Branding: "Nobody...seemed to consider the possibility that taxes should not go up!" - Granite Grok

Branding: “Nobody…seemed to consider the possibility that taxes should not go up!”

That was from Grokster Mike’s post that was riffing off of mine on my “ire” on how NH Republicans in the NH House voted to raise the gas tax via HB617 (emphasis mine):

Riffing off Skip’s piece on the gas tax, I happened to walk into a thinly attended local GOP meeting last night – not naming names, because it’s the principle that matters:

The topic under discussion was the recent vote on the gas tax increase, and whether it would have been better to raise gas taxes and take a bite out of passing tourists, or for residents to suck it up in registration fees to keep the state friendly for visitors.

Nobody, NOBODY, in a GOP group (until I walked in) seemed to consider the possibility that taxes should not go up! Once prodded, they wondered aloud whether our roads and bridges were so bad as to warrant this, whether prioritization might be a good idea, or gosh, are all the gas and vehicle taxes actually going toward road maintenance?

And we wonder why we have a problem cutting spending? Do we HAVE to give Maggie’s Marauders a free pass?

U Cud Be a Useful IdiotOnce prodded.  Really?  Once prodded?  Attendees at an NH GOP meeting have to be “prodded” to think of the ramifications of what is a heightened broad based sales tax (most people in NH drive, and driving requires gas or diesel)?  Look, even those that are active in the NH GOP can’t keep track of every bill and every issue that is going on in the State and under the State House Dome.  But my gosh, one would think that they have a grasp of the basics of Republicanism (if not Conservatism).  So, when a good chunk of number of Rs help to enlarge the local Leviathan, it kinda puts a kibosh on putting a Phoenix story on the Republican brand – instead of rising from ashes, this is putting nails into the coffin.  Thus far, it seems like new NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn is doing the right things – but with respect to providing separation from the Dems, is this a one step forward / 3 steps back?  How does this prevent a “taxes?  Republicans voted for them too – so don’t blame us!” attack?

I have no problem with maintaining with what Government has built – roads, bridges, buildings.  But I do have a problem in expanding Government activities over prioritizing Government activities.  It seems that maintaining stuff has been a lower priority than other things; if the time has come that their priority must be raised, why isn’t there a discussion in government in lowering other activities and the costs associated with them?  Nay – just the opposite – DiStaso reports that the Top Dog Dem is crowing over what he has wrangled:

The chief sponsor of legislation to raise the gas tax by 15 cents over four years called the plan “the gift that keep on giving” in a recent email to top Democratic members of the powerful New Hampshire House Finance Committee.

“As my father used to say, ‘Don’t spend it all in one place!’” Rep. David Campbell, D-Nashua, chairman of the House Public Works and Highways Committee, wrote on Friday in explaining that his gas tax hike bill will generate “bonus monies” for purposes not directly associated with highways, roads and bridges.

Indeed.  Feeding Leviathan – more rather than less.  Not  being “useful idiots” now could prove to be helpful in game theory in four or more moves in the future.

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