News and Views

by Stephen Poschmann

It is my impression that many Bedford residents are unaware of Gov. Lynch’s budget proposals and the effect it will have on residents of Bedford and other towns.

For those who have not heard, the governor and legislature have spent us into a $500 million hole. The governor’s 2009 budget is fraught with creative accounting, shell-game gimmickry and outright theft that allows the governor to claim that he is cutting general fund spending while actually increasing spending. Of the many examples of trickery in Gov. Lynch’s 2009 budget, here are two.

The New Hampshire Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association is a semi-private nonprofit organization that owns a fund paid into by doctors, medical institutions and its staff for the purpose of keeping malpractice insurance premiums reasonably priced.

This is not government money, but private funds. John Lynch and the Democrats in Concord plan to change the law such that he can confiscate $110 million from that fund.

• If that is not enough to outrage non-medical workers, perhaps this one will. Gov. Lynch plans to take rooms and meals tax revenue from the towns. For Bedford that means about $1 million per year. How does the governor suppose the towns will make up for the shortfall forced upon them? He hopes the federal stimulus money, which is mostly earmarked for schools, will cover it. If not, well, the towns are on their own, and will likely have to raise property taxes. That means your property taxes will go up. This is reckless and risky.

• The most troubling aspect of the governor’s proposed budget is that after all the real and faux spending cuts and confiscation of funds, state spending will actually increase by 11 percent, or $1.2 billion, over the next two years.

This shows the Democratic-controlled legislature and Gov. Lynch have no intention of reducing spending.

• The governor has repeated he will not sign an income tax into law. Perhaps he will stand by that promise. But the groundwork is being laid right now for an income tax in the future.

by Laura Condon

When I read your editorial “The ‘Say Nay Kids’” I, too was shocked…shocked that the editors would be so aghast that some 372 people would vote a position different than their own. There was a ballot question and voters had the opportunity to vote yes or no and you cannot tolerate the idea that some people would actually use that “no” box?

I actually voted in favor of allowing the school district to accept gifts. I read the question and I gave thought to my vote. But your question has made me wonder if I gave it thought enough.

Why would someone vote against accepting “gifts”? Ever hear of reciprocity? Maybe corruption would ring a bell? We all have heard plenty of concern with elected officials having accepted gifts, or campaign contributions as some are called. Could wealthy businesses, industry or politicians influence governmental policy with gift giving? There are very good reasons that there are laws in place to regulate gifting; it is never something that should be accepted mindlessly.

What could be so controversial with regard to school issues that someone wouldn’t want to accept a “gift”? Well perhaps you haven’t read the other letters with regard to the high school’s International Baccalaureate program.

But maybe these thoughtful voters had something else in mind. Maybe they are much distressed with the wild spending spree with which our federal government is engaged. Such wild spending on a personal or business level would surely result in bankruptcy. The concern that bankruptcy could happen on a national level is a legitimate concern. Maybe many more should be hollering “no”. Saying “yes” and spending, spending, spending is easy to do. It’s the saying “no” that takes discipline. It obviously garners harsh public criticism as well.

Some folks may not contact their elected officials with their concerns about this massive overspending. But with one little check of a “no” box their voice will be heard. And heard it most certainly has been. It got the attention of the Bedford Journal Editorial staff and now that little “no” vote has gotten my attention and the attention of many other readers, I am sure.

It may very well be that those “no” voters have demonstrated thoughtful rejection rather than thoughtless acceptance. And such thoughtfulness begs the question, “How could you accept a gift?” Nothing would be expected in return. Right? Right?