Gov. Abbott, don’t mess with Live Free or Die state on business taxes

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took time to email political reporters in my small New England state last week in an attempt to troll New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan.

Abbott says New Hampshire businesses should relocate 2,000 miles away because Hassan won’t accept a budget that would make our state more like Texas.

Political gimmicks like this seem a bit below the stature of a governor representing 25 million people, but frankly, Abbott is so far wrong on the substance that his email deserves a response.

Any Texas businesses that are interested in expanding or moving to a state with a world-class workforce, unmatched quality of life and, yes, even a better business tax climate, well, the Live Free or Die state is open for business.

Gov. Abbott’s main point was to crow about cutting business taxes in Texas recently. Congratulations. Of course, the purchases a Texas business or individual make are subject to a sales tax ranging from 6.25 percent to 8.25 percent.

In New Hampshire? No sales tax at all — nor, like Texas, any income tax. Taken on the whole, the Tax Foundation found this year that Texas’ overall business tax climate ranked 10th in the nation.

Not bad, but still behind New Hampshire at seventh.

Workforce? I used to manage a $100 million business for a local manufacturer and currently work at our state’s fastest growing large employer — and I can tell you unequivocally that the most important resource for every great business is its people.

In New Hampshire, 91 percent of adults have a high school degree — the fourth-highest state in the country, with high rates of bachelor’s and advanced degrees as well.

Texas is dead last: 50th of 50 states. More Texans work at the minimum wage than almost any other state.

One in three adults in Texas lack health insurance — again, 50th in the nation.

Quality of life? New Hampshire famously ranks as the top state in which to live, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Texas ranks 38th.

In addition, the organization ranks New Hampshire the best place in the country to buy a home and the No. 1 state in which to earn a living, and it ranks New Hampshire the safest state.

On those rankings, Texas scores 47th, 25th and 30th.

And yes, New Hampshire’s unemployment rate is 3.8 percent vs. Texas’ 4.3 percent.

Welcoming and inclusive to all? New Hampshire was one of the first states in the nation to embrace marriage equality.

In Texas, a state constitutional amendment banned this basic human right until it was effectively overruled on June 26 by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In New Hampshire, our town meetings are famously democratic and our voter turnout leads the nation; Texas — well, you get the idea — is 47th in voter turnout.

The point is not just to compare brag sheets.

Texas is a great state, too. I’ve had life-changing brisket in the hills outside of Austin, met some of the most decent people I’ve ever known in the piney woods of East Texas and, frankly, Texas’ topline economic growth is worthy of envy.

Each state has its own competitive advantages. In New Hampshire, ours are our world-class workforce, best-in-the-nation quality of life, inclusive communities and uniquely low taxes.

Those New Hampshire advantages are exactly why we can’t afford a New Hampshire budget, like Gov. Abbott is weighing in for — from across the country — which would hike our college tuition, threaten to kick tens of thousands of Granite Staters off their health care, create a $90 million hole in our budget because of unfunded corporate tax giveaways and is so unbalanced it would mean more deep cuts or tax hikes later.

If you want to do business, you’ll love it here in New Hampshire.

Some people say it’s the most Southern state in the North — a great NASCAR track, a Texassize state motto and Concord native Matt Bonner already has made many of us San Antonio Spurs fans.

But if you want to just lecture us about political ideology — well, don’t mess with the Live Free or Die state.