I was very happy and excited to officially begin our quest to restore sound, constitutional government by filing for State Representative on Wednesday. Along with Win Hutchinson, I look forward to running a great race in Manchester Ward 2. I appreciate the great support I have received from friends, family, and other supporters throughout this great state that I am very proud to call home. I look forward to representing the Manchester Republican Party and New Hampshire GOP well – and more importantly, making those who respect constitutional and limited government proud of my efforts.
This Sunday is what is looking to be a huge barbecue fundraiser/kickoff. It all really started to come to fruition several weeks ago when Kevin Cornish, the owner of KC’s Rib Shack, made a suggestion that we allow him to supply the great bbq that his restaurant makes for our event. Fast forward several days later and we have a great catering operation supplying food to an event at a great venue – Macneil’s Banquet Room on 2nd Street in Manchester. If it’s not 2pm on Sunday June 6th, you still have time to come.
We’re not only going to have a great menu (Eastern NC pulled pork, chicken salad, baked beans, cole slaw, hushpuppies, sweet tea, and homemade desserts [cupcakes, gooey butter cake, and more!), but the speakers taking part are excellent. Running for US Senate and speaking will be Jim Bender and Ovide Lamontagne. Bill Binnie will have a campaign representative at the event. Running for US House in District 1 and speaking will be Frank Guinta, former mayor of Manchester. Bob Giuda may stop by for a few moments. He is an outstanding candidate in CD-2.
We are very excited about the 60/40 raffle and about the scavenger hunt contest. I look forward to revealing the prize for this on our invitation page, which you can access at http://tinyurl.com/cambbqfacebook/
I really hope that we can continue to build upon our already great turnout. We’re going to have many great events scheduled for the summer.
We have seen great successes with Rand Paul in Kentucky winning against an establishment opponent by over 20%. Let’s see the same things happen in New Hampshire this year. Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you on the 6th!
Cam
I am very excited to have the help of some great individuals in organizing the kickoff for my State Representative campaign. We will kick things off on Sunday June 6th from 2pm-5pm with a BBQ plate fundraiser. There is a lot of excitement for this and I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about it and a few other upcoming events.
The idea for the food at this barbecue traces back to my upbringing in eastern NC. As you can see on my campaign site biography, I moved to New Hampshire for the “Live Free or Die” spirit. I moved here with full respect for the freedoms appreciated and enjoyed by everyone. Many people have moved to North Carolina from states such as Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Jersey, and New York – all “fleeing” in the name of cost of living. However, the increase in the cost of living is staggering. We see people moving from these states to New Hampshire and the same thing is happening. Many of these people are certainly authentic in their desire for less government. However, others do not realize that the services they demand require an increase in spending. It is getting out of control and I am proud to offer myself to help fight the growth of government here.
That said, I know everyone is going to enjoy pulled pork BBQ. KC’s Rib Shack is outstanding, but they do not offer much (if anything) in regards to vinegar based BBQ. In addition to pulled pork we will have hot dogs, hamburgers, cole slaw, potato salad, sweet tea, and an array of desserts and other drinks. Through May 15th, a plate is only $15 with benefits going to the campaign. There are discounts for multiple plates. You can RSVP or get additional information here (Facebook) or here (E-Ticket site). This event is being held on June 6th (a Sunday) from 2pm-5pm at my home in Manchester.
In addition, there is a huge Liberty Candidate Money Bomb scheduled for April 16-18. You may click here for more information. Joining me in New Hampshire is Jenn Coffey Jenn Coffey is a great State Representative who also deserves everyone’s support during this money bomb. I hope that you’ll show your support for New Hampshire candidates and reveal that New Hampshire is the place to be in the support of liberty. None of this would be possible without the help of Gigi Bowman, who has done a tremendous job helping shape these money bombs for liberty candidates.
I continue to be impressed with the work of John Stephen in his run for Governor. Against Governor Lynch, John Stephen is polling 37% against Lynch’s 47%. The fact that Lynch is under 50% is great news. I will continue to work with John Stephen to ensure his election – through the primary and general election.
I am hoping to have other candidates for various offices attend the barbecue. We have a lot of great work to do to ensure a message of freedom for everyone. I appreciate everyone’s support with these efforts. Special thanks to Keshia and Cassie for volunteering to put together this great event on June 6th. I look forward to seeing many of you again or meeting you for the first time.
Let’s rock and roll!
Cameron
For weeks it had become strongly rumored that John Stephen was going to enter the Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire. It was exciting news to me as John is someone I have really come to respect – a lot.
Two years ago when I thought about running for the state legislature, John Stephen was one of two politically active individuals (Joe Briggs being the other) who showed a great deal of moral support towards my efforts. This is while other candidates I have supported were much more reserved in supporting my ideals and what I was doing.
John offered to put a sign in his yard during the 2008 primary and his campaign manager at the time was looking at ideas on cross promotion of campaigns had we won our respective primaries. We had several great conversations and I could sense a certain authenticity in John Stephen that I didn’t see every day in politics. Perhaps most disheartening to me at the time was not my failure to advance to the general election in 2008, but it was John Stephen’s loss to Jeb Bradley in the Congressional primary. I believed in John and was behind more as much as I have been behind any candidate for public office.
In 2009, John Stephen continued to be supportive of my efforts. Always complimentary of my efforts, it led to my ultimate excitement to support him for Governor.
Don’t get me wrong, just because John Stephen is a “nice guy” and supports what I have done does not automatically equate to an endorsement. John also has the right views on the issues for New Hampshire. He has worked in state government and knows the ins and outs of the process. He wants to return New Hampshire to the state that it once was. A state where there is no threat – ever – of a state sales or income tax. A state where spending is understood as the real problem and that we need to cut spending in order to survive. John deserves everyone’s support today. His campaign web site is up at http://www.johnstephen.com
Yes, I would agree with my friends that Jack Kimball is an outstanding messenger for smaller government. I would agree that either he or John Stephen would make an outstanding governor. However, John Stephen has proven to me personally that he is a person of integrity and is an individual of great principle.
Please join me in wholeheartedly and enthusiastically supporting John Stephen for Governor of New Hampshire in the September primary.
Thank you!
Cameron DeJong
Last night I followed as dozens of my friends on Facebook cheered the victory of Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Many of these friends are what I would consider “Constitutional” Republicans – or in other words – those who share a very similar belief system to mine.
My response was that the best bet out of Brown’s win was that the health care legislation in the Senate would go nowhere. In that, we would at least have a really good chance of keeping control of our health care. However, will Brown help liberty or will he be more of the same? Looking at the issue of health care, it must be stated that Brown supported more government involvement in Massachusetts. One can hope this doesn’t carry over to Washington, DC.
I won’t try to predict what Scott Brown will do as a Senator. I will say that I liked the ideas of Joe Kennedy much more, but even the most unrealistic idealist had to understand that it wasn’t his election to win. Despite the difficult situation he had to attempt victory, this Kennedy understands the principles of liberty and I hope he remains active in the political arena.
So what is liberty and how will Scott Brown improve it as a Senator? Liberty to me means being less involved in the affairs of foreign countries. It means if anything, we need to be taking care of those in our homeland before anywhere else. The ultimate goal here being that individuals are self-sustaining and care is taken of them by their families, friends, and communities. Liberty to me means allowing individuals to have the ultimate decision making power over their own lives. Liberty means not being bought and paid for by the highest bidder (corporate favors come to mind). Based on what I have seen, Scott Brown supports more involvement in foreign affairs. Scott Brown, as I stated, supported a government involvement in healthcare as an elected official in Massachusetts.
I hope and pray that Scott Brown will realize that the tree of liberty goes much deeper than the issue of health care. I hope that he sees that the role of the federal government should never be that which he helped legislate in Massachusetts.
More importantly, I hope that my friends in New Hampshire and beyond realize the same. I dearly hope and pray that Scott Brown becomes a knight in shining armor for liberty and not the beginning of a terrible rerun of the Republican disaster of 1994.
Freedom does bring us all together – if we understand the power of the word.
Cameron
My first election as a selectman has come and gone. I had an enjoyable time working with other election officials and with the voters in Manchester Ward 2.
I am also glad to congratulate Dave Boutin on his primary victory. I will work hard to ensure his victory in Senate district 16. The election is on February 16th.
That said, I am dismayed that there was a lot of misinformation brought up in the primary about his opponent Terry Pfaff. The Terry Pfaff I met was a person who was opposed to an income tax, opposed to a sales tax, was pro-life, and was pro-2nd amendment. Unfortunately this was not portrayed accurately by opponents. I hope that clean and honest campaigning will be the centerpiece going forward.
Again, I had a great time today and look forward to success for liberty in February and beyond.
Cam
Everyone is saying it. “Time flies!”
It is amazing how fast 2009 went by. In fact, I remember 2000 and the Y2K scare like it was yesterday. With the time flying by, what has happened?
I’m fortunate to have been able to get a great education at Elon University and work for a great company today. I am fortunate and thankful for the great friends and family I have. When I moved to New Hampshire several years ago, the fear ran through my veins. I didn’t know if I’d make the new bonds necessary to excel. I am thankful for the fact that I have been able to do so.
We have a lot of work to do in 2010 – as a nation, as a state, and me as an individual. We all set our great new year resolutions. Whether it be to “stop eating out all the time” or to “exercise five times per week”, it is usually commendable come the end of the year when you can say “I did it!”
But on the national and state level, there is “fat” and “too much eating” that must be trimmed through a program that does not include eating out on the taxpayer’s dime and includes exercise in the form of cutting spending in unnecessary places.
A workout program would include focusing on the areas in the Constitution. We should remain within the bounds of the Constitution. Let’s equate that to working on the six pack of abs. Not only do we have to work hard to cut the spending, but we have to keep our eyes on the spending that we keep going and ensure that the shape remains intact. Six pack abs are not easy to obtain and keeping them can be as challenging with the numerous outside interest groups. In New Hampshire government, I plan to stand up for the “six pack abs” and will never give in to any outside forces trying to influence me otherwise.
A proper diet means that we may not go out to eat for fast food every day of the week. In state government that could be correlated with coming up with a new law to “fatten the books” every day. Do we really need to legislate every aspect of the lives of individuals? I would argue that we need to legislate much less. That could mean that we put a hard stop on eating out and cook at home. “At home” in this instance means leaving the decisions up to individuals and families in their own homes. I’d take a home cooked meal (individual/family freedom) any day over the influences/decisions of the masses (eating out).
Crazy analogies? Sure. But the point is the same. We can always set our resolutions, but we must also plan to stick with them throughout the year. If we get to December 31, 2010 and can say that we met our resolutions to the highest degree, we’ll feel great as individuals – not only for our six pack abs and our great healthy diet – but also for the state and federal governments running within the means of liberty and the Constitution.
Here’s to a happy and prosperous new year!
Cam
I was communicating with a friend this morning about spending in New Hampshire and in Manchester.
The point was well made that much of the problem with local spending comes from the out of control spending in Washington DC.
From billions in foreign spending and misguided crime fighting under the alias of a “war on drugs” (former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson will certainly address this when he speaks in Concord on January’s 23rd), there is deep concern.
Lets imagine this wasteful spending is ended. Would it be eliminated from the budget or passed along to another department? Should we spend billions more on education and health care? Those are questions our elected officials in DC must answer.
When it comes to NH, we are very much affected by money in DC. The proposed seatbelt law comes to mind immediately. We are told that if we follow the wishes of the federal government, money is sure to follow. DC also does a job of hanging fruit in the mask of money if states adopt ideas in way of education, social policy, and so forth. Even more outlandish is the idea of the federal government offering a matching fund to states and municipalities, something many elected officials at all levels have trouble saying “no” to.
So answer me this. Does the money in DC grow on a tree? Or does it come from you and me? Certainly it comes from us. So the consequences of such legislation are found in more debt and less freedom. Do we really want more centralized government or would you join me in respecting the decisions of the state, outlined by strong belief in constitutional principles.
Back to the initial conversation. What do we do domestically if we were to stop unconstitional spending? The fear from outside the circles of liberty is that we would stop spending overnight on everything found to be unconstitutional. That to me is not realistic. I would encourage a process of weening off of government programs domestically and in the process show what a true free market can help provide in a true free society. If we do not open our minds and hearts to liberty, the unintended consequences as we perceive them will bankrupt our freedoms and finances.
Friends -
What a great Christmas it has been with friends and family in New Hampshire. I hope each of you has been able to enjoy the holidays as much as I have.
For the past month, we have been asking for donations so that we enter 2010 ready to make liberty happen in Manchester Ward 2. As of today, we have raised $305 of the $2000 goal. The contributions are very greatly appreciated and I can not thank everyone enough for their generosity this time of year.
It is important that we hit the goal by the end of the year. While a large portion of the campaign will be spent going door to door meeting voters, it is essential that we market the message of liberty in such a way to appeal to the voters we are not able to meet. Liberty is a great thing and it is important that it is articulated as such.
Issues of today in Manchester include the controversial increase in LLC taxes. This is a very unnecessary tax that will punish small businesses. I have spoken to small businesspeople who would consider moving or closing their businesses if this tax is not ended. We must look to cut spending. Spending is where the ultimate problem with government lies. I can assure you that there are plenty of areas from which to cut spending.
With individual liberty, great things can happen!
If you can help out financially today, please visit http://www.camstaterep.com/donate.html
Thank you and happy holidays!
Cam
This was submitted to the Union Leader a few days ago. For your viewing now! Campaign 2008.
Cameron
Dear Editor:
In North Carolina, one will find increases in the cost of living through higher taxes and higher governmental spending. Many people moving there seek a lower cost of living, but yet they can not find the motivation to eliminate desires for the services and spending that were “provided” in their former state.
I moved to New Hampshire seeking something different than the mover mentality in NC. Little did I read enough in 2004 and 2005 before moving to find that people were moving here from high tax and spend states – only to remain addicted to the services that created the high taxing and spending to begin with.
In deciding to run for State Representative, I looked at the time it would take out of work to serve. I decided that any working person can serve if our state legislature does what it is elected to do. Instead of spending weeks passing piles of laws, we should work to streamline and make government the ultimate in efficiency. We should respect our state Constitution and following the lead of groups like the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition in realizing that we have not just a potential taxing problem, but a detrimental and current spending problem.
Sincerely yours,
Cameron DeJong
109 Westchester Way
Manchester, NH 03104
Republican Candidate for State Representative
Hillsborough 9