These Legislators Just Don't Trust You

The failure of CACR 26, a constitutional amendment to prohibit broad based and capital gains taxes, offers two salient points for the little people (that's us) to consider.  First, the legislators who voted against it cannot imagine a future state government that might not need such a tax to operate.  Imagine your wallets consternation at such a future vision?  Second, they either do not trust you to know enough about how your earnings should be spent, or just as likely, they fear that you do understand and so they must act to protect what they crave--a healthy growing dependency on state mandates and regualtions and an unfettered flow of your earnings to perpetuate it--from your ability to stop them.

So the same legislators who trust you to reelect them every other November do not trust you with this. 

And you deserve to know who they are.

A yea vote is to pass the ITL Motion on CACR 26

House Rep	Party	County	District	Vote
Aguiar, James	Democrat	Grafton	6	Yea
Allen, Peter	Democrat	Cheshire	6	Yea
Almy, Susan	Democrat	Grafton	11	Yea
Arsenault, Beth	Democrat	Belknap	4	Yea
Baroody, Benjamin	Democrat	Hillsborough	13	Yea
Beauchamp, Roger	Democrat	Hillsborough	17	Yea
Beaulieu, Jane	Democrat	Hillsborough	17	Yea
Beck, Catriona	Democrat	Hillsborough	2	Yea
Benn, Bernard	Democrat	Grafton	9	Yea
Bergin, Peter	Republican	Hillsborough	6	Yea
Berube, Roger	Democrat	Strafford	2	Yea
Boisvert, Ronald	Democrat	Hillsborough	17	Yea
Bolster, Peter	Republican	Belknap	5	Yea
Borden, David	Democrat	Rockingham	18	Yea
Brennan, William	Democrat	Strafford	1	Yea
Bridgham, Robert	Democrat	Carroll	2	Yea
Brown, C. Pennington	Democrat	Rockingham	9	Yea
Brown, Carole	Democrat	Merrimack	8	Yea
Brown, Larry	Democrat	Strafford	3	Yea
Browne, Brendon	Democrat	Strafford	4	Yea
Buco, Thomas	Democrat	Carroll	1	Yea
Bulis, Lyle	Republican	Grafton	1	Yea
Burke, Rachel	Democrat	Strafford	3	Yea
Burridge, Delmar	Democrat	Cheshire	3	Yea
Butcher, Suzanne	Democrat	Cheshire	3	Yea
Butler, Edward	Democrat	Carroll	1	Yea
Butterworth, Timothy	Democrat	Cheshire	4	Yea
Butynski, William	Democrat	Cheshire	4	Yea
Cali-Pitts, Jacqueline	Democrat	Rockingham	16	Yea
Campbell, David	Democrat	Hillsborough	24	Yea
Carlson, Nancy	Democrat	Cheshire	6	Yea
Caron, June	Democrat	Hillsborough	25	Yea
Carr, Daniel	Democrat	Cheshire	4	Yea
Case, Frank	Republican	Rockingham	1	Yea
Casey, Kimberley	Democrat	Rockingham	11	Yea
Chandley, Shannon	Democrat	Hillsborough	6	Yea
Chase, Claudia	Democrat	Hillsborough	2	Yea
Chininis, Alexis	Democrat	Hillsborough	10	Yea
Clemons, Jane	Democrat	Hillsborough	24	Yea
Cloutier, John	Democrat	Sullivan	4	Yea
Cooney, Mary	Democrat	Grafton	7	Yea
Craig, James	Democrat	Hillsborough	9	Yea
Cushing, Robert	Democrat	Rockingham	15	Yea
Cyr, James	Democrat	Strafford	3	Yea
Davis, Frank	Democrat	Merrimack	7	Yea
Day, Judith	Democrat	Rockingham	13	Yea
DeStefano, Stephen	Democrat	Merrimack	13	Yea
DiFruscia, Anthony	Republican	Rockingham	4	Yea
DiPentima, Rich	Democrat	Rockingham	16	Yea
Dokmo, Cynthia	Republican	Hillsborough	6	Yea
Donovan, Thomas	Democrat	Sullivan	4	Yea
Dowling, Patricia	Republican	Rockingham	5	Yea
Eaton, Daniel	Democrat	Cheshire	2	Yea
Emerton, Larry	Republican	Hillsborough	7	Yea
Farley, Michael	Democrat	Hillsborough	15	Yea
Flurey, Joan	Democrat	Hillsborough	16	Yea
Foose, Robert	Democrat	Merrimack	1	Yea
Ford, Susan	Democrat	Grafton	3	Yea
Foster, Linda	Democrat	Hillsborough	4	Yea
French, Barbara	Democrat	Merrimack	5	Yea
Friedrich, Carol	Democrat	Grafton	6	Yea
Gagnon, Raymond	Democrat	Sullivan	4	Yea
Gargasz, Carolyn	Republican	Hillsborough	5	Yea
Gidge, Kenneth	Democrat	Hillsborough	24	Yea
Gile, Mary	Democrat	Merrimack	10	Yea
Ginsburg, Ruth	Democrat	Hillsborough	20	Yea
Gleason, John	Republican	Rockingham	5	Yea
Goley, Jeffrey	Democrat	Hillsborough	8	Yea
Gorman, Mary	Democrat	Hillsborough	23	Yea
Gottling, Suzanne	Democrat	Sullivan	3	Yea
Gould, Franklin	Democrat	Grafton	11	Yea
Gould, Kenneth	Republican	Rockingham	5	Yea
Graham, John	Republican	Hillsborough	18	Yea
Grassie, Anne	Democrat	Strafford	1	Yea
Hackel, Paul	Democrat	Hillsborough	21	Yea
Haley, Robert	Democrat	Hillsborough	14	Yea
Hamm, Christine	Democrat	Merrimack	4	Yea
Hammond, Jill	Democrat	Hillsborough	3	Yea
Harding, Laurie	Democrat	Grafton	11	Yea
Hardy, Valerie	Democrat	Hillsborough	27	Yea
Harris, Sandra	Democrat	Sullivan	4	Yea
Harvey, Philip	Democrat	Hillsborough	1	Yea
Harvey, Suzanne	Democrat	Hillsborough	21	Yea
Hatch, William	Democrat	Coos	3	Yea
Henson, John	Democrat	Rockingham	13	Yea
Hodges, Kevin	Democrat	Hillsborough	7	Yea
Hofemann, Roland	Democrat	Strafford	6	Yea
Holden, Rip	Republican	Hillsborough	7	Yea
Horrigan, Timothy	Democrat	Strafford	7	Yea
Houde-Quimby, Charlotte	Democrat	Sullivan	1	Yea
Hutz, Sarah	Democrat	Strafford	5	Yea
Ingram, Russell	Republican	Rockingham	4	Yea
Irwin, Anne-Marie	Democrat	Hillsborough	3	Yea
Jeudy, Jean	Democrat	Hillsborough	10	Yea
Johnson, William	Democrat	Belknap	5	Yea
Kaen, Naida	Democrat	Strafford	7	Yea
Katsiantonis, Thomas	Democrat	Hillsborough	15	Yea
Keans, Sandra	Democrat	Strafford	1	Yea
Kelly, Sally	Democrat	Merrimack	7	Yea
Kepner, Susan	Democrat	Rockingham	15	Yea
Kidder, David	Republican	Merrimack	1	Yea
Knowles, John	Democrat	Hillsborough	27	Yea
Knowles, Mary Ann	Democrat	Hillsborough	27	Yea
Komi, Richard	Democrat	Hillsborough	12	Yea
Kopka, Angeline	Democrat	Hillsborough	26	Yea
Ladd, Rick	Republican	Grafton	5	Yea
Laliberte, Suzanne	Democrat	Grafton	10	Yea
Lauterborn, Elaine	Democrat	Strafford	1	Yea
Lerandeau, Alfred	Democrat	Cheshire	6	Yea
Levesque, Melanie	Democrat	Hillsborough	5	Yea
Lewis, Robert	Democrat	Strafford	6	Yea
Lindsey, Steven	Democrat	Cheshire	3	Yea
Lockwood, Priscilla	Republican	Merrimack	6	Yea
Long, Patrick	Democrat	Hillsborough	10	Yea
Lyons, Melissa	Democrat	Rockingham	8	Yea
Mack, Ron	Democrat	Hillsborough	1	Yea
Mann, Maureen	Democrat	Rockingham	1	Yea
Marshall, Seth	Democrat	Hillsborough	23	Yea
Matarazzo, Anthony	Democrat	Hillsborough	20	Yea
Matheson, Robert	Democrat	Grafton	4	Yea
McCarthy, Barbara	Democrat	Rockingham	5	Yea
McClammer, Jim	Democrat	Sullivan	5	Yea
McEachern, Paul	Democrat	Rockingham	16	Yea
McKinney, Betsy	Republican	Rockingham	3	Yea
McMahon, Patricia	Democrat	Merrimack	3	Yea
Meader, David	Democrat	Cheshire	3	Yea
Mears, Lucy	Democrat	Coos	4	Yea
Merrick, Evalyn	Democrat	Coos	2	Yea
Merry, Liz	Democrat	Belknap	2	Yea
Messier, Irene	Republican	Hillsborough	17	Yea
Millham, Alida	Republican	Belknap	5	Yea
Moody, Marcia	Democrat	Rockingham	12	Yea
Movsesian, Lori	Democrat	Hillsborough	22	Yea
Mulholland, Catherine	Democrat	Grafton	10	Yea
Nord, Susi	Democrat	Rockingham	1	Yea
O'Brien, Michael	Democrat	Hillsborough	26	Yea
O'Neil, James	Democrat	Hillsborough	19	Yea
Ober, Lynne	Republican	Hillsborough	27	Yea
Ober, Russell	Republican	Hillsborough	27	Yea
Osborne, Jessie	Democrat	Merrimack	12	Yea
Owen, Derek	Democrat	Merrimack	4	Yea
Pantelakos, Laura	Democrat	Rockingham	16	Yea
Parkhurst, Henry	Democrat	Cheshire	4	Yea
Pastor, Beatriz	Democrat	Grafton	9	Yea
Perry, Robert	Democrat	Strafford	3	Yea
Peterson, Andrew	Republican	Hillsborough	3	Yea
Petterson, Don	Democrat	Rockingham	10	Yea
Pierce, David	Democrat	Grafton	9	Yea
Pilotte, Maurice	Democrat	Hillsborough	16	Yea
Porter, Margaret	Democrat	Merrimack	8	Yea
Potter, Frances	Democrat	Merrimack	10	Yea
Poznanski, Brian	Democrat	Hillsborough	26	Yea
Preston, Philip	Democrat	Grafton	8	Yea
Price, Susan	Democrat	Strafford	3	Yea
Ramsey, Peter	Democrat	Hillsborough	8	Yea
Read, Robin	Democrat	Rockingham	16	Yea
Reever, Judith	Democrat	Belknap	4	Yea
Remick, William	Republican	Coos	2	Yea
Rhodes, Brian	Democrat	Hillsborough	22	Yea
Richardson, Barbara	Democrat	Cheshire	5	Yea
Richardson, Gary	Democrat	Merrimack	4	Yea
Roberts, Kris	Democrat	Cheshire	3	Yea
Robertson, Timothy	Democrat	Cheshire	3	Yea
Rodd, Beth	Democrat	Merrimack	5	Yea
Rogers, Rose Marie	Democrat	Strafford	1	Yea
Rokas, Theodoros	Democrat	Hillsborough	12	Yea
Rollo, Deanna	Democrat	Strafford	2	Yea
Rosenwald, Cindy	Democrat	Hillsborough	22	Yea
Rous, Emma	Democrat	Strafford	7	Yea
Russell, Trinka	Democrat	Rockingham	13	Yea
Ryder, Donald	Republican	Hillsborough	5	Yea
Ryder, Mark	Democrat	Strafford	6	Yea
Sad, Tara	Democrat	Cheshire	2	Yea
Scamman, W. Douglas	Republican	Rockingham	13	Yea
Schlachman, Donna	Democrat	Rockingham	13	Yea
Schmidt, Peter	Democrat	Strafford	4	Yea
Schuett, Dianne	Democrat	Merrimack	7	Yea
Schulze, Joan	Democrat	Hillsborough	26	Yea
Shattuck, Gilman	Democrat	Hillsborough	1	Yea
Shaw, Barbara	Democrat	Hillsborough	16	Yea
Shaw, Kimberly	Democrat	Hillsborough	26	Yea
Shurtleff, Stephen	Democrat	Merrimack	10	Yea
Skinder, Carla	Democrat	Sullivan	1	Yea
Smith, Suzanne	Democrat	Grafton	7	Yea
Spang, Judith	Democrat	Strafford	7	Yea
Splaine, James	Democrat	Rockingham	16	Yea
Sprague, Dale	Democrat	Strafford	2	Yea
Sterling, Franklin	Republican	Cheshire	7	Yea
Stetson, William	Democrat	Merrimack	10	Yea
Stuart, Richard	Democrat	Belknap	4	Yea
Sullivan, Daniel	Democrat	Hillsborough	8	Yea
Sweeney, Cynthia	Democrat	Sullivan	5	Yea
Taylor, Kathleen	Democrat	Grafton	2	Yea
Theberge, Robert	Democrat	Coos	4	Yea
Thomas, Yvonne	Democrat	Coos	4	Yea
Thompson, Robert	Democrat	Hillsborough	9	Yea
Tilton, Joy	Democrat	Merrimack	6	Yea
Townsend, Charles	Democrat	Grafton	10	Yea
Tupper, Frank	Democrat	Merrimack	6	Yea
Vachon, Dennis	Democrat	Strafford	3	Yea
Vaillancourt, Steve	Republican	Hillsborough	15	Yea
Wall, Janet	Democrat	Strafford	7	Yea
Wallner, Mary Jane	Democrat	Merrimack	12	Yea
Walsh, Robert	Democrat	Hillsborough	11	Yea
Walz, Mary Beth	Democrat	Merrimack	13	Yea
Ward, Kenneth	Democrat	Strafford	2	Yea
Watrous, Rick	Democrat	Merrimack	12	Yea
Watters, David	Democrat	Strafford	4	Yea
Webb, Leigh	Democrat	Merrimack	2	Yea
Webber, Carolyn	Democrat	Rockingham	4	Yea
Weber, Lucy	Democrat	Cheshire	2	Yea
Weed, Charles	Democrat	Cheshire	3	Yea
Wells, Roger	Republican	Rockingham	8	Yea
Wheeler, Deborah	Democrat	Merrimack	6	Yea
White, Andrew	Democrat	Grafton	11	Yea
Wiley, Susan	Democrat	Carroll	3	Yea
Williams, Burton	Republican	Grafton	8	Yea
Williams, Carol	Democrat	Hillsborough	14	Yea
Williams, Robert	Democrat	Merrimack	11	Yea
Winters, Joel	Democrat	Hillsborough	17	Yea
Yeaton, Charles	Democrat	Merrimack	8	Yea

Only two democrats voted against the ITL and in favor of saving CACR 26.    Thirty republicans voted to kill it.

Comments

[nonplussed]

I wouldn't get your knickers all in a knot on this bit of fluff. These sorts of CACRs get introduced all the time- and all the time they get killed. By my memory, the last time this thing was introduced was 2005, when the Rs controlled the House by a substantial majority, and it was defeated 220 to 103.

Voting against it were the then leaders of the House GOP, including the head of the tax committee and the Majority Leader. The reason why more than 2/3s of the representatives in 2005 voted against this amendement were explained in the legislative report from the tax commitee they reviewed the amendment:

"This Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution would enshrine in the state constitution the provision that an income tax may not be adopted in New Hampshire. The majority of the committee, even many who oppose the implementation of an income tax, do not believe future legislators should be so hamstrung. Were this to pass, and should 65 percent of citizens and/or legislators at some point in the future determine an income tax would be a good idea, it would be impossible to implement since the amendment would first have to be repealed (by a 60 percent vote of a future House and Senate to put the matter on the ballot and then by two-thirds of citizens voting at the polls). Thus, this amendment could remove the options of a future substantial majority. As with past amendments which the committee has considered and defeated, the majority of Ways and Means does not believe our constitution should be used as a referendum or for measures which may not stand the test of time. Certainly, a CACR should not be used as an opinion poll."

Compare that to the argument used this time with the Ds in control: "Whichever party has been in the majority, the legislature has always stood against the closing of any revenue options, no matter how improbable, for some future legislature and citizenry in crisis. The title implies that the property tax is also included, which is not in the text, but this broad-based tax is in fact our largest tax. The sponsor wishes a referendum on three taxes at once, and the taxes named are inseparable in the amendment. Also, New Hampshire is not a referendum state. "

Other than as a stunt, this amendment has no value. Of course stunts have some some merit, particularly for the minority party.

[NH]

We need to get rid of capital gains and interest and dividends taxes, which hurt the elderly the most because they are living off their savings.

[Steve Mac Donald]

It's a great argument, but I cannot imagine a role for state government in New Hampshire that would require shifting revenue of that amount away from towns and counties where its administration and control would be in safer hands.

Local officials may be as prone to abuse as any other, but they are also easier to remove from office.

And it is a fine thing to suggest that we should not tie the hands of future legislators but then why have an amendable constitution and rules for amending it, in the first place?

[nonplussed]

In principle, a constitution should be limited to big picture things- the structure of government, checks and balances, individual rights, etc. Things like the precise method we use to collect tax revenues are better left to our representatives, at leats in my opinion.

[nonplussed]

NH:

Your wish is my command. - as a favor to you I just got rid of NH's capital gains tax.

[Steve Mac Donald]

Awesome. Can we fix the watered down voter ID laws next?