Catch my video asking Mayor Joyce Craig for a full, public inquiry into the deadly debacle at the Quality Inn last week.
Worried about the increasingly dangerous policing, lockdowns, and new police cameras being introduced without any public input? Join me at City Hall on Tuesday, April 9th at 5PM for a rally–1984 Is Not an Instruction Manual–to highlight these issues. You are also welcome to provide 3 minutes of public testimony at the Alderman meeting that starts at 6PM.
My LTE from today’s Union Leader:
“Demand full inquiry
To the Editor: Last week, Manchester SWAT working with the DEA deployed chemical weapons on two twenty-something small-time drug users in a hotel near Exit 1, where they died. News articles already fail to mention this use of gas, so I can only assume the official narrative will attempt to ‘memory hole’ this damning detail.
Should we believe the official version? We have no way to vet the information provided because after the unlawful 2016 West Side Lockdown, the police ‘solved’ our concerns about transparency by secretly encrypting their scanners, destroying years of tradition, and leaving law-abiding citizens in the dark.
How do we know these LEOs are ‘ones we can trust,’ rather than ones on the blacked-out Laurie’s List of misconduct the AG is actively fighting to hide from us.
Why is the DEA operating in Manchester, expending meaningful resources on small time drug users (the dead 26 year old was out on bail for 0.4 grams of crack cocaine).
Was the public at large more or less safe during this debacle? Someone doing coke in a hotel room puts me at 0% danger…
Who pays when businesses on South Willow, like Starbucks, are closed down for hours?
Who pays for the unlawful displacement of hotel guest and nearby residents?
Who pays for the damage to our Queen City’s reputation, based on what sounds like an operation that went rogue and escalated unnecessarily?
Manchester residents all pay, but the buck must stop at Mayor Joyce Craig’s desk: Demand a full public inquiry.
CARLA GERICKE
Hooksett Road
Manchester”
One of my key issues is government transparency because without access to information, we have no way to hold our government employees accountable. Without transparency, there is no accountability, and without accountability, taxpayers are… screwed.
The NH Constitution, uniquely among most states, has an article specifically on its citizens’ Right to Know. It states:
Art. 8. Accountability of Magistrates and Officers; Public’s Right to Know. All power residing originally in, and being derived from, the people, all the magistrates and officers of government are their substitutes and agents, and at all times accountable to them. Government, therefore, should be open, accessible, accountable and responsive. To that end, the public’s right of access to governmental proceedings and records shall not be unreasonably restricted.
Open. Accessible. Accountable. And responsive. AT ALL TIMES.
This is what I stand for!
For too long, New Hampshire has been moving away from these key protections. The AG’s office now expends meaningful resources on redacting information–imagine if we used those resources to be open, accessible, accountable and responsive instead!
This week alone, the Union Leader has featured several articles outlining situations where local officials are saying we don’t have a "Right to Know."
There’s this one, about the Laurie List, which names 171 police officers who have been found to have credibility issues such as: using excessive force, lying under testimony, committing sexual harassment, and falsifying reports.
Mind you, we’re not even talking about disciplining these people… we are simply asking to KNOW WHO IS ON THE LIST. Instead of providing the information to the Union Leader and the NH-ACLU in response to their RTK filings, the AG’s office sent a response with all the names blacked out. Is this what we want in the Granite State?
To make matters worse, Senior Assistant Attorney General Francis Fredericks said: "Disclosure would amount to an invasion of the officers’ privacy." Unacceptable! The ACLU said this position creates special treatment for police officers:
“The public has a right to know whether officers serving them have engaged in conduct that impacts their credibility or truthfulness. As the New Hampshire Supreme Court has repeatedly explained, the public interest in disclosure is great when it will expose potential government misconduct."
In this one, a local police department refused to let a reporter inspect documents for free, instead insisting he pay copying fees to see the files. At a dollar a pop/page in some jurisdictions, this is cost prohibitive for many Granite Staters, and is designed to have a chilling effect. It is designed to stop you (and the press) from getting the information you seek. Again, unacceptable!
I serve as a board member at Right to Know NH. I talk the talk, AND I walk the walk. This volunteer organization worked on several good bills that were introduced this past legislative session, including an Ombudsman Bill that makes it easier for you to get access to information.
As your Senator, I will push through these kinds of protections. I will also work to rollback the troubling trend towards hiding behind illegitimate excuses. And I will always work to ensure your government remains open, accessible, accountable, and responsive to YOU.
Please support me next Tuesday, September 11th in the Republican primary. I ask for your vote on November 6th.
Yesterday, I introduced a new series called “In Case You Missed It” featuring past Letters to the Editor, newspaper articles, supporter letters, etc. The goal of these short videos is to show voters of District 20 that I am engaged in local politics, understand the issues, and have a track record of sticking to my limited, Constitutional government principles.
In this video, I cover my recent Union Leader LTE that asks: How open is NH government? Hint: Not much. (Don’t shoot the messenger, instead, elect me to fix it!)
On Tuesday, I attended a meeting of Granite State Taxpayers at Murphy’s in Bedford (pictured with former Supreme Court Justice Chuck Douglas, and Ray Chadwick of Granite State Taxpayers–go show this new Facebook page some lurv!).
It was fascinating to learn more about this Fall’s proposed Constitutional amendment that will restore traditional taxpayer standing after it was stripped away by the courts. CACR 15 will appear on the ballot for YOU to vote on–YES!!!
Unlike the incumbent for District 20 who was one of only two senators who voted against CACR 15, I will be voting in favor of this Constitutional amendment. I hope you will too!
If you are looking for a senator who will protect YOUR wallet (and your rights), I’m your gal!
Here’s my Letter to the Editor in today’s Union Leader:
To the Editor:
"We like to pretend our government is open and transparent, but is it? In the category of “Public Access to Information,” according to a 2015 Center for Public Integrity study, New Hampshire ranked 49th out of 50 states.
Several bills designed to make improvements were killed this legislative session. I sat in on testimony and was shocked to learn the AG’s office dedicates meaningful resources to redacting what should be public information. How Orwellian!
The AGs office recently offered Right-to-Know training to the Home Education Advisory Council. Sounds great, right? But, this training session was not open to the public. Why is the AG’s office doing training of Sunshine laws in secret?
I am running as a Republican for State Senate in District 20. I am a board member of Right to Know NH, a volunteer organization dedicated to improving government transparency. We also offer RTK training and services. You can learn more at: https://righttoknownh.wordpress.com.
How can we hold our officials accountable if we don’t even know what they are doing? We can’t, and the system is designed to protect the government, not you.
As your senator, I will work to pass laws with teeth that improve our Right to Know. I will also disclose my votes, regardless of whether roll call was taken. I promise to be accountable to you, the taxpayer. Our government belongs to us, we pay for it, and we have the Right to Know what it is up to!
Sincerely,
Carla Gericke
I was honored to be featured on the Tom Woods Show yesterday.
We talked about my NH Senate race, the positive changes I have made in my life, and why I believe District 20 is ready to elect me to office in order to preserve and expand the liberties we find in our great Granite State.
You can also catch a previous show from 2014 about my landmark 1st Amendment 1st Circuit appeals court case and my early life growing up in South Africa here.
Like what you hear? Please donate to my race. Every little bit helps!
Have an event in District 20 you would like me to attend? Email me at carla (at) carla4nhsenate (dot) com.
Looking for an easy way to show support? "Like" my Senate Facebook page.
If you like my positions and don’t live in District 20… tell a friend or family member who does! Word of mouth is a powerful tool.
Thank you for your support! Let’s do this!