Republicans could've done worse!

The legislative year, like the school year, is almost at a close! All told, the proposed budget that passed the House cut several programs that deeply affect the state. There will likely be no additional funding for the USNH University system, of which PSU is a part of, no additional funding for healthcare, not much more to curb the heroin epidemic, and not much actively done to lower the property tax, which is generally the highest tax NH businesses and residents pay. Although the budget passed the House and is now in Committee of Conference with the State Senate (to draft the final budget between the two chambers of the Statehouse), things could've been much worse if the Republicans had a wider majority in the General Court, or if there wasn't a Democratic Governor to veto some of the social and deregulatory bills that passed. Sure, things will be fine for people making over six-figures and retirees with a fat nest egg, but for your typical college student or working class family, nothing will be done to decrease the costliest state education in the U.S. Demographically, since NH's one of the oldest states in the US, maybe it makes sense that voters don't want to pay for increased education spending, but that is not a sustainable policy. New families and businesses will not want to come to here, if there is no educated workforce or social services for their employees and their families. Hopefully, however, with the next election in 2016, the majority in the Statehouse will swing back in the control of the Democrats and the services NH needs, restored.