AC2717, Glad you saw this and that we heard pretty much the same thing. I missed just a bit of Rep. Leishman's opening, but it appears the committee that was studying the dam issue thought having everybody pay for dams (bonds) was giving more benefit to shorefront landowners and not so much to the rest of the state. Rep. Leishman (D-Peterborough) had a handout that we didn't see, and I imagine the RR & D committee may also have seen, at least, an executive summary of the report.
Some years ago, I would have expected this bill to be DOA as the House majority was firm on "No new taxes". With no significant majority, what happens in the House these days depends on who shows up. If 5-6 people aren't in their seats, the other side on any issue can prevail. The Senate majority is not that close, so I expect followers will see some crazy bills come out of the House and the Senate w4isill have to clean things up.
Some years ago I was told the ability to
sell bonds, at a level where we had cash to pay and not destroy our good credit rating, was about $85 million. At the same time, there were requests and plans in the works for about $400 Million in bond payments. Many nice projects get turned down every year, it appears. The Capital budget includes, I think, things like school building aid, and it may be somewhat unpredictable which towns will build new schools in any given year. Highway bonds are separate, I think, since they are funded by gas tax.
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