HE SAID WHAT?!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 23, 2008

Contact:

Periklis Karoutas

1-603-799-6563

press@jebforcongress.com

HE SAID WHAT?!

John Stephen: "not my problem."

--Discussing how his program at DHHS shift costs from state to local NH taxpayers

Wolfeboro, NH - Friday Night, 1st District Congressional Candidates Jeb Bradley and John Stephen faced off in the first official debate of the race. The event, hosted by Strafford County Republicans in Dover City Hall, was a great opportunity to hear the true differences between the two people asking for the nomination.

One of the key issues of the debate centered around State responsibility to pay a portion of the costs of caring for New Hampshire seniors in nursing homes. County officials who run nursing homes have long maintained that under John Stephen's leadership the Department of Health and Human Services did not pay the full cost of caring for seniors.  This underpayment forces property taxpayers to pick up the difference.

Merrimack County Commissioner JD Colcord, chair of the NH County Commissioners Council in 2006 and Carroll County Commissioner Marge Webster said this cost shift "increased property taxes across the state by $21 million in 2006 alone. The bill to property taxpayers is likely to be at least $21 million in 2007."

"This cost shifting is a shell game," said Bradley.  "He simply transferred state expense to local property tax payers. John pads his books, sticks property taxpayers with the bill and in so doing pushes our state ever closer to a sales or income tax.   That's not leadership, that's gamesmanship."

When asked by a reporter after the debate about the cost-shifting scheme on to the backs of local property taxpayers, John Stephen said, "not my problem." June 21, 2008, Adam Krauss, Foster's Daily Democrat, GOP hopefuls duke it out in first debate for the 1st District House seat

"Actually John, it is your problem, or should be.  Take responsibility for your actions. That is the sign of a true leader," Bradley said.

For more on Jeb Bradley, go to http://www.jebforcongress.com/.