Democrats are Being Irresponsible
by Stephen Poschman
By now, it should be no secret to the average New Hampshire resident that our state government is facing a fiscal crisis. How did this happen? The problem cannot be blamed only on a faltering economy as Governor John Lynch has disingenuously attempted to do. In January of 2007, soon after the Democrats took control of the state legislature, the spending spree began. In the past year, state spending has increased 17.5%, which translates into almost half a billion dollars. Right now, the state has more revenues than it did one year ago, but because of the largest New Hampshire state budget in 20 years, our state is about $100 million in the hole this year. One may ask, if the Democrats in power knew that they were going way over-budget, then how did they expect to pay for it? Two ways: 1) Increases in taxes. Already a cigarette tax has been implemented, car registration fees have increased and tolls have been hiked up (and will likely be again). 2) The Democrats gambled, hoping the economy would continue on a skyward trajectory ad infinitum.
If this is not the pinnacle of irresponsibility, then what is?
Some may shrug at a cigarette tax, increased car registration fees or tolls, but those are peanuts compared to what is coming if the Democrats stay in power in Concord, and especially if they have sufficient votes to override a veto by the Governor (Republican or Democrat) on taxes. There is already an effort underway to clear a path for bringing a sales tax and/or an income tax to New Hampshire, starting with marginalizing the anti-tax pledge that New Hampshire politicians have traditionally been asked to take. Governor John Lynch took “The Pledge” in 2006 when running for re-election, but recently has refused to state unequivocally that he will oppose new taxes. (Later, after being challenged regarding having taken “The Pledge”, he reversed (pardon me, clarified) himself.) Whether there will be sales or income tax bills getting introduced in the state legislature or new or increased state fees, expect it to be more expensive to live in New Hampshire because of the incompetence of this Democratic governor and this Democratic legislature.
To longtime New Hampshire residents and those who recently moved here to escape from a tax-and-spend state: Please do not stand idle and let this great state be irreversibly damaged by those in office. Let’s save our state while we can.