Stop the steal!
There’s a robbery in progress. It began a decade ago, and it’s happening in your town and in mine, in broad daylight.
Ten years ago, Republican Chris Sununu was elected governor, and Republicans have controlled the state’s legislative, regulatory and judicial agenda ever since.
In that time, property taxes have risen. Public schools and universities struggle for funding. More than half our promising high school graduates leave in search of better opportunities, while the wealthy move in, buying second homes and sheltering their fortunes in “beautiful, tax-free New Hampshire.”
What we haven’t seen in 10 years is a better life for working people. Minimum wage is still stuck at $7.25 an hour, where it was set in 2007.
Motley Fool reports the stock market grew 131% in 10 years, nearly 8.7% a year. Did you get an 8.7% raise each year? Where do you suppose all those profits went?
Shouldn’t those taking the most, pay the lion’s share of taxes? The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reports NH’s lowest-earning 20% pay a combined state and local tax rate three times that of the top 1%. Does that sound fair?
New Hampshire gets 61% of its revenue by taxing property (no other state taxes homes as hard), yet covers only 23% of our towns’ expenses. Only Florida is stingier per capita.
On Nov. 3, let’s vote ’em all out and elect a New Hampshire government that works for us!