[This was written by my colleague Mike Biundo - I couldn't have said it better.] 

CACR24, a constitutional amendment prohibiting an income tax is coming up for a vote on Wednesday February 13th. Now I was thinking of going with the whole early Valentines gift for the taxpayers’ argument but have since been convinced that it might not be the best route.

As a former legislator, I always looked towards both history and current events as a tool when making important policy decisions. I think CACR24 is a prime candidate for us to apply that logic to, but first a little background on CACR24. If passed CACR24would give the people of New Hampshire an option and a voice on whether or not to prohibit an income tax. The passage of CACR24 means voters from Nashua to Pittsburg will get a chance to vote for (or against) protecting the New Hampshire advantage from those who wish to strip it away.

So let’s take look at the current events happening in our state, and see if they lead us towards a path that shows a need for an amendment that protects us from an income tax.

Currently in NH, we have a $50-$175 million dollar budget hole, caused by the 1/2 billion in additional state spending. We just incurred $100 million in new taxes and fees that were approved by this legislature and signed by our Governor. We currently have an education funding fiasco fueled by an out of control court, and perpetuated by a legislature and Governor willing to capitulate. We also currently live in a Democrat controlled reality, which puts pro-income-taxers in positions of power, such as Representative Susan Almy. Almy is the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who actively support the income tax, and who stated just last year a personal quandary; on one hand she has "nightmares about how to pay for [2007 Democrat Party 17% increase in] government programs,” but doing this “…without instituting an income tax.”

You add this all up and you begin to see the ominous clouds darkening on the otherwise golden-hued horizon of the New Hampshire advantage. However before we jump onto supporting CACR24, as I said before, I think it is important to look at both history and current events, so let’s look at some history.

On January 9th 1997, Governor Shaheen was inaugurated the 88th Governor of New Hampshire. During her 16 minute speech, she reaffirmed her support for "the pledge" against a sales or income tax. However by December of 1999, an eventual flip-flop began to materialize. Rumors of that flip-flop began to swirl after the governor was asked at a forum in New London whether she would veto an income tax. Her response was evasive at best, "I'm looking at that issue,” she said. We now know that in March of 1999 the rumors turned into a flip-flop reality and that Jeanne Shaheen went on to offer us a state wide property tax, a capital gains tax and a willingness to consider a sales tax.

Good thing for New Hampshire taxpayers that our legislature was in the control of fiscal minded Republicans at the time, and not the income tax crowd that walks those halls today. Otherwise we might just look a little bit more like Massachusetts and I wouldn’t be writing and discussing how to protect the New Hampshire Advantage, but perhaps how to restore it.

So what can we learn from this history and these current events? How does that apply to an amendment put into the Constitution - prohibiting an income tax in CACR24?

I believe that if you add (1) our out of control spending, (2) to the fact that politicians can and do break their word, (even if it is in the form of a pledge see : Jeanne Shaheen) and (3) the $50-$175 million dollar fact that we are starring down a huge budget deficit, (despite the $100 million in new taxes passed last year), and (4) that our state is being run by those who do have long advocated for an income tax (such as Representative Susan Almy, Chairman of Ways and Means), not to forget our innocent Governor (John Lynch) that is so afraid to stand up to income-taxers, you throw on top a education funding fiasco (brought to you by activists judges bullying a weak Governor and Legislature), you will have ‘the perfect political storm’ that is readying to smash our taxpayers.

So this leads me back to history and a question. What have we always done as a country when our politicians let us down? Simple, we turn to the strength and wisdom of our people to fix it. Democracy demands our input and voice on permanently prohibiting the personal income tax by passing CACR24.

I will leave you with this quote and it is from our current Governor’s State of the State address, even though it was for another Constitutional Amendment, I think it rings true.

“Whether you are for an amendment or against an amendment, let the people vote,”.

Let the people vote indeed. Tell your legislator we need CACR24. Stop The Income Tax. Legislator contact information can be found at www.thenhadvantage.com.

Mike Biundo is a former State Representative from Manchester. He also is the Chairman of The New Hampshire Advantage Coalition, an organization committed to preserve and protect the New Hampshire way of life with the underlying goal of local control, no sales or income tax and electing representatives of the people who vow to keep taxes low and limit spending.

Like a mid-winter thaw, politicians with plans for boosting revenue by raising taxes on energy always seem to surface around now. During the dead of winter, when homeowners bemoan the escalating cost of heating oil, tax-hungry legislators always seem to haul out the anti-energy, pro-tax language.

They will tell you that energy companies are making billions on the backs of poor Americans, that higher oil and gas prices are necessary; and that tax breaks for exploration should be eliminated. Luckily, many of these same voices were drowned out in Congress late last year when the leadership failed to push through billions in new energy taxes – largely because enough Democrats recognized the policy was flawed and voted against party lines. Now with the winter thaw, and in the heat of the presidential race, talk of taxes is again surfacing.

Forget for a moment that energy is among the most taxed of all economic sectors – more than banking, pharmaceuticals or real estate. Energy is perhaps the most critical component of the economy because no matter who you are, where you work, or what you drive you can’t live without it. Energy is a commodity - like timber - and that means its price is not set by the energy companies or by the politicians in Washington but instead is set by a global market which is keenly focused on supply and demand. These days, demand is outpacing supply - by a lot. Even with the development of alternative fuels, we need more oil and natural gas than ever before. When politicians talk about increasing taxes on energy companies or eliminating the tax breaks they get for exploring new oil fields what they are really talking about is raising the price of energy for all Americans.

New Hampshire has a long proud heritage as an anti-tax state. We shun the idea that taxes are the answer to curing economic woes. Perhaps that is why we have been able to withstand the recessions which have crippled other parts of the nation. Even still, higher energy prices resulting from higher corporate energy taxes would hit us hard. Consider the distance many of us commute from home to work and our day to day travel around town. If the government raises taxes on energy, those costs are passed down to the consumer resulting in higher prices for gasoline and for virtually all consumer goods. In essence, higher taxes on energy companies result in a tax increase for every single one of us.

Eliminating tax breaks for exploration would reduce the risks oil and gas companies take searching for new supplies of energy. Every year, energy companies spend countless dollars to develop new oil fields. Not all of those fields materialize. What reduces their liability is the government’s tax breaks. Without them, fewer drilling projects will be undertaken and ultimately more oil and gas will need to be imported from overseas. Consumers will be the big losers because with less supply coming from American oil deposits high demand will force prices to increase. And, so it goes.

Any benefits to the federal budget as a result of a new tax on energy will be overshadowed by the financial pressure higher energy prices will have on consumers. There is no faster road to recession than increasing the cost of energy – especially now, as demand from countries like China and India is putting greater pressure on global energy markets.

The mid-winter thaw is always a welcome respite from the cold, dark days we expect at this time of year. Too bad the politicians can’t leave well enough alone and let us turn our thoughts to spring days and outdoor activities – instead of making us worry about $5 and $6 gallons of gasoline and all the misery that would bring.

In politics, I’m not even sure that one negative makes a positive. And I believe the average voter would agree with me.

With less than 72 hours before those of us involved in the Manchester election process drag ourselves out from under our warm, cozy blankets to venture out for a very long day at the polls, this is the time that things start to get nasty. And I’m not talking about the weather.

In the days leading up to Election Day, there’s the inevitable signing that you see along the roadsides, the people standing on corners holding signs for their favorite candidates, and then there’s the literature. Oh, the literature…..the endless literature. I must get 5-10 pieces a day. In some wards, you may have actually had candidates come to your door to talk to you and ask what your concerns are – what a concept! These are the kinds of things that we’re all used to and have just accepted as part of the election process.

What has also become part of the process is an unfortunate one - it’s the negative attacks that have erupted. As much as I love a spirited campaign battle, I abhor that the political process has been dragged that low. I’m tired of it and from the feedback I heard throughout my ward these past couple of days, the voters are tired of it. No wonder so few people even bother to come out and vote.

The Manchester Democrats more than anyone else seem to be the party responsible for this disgusting mud-slinging. Postcards attacking the Democrat’s opponents arrived in voters’ mailboxes on Friday and Saturday – postcards that contain everything from the least flattering distorted photos to down right lies and misrepresentations.

In one instance, a particular Republican candidate was quoted to have said certain things. In reality, the candidate had said something similar, but by changing the context or omitting words, the Manchester Democrats were able to make things sound far different than reality. To help you understand better….say a candidate had three beautiful young daughters and he was quoted as saying “I love my little girls.” Using the Manchester Democrats’ version, it would instead read, “I love little girls.” The first statement is harmless; the second has a completely different connotation. There are two words that spring to my mind in a situation like this: libel and slander.

slander: a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report

libel: to misrepresent damagingly

I’m by no means a lawyer, so I’m not sure which it would be, libel or slander, but I’m pretty confident it is one of them.

As far as signs go, I am a stickler about signs. I hate to see anyone damage or steal another candidate’s signs….even the candidate I am working to defeat. The law is clear on this subject – you can’t tamper with anyone else’s signs. Yet, time and time again, signs get stolen or damaged. Sometimes Mother Nature takes her toll on them and the damage is beyond anyone’s control. What boggles the mind is why Mother Nature seems to have it out for only the Republican candidate’s signs. The wind always seems to blow only the Republican signs off of their wires. Even when there is a Donovan sign right next to a Guinta sign, only the wind affects the Guinta sign. How strange is that?

Then there is my latest sign peeve. The Democrats now have started “sandwiching” the Republicans signs. What happens is one candidate puts his signs out, and the Democrats come by and put one of their candidate’s signs maybe an inch or two away from each side of the original sign – creating a sandwich where the original sign is no longer readable. Technically they have not tampered with the original sign, so technically they are not breaking the law. That doesn’t make it right; in fact it’s a pretty juvenile practice if you ask me.

I guess I have come to the conclusion that the Democrats just must not have confidence in their own candidates. If they did, they could just tout the accolades of their candidates and voters would clearly choose them on Election Day. Right? Instead, they resort to these negative antics in hope of causing damage to their more worthy opponents. If the Republicans are so beatable on the issues, then why not just stick to the issues and win fair and square? I have no problem with pointing out the differences as far as voting records, attendance records, or policies that an opponent supports. I do have a problem with negative personal attacks. If the only way I could win an election was to print lies and innuendos about my opponent, then I don’t think I would feel very good about winning. I would want to win because I was the better candidate and was better able to convince the voters that my policies are best for the community.

On Tuesday, I hope that the voters in Manchester see through the negativity spewed about by the Democrats and vote for quality candidates that have run clean campaigns based on the issues that are most important to the residents of our city. Presuming they do, I’ll be at the biggest victory party in town.

No, I’m not the Phantom Gourmet. No, I don’t have a financial interest in Murphy’s. I’m just a fan of the place...for a lot of reasons. Great, but you might be wondering - why I’d blog about it?

Recently there has been a lot of attention on Murphy's and some people who frequent there. Since I happene to frequent this fine establishment, I was honestly getting tired of some of the things I was hearing and reading....so I'm exercising my right to blog in reply.

I’ve known Keith Murphy for the past three or four years. Not even sure how me met - but we’ve always gotten along well and politically we’re have a lot of similar views. As a result, over the years we’ve become friends. When he opened Murphy’s Taproom this May, I was sure to be there on opening night, among the chaos any new restaurant has on opening night, to have a beer or two and a bite to eat. The atmosphere was great - a drastic change from when it was the Omega! - the beer selection was extensive, the food was tasty, and the best thing was knowing so many people gathered in one place. Goodness, it almost sounds like that theme song from Cheers!!

As a resident of Manchester, I was so glad to see Omega go away. The place brought nothing but trouble for Manchester and it’s residents. All too often, our police details were called away from the rest of the city to deal with the bad element that was drawn up here from places like Lowell and Lawrence. It is a breathe of fresh air to instead have a place where a family could go for dinner and not feel out of place.

I think I’ve been at Murphy’s at least every week or so since - whether it was for lunch with business acquaintances, a beer with a few of my girl friends, or at one of the varied politically-orientated nights. The Manchester Republican Committee holds it’s Thirsty Thursdays there on the last Thursday of each month - just a reason to get to know other Republicans outside of the day-in, day-out political stuff we all participate in. That’s been a real success. There’s also something called Taproom Tuesdays, when a group of primarily members of the Free State Project get together and socialize.

Ah, yes, the Free Staters. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Free State Project, in a nut shell, it’s a group of people who’s mission is that they will work toward a society in which the sole role of civil government is the protection of individuals' rights to life, liberty, and property.

Pretty radical, huh? Sounds kind of like the Republican principles I hold so dear. There are something like 8,000 Free Staters across the country and about 500 of them currently living in New Hampshire. There are lawyers, construction workers, engineers, stay-at-home moms, etc....and yes, I believe a few got together and opened a restaurant. Some have been elected to public office - there’s at least one state rep and a few that I know have been elected to their local zoning boards and other town offices.

Like any other group, even the Free Staters have their own fringe . All groups have it. The Republicans surely have it. Heck, I’m sure you all saw the pictures of Robert Haines filing to run for President!! The Dems have fringe, as do the libertarians, the environmentalists, the Green Party, etc. Put together any group of people and there’s bound to be fringe! That, however, should never define the entire group. The same applies to the Free Staters. Most of the “new NH residents” I have met are truly nice people....and there are some that are just simply fringe. But you’ve read about that fringe element a lot lately, haven’t you? It’s unfortunate that there are people out there - even some of you who are reading this right now - who presume to know a lot about the Free Staters.....who they are, what they believe, what their goal is....when I’m guessing you haven’t met but a couple of them personally. What a shame that people can be so judgmental and so narrow minded.

Some have said that Murphy’s is the Free Stater hangout. This is true. But it also seems to be the hangout for a diverse political crowd. Staffers from both the Rudy Giuliani and Barack Obama campaigns are there frequently. I know there have been political fundraisers for both Democrats and Republicans held there. Just last week, I stopped by on Tuesday, and the place was top-heavy with Democrats....Betsi Devries, Tom Donovan, Kelleigh Domaingue, etc. A little birdie told me that on Monday night Mike Lopez, George Smith, Syl Dupuis and a couple others were there. Now don’t go thinking that just because Kelleigh Domaingue is Keith Murphy’s fiance, that the place is now a Dem hangout. Heck, I go there and I often go there with Republican buddies.

That’s the thing about Murphy’s - it’s has a wide range of customers. I was there after the St. A’s presidential debate when Ron Paul’s supporters greeted the Texas Congressman, I was there over the weekend surrounded by hyped-up Red Sox and Patriots fans watching the games, and I’ve been there on league nights when those crazy kickball teams show up.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Murphy’s Taproom yet - please do. Order the Shepherd’s Pie or one of the many flavors of chicken wings, have a pint of beer, and enjoy a great atmosphere where you can watch the game or sit and visit with friends without having to scream over loud music. Keep an eye out - you never know who you’ll see sitting at the next table.....could be a politician, could be your neighbor, or it might just be a Free Stater.....but you won’t be able to tell that they are.....after all, they’re just regular people....just like you an me.

For Republicans in New Hampshire, today starts a new chapter in this cycle of the New Hampshire primary. This is, of course, because of yesterday’s Ames Straw Poll.

As expected Mitt Romney took 1^st. That really isn’t the story of the day – Romney really only would have been the story if he hadn’t taken first. The real stories are where everyone else fell in the ranking. With Guiliani and McCain opting to not participate for fear of not doing well and being the story today, that left a hunk of second tier candidates to fight it out to be the story.

Huckabee’s 2^nd place finish, with Brownback right at his heels, must be a disappointment for both Ron Paul and Tommy Thompson.

Thompson had put all he had into Iowa – and for some reason he just couldn’t do it. Having talked with Thompson on a few occasions, even though he may not have done well in the Iowa Straw Poll – or any poll for that matter – reality is that he was actually good on the issues. Had he achieved his goals in Iowa, I think people in NH would have given him a second look. I guess, actually, It likely would have been their first look – since he had only been to NH a handful of times and really hadn’t had much of a chance to press the flesh here.

Ron Paul’s people in NH seem to be just as enthusiastic as they were 2 days ago….so that’s a good thing for Ron Paul. If I were a betting type, I probably would have bet that Paul was going to come in 4^th…maybe 3^rd. I guess that’s why I’m not the betting type. Paul’s battle here in NH is going to be getting people to take Paul as a serious contender. It’ll be interesting to see how much time and what kind of events they plan for him. Many would like to think that Ron Paul is what Pat Buchanan was in ’95-96, but it’s not the same. Buchanan was well known, he had been in a presidential race prior and he placed second in the Ames Straw Poll. I like Ron Paul on a lot of issues, I just don’t see him as winning.

That’s what sucks about politics – it’s very often not the candidate that people identify with that wins.

So, now it’s really the NH Primary…..here come the candidates. Some people find this season to be annoying - they don’t want to be bothered with the business of presidential politics. If you’re one of them, you probably wouldn’t be reading this blog. When you come across someone who can’t wait for them to all just go home and leave NH alone….remind them of the money that gets spent here over the next 5 months. The hotels, the restaurants, the rental vehicles, the banquet halls, the printing – everything from Walmart to the highest paid consultants gets a boost in these next months. That’s very good for NH. What’s also good is that now it’s our turn to vet these candidates.