Niel Young

To the editor:

We are already seeing stories of woefully inadequate school facilities and how the tax cap is making it harder to spend our money.

Beware — the Democrat mayor of Laconia is laying the ground work for more spending – that’s what the Democrats do: tax and spend – along with ending up on the wrong side of most social issues.

As a registered Republican, let me say that my party is in need of repair, too.

In this election cycle the candidates on both sides are suffering from “John Kerry syndrome” — I am for it, but I might not be.

I cannot tolerate any candidate who will not answer a question without a caveat — so afraid of not being elected — sickening.

Matt Lahey is part of the group who feel more money spent on education guarantees a good education. They tried that in Missouri. After giving every dollar requested by the school system in Kansas City for three years they found that money does not guarantee better results.

While we are discussing the stance of some Republicans — those who have the least bit of courage — Matt, where do the Laconia Democrats seeking a seat in the N.H. House stand on the issues important to me? They sure have been silent.

Of course Matt doesn’t want a constitutional amendment. While he wants to elect people who will give more and more to the government school system, Matt wants to be sure the N.H. Supreme Court (made up of lawyers) will be a safety valve to eventually bring the residents of NH a state income tax.

And, no matter how John Lynch spins it, I do not trust his pledge to veto such a tax.

Matt, along with (silent) House candidates Judie Reever, and Beth Arsenault, have always believed that, taxpayers-be-damned, we are going to give the government schools every cent we can drain from the property taxpayers — and they opposed the Laconia tax cap which was essential as a defense to their spending!

Matt and the Democrats talk about the effect on the local tax rate if some of “the free money” from Concord goes away. Here are some questions for them: has more money from Concord improved education in Laconia — if so, how? Considering the amount of increases the school board requests each year – how has the “free money” helped hold the line on property taxes? If the N.H. House and Senate continue to allow the N.H. Supreme Court to set tax policy as they are right now as we speak, how will a new revenue stream bring us property tax relief if the plan is to spend it all on “improving” education?

Questions for all candidates: name those New England states that have an income and/or a sales tax where property taxes are reasonable? The answer is none. That is why we need a strongly worded constitutional amendment in NH.

Matt states that a constitutional amendment “should add rights not take them away” — then you were surely on the wrong side when the voters of Laconia added a tax cap to our city (constitution) charter to protect us from politicians like you.

By the way Matt, are you for or against Question 1 on the ballot this year that protects N.H. property owners from losing their homes as a result of a bad decsion by the U.S. Supreme Court re: Eminent Domain?

As for Jim Fitzgerald, Matt, until Jim pledges to support a constitutional amendment and immediate resolution (without the caveats) which removes the Court from tax policy and any possibility of the state running our local schools — Jim will not get my vote — none of them will.

Niel Young

Laconia