Wendy Chase: For years, Republican leadership has underfunded services, then expressed faux outrage

To The Daily Sun,

Rep. Mike Bordes recently attempted to explain his vote against the state budget by blaming “Libertarians” for forcing reckless cuts to public safety and child welfare. But the truth is far more convenient — and far more troubling. It’s not a rogue faction of Libertarians sabotaging the budget; it’s the New Hampshire Republican Party itself, including Rep. Bordes, that continues to put the safety of our communities and the well-being of our most vulnerable at risk.

To be clear: Rep. Bordes has voted multiple times to eliminate critical state revenues — the very revenues that fund child protection programs, local police departments and infrastructure. He’s supported a tax system rigged to favor the wealthiest 1% and out-of-state corporations, shifting the burden onto local property taxpayers and punishing working families across New Hampshire.

This isn't new. For years, Republican leadership has underfunded services, then expressed faux outrage when the consequences land on our doorsteps. Whether shrugging their shoulders or smugly celebrating cuts, the cruelty is the same. To now cry foul over budget cuts they helped create isn’t just hypocritical — it’s cynical.

If Rep. Bordes were truly concerned about child safety or public safety, he would’ve shown leadership. He could’ve sponsored legislation to restore municipal aid to Laconia, to safeguard the Office of the Child Advocate, or to protect staffing at the Department of Corrections. Instead, he has sponsored no such bills. In fact, he doesn’t even sit on a committee where this hard work is done.

So I want to ask: If he's not working to solve these problems, what exactly is he doing in the Legislature?

Wendy Chase

Laconia