Articles tagged as

Spending

“You Betcha!”

In response to a Letter to the Editor from Tim Sullivan in the local paper,  Daily Sun (P6):

To the Editor,

Tim Sullivan, in his Letter of 6/25/10 wrote the following: "Hopefully the selectmen and Budget Committee members of Gilford are not so busy…that they don’t have time to actually read the newspapers and either watch or listen to the news on a regular basis. Their decision making should be based on the outlook for the situation in their community and not their own personal situations and affinity for pet projects."

I have two words for you: "You betcha!".

Speaking for myself: These are hard economic times; I believe they aren’t getting better anytime soon. For the past two years, even though Gilford budgets have been pretty much flat, I have been critical and questioning of any expenditure for new programs or purchases (e.g., "can we put off the new phone system or that new truck until the economy gets better?") in an attempt to move property taxes even lower; during these times, we can and should spend less. And yes, if that means cutting back on lesser priorities, those "less than absolutely essential services", so be it.

Even town government, should only do what would ordinarily be difficult for even groups of individuals to do; it should not be doing things simply because we have grown lazy, outsourced our individual responsibilities to others, or that it “feels right and good". Sadly, we seem all too willing to shuck off those responsibilities with a response of "someone will do it", "there ought to be a law", or "government should/will take care of it".

However, there are those that absolutely believe that Government has to spend more to take care of its citizens and should always do more; they have it exactly wrong. American style of governance as envisioned by our Founders, was built solely to protect our Rights, be a limited government that relied more on people taking care of themselves, and not be in the business of taking care of our every need (real or perceived). They never speak of the harm they do to others by raising taxes to pay for higher spending, for that would spoil the narrative.

Tim is right – this is not a time to spend.

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You Must Claim To Have Balance Daniel-san

State Senator Maggie "the red" Hassan had a puff piece in the New Hampshire Sunday News to defend the NH democrats “balanced Budget.”  We can tell right away that Ms. Hassan is going to take us on a fanciful journey because of her opening clause.  “Scarce resources make for difficult budgets…”  It is from this … Read more

Chicago On The Merrimack

The democrat party line on BP is to close ranks and paint Republicans as protecting big oil.  This is necessary to distract America from Obama’s incompetence and the democrat’s cozy relationship with the British energy company.  Both Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes got the memo—they are on board—using tragedy for personal and political profit as each has sent out fundraising propaganda asking supporters to help them fend of the GOP and its defense of big oil.  These people are unbelievable. 

In a recent Hodes fundraising email staffer Valerie Martin claims that… 

"Republicans… are standing up for Big Oil, Big Insurance, and Big Banks. 

It’s just another example of a Republican defending the special interests, not your interests.…

Other Republicans are even inexplicably criticizing President Obama’s efforts to make sure BP has money set aside to pay for the damages they caused.”” 

So let me see if I’ve go this right.  Paul Hodes (lawyer) sanctions the chief executive’s right to pry billions away from a private company without due process of law, when it is politically or ideologically convenient.  You can run on that and democrats will vote for you?

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Carol Stands Up For…?

Carol Shea Porter has been accused of using the oil spill and related disasters as a way to get campaign contributions.    In response her campaign manager, Angela Ruslander, said this in her defense. “Carol Shea-Porter is standing up to BP and other big corporations who are irresponsibly hurting our environment and our economy.”    Wait it gets better.  … Read more

Why The Stimulus Had To Fail

It’s simple economics.  Government money comes from taxpayers.  The more government spends the more it relies on taxpayers to pay for its spending.  The less money taxpayers have the smaller the economy will be the fewer jobs there are, which means less income, less taxes, more debt.  The stimulus, the huge budget bills, the massive … Read more

No 3% Solution In Hillsborough

When it becomes evident that they have exceeded our mandate or entered into agreements which have or will become fiscally untenable, the officials charged with representing the taxpayers interest must endeavor to introduce savings and efficiencies that limit the fiscal impact of those tasks before they overcome the ability of reasonable men and women to sustain them.

One Hell Of A Wild Ride

There is always speculation about the state of the economy and plenty of people–mostly middle left–have looked at the goat entrails and pronounced a recovery underway if for no other reason than that they want to.   More than a few folks disagree, and it is fair to say that to some small degree the  opinion is … Read more

New Hampshire Needs To Go Into Rehab

“…state governments learn to rely to much on federal handouts as well. New Hampshire democrats just “balanced” the state budget with more debt and millions in federal money that’s not even there. So now they’ll have to get someone to put it back or their budget will not be “in balance,” like some crack whore begging for another hit.”

Leaving The Scene Of The Crime

Departures from public service are not uncommon.  But how you depart says a lot about who you think you are and what you’ve really accomplished.  Take Kathy Sgambati for example.  She’s leaving the State Senate after only two terms, a paltry four years, but if you read her departure rhetoric it sounds as if she … Read more

What Property Rights?

The necessity of law to protect property has… under democrat governance, reversed itself into using law to confiscate property. Under this kind of leadership any sum could find itself subject to the will of the “crown” to erase debts incurred as a result of being too “liberal” with the peoples purse.

Unhitch The Debt Wagon

We watch with amusement as the legislature attempts again to reconcile it’s bad fiscal manners, elbows on the table, slurping soup, and reaching across each others plates as they huddle over another last minute committee of conference. At the top of the menu is the budget, which is a coarse left over from last year that no one can stomach, or manage to keep down.

Does Prohibition Work?

On the question of using gambling revenue to hide irresponsible democrat spending, State Senator Maggie Hassan was quoted in this mornings Union Leader saying. "My question is, does prohibition work? I don’t think it does." It’s quite entertaining, the things desperate people say when they are under the gun to cover their own ass. The … Read more

It’s A Trap

  The idea of the variable rooms and meals tax for towns is a trap set by the democrat majority legislature.  I mentioned it here but let me reiterate how it works for those who may not have noticed or guessed for themselves. Democrat run State government, in its quest for a broad based tax, spends … Read more

Seth Marshall Discovers Property Taxes

  Hat tip out of the gate to fellow NHI front pager Richard Olsen Jr. for this fine bit or wordsmithing on Nashua Rep Seth Marshall’s brief letter to the Nashua Telegraph about a pamphlet on the burden of property taxes.  Mr. Marshall (it appears) feels blessed as if the contents of this pamphlet revealed the answer … Read more

Wheel Of Misfortune

I’ve got mixed emotions about the variable rooms and meals tax (R&M).  On one hand it is the microcosm of federalism.  Every town would be the master of its own demise.  Durham would be like New York State, Keene might be like Michigan.  On the other, starting at 9% is way too high to begin … Read more

My Precious

In the words of Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord), "“Many aspects of this bill are painful, (but) it is the responsible action to take,” to avoid painfully deep budget cuts later, she said.""  MJ is quoted by this morning’s Union Leader on the passage of SB 450, the Bob The Builder Budget repair Bill.  SB 450 … Read more

Shat Bill (SB) 450

SB 450, the omnibus, mix and match, fix and patch, how do we cover all that unnecessary spending democrats had to have, budgetpalooza bill, is up for a vote today.  But it poses an intentional problem for Republicans.  It would repeal the LLC tax, but while adding another boat load of taxes, fees, and if … Read more

Give It Back

From this morning’s Union Leader; the Legislature is looking at an insurance premium tax change.  Apparently someone was granted decreases in exchange for a promise of creating more jobs.  Jobs were not created to their satisfaction so the elected officials see no reason to continue to support the reduced taxation.   Neal Kurk (R-Weare) was quoted … Read more

No Gambling

In the smoldering ruin of SB 489–this years gambling bill, even after a massive campaign by Millennium gaming and its big-money FixItNow NH campaign quarter-backed by their Public relations goo-roo Richard Killion, (whom I suspect is this guy), we get comments like this, from this morning’s Union Leader.

“What’s clear is that today’s vote runs contrary to the will of the people, who, overwhelmingly support expanded gaming and see it as the only acceptable new revenue option,” he said. “The people do not want higher taxes.”

The people do not want higher taxes.  But nothing else he says makes any sense unless he means the will of "the minority of" people who overwhelmingly support expanded gaming, and see it as the only acceptable option."  Isn’t language fun?

Richard really should have been around New England long enough to know that the one thing you can count on in New Hampshire is for voters to contact their state reps and let them know how they feel about an issue.  So from square one this statement is at the very least disingenuous.  Before we even get to square two we know that that is exactly what the people did, and the product of that opinion (how the House voted) is clearly represented in the roll call.  Consider the following.

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Light A Candle

Here in New Hampshire we’ve been at what Erik Erikson at Red State calls Tea Party 2.0 since day one.  Not a week goes by when the message from any one of the dozens of groups around the state who support the anti-tax rallies that define the Tea Party Movement is to get involved.  Learn … Read more

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