NH House Leaders Blast New Democrat Plan to Hike Rooms and Meals Tax

CONCORD – House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) and Deputy Majority Leader and Ways and Means Chairman Stephen Stepanek (R-Amherst) today took Democrats to task for yet another tax increase on working families with candidate for Governor Maggie Hassan promoting a hike in the Rooms and Meals Tax.  At a forum discussing tourism yesterday, the Union Leader reported that Hassan stated, “I’m not going to support any raise in the rooms and meals tax above 9.5 percent.”  The current rate is 9%, after Hassan led efforts to pass a budget in 2009 that increased the rate from 8%. With her latest proposal, she personally would be responsible for a 12% increase in the jobs killing rooms and meals tax.

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

“First an income tax, next a gas tax hike, then a beer tax increase and now this attack on our wallets.  It doesn’t matter if you are going to work, filling your tank, drinking a beer or just going out have lunch, the Democrats have a plan to tax you more.  Raising the rooms and meals tax again, up to 9.5%, would devastate the economies of border communities like Nashua, as it would make our tax on eating out much higher than Massachusetts (6.25%) and Maine (7%).  This would take the New Hampshire Advantage we have for our retailers for not having a sales tax and turn it into a New Hampshire Disadvantage.  We don’t need to see restaurants in Nashua packing up and moving to Tyngsborough, or from Salem to Methuen, thanks to Maggie Hassan and the Democrats’ tax increases.”

House Deputy Majority Leader Stephen Stepanek

“Maggie Hassan and the Democrats already increased the tax mom-and-pop restaurant owners across New Hampshire by 12.5% a short three years ago.  They are just now recovering from this, and now she wants to hike that same tax by another 5.5%.  This makes no economic sense, no sense to attract businesses and jobs here and no sense to add one more hit to the working families who are trying to get by and might want to take their children out to eat occasionally.  The hardworking taxpayers are struggling and paying enough, but in the Democrats’ eyes, they are simply one more source of revenue to pay for an every growing state government.”

NH House Majority Leader Calls out Democrat Effort to Raise Beer Tax

CONCORD – House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) today called out a Democrat effort to raise the beer tax in New Hampshire.  Rep. Chuck Weed filed a bill request (LSR #136) to increase the beer tax.  The bill would be heard in the 2013 session.

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

“In the House Democrats’ perfect world, if you are somehow able to find a job, you would now pay an income tax for your time there, then pay a higher gas tax in order to drive home, and then you would get hit one more time to have a beer, so that you can drink away the sorrows of living in the Obama economy.  This unending series of tax increases clearly demonstrates why the voters so thoroughly tossed out the Democrats from power in 2010, but it’s clear that they haven’t learned their lesson.  Our citizens simply can’t afford these endless raids on their wallets.  A beer tax increase is exactly the wrong message to send to the hardworking taxpayers of New Hampshire who want fiscal accountability from their elected leaders, not more excuses about why we need to grow government.  The message that these proposed tax hikes send is incredibly clear – if you want more money in your pocket, vote Republican; if you want bigger government, vote Democrat.”

NH House Majority Leader Blasts Democrat Effort to Raise Gas Tax at Time when Citizens Can’t Afford $4/Gallon

CONCORD – House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) today blasted an effort by Democrats to hike the gas tax at a time when New Hampshire residents are already being crushed by gas prices.  Rep. Chuck Weed (D-Keene) filed a bill request for next year (#137) to increase the tax paid by motorists for every gallon of gasoline.  At a recent debate sponsored by the Business and Industry Association, Maggie Hassan, the Democrat candidate for Governor, indicated that she was open to raising the gas tax.

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

“At a time when our hardworking citizens are already being crushed by the high cost of filling up their tanks resulting from the doubling of gas prices under the Obama Administration, the last thing we need is the gas tax increase that the Democrats have put forth.  Now we have a Democrat legislator filing a bill to increase the gas tax with the encouragement of their nominee for Governor, Maggie Hassan.  It’s clear that they are looking for any new way to increase spending by sticking it to the taxpayers.” 

“When I talk to voters across Nashua and across New Hampshire, they are looking for relief at the pump, not higher taxes.  Democrat party bosses continue to be deaf to the message that it’s time to start helping our people keep more of their money, not use it to grow government spending.  There is a clear difference here.  Republicans worked hard this term to eliminate Maggie Hassan and the Democrats’ vehicle registration surcharge of between $30 and $75 per automobile, and Democrats are now looking to raise the gas tax.  The voters should ask themselves who is more committed to protecting your paycheck, big spending Democrats or fiscally responsible Republicans.  It’s an easy choice.”

NH House Speaker Blasts Democrat Governor Candidates for Opposing Death Penalty for Killings During Burglary in “Kim Cates” Bill

CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien today blasted the three Democrat candidate for Governor for opposing a law to allow the death penalty for first degree murder committed during the act of burglary.  The “Kim Cates” bill (HB 147), signed into law by Governor Lynch last year, was sponsored by O’Brien in response to the tragic slaying of Kimberly Cates of Mont Vernon and allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty for this additional crime.  At the Granite State Debate televised last night at St. Anselm’s College, the three candidates all stated that they would have vetoed the bill had it come to their desk as Governor.

House Speaker William O’Brien

“I was stunned to hear that each of the Democrats running for Governor would choose to deny justice for families who have lost a loved one to such a heinous crime as having a murderer commit burglary and kill someone in the sanctity of his or her home.  Our homes should be a place of safety, and to see these Democrats so callously disregard the sense of wellbeing in our own homes is staggering.  My own community has seen the tragic reality of this type of violence that has shattered our security, and this law has helped to restore our confidence in our own homes, while ensuring that any other families who experience this type of tragedy know that there will be justice.  I am appalled by these candidates who would strip us of this comfort and bring us back to a time when murderers did not need to fear the most serious consequences for their actions.  I hope they come to my community, walk with me, talk to our residents and reconsider their misguided position on this important issue.”

PPP - Obama leads by 6 in New Hampshire, down from 12 in May poll

PPP's newest New Hampshire poll finds Barack Obama in the lead by a 51-45 margin. Although that's a relatively strong standing it's down from his 53-41 advantage on PPP's last poll of the state, in early May, and also from 2008 when he won the state by a 54-45 spread.

The tightening compared to our last poll of the state is largely a function of the Republican base unifying around Mitt Romney. In May he had only an 82-13 advantage with GOP voters, and that's now improved to 88-8. Two important trends remain the same from the previous poll though. Obama is up 52-40 with independents, similar both to 50-39 on our last New Hampshire survey and to his lead on the Ohio poll we released this morning. And Democrats also remain more unified than Republicans, with Obama getting 90% of his party vote to 7% for Romney.

This poll was done partially before and partially after the announcement of Paul Ryan as Romney's running mate. New Hampshire voters are split in their feelings about Ryan with 36% rating him favorably, 37% unfavorable, and 27% not stating an opinion either way. Republicans (67/7) predictably love Ryan, Democrats (10/64) dislike him almost as much, and independents split against him by a 33/39 margin. The trouble with independents isn't unique to Ryan in New Hampshire. Romney's favorability with them is 39/54. The Republican ticket has some work to do with those voters.

New Hampshire voters just narrowly approve of Obama, 49/48. That's down from a 52/45 spread in May. But he's at least in better shape than Romney, who only 45% of voters have a favorable opinion of to 50% with a negative one.

We also looked at Senator Jeanne Shaheen's standing with voters in the state on this poll. She has pretty solid approval numbers with 50% of voters giving her good marks to 40% who are unhappy with the job she's doing. She leads a hypothetical Republican opponent 51-42, including a 51-37 lead with independents. Obviously Shaheen's fate will have a lot to do with the political climate in 2014 but if she was up this year she would be in pretty good shape.

New Hampshire's like a lot of the states Obama won by 10-12 points in 2008- Pennsylvania, Nevada, Iowa, and Colorado also come to mind- he's not winning them by as much as he did last time around. But all in all he's in pretty good shape.

This analysis is also available on our website:

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/08/obama-up-6-in-new-hampshire.html

A press release and full crosstabs are attached-