It doesn’t hurt that the state has a monopoly on hard liquor sales, too — something with which I disagree philosophically.

And Quaker, thanks for buying into the myth that “more money = better education.” It reaffirms my opinion of you. Kindly compare NH’s per-student expenditures with SAT results and other standardized measures — we do pretty damned good.

On the other hand, the District of Columbia, last time I heard, has the highest per-student spending on education, and just look what they’re getting for THEIR money.

I think part of the reason is we pay our legislators $100 per year. Yup, that’s right, one hundred dollars. Plus mileage and expenses. When you don’t have people in the legislature who think of making laws as their job, they tend not to pass a bunch of laws just so they can say they’re earning their pay. Also, many of them have to devote more time to their REAL jobs, so they can’t get into trouble in Concord. I think paying lawmakers anything above a “living wage” is just begging for trouble — and looking around at other states, I don’t see anything contradicting me.

We do pretty damned good in most areas. Certainly better than most othes. We’re not running to DC for a huge bailout. We don’t have any members of Congress under investigation or indictment. We don’t have any huge scandals going on.

We got our problems, but for the most part we’re OK.

J.

Huh, all this time I thought it was a cheap place to get booze.

And as a consequence it has had one of the most inequitable and effed-up school funding mechanisms in the country, which has led to several court cases, a state-wide property tax, and the push for statewide kindergarten that Jay opposes.

And I punctured it by pointing out that you did nothing to tie it to the new people moving to the state, even though that was your claim.

Did you have anything else?

Oh, this:

the idiots from out of state seem to think that since they can’t persuade their neighbors to vote for it, the’ll get the state to mandate it — and pony up some of the money for it, too.

So the local level is run by the long time residents, but somehow the Capitol has been seized by the newcomers, who are imposing their will on the rightful residents. The rightful residents of New Hampshire are somehow helpless to resist this coup, and I’m mystified as to how it took place.

Do go on.

New Hampshire is the only state with no broad-based taxes — no sales tax or income tax. It’s one of our major competitive advantages to entice businesses here, as well as professionals.

Now before you say anything, a lot of New Hampshire communities have pre-school and kindergarten. But some don’t. And they don’t feel that it’s a good use of their money. But the idiots from out of state seem to think that since they can’t persuade their neighbors to vote for it, the’ll get the state to mandate it — and pony up some of the money for it, too.

Personally, I have no opinion on the matter. I have no kids. and have made sure I never will. But I think that it ought to be left up to the communities to decide about kindergarten, not the state setting one rule for everyone.

My new neighbors disagree. The seem to like the “one size fits all” solution, even if they have to have the state hike everyone’s taxes for it.

No thanks.

J.

I’m sure you can provide examples of “the same crap” that they are voting for now and which was confined to other states until recently, but you won’t, because that would give you credibility, and you wouldn’t want any of THAT librul value.

Am I right?

“They’re coming in too fast!” =)

When can we officially stop calling NH a battleground state? End of business today?

Then promptly voting for all the same crap that made their states so wretched in the first place. It’s primarily Massholes, but they are not the only ones.

For example, in 2006 the Democrats took the state House and Senate, and held the governorship — and promptly jacked up state spending about 16% in a single year.

I hope that my fellow New Hampshirites (old and new) will come to their senses before the state is ruined and becomes North Massachusetts — but I’m not entirely optimistic.

J.