Governor Benson's address won high praise from all corners for its energy and optimism. But opinions varied on its substance.
On inauguration day all governors get standing ovations, and all ambitions seem more attainable. But for Republicans who faced the last six years with a Democrat in the corner office, That seemed particularly true. After Craig Benson's speech and its literally dozens of references to bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to state government...many members of the GOP seemed almost intoxicated with the possibilities. Stratham House Rep. Rogers Johnson.
This is a new approach absolutely positively new. And the emphasis should be place on this one fact. This new approach should be embraced because there is anew enthusiasm that's going to help us solve these problems that to be solving these problems that didn't exist in the past...That's what you should take from what you just heard.
Those on the other side of the aisle, tended to see Benson's ascendancy in slightly different terms.
"La plus ca change, la plus le meme chose"
House Democratic leader Peter Burling.
Inaugural always seem at the moment like great ne instances - in fact they are part of a great continuum. I look forward to seeing what this continuum is and seeing how to shape it.
Other Democrats also pledged to do their best to influence state policy, and said they'd like to help Benson achieve some of his stated objectives. But many, like Senate minority leader Sylvia Larsen left Reps hall in want of far more policy specifics. Senate minority leader Sylvia Larsen.
He touched on health care for example, but he didn't give us any of the details in terms of how do you work on affordable health care for the uninsured. How do you help those who are self employed continue to find affordable health insurance. We need that kind of initiative but we didn't find any of it today.
Manchester mayor Bob Baines echoed Larsen's concerns - particularly in regard to school funding.
I was pleased to hear the governor talk about solving the education crisis. But then we didn't really hear very much about how he's going to do that. That needs to be addressed in a forthright manner. I could hear all the mayor's being a little uncomfortable. Because when you talk about the state not meeting its responsibility, that often translates into more of a burden on the local property taxpayers and that's not right.
But not all the mayors in attendance seemed as worried. Franklin's Tony Guinta said the Governor's plan to bring market forces to public education was a step in the right direction. And for Berlin Mayor Bob Danderson, Craig Benson's life story is more than enough proof he'll do right by New Hampshire.
He was no different than me or any other middle American, and was able to create 7000 jobs. And I'd like to be very much like him because I believe that if you have a dream you can develop something. And that's what he's doing - encouraging all the citizens of New Hampshire to build upon their dreams.
But to at least one longtime statehouse denizen - Hopkinton representative Richard "Stretch" Kennedy - It is Craig Benson who may be dreaming if he thinks the entrepreneurial spirit can change the basic lay of the land.
Sounded real good, but you have 24 primadonnas in the senate. You have 400 feral house cats in the house. And if he can figure out how to corral them all, maybe we'll get something done.
