NTU State Government Affairs Manager John Stephenson was quoted in the Boston Herald, Bloomberg News, Concord Monitor, and the Manchester Union Leader, today after his testimony at yesterday’s New Hampshire Senate hearing on Senate Bill 2. You can catch John discussing the tax cap as well as Senate Bill 3’s pension reform proposals Thursday at 10AM on WTPL 107.7FM "The Pulse" WTSL or 94.3FM/AM 1400 in New Hampshire.
From the Boston Herald:
"John Stephenson, state government affairs manager for the National Taxpayers Union, a group that advocates for lower taxes, said 30 states have some form of expenditure limits.
"Taxpayer-protection laws do not choke off expenditures, nor do they eliminate government programs," he said. "Instead what they do is encourage fiscal prudence by requiring governments to prioritize spending decisions.""
The National Taxpayers Union has been active in New Hampshire this week working to pass pro-Taxpayer legislation in the State Senate. Senate Bills 2 and 3 would be strong steps toward preparing New Hampshire government for the coming state debt crisis.
Senate Bill 2 would restore the ability of New Hampshire citizens to implement tax and expenditure caps on local government. While many cities, like Nashua, have had such caps in place for years, a recent State Supreme Court decision overturned such a measure in Manchester. Now, legislation is required to solidify the right of New Hampshirites to demand fiscal responsibility from their local governments.
Senate Bill 3 would reform the state’s public employee pension system, raising the retirement age and increasing the amount that public employees contribute to their pensions. This would put New Hampshire ahead of many states who wait until total budgetary disaster is at hand before taking steps to stave off the crisis.