Quote:
Originally Posted by Descant
"Politicians raise taxes". Not here. NH state taxes, BPT and BET are on the way down. Again. There were three bills filed last year (not resolved yet) to reduce or eliminate the Interest and Dividends Tax. NH trust laws and related issues are making NH a tax haven like Delaware and a couple of other states, drawing in outside money. A few years ago, the state (politicians) eliminated the Gambling Winnings tax.
With the largest state legislature in the US we all have neighbors who are "politicians" earning $100 a year. Making inaccurate statements like "politicians raise taxes" is insulting to these volunteers.
Town property taxes likewise are not the result of politicians actions. Spending is passed by Town Meeting in March. That's citizens voting for or against the budgets, not politicians.
Here endeth the rant.
WATERFRONT DOWNSIDE
I think there's a tendency to buy more toys that you then have to manage maintain, and store yourself. Swim rafts, PWC's, kayaks, canoes, a "family boat", a fishing boat and a ski boat when the kids are teens. That probably means a bigger dock. Docks and breakwaters are great and you may go for years with relatively little maintenance. Then, in one year the whole thing gets wiped out by moving ice floes. Bubblers won't prevent that, and not much help from insurance.
Fuel isn't a big part of owning and operating a boat, but if your boat is 40 feet away at your dock, I bet you'll use it a lot more. That's probably more on the UP-side. And you'll use it earlier in the spring and later in the fall. Also UP-side.
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And town meeting is the purest form of democracy, unfortunately town meeting power has dwindled mostly due to towns folk seeking expediency during the meeting. That said though, the politicians control the budgets, come up with the budgets AND sell the budget at town meeting. It's still the politicians controlling most of it. I'll agree it's sweet when a town meeting slaps down spending, but it doesn't happen as much as it should.
Oh, and spare me the "insulting to volunteers" crap, they are politicians, if they can't take the heat they should go away.