State Symbol Suggestions for the Gov.

fatlazyless · 05-15-2010, 06:57 AM

By adding a one percent/local town tax to the 9% meals & lodging tax it would make it a nice round and easy-to-figure 10% total tax.

The reason why New Hampshire does not have either a sales or an income or a capital gains tax is because the property taxes are so high. All the non-taxes are built into the property tax.

A mcdouble cheeseburger costs 1.09, so by adding a 1% local town tax, the price would become 1.10, and it would end those left-over pennies.

For the Town of Meredith, a 1% local meals & lodging tax could add up to $100/day or $36,500/year and help to pay for things like summer lifeguards at the lake and related safety equipment.

It's only one extra little penny which otherwise would probably end up lost and rolling around under your car seat.

Seaplane Pilot · 05-15-2010, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

By adding a one percent/local town tax to the 9% meals & lodging tax it would make it a nice round and easy-to-figure 10% total tax.

The reason why New Hampshire does not have either a sales or an income or a capital gains tax is because the property taxes are so high. All the non-taxes are built into the property tax.

A mcdouble cheeseburger costs 1.09, so by adding a 1% local town tax, the price would become 1.10, and it would end those left-over pennies.

For the Town of Meredith, a 1% local meals & lodging tax could add up to $100/day or $36,500/year and help to pay for things like summer lifeguards at the lake and related safety equipment.

It's only one extra little penny which otherwise would probably end up lost and rolling around under your car seat.

Less, do you really think an increase in all of these other taxes will result in a reduction in property taxes? If so, please contact me - I have some swamp land in the Everglades I'd like to sell.

MAXUM · 05-15-2010, 11:07 AM

I love this mindset, it's just another penny or two tax per person what's the big deal? Why is the same not true when CUTTING taxes, but give a penny or two back to the tax payers and there will be starving children in the streets, police and firemen will loose their jobs, the world as we all know it will come to an end. Hmmm...... please give us all a break here the state is swimming in money they are just to incompetent to manage and spend it wisely. Throwing more money at the problem just perpetuates this further and is no solution.

BTW any town that decides to enact a tax I will go out of my way to not only NOT patronize those businesses, but make sure that everyone else that I know is aware of the tax so they can make up their own mind as well. No sweat off my back to avoid a "tax" town I'm sure that others will do the same. Careful what you wish for it has consequences.

CrawfordCentury · 05-17-2010, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmen24

On to the symbol topic. My feeling is that the Old Man is gone and that name has been retired. If we put up a new one, at what point does the New Man become an Old Man.

I've lived in this state my entire life. May 3, 2003 is a day I will always remember as the day that I lost a dear friend.

I am relieved that the expense of engineering and fabricating a replacement Old Man is prohibitive. Just as things can go from good to bad in an eye's blinking moment, an icon can be reduced to a cartoon if it is the will of men.

To be sure, the spirit of what is symbolized can outlast the symbol itself. If the irascible, flinty, rugged form of individualistic self-reliance that the Old Man stood for since the last Ice Age is a value we believe should be cherished, it should be so.

The Old Man died in a spring avalanche 7 years ago. It's up to us to determine if what he stood for is still relevant.

Quote:

The Mount Washington is a good idea, but so many people in the state cannot relate to it, I happen to like the idea.

I'll commit heresy and suggest that this is not a good statewide symbol - for the very reason you provide.

NH is a state of almost tribal regional loyalties. Folks in the Keene area have little in common with folks in the Lakes. Seacoast-area residents have more connection to Mass. or Maine than their Granite State brethren in the Upper Valley. And so on and so forth.

The notable exception is that we all have some kind of affinity towards the White Mountains. One of the functions of the Old Man was his power to kinda "unBalkanize," making us more of a people with a common heritage - and less a collection of various sub-regions.

fatlazyless · 05-18-2010, 06:46 AM

It's only one crummy penny and can make the difference between having lifeguards or no lifeguards. The single penny usually falls out of my pocket and rolls down under the car seat somewhere so what's the big deal?

If the Old Man of the Mountain were still alive, he would step up to the microphone and say: "Ladies & gentlemen, go ahead and hit me with a new 1% prepared food and lodging, local option tax.....I can take it!"

Furthermore, the Old Man would digress a bit and explain how the Town of Meredith has an annual total spending budget of about 11 1/2 million dollars that gets spent to pay for everything like schools, police, town employees, roads, parks, everything. And how the selectmen have recently decided to cut the summer lifeguard budget from about $22,500 down to $2,500 to save some money.

So, paying that extra penny for any item on the Dollar Menu would help the town with having lifeguards at Lake Waukewan and Leavitt Beach-Winnipesaukee. Something that we can all feel good about!

In closing, the Old Man would say; "Don't be a cheapie, one extra penny is nothing to get all excited about, and the local town option 1% meals tax is definately the way to go!"

SIKSUKR · 05-18-2010, 08:27 AM

If its only a penny it would appear that FLL would be happy for mine as well as your penny also.

SIKSUKR · 05-18-2010, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordCentury

I've lived in this state my entire life. May 3, 2003 is a day I will always remember as the day that I lost a dear friend.

I feel the same way.I've driven past the Old Man close to 2000 times in my trek to my Cannon Mt ski house.I was in Tortola when he fell and saw it on the CNN.My heart sank

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordCentury

The Old Man died in a spring avalanche 7 years ago.

If your refering to a snow avalanche that was not the case.There is no way any snow can avalance to where the Old Man was.

CrawfordCentury · 05-18-2010, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

If your refering to a snow avalanche that was not the case.There is no way any snow can avalance to where the Old Man was.

The night before, there was a torrential downpour after an extended dry spell - ripe conditions for an avalanche, or rock slide.

As to whether he would or would not be in favor of a small municipal meals and lodging tax, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a short story about a bunch of presumptuous folks that claimed to be the intellectual brethren of the Old Stone Face. All were proven impostors.

But I suppose one of the beauties of the Old Man is that it inspired people to project their own values onto him as a way of seeking the validation of some higher authority.

fatlazyless · 05-18-2010, 01:22 PM

Supposedly, there was a minor earthquake centered in upstate New York that shook the Old Man loose from its' perch.

For many years, it was a regular editorial device for NH newpapers to include the Old Man expressing all styles of emotion with regard to state-wide NH political happenings.

Lost but not forgotten: $24.95 at the state liquor store still buys a one quart Old Man stylized green bottle of Jenkin's NH-made rye whiskey!

CrawfordCentury · 05-18-2010, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Lost but not forgotten: $24.95 at the state liquor store still buys a one quart Old Man stylized green bottle of Jenkin's NH-made rye whiskey!

For the teatoatlers, and at a savings of about 8 bucks, there's always the Old Man bobblehead. It can proudly take its place alongside the Hannah Dustin bobblehead!

SIKSUKR · 05-19-2010, 09:19 AM

From Wikipedia:

Defying attempts at preservation, including the use of cables and spikes for most of the 20th century, the formation collapsed to the ground between midnight and 2 a.m., May 3, 2003.[2] Centuries of wind, snow, and rain, as well as freezing and thawing cycles, finally caught up with the profile.

From Mike Pelchat park ranger who worked on the Old Man:
"There's only so much you can do," said Mike Pelchat, a state parks official who hiked up the mountain Saturday to make sure there were no signs of foul play.

"With heavy rains and high winds and freezing temperatures, the combination was just right to loosen him up," he said. "We always thought it was the hand of God holding him up, and he let go."

I live right next door to the old man 6 months a year for 30 years. There was never any speculation of any kind of rock slide or avalanche that brought the Old Man down. It has been held in place artificially for decades and the forces of freeze/thaw and natural erosion finally took over. There certainly was a rock slide but that was the profile itself falling.

John A. Birdsall · 05-19-2010, 10:27 AM

If you must know, FLL wants the old man back up in place because he and the old man are one in the same....now that I said that I thought that they were building a fiberglass model of the ole man and were going to put it in place of the old. I alos believe that I made a small contribution to doing just that.

While I think the old man should be rebuilt I also like the Mount Washington (vessel) with the Mt. Washington in the background. I think at least everyone in New England could relate to that, (if not they need to get off the sofa and see New England)

Did you know that Robert B. Woods was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for manning a gun on the USS Mount Washington, I think that was during the civil war.

CrawfordCentury · 05-19-2010, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

From Wikipedia:

Defying attempts at preservation, including the use of cables and spikes for most of the 20th century, the formation collapsed to the ground between midnight and 2 a.m., May 3, 2003.[2] Centuries of wind, snow, and rain, as well as freezing and thawing cycles, finally caught up with the profile.

From Mike Pelchat park ranger who worked on the Old Man:
"There's only so much you can do," said Mike Pelchat, a state parks official who hiked up the mountain Saturday to make sure there were no signs of foul play.

"With heavy rains and high winds and freezing temperatures, the combination was just right to loosen him up," he said. "We always thought it was the hand of God holding him up, and he let go."

I live right next door to the old man 6 months a year for 30 years. There was never any speculation of any kind of rock slide or avalanche that brought the Old Man down. It has been held in place artificially for decades and the forces of freeze/thaw and natural erosion finally took over. There certainly was a rock slide but that was the profile itself falling.

That's right. The avalanche was the Old Man himself.

Grady223 · 05-19-2010, 12:53 PM

Why doesn't the State hire an artist to carve the likeness of our President's face in one of the granite cliffs in the White Mountains and we could use that as a replacement to the Old Man in the Mountain as the State Symbol - could place it on every license plate in the State!

CrawfordCentury · 05-19-2010, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grady223

Why doesn't the State hire an artist to carve the likeness of our President's face in one of the granite cliffs in the White Mountains and we could use that as a replacement to the Old Man in the Mountain as the State Symbol - could place it on every license plate in the State!

Done. Where to I pick up the check for my commission.

RI Swamp Yankee · 05-20-2010, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordCentury

Done. Where to I pick up the check for my commission.

Good one! I am rolling on the floor laughing.

gtxrider · 06-18-2010, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

By adding a one percent/local town tax to the 9% meals & lodging tax it would make it a nice round and easy-to-figure 10% total tax.

The reason why New Hampshire does not have either a sales or an income or a capital gains tax is because the property taxes are so high. All the non-taxes are built into the property tax.

A mcdouble cheeseburger costs 1.09, so by adding a 1% local town tax, the price would become 1.10, and it would end those left-over pennies.

For the Town of Meredith, a 1% local meals & lodging tax could add up to $100/day or $36,500/year and help to pay for things like summer lifeguards at the lake and related safety equipment.

It's only one extra little penny which otherwise would probably end up lost and rolling around under your car seat.

Want sales and income taxes plus gambling and HIGH property taxes come to New Jersey we have it all. Oh and the state is still broke with all the money they take from the poor working slobs.

RailroadJoe · 06-18-2010, 02:30 PM

I think people have to stop and think a little. When I was only 25 I could get a coffee and donut for 10 cents. And they would refill the cup free. And that was only 50 years ago. What are you youngsters going to sat when you have to pay $10.. for coffee and another 15 for a doughnut. look at the spending of the state not at the idea of increasing any tax. They will only spend more if we give them more.

05-15-2010, 06:57 AM	#1
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,750 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,010 Times in 736 Posts	By adding a one percent/local town tax to the 9% meals & lodging tax it would make it a nice round and easy-to-figure 10% total tax. The reason why New Hampshire does not have either a sales or an income or a capital gains tax is because the property taxes are so high. All the non-taxes are built into the property tax. A mcdouble cheeseburger costs 1.09, so by adding a 1% local town tax, the price would become 1.10, and it would end those left-over pennies. For the Town of Meredith, a 1% local meals & lodging tax could add up to $100/day or $36,500/year and help to pay for things like summer lifeguards at the lake and related safety equipment. It's only one extra little penny which otherwise would probably end up lost and rolling around under your car seat. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

05-18-2010, 06:46 AM	#5
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,750 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,010 Times in 736 Posts	It's only one crummy penny and can make the difference between having lifeguards or no lifeguards. The single penny usually falls out of my pocket and rolls down under the car seat somewhere so what's the big deal? If the Old Man of the Mountain were still alive, he would step up to the microphone and say: "Ladies & gentlemen, go ahead and hit me with a new 1% prepared food and lodging, local option tax.....I can take it!" Furthermore, the Old Man would digress a bit and explain how the Town of Meredith has an annual total spending budget of about 11 1/2 million dollars that gets spent to pay for everything like schools, police, town employees, roads, parks, everything. And how the selectmen have recently decided to cut the summer lifeguard budget from about $22,500 down to $2,500 to save some money. So, paying that extra penny for any item on the Dollar Menu would help the town with having lifeguards at Lake Waukewan and Leavitt Beach-Winnipesaukee. Something that we can all feel good about! In closing, the Old Man would say; "Don't be a cheapie, one extra penny is nothing to get all excited about, and the local town option 1% meals tax is definately the way to go!" __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

05-18-2010, 08:27 AM	#6
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	It's only a few pennies If its only a penny it would appear that FLL would be happy for mine as well as your penny also. __________________ SIKSUKR

05-18-2010, 01:22 PM	#9
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,750 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,010 Times in 736 Posts	Supposedly, there was a minor earthquake centered in upstate New York that shook the Old Man loose from its' perch. For many years, it was a regular editorial device for NH newpapers to include the Old Man expressing all styles of emotion with regard to state-wide NH political happenings. Lost but not forgotten: $24.95 at the state liquor store still buys a one quart Old Man stylized green bottle of Jenkin's NH-made rye whiskey! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

05-19-2010, 09:19 AM	#11
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	From Wikipedia: Defying attempts at preservation, including the use of cables and spikes for most of the 20th century, the formation collapsed to the ground between midnight and 2 a.m., May 3, 2003.[2] Centuries of wind, snow, and rain, as well as freezing and thawing cycles, finally caught up with the profile. From Mike Pelchat park ranger who worked on the Old Man: "There's only so much you can do," said Mike Pelchat, a state parks official who hiked up the mountain Saturday to make sure there were no signs of foul play. "With heavy rains and high winds and freezing temperatures, the combination was just right to loosen him up," he said. "We always thought it was the hand of God holding him up, and he let go." I live right next door to the old man 6 months a year for 30 years. There was never any speculation of any kind of rock slide or avalanche that brought the Old Man down. It has been held in place artificially for decades and the forces of freeze/thaw and natural erosion finally took over. There certainly was a rock slide but that was the profile itself falling. __________________ SIKSUKR

05-15-2010, 11:07 AM	#3
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	I love this mindset, it's just another penny or two tax per person what's the big deal? Why is the same not true when CUTTING taxes, but give a penny or two back to the tax payers and there will be starving children in the streets, police and firemen will loose their jobs, the world as we all know it will come to an end. Hmmm...... please give us all a break here the state is swimming in money they are just to incompetent to manage and spend it wisely. Throwing more money at the problem just perpetuates this further and is no solution. BTW any town that decides to enact a tax I will go out of my way to not only NOT patronize those businesses, but make sure that everyone else that I know is aware of the tax so they can make up their own mind as well. No sweat off my back to avoid a "tax" town I'm sure that others will do the same. Careful what you wish for it has consequences.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to MAXUM For This Useful Post:
jmen24 (05-17-2010), Seaplane Pilot (05-16-2010)

05-19-2010, 10:27 AM	#12
John A. Birdsall Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norwich, CT Posts: 599 Thanks: 27 Thanked 51 Times in 35 Posts	old man in mtn If you must know, FLL wants the old man back up in place because he and the old man are one in the same....now that I said that I thought that they were building a fiberglass model of the ole man and were going to put it in place of the old. I alos believe that I made a small contribution to doing just that. While I think the old man should be rebuilt I also like the Mount Washington (vessel) with the Mt. Washington in the background. I think at least everyone in New England could relate to that, (if not they need to get off the sofa and see New England) Did you know that Robert B. Woods was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for manning a gun on the USS Mount Washington, I think that was during the civil war.

05-19-2010, 12:53 PM	#14
Grady223 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: New Hope, PA & Barndoor Island Posts: 465 Thanks: 93 Thanked 24 Times in 18 Posts	Great Idea! Why doesn't the State hire an artist to carve the likeness of our President's face in one of the granite cliffs in the White Mountains and we could use that as a replacement to the Old Man in the Mountain as the State Symbol - could place it on every license plate in the State!

06-18-2010, 02:30 PM	#18
RailroadJoe Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 620 Thanks: 259 Thanked 158 Times in 100 Posts	I think people have to stop and think a little. When I was only 25 I could get a coffee and donut for 10 cents. And they would refill the cup free. And that was only 50 years ago. What are you youngsters going to sat when you have to pay $10.. for coffee and another 15 for a doughnut. look at the spending of the state not at the idea of increasing any tax. They will only spend more if we give them more.