and other major items heading into the state Senate.

We continue, with the live coverage of the House vote on HB 1177, as Seth Cohn appeared on "Against the Grain" to report the vote as it happened.

MANY THANKS TO SETH COHN.

Find the Liberty Alliance at http://www.nhliberty.com/

As "Against the Grain" began, HB 1177 approached its inevitable victory in the NH House. This is the beginning of the coverage afforded the issue on WTNK, with Gardner Goldsmith, allies, and adversaries...

In addition to the brilliant idea of forcing kids who don't want to be in government schools to stay in them until they turn eighteen (SB 268), the NH Senate Thursday passed SB 399, which would grant extensive powers to the NH Secretary of Health and Human Services during "states of emergency".

These powers include the power to regulate the PRICES of drugs, commandeer drugs, block gatherings of fifty or more people, and medically cleanse private buildings.

This segment from "Against the Grain" studies this development in more detail, concentrating on what the pop media have not discussed

Just, listen, read, and try to control your anger...

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200603\POL20060315b.html

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Especially when government entities receive criticism, and try to portray themselves as "addressing the concerns of the people."

Case in point, the BBC, which was recently criticised for its leftist tilt in news stories.

Here is the link:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/14032006/325/new-future-outlined-bbc.html

On Tuesday, March 14, Nathan Greenberg appeared on WNTK with Gardner Goldsmith, to explicate his position on the recent education funding ruling by Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge Bill Groff.

Study his arguments, and come to your own conclusions.

On March 10, 2006, Dr. Terry Bennett, of Rochester, finally got to have a public hearing before the NH Board of Medicine. His license may be pulled because he was not pleasant enough when he told a women to lose weight.

This not only calls into question the priorities of our Attorney General's Office, which is involved in the "investigation" of Dr. Bennett, it calls into question the entire paradigm of licensing itself. Hear this and information the Governor's PR appearances, in this segment from "Against the Grain".

John Lynch has made greater political hay than any other governor before him by promoting his "Rapid Response Team", which races out to help newly unemployed people get onto unemployment, and receive "services".

Since the Lynch Adminstration has played up its use of the "Rapid Response Team" in high-profile cases of business closure, where the number of people affected is large, and ripe for media coverage, one has to ask, what standard dictates the use of the team? Can a group of employees at a small business get the same assistance; can an individual who loses his job? Will the "Rapid Response Team" fly out to help if there isn't a camera there?

More on NH and EEE.

During a panel on energy conservation and efficiency at the National Renewable Energy Lab, President Bush said that when new technology is available like hybrid or flex-fuel vehicles, it still takes a while to change a 220 million car “fleet” to a modern fleet. But Bush told listeners that he is talking about an evolution, not an overnight process.

Remember, this 'evolution' is not going to be directed by private citizens fulfilling their own wants and needs, it will be directed by government, taking peoples' money, directing it into avenues of investment they would not have freely chosen themselves.

As reported by Reuters, the British Parliament has passed a law that would ban smoking in all "public" places in the nation. This follows on the heels of a smiliar ban in Ireland that became law in 2004.

There are many issues involved here. The first is the fact that with this ban (which still has to go before the House of Lords, but is likely to pass there as well), the principle of private property has been destroyed. "Public" property is properly understood as that which is owned by the state, and which utilizes tax money to operate. Private property is that which is owned privately, which has required one's personal effort to acquire. Stipulating that bars, restaurants and clubs which are privately owned MUST operate under certain conditions runs contrary to the principle that government is created to protect our private property, and we are free to engage in free commerce using this property, as long as the result of the commerce is not to forceably harm the life or property of another.

This week saw George Bush give his State of the Union speech. In it he mispronounced "nuclear" at least four times, and said that by 2030, nearly 60% of the federal budget will be eaten up by "entitlements" such as Social Security and Medicare. Calling for fiscal responsibility, he said that something has to be done about this problem.

Does anyone recall the $800+ billion (in just ten years) liability he pushed through Congress two years ago, otherwise known as the Prescription Drug Benefit, or "Medicare part D"? Does anyone recall how his Congressmen and Senators voted on this patently unconstitutional program? Interesting questions to consider as one listens to the President.

Pinpointed by the Samurai Appliance Repairman (www.fixitnow.com), HB 1711 was discussed on "Against the Grain", on January 30, 2006.

The bill is warmly called "Amelia's Law", which, much like the insurance regulatory bill "Michelle's Law", is a bit premature. Like Michell's Bill, Amelia's Bill has a very strong chance of being passed, but that remains to be seen as of this writing.

The story behind Amelia's bill can best be described by Scott, the Samurai:

"This is House Bill 1711 which, in keeping with the current trend, is named after a little girl, Amilia's Law. The story is tragic"