Overspending: A bad school aid plan

So often the Union Leader editorial board expresses a thought so well I wish I would have written it myself. The Union Leader is spot on with their assessment. Lynch et. al. are mortgaging our children's future dollars away. This irresponsible spending will only lead to an income tax and higher property taxes unless New Hampshire voters wake up, get educated and vote for fiscally responsible people at all levels of government.

Overspending: A bad school aid plan

Wednesday, Jun. 11, 2008

GOV. JOHN LYNCH'S inability to stop legislative overspending is getting tiresome.

On Monday, Lynch allowed a terrible school funding bill, which he opposes, to become law without his signature. As usual, he waited until the very last moment to make a decision, and it was the wrong one.


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The school funding plan is bad for lots of reasons. The most obvious is that it spends $180 million the state doesn't have. Spending money the state doesn't have is becoming a Lynch specialty.

Last year Gov. Lynch signed a state budget that raised general fund spending by $475 million, even though the state didn't have the revenues needed to meet the increase. That budget is now estimated to end roughly $200 million in the red.

In addition to overspending, the new school funding law brings back donor towns and gives the same base amount of money to each district, rich or poor, regardless of the district's need. Lynch opposes both of those bad provisions. But he let the bill become law anyway.

We remember a certain governor who managed to prevent legislators from overspending. He simply promised to veto any bill that raised taxes or spending. He ended up having to veto a state budget. But the state didn't collapse. Instead, legislators realized he meant business, and they fell in line. Runaway spending stopped cold.

That governor's name was Craig Benson. He was defeated by a fresh-faced former executive named John Lynch who promised to be just as fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, Gov. Lynch hasn't lived up to that promise, and the result is the biggest state budget increase in two decades and a school aid plan that overspends to the point that it sets us up for an income tax.

We're pretty sure Benson would have vetoed, or at least threatened to veto, this awful school funding bill, as Lynch should have done. Benson would have found a way to keep legislators from spending money the state doesn't have. Gov. Lynch said he would do the same. He just hasn't commanded enough authority in Concord to make it happen.


Quote of the Day - "No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session." ~Author Unknown

Croydon School Board Meeting - Reported on by Union Leader Reporter

Last night was a packed house at the Croydon School Board Meeting. If you have not picked up a copy of the Union Leader you should, unfortunately the story is not online.

The reason the meeting was packed was because for years Croydon residents have been paying for students who live outside of the district to attend our schools. Our district received one year of tuition from Kearsarge Regional Schools for two children. However Grantham is contesting our school districts request to pay close to 40,000 dollars for three students. This tuition comes to 54,000 dollars for one year. With the size of Croydon's school budget this makes a difference in a Croydon's resident taxes. I know this is money that we could use in our home. I am sure with the rising gas prices many other Croydon residents could use that money too.

Our public school is a government school, like many other forms of government our tax dollars will be wasted unless we keep an eye on how our tax dollars are spent.

Cathy

Quote of the Day - "If people behaved like governments, you'd call the cops." ~Kelvin Throop

Pay Attention to your Tax Dollars

The follow letter to the editor appeared in the Argus Champion.

During Croydon's March town meeting, I encouraged residents to reject the school budget partly because of rising fuel prices. My husband encouraged rejecting the budget based on excessive spending. I wonder if those who supported the tax warrants, increased taxes and increased spending have any regrets about their decisions. We would like to hear from you.



We have said it time and time again: Public schools have a spending problem and waste money. Sadly it appears that they waste money here in Croydon too. Our district has been paying for kids who live out of district to go to school in Newport, costing taxpayers hundreds
of dollars apiece. Dollars that I am sure could be used towards rising fuel prices, food, college funds and/or retirement.



I encourage all Croydon residents to go to the June 11th school board meeting and make sure you are heard on this issue. This is why we stressed it is so important to become active in watching how your tax dollars are spent. When someone else is spending your money they will not be as responsible with the money if you were spending it yourself.



It appears that some people have been given preferential treatment
and school choice. This is a right that should be given to all Croydon residents, not just the privileged few.

Cathy Peschke
Citizens for Reasonable And Fair Taxes

Road Blocks to Homeschooling

One of the many roadblocks to homeschooling is the parents themselves.

Some two income families homeschool but it is much easier to homeschool if you are a one income family. There are plenty of tips on the web on how to live on one income.

Here are tips that we use to survive on one income. These tips should be considered to also battle the rising costs of fuel.

1. Buy used cars, never buy new cars.

2. Don't use cell phones.

3. Pay off credit cards monthly.

4. If you can't afford to pay cash or pay off your credit card within the month you by something you can not afford to buy the item you are interested in buying.

5. Pay yourself first. Put money in college funds and retirement funds every month.

6. Bring your lunch to work.

7. Pass on fancy clothes.

8. If you can't afford to go out to eat don't.

9. Buy generic brands and house brands skip the name brands.

10. Skip the movie theaters use Netflix instead.