New Hampshire: The Real Facts

Shira Schoenberg of the Concord Monitor carefully reviews the excellent pro-active assessment policies of the city of Concord, NH to ensure that city tax-exempt proerties are properly "tax-exempt":

The city of Concord has been scrutinizing properties that receive tax exemptions, to ensure that all property owners getting tax breaks deserve them.

In three years, the city has collected more than $300,000 in taxes from properties previously classified as tax-exempt. Organizations whose properties have been taken off the list include New Hampshire Public Radio and St. Paul's School.

SHAHEEN'S DUCK OF THE DAY: CARD CHECK LEGISLATION

CONCORD – In another attempt to avoid taking a policy position, Jeanne Shaheen is ducking questions about legislation that would deny workers the right to a secret ballot vote on union representation. The bill also exposes workers to intimidation, coercion and retaliation from union organizers.

The Union Leader reports that Shaheen has refused to offer a position on the legislation despite requests for comment. While she has declined to discuss her stance, the big unions and special interests groups which have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to her campaign, are spearheading efforts to pass the card check bill.

City Budget

My hat is off the City Finance Committee for actually listening to the public and acting upon the public’s request to lower the city’s portion of the property tax from 4.8% to 3.9984%. In a real sense, watching both school and city government activities is rather new to me. I am one of those guilty citizens who rarely got involved until I retired early last year. I am learning a lot of lessons along the way.

Dear Fellow New Hampshirite:

If you have been following the news, you know New Hampshire’s state budget deficit continues to grow beyond the $50 million gap that Governor Lynch originally indicated. It maybe four times that amount. The Lynch Budget deficit exists even with the State of New Hampshire reported record high revenues. How can we have a budget deficit despite record revenues?

Out of control spending! To help pay for this gaping deficit John Lynch wants to add a new tax on poker, increase taxes on liquor distributors and wants to raise taxes on tobacco for the 3rdtime in 4 years!

We all know the effects that higher taxes aimed at business have. We will all end up paying with higher prices and job losses.

Charles Arlinghaus writes in the Union-Leader: "Lynch moves from tax-and-spend to borrow-and-spend"

IT IS NOW widely accepted that the current state budget is in deficit. What is less well known is that the budget to be debated early next year will be worse. Many proposed changes will not help, but will just postpone the problem until the next budget debate, held at the politician's favorite time: after the next election.

Republicans Resume Fight for Parental Rights

Parental Notification Bill Receives Public Hearing

Concord—House Republicans today began their attempt to return parental notification to the state’s law books by voicing their strong support for HB 1495 at a public hearing in Concord. The legislation would restore the parental notification law and add a medical emergency exception. It would also afford the pregnant minor 24-hour access to a judge for waiver of notification.

NH State Rep. David Hess offers his views on the on-going NH education funding saga in the Concord Monitor......

There is a dangerous premise circulating in the State House that not only flies in the face of the Supreme Court ruling on education funding, but could also represent the first step in a backdoor effort to enact a broad-based tax.

The court was clear in ruling that the legislative and executive branches of government have a four-fold responsibility: define an adequate education; decide what it costs; provide and pay for it; and ensure its delivery through accountability.

As you know, New Hampshire has had a state income tax for many years. It focused on interest and dividends income and is considered a limited income tax. Turbo Tax even provides the state income tax forms for us.

Now, NH state Rep. Kennedy, Democrat - Rockingham 13, has introduced House Bill 1373-FN-A-LOCAL:

AN ACT establishing an income tax.
SPONSORS: Rep. Kennedy, Rock 13
COMMITTEE: Ways and Means

ANALYSIS

"This bill establishes an income tax at the rate of 3.5 percent.

Skip in the GraniteGrok reviews the proposal to raise legislators’ pay 5100% to $100 per week!

DERRY (AP) – A Salem lawmaker is behind a proposal to raise the pay for New Hampshire legislators, currently the lowest-paid in the country.

Republican Rep. Anthony DiFruscia is the prime sponsor of a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise state legislators pay from $100 a year plus mileage to $100 a week plus mileage. Constitutional amendments must win three-fifths support in the House and Senate to go before voters. Two-thirds of voters must approve for an amendment to take effect.

Read Shawne K. Wickham's overview in the Union Leader of the hot topics for discussion in the 2008 state legislature:

Concord – The Legislature will revisit some old battlegrounds ---- parental notification, restaurant smoking ban, taxes and civil unions ---- and take on a host of new ones when the new session starts Wednesday.

There are bills to ban public urination, permit smoking in cigar stores, ban texting while driving and establish a criminal usury rate (anything over 36 percent). One measure would create a learner's permit for young drivers; another would increase the speed limit to 70 miles per hour on limited-access turnpikes and mandate drivers stay right except to pass on such roadways.

Are you familar with the NH House bill one Lilly Mesa of Manchester, NH has introduced into the State Legialature? If not, you should get up to speed quickly. A brief overview is available below from the GraniteGrok site.

I have blogged before about HB404 here in NH - a bill that would turn all of NH into a sanctuary state (here, and here). Basically, this bill is a free pass to illegal aliens to roost here. It seems that other people are starting to notice

From the Nashua Telegraph

Posted by Skip on the GraniteGrok Saturday:

NH trying to take more local control away from communities?

Found this little snippet in the local paper, The Citizen (not online yet):

New Hampshire Education Commissioner Lyonel Tracy said he is considering a proposal for a statewide teacher contract.

The NH GOP just launched a weekly Podcast Program aimed at presenting current information on issues of importance to NH residents. The first podcast, receivable on your own PC's speakers, addresses the shameful Democratic-led repeal of NH's Parental Notification law recently signed by our Democratic Gov., John Lynch.

Defeat of Constitutional Amendment Opens the Door to an Income Tax
[Submitted by the office of NH Republican Leader, Michael Whalley.]

Today in Concord, House Democrats rubber-stamped Big Labor’s initiative to eliminate inconvenient” workplace secret ballot elections of all employees to decide whether to form a union, opening the door to the intimidation and strong-arming of employees.
“Taking away employees’ right to a secret ballot election strikes at the very heart of American democracy. How can Democrats, in good conscience, deny New Hampshire workers their fundamental right of privacy and free speech as enshrined in the secret ballot process?” asked Republican Leader Michael Whalley (R-Alton Bay).