Pubdate: Sat, 06 Jan 2001
Source: Foster's Daily Democrat (NH)
Copyright: 2001 Geo. J. Foster Co.
Contact:  333 Central Ave., Dover, NH 03820
Website: http://www.fosters.com/
Author: Dan Tuohy

ALCIERE ALSO WANTS TO LEGALIZE DRUGS, REPEAL DRINKING AGE

Shaheen says Alciere should resign

CONCORD - Rep. Tom Alciere says he won't resign because he wants to change
the law, but his proposed bills are as extreme as his anti-police officer
views zapped around the Internet.

And House colleagues say his chances of passing any legislation are zero,
anyway.

The Nashua Republican wants to legalize drugs, repeal drinking age
restrictions, and replace public schools with computer-based learning.

"He'll be vastly ineffective," said Rep. David Welch, R-Kingston, the
chairman of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee.

Rep. Henry Mock, R-Jackson, said the House may even choose to mark all
Alcieres proposed bills "inexpedient to legislate" and then vote them down
399-1 when they come to the House floor.

"I think the best way to handle this situation is to ignore him," said Mock,
a former chief of law enforcement for the state Department of Fish and Game.

He came under fire this week for his online comments advocating the killing
of police officers. Fellow lawmakers, the Republican Party, and law
enforcement officers have called on him to resign. Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, in
her inaugural speech, even rebuked those controversial comments.

Alciere used his Web site, www.tomalciere.com to say he would stick to his
agenda.

"My reply is this: A person who is dissatisfied with the actions of the
government and its cops should notify his elected officials, seeking a
solution; and if they just laugh and throw the letter away, he should run
for public office and propose the measures himself," Alciere wrote. "One
positive thing that will come out of this is a lively discussion of just how
the government and its cops should be prevented from violating the rights of
the people."

"People who want to see the War on Drugs ended will lose a lot of hope if I
should quit the job I was elected to do, leaving my proposals unsponsored,"
Alciere wrote.

Alciere, 41, is assigned to the House Environment and Agriculture
committees. He had asked to be on the Children and Family Law, Commerce, and
Science and Technology committees. He has sponsored nine bills this session.

Some of his bills, as cited on his Web site, include:

Repealing the compulsory school attendance statute, because compelling
children to attend school violates their constitutional right to the
enjoyment of liberty; Replacing public school with computer-based learning.
The state would provide students with computers and Internet connections to
allow them to download free educational materials. There would be parental
controls and the intent of the bill is to limit government-imposed bias;

Repeal drinking age restrictions. Alciere writes, "The government has
absolutely no right to make thousands of innocent people second-class
citizens, which the government chooses to do, purely out of malice. It's
easy for the politicians to pick on people under 21, but it's also unjust
and unconstitutional. Besides, the voters can no longer claim to be
concerned about drunk driving, having elected a convicted drunk driver to be
President of the United States;"

Increase fines and license revocation periods for those convicted of drunken
driving. "Many politicians will oppose this change, because they are drunk
drivers themselves;"

Repealing of unjust and unconstitutional zoning restrictions linked to
mandatory safety codes;

To discontinue involuntary commitment of innocent people in mental
institutions. "Almost by definition, nobody in their right mind wants to be
locked up in a mental institution;"

Alciere called a news conference this week to say his controversial comments
were "harmless rantings" by a private citizen. "I am not a nut," he said, as
he was badgered by reporters.

In some online sites, like www.deja.com, he poked fun at his constituents in
Nashua's Ward 4. Alciere said he never told anyone about his anti-police
views when he ran for election because no one asked him about them. He won
one of the Nashua seats by just 55 votes.

Alciere, who said he works for a printed circuit board company, said he was
not a security threat. He refused to talk about what, if any, security
measures he takes himself. He also refused to apologize for his comments.

Despite reassurances by House leadership, several lawmakers have said they
now feel unsafe because of Alciere's views.

Rep. Laura Pantelakos, D-Portsmouth, spoke to the full House when the
Legislature convened Wednesday. "I came to this House in 1979. I can say
that this is the first time I have ever had a fear of sitting in this great
House. We make the laws. The police officers are only messengers that
enforce them," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Don Beck