LTE: The NH Disadvantage

The NH Disadvantage

Sen. Jeb Bradley and Rep. Sherman Packard recently declared the finalized budget as “A budget that puts NH families first”. I’m failing to see the evidence that backs this slogan. The argument put forth is that they have not increased taxes and in fact lowered rooms and meals tax. In my neighborhood I don’t know anyone who pays state taxes. We are retirees or are working for wages and don’t have any largess of interest and dividends. I am grateful though that when I take the family to McDonald’s I save 12 cents on our Friday night Happy Meals. Yet in aggregate the 0.005% drop in R&M tax has cost the state tens of millions in additional revenue which will not be available for tax relief.

The real tax burden that my neighbors shoulder here in Newport continues to be property taxes and the unfair manner in which this state has always funded local education. The biennial budget is not a permanent solution to the inequities in this local funding model. In fact the Senate bill provides substantially less money to the Newport schools than the House budget would have. So when Mr. Bradley and Mr. Packard champion the slogans “NH Hampshire families first” and “the NH Advantage” it is from the perspective of billions in taxable lakefront property and tax bills thousand(s) of dollars lower than mine. When I see my tax bill my slogan is “the NH disadvantage”.

Larry Schissel

Newport, NH