by Hon. Frank McCarthy
I was first elected to the NH House in November of 2010. Notwithstanding state law requiring budgets be balanced, we were left, by a democratic majority, with an $850 million dollar, built in, budget deficit. We rolled up our sleeves and went to work. We soon adopted a balanced biennial state budget, containing not one red cent in new taxes or fees. Rather, we eliminated one billion dollars in unessential, superfluous democratic wish list spending.
One of the starkest differences between Republicans and Democrats is the understanding of the basic purpose of budgeting and how the end product “must” be determined. Republicans, as do most households, look first at the amount of revenue available during the budget year. Spending priorities are determined, and the budget is balanced within the estimated revenue total. It’s the only proper way to do it. Either that, or tax yourself into oblivion.
Democrats on the other hand, look first at what they want, regardless of cost. Often, these seemingly must-haves programs are nothing more than individual pet peeves. For instance, all college education should be paid for by taxpayers. Of course, they never use the term “Tax Payer,” they call it the “Government.” Another one is, everyone should have free medical care, paid for by the “Government.” Estimated state cost for that madness would total 16 billion dollars annually. Another is, let’s give everyone, whether they want it or not, twelve weeks off from work, with pay. To do so, we will enact the first ever NH payroll / “income tax.” When finally It becomes obvious that revenue estimates will not meet spending costs. No problem, say they! We’ll just raise taxes. This is known throughout the free world as “Socialism.”
In 2015, the republican majority, wanting to jump start the state’s economy, stagnated during Obama’s eight years, decided to, incrementally and carefully, with fallbacks if necessary, lower the state’s business profits and enterprise taxes. Notwithstanding gloom and doom predictions by the democrats, the republicans stuck to their guns, (No Pun intended) Lo and behold, since being enacted, the tax cuts have created close to half a billion dollars in surplus revenue.
One hundred million was used to reinforce the states rainy day fund. The remainder went to annual increased funding for priority state programs such as the opioid crisis and mental health. The business tax cuts are also responsible for: A much more favorable rating from the national tax foundation, bringing in many new business entities. The cuts are also primarily responsible for the lowest unemployment rate in the country, significantly higher and still rising wages, in 2017, the distinction of having the highest per household, annual income, in the entire country, in 2018, the distinction of having the highest per capita income in the entire country, not to mention the lowest poverty rate. “Thou shalt not fix that which is not broken.”
Now, the Neo Socialist Democratic party has the majority. The first senate bill to be passed will, for the first time in our state’s history, create a payroll / “income tax.” More importantly, it will unconstitutionally take the authority to increase or decrease the amount of the tax, out of the hands of the legislature, the constitutionally designated supreme legislative body of the state, and into the hands of an unelected government bureaucrat.
They immediately repealed, in totality, the business tax cuts we passed in earlier sessions. Giving them the pseudonym “ The legislature of A promise made, a promise broken.” As if that wasn’t enough, they passed more than 310 million dollars in new taxes; increased the cost of fees from $1.8 million to $4.8 million, and have added more than half a billion dollars of spending to the budget, requiring even higher taxation. All accomplished within one quarter of the first year of the session. With much more to come.
They have legislatively created two distinct types of NH residents. Here in NH, out of state students are urged and readily assisted by democrats to vote in local and federal elections. Yet, for some unexplained reason, these same individual are exempt from our perjury and motor vehicle laws. Wherein, those who are legally domiciled here, work and vote here, are, without exception, required to obey all state laws. As a result of this unamerican gerrymandering of our voting laws meant to attract liberal academia votes, for the purpose of swaying our elections, it also costs the state and local communities, hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost license plate and driver’s license revenue. And remember, for every out of state voter, one of your votes becomes worthlessly moot. What ever happened to absentee ballots?
Finally, the socialists also saw fit to repeal an extremely worthy, no cost, elementary/ high school scholarship program, smashing the dreams and hopes of thousands of needy students and their parents. They claim, “It is unconstitutional.” Knowing , however. by virtue of opinions from both the State and Federal Supreme Courts, it is not. The repeal is, in fact, motivated by anti-Christianity and nothing more. Elections do have consequences.