Jamie Barthel

I thought New Hampshire was the “Live Free or Die” state, which is why I sold my home in Providence, RI, which was taxed higher than my income, With the proceeds. I bought a small bungalow that I have happily short term rented for several years. It allows me to earn money on my own terms- as a property manager-and not on someone else’s terms. I don’t want a 401k that is mysterious and murky and supports companies and industries I may oppose. I don’t want money I have saved since I started working at age twelve to barely earn any interest in a savings account. My property earnings pay for taxes and expenses and leave me a small amount of money for improvements. I am not getting rich from this investment, but I find it to be a fun and fulfilling way to interact with travelers with pets, recommend my favorite places to visit, and give my guests a warm, welcoming experience that I, myself, would want. Short term rentals have been painted as a mechanism of greed and selfishness. It’s time we used an honest brush. Many of us are getting by and providing a unique, beneficial service to New Hampshire. Many of us just want to live free and independent as much as possible. Many of us want the state to stop finding new ways to extort our hard earned, meager profits from us to fill financial holes they, themselves have created. Live free or die. Those words should mean something. These bills remove “Live Free”, so let these bills DIE.