By Rep. Jim Maggiore
Perhaps never in New Hampshire’s history have voters spoken so clearly and in such numbers as they did in last week’s mid-term elections. They have given us an unprecedented mandate and we are now called upon to act, and act decisively. We have less than two years to reverse the damage that’s been done to our State’s finances over the last decade and if we are to succeed, we will need to be disciplined, united, and strategic, using all the talents our caucus members bring to the table.
We cannot meet this moment with the leadership practices of the past. We must move beyond the current model of a very small leadership group that announces decisions after they’ve been made; that is timid in the face of offensive behavior, failing to challenge that behavior until it escalates to the most outrageous acts. Questions persist about a plan to push forward a ten-year agenda that lacks actual outcomes and effectively shuts out new ideas from incoming representatives. Under my leadership, we will listen and consult more, moving past the current model of giving members only several hours to learn positions on bills with restricted opportunity for questions and comments. We will meet more frequently and invite questions from every member who participates.
I will create a mentorship and development office, where new representatives and veteran legislators alike can get the support they need, whether it be help with drafting legislation or developing strategy. I will put renewed focus on building our bench, giving new representatives more opportunities and more influence than they have had in the past. I will approach the urgent task of developing the new State budget using expertise from numerous committees. We must reverse the flow of resources from those who need them least to those who need them most. We must put forward a stable and sustainable budget, one that doesn’t shift the State’s fiscal responsibilities to local communities. We will restore badly needed State funding for successful housing initiatives such as Housing Champions and Partners in Housing.
Without this new approach, guided by new leadership, property taxes, rental costs, and health insurance premiums will continue to skyrocket.
I will bring back decency and decorum to the people’s house. In the absence of strong leadership, we have lapsed into disrespect. We have allowed behavior that should have no place in Government. We have forgotten how to disagree without descending into cruelty and caricature. That chapter of our history is over.
We have limited time to fulfill the mandate voters gave us on November 3. As Speaker, I will mobilize all House members, from both sides of the aisle and from across the spectrum of opinions, to deliver on that mandate. We will focus the profound energies of Government on meeting their most pressing needs. And we will not let them down.
—- Representative Jim Maggiore, D-North Hampton, Deputy Ranking Member, Municipal and County Government Committee.