shortand
longversions of these FAQs?
shortanswers to these FAQs any less correct?
shortand
longversions of these FAQs?
Different people are able to understand different subjects with differing degrees of complexity. Some people may read a long or complicated answer and find it confusing. Some people may not have the time, or just not care to read a long answer. Other people may read a short answer, but end up wanting more detailed information. If you're reading a long answer to an FAQ on this list but don't understand it, or you want just a summary of it, consider reading the simpler version of the answer. If you find the shorter answers too simple and are looking for more subtlety and depth, consider reading the longer versions. Making both detailed and simplified information available helps to ensure that this information is most easily understandable to the greatest possible number of people.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
shortanswers to these FAQs any less correct?
Whenever trying to simplify a complex issue, generalizations necessarily need to be made. The danger in doing so, of course, is that one may end up oversimplifying matters. While the short anwers to these FAQs represent simplified versions of the longer answers, every effort has been made to ensure that the simplified versions still remain as accurate as possible.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
Yes, my full legal name is human. It's just one word. There is no first/last name. See the answer to the next question for more information.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
It's a Zen thing. Spiritually, I identify primarily as a member of the human race. Being human is a way of demonstrating emptiness, by being an example of it, myself.
This could perhaps best be explained by quoting William Shakespeare:
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. ... What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. --Juliet, Act II, Scene II, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
What I am is a human being looking out for the rights of other human beings. Being human is a way to show what I really stand for.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
The sample ballot for Ward 6 is available HERE (WWW), as well as from the 2015 Municipal Elections section of the Rochester city clerk's official Web site.
As you can see, my name will be listed on the ballot as
HUMAN
:
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The municipal election will take place on November 3, 2015.
All polling places (see next question) will be open from 8:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
These dates and times were accurate as of September 1, 2015. N.H. state law, RSA 659:4, Hours of Polling in Municipalities (WWW), requires that polls be open at least from 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Section 49 of the Rochester City Charter (WWW) requires that polls be open for a minimum of nine (9) hours. You can also find polling dates and times using the Polling Place Search tool on the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Web site. However, some of the information provided by the tool has been known to be innacurate or out-of-date. To make sure that you have the most up-to-date information on polling dates and times, check with the city clerk.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
Only residents of Ward 6 in Rochester, N.H. will be able to vote for me. Are you a resident of Ward 6? The easiest way to tell is by where you normally vote...
Residents of Ward 6 vote at the
Elks Lodge on Columbus Avenue.
It's on the west side of Columbus Avenue,
between Portland Street and Dreyer Way.
Note: The street addresses on this
part of Columbus Avenue were recently renumbered.
Although the Elks Lodge is still in the same
place, its official street address has changed
from 41 Columbus Avenue
to 295 Columbus Avenue.
(Select image for a larger version)
If you don't know which ward you live in, you can find out by looking on this PDF map. You can also look up your street address in this table, or in the PDF version of it. The latest versions of the table, the PDF version of it, and the map can all be found on the city clerk's official Web site.
You can also find the ward number, polling place, and polling hours
for a given street address using the
Polling Place Search tool
on the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Web site.
Make sure to select the option By Street Address,
select the city
Rochester,
and then choose your street. (Note that this tool utilizes a
CAPTCHA and requires that cookies be enabled for the domain
cfs.sos.nh.gov. If you don't have cookies enabled
for that domain, the tool won't return results for your query.)
Beware that some of the information provided by this tool has
been known to be innacurate or out-of-date.
To make sure that you have the most up-to-date information on
polling places and times, check with
the city clerk.
| Ward | Polling location | Can I vote for human? |
|---|---|---|
| Ward 1 | Tara Estates/Club House 53 Eagle Drive East Rochester, NH 03868 | No  |
| Ward 2 | Saint Mary's Parish Center 71 Lowell Street Rochester, NH 03867 | No |
| Ward 3 | Briar Ridge Estates/Club House f/k/a Lilac City Estates 2 Roseberry Lane Rochester, NH 03867 (Located behind Park Office located at 40 Lilac Drive.) | No |
| Ward 4 | Rochester Home Depot 280 North Main Street Rochester, NH 03867 | No |
| Ward 5 | Rochester Community Center 150 Wakefield Street/Community Way Rochester, NH 03867 (Chestnut Hill Road Side of Building) | No |
| Ward 6 | Elks Lodge #1393 295 Columbus Avenue Rochester, NH 03867 | Yes!  |
Note: Polling hours for all of the above locations are from 8:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. These locations and hours were accurate as of September 1, 2015. For the most up-to-date information, check with the city clerk.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
See the answer to this question.
There is no shorter answer to this question. (Find an error?)
The Voting In New Hampshire page on the Web site for the Elections Division of the New Hampshire Secretary of State has a great deal of information about how to vote and register to vote, including:
Depending upon what proof of identity, age, citizenship, and domicile you have, you might be asked to fill-out a Domicile Affidavit (WWW) and/or Qualified Voter Affidavit (WWW). The Elections Division also offers a page with Election Forms that you can download.
You can also use the Voter Information Look-up tool on the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Web site to find out specific information about your own voter registration.
There is no shorter answer to this question. (Find an error?)
Even if you won't be in town on election day, you can still vote for me by getting an absentee ballot.
How to vote by absentee ballot is explained on the How to Register to Vote in New Hampshire page on the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Web site.
You'll be asked to fill-out an application for absentee ballot (WWW), or submit a written request containing substantially the same information.
There are separate Absentee Voters Instructions (for towns that handcount the ballots) (WWW) and Absentee Voters Instructions (for towns using Accuvote Voting Devices) (WWW).
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
Some information about elections and voting is available on the Rochester city clerk's official Web site.
You can also call the office of the city clerk at (603) 332-2130 during business hours, Monday - Friday, from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., or stop by the office in Rochester City Hall:
City Hall - City Clerk's Office Room 105 31 Wakefield Street Rochester, NH 03867
There is no shorter answer to this question. (Find an error?)
My top priority as a city councilor would be to ensure that city government operates in compliance with law, including bringing our city back into compliance with the many laws that it is currently violating. I plan to hold our new mayor, City Council, and ALL city employees fully accountable to the rule of law, because conducting city business in accordance with law is really the essence of being a public official.
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The City of Rochester, first and foremost, must stop its current
practice of taking from the poor and giving to the rich.
Using
taxpayer money to subsidize wealthy business owners is not an
effective way to revitalize Rochester's economy, because there is no
way to know if the proceeds will ever trickle down
to ordinary
citizens. He who cuts the pie generally gets the biggest slice.
When business interests take such big slices out of the city's
money pie,
the citizens of Rochester simply aren't left with
enough disposable income for our economy to really prosper. This
trend must be stopped.
There is no shorter answer to this question. (Find an error?)
Yes, both. The tax cap has indeed inhibited the city; that is its intent. The tax cap is important because it imposes upon city officials a fiscal discipline which they might not otherwise have. The current tax cap is, however, defective, because it does not account for the fact that the consumer price index (CPI) can decrease. Thus, the current cap can still fail to protect the taxpayers of Rochester during periods of recession, when having a tax cap matters most.
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NH state education adequacy aid to our city is almost certain to receive drastic cuts in coming years, and school building aid has all but dried-up. Having a capital reserve fund would definitely help to mitigate the financial impact of these looming cuts in adequacy aid.
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Currently, for rent
signs and homeless and unemployed persons
serve as prominent decorations
of the downtown area. In order to
have a thriving downtown or arts scene in Rochester, we need to
address the underlying economic problems: poverty, unemployment, and
homelessness. In general, downtown business sales figures, and the
vitality of the arts, are direct functions of people's disposable
income. That's true in Rochester, as well. Put simply, the
downtown culture of Rochester will thrive when the PEOPLE of
Rochester thrive.
There is no shorter answer to this question. (Find an error?)
What the most important issue is depends on what shoes you wear. If you're one of the many homeless in Rochester, homelessness is probably the most important issue to you. If you're a parent, it might be the school budget or the property tax rate. It might be heroin addiction, if that's something that hits home for you.
Generalizing over the entire population of the city, the most important issue is probably that the City Council is out-of-touch with the public and doesn't concern itself with the needs of everyday citizens. That's why, if I'm elected, my Web site (http://www.FixNH.org) will feature a forum on which the citizens of Rochester will be able to express their views on the issues that matter TO THEM.
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TRANSCRIBED FROM RECORDING:
Good evening, I'm human. I've been a devout government watchdog for the past 7 years, and have extensive experience with litigating to protect peoples' civil rights from being violated by state and local government.
At present, the City of Rochester is in violation of a number of laws. My very top priority as a city councilor would be to ensure that government operates in compliance with all applicable laws. I plan to hold our new mayor, council, and all city employees fully accountable to the rule of law, because, after all, conducting business in accordance with law is really the essence of being a public servant.
I'm committed to conducting business in the city with transparency, openness, and accountability to the citizens of Rochester. The city should not inhibit public access to public records, or make access to public information overly complicated or confusing. Information about the city should be provided to citizens as completely as possible, and as clearly as possible.
The City of Rochester also must stop its current practice of taking
from the poor and giving to the rich.
The economy of Rochester will
only thrive when the people of Rochester thrive.
The city is currently burdened by poverty, unemployment, and
homelessness, which we must address if we're going to experience any
real economic growth.
I'm also involved with a number of local religious and community organizations, including NH Mensa*, for which I currently serve as Assistant Local Secretary. I'm a creative problem solver, and willing to take on the issues and problems that matter, even if they may be difficult to solve.
In summary, I'm dedicated to standing up and being a voice for ordinary citizens like you and me. That is essentially the meaning behind my campaign slogan: A Vote For HUMAN Is a Vote For PEOPLE.
For more information about me, or my approach to public policy, I invite all of you to visit my Web site, www.fixnh.org. That's FIXNH.ORG. Thank you.
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TRANSCRIBED FROM RECORDING:
Yes, if you're trying to alleviate the problems of poverty in the city, passing an ordinance like the panhandling ordinance, to hide the problem, does not make the problem go away. And as I said during my opening remarks, we will only experience economic growth in this city when the people of the city experience that economic growth. There are, however, some things which we can do to promote that.
It's come to my attention that the City of Rochester is not granting welfare benefits to people who qualify for them. That is something which would have to change, and that could be done through an administrative policy.
There's also a very important difference between helping an employer find an employee and helping an employee find an employer. I think we need to focus on helping employees find employers, in this city. Focus on the people, and that will help to address this cycle of poverty that we see in Rochester.
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TRANSCRIBED FROM RECORDING:
I do not believe that government here, in Rochester, is sufficiently transparent. In particular, city officials currently have difficulty complying with the requirements of NH's Right to Know law. What I would do, if I was a city councilor, is I would instruct the city manager and city attorney to attend training offered on the Right to Know law and how to comply with it.
The other component to this issue is the degree to which people can participate in government here in the city. A lot of people find city council procedures and rules to be confusing and complicated. I would like to help the citizens to cut through that so that citizens can understand what's going on up here and provide meaningful input for the council to consider when making decisions.
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TRANSCRIBED FROM RECORDING:
Yes, the issue of whether or not to locate gambling in Rochester is one of those issues which pits the interests of the city against the interests of the people. And, if we had gambling facilities in the city, that would represent another source of revenue for the city. There'd be more money in the budget, and it'd be easier to buy things. But, it would be a disaster for the people of the city.
Gambling is one of those addictive activities. If you think that we have a heroin problem - that we have a problem with heroin addiction, just imagine what Rochester would be like with gambling here, as well. So, it would be a win for the city's pocketbook, but it would be a loss for Rochester, overall.
There is no shorter answer to this question. (Find an error?)
TRANSCRIBED FROM RECORDING:
Well, the staffing at the Rochester Police Department is on par with the staffing at other cities in NH. That said, there are programs which we need in Rochester, which we don't currently have in place. As was mentioned earlier, the heroin epidemic here is a very serious problem, and that needs to be addressed. And I have some ideas for how to do that, but I don't think it would be appropriate to do that through the Police Department budget. If you want to address the heroin problem, it should be done, I think, in a way that does not expose people to a situation where they might end up going to court in response to trying to seek help. Things that we do need help with, from the police department, are things like property crime. That has been on the rise. And we need to ensure that the citizens of Rochester are safe in their belongings.
There is no shorter answer to this question. (Find an error?)
TRANSCRIBED FROM RECORDING:
Yes, there are three main camps, or three main schools of thought, when it comes to budgeting. Some people think that the budget should be targeted towards the tax cap, and they treat the tax cap kind of as a target that the budget should reach. There are some people who believe in level-funding, and there're some people who believe in zero-based budgeting, where you have to justify every expense that the city makes, regardless of what upper limit there might be on those expenditures.
My perspective is that you need to do a combination of both of those. You need to look at all of your expenses, each budget cycle, to make sure that they're actually really necessary and that they're at appropriate levels and make sense. At the same time, you need to consider how much they're increasing, to make sure that costs aren't increasing out-of-control. So, they're both important to keep the budget within the tax cap.
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TRANSCRIBED FROM RECORDING:
Well, yes, homelessness is a big problem in the city. As I understand it, there is a homeless shelter in Rochester. But my understanding is that it only allows women and families to live there. So that's a situation which we would need to look at.
One very simple way to help homeless veterans is by providing shower facilities. Right now, there isn't really a place where a homeless person can shower, but we have showers up at the Community Center. My understanding is that policy currently prohibits people from using those showers. That's a policy which I would want to re-visit and perhaps partner with a local charity to get shower kits so that people who are facing homelessness at least have a place to clean-up.
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I do not have beliefs.
I have knowledge, and I have suspicions.
So far as is possible, I try not to conflate the two.
What I know is what I observe first-hand, as well as any conclusion I can rationally draw therefrom. This includes assessment of the probability of claims made by third parties, based on their capacity for accurate reporting. You could think of it as a social variation of Bayesian logic.
For the record, I do not generally consider newspapers or television news reports to be reliable. I've been in the news enough to know, first-hand, how inaccurate they really can be.
I also have values and
positions.
See the corresponding FAQs for information about them.
Whenever you see or hear me say that I believe
something,
you should interpret that to mean it is my position...
.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
The values used to make political decisions can be characterized in three dimensions: by beneficiary, by risk, and by time.
Characterization by beneficiary describes who, if anyone, receives preferential treatment. The dimension of risk describes how risk is balanced with potential gain. The distribution of benefit over time describes how past, present, and future cirumstances are treated differently, if at all.
the precautionary principle. Simply stated, this principle means that when a governing body entertains a public policy decision, it is the duty of that body to make sure that its decision won't cause harm to the public.
From these three core values, one may infer how I am likely to evaluate (or vote on) any proposed public policy measure.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
As your elected representative, it will be my job to represent you and your interests on the City Council. Knowing your thoughs, feelings, ideas, and opinions is essential to representing your interests.
At several places on this Web site, you see me ask you for your views, but I also ask you to tell me your reasons for your views. There's an important reason for this: Understanding the reasons for your views helps to provide me with different ways to evaluate an issue. For example, there may be a reason which you've thought of which I haven't. If your reasons are rational, based on facts, compassionate, and ethical, then I am likely to share your view. If, on the other hand, you tell me that you hold the view you do because tarot cards told you so, I am less likely to take your reason seriously. Assuming we both subscribe to similar species of reality, your reasons for your view on an issue are likely to be my reasons for that view, as well.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
Like many people, I am currently unemployed.
According to the
Economy at a Glance
statistics
from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate
for the State of New Hampshire, as of May of 2014,
was 4.4%.
According to the
Local Area Unemployment Statistics Report
(WWW)
from New Hampshire Employment Security,
the unemployment rate (without seasonal adjustment)
for Strafford County, during both May and June of 2014,
was 4.3%.
Annecdotally, it seems like one in every three people I know is unemployed. I suspect that these unemployment statistics are failing to count vast numbers of people.
I'm looking for work as a paralegal. If you know of an honest law practice looking for a paralegal, please let me know. See my resume.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
I moved to New Hampshire in the late 1990s. I also spent some time living in Maine and Puerto Rico (though not at the same time). For the vast majority of the past 15 years or so, I've lived in New Hampshire. Yes, I meet the residency requirement for public office.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
That's actually quite a funny story. I went to the post office and told the clerk that I wanted to rent a P.O. Box. The conversation that ensued went something like this...
666is available.
Well, by the time I got back, he had the paperwork filled-out for Box 666! The rest, as they say, is history.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
This question comes up frequently in on-line discussions about me, from people who don't know me personally, and read about me on the Internet. Admittedly, genius and insanity can often be difficult to distinguish. Both states are difficult to attest: Crazy people usually think that they're sane. Unintelligent people often consider themselves (full text) to have above-average intelligence. So, here's the question: If I told you I was a genius, would you believe me? If I told you I was sane, would you believe that? You see, of course, the dilemma of answering such questions in the first person!
As it turns out, I happen to be a life member of
American Mensa*
and Assistant Local Secretary
(sort of our version of vice president
) for
New Hampshire Mensa*.
So, I'll leave it to you to decide whether that makes
me ingenious or insane. 
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
I'm willing to answer any question relevant to representing the will of the people on the Rochester City Council, in the interest of allowing voters to make an informed decision about who to elect. However, some matters are purely personal, and aren't relevant to representation. If you ask me such an irrelevant question, such as how big my feet are, don't expect to get a serious answer.
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If you disagree with something you read on this Web site, and you're reading the short version of an answer, you might want to try reading the longer version of the answer. If you're reading the long version of an answer but disagree, you might try reading the shorter version of it.
If you still disagree with something you read on this site, see the answer to the next question.
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While we try to make sure that this Web site works correctly, and that the information on it is accurate and up-to-date, we are nevertheless human, and may occasionally make an error.
If you have found something on this site which you think is wrong, please contact us to let us know. This will help us prevent you and other people from receiving incorrect information, and to keep the site working and available for everyone to use.
Unless the correction you're suggesting is trivial or obvious, please include the facts or reasons why you think it's an error. Assuming we agree that it's a mistake, we'll try to correct it ASAP. If we don't think that it's actually an error, but it gets reported by enough people, we'll likely add it to the FAQ list.
For technical problems with the site, such as broken hyperlinks, contact webmaster@fixnh.org.
Whether we agree that what you've found is an error or not, we thank you for caring and taking the time to point it out to us!
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
This Web site is designed to present as much useful information as possible, in a way that is as simple as possible. The site is designed using Web standards, which make it compatible with the greatest possible range of devices, operating systems, and browsers. Sticking to standards also helps make the site accessible to text-based browsers, screen-reading software, and persons with visual impairments. The pages are designed to be as small as practicable, in order to minimize memory requirements. Larger, more complex, and dynamic pages may be more visually impressive to visitors with fast computers and lots of RAM, but can be a nightmare for off-beat systems or persons with visual impairments.
In the future, assuming I'm elected, I plan to expand this Web site to provide an interactive forum which voters like you and I will be able to use to provide feedback and express opinions on the issues that matter to you.
In short, this Web site is designed using the same approach I have to government: Keep it simple; do it right.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
This FAQ list is intended to cover the questions or topics about which people are most likely to ask. If you have a question which isn't covered in this list, or want to suggest a question to add to the list, please feel free to contact me. If your question is asked frequently enough, it'll probably be added to the list.
See the short answer to this question for a simpler answer. (Why?) (Find an error?)
* NH Mensa and Mensa are trade names. Neither NH Mensa nor Mensa necessarily endorse human or PEOPLE FOR HUMAN PAC, or any of its views, opinions, or positions.
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