What is the Local Government Center (LGC) and New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA)? They are nonprofit organizations that have legal features of both government and private entities (aka, quasi-public or quasi-private) much like the Rockingham Planning Commission, or the Granite State Future. None of the positions held in these organizations are through election.

Establishments of this ilk continue to multiply and flourish in New Hampshire and there is very little notice of the detrimental consequences affecting the rights of New Hampshire’ citizens.

On April 9, a hearing was held on changes proffered by the LGC and NHMA to the people’s Right-to-Know Law, RSA 91. The following is the text of the change: (k) Consideration of written advice or information from the public body’s legal counsel.

This addition would exempt from public scrutiny any pertinent documents of the people’s business that a board does not wish to make available to the public by invoking attorney-client privilege. This change is an assault on the State of New Hampshire Constitution Part First Bill of Rights [Art.] 8.

When most of us are dutifully earning wages to meet our family responsibilities, lobbyists, paid employees and attorneys are petitioning our elected officials at hearings we are unable to attend, which contributes to the burdensome and irresponsible increases forced upon us by federal, state, county and town governments and last but not least the ‘Sacred Cow’ aka the public school system.

We are tired of funding these onerous institutions through dues, fees and salaries included in our town and school budgets, which are in turn used to promote special interests that circumvent the New Hampshire State Constitution as well as New Hampshire RSA laws always to the detriment of the people. In layman’s terms we are financially contributing to our own political demise.