Blame belongs to Norelli, not Speaker O’Brien
August 05, 2012
Take a quick glance at the next paragraph. It looks like lines and lines of computer code generated by a programmer. In fact they are New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated and they have one thing in common: Former House Speaker Terie Norelli was at the helm in the passage of each.
RSA 78-A:4 RSA 147-A:4 RSA 147-A:5 RSA 147-A:6-a RSA 147-F:9 RSA 147-F:14 RSA 490:24, II RSA 261:141(g) RSA 261:141(h) RSA 261:141(o) RSA 78:7 RSA 485-A:17 RSA 482-A:3,a RSA 482-A:3,b RSA 131:3 RSA 478:17, g RSA 208:1 RSA 214:9 RSA 490:26-A,II RSA 281-A:59 RSA 82-A:5 RSA 482:8-A RSA 397-B:4 RSA 483-B:5-b RSA 400-A:29 RSA 490:26-a.III RSA 21-L:4 RSA 597:20 RSA 490-D:12, III RSA 326-B:4 & 8 RSA 330-C:8 RSA 400-A:29, XXII RSA 78:7 RSA 178:28 RSA 310-A:188 RSA 261:74, d RSA 397-B:4 RSA 503:4, II RSA 211:09-a, II RSA 78:7 RSA 78-A:6 RSA 78-A:6 RSA 260:15, II RSA 263:42, II RSA 486:14, I(b) RSA 485-A:30, I & I-a RSA 331-A:24-b RSA 188-F:31RSA 651:5, IX RSA 214:9, XVI (e) RSA 270-E:5, I RSA 270-E:5, II(a) RSA 270-E:5, II(c) RSA 270-E:10RSA 270-E:22-23RSA 339-F:6 RSA 78:1 and 7-c RSA 490:26-a RSA 159:6, I RSA 261:89-141, III & VII-263:52, I-II RSA 143-A:12, II RSA 151:5 RSA 356-B:51, VII-356-A:5, VII RSA 261:141RSA 77:38 RSA 178:28RSA 78-B:1-a, VI RSA 78-A:8-b-21-J:43-78-A:4, I RSA 77-A:6 RSA 77:1-a77:3, I(b)77:4, III RSA 151:36 RSA 399-D:5 RSA 399-D:9 RSA 318-B:10, VII RSA 146-E:3, II RSA 502-A:28, III RSA 214-A:4 RSA 215-C:39 RSA 215-A:23, IV & IV-a RSA 178:29, I RSA 78-A:3, III RSA 400-A:29, I and II RSA 405:29, I RSA 400-A:31, IV & 33 RSA 215-A:23 RSA 214:9-c RSA 215-C:38-a RSA 78-A:8-b, I-a RSA 430:38, III RSA 146-E:3, II RSA 215-A:22 & 23 RSA 215-C:37 RSA 78-A:8-b, I-a RSA 215-21 RSA 397-A RSA 106-F:8 RSA 178:29 RSA 485-A:35 RSA 217-A:7a RSA 392- 22, 23,25 RSA 216-A:3-g RSA 78:7-c RSA 77:1-a-77:4, III-77:14-a through d, RSA 437:3, RSA 457:29, RSA 5-C:10, RSA 400-A:32, I(a).
These RSAs gave the citizens of New Hampshire 100 new or increased taxes and fees. This was a massive accomplishment for Speaker Norelli, so massive in fact that if one were to spell each out in detail, one could publish a book and call it “Gone With The Wind.” Our apologies to author Margaret Mitchell, but surely like Scarlett O’Hara our state’s government, under Norelli’s leadership, had the same philosophy: “I can’t think about that right now…; I’ll think about that tomorrow.” Tomorrow is here, and during Speaker Norelli’s four years she oversaw the increase of the N.H. State budget by 25 percent. Because I am her opponent in the current race for representative for District 26, the veracity of the above list could come into question. The non-partisan Legislative Budget Assistant Office compiled the list. They have no horse in the race. There are no duplicates in the list, despite the mind-numbing repetitiveness.
Madam Speaker, wagging your finger at Speaker Bill O’Brien (Op Ed, Portsmouth Herald, July 30, 2012) was a typical political obfuscation. You and yours saddled the current legislature with commitments that we couldn’t pay for, and now you are pointing the blame finger at those left to clean up the mess. You blamed Speaker O’Brien for some perceived slowdown in New Hampshire’s economy and you took credit for New Hampshire having survived the worst of the meltdown. The meltdown continues, in part due to the increased tax burden and frivolous waste of tax dollars. Is anyone else thinking of the fired Peterborough store clerk and the use of welfare dollars to buy cigarettes, alcohol and betting slips at the track?
Madam Speaker, I would posit that New Hampshire fared well in spite of you. There isn’t a recorded instance where a country or a state has taxed its way to prosperity, especially while ballooning the budget by 25 percent. You made the incredulous statement that, “Democrats worked with Gov. Lynch throughout the recession to keep job loss at a minimum.” You even gave an explanation that to some might seem plausible. Based on your logic I would state that New Hampshire fared well because of years of Republican control, keeping taxes low and avoiding our great nemesis, the Broad Based Tax. Government does not create nor protect jobs (in the private sector). The best it can do is to not strangle us with over-regulation and burdensome taxation.
You have also recently been on New Hampshire Public Radio spouting much the same and rewriting history in the process. You have been in Concord so long that you now have the politician’s adept way of answering questions at length without really saying anything. You even confused the moderator who asked the rhetorical question, how are we journalists supposed to weed our way through all these claims and counter-claims?
The non-partisan Legislative Budget Assistant Office can answer that question. When the current Legislature took office, the LBAO indicated that you had overseen a structural deficit of $845 million (remember the 25 percent budget increase) and that there was a $50 million revenue shortfall. Adding the numbers, this was a whopping total deficit of $895 million. I’m not sure just how much more of this “Norelli Prosperity” we can stand.
Madam Speaker, you are responsible for the pain that was and is felt at all levels. There was no way the ballooning budget could be sustained. The Empress has no clothes, and this small voice in the crowd is calling you out. Instead of re-writing history and wagging your finger at Bill O’Brien, look in the mirror. Not the magic one you currently use, but the real one the rest of us are stuck with.
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Mark Brighton is president of the Association of Portsmouth Taxpayers and is the Republican challenger to Rep. Norelli in Portsmouth’s Ward 2/District 27 House seat.