New Taxachusetts

New Hampshire use to be a conservative state, which does not necessarily mean a Republican State (although that was the party that controlled the State for decades). Our motto “Live Free Our Die” pretty much use to sum up how hardcore the Citizens of New Hampshire were when it came to our personal liberties. However, a shift (or I should say an invasion) occurred in the mid-1990’s that moved New Hampshire away from its central, conservative beliefs.

Thousands of people from Massachusetts fled their State due to high taxes and socialist policies by the government they elected (90% of the representatives elected to the Massachusetts House are of the Democrat persuasion). They left Massachusetts for the appeal of New Hampshire. The appeal of New Hampshire’s greener pastures had been created and protect for years by the fourth largest, freely elect legislation in the World (Only the US Congress, British Parliament, and India's House are larger). A legislation that was overwhelmingly conservative. But thanks to the “revolution” of November of 2006, New Hampshire is now a blue state. You know, like the color blue your face turns when you are choking on something or someone is strangling you; both are true in the case of the “new” New Hampshire.

The problem is that you can take the person out of Massachusetts, but you can’t take the socialist out of the person. These refugees (or carpetbaggers, depending on who you talk to) have brought their socialist ways with them.

Aside from the fact that we now have Civil Unions (against the wishes of a majority of our citizens), repelled the Parent Notification Law (under pressure from Planned Parenthood, and through the means of a dubious court decision), that legislators attempted to ban the state motto, along with a Constitutional crisis relating to Education, we now have the largest budget in the history of our once fiscally conservative State. Our 2007 budget is 10.3 Billion Dollars, a whopping 11% increase over last year’s budget.

And how are we going to pay for this budget. The good, old Massachusetts way….tax increases (or worse yet, new taxes):

• Statewide property tax rate of $2.24 per $1,000 next year.



• 28 cents per pack cigarette tax increase, up from 80 cents. Which affects lower income, who we will in turn give the tax money back to instead of letting them keep it in the first place (?????).



• $6 vehicle registration fee increase for cars and light trucks; $3 increase for motorcycles; average $200 increase for heavy trucks.



• Applies 7 percent telecommunications tax to first $12 of residential phone bill, now tax exempt.



• $10 increase in resident permits to hunt wild turkey, up from $5. Nonresidents will pay $25 more, or $30.



• $25 surcharge added to civil court filings. Exempts actions involving children, domestic violence, small claims, stalking orders and landlord/tenant actions.



• $30 instant lottery tickets allowed (not a tax, just a vice).



• Increases fees on wetlands permits, nonresident moose hunting, terrain alteration and environmental tests.

To all of you who fled Massachusetts to escape the oppression of a Nanny State, where are you thinking about running to next? I wish you would make you minds up soon before we have to change the name of our State to New Mass-a-taxes!