What isn't well known is that last year's consultant McKenzie report, which was done for the Liquor Commission, included a privatization scenario among its recommendations.
Tom Fahey looks at Lynch's budget cuts. They are less severe than the ones passed by House Finance, then tabled. Lynch's plan does not recreate the wait list for services for people with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries, nor does it touch the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (L-CHIP), which has a dedicated source of revenue.
Republican Neal Kurk said it was a start, but the size of the state government has to be reduced. That is such a tired canard; what the state doesn't cover for basic services must be provided by cities and towns. This is an old, old problem. I see it as the state chasing its tail. Costs can be down-shifted only so far.
Shira Schoenberg makes that clear in her column today, where she reports another court battle brewing. Part of Governor Lynch's proposed spending cuts would reduce the state contribution to employees' (police, teachers, firefighters) retirements from 35% to 20%. Barbara Reid, government finance advisor for the Local Government Center, says the LGC sees this as an unfunded mandate. That is why they sued the state in the first place.
The LGC previously estimated that downshifting would cost municipalities $27 million through 2011 and asked the court to refund the money. This would add $9.4 million.
Reid said if the change becomes law, the center would try to change its court petition to object to the new rate.
"Any additional downshifting of costs to municipalities is of great concern," said Carlos Baia, deputy city manager in Concord, which is among the lead plaintiffs. "It impacts the local taxpayers and threatens potential service delivery to our local community."
Is it me, or does it seem awfully dysfunctional to have one level of government suing another, especially because it has to do with money from the same set of taxpayers? And, I assume, the self-same taxpayers are footing the bill for the cost of the court case.
Governor Lynch wants to raise the tobacco tax again, much to the dismay of the tobacco lobby. Fahey calls smoking a habit. Biting your fingernails is a habit. Smoking cigarettes, in the vast majority of cases, is an addiction.
The there's gambling, which is in a better position to pass than ever, but still not quite there. Some House members are proposing amendments to the Senate bill to make it more acceptable to the squeamish, including cutting the number of slot machines and a requirement for addicted gamblers to be treated (by a non existent mental health system, I presume)and barred from gambling sites. The New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association has dropped its opposition to gambling. It remains to be seen what the House does with it.
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