Take action on taxes

To the editor:

Recently, I was asked to serve as the honorary chairman for the New Hampshire Chapter of Americans for Prosperity. I agreed to do so as we share a common goal and belief; we need smaller government, less spending and lower taxes for our citizens. I believe this is important if our hard-working taxpayers are to prosper.

My late father, former Gov. Meldrim Thomson, had a simple, yet profound, statement over 35 years ago: “Low taxes are the result of low spending.” I believe this statement is even more meaningful with what is going on today in our state.

If New Hampshire taxpayers don’t speak up in the next few weeks, we will see a gas and diesel tax which will increase another 15 cents per gallon, a capital gains tax of 5 percent, a “death tax” 8 percent, a tobacco tax with a 35-cent increase per pack, a rooms and meals tax that will increase to 8.75 percent and a gambling tax that will be 10 percent of your winnings.

The federal government is looking at increasing a number of these same taxes, such as the gas and diesel tax. Be prepared for a double dose of taxes if you choose not to stand up and fight to kill these higher taxes that are being proposed.

I believe our taxpayers are about to witness a financial crisis if the “perfect storm” we are seeing does not subside. We are in the middle of a major recession and our elected officials are spending uncontrollably and about to tax us like we have never seen before. When was the last time you heard an elected official suggest lowering taxes and cutting spending?

If Paul Revere were here today I can only imagine him riding out of Concord, trying to alert his fellow citizens by racing from town to town yelling at the top of his lungs “The taxes are coming. The taxes are coming.” Today we must all act like Paul Revere and warn everyone in our communities that the taxes are coming from Concord within the next few weeks and we need to act now to stop them.

Each person on their own can make a difference by fighting against these taxes, but you must be willing to take a few minutes of your time and call, e-mail and send letters to the editor. Don’t procrastinate, act today!

Tom Thomson
Orford