By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org
Our readers have tons of suggestions on what do with extra revenue coming into the state – more funding for schools and universities, increasing electric charging stations, bonuses for teachers and healthcare workers, giving it back to citizens and more.
Thanks for your responses to this morning’s question for what to do with state funds after reading Garry Rayno’s story below.
The Money Keeps Rolling Into the State’s Coffers
VIRGINIA CLIFFORD: Invest in a COLA for state retirees. The current bill HB1535 was amended to provide only a one-time $500 check to retirees with a pension less than $30,000 instead of a true COLA as proposed in the original bill.
ROSEMARY CONROY: Hmmm. How about giving every teacher in the state a huge bonus? And maybe we should include healthcare workers too. And perhaps fund Civics 101 for every student as well. More grants for people who make art and music and poetry — this is the cheapest state in that regard.
That’s what I have come up with so far…
MARTIN J. STURGIS JR.: The state should make it available to elderly/retired residents to reduce the school tax portion of their tax bills. Seniors do not use schools and should not have to pay the full school tax amount.
A MOFFAT: All money must be spent on our almost futile efforts to limit climate heating. Now. Hurry up. We are too close to being over the edge. Solar wind/heat for everything?
HONEY HASTINGS: Pay for schools!
PAUL DOSCHER: Here iOS my list: Install solar electric on low income homes and apartments, Improve visitor facilities at highway rest areas, Fully fund capital needs for state parks,
Dramatically increase energy efficiency programs for residential, commercial and industrial users,
Create financial incentives for EV purchases, Put some in the highway fund to offset gas tax revenue reductions, Grants to municipalities and school districts to increase energy efficiency and install renewable energy systems, More enforcement of speed limits on our highways.
DAVE VICINANZO: Use the “surplus” to attempt to make whole the 500+ victims of severe child abuse in state facilities like YDC. The abuse occurred over decades because the state did not really care about its most vulnerable children, most of whom had already suffered some serious trauma in their life.
These are debts that were incurred a long ago and have been accruing interest. They need to be paid, for the sake of the child victims as well as to restore the state’s moral authority and reputation.
PETER WHITE: The ridiculous cost of property taxes are forcing thousands of NH natives out of our homes!! There is not a single politician in New Hampshire with the guts to support an income tax designated for local education funding to lower property taxes! Therefore, the best use of this money for the people is to send it to the towns for property tax relief. Let’s see if any of them care about us?
DUSTIN GERSTENFIELD: I think that the state needs to use the budget surplus to give property tax relief. I have read a lot about the “efforts” that legislators have explored about property tax relief but in 4 years, I have not seen it. I moved to Nashua from Texas about 5 years ago and my property taxes here are over double what I paid in Texas. Granted funding is different in NH compared to TX but for as much as Sununu and the Republicans have harped on tax relief in my time here, I have yet to see it in my biannual tax statements.
LARRY GILLIS (formerly of Hampton/Exeter/Rye): It turns out that they did not need the money after all? Well, give it back. What’s so hard about that? Has New Hampshire so lost its way that this question actually needs to be asked?? Vote Libertarian.
CHUCK RHOADES: Based on Gary Rayno’s recent article, I would suggest using it to defray municipalities’ public employee retirement costs so that property taxes can be lowered. This, in turn, could help municipalities, like Dover, spend more for public education.
WILLIAM MOSES: Fix/repair the Vilas Bridge in Walpole/North Walpole and fix route 12 between North Walpole and Charlestown.
MARY DAVIES: Money should go to public schools and universities.
JT: Help shore up the public schools
MARY LUSSIER: 1. Cut property taxes because NH residents have been paying to support Sununu’s priorities of business and tourism- but now it’s families’ turn. 2. As for funds earmarked for Covid, I’d like to see us focused on buying medical needs, both for now AND for the next pandemic: PPE, improved testing and vaccine delivery systems, health care worker recruitment AND retention (tax deductions for health care workers?), etc.
MARY ANNE BROSHEK: The State should correct the downshifting of past years and send the money back to towns and cities to pay for public education and lower property taxes.
PHIL D: Raise the amount sent to cities/towns to pay for schools. Local taxes are way too high because of school expenses.
ANN STEWART: Does NH have a rainy day fund as we have in MA?
VIRGINIA NOSSIFF:
Mental health services, especially those that relieve the crisis in ED boarding for people in psychiatric distress. Shameful this is still happening.
SANDRA HODSDON: fund public education at a greater than laughable rate.
EDITH TUCKER: I have a very specific request for the N. H. State Library in Concord: 2
brand-new microfilm readers and 2 printers so that that researchers can access the extensive microfilm collection of newspapers from all across
the state. Now, it’s almost impossible to get good clear print-outs of newspaper articles.
JEFFREY SILVERSTEIN: The state should return the money to the citizens of NH.
HELEN GALLOWAY: Apply some or all of the surplus to the retirement funds of retirements of NH teachers, firemen and police, who have had to fight tooth and nail for consideration by the NH legislature.
CAMPBELL McLAREN: We need a significant increase in Electric charging stations.
PEGGY: Some to reduce the price of gas and groceries. Some for affordable housing. Some to lower the cost of medications. Some to support public education. Lower property taxes
LETITIA UFFORD: Seed affordable housing
MARILYN MONSEIN: NH legislators should be paid a living wage. It will attract a more diverse demographic to run for office. A diverse legislature represents all of us.