Gov. John "Can’t do nuttin’" Lynch bowed to reality and has decided to let the "controversial" new budget become law without vetoing or signing it – deciding to do nothing. With veto-proof margins by Republicans in the House and Senate, there is nothing that he could do – and he could not muster sufficient courage to make a stand and even issue a symbolic message from the Democrat side.
So, once again, he has to rely on others to make that token attempt. In Friday’s Laconia Sun (P 11), both Terrie Norelli and Lou D’Allesandro put up the obligatory taunts:
“Let it be known that today we traded the wellbeing of thousands of New Hampshire citizens for higher cigarette company profits,” objected House Democratic Leader Terie Norelli of Portsmouth.
Really, Terrie? How hypocritical! For the last four years, the Democrats could have done anything you wanted – especially you as the Speaker of the House! You could have easily decided to run a bill through the House, throw it over the Democrat controlled Senate, and then on to Gov "Can’t do nuttin" to sign that would have said "Tobacco is illegal in NH". Why not? After all, there are ‘dry states" where the sale of alcohol is banned. Failing that, you could have boosted the taxes so high so as to effectively do the same thing – except for the very rich.
Instead, you punted, knowing the real truth – you crave the money that comes with the taxes. You desired that money so as to grow the size of goverment and in concert, continue the march to demanding how citizens would live their lives (e.g., HassanCare and HassanSpeech being two prime examples). No, Terrie, the Republican controlled House and Senate did not trade the wellness of sovereign citizens for anything. Unlike you, Republicans…
…believe that adults should have the choice, be it for good or bad outcome. Sure, that decision may result in lung cancer and an early death, but where is it written in either the NH Constitution that Govt should protect its citizens against the decisions they make for themselves?
Instead, it acts as a bulwark to allow citizens to make those decisions for themselves and should be viewed as such.
And as for profits? Simply the simplistic bugaboo of Democrats – vilify the capitalistic system and the businesses that operate in it. I find it hardly likely that tobacco companies will raise their rates to the small stores in NH so as to absorb that less tax. And what would you say to your fellow NH citizens, the small entrepreneurs running those small stores, if they raise their prices 10 cents? Are you willing to stand up and call them out?
No, I didn’t think that you’d dare to do that, would you?
