Linda Burnap: Legislature doing great job protecting wealthy donors

To The Daily Sun,

We constantly read editorials about the “decline” of America, but the causes aren’t mysterious. History shows that when wealth concentrates at the top, it’s usually because policies put it there. Life for the little guy only improves when elected officials serve the public instead of the rich and powerful.

In New Hampshire, corporations and wealthy interests have spent years and hundreds of millions lobbying Concord to keep their taxes low. Their worst nightmare is wealth and income taxes. The result is simple math: when they pay less, we pay more through rising property taxes and fees. If the goal is protecting wealthy donors, our legislature is doing a fantastic job.

On March 12, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne abandoned a basic legislative norm by leaving 74 bills tabled without debate or a floor vote. Many of those bills would have helped working families. When lawmakers intentionally silence debate, they strip the public of its voice.

Consider the minimum wage. New Hampshire has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009. That’s “Groundhog Economics” — and it’s embarrassing. Meanwhile, Vermont pays $14.42, Maine $15.10, and Massachusetts $15.

House Bill 1484 was one of those tabled bills. It would have raised the minimum hourly wage to $12 this year and $17 by 2029, possibly keeping someone from becoming homeless. When workers earn more, they spend more locally. That lifts their communities. That’s not radical — that’s Economics 101.

We need to do our voting-record homework and take those notes with us to the voting booth. Rep. Katy Peternel unequivocally opposes raising the minimum wage or increasing any corporate or wealth tax. That gets her an A grade from the Liberty Alliance. No crystal ball needed to know who she believes government should work for.

November is closer than voters think.

Linda Burnap

Wolfeboro