NH natives are in the minority!

[Rattlesnake Guy]

I wish that the people who move to New Hampshire would try to remember why they moved here and not feel the need to fix it to be like the place they left to come here. Could it be that a conservative state is what you longed for? An island of red in a sea of blue that has now gone to the blue side of purple. Where will you move to when NH is not what you want?

I love telling visitors at work that "yes not only do we not have a sales tax but we don't have an income tax either". When we review the property tax it is often determined that we are very similar to other parts of the country. (Yes some are more and some are less and this is not a scientific study)

I was truly excited to hear that Al Gore had invented a way to help the one issue I am having an issue with as I get older. But this year puts that promised climate change at risk.
(Yes I am kidding)

This native has been drinking the NH maple flavored Kool Aid for a long time.

[tis]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

I wish that the people who move to New Hampshire would try to remember why they moved here and not feel the need to fix it to be like the place they left to come here. Could it be that a conservative state is what you longed for? An island of red in a sea of blue that has now gone to the blue side of purple. Where will you move to when NH is not what you want?

Perfectly said! (from another native)

[nj2nh]

I have had a dream of moving to NH since I was a little girl who was born and bred in that evil state, Massachusetts. That dream lives on - more vivid and close than ever - now that I live in the other evil state, NJ.

When that day comes that I will finally make that dream come true, I will not care about the politics (as I don't much now), I will not care about income tax (as I won't have an income to speak of) and I will not care where my neighbors were born and raised.

I will care about how beautiful my view is every morning. I will care about the peace and solitude I feel when I look out the window. And I will wonder why it took me so long to make this move.

I will even love the snow no matter how much there is.

People don't move to NH for the taxes or the politics, in my opinion. They move there because it is so incredibly beautiful. Please keep it that way until I get there, okay?

nj2nh

[ITD]

I am seriously concerned with what is going on. I think that if Less gets what he wishes for, even he won't be able to stand it and will move away.........

[SIKSUKR]

Bring back Mel Thompson and William Loeb.(I have a shovel if you need one)

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Bring back Mel Thompson and William Loeb.(I have a shovel if you need one)

Amen to that!! Those were the days!

[mets3007]

I live in another evil state NY Queens NY to be exact, I have been coming to Laconia- Weirs NH every summer since 1988 and I have no plans to stop coming because it is sooooo beautiful, I would move there, but, there is too much snow for me lol. I read the Citizen, and this site each day and everyone thinks I live in NH but as I tell them NH is my 2nd home.

[John A. Birdsall]

Yes, NH is a beautiful state in all three seasons. but the building going on around our beautiful lake, with scab markings in the hills, on the shore for the mcmansions. Pretty soon you will not see the trees for the mcmansions.

Not all that long ago there would be cottages on the shoreline, that you did not even see, yet today where did they go, Where did all the cottages go,,long time passing. Where did all the trees go...so long ago..

Your lucky I don't have a microphone.

[Weirs guy]

Hi, my name is Weirs Guy and I was born and bread within 1/2 hours drive of the Weirs, where I now spend every day I can with my family.

Do out of staters who move here bother me? Not so much. Do "flatlanders" who show up a few weeks out of the year and try and run the show bother me? Heck yes. And I know more flatlanders from NH then Mass.

BUT I think its important to also remember that Winni is not a great example of NH. Most of us here are very attached to the lake, as our most out of staters. I think this skews the demographics in the immediate area a little. The next time your at the lake and feel the "urban sprawl crawl" closing in on you take a nice drive to the nearest forest, park the car and hike in until you can't hear the traffic anymore. Its amazing how many places are still like that and still very close to the lake.

Until the flatlanders find them.

[Newbiesaukee]

sentiments expressed by the "natives," why is it always US vs THEM? While politically I may be a "little bluer" than some of the natives (probably more purple than red or blue), we are in NH almost half the year and do value the things that make the Lakes Region so desirable.

One fact is inescapable, time. We may long for "yesteryear" and wish that things do not change, but they do. Even if the dreaded flatlanders had not moved to NH, the NH of today would not be the NH of 30 years ago. Come to think of it, neither are we.

I am not insensitive to change. I have lived in Miami for more than 35 years and if you think NH has changed, Miami is the King of change. Some days I love it, some days I hate it. But I just do not get angry at the "newcomers." Trite as it may sound, I do not forget that my grandparents were newcomers almost 100 years ago.

My point...there are many issues that we have in common and these are the issues we need to deal with. If it is always US vs THEM, little is ever accomplished. And that, unfortunately,never seems to change.

[Ropetow]

Originally Posted by Newbiesaukee

]
My point...there are many issues that we have in common and these are the issues we need to deal with. If it is always US vs THEM, little is ever accomplished. And that, unfortunately,never seems to change.

I'm a New Hampshire resident by choice, not by birth. I escaped the People's Republic of Taxachusetts for the Live Free or Die mentality of the Granite State. It really "us" versus "them" in that, speaking for myself, "us" want limited government while "them" want the socialistic approach that has done so much good for ME, MA, etc. New Hampshire voters were upset in 2006 and elected two tax-and-spend congressmen, and a slew of tax-and-spend members of the state House and Senate. Knowing politics, the best time to defeat an incumbent is in their first run for re-election. That means that the 2008 elections are crucial to the future of NH. Will we retain the traditional values NH is known for, or will be become another MA, ME, etc.? We hear all the moans and groans about property taxes in NH. Ever notice that we hear the same moans and groans in MA and ME, and that is with high state income taxes and high sales taxes? We, the voters of NH, have the power this November to decide what kind of state we will be. I was active in the presidential primary, and won re-election to my local School Board in November. If my work scheduled allowed it, I'd run for a seat in the NH House. Talking about how NH politics has changed is good, but worthless unless it is followed up with action. Hopefully, folks who agree with me that NH is headed down the wrong path, that we don't want to become another MA or ME, will get involved in the upcoming election and back up our talk and thoughts with action. To steal a meaningless slogan from the hopelessly overmatched MA Gov., "Together, we can!"

[MAXUM]

Hey we love ya Ropetow!

The fact is for us natives we've been accustomed to a way of life here in NH. While it may not be perfect, glamorous, ladened with the latest high tech services and amenities, it's simplicity, it works, and we're fine and comfortable with that. Is it so bad for the people here to want things to remain that way and to be critical to those who barge in here with their big "progressive" ideas and try to fix what they perceive is broken? I think not. These ideas have made complete disasters out of our neighboring states and we don't want to see history repeating itself in our back yards, thank you very much.

[Newbiesaukee]

Ropetow, by the original definition of this thread, you are THEM, not a NH native. That is always the problem in seeing it as US vs. THEM. Certainly one can have legitimate differences of opinion on any subject and I applaud your activism. The point I was trying to make is that if we stick to the issues then certainly people can disagree on the issues. It is when we assume that everyone from MA or whatever ALWAYS thinks the same way, that, IMO, we run into problems.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

In my opinion you don't have to be born here to be "US". It does help a lot if you like what we have and as RopeTow describes, "I'm a New Hampshire resident by choice".

[Ropetow]

Less: The war and GW were the reason for the 'brain burp' NH voters had in 2006. It had little to nothing to do with property taxes. Show me one liberal Democrat elected to the House or Senate who ran on a platform to reduce property taxes but enact a sales and income tax. Can't be done. I have 4 acquaintances who are liberal reps, and none of them ran on a platform to vote for civil unions, to push for a sales tax, to push for an income tax, or to decriminalize marijuana. I feel bad for the retired couple in Meredith NH, Millinocket ME or Medford MA living on a fixed income who are faced with ever-increasing property taxes on their modest ranch home. At least the folks in Meredith don't pay a sales tax on every new jacket they buy (as they do in ME...yup, ME taxes clothing along with having property taxes that are through the roof) or an income tax on their part-time WalMart Greeter jobs (as they do in ME and MA), I can't feel sorry for the folks in homes worth millions that face higher property taxes. The NH Advantage was and is real. Enacting a sales and / or income tax will NOT reduce the tax burden on anyone. Give liberals in government more money, and they will spend it. That's a historical fact. Even a friend who is a 'moderate' Dem. state rep says the Republicans will have major gains in Concord in 08. It is up to us. Sit on our hands and be faced with a total tax burden that is equal to or worse than ME and MA. Or become active and bring back the NH Advantage.

[Newbiesaukee]

It is reassuring that I am now one of US as I have chosen to live here as has anyone else from anywhere who lives in NH. I promise I won't respond further.

[fatlazyless]

People generally believe what they want to believe. Jeb Bradley called it a fluke, and you call it a brain burp. One thing that so many NH Republican politicians now all have in common is the word 'former.' There's former Congressman Jeb Bradley and Charley Bass, former Gov's Council Josiah Spaulding, former State Senator Carl Johnson, and Rob Boyce. After the election, most likely Senator Sununu will become one of the youngest former US senators, as well.

With an unpopular war, an unpopular President Bush, and two strong voter getters for the Democrats in Governor Lynch and Governor Shaheen, where is the New Hampshire election likely to go? I call it a continuing NH sea-change with the tide changing from red to blue, and getting more blue.

As the saying goes...time will tell...the November 4 election is about eight months away.

[SIKSUKR]

Ropetow for Governor.Your beating a dead horse with FLL.He can't believe that adding income and/or sales tax won't lower his property tax.As ropetow said,give em more money and they will spend more.When will people wake up.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Ropetow for Governor.Your beating a dead horse with FLL.He can't believe that adding income and/or sales tax won't lower his property tax.As ropetow said,give em more money and they will spend more.When will people wake up.

And while that poor horse gets beat to death over & over & over again by the same minority, the proof is stiil "in the pudding".

We are deep in to our second year legislative session of a Democratic Governor with a clear Democratic majority on the Executive Council, The House and the Senate. And what do we not have? Yep, no general sales or income tax!

Regardless of the party affiliation of the folks representing us in Concord, survey after survey and election after election always ends with the same result, the majority of the taxpayers in New Hampshire do not want their elected representatives to replace our current property tax system with a sales or income tax scheme.

I would say that the facts speak for themselves; regardless of party affiliation the New Hampshire advantage is alive & well in this great State, and still a major attraction for the many new folks moving in!

[Ropetow]

It is encouraging to see so many forum members upset with the recent political trends in NH. But, how many of us are, or are willing to, do anything about it? Start by carefully checking the voting record of your local state representatives and senator. Read the local paper. Daily. Check out some of the NH political web sites and blogs. Get involved in your local community government. Get involved in a political campaign. Maybe even run for office. Democracy isn't a spectator sport. If we want New Hampshire government to change, then we have to do it.

[Mark]

Originally Posted by tis

Perfectly said! (from another native)

My friend Chief Fulla Bull says you are all talking with a crooked tongue. The real indigenous NH people named the lake Winnipesaukee. They named the Weirs too. People from over the border came and changed the land.

Native NHites are recent natives. Native because your dictionary lets you call yourself a native if you were born here.

Uhg says my friend. The true natives are the ones that can open a casino on their reservations. The ones that named most of this area.

Not to lose perspective here. Which natives are afraid of invasion from across the borders?