And when I talk about the Granite State Fair Tax Coalition (not to be confused with the Americans for Fair Taxation, commonly known as The FairTax, a group that wishes to get rid of the Federal income tax and the IRS and substitute a consumption / sales tax with a "prebate" in its stead). In fact, all protestations aside, the GSFTC does nothing BUT complain that NH’s property taxes are too high and its members / spokespeople are more than happy to give comparisons of NH’s ranking of property tax to other States (where NH ranks as one of the most highest). They are more than happy to point out that because "the rich" refuse to "buy big" with respect to property, their tribute to the State is less than what they would want from them on combined bended knees.
What they REFUSE to do, however, is to discuss OVERALL taxation rates and NH’s rankings with respect to a citizen’s TOTAL level of taxation – the lack of a sales tax, an income tax, and a whole host of other taxes that other States have – and NH ranks VERY well on the LOW taxation scale.
GSFTC won’t and can’t – as their secondary position also is clear; it is obvious that they believe that NH State Government is starved for income streams so as to be able to grow government and spend more. The reliance on property taxes at the local level prevents the State from having more. To me, that’s a feature and not a bug!
Now, up to now, it has been groups that I could consider to be genuinely concerned about the poor (even though they have tendencies that favor redistribution of other peoples’ money). However, they have now made common cause with:
- SEIU (state employee union)
- The NEA – the Teachers’ Union
as can be seen by this screen shot of the GSFTC page at the time of this posting:
I’ve been blogging about the SEIU for years – but I will tell you that THIS clip pretty much sums up the SEIU – the lust for power (specifically, in keeping those that can softball the contract negotiations that give them more money and power).
We also know what the NEA is about: power (what union is NOT?) and transforming society from traditional values instead of concentrating on what we really pay them for: teaching our kids the basics instead of reprogramming their moral centers. These two unions are not all about helping the poor; they are all about themselves. Frankly, it seems that they have glommed onto an organization that, under the surface of their rhetoric, is for instituting broadbased taxes (e.g., income tax, sales tax).
Like all Progressive entities, the NEA and SEIU wish to see a consolidation of power and control – a sales tax and an income tax will, by definition, be State level taxes with the locus of power and control in Concord. Once accomplished, it accomplishes not only the goal of extracting more wealth from NH citizens for the purposes of Progressives, but makes it harder for the ordinary citizen to keep government more reachable and accountable. Unlike expenditures at the local level where they can just knock on the door their elected town official who is also their neighbor, they will have to travel to Concord to seek change and redress. And once that happens, the vision of a more limited government starts to become more hazy and foggy.
A Progressive’s dream and a TEA Partier’s nightmare!
So, if you happen to go to a meeting where they are speaking, question them – WHY are they breaking bread with unions that have demonstrated over time that, like almost all unions, they have put themselves first?
Will they be helpful, or will the GSFTC become merely a front organization (like Zandra Rice Hawkins did for the SEIU and the Healthcare group during the 2008 Presidential campaign)?
