The 2012 Fran Brennan Scholarship Breakfast

   Last Saturday’s fourth annual Fran Brennan Scholarship Breakfast at the Triumphant Cross Lutheran Church was once again a fine springboard event to another important election year, mixing some friendly socializing between several of New Hampshire’s most prominent political figures with many of our local Democrats. With a crowd of over 80 enjoying excellent (!) pancakes, fruit salad, orange juice and Folgers on an early summer-like day, the two-hour event was a great way to kick off the weekend, while at the same time hearing and seeing through the speeches the principles that separate the Democrat party in the Granite State from the collective GOP presence currently ensconced in Concord.

   Following Senior Minister Reverend David Yasenka’s opening invocation and the introduction of our Salem Democrat town committee by our chairman Larry Disenhof came four addresses from people who we’re all going to hear plenty from between now and November. Our keynote speaker was U.S. House candidate Annie Kuster, who lost one of New Hampshire’s closest races ever to Charlie Bass in 2010 and is poised to win the seat in 2012. One of the interesting points Kuster made was to draw the distinction between the way the Republican party has somehow positioned themselves as the supposed "upholders" of citizen and family-values over the past few years, when in reality the Democrat Party locally and nationally has always been the one that has consistently given both America’s hard-working middle class as well as the economically disadvantaged the tools and opportunities to be successful. 

   Joanne Dowdell, former 1^st District House candidate, afterwards took the opportunity to announce that instead of continuing her run for office she’ll be working in tandem with other state Democrat candidates in their respective election efforts this year. Next came the two Democrat candidates for governor, former House representative and state Senator Jackie Cilley and former Senate Majority leader Maggie Hassan, both of whom forcefully voiced their visions to carry our state forward following the four successful John Lynch terms, and drawing distinctions between what a Tea Party-administered New Hampshire would look like if Republican Ovide Lamontagne is elected.  

   Cilley’s main talking point was a local one, the Salem schools’ bond issue (Phase 2) which lost in March 13's election. Cilley pointed out that due to our 3^rd-highest property taxes in the country, citizens had to make tough choices with the economic ballot questions, balancing a desire to renovate our local schools with funding our necessary safety providers (police and fire), while at the same time paying those property taxes. One of her proposals if elected will be to lower those levies going forward. And Hassan spoke at length about Lynch’s annually-successful budget-balancing, while the new GOP majority already has the state in a $14 million deficit despite all the school and hospital closings and the lowering of our cigarette taxes.

   This year’s scholarship winner was Salem senior Jenny Zhang, who bested other outstanding candidates by posting an above-400 cumulative grade point average, as well as by writing an excellent essay which she read to the audience. Her composition’s chief point was to stress that along with the hard work that is necessary for any citizen to achieve the "American Dream", our government does and should play a subsidiary role in that fulfillment.

   Congratulations to the Salem Democrat Town committee, Reverend Yasenka and Triumphant Cross, Ms. Zhang as well as all of the candidates and supporters attending the breakfast, for contributing to an enjoyable and enlightening two hours.