Cigarette smokers and flavored tobacco scavengers from Massachusetts produced a surge of New Hampshire tobacco tax revenue that almost single-handedly prevented a business tax increase, preliminary, unaudited state figures suggest.
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
After Brutal 2020, Tax Hikes Could Loom for N.H. Businesses in 2021
The House on Thursday rejected a Republican proposal to prevent significant business tax increases that are likely to hit on January 1. Unless legislators act between now and the end of the year, New Hampshire businesses that survive 2020 should prepare to begin paying higher tax rates in 2021.
“Business is not the Enemy”
Two months ago, New Hampshire’s unemployment rate was 2.6%. The unemployment rate is now 17 percent, and on Thursday a deputy commissioner for employment security said it probably will hit 20%.
Focus on Growth, Opportunity and Innovation is Paying Off for New Hampshire
The takeaway message from Gov. Chris Sununu’s State of the State address on Thursday was that New Hampshire, like comedian Larry The Cable Guy, gets her done.
An event: The Truth About Socialism
Sponsor: The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy Event: The Truth About Socialism Date: Feb 8 (Sat) Time: 6:30-8pm Cost: $10 Reservations: www.jbartlett.org
Lonely (for now) legislators push sales, income taxes
A bill to tax sales of electronics in New Hampshire made news this week, and the bemused media coverage it drew was justified. Yet New Hampshire Union Leader State House Bureau Chief Kevin Landrigan saw a different, and more important, angle.
NH Democrats Want to Use the State to Save us From Unlicensed Art Therapists
A genuine citizen legislature like ours will produce some uniquely ridiculous legislative proposals. HB546 is that while also being a protectionist effort to create a cartel. Requiring State licensing to create a protected occupation – a monopoly on the price of admission and practice.
Transportation and Climate Initiative a bad deal for New Hampshire
The regional cap-and-tax scheme called the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a bad deal for New Hampshire, the initiative organizers’ own projections show. Modeled on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the TCI would cap carbon emissions from transportation sources (vehicles) and force fuel distributors to buy carbon allowances. A declining cap would force distributors … Read more
For America, gratitude is foundational
Thanksgiving is a critically important American holiday. The reason is simple. The survival of the United States as an independent nation of free peoples depends upon gratitude. If Americans do not remain forever grateful for the system we inherited, we will lose it. If this sounds a bit dramatic, take it up with Abraham Lincoln. Preserving … Read more
Federalism, socialism and ‘dreams of fancy’
Explaining the incredible prosperity of New England in the colonial era and early American republic, Alexis de Tocqueville noted first that the people were left largely alone by the government.
Rent Control Rhetoric vs. Reality
Last November, Ontario’s government scrapped rent controls for new rental properties. Activists called it class warfare against low-income renters and predicted huge rises in rents.
50 years after start of anti-Seabrook protests, a turn toward nuclear power
By Andrew Cline, Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy If San Francisco tech bro hipsters invented a carbon-free way to generate power 24/7, they would be hailed as saviors of the planet. Though they might yet come up with some use for a venti Matcha Green Tea Frappuccino, the energy technology in question predates them … Read more
No, not a newspaper – us instead!
Drew Cline got the “organization” right – just got the “newspaper” bit wrong. Oh, and add this, too: “Cameras at the State House”. See the bottom of this post for both as this is a bit long. The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy just send out another email missive and while I agree with … Read more
“Five secrets of the Legislature’s 2020-21 state budget “
By Drew Cline State budgets are like the Grinch’s Santa sack. They’re huge, unwieldy, and overstuffed with giveaways and surprises. Their contents are a mystery to anyone who doesn’t have hours to crawl inside and unwrap every little package, which is pretty much every normal person. We’re not normal (we like reading budgets), so we’ve done … Read more
The New Hampshire Democrat’s Budget Includes a Retroactive Tax Hike
This won’t surprise too many people, but Democrats are lying about their budget. The party line is that they froze business taxes and removed future tax cuts. Not true. The Democrat Budget raises taxes for 2019.
“Five reasons Sununu was right to veto paid leave tax”
By the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy On Thursday, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a Democratic bill to impose a $168 million wage tax on New Hampshire employees for the purpose of limiting their benefit choices and forcing them to accept a state-run paid family leave program. Here are five reasons why a veto was … Read more
Five facts about the minimum wage
By the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy The odds that legislators will vote to raise New Hampshire’s minimum wage this year are significantly better than the odds that sitting through next year’s Super Bowl halftime show will be more entertaining than going to the kitchen for more nachos. Why? Ideas like this, as expressed … Read more