To the Editor:

I am a candidate for the Republican nomination for state representative from the town of Merrimack. I have lived in Merrimack and practiced law locally for the last 15 years. During that time, I have seen the "New Hampshire Advantage" begin to slip away. In fact, lately too much of my law practice concerns helping people deal with the consequences of this ongoing recession: bankruptcies, foreclosures and IRS problems, among others. If elected, I will work to get New Hampshire back on course and keep the "New Hampshire Advantage."

I have also seen the frustration that many individuals experience in attempting to utilize our courts. The financial cost of appealing a judge’s bad decision puts appeal out of reach for the average citizen. Yet those who make the financial sacrifice and do appeal often meet with the same realities on appeal as in the lower court. Even where a blatantly erroneous decision is reversed, there is no personal cost to the judge, but only to the wronged litigants and to the system. Although I respect the need for an independent judiciary, there appears to be little or no restraint on the court system and little or no judicial accountability. If elected, I will explore all avenues of judicial accountability.

I have been endorsed by the New Hampshire Right to Life PAC, the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance and the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. If elected, I will be a pro-life and pro-liberty voice in Concord.

More information is available at www.electjohnwashburn.org. Thank you for your consideration and please remember to vote on Sept. 13.

John James Washburn

Merrimack