Opinion

Letter to the Editor: ‘The Pledge’ should not be scrapped

Recently, I was amused by a letter to the editor in the New Hampshire Business Review published on June 19 titled “Isn’t it time to scrap ‘The Pledge’” written by Arnie Arnesen of Concord, formally of Orford, my hometown.

In her column, Arnesen states the following:

“What better time than now to question New Hampshire’s political shackle known as ‘the pledge?’ The 50-year-old tax pledge, concocted by two reactionary conservatives, represents the ‘for me, not you’ mentality that prohibits healthy and constructive growth.”

Arnesen must have missed all the great news of the recent record-breaking growth and prosperity with an all-time record of those employed under Gov. Chris Sununu and President Donald Trump just before the coronavirus hit our economy.

The only reason I am responding to this letter is that she is calling out my late father, former New Hamsphire Gov. Meldrim Thomson, who served the state for three terms from 1973-1979 and is not here to defend himself — and I know he would have done a much better job than me.

Yes, it was my father who galvanized “The Pledge” in New Hampshire. Every governor, Democrat or Republican, since then has taken “The Pledge” — except for one time when Gov. Jeanne Sheehan ran for a third term and refused to take it. Sheehan won her third term but her push for a statewide sales tax went down in defeat on the morning of April 19, 2001, and I believe my father waited until the sales tax was defeated before he passed away that afternoon.

“The Pledge” my father believed in was very simple: as a candidate for governor you should be honest with the voters you wish to serve. Either say, “Yes, I support a sales or income tax (or both),” or, “No, I oppose a sales or income tax.”

My father always opposed a sales or income tax and was famous for his slogan “Low taxes are the result of low spending.”

It is because of “The Pledge” that we have the “New Hampshire Advantage,” meaning no sales or income tax. It is the only state in New England to have this and because of that folks from all our neighboring states flock to New Hampshire to purchase goods and services, which brings in millions upon millions of dollars to our state’s economy. In addition, many move here to enjoy the low tax environment.

Remember, Arnie Arnesen, who ran for governor in 1992 and refused to take “The Pledge,” lost to Republican Steve Merrill, who took “The Pledge” and won with 56.02% of the vote to Arnie Arnesen’s dismal 39.95%. Then in the 2002 governor’s race, Democrat Mark Fernald famously refused to take “The Pledge“ and supported an income tax He too lost to Republican candidate Craig Benson who won with 58.62% of the vote to Mark Fernald’s 38.21%. To me it seems pretty clear that not taking “The Pledge” is a good way to get less than 40% of the vote in New Hampshire.

Arnie Arnesen once again is wrong. If you want to be a New Hampshire governor be sure to take “The Pledge” and promise the taxpayers before they vote that you will veto any idea of a sales or income tax that comes to your desk. If you do so then everyone will enjoy the “New Hampshire Advantage.”

Tom Thomson

Orford, NH

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