Dear NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn,
While it is true that we supported your opponent in the race to replace Wayne McDonald, we have watched you doing the right things as the new Chair. We have needed someone to be on the attack instead of silent. We have needed someone willing to get out of the office and not just to go to yet another GOP meeting.
We have seen both so far. More needs to be seen and the intensity measured as well. Thus far, we have taken the tack of “not actively helping, but not actively griping either” – we can do both (some believe the latter far better than the former, btw) but given that the race was decided, we decided to sit back and see how things would start to shake out.
Do not take this as “a damning with faint praise” moment – so far, we are staying cautiously optimistic. Overall, given the short amount of time into your term thus far, stay on the same road you are on. However, you have an important speed bump that you are about to hit – or have you already bounced over it without wondering “er, what was that and what damage has it done?”. You are confronted with a Branding Moment. A Defining Moment. No, not for you as Chair, per se, but for the Party – what NOW will be the outward face to the Public? Or will the be The Spinning Top Party moment?
HB617 – where every NH House Republican on the Public Works Committee supported a large TAX. Our most prolific commenters (with the quirkiest name and oft, an even more quirky sense of humor and writing), C.dog.e.dog wrote as a comment here:
I looked on the NH Repub Party site and found no position posts regarding the gas tax. You’d think it would deserve at least a mention given it’s the largest tax to feed the maw of New Hamster in some time.
– C. dog bark ravin’ mad
My opinion is that he is wrong; he isn’t raving mad, just mad at a Party that says it is for lower taxes (and indeed, it has the potential to be the biggest “broad based” tax in many a year) but has said NOTHING. I fear that there are many others out there that are waiting to see what the Smaller Government / Larger Citizen Party is doing about this situation and are thinking to themselves “And?” Why is there silence – especially as the NH GOP has come out against other taxes introduced, promoted, voted on, and passed by Democrats?
Where is the Consistency?
If there is ONE thing that people would want in this uncertain, unstable times is just that – Consistency. But how is this being Consistent? And if the ordinary folk see inconsistency, how is that an incentive to vote for Republicans?
As in the title, Chair Horn, what is YOUR stance (as Chair) and what is the overall stance of the NH GOP on this bill? How do you, as chair, apply Consistency in this matter? It does put you in a sticky situation:
- Possibly alienate the second most powerful NH politician in Concord – Gene Chandler? As well as the other Rs on that committee? – Principle over Politicians
- Possibly alienate the more conservative, Platform, and Constitutional oriented wing of the Party? – Politicians over Principle
There is no “wiggly” answer, especially when the Flashlight on it has a “Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail” admonition on it: Choose wisely. Which means there will be consequences to any answer – and I believe that there is no answer that allows sufficient wriggle room remove yourself from that answer. And a silent answer positively sidles up to #1 over #2.
And what does this mean for reaching out to the low information voter – are we back to the “not a dime’s worth of difference” meme again? Does the NH GOP not believe in limited government as David Campbell has called it “the gift that keeps on giving” – to the State and the “the gift that keeps on TAKING” from ordinary workers. We expect such behavior from Democrats – their religion is to feed and to grow Government. I could go on and on. I shan’t.
Political courage is most evident at times of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” – welcome to such a moment. What does the NH GOP stand for, based that this will result in MILLIONS of new tax dollars flowing from citizens’ wallets to Maggies moneybag.
How will you lead on this instance of a “limited goverment / lower taxes” plank moment? What say you?
Kindest regards,
-Skip