Musings of a chick: And now, from "Apparently the Grumpy New Englander persona is not a myth" files and Yahoo! News...

Sudiegirl sez: Well, I’m usually a cynic about “love” and all that it entails. But you know, N.H. is now in the running for the “Grumpiest State Award”, sponsored by Rancho Sudiegirl, Inc. Who knows…at this rate, it might win first place!

'Love It' Slogan Dropped From N.H. Signs
By The Associated Press
Sat Feb 25, 4:45 AM ET

New signs on New Hampshire's borders tell visitors, "You're going to love it here." The only problem is the governor and other top officials hate them. (Grouch-asses.)

"Right now, every time I go past those things I'm embarrassed," Senate Majority Leader Robert Clegg said Thursday. (Why? Don’t they want to promote tourism? Don’t they want to encourage visitors that yes indeed, they WILL like it there?)

Gov. John Lynch acknowledged that he, too, can't wait to get rid of the beige signs that depict a small village along with the "love it" slogan.
"It's true. I want to be there when they take out the first one," he said. (Jeez…who whizzed in your Wheaties, man? There’s nothing wrong with that slogan. Unless maybe it was created by your predecessor, and you want to erase any indication that this particular person held the office of governor? Or maybe you’re just a grouch?)

The Senate passed a bill Thursday to require the state motto, "Live Free or Die," on highway welcoming signs. The motto could replace the "love it" slogan on the beige signs, or, more likely, appear on new signs. (Ah, nothing like a slogan with the word “Die” to boost new business and tourism.)

Sen. Robert Letourneau, R-Derry, who sponsored the bill, favors the latter. (Yeah, a bunch of happy New Englanders hold office in New Hampshire, ya think? By the way, that's SARCASM right there.)

"I don't think adding the motto to an ugly sign will do any good," he said. (So what’s the issue…the motto or the sign it’s on? This journalist did a sloppy job of clarifying the issue.)

The new signs started going up last year, replacing blue and yellow "welcome" signs. Except for one in Lebanon, the old signs did not have "Live Free or Die" on them. (Yeah, because they want people to actually VISIT their state and not run screaming that they’ll be shanghaied in the local militia and have to shoot Hessians.)

The estimated cost of replacing the roughly 50 signs is $10,000, according to the bill. (WHAT? Have they never heard of posterboard and Magic Markers?)

Sen. Peter Burling, D-Cornish, said it will cost much more, and tried unsuccessfully to raise the official estimate to $100,000. (How much you wanna bet that he has a virtually unemployable family member and his mom is making him get this person a job making signs?)

He proposed leaving existing signs in place but adding the motto to ones erected in the future. (I have to admit, that makes more sense.)

The bill now goes to the House.

The motto honors the state's most distinguished Revolutionary War hero, Gen. John Stark. According to the state Web site, Stark used it in a toast (YEAH TOAST!) in 1809 when poor health led him to decline an invitation to a reunion of the 1777 Battle of Bennington in neighboring Vermont. Stark said, "Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils." (Right…cheesy toasts made during the Revolutionary War are MUCH worse than death.)

Sudiegirl’s final opinion?
How about some slogans courtesy of moi!?