New Page 1

Governor John Lynch's Boat Taking on Water

By DEAN DEXTER

The Ship of State, headed by our “Don’t Rock the Boat” Governor, John Lynch, a Democrat, is springing leaks at a most inopportune time, that is, as we head toward a general election this fall. Recent polls show His Excellency’s approval ratings below 50 percent, as he tries to pull a Franklin Roosevelt and win an unprecedented fourth term.

The biggest hole is in the bow, and it’s a staggering state budget deficit of some $300 million, which will require a special session of the legislature to attempt a repair. Something the Democrat-controlled house and senate were unable to accomplish during the last six months in regular session.

After approving ridiculous budget hikes during his career as governor, which included bogus revenue projections, there is now no way for Mr. Lynch to hide from the financial meltdown. More onerous taxes on put-upon smokers or jacking nuisance fees on motorists, boaters and home buyers won’t get the job done this time.

New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, seeking an unprecedented fourth term.

Lynch has made a few feeble attempts to cut spending with a hiring freeze and orders to reduce department budgets. There were even a few layoffs of state employees. But it has all been too little, too late. Too many years of caving to liberal special interests, big spenders, bleeding hearts, and Democrat bosses in the house and senate. Easier to cut ribbons, visit flood sites, and sign stupid bills written by grade school children making pumpkin the official State Fruit, than to consistently make hard choices. How many assistant commissioners, deputies and middle managers do you need, John? Could you trim the state motor vehicle fleet a little, John?

Some legislators are using the present revenue fiasco to push for legalized slot machines, in hopes of spiking state revenues in a time of budgetary chaos that they, themselves created and Lynch rubber stamped

But, if lawmakers succumb to giving powerful international gambling interests a foothold in New Hampshire, with even a modest number of gambling machines and betting sites, it will change the state, and its quality of life forever.

Because “they” will never be satisfied with a mere foot-hold here.

Next will come the grand hotel lobby, then the raceway lobby, then the we don’t know what to do with our ski area in the summer-time lobby, then the bedroom community with no tax-base lobby, and on it will go till they all start to go broke because of over-saturation.

Meanwhile state politics will change, too.

Few maybe remember the days, as recently as the 1960s, when half the legislature was employed at the Rockingham Park race track, as ticket-takers, gate-keepers, and coat-holders. Mostly fat men with red faces, wearing suspenders and straw hats, smoking cigars, collecting paychecks for doing nothing, except voting right. That’s when horse racing was big in New Hampshire, and whatever Rockingham wanted, Rockingham got.

Too bad there is no one alive to talk first-hand about when the Railroads ran the State House at the turn of the century. Their minions would offer free rail passes to lawmakers at the Eagle Hotel, from a suite the house speaker occupied, across from the capitol. Or when the barons at the Amoskeag Mills picked the governor and “owned” both U.S. Senate seats, when state legislatures chose U.S. Senators, prior to adoption of the 17^th Amendment.

The governor has rightly promised to veto expanded gambling legislation. But as state finances have blown up, and solutions remain illusive, there are signs Lynch might be hedging, and eventually caving on this pledge, like he did when he signed the same sex marriage law, breaking campaign promises not to.

Now there are more leaks in the governor’s creaking scow. Two of Lynch’s department heads are facing removal hearings. First the chairman of the State Liquor commission, the governor’s fundraiser and self-described friend. Well, now I guess you can say, former friend. And the state Banking Commissioner. Both have hired lawyers, and the removal process will not be pretty. Will there be other bombshells?

All this does not offer up a portrait of a governor with any particular competence in management during rough times, or even one with a backbone. Now, the only thing that will save him is if the Republicans blow it. Which, given their recent track record, is frankly not hard to picture.

This commentary appeared in the June 4, 2010 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun. Reprinted in the June 11, 2010 New Hampshire Union Leader.

Posted June 6, 2010

Return to NH Commentary Home Page