Hanauer: Falsehoods Characterize Republican Campaigns

Democrats Do Not Favor Broad-Based Taxes

It is an oft-repeated lie that New Hampshire Democrats favor an income tax.

In addition to the pictured signs that falsely accuse State Representative district 41 candidate Lisa Nash, signs posted in our Senate district falsely state that Senator Jeanne Dietsch voted for an income tax. Also, a poster-like image appears on the websites and facebook pages of a number of Republican State Representative candidates. Its claims are rife with falsehoods. For example, it states "New Hampshire Democrats in '19 and '20 voted to pass an income tax".

In a footnote -apparently believing nobody would check- the image cites NH House Bill 712. HB 712 was the Family Medical Leave Act. This bi-partisan bill would have established a medical leave insurance program, funded by employers who do not otherwise provide such insurance for their employees. Aside from its benefits to employees, it addressed the severe outflow of skilled labor from New Hampshire. Two Republicans were among its sponsors, and the bill passed both the NH House and Senate. Unfortunately, it was vetoed this summer by the Governor.

Bankrupt of ideas, Republicans have doubled down on the lie that the Democrats favor a broad based tax. I have lived in New Hampshire since 1984. In all that time, there has been only one general election gubernatorial candidate -in 2002- who favored a broad-based tax. In response, the NH Democratic convention that year overwhelmingly passed a resolution opposing any broad-based tax.

With the example set at the highest level of their party, NH Republicans have embraced falsehoods as a campaign strategy. Don't fall for it. Democrats do not favor a broad-based tax.

Jerry Hanauer Bedford