Latest news with #Scherr
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House endorses Ayotte's bail reform bill
Mar. 13—The sweeping bail reform bill sought by Gov. Kelly Ayotte cleared its first major legislative hurdle Thursday. The House of Representatives voted 205-170 to approve the measure after it rejected attempts by Democratic critics to water it down. "Today the House brought us one step closer to shutting the revolving door for violent criminals," Ayotte said in a statement after the vote. The House took four votes on the measure, none by a recorded roll call, however. All four were by division under which the votes of individual legislators were not identified. The proportions of the vote roughly matched the ratio of Democrats and Republicans in the chamber Thursday. The House debated the measure as many law-enforcement professionals supporting the cause sat in the gallery. House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee Chairman Terry Roy, R-Deerfield, said last year lawmakers made changes to a 2018 bail reform law, but Ayotte and GOP legislative leaders wanted to go further. "The bill last year was a good bill; it wasn't a Republican bill," Roy said. "We don't have to compromise; it is now a Republican majority, and we are going to pass a Republican bail bill. We don't have to be ashamed of that." The most significant change would lower the standard of proof that prosecutors need to convince a judge that someone accused of a violent crime is dangerous enough to be held without bail. The current standard is "clear and convincing evidence" while this year's bill, which has Ayotte's backing, would lower it to "probable cause." Ayotte said higher standards have proven difficult for prosecutors to achieve in court. "You are really requiring them to hold a mini-trial to reach that kind of standard, which isn't fair," said Ayotte, a former attorney general. "Probable cause is a recognized standard that is used when someone in law enforcement seeks a warrant to search someone's private property. It is known and well understood in the criminal justice system." Critics: violent crime down Rep. Buzz Scherr, D-Portsmouth, was one of the chief architects of the 2018 law as an appellate law expert and professor at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. Since then, Scherr said, the number of serious violent and property crimes has dropped from 19,000 in 2017 to just over 13,000 in 2024. "Despite the rhetoric, the bail reform law is working," Scherr said. "We don't need to fix bail reform." House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, said during her campaign for governor, Ayotte had made the issue a top priority, and the entire GOP leadership team backed that decision. "Upholding law and order and finishing our work to fix New Hampshire's bail system were a key part of the mandate which voters handed us when they sent a Republican trifecta to represent them in Concord," Osborne said. Court administrators have maintained the bill could increase taxpayer costs since it will likely lead to detaining more accused offenders in county jails while awaiting trials. Ayotte said the correctional system "has the capacity" to jail more offenders if that's necessary. "Twenty-five to 30 percent of all people charged with crimes have their charges dismissed or are found not guilty," Scherr said. "We will be jailing pre-trial people who have not been found guilty and some of whom will never be found guilty." The legislation also would do away with three magistrates whose positions were created as part of a 2024 bail reform law. These magistrates are charged with conducting initial bail matters on nights or weekends when full-time judges are not working. Court officials said the three magistrates were named to five-year terms, and it would be appropriate for any change in law to phase them out of that judicial post over time. +++ What's Next: The bill now heads to the State Senate. Prospects: Excellent. Senate Republican leaders have already endorsed the measure. klandrigan@
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Nissan Z markups are officially over — is now the time to buy?
For enthusiasts who have been holding off on buying a Nissan Z due to outrageous dealer markups, the wait has finally paid off. After years of excessive pricing, dealerships across the U.S. are now offering the 400-horsepower coupe well below its sticker price. When the latest-generation Nissan Z debuted in 2022, even a twin-turbocharged V6 and manual transmission weren't enough to overcome some divisive styling choices and, more importantly, astronomical markups. Dealers eager to cash on the anticipation for Nissan's newest sports car soured the launch, with some markups exceeding $50,000—turning what was supposed to be an affordable performance car into an overpriced luxury item. Now, things have taken a dramatic turn. Autoblog analysis of some 650 Nissan Zs on found that only a small percentage of listings have any markup, a sharp reversal from what enthusiasts have grown accustomed to over recent years. In fact, the vast majority of listings — 82% — were marked down. Sales of Nissan's newest Z have been dampened since launch thanks to chronic markups, but the current wave of discounts could ignite renewed interest in one of the brand's most iconic drastic price reduction is due to a combination of factors. First, the overall market for sports cars remains niche, and the initial wave of Z hype has died down. Second, Nissan as a brand has been struggling with sales in recent years, leading dealers to push for volume rather than high-margin markups. The strategy appears to be paying off. After selling just under 1,800 Zs in 2023, price drops helped Nissan dealers increase that figure by some 80% the following year, selling 3,164 Zs in 2024. In a surprising feat, the Z even managed to outsell Toyota's GR Supra in like Nick Scherr, a Nissan salesman from Avondale, Arizona, led the resistance against inflated dealer markups. Known in the community as 'Nismo Nick,' Scherr took it upon himself to track down Z inventory across the country and sell the cars at sticker price or below. View the to see embedded media. 'I have purchased Zs from over 20 dealerships nationwide,' Scherr told The Autopian last May. 'I then sell them to Z enthusiasts for MSRP or lower with no dealer adds and no dealer accessories.' Scherr's approach has paid off. By buying up unsold inventory from dealers struggling to move Zs, he has become the country's highest-volume seller of the car. His customers range from young first-time sports car buyers to longtime Z fans looking to add the latest model to their collection. Now, Scherr's approach has become the norm across Nissan dealerships, with Zs commonly listed below understand what the current landscape looks like for Nissan Z, we collected data for 652 Zs listed across the country on containing the list price and MSRP. View the to see embedded media. From that data, we found that just six cars—less than 1%—were marked up. Of those six, the average markup was about $7,000. A 2024 Nissan Z Nismo listed for $84,325 in Louisville, Kentucky, had the biggest markup of any Z in our dataset, exactly $15,000 over MSRP. About 17% of the listings, 111 cars in total, were listed at MSRP with an average price of $57,856. The majority of listings, 535 in total, were listed below the MSRP, with an average markdown of $6,100. A 2024 Nissan Z Nismo listed for $52,369 in Skokie, Illinois, had one of the biggest markdowns in our data set, $14,521 below MSRP. If you're looking for a real steal, there are two 2024 Nissan Z Sports listed for $34,900 in St. Peters. Missouri, each $10,000 below MSRP. For those interested in the Nissan Z, this might be the perfect time to make a move. With discounts being the norm rather than the exception, potential buyers can finally get the car at a reasonable price. And unlike the early days when only automatic models were widely available, both the 6-speed manual and 9-speed automatic variants can be found at these reduced prices. We found a 2024 Nissan Z Sport specced with the manual transmission for $37,777 in Cookeville, Tennessee, $7,123 below MSRP. That said, Nissan's strategy of pushing volume over profit raises questions about the car's long-term viability. The Z is still a low-production sports car in a market that increasingly favors SUVs and EVs. If Nissan continues selling it at a loss, the company may have to make tough decisions about its days of eye-watering Nissan Z markups are officially behind us, making now one of the best times to buy the iconic sports car. With most dealerships offering below-MSRP pricing, enthusiasts can finally get their hands on a twin-turbo, rear-wheel-drive coupe without breaking the bank. However, the sharp discounts also highlight the challenges Nissan faces in keeping the Z relevant in a changing market. Whether this pricing shift reinvigorates interest in the model or signals a last push before an uncertain future remains to be seen. For now, though, buyers can celebrate the fact that patience has finally paid off. Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A Car for Your Valentine: Window Shop with Car and Driver
Would it be Valentine's Day without Window Shop? We're not sure of the answer to that question, so it made no sense to take the risk. After a brief hiatus, the gang is back to buy one another gifts of used cars that cost no more than $14,000 in any random color, or $15,000 if the car came in some sweet shade of red. During last year's heart-day-themed episode, senior editor Elana Scherr said, "Sometimes, you want to give someone a gift that they wouldn't think to buy for themselves." Taking her own best advice, she bought editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga a Nineties-era Rolls-Royce she found in Nebraska, justified with something about luxury and life at the top and movers and shakers, none of which moved him as much as talk of a retracting hood ornament. Joey Capparella, Hearst Autos' head of ranking and other things, also took Elana's advice. However, he multiplied it by some large scientific constant in deciding to buy contributor Jonathon Ramsey a lurid red Mercury Cougar XR7. Ramsey, ever thankful, and known to be a fan of cougars, might have had to be convinced this was the Cougar for him. Ramsey bought for executive editor K.C. Colwell. After ruing being given a mere $14,000 for the task of pleasing what might be Window Shop's most fastidious panelist, he settled on a hope, a prayer, and a deep bronze Porsche 928 with a manual transmission and some color-matched wheels. It just might have worked. Colwell hit the shops for Scherr, returning from the Nineties with a lime green Alfa Romeo GTV Spider—a distant cousin by marriage to the Mopar family that Scherr normally finds most comfort in. This one was another hit of Scherr's year-old wisdom, the Alfa being a convertible and, in case we didn't mention it, lime green. EIC Quiroga's famous line introducing his picks—"You guys wanna see the winner?"—finally had real red substance. Buying for Capparella, the honcho gifted a scarlet Lexus SC with a manual transmission, a car so nearly perfectly suited and perfectly timed that everyone was ready to end the show as soon as it appeared onscreen. Nearly. Tune in to find out who won the box of chocolates, then tell us what you'd buy for the same money, and then heed Scherr's latest Valentine's Day wisdom: "Guys, if she has not told you she doesn't like flowers, buy your girlfriend flowers." You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
