NH Govt. Threatens Julia Miranda!

[Nat F]

Unless Julia intends to get into a legal battle with the NH AG it appears she has to rescind her previous offer.  I would suggest that she do so and at the same time announce that she plans on refusing her city council salary and introducing a motion to reduce the city council salary to $0.  She should also announce that she plans on voting to return any unencumbered surplus to the taxpayers.  This has the effect of promising every taxpayer in Ward 4 (and the rest of Keene) money for voting for her, but doing so in a way that the NH AG has had no problems with in the past.  As an example for several years the Merrimack selectmen (now town council) has done exact same thing with their salary and surplus.

-Nat

[FreeKeene.com's Ian]

Here is the full RSA without the ellipses they used in the PDF:

659:40 Bribing; Intimidation. – No person shall directly or indirectly bribe or intimidate any voter not to vote or to vote for or against any question submitted to voters or to vote for or against any ticket or candidate for office at any election. Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty as provided in RSA 640:2 or RSA 640:3.

It has been made very clear during her campaign that she will be giving the money to people that vote in Ward 4, not just people that vote for her.

[FreeKeene.com's Ian]

Though, I suppose it could be considered a "indirect" bribe as if she does not win, no one gets paid.

[Nat F]

Here is the full RSA without the ellipses they used in the PDF:

659:40 Bribing; Intimidation. – No person shall directly or indirectly bribe or intimidate any voter not to vote or to vote for or against any question submitted to voters or to vote for or against any ticket or candidate for office at any election. Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty as provided in RSA 640:2 or RSA 640:3.

It has been made very clear during her campaign that she will be giving the money to people that vote in Ward 4, not just people that vote for her.

Not a lawyer, but I can see how the NH AG might consider it an indirect bribe since only by her election will the voters of ward 4 be eligible to win one of the "lotteries".  Another alternative to what I mentioned above would be to put up the $8,000 and conduct the 16 "lotteries" win or lose therefore giving no one an incentive to vote for you, only an incentive to vote.  However this might require some sort of lottery permit from the government in order to avoid other potential entanglements.

-Nat

[Nat F]

One more thing - This sounds like a great way to get a lot more free publicity.  Come up with a strong response and publicize it across ward 4 and the rest of Keene.  Just like the recent article on Mark this is a great opportunity to get Julia's name out there on the front page since a threat from the NH AG should be interesting to any local paper.

-Nat

[Tom Sawyer]

I think it may be another opportunity to make the front page of the newspaper.

NH Attorney General threatens to arrest candidate

She can always change direction, but perhaps should use this threat to her advantage. It seems that the powers that be can be counted on to do the aggressive, arrogant, wrong thing and inadvertently give wind to our sides sails.

[MengerFan]

One more thing - This sounds like a great way to get a lot more free publicity.  Come up with a strong response and publicize it across ward 4 and the rest of Keene.  Just like the recent article on Mark this is a great opportunity to get Julia's name out there on the front page since a threat from the NH AG should be interesting to any local paper.

-Nat

I second this sentiment. This election should be a slam dunk now. Rescind the statement to be in compliance, and then use this letter at every turn to expose the hypocrisy and corruption inherent in the system.

"bribe" is defined as "[a] price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promise with a view to pervert the judgment of or influence the action of a person in a position of trust."

This is the very definition of what politicians do. Call them out on it.

Julia's new campaign song should be "I've got a golden ticket."

[FreeKeene.com's Ian]

Words are very important to these lawyer types, so I find the wording here very interesting:  (emphasis added)

Accordingly, you are hereby ordered to Cease and Desist from making
this statement or any other statement to the voters of Ward 4 which violates RSA 659:40.
Moreover, we encourage you to immediately Rescind your October 26,2007 bribery comment,
via public notice in a newspaper or other publication of general circulation to the voters of Ward
Four (4). Failure to comply with this Order may result in an enforcement action and/or
prosecution in New Hampshire Superior Court.

It is very clear that she is being "ordered" to no longer make such statements.  However notice that they only "encourage" her to rescind her earlier comments.

Also, isn't it curious that they sent her this "cease and desist" when if indeed she was in violation they could've simply charged her.  Were they just being nice or do they have no case?

[FreeKeene.com's Ian]

Full text of their "order" has now been posted in the first post.

[d_goddard]

I concur with what others have said here:

1. Choose your battles. I don't see that fighting this one is going to make anyone better off.

2. Simply not accepting the salary is quite easy to do, and allows her to say truthfully that she has returned her salary to all the taxpayers of Keene

3. Publicize, publicize. Time to contact all the media and let them know that Julia is promising to give her paycheck to The Taxpayers of Keene

[Bald Eagle]

During the interview, you stated that if elected you would give up your $2000.00 per year salary and conduct sixteen (16) separate $500.00 prize lotteries, comprising of your sixteen (16) paychecks you would receive over the course of your four-year term. You stated, the lottery would be restricted to the voters on the voter checklist in Keene's Ward Four (4), the Ward in which you are running as a city council candidate. In essence, you stated to the voters in Ward Four (4), that if elected, they have an opportunity, on sixteen (16) separate occasions to win $500.

Run a paper candidate that promises to run a lottery where the "winners" PAY $500, and the council member will use that to throw lavish parties or buy favors for his politically well-connected friends.  A giant penis will be erected in the new Keene traffic circle in honor of the Attorney Genital.

[FreeKeene.com's Ian]

I have to run out and produce Mark's television show, but here is a rough draft of a press release.  Your thoughts?

New Hampshire Attorney General Threatens Julia Miranda

Ward 4 City Council candidate Julia Miranda has been threatened with one to seven years in state prison by the New Hampshire Attorney General.  In a "Cease and Desist Order" sent to Miranda today, the Attorney General alleges that Ms. Miranda's offer to give away her $500 city council paychecks to randomly chosen Ward 4 voters amounts to "a direct or indirect bribe".

Throughout the campaign Ms. Miranda has made it clear that the money will be given to those who vote in Ward 4 in this election, meaning that anyone who votes for her opponent also qualifies to receive the money.

The purpose of these giveaways was not to bribe voters but to prove that Ms. Miranda is serious about lowering taxes.  So, instead of shoving tax dollars in her pocket, she intended to return them directly to taxpayers.  We at the Miranda campaign find it interesting the Attorney General chooses to threaten Ms. Miranda when candidates of all stripes frequently promise voters all forms of monetary "benefits" in order to get their votes. 

For example, if a politician promises upon election to increase the pay of all bureaucrats in the city, does not not amount to a direct bribe?  Apparently, it's okay for big government candidates to promise to give taxpayer dollars away to voters via government programs but it's not okay for small government candidate Julia Miranda to give away her paychecks?

As she is not interested in spending any time in New Hampshire state prison, consider this public notice that Julia Miranda officially rescinds her offers to give away her city council paychecks.  She is as of now considering other options like contributing her paychecks to local charities.

[d_goddard]

I would advise NOT publicizing the AG's letter, because most people would have a knee-jerk reaction against anyone who is receiving letters like that from the AG.

Agreed.

[error]

Trying to cover it up would be a very bad idea, I would think, as it would almost certainly come out anyway.

[toowm]

I think the key points should be:
1. Julia is serious about lowering taxes.
2. She could return her paycheck if elected, but that still lets the city spend it.
3. She came up with the idea of giving it back to taxpayers.
4. She's been informed that this could be construed as influencing the election
so
5. She won't be giving it away and may just return it.
6. If elected she will work hard to lower taxes for everyone.