In the 2010-2012 term, the New Hampshire Legislature passed a budget that was 11 percent smaller than the prior budget, reduced spending by more than $1.2 billion and general fund spending by $536 million or 18 percent.

This came after Democrats had increased state spending by a whopping 25 percent and raised more than 100 taxes and fees to pay for it in the previous term, and they avoided any debate on the issues or discussion of their record and instead resorted to personal attacks.

The ugly state of the New Hampshire budget came about because in 2008-2010, those in leadership in New Hampshire allowed themselves to become giddy about the largess flowing to the state as a result of the first Obama stimulus bill, and ignored the financial implications of using one-time funds to cover operating expenses.

Though the President promised that his unprecedented spending would result in an economic recovery, the economy did not, in fact, rise and fill the gap between the increased level of state spending and the state economy’s revenue returns.

Instead, it resulted in an $800 million budget gap and required immediate and determinate action to fix it. Fortunately, in 2010, New Hampshire voted serious and competent leaders into office. Though we can certainly stand to improve, New Hampshire is no longer in a fiscal crisis. We have moved from 50 to 46 in business taxes nationally, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. Unfortunately, our state’s good progress is not being supported at the federal level.

In 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama called adding $4 trillion to the national debt over eight years “irresponsible” and “unpatriotic,” and he promised to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Instead, President Obama has presided over four consecutive trillion-dollar deficits, adding $5 trillion to the national debt in 3.5 years.

From Day One, the President has consistently blamed his predecessor for all the problems the nation faces. Now running for a second term, he is making an incredible effort to avoid taking responsibility for the shabby state of our economy.

Fortunately, here in New Hampshire, House Speaker Bill O’Brien and State Sen. and Finance Chairman Chuck Morse resolved to make some tough but necessary decisions and put the interests of the citizens of New Hampshire above concern for their images, knowing they would be unjustly attacked by the left throughout the process.

When Republicans took over, we had inherited a $900 million budget deficit. Rather than default to the usual solution of more taxes and fees, we lived up to our word and closed that deficit without creating or increasing a single tax. In fact, we reduced or eliminated 20 taxes and fees.

Included in those tax and fee cuts were several reductions in business taxes. As a result of these actions and based on Republican-led reforms, the employment reports by the state Department of Employment Security showed that unemployment had dropped an entire point down to 5 percent — the sixth best in the nation.

This is how businesses and economies respond to state government that is a partner, not an adversary.

Good leadership requires more than decision-making capability — it also requires sound judgment. When the President decided to focus his first two years of political capital on passing a historic tax that will affect every man, woman and child for years to come — instead of on fixing the economy — he clearly demonstrated that his election was a mistake.

The hallmarks of the Obama presidency — 41 straight months of national unemployment above 8 percent; employer-sponsored health care premiums passing $20,000 this year for the first time ever; presiding over the three largest deficits in American history; and a 2013 budget that calls for $1.9 trillion in new taxes —are painfully lackluster, never mind disastrous, compared to Gov. Mitt Romney’s track record of success in both the private and public sectors, both areas in which he brought financial solvency to everything he was put in charge of.

Since President Obama took office, every New Hampshire resident’s share of the debt has increased by $16,500, and the State of New Hampshire’s share of the national debt has increased almost $22 billion.

This November, let’s vote to keep the good financial managers of our state in office, and be sure that they are being supported, instead of hurt, by the decisions of our country’s next President.

Marilinda Garcia, of Salem, serves on the New Hampshire House of Representatives Finance Committee.