Theodore Bosen of Berlin was first to respond to InDepthNH.org’s post asking what you want your elected officials to do after this election. Over this week we will post different responses you sent every day along with some ideas for keeping the momentum from this historic election going. Please stick with us for our latest project VOTER VOICES. Watch for your voice this week.
Back to Theodore Bosen. Here is what he wants to see:
Ted Bosen
berlintrailsinn.com
Berlin, NH
1. Reinstate I & D tax
2. Reverse tax breaks of last decade on Business Enterprise Tax and Room & Meals Tax – 80% to local aid
3. End EFAs
4. Amend Tax Cap (if possible) to eliminate minority rule
5. Enact ” Marisol Fuentes” Law requiring all domestic abuse bail hearings to be conducted by attorney prosecutors.
6. No cap on net metering
7. Abolish Northern Border Task Force and 287(g) Agreements
8. Ban Immigration Detention Centers
9. Allow Sanctuary Cities
10. Repeal required law enforcement cooperation with DHS and ICE
11. Establish regulatory permitting body to review AI Data Center environmental impact.
12. Require strict compliance with Education Trust Fund contributions from towns that raise in excess of their needs, and require adequate state public education funding per court order
13. Establish Independent Special Prosecutor’s Office to investigate and prosecute corruption in state government.
14. Establish measures to reduce highway collisions with moose, bear, deer
15. Reinstate vehicle inspections
16. Eliminate add-on state premiums for Medicaid
17. Expand deeds tax to fund homeless shelters.
18. Ban January 6 participants from law enforcement positions.
19. Start promoting tourism again, both domestic and international.
20. Expand commuter rail
Ted Bosen
berlintrailsinn.com
Berlin, NH
Mollie White
Twin Mountain
I want to see our legislators focus on increasing availability of childcare through tax credits for businesses who support local centers and advocating for expansion of Headstart. Also moratorium on data centers and ban development of new landfills. Dial back education freedom accounts and put more requirements on the private schools that accept these students.
Mollie White
Twin Mountain
Lonn M. Sattler
Barrington, NH
What to change in NH Gov: Education Freedom Account Program elimination.
End the entire program ASAP.
I am mostly and totally against it’s use for private school tuition. That said even all the other usages should be routed through our public schools. Re-appropriate all EFA funds to our public schools.
Lonn M. Sattler
Barrington, NH
Maryann Clark
Deerfield, N.H.
Here is what I want to see:
End the school voucher program (EFAs) as soon as possible.
Appoint Andru Volinsky as the Chair of a School Funding Reform Commission to develop legislation aligned with his 3 + 3 proposal and find a new school funding formula. Thank you for asking this question.
Maryann Clark
Deerfield, N.H.
Cathy Guevarra
My concerns revolve around water and the lack of any universal state controls on usage now that NH has and will continue to experience severe droughts. Making snow, golf course usage, homeowners sprinkler systems all have to be reconsidered. Also the lakes continue to be contaminated as there is no oversight on septic systems and their need for maintenance and repairs. We need more public water systems and septic tank phase out. Florida was forced to implement reclaimed water for new builds because population growth has cause a depletion of two aquifers. Is this where NH is headed?
Cathy Guevarra
Stillman D. Rogers
Richmond, N.H.
What I expect from the legislature that has just been elected is a return to fiscal sanity. I would hope that the legislature recognizes the public’s disgust with the current school funding system and that a real and rational school funding program be established quickly. The legislative continuing refusal to abide by the NH Supreme Court’s school funding orders is criminal, as well as being a fraud upon the people of this state. Packing of the Supreme Court for the sole purpose of ignoring the Supreme Court decisions on school funding must cease. Likewise, legislative and Gubernatorial shuffling of the Sununu Center victims and denial of their rights must stop. A rational and fair system for compensation must be found immediately. Likewise, the juvenile detention system is obvious, lt is seriously impaired and is also badly supervised. That those offenses could go on for decades without supervisory observation is a glaring warning sign that the administrative system is ineffective. The state needs income and taxes recently eliminated by the legislature should be re-enacted or, rational alternative sources of incomes should be enacted. In the legislature internal sources of information and factual matters must be established for the purpose of reducing factually oriented information from biased sources from dominating the information available to legislators drafting legislation. I hope these opening thoughts help focus future legislative action. Thanks for asking for this!
Stillman D. Rogers
Richmond, N.H.
Douglas McIlroy
What I would most like to see is fixing the school-funding mess: abolish EFAs and accede to the Claremont and Rand decisions.
I would also like less onerous requirements for voter registration–an affidavit rather than documents that may be hard to produce.
And finally, I’d like to repeal some culture-war laws; fortunately the courts have taken care of some. To fix school funding will require restoring and probably raising several state taxes. It will also take great persuasive power. Harp on prudent finance, emphasizing EFAs’ absurd waste and lack of accountability. Get local governments to weigh in with estimates of the effect on property taxes. (My overall taxes would probably rise, to offset the relief that the Claremont decision promised to less affluent communities.) But you asked what I expect, not just hope for. On school funding, I expect vetoes, but that should not discourage an all-out effort.
Douglas McIlroy