Cheshire Republican Women

by Rep. Sherman Packard

“Here’s the truth: Not only did Democrats suspend revenue aid to cities and towns, they stole money from rooms and meals revenue sharing with cities and towns. We were fortunate early this year to convince enough Democrats in the House to restore $5 million to cities and towns in rooms and meals revenues, but it was scuttled by Democrats in the Senate. If Speaker Norelli thinks that education funding is solved, she must have a vat of Kool-Aid nearby as she brought back donor towns and the likelihood of further funding lawsuits against our state. And the pension fund she mentions? Well, it’s over a billion dollars in the red, and when Republicans and many Democrats tried to work to reform the system, the unions threatened and Norelli and her party backed down.”

Read more from Seacoast Online…

The NH GOP Victory Offices are now up and running across the state, and there is a critical need for volunteers to help out with the effort so we can sweep the Democrats out of office in November. Said offices are located in Bedford, Nashua, Salem, Keene, Stratham, and Laconia.

They will be running phone banks everyday and need volunteers to come in and help man the office, make survey calls right into their own towns, help with mailings, and help go door to door.

If you can help out with this effort, contact the person listed below at the office that would be most convenient for you to volunteer at:

Bedford Office – Simon Thomson – simon@nhgop. org or 415-0236

Nashua Office – Nick Pappas – nick@nhgop.org or 415-0279

Stratham Office – Caroline Gilger – caroline@nhgop. org or 415-0278

Salem Office – Bianca Garcia – Bianca@nhgop. org or 512-0588

Keene Office – Annie Kasper – annie@nhgop. org or 415-0012

Laconia Office – Mike Ciccio – mikec@nhgop. org or 712-2301

Also, Republican candidates can put their signs up at offices, drop off materials, and local candidates can make calls right into their district.

If you need further information please call the nearest victory office or contact BJ Perry directly at 603-225-9341 or bj@nhgop.org

New Hampshire faces $84.8 million shortfall this year
Shortfall on pace for $86.6 million next year; total budget gap close to $300 million

(CONCORD) The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy has published a new report estimating the revenue shortfall facing the New Hampshire budget at $84.8 million for Fiscal Year 2010. The projection is based revenues through March 31, and a study of the spring revenue figures for the past ten years.

The report, authored by Josiah Bartlett Center President Charlie Arlinghaus, breaks the state budget into ten major revenue categories, and projects how each source of funds is performing compared to both the Legislature’s projections and historic averages.

“Based on historical trends, the state is currently on track to be $84.8 million short of its budgeted revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30,” Arlinghaus writes.

Arlinghaus concludes that next year’s revenue shortfall will also top $80 million, unless economic conditions improve quickly.

“The budgeted revenue for FY2011 includes no additional taxes or rate changes. It assumes a 2.2% growth in total revenues over the prior year,” Arlinghaus continues. “If we assume the same 2.2% increase off the new FY2010 base, revenues would be an additional $86.6 million below the amount budgeted to balance spending in the budget.”

“The two-year revenue shortfall of $171 million is the largest component of a budget deficit that is close to $300 Million.”

Read the full report at http://www.jbartlett.org

You can chalk up another one for “transparency in government” in the New Hampshire House of Representatives today. In a private, closed-door, session in Concord, Speaker Terie Norelli brought together House Democrats on both the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules and the Ways & Means committee for a private briefing on the LLC tax with Revenue Commissioner Kevin Clougherty.

“By ignoring the Republicans who serve their constituents on those vital committees, Speaker Norelli is telling the people of New Hampshire that their opinion doesn’t count in this matter. Rep. Norelli is supposed to be the speaker of the entire House, but it is clear through this move that she considers herself the speaker of only House Democrats,” said Rep. David Hess (r-Hooksett), the Deputy House Republican Leader.

In sending an email only to Democrats on the committees, Speaker Norelli said that the update “should be very informative and helpful to us [Democrats] at this point in the session.”

“Apparently the speaker doesn’t feel that the issue is important enough to include all legislators on the committees,” added House Republican Leader Sherm Packard (r. Londonderry). “I find it interesting that while Commissioner Clougherty cannot find the time to ‘brief’ the public in the southern tier of the state, and has refused numerous requests to do so; he did manage to find time to be a part of this secret meeting.”

“I am very concerned that, after all the questions and concerns raised at the public forums about the enactment of the LLC Income Tax in the dead of night, without a public hearing, the Democrat leadership would have yet another closed door meting with the Commissioner of DRA. This is how we got into this mess to begin with,” said Senior Assistant House Republican Leader Gene Chandler (r-Bartlett).

The back-door meeting is just another example of a series of moves by the Democrats in the last three years to ignore the process. “Secrecy is not the exception, it has become the norm. They added this tax in the middle of the night, without a public hearing, and now they are trying to pervert the process with secret, one-sided briefings and preferential treatment,” concluded Hess.

James E. Rivers
House Republican Office
107 North Main St.
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-6277
www.nhhousegop.com