Low Tax Candidates Won in Portsmouth

Low Tax Candidates Won in Portsmouth

11-08-2011 Portsmouth Municipal Election Results

In Portsmouth, there was a concentrated effort  to not only get the more pro-liberty candidates elected, but to improve their vote totals.  The effort was led by Association of Portsmouth Taxpayers and others.  All of the APT endorsed candidates were elected.  Even better, while many incumbents received fewer votes than in 2009, all of the APT endorsed incumbents received more voter than in 2009.  The more efficient government candidates on the ballot increased their vote totals by 30%, 18%, 17% and 5% versus the 2009 results.  The candidates in favor of more spending and taxes decreases their vote totals 17%, 8% and 7% respectively.  The only tax and spend candidate to increase his vote total was Councilor Bob Lister.

Conclusion is clear: Lower taxes aid economy

Seacoast Online ran this opinion article by Jack Thorsen today.

Steve Marchand’s opinion piece (Seacoast Sunday, May 30) on the adverse affect that the electric generator tax would have on New Hampshire economics is an excellent example of the kind of analysis we need for every tax increase that Concord contemplates.

Tax and budgets

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Even when I am getting a refund, filing my taxes makes me cranky and I put it off. While having to pay extra is certainly painful, getting a refund reminds me that the government has been using my money instead of me for the last year. This year was fun because I bought a hybrid car last summer. That gave me a $525 tax credit. To claim it, I had to use a full Form 1040 instead of a 1040–EZ or even a 1040A, because not all credits are available on all forms. I also had to file a Form 8910 pursuant to the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit. That form required my Tentative Minimum Tax from Form 6251, Alternative Minimum Tax—just to make sure that the $525 credit was not going to eat my entire tax burden. Add to which that it took me a couple of hours just to figure out which forms I needed in order to claim this credit.

There is an important lesson here. I like the idea of more vehicles with better fuel efficiency on the road. And if one is into top-down social engineering, a tax credit sounds like a fine way to provide an incentive for it. But the aggravation of claiming a credit—really, when was the last time you had to figure out your AMT?—makes this incentive vastly inferior to simply saving money on gasoline and feeling smug each time I buy a tank at the four hundred mile mark.

I filed my federal taxes on-line, but had to make my final payment to the California Republic via the postal monopoly. I was pleased to see that Seacoast Peace Response was out there. I was a little disappointed that their “penny poll” didn’t include an option for cutting taxes to allow private charity and free choice, but it was an effective outreach tool. I briefly considered pocketing the pile of pennies they gave me and walking away, since that really is my vote, but I don’t think that would have been a good way to make friends and influence people. And then whoever received the pennies in an envelope at the Red Cross or homeless shelter would probably have been insulted, rather than grasping the symbolic significance.

Locally, it is still (still!) budget time. The Portsmouth Herald has the full schedule of meetings posted in an editorial. I am remiss right at the outset; I was wiped out from staying up all night Monday to figure out my taxes, and then this morning from taking a house guest down to Logan Airport, so I took a nap instead. But this is an important process, and the more you can get your local neighbors to think about taxation and non-government solutions to problems, the more likely they are to apply that thinking all the way up the chain. We do need a revolution; a mental one, a counterrevolution to the New Deal that made the government the solution to all of our problems and caused our community support structures to atrophy.

On the up side, it feels like spring today, and I had a lovely walk around downtown Portsmouth after submitting my tithe to the Governator. And I didn’t have any New Hampshire tax paperwork to file. I like it here.

New Hampshire Room & Meal Tax

Earlier this week Mayor Guinta of Manchester spoke at the Rochester Concerned Taxpayers monthly meeting.  During his speech, he stated that Governor Lynch’s budget changes the distribution of the rooms and meals tax so that the State keeps all the revenue.  This will of course force the cities to raise the property taxes.

1 Year Later…

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. – Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777

In January 2008, a group of liberty lovers from the Seacoast drove to Concord to be trained on the NHLA bill review process.  On the way to the event, I brought up that we should start a group to continue the momentum of the recent presidential primary.  After the training, another individual was there from the seacoast who suggested the same idea; that evening back at my house New Hampshire Seacoast Liberty was started.

Upon the formation of SeaL, we discussed that we did not want a formal organizational structure; people would do as they saw fit and we would support their cause as long as it moved freedom in a positive direction.

During the past twelve months, we have grown from a few to over one hundred members; of which a majority of our members have been active in one fashion or another.  The events have been numerous and we have had so many great accomplishments.  While I will not list all of our accomplishments, I would be remissed not to list a few:

• Training & Educational Material for the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance
• Community Organizers throughout the Seacoast
• Worked with NHAC to kickoff the Spending Cap initiatives in Somersworth, Portsmouth and Rochester
• Started a freedom themed book club at Liberty Books in Concord, New Hampshire
• Created the Seacoast Liberty Police Anti-Corruption Campaign
• Created New Hampshire Candidates website
  

As the new year dawns and SeaL celebrates it’s first anniversary the discussion of goals naturally arises.  Our goal is simple and will remain to be so: spreading liberty and freedom, one community at a time.  The tactics to achieve this are up to each individual and are implemented through, a purely voluntary effort.  If you want to distribute copies of Freedom to Fasicm on April 15 by your local Post Office, run for office, get involved in FIJA, etc. then simply execute your task and our mission will be achieved.  It’s that simple.

I wish to thank everyone that has been supportive to the cause of advancing liberty, not only here in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, but across the state, country and world.  Thank you.

Maybe I did well and maybe I led the battle but nobody ever said we were going to win this thing at any point in time. Eternal vigilance is required and there have to be people who step up to the plate, who believe in liberty, and who are willing to fight for it. – Milton Friedman

Hampton Tea Party

Local residents of Hampton, New Hampshire are upset with the increase of property taxes and held a Tea Party of their own.  According to the story in the Seacoast Online, approximately 30 residents came out to “voice their displeasure“.

Linda Gebhart, who was elected president of the group at this meeting, now named The Coalition for a Fair Assessment stated that her cottage value increased by 35% in value.

Just a year ago, New Jersey started to push a program that woudl allow seniors to work for the state to help pay off their property taxes.

Rochester: Tax & Spending Cap Passes

Great news!

With 70% of the vote, the Rochester taxpayers sent the message loud and clear that we want smaller government and less spending. This overwhelming mandate gives the City Council and the city manager clear direction from the people – no more irresponsible use of the taxpayer’s money.

Click here for more from the Rochester Concerned Taxpayers.

Tax Cap Making the News

Members of New Hampshire Seacoast Liberty making the news as they begin the efforts to get the spending caps on the September ballot.

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