Steiner on Memorial Day

Just a month before Memorial Day 1989, at a time U.S. soldiers were not often in harms way, I received the news that my Special Forces instructor, COL Nick Rowe, had been killed in a vehicle ambush in the Phillipines while serving as a U.S. military advisor.  It made Memorial Day that year a different event because Nick Rowe was the first soldier I had known personally to be killed while serving our country. Years earlier, as a Boy Scout, I had been part of an honor guard for soldiers killed in Vietnam.  However, as sad as the occasions, I had not known the soldiers personally.  Nick Rowe was real to me. I had last met with him just prior to his deployment to the Phillipines.  Only four years later, in 1993, MSG Gary Gordon was killed in Somalia trying to rescue Berlin, N.H. native CW4 Michael Durant.  Gary had been in my Special Forces unit.  Memorial Day since always includes memories of these soldiers whose lives were taken while they served in our armed forces.As I continue to honor the memory of the soldiers frozen in time, and with whom I served, there are many others today whose lives have intertwined with my own.  Whether it be Newport native SP4 Justin Rollins or Plymouth native CPT Doug DiCenzo, whose family members I have met, or Exeter native Chief Petty Officer Dan Healy, a Navy SEAL and fellow colleague from the special operations community, Memorial Day 2008 brings with it memories of the more recent losses.  Lest we become complacent, and whether the event occurs in the Phillipines, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, or a host of lesser known places around the world, our military ensures our freedom by performing the missions that protect us and our way of life.  This Memorial Day may we all  continue to remember those lost, whether from earlier wars and operations or the current operations.  Please take a moment to remember those who have fallen and give thanks that such heroes step forward to serve our country.  Jim Steiner is a West Point graduate and former Green Beret.  He is a candidate for Congress in the 2nd District of New Hampshire.by Jim Steiner, Candidate for Congress, 2nd Cong. Districtemail:  Jim@joinjim2008.comThis election is going to be about the economy and protecting Americans. I am the only individual to offer a combination of 20 years of military expertise, 20 years of small business experience and over 20 years of experience making laws to protect both small business and property owners' rights.  Even Paul Hodes, who I look to replace, does not have the same level of experience, either in the law or through any military service.Protection of Americans Cannot be Made a Second Tier Issue - The Senate FISA Bill Needs to be Passed into LawAs has been clear since the issue arose in January 2008, I disagree with the votes by Paul Hodes on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) legislation that continues to languish with this current Congress.  Even a bi-partisan group of U.S. Senators (including Senators Webb and Feinstein) passed the law the President will sign to enable our intelligence services to have all the tools needed available for them to protect us.  Paul and other members of Congress choose to ignore the reality of the threat, the potential for harm, the risk to Americans, and instead of joining their Democrat colleagues in a show of genuine bi-partisan effort treat FISA as a political potato.  The only real difference in the pending legislation before Congress and the Senate version is on immunity to our telecom companies for working hand-in-hand with our government in the post-9/11 timeframe.  Will these same folks accept blame if our intelligence services are unable to uncover a credible threat and some horrible event unfolds.  Why does the telecom industry require immunity?  Only because that "10%" of the legal profession that seek to continue to give it a bad name wish to retain the freedom to pursue telecom companies in frivolous lawsuits. As your Congressman, my vote would be to pass the Senate version of the law, just as some 20 Senate Democrats did in agreeing with their Republican colleagues that security is more important than politics on this issue.Our Military Will Always be a First PriorityProtection of our military will always be a number one priority to me, as it protects our way of life here at home.  It will remain a critical portion of what occupies the time of members of Congress going into the future.  I know what it means for members of our armed forces to miss anniversarys and birthdays because of being overseas. I will never take lightly my duty to our military members.  My opponents are nice people, but none of them has the depth of understanding I bring to the Halls of Congress on day one regarding the needs and the concerns of our military. It is not a time to try to get an education now.  My experience is firsthand, and I am proud that.  At age 18, when the choice of serving our country was available, as it was to all others as well, I am one who took that avenue.  Paul Hodes, in 2006, campaigned on a theme calling for our reserves and National Guard to be withdrawn immediately from Iraq.  His position belied a fundamental lack of knowledge about the total force integration among our active, reserve and National Guard forces.  The best example of the folly of such a position sits in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, the 744th Transportation Company.  During the buildup to Desert Storm, they were one of the first reserve units activated out of New Hampshire because their 18-wheeled trucks provide the ammunition, food and fuel that keeps our soldiers and Marines, tanks and artillery, moving forward.  Our military structure has established critical positions in the reserves that are necessary to be part of any deployment to sustain a deployment of our active military.  I already know this before being elected, and I know how critical is the relationship among our active and reserve forces, in terms of equipment, manpower and readiness.Developing Energy Independence is Part of our National Security as WellI applaud the work being done to push alternative energy sources across this country, and I will support those efforts in Congress.  In addition, we need to make easier the development of additional refineries as our real limitation exists because none have been built given the difficulty existing under the load of laws a company must address.  We can protect the environment and help our independence from foreign oil by working with industry to promote the development of further refineries.  Separately, having lived in Alaska at the time the pipeline began operations, I support limited drilling in Alaska with no fear it will interfere with habitat or natural resources.  Our freedom from the threats posed by dependence on foreign oil, while our alternative energy erfforts are developed, demands we consider how to use best what is available today within our country.A Robust Economy Begins at HomeBy January 2009 the next Congress will need to be taking further steps to ensure that the small steps taken in 2008 to help small business continue in 2009.  I will pursue vigorously the kind of protection to small business that encourages that engine of our economy to remain vital and to see growth.  Every effort to support and bolster small business keeps jobs and adds new jobs.  The tax benefits being provided to stimulate small business today in 2008 need to be expanded in 2009, and taxes on business and individuals needs to be both simplified and reduced.  Health Insurance - Competition, Reduced Costs and Improved ServiceThe costs to business and employees of health insurance is one of the most critical items requiring attention.  We need to open up the market to provide the opportunity to reduce costs to business and individuals.  We need to make portable an individual's health insurance so changing jobs does not bring with it lapses in coverage by months. We need to make the employer-provided health insurance environment more competitive so small business and individuals are being offered more menu options at less costs for quality health care.  No Amnesty Law for Illegal Immigrants/Support our Law EnforcementProtecting America includes completing the fences along our most exposed boundaries in the southwest.  As to current illegals, a blanket amnesty program in 2008 will only encourage those in developing countries to continue to try to enter the U.S. illegally, under the hope that amnesty in 2008 will mean amnesty to later arrivals by the year 2020.  For those here illegally, the populations at either extreme may be addressed easily.  As to those engaged in criminal conduct, immediate deportation.  That population who have served our country in the armed forces I would agree that an "exception to policy," on a case by case basis, must be considered.  From those extremes, we as a country address the others that fall within the middle as they are discovered.  For employers making their profits off of illegal immigrants, substantial fines and jail should be their reward.  To provide our law enforcement with proper tools, I would vote to continue federal funding for the various task force efforts, anti-drug and anti-gang efforts that bring federal financial support to our local law enforcement agencies.R. James ("Jim") Steiner, is a Republican candidate for Congress in the 2nd District.  More information may be received by viewing his website at www.joinjim2008.com