ABRAMI: New to New Hampshire? Please Don’t Try to Change This Great State. – NH Journal

Like so many others I’m not a local of New Hampshire. I used to be born and raised in New York after which lived three years every in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Jersey earlier than settling in New Hampshire 40 years in the past. I used to be a healthcare operations marketing consultant for 43 years with purchasers in 37 states and D.C. over that interval. I’ve 12 years of expertise observing the inside workings of our state authorities as a state consultant from Stratham.

Merely put, we reside in the perfect state within the Union. I’m asking all newcomers to this state to not vote for anybody who would advocate altering what makes us distinctive from the opposite states.

On the coronary heart of New Hampshire’s ethos is not any earnings tax, gross sales tax, or capital positive factors tax. Many out-of-staters transfer right here to flee excessive taxes and state governments that squander their hard-earned cash, then flip round and vote for elected officers who will vote for such issues.

In my 12 years on the state Home Methods and Means Committee, I used to be in a position to efficiently battle off three broad-based taxes that might have led to out-of-control spending. As a matter of reality, two years in the past we handed laws to section out our 5 % curiosity and dividends tax over 5 years. In 2023 that tax shall be diminished to a few %.

In calendar 12 months 2026, that tax shall be completely gone.

I at all times say we must always not emulate different states however different states ought to be emulating us on issues of fiscal restraint and respect for all residents’ hard-earned cash. My statement from all of the states the place I’ve lived or consulted is that irrespective of how excessive taxes get there at all times appears to be an urge for food to spend much more.

Please don’t use the argument that if we had a broad-based tax we may decrease our property taxes. That’s the massive lie repeated time and again.

What occurred in Connecticut (presently in a loss of life spiral) and New Jersey are the 2 greatest examples.

Again in 1976, the Backyard State had the very best property tax charges of any state. Their resolution was to place in a two-tiered earnings tax; two % for individuals who earn as much as $20,000 and a couple of.5 % for these with earnings above $20,000. The promise was the earnings tax would end in a lot decrease property taxes. Let’s quick ahead to at present the place we see New Jersey has a progressive earnings tax with seven brackets and high charge of 10.75 %. With all of that extra cash, New Jersey at present nonetheless has the very best property tax charges of all of the states. Watch out for the large lie. When trying on the statistic, state and native taxes paid by a state’s residents divided by that state’s share of web nationwide product, New Jersey is ranked very excessive at forty fifth highest.

Utilizing that statistic trying on the New England states, New Hampshire is ranked sixteenth, Rhode Island is thirty sixth, Massachusetts is thirty seventh, Maine is forty first, Vermont is forty seventh, and Connecticut is forty ninth. Our closest Center Atlantic state, New York, is ranked fiftieth. There isn’t any query that with regards to total taxing New Hampshire is in good condition.

Newcomers to New Hampshire, why did you progress right here? Maybe high quality of life, an awesome environmental high quality, financial alternative, low crime charges, a well-managed state authorities, good infrastructure, or maybe colleges. My very own expertise is that of all of the locations I’ve lived or labored, New Hampshire has the perfect roads, I by no means fear about crime, our healthcare system is great, many academic choices exist, corruption in any of our ranges of presidency has not been a priority.

What do the numbers say? When evaluating New Hampshire in opposition to the opposite 49 states, the Scholaroo 2022 Scores rank New Hampshire sixth greatest in total schooling and the fifth greatest within the variety of college students per instructor. We’re ranked seventh greatest in annual spending per scholar. The World Inhabitants Assessment 2022 Survey ranks us 4th greatest in high quality of life with the least financial hardship of any state.

The U.S. Information and World Report rankings of the 2022 Greatest States in America to reside ranks New Hampshire 4th out of all states. Of the variables that make this up, New Hampshire ranks #1 with regards to low crime charges, #2 for pure setting, and #3 for total financial alternative.

The purpose of all these numbers is to indicate with a small authorities and low taxes, now we have a state for generations that has achieved a lot and can proceed to take action so long as the newcomers to our state embrace the values of this state and  elect legislators, govt council members, and a governor who additionally embrace these values. Conventional values of private accountability, onerous work, and self-reliance, together with a philosophy of giving these in true want a hand up and never a handout, are on the coronary heart of New Hampshire’s success as a state. The proof of our success is having the fewest variety of citizen’s residing beneath the Federal Poverty Stage 12 months after 12 months. Present numbers present New Hampshire at 4.9 % with the subsequent greatest state, Minnesota, at 7 %.

In closing, to provide the reader a way of how New Hampshire does what it does with out broad-based taxes, our high ten basic and schooling fund taxes or different income sources that make up 92.6 % of those revenues in FY2022 have been:

• Enterprise Taxes 37.8 %;
• State Large Property Tax 11.3 %;
• Room and Meals Tax 9.5 %;
• Tobacco Tax 7.2 %;
• Curiosity and Dividend Tax 4.9 %;
• Insurance coverage Tax 4.8 %;
• Lottery Revenue Switch 4.5 %;
• Liquor Revenue Switch 4.3 %;
• Securities Tax 1.4 %.

With a New Hampshire constitutional change a long time in the past, our street toll (gasoline tax) goes to a freeway fund which may solely be utilized for our roads, bridges, and Division of Security (State Police). The great thing about that’s that these funds can’t be raided and used for different priorities with out altering the structure.

If you’re from Massachusetts or drive in Massachusetts, you might be conscious of the crumbling roads and bridges in want of restore. I might suspect that’s as a result of the gasoline tax income is siphoned off for different functions price range after price range.

Please newcomers to the Granite State: Bear in mind why you got here right here and vote for individuals who need to preserve New Hampshire, New Hampshire.