Quote:  “We can’t take the risk of even one potential threat entering our country, not after the carnage of Paris.”  That’s what First District Republican Congressman Frank Guinta,  said in a statement issued yesterday.

Guinta: Wants to block Syrian refugees

Guinta: Wants to block Syrian refugees

According to multiple news reports, a member of the terrorist group ISIS claimed refugee status to enter France and helped to stage Friday night’s bloody attack in Paris.  Guinta said the information underscores the need for greater scrutiny of refugees attempting to enter the U.S. and that the current occupant of the White House quote

“has demonstrated a dangerous lack of understanding about the true nature and aims of ISIS. The terrorist army occupies large parts of the Middle East and has stated the intention to kill Americans where we live.  A president who cannot define radical Islam cannot possibly vet thousands of refugees for radical Islamists,”

said Guinta, pointing out the Administration’s refusal to employ the term or to speculate about perpetrators of the Paris attacks, despite available evidence.

“Hours before ISIS conducted one of its biggest operations, the President claimed to have contained the threat.  He’s admitted to having no strategy.  So it’s up to Congress to fill the leadership void and protect our homeland, while we also maintain humanitarian efforts,” concluded Guinta, who signed a bipartisan letter to the President calling for an immediate stop to admissions of Syrian refugees and supports legislation requiring Congressional approval of refugee levels and thorough FBI and Department of Homeland Security background checks.

Ayotte: Authors letter

Ayotte: Authors letter

Meanwhile, Senator Kelly Ayotte co-authored a bi-partisan letter to the current occupant of the White House with Senator Mark Kirk, Republican of Illinois, saying quote

“We believe that an essential component of that effort is ensuring that no refugee related to the Syrian crisis is admitted to the United States unless the U.S. government can guarantee, with 100 percent assurance, that they are not members, supporters, or sympathizers of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh or ISIL.”

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia was the only Democrat among the six senators to sign Ayotte’s letter.

Hassan: Calls on administration to stop refugees, but stops short of refusing them in NH

Hassan: Calls on administration to stop refugees, but stops short of refusing them in NH

Governors in half the states say they will refuse to allow the federal government to settle Syrian refugees in their states, many issuing executive orders, as did Louisiana Governor and GOP presidential candidate Bobby Jindal, requiring their states to utilize all lawful means to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees.

According to news reports, even our own Governor Margaret Wood Hassan, who is running for the Senate against Ayotte, has called on the administration to halt the flow of Syrian refugees to the country until better vetting can be done, though she stopped short of saying the refugees would not be accepted in New Hampshire and has not issued any formal statement on the matter.

Governors in only seven states have said their states would take the refugees.  The balance have yet to speak.  In the North East, Vermont and Connecticut have said yes, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine have said no, Rhode Island and New York have not yet spoken.

Presidential Candidate Dr. Ben Carson has called on congressional leaders to move legislation to terminate all public funding for any ongoing federal programs that seek to resettle refugees and/or migrants from Syria into the United States through the Congress this week.

News from our own backyard continues after this.

Fisher Cats Stadium: Shoddy work presenting safety hazards, needs correction

Fisher Cats Stadium: Shoddy work presenting safety hazards, needs correction

The city of Manchester and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats continue to do an awkward dance over about a million dollars of work that needs to be done to Fisher Cats Stadium.  Aldermen on the Committee on Lands and Buildings received a letter and a personal visit from Fisher Cats’ owner Art Solomon proposing terms for the work that needs to be done to the city owned facility, which, among other items, includes a new fire suppression system and playing field.  Apparently, the original construction work was shoddy and needs to be corrected.  Solomon is offering to extend the team’s agreement with the city through the year twenty thirty five, upping what they currently pay to the city to amortize the bonds issued to build the stadium and sharing other costs at higher than current levels.

Among the issues on the field are poor drainage, pipes that lead to nowhere, bricks, rocks and other debris that come up through the sod and uneven surfaces that cannot be corrected.    The fire suppression system’s piping is inadequate to its task and there are several roof joints that are leaking which, if not fixed, will lead to much bigger and more serious problems.

Work on a revised agreement between the city and Cats will continue with the information provided.  It is expected that a final agreement will be read for approval by early to mid January.

That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next!

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