GOP warned against insurance fund raid

State Senator Sharon Carson writes an op-ed in the Concord Monitor responding to Senators D'Allesandro and Reynolds justification of taking $110 million in JUA funds to balance the budget.

As part of their response to the difficult economy, the Democrats seized $110 million from the JUA fund to balance excess spending for 2009, 2010 and 2011. The doctors insured by the JUA then filed suit, claiming that the state was unlawfully taking money from a fund that it had no legal rights to. In July, the Belknap County Superior Court blocked the state from seizing the money, indicating that the confiscation of private funds in this manner was unconstitutional. The state appealed to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, and oral arguments will be heard today.

Senate Republicans warned that the passage of a budget dependent upon $110 million that belongs to the members of the JUA would be devastating to the economic well-being of this state. Lynch endorsed the budget, signing it into law knowing that this precarious proposal would be subject to lawsuits endangering the budget as a whole.

True leaders would have held the line and spent only what was necessary. True leaders understand that they are stewards of the people's money and that the people expect them to lead by example. If Democratic leaders had held the line on spending, there would have been no need for the JUA money and hence no costly lawsuit.