And we come to the end of the speakers at the CNHT Annual Picnic (“Old Home Day for Conservatives!”). Fittingly enough (although he spoke early in the agenda), we have the Speaker of the NH House of Representatives, Bill O’Brien:
The speech transcript:
Coalition of NH Taxpayers – July 7, 2012
“Will we continue to bring government back to essential purpose of protecting freedoms and not assuming that it must find a solution to every problem, real or imagined?“
In concluding his 3rd State of the Union Speech almost 30 years ago, Ronald Reagan left us a guide for the never-ending battle for freedom. He said,
Let us be sure that those who come after will say . . . that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith.
The Great Communicator also warned us that,
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
In our time – this legislative term in New Hampshire in Concord – there are those among us who did everything we could.
- We cut state-funded spending by 18% because the over-spenders had left us almost a $900 million deficit.
- We did not raise one tax or one fee, but instead eliminated taxes, including the auto registration surcharge, the gambling income tax, and the tax on internet services, and we reduced over 20 other taxes and fees, because the over-taxers had left us over 100 new or increased taxes.
- We gave local governments the right to pass spending caps, because politicians in black robes had taken that option from the people.
- We eliminated mandatory “evergreen” clauses in labor contracts, because union bosses were using them to command more and more of public resources.
- We blocked the State from implementing Obamacare exchanges and returned the $1 million dollar sent to do it with instructions to pay down the Federal debt because the central government is destroying Federalism and spending us into poverty.
- We outlawed NH participation in a low carbon fuel cap and trade regime because the environmental extremists are destroying the economic vitality of our state and country.
- We passed a voter ID law and a bill telling the AG to regularly report election complaints to the Legislature because our votes have been diluted by out-of-staters and the AG’s office will not protect NH’s elections.
- We passed laws requiring state spending information and contracts to be put online and allowing the recording of on-duty police officers because we have a right to know and document what our government is doing.
- We have started the process of giving parents and their children school choice by passing a private school tuition tax credit bill, because we know that there is one certain solution to our failing state schools and that is competition.
- We have given each of you the option to vote this November for a constitutional amendment to forbid an income tax because all of us know, even if the big government folks do not, that constitutions are to protect us from big governments that would rob us of our wealth and freedoms.
But we have not done in Ronald Reagan’s words, “everything that could be done.”
We have not finished the race. The finish line is off in the distance. Far enough away that in NH and our country the loss of freedom is not one generation but one election away.
Will we allow the spenders and the big government elitists to take our freedoms and hard-earned property away? We will allow them to employ the rhetoric of class conflict to win their elections while destroying our culture?
Or will we keep the faith? Will we continue to bring government back to essential purpose of protecting freedoms and not assuming that it must find a solution to every problem, real or imagined?
Our answer is to pass onto our children and grandchildren the freedom that was given to us.
Will you join us? Will you keep the faith?
Will you be there in November?
*****
Previous Posts:
- Intro Ceremony by Ed Naile, Chair of CNHT
- Jason Rink (Nullifaction: The Right Remedy)
- The “Governors” Edition!
- The “Congressional” Edition!
- The “NH House” Edition!
- The “NH Senate” Edition!
- The “Specials” Edition!
