Steve Fay: Vote no on HB 1815 and SB 659

To The Daily Sun,

Most of us are not watching the legislative bills in the New Hampshire House (HB 1815) and the Senate (SB 659) but if readers are a property owner taxpayer and/or a parent of school children, this is a heads-up. It is these bills currently being considered which would make significant changes to how NH defines the responsibility for funding public education. These proposals come at a time when courts have ruled the state is not meeting its constitutional obligation and communities across New Hampshire are struggling with rising property taxes.

Key concerns are redefining education funding as a “shared responsibility” leaving it uncertain what this means for the state's responsibility; they do not reduce reliance on local property taxes or increase state funding for education; they attempt to frame education funding decisions as political matters, potentially limiting meaningful judicial oversight; it tries to redefine “adequate education." Given what we know, more of the cost of education is likely go back to local towns and cities.

In short, and in my opinion, this is part of a continuing effort to undermine the role of public education in NH which is a cornerstone of our democracy. Taxpayers should write their House and Senate representatives and tell them to vote “no” on these bills.

Steve Fay

Laconia