Jonathan Babon

Refugees are some of the few willing to move to our state at present. They are a strong part of our communities, friends and workforce. As we continue to have one of the oldest average age residents of any state we need younger families and working people to support our state. These people have been vetted, work and follow the rules. Statistics show immigrants are less likely to commit crimes, because they stand to lose their chance here if they do something wrong. The federal minimum wage in NH is the only state in new England that doesn’t have a higher base wage, and that prevents young people from having success here, part of why they are leaving in droves. This narrative that is falsely perpetuated that they are “takers” or “living off the system” is bunk, and untrue. The end goal of the state house currently seems to be to make the wealthy wealthier, and leave the rest of us paying their bills and taxes, while giving us little more than lip service to actually let us “live free”. Stop controlling everyone else, we are supposed to be in this together. You have benefited from the unspoken agreement by others that you do your part to be responsible to help care for others and work together, that means paying taxes, establishing equity and fairness, making sure everyone has enough, meaning healthcare, food, shelter. The basics that for some reason the current majority seems to think is a privilege and not a right, unless they are wealthy and white. Stop the hate, and make New Hampshire free again, the policy path the majority has put us upon is going to make our systems and state fail.