First, let me say for the record that any Republican that supports a new tax or the expansion of Big Government is really a Democrat. We all know that the latter gobbles up such bills like flies on fresh excrement. No matter how noble or popular the objective is, taxation is still theft. SB255 establishes a new government commission funded by a telecommunications surcharge. Before going any further, please consider an important Thomas Sowell quote.
“I have never understood why it is “greed” to want to keep the money you have earned, but not greed to want to take someone else’s money.“
What makes that quote important is that you will probably get called selfish if you oppose SB 255 because it has to do with helping people who are considering suicide. Discouraging that decision is noble and popular, and very few would disagree, but I strongly disagree with any “someone else will pay for it” approach to problem-solving because that “someone else” is almost always you and I.
The words “broad-based tax” often come up in state house discussions. Most ordinary people’s knee-jerk first thoughts are income tax and sales tax, but I decided to look up those words. A broad-based tax is one that taxes most of the potential tax base. How many people do you know that are NOT telecommunications customers?
When complaining about taxes and government spending to people of the left, moderates, and the apolitical, I often encounter the same old shallow responses. The first one is “but I like (insert spending item here).” One local example is the arts center. When a neighbor was having a cookout, I was trying to raise awareness of city hall shenanigans as I live in a neighborhood of people with similar levels of property tax victimhood. Without going too far on a side trip, let’s just say that what I mean by property tax victimhood is the percent change in dollar amount before and after the 2nd to last city-wide appraisal. I was venting about the arts center when a senior neighbor said, “But I like (theater, concerts, etc.).” I said I had nothing against performing arts and free market consumers spending THEIR OWN MONEY on their chosen form of entertainment. I will add that this neighbor is living in squalor and unlikely to afford the cover charge of an arts center event, never mind concessions, garage parking, nearby Jersey barrier dining, or a nightcap. But hey, who am I to judge someone else’s ability to pay? That’s a cardinal sin in the world of salesmanship, and the event admission might be someone else’s treat. That’s fine, but not with MY money(without my consent).
Another common response is one that I heard right out of the mouth of Ms. Melanie Levesque after hearing her lying about her voting record. Everyone already knows that she voted for an income tax, even though she claims it’s not an income tax because she’s calling it “family leave.” The day we met for the first time was outside the Telegraph building in June 2022 while I was waving a sign at traffic on Main St. A few minutes into our conversation, she looked me in the eye with steam coming out of her ears and said: “it’s for the greater good.” Saying that something is for the greater good is a typical Democrat talking point for justifying the commandeering of YOUR money.
What about “legal tax evasion?” Colton ran into Melanie at the 2022 Greenville Old Home Day and asked her if the income tax(that she calls family leave) was voluntary. At least she didn’t lie when answering. As irrational a solution as it is, the only way to avoid an income tax is to be unemployed, not that I’m suggesting that anyone quit their job. As for SB255, I suppose one could voluntarily do without any telecommunications to avoid the surcharge, but most rational people will agree that it’s just not practical.
I chose those two talking points that I expect to be the most common among people who are likely to support SB 255. They are expected to be very popular in blue places, such as Nashua, and among enemy camp members, such as Melanie(though I haven’t talked to her about SB 255). For readers new to NH, I will point out that Melanie was Kevin’s opponent in 2022 and Kevin is the sponsor of SB 255. There are no other senate cosponsors and the 3 rep cosponsors are Uniparty RINOs. Please tell Kevin and his 15 teammates that SB 255 is repugnant to Republican values and repugnant to the Constitution.
