Scroll down to read my position on the issues:
My opponent's own claims
Budgeting and taxes
Guns
Education
Health Care
Why I am running
(stay tuned for more, the list is still being updated!)
My opponent's own claims
Budgeting and taxes
Guns
Education
Health Care
Why I am running
(stay tuned for more, the list is still being updated!)
Highlights from my opponent's ad in 2014:
A+ voting record from Americans for Prosperity and an "A" voting record from the National Rifle Association.
Americans for Prosperity - you can check out what FactCheck.org has to say about them and decide how that A+ rating sits with you. In the Senate this session, arguably more moderate and measured than the House, she dropped (to an "A") with AFP. With 70% or more of NH residents supporting the concealed carry permit, who is she representing when she consistently votes to repeal it?
Budgeting & Taxes
You can't say all tax cuts and budget cuts are good and all tax increases are bad, not if you are going to budget responsibly.
For example, the cigarette tax was cut 10 cents per pack - with the claim that it would increase sales so much that more business profits taxes would be raised and more jobs created to sell all of those cigarettes and incidental purchases. Big surprise, the increased sales never happened, no jobs were created and the state lost over $20 million dollars that would have gone a long way to keeping necessary services whole.
One of my main concerns is the adherence to imprecise, across-the-board budget cuts for the sake of cutting - which have serious repercussions to the running of NH and access to necessary services to those in need.
The fishing license and marriage license fees were both cut by $5. Did that really make a noticeable difference in the license holders' lives? No, but it cut targeted funds to Fish and Game and domestic violence services at a time when their General Fund budgets were being cut as well.
Most recently, the gas tax was increased 4 cents per gallon - my opponent voted against it and has said that she wants to repeal it. Yet, she says in her ads that she wants to be our voice for finishing I-93 and improving our infrastructure. Removing the gas tax increase leaves us no way to pay for our portion of the completion of the widening of I-93, and takes away funds targeted for towns for road and bridge repair. The 4 cent increase, the first one in 22 years, was shown to be sufficient to provide for I-93 with money for towns as well, without further increase. In 22 years, the cost of materials and labor has risen dramatically, there are more miles of roadway and bridges to maintain now, and cars are getting better gas mileage - so using less gas (and paying less gas tax) for each mile driven. After considering all of that, ask yourself this: How many businesses have not raised prices in 22 years? We need to budget and manage this state responsibly.
Guns
As for guns, I am not for taking away guns or making them illegal - my family and friends enjoy hunting and the security they can provide. However, I do think some safeguards, like the concealed carry permit, are important and I think there are some venues, such as the Statehouse, that are inappropriate and unsafe in which to carry guns. My opponent does not think so.
Education
It is a long held, constitutionally (NH Constitution) held, value to cherish knowledge and learning, diffused throughout the community. New Hampshire's provision of public education is a critical building block in the success of New Hampshire into the future. Excellence in education is a priority throughout the state. I do not support public funds being diverted to private schools through scholarships or vouchers. I am impressed with the innovation and alternatives offered by public charter schools in the state. I am looking forward to better capturing innovations and results of differing educational models to continually improve education in standard and charter public schools.
I lived in five states growing up, six school districts. Without national minimum standards I repeated material and missed other material. With our increasingly mobile society, this scenario is more frequent. A set of minimum standards, currently the Common Core, helps to assure a more consistent baseline across the country. I would like to see a move away from the frequency of standardized testing and have more personal improvement testing. The Common Core focuses on tasks needed for future success such as informational reading, and for math to learn fewer concepts per year but in more depth. I think it is a better approach to prepare our students than NCLB, and where deficits exist - let's fix them.
College students in New Hampshire have one of the highest debt loads in the country. We are 50th (last) in the amount of funding we provide to our colleges and universities. While I don't see enough General Funds to fix that, I think the Dept of Ed and the universities should work more public-private partnerships to decrease the cost of education for our young adults in community and state schools.
Healthcare
As a Physical Therapist for over 25 years, I see firsthand the benefit of health insurance. The Affordable Health Care Act and Expanded Medicaid are good for New Hampshire:
- Stronger, healthier workforce
- Access to Substance Abuse Rehabilitation
- Affordable
- Creates good-paying healthcare jobs
- Will stabilize the cost of insurance for all of us by eliminating uncompensated care (covered in large part indirectly by the insured)
- Brings my federal tax dollars back to New Hampshire
The benefits above are clear. I support keeping the Affordable Care Act in New Hampshire. Where improvements are needed, such as a re-instatement clause for late payments without losing coverage, lets get those addressed.
