MANCHESTER, N.H.—Cornerstone Action is calling on Maggie Hassan to start the “discussion” right now about what tax hikes she’s going to impose on New Hampshire’s families to pay for her expensive spending plan.
“Voters can’t afford to wait for a new governor to get elected to find out whether they’ll be able to make ends meet while the government spends their money,” said Shannon McGinley, acting executive director of Cornerstone Action. “Maggie Hassan needs to stop playing coy with New Hampshire’s working families and explain exactly what taxes she’s going to raise, and for what purpose, so voters can decide if that’s what they want for their state.”
Yesterday, the “government-knows-best” Democratic gubernatorial candidate avoided a question about whether she would raise the gas tax, increase the number of toll roads or increase existing tolls to pay for the projects she believes need more funding. When asked about taxes at a gubernatorial forum, Hassan said she’d “welcome a discussion” about raising the gas tax or increasing tolls.
“Let’s have that discussion about those tax hikes right now,” McGinley said. “New Hampshire’s working families already pay enough in energy costs because of programs like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that Maggie and her cronies put into place. Now Maggie wants to make it more expensive for working moms and dads to get to work and for businesses to transport goods and services around the state?
“It doesn’t take an economist to know that raising transportation costs will undeniably kill jobs that put food on the table for New Hampshire families and will unquestionably harm companies that do business in New Hampshire,” McGinley said. “It doesn’t take an economist to know that the proper recipe for economic success is to reduce the size, scope and cost of government so that private industry and small businesses have enough time and money to invest in new projects and new workers.”
On Monday of this week, Cornerstone Action released its 2013-2014 Families First Legislative Agenda, which is based on the goals identified earlier this year by Cornerstone’s Families First Pledge for candidates. Republican Ovide Lamontagne, who’s facing Maggie Hassan in the Nov. 6 contest for governor, signed Cornerstone’s Families First Pledge, which means he has promised to “Enact free market economic policies that empower New Hampshire families to achieve their highest potential.” In practice, Cornerstone expects a Gov. Lamontagne would “pass a balanced state budget that cuts unnecessary spending and reduces taxes and fees,” because that is the type of policy that would stimulate job growth and economic development. It is that type of policy that would help New Hamsphire’s working families achieve their own prosperity.
On the contrary, Maggie Hassan has not signed the Families First Pledge and has criticized Ovide Lamontagne for doing so.
“Based on Maggie Hassan’s rhetoric and what we know of her elusive plan, it seems to me that she should sign a government first pledge,” McGinley said. “Maggie should tell us which friends of hers she plans to shower with our money, and how many more New Hampshire families she expects to drive into government dependency once they lose their jobs as a result of her agenda.”
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About Cornerstone Action
Cornerstone-Action and Cornerstone Policy Research are non-partisan, non-profit organizations dedicated to preserving New Hampshire’s traditional values, limited government, and free markets through education, information and advocacy. Our vision is to create an environment in which strong families—the foundation of our society—can lead New Hampshire into a new era of prosperity and strength. For more information, please visit nhcornerstone.org.
