FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 19, 2012
Media contact:
Zandra Rice-Hawkins (603) 225-2471
ICYMI: Kevin Smith Invites DC Lobby Group to Change New Hampshire's Constitution
Kevin Smith admits Manchester tax cap gimmick funded by outside interests; promises to bring DC lobby group back to influence New Hampshire voters
CONCORD, NH – In the Union Leader yesterday, Kevin Smith admitted that the Manchester tax cap gimmick was pushed by out of state corporate interests – and said that he's inviting the DC Lobby group back to change New Hampshire's constitution.
NO INCOME TAX RALLY. Kevin Smith, former candidate for governor and current chair of the “No Income Tax PAC,” and Jennifer Horn, founder of “We The People,” will host a rally promoting a “yes” vote on Question 1 (no income tax) on Oct. 24 at Norton's Classic Cafe in Nashua. Rep. Bass will be the featured speaker.
Smith said the national issues advocacy group Americans for Limited Government will soon become involved in the campaign to pass the amendment. He said it was involved in efforts to pass a tax cap in Manchester several years ago, working with the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition.
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121018/NEWS0602/710189904
Previously, former NH Advantage Coalition Executive Directors Mike Biundo and Tammy Simmons, as well as former Honorary Chair now-Congressman Frank Guinta, had worked hard to present the Manchester cap as a homegrown initiative. According to a Politico story from June 2012, Americans for a Limited Government is funded in part by Charles and David Koch.1
"Kevin Smith is wrong to invite Washington DC lobby groups to mess with New Hampshire's constitution. We need to protect New Hampshire's constitution and reject questions one, two and three," said Zandra Rice Hawkins, Executive Director of Granite State Progress. "We should not be embedding fiscal policy in the state's founding documents, nor should we eliminate checks and balances in the branches of government or open the door to extreme, radical attempts to change our constitution. Voters who want to protect New Hampshire's constitution will reject all three of these ballot questions."
According to Ballotpedia2, "Americans for Limited Governmentis a national libertarian political advocacy organization headquartered in Virginia. The group has had high-profile involvement in a number of ballot initiative campaigns, especially in 2006." Other issues for the group include diverting taxpayer dollars to fund private and religious schools, and a campaign to defund public broadcasting. The logo for that campaign slyly includes a multi-colored graphic that highlights the letters "DeFUnd public broadcasting".
References:
[1]. Politico: Inside the Koch World convention, 6/15/12, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77453.html
2. Ballotpedia, Americans for Limited Government, http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Americans_for_Limited_Government; accessed 10.10.12
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Granite State Progressis a progressive advocacy organization that addresses issues of immediate state and local concern. Granite State Progress works as a communications hub for the progressive community to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems. Online at www.GraniteStateProgress.org.