To the editor of the Intertown Record,

Recently, it was my pleasure to attend a gathering in New London where Cathy Silber from the Granite State Fair Tax Coalition, Rep. Dave Kidder, and Rep. Randy Foose presented their ideas about revenue needs and solutions for the state of New Hampshire.  The group in attendance was diverse, of differing opinions, willing to listen, and among them all, there was not a single Ding-a-Ling. Does this mean there is hope for New Hampshire?

Granted, this was not a random sampling, but the fact that more than two people could come together and acknowledge that a discussion of revenue for the state is both relevant and necessary left me giddy with optimism.  I even heard one person say she felt badly because she wasn’t paying her fair share of taxes.  In fact, another friend has told me this same thing but she lives in Cambridge where, (would you believe it?) property taxes are reasonable. 

This discussion is necessary because even with all the fantastic work our republicans have done to cut expenditures we property tax payers must still assume an unfair and growing share of the regressive New Hampshire tax burden.  How is that? Well, property taxes are where the state gets 62% of its revenue, a bigger percent for homeowners than any other state.  Did you have a bad year, dear homeowner? It’s not New Hampshire's problem. Pay up, sell out if you can’t; go live under a bridge if you can find one that’s vacant. New Hampshire doesn’t care about you.  New Hampshire wants your money. This is the real New Hampshire Advantage.

Regressive? As a percentage of income, low earners pay as much as 20% or more of what they earn in taxes, while high earners pay less, often way less, even as little as 2%.  If you rent, don’t imagine you don’t pay property taxes.  Where do you think your landlord gets his money for the state, dummy?  So when you hear the word regressive this is what it means. Rich people get a better deal.  Is it because they’re smarter than you and me? It will be if we don’t do something about it.

When I hear the word Ding-a-Ling I particularly think of someone who solves problems with Dogma.  The famous Native American wise man, Sun Bear, said that Ding-a-Lings are probably evenly distributed among all races and cultures, but that doesn’t seem to account for the large concentration we have in the New Hampshire House.  My own theory that accounts for this is what I call the law of accumulation.  That is, if you have two toothbrushes and two bathrooms, sooner or later both will surely end up (accumulate) in one bathroom or the other – unless you decommissioned one bathroom to save on taxes (and ran the hopper up to Enfield).

To put it another way, birds of a feather flock together. I’ve also heard that a lot of money from outside the state has something to do with it.  Would that be: money earned outside the state by people who reside here and give to pols who’ll keep the status quo?  Anyway, a Ding-a-Ling is someone who tries to fix the mess we have down here from way up there, in theory land -- and just creates another mess.  How high up? I’d say golden dome and bat high, at least, to judge from what’s been coming down.  Should you visit the State House be careful not to slip on the guano.

For the 75% of New Hampshire people who are not Ding-a-Lings, this is my main point.  If you want leadership on fiscal issues or any other issues don’t look to the dingbats in the State House.  They have nothing to offer -- just the same tired blather about death and freedom. Real initiatives will have to percolate from the ground up --from people listening to each other, from people like you!  You can do something. Contact and support The Granite State Fair Tax Coalition.  Their aim is to promote discussion of the fiscal problems and the options we have for dealing with them at the state level.  They’re open to ideas. Their message is simple: We need to talk.  If you pay property taxes; that is, if you reside in New Hampshire, half or more of your tax dollars go to the state.  If you worry as that share increases and feel helpless about it: We need to talk.  If you suspect that pennywise and pound-foolish does not make sense: We need to talk.  The GSFTC will be hosting meetings around the state this fall. You can call them 603 986 7696 or visit their web site, www.nhfairtax.org.