The Most Liberal State Has the Highest Poverty Rate - NH Still Lowest in the Nation - Granite Grok

The Most Liberal State Has the Highest Poverty Rate – NH Still Lowest in the Nation

The U.S. Census released its most recent data on Poverty in America last week and surprise, surprise, surprise! The far-left land of Nancy Pelosi, Jerry Brown, Dianne Feinstein, Tech Giants, and Hollywood Gazillionaires continues to have the highest rate of poverty in the nation.

A place where homelessness has skyrocketed alongside the massive burden of the welfare state.

The Sacremento Bee reports that,

Newly released federal estimates show California’s poverty rate remained the highest in the nation, despite a modest fall, and the state’s falling uninsured rate slowed for the first time since before Medicaid expansion.

According to the Census Bureau, the share of Californians in poverty fell to 19 percent — a 1.4 percent decrease from last year. However, policy experts warned that in spite of the good news more than 7 million people still struggle to get by in the state.

Meanwhile, back in little ol’ New Hampshire, we consistently have one of the smaller sized government footprints, one of the lowest overall tax burdens, and the lowest poverty rates in the nation.

The 2014-2015 2-year national average was 14.2 percent. The Granite State’s poverty rate was 7.2 percent (lowest in the nation).

The 2016-2017 National average is 12.5 percent with New Hampshire’s poverty rate is 6.5%. The lowest poverty rate in the nation, again!

For local contrast, for 2016-2017 Vermont is at 9.9%, Maine is at 12.3%, and in  Massachusetts, one-in-ten people live in poverty. Connecticut’s poverty level is 10.4% with Rhode Island at 11.8 percent. New York is at 12.6 percent.

What gives? Why is New Hampshire the least poverty-stricken state in the nation year-after-year?

Mises.org, reporting on a supplemental update last January has a possible explanation.

There are only two ways to reduce poverty and increase the standard of living:

  • Increase household income
  • Lower the cost of living

Yes, New Hampshire has high property taxes, but we consistently have one of the lowest overall tax burdens in the nation – because we rely on property taxes.

Tax visibility begets citizen involvement which is the best possible get out the vote plan ever imagined.

The low overall tax burden has other benefits which New Hampshire enjoys.

Our average income and quality of life rank tops year after year. And while we could do with even fewer licensing and regulatory mandates, the Granite State manages well, along with keeping the tax dollars closer to the taxed (and those who tax them) and years of playing keep away with broad-based sales or income levies.

New Hampshire is experiencing record-setting labor force participation, and more people are employed than at any time in the state’s history. We have a labor shortage that means employers have to voluntarily pay more (in a state that already has excellent hourly rates with no mandatory state minimum wage). Many are or will offer hiring bonus opportunities, and better privately funded benefits packages, all of which attracts workers and keeps people off taxpayers backs by reducing welfare, Medicaid, and food stamp costs.

And all that activity feeds back into the economy.

Yes, there will always be people who need a little assistance, but there is no welfare ladder. It’s a safety net. If you are able, you need incentive and encouragement to get up and start climbing yourself. Assuming your state hasn’t made that difficult or impossible.

California could do a lot better, but it works hard at making life hard. The State government often intrudes, taxes a good deal, regulates more, interferes with the cost of labor, and has some strange priorities. Non-citizens cost taxpayers hundreds of millions annually while citizens can’t get water. Green energy policy makes everything cost more, and Jerry Brown wants to spend money on a satellite to ‘save the planet’ when he can’t even manage to save California (from Jerry Brown).

The once Golden State is devolving into the two-tier system associated with every socialist experiment. Haves and have-nots. A wealthy connected ruling or elite class (politicians, tech giants, entertainers) that can afford the burdens placed on them by progressive governance and everyone else.

New Hampshire has a history of working hard to avoid the pitfalls state’s like California run into with open arms. But New Hampshire Democrats are convinced these Liberal state governments are who we need to emulate.

In their opinion, New Hampshire’s State Government isn’t doing enough, and it certainly isn’t spending enough. To emphasize that point Democrats in New Hampshire are running at both the state and federal level to erase tax cuts for job creators and to centralize tax collection and spending decisions.

This election season New Hampshire Democrats are branding their scheme as property tax relief. But this is a shell game. They are not looking to lower your taxes they are seeking your approval to tax you more from Concord. It’s not property tax relief it is taxing power relocation.

Democrats want to spend more money. The only way to get more is to take more from you and the people who employ you.

Don’t fall for this scam.

New Hampshire isn’t perfect but it doesn’t need anything the left is selling. Their “fixes” will make things worse. Their plans will not lower your tax burden they will raise it. But if property taxes are a concern there is a solution.

School choice. An education marketplace where you can pick and choose what school meet your child’s needs. A market where you can change schools when they stop meeting those needs, including home-schooling if that’s what you want to do.

This wouldn’t just break the Union/Democrat/public school monopoly that consumes close to 70% of the local property tax bill in almost every town in the state. It will lower costs and by lowering costs reduce property taxes.

And you’ll get more than property tax relief. You’ll get better-educated kids with more options. Choices the left doesn’t want you to have because you might just choose to spend your education dollars on a business model that doesn’t launder money back into Democrat political campaigns.

At a time when letting workers and job creators make more decisions with the money they earn is boosting the economy skyward, why not do the same thing with education?

The government monopoly has failed. But they won’t go quietly. The plan is to centralize it as soon as possible to prevent you from having access to the money or how it is spent.

Don’t fall for the property tax relief trap. And don’t fall into the “we need to spend more on public education” trap either. Public education spending is why your taxes are out of control. Handing that over to Concord will only make matters worse.

Support candidates who will fight to keep local control. Keep your money in your town.

Vote for congressional candidates who will work to keep money in New Hampshire instead of laundering it through DC.  It’s your money. You know better than anyone else how to spend it on what is important to you, your business, and your family.

Government only seeks to grow itself, and that’s never been good for anyone but the people in power.

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