WE were saturated with political ads consisting of half truths and sloganeering throughout this election cycle. The problem is what was fact or fiction! We heard a lot about the NH Budget and while I don’t want to minimize the issue, the budget is balanced and a 70 million dollar surplus does exists. That fact/claim is by professional auditors – not partisan politicians.
In June, the Legislature was called back into a special session. Due to the recession, a revenue shortfall was discovered; therefore, to keep the budget balanced, certain adjustments were needed. Among those adjustments was repeal of the controversial LLC Tax –which was done by both democrats and republicans (including this writer). The adjusted budget reflects across the board cuts – there were no sacred cows. Consensus was that more cuts would have had a negative impact on services for the most needy in the state.
Also about those taxes & fees – fact: in the 2009/2010 session, there were over 35 increases to fees & several new fees – all were sponsored by republicans.
Regarding the management of the state – there are a few facts we need to know. According to the WALL STREET JOURNAL (10/4/2010), New Hampshire is among the 10 best-run states in the Nation. The article reports that well-run states “keep balanced books, investment is prudent and debt is sustainable”. Another interesting fact is that the nation’s 3 largest bond rating agencies have held NH’s rating steady reflecting a "fundamentally strong state economy." Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investor Services, and Fitch Ratings have all maintained the state’s above average ratings.
Now I know everything is not wonderful – and times are tough requiring due-diligence by all elected officials. However, I hope you will realize that the governor and legislators presently in power have remained focused and frugal.
Lastly, regarding next session’s budget – I don’t have a crystal ball – but I do know that crafting a budget will be a major challenge. It will take hard work and possible sacrifice – not sloganeering. Let's see what the other team will do - stay tuned...
