June 1, 2008
We need leadership, not political slogans
For decades, it has been an act of faith in New Hampshire politics that no candidate for governor could succeed without taking "The Pledge" to veto any broad-based taxes (code word for income or sales tax). The only exception in recent history was Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who refused to take the pledge before seeking her third term.
She was re-elected, but only narrowly defeated a relatively weak challenger. Some pundits speculated at the time that her refusal to take the pledge contributed to her subsequent loss in the race for United States Senate against then-Congressman John E. Sununu.
. . .
A group calling itself the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition has added to this constricted political environment with a campaign for yet another pledge—this one to cap state spending. Two possible Republican candidates for governor have already embraced it, pledging to veto any budget that raises government spending more than the rate of inflation.
That sounds like a noble idea, and no one wants to argue for higher taxes. New Hampshire is consistently rated as the 49th out of 50 states for the lowest overall tax burden, second only to Alaska. Check out the details at www.tax foundation.org. The average combination of state and local taxes in the 50 states equals about 11 percent of income, compared to 8 percent in New Hampshire - indeed, a "New Hampshire Advantage." [Read the full article.]