Parties duel over Lynch Waivers

In his Under the Sate House Dome Column in the Union Leader, Tom Fahey includes reaction to the report on the Governor's 352 waivers to his Executive Order on spending freezes.

The waivers for 17 flashlights (at $110 each) given to parole and probation officers got a lot of attention. But GOP spokesman Ryan Williams focused on waivers that allowed government to hire 162 new people.

"If he'd stuck to his original order, we may not have needed 38 new taxes," Williams said. "This should remind voters that the governor has not been public about the details of his disastrous budget. There are more cuts to be made and more savings to be made."

The executive orders were supposed to save $8 million, but Lynch's staff was happy to point out they actually saved $13.3 million. Williams said if the executive orders had been followed strictly, the state would have saved nearly $20 million.

We're pleased to see people talking about this Executive Order, and its impact on the state budget. We're glad Governor Lynch has apparantly saved the state over $13 million because of it. And we're heartened that his Administration has finally reported the waivers it has issues in FY09. We will continue to monitor how the hiring freeze, as well as the travel and equipment freezes, impact New Hampshire's finances.