Facts, not rhetoric
I support the Monitor’s adherence to the First Amendment in the piece (Column) by Sen. Dan Innis. My experience as a newspaper reader for many years is that columns are not only well-written, but that claims might actually be backed up by facts. Sen. Innis’ claim that Democrats are responsible for rising property taxes is not only ludicrous, but unsubstantiated by any facts whatsoever. The reason for rising property taxes can be directly traced to the lack of State funding for many of our public services, reducing taxes on businesses, and shifting costs previously borne by the State onto the counties, towns and cities of New Hampshire. There is a long list of state obligations which are no longer adequately funded at the state level, including special education costs, retirement contributions for public employees, and $51 million recent cuts to DHHS alone. All of those costs are now covered at the local (i.e., property tax) level. Let’s look objectively at the facts, and accept the reality of who is in charge of making these decisions, including the reduction of vital services. The answer is … the Republican majorities.