Keep talking about state's tax structure

The Concord Monitor wishes that critics of this week's Tax Summit are right, and that it was a step closer to an income tax in New Hampshire.

Yesterday, lawmakers attended the second day of a two-day summit held by the House Ways and Means Committee to hear testimony about New Hampshire's tax structure. Because the committee's chairwoman, Democratic Rep. Susan Almy of Lebanon, has voiced support for an income tax in the past, some Republicans, including Hess, saw the event as part of a conspiracy to kill the so-called New Hampshire advantage that comes with not having a general sales or income tax.

The committee was careful to ensure that the representatives of both sides of the issue had a chance to air their views. That didn't quiet critics who treat the state's unfair tax structure like previous generations treated suicide, cancer and divorce, something that should not to be discussed in public. But silence allows ignorance to prevail and problems to worsen. Putting all the options as all parties see them on the table, as the committee did, is a wise approach.