Recent Joe Konopka Columns

Joe Konopka

Christmas shooting certain to whip up anti-gun hysteria

Joe Konopka | Sunday, January 15, 2012

On Christmas Day, 24-year-old Dover resident Jessica Rivera-Padilla called 911. Her boyfriend had been shot. Police arrested Rivera-Padilla on the charge of manslaughter. …

Joe Konopka

Ayotte has right idea with her baseline budgeting bill

Joe Konopka | Sunday, December 18, 2011

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte has given New Hampshire taxpayers a Christmas present. …

Joe Konopka

Presidential debates can tell you lot about a candidate

Joe Konopka | Sunday, November 20, 2011

As Newt Gingrich sets up a new headquarters in Manchester, his rising popularity confirms that those who complain that too many Republican primary debates were …

Joe Konopka

Feeling a bit nostalgic for school days of yesteryear

Joe Konopka | Sunday, September 18, 2011

September is a somber month for me. It summons memories of that era of promise in which I was raised. Back then, September dropped the …

Joe Konopka

Much has changed in 27 years – and not for the better

Joe Konopka | Sunday, August 21, 2011

Whatever happened to my world? When I came back to New Hampshire in the early 1980s, everything held such promise. I landed a decent job, …

Crack down on litterbugs by publishing their names

Joe Konopka | Sunday, July 17, 2011

Have you noticed what’s happening? People are desecrating New Hampshire’s landscapes. I’m talking about trash and the way people toss it with no regard to …

No Labels vs. tea party movement? No contest

Joe Konopka | Sunday, June 19, 2011

Which makes more sense, the political objective of the No Labels group or that of the tea party? The comparison may seem uncomplicated, but beware …

Joe Konopka

Disenfranchisement claims bogus on voter ID bill

Joe Konopka | Sunday, May 22, 2011

When I dropped into Hudson’s old Lions Hall to vote this past March, I was again struck by the ease with which the process takes …

Joe Konopka

Trump presents an intriguing persona in GOP race

Joe Konopka | Sunday, April 17, 2011

It’s looking more as if Donald Trump will be coming to New Hampshire as a presidential candidate. He’s soaring up the poll ladder, but why? …

Joe Konopka

NH should follow lead of other states to combat inflation

Joe Konopka | Sunday, March 20, 2011

Inflation is looming. Can residents in Greater Nashua easily avoid its effects? Probably not. That said, New Hampshire’s leaders might want to consider what other …

Joe Konopka

Don’t bother trying to put a price tag on character

Joe Konopka | Sunday, February 20, 2011

Character, it’s said, is demonstrated by how a person behaves when he or she thinks no one else is watching. Some people show total disregard …