It Depends on What Your Definition of "Cut" Is

CONCORD--The trend towards creative manipulation of the English language is

in full swing now leading many of the members of the Republican Alliance to

ask, "when is a nine percent increase in the State's budget a 'cut'?" The

answer, says Alliance Chairman Paul Mirski R-Enfield, is "when Jeanne

Shaheen and her fiscally irresponsible friends want to increase spending by

12%."

The truth of the matter, Mirski said, is that neither the nine percent

increase proposed by the House leadership nor the 12% increase being pushed

by Shaheen and others is "necessary or reasonable."

He noted that even at the lower level of increased spending proposed by the

House leadership, New Hampshire will still hold the dubious distinction of

having increased the size of State government in the 1990's more than any

other State in the Union.

Mirski and other conservative members of the Alliance lamented that given

the current composition of the New Hampshire House and Senate, a cap on

spending at 9% growth "may be the best anyone can hope for at this time."

He added that the "unattractive choice" being offered between "bad" (the

House leadership proposal) or "worse" (the Shaheen budget) clearly shows

that some Republicans, even those in leadership, have abandoned their

party's principles and rolled over in the interest of big government.

"That's why it's more important than ever," Mirski said, " for the people

of

New Hampshire to elect strong fiscal conservatives to the House in order to

turn the mere appearance of Republican control into the reality of

Republican control."