Issues

The economy

The current government is ruining the economy with massive spending and regulating. Big spending leads to higher taxes and fees. High taxes and overregulating drive businesses (and jobs) out of New Hampshire.

NH is ranked one of the worst states – 46th out of 50 – for business regulations, and we’re one of the worst – 41st – for the high cost of doing business. (Source: Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/23/best-states-for-business-beltway-best-states.html) I heard recently that a company moved out of NH to – of all places – Massachusetts. It’s bad enough that we lose a business to some other state. But losing to Taxachusetts is just plain embarrassing.

We are ranked as 4th worst state in terms of the number of occupations that require licensing. California is worst in requiring 177 occupations to be licensed. New Hampshire requires a license for 148 separate occupations. By contrast, Missouri licenses only 41 occupations. Even New York requires a license for only 77 occupations. (Source: Reason Foundation, http://reason.org/news/show/1002879.html)

If you’re unemployed, can’t find a job, and decide to create your own job, chances are you will need a license – and the bureaucrats in Concord probably won’t give you one. If you want to be a bricklayer, you’ll need 8,000 hours (that’s 4 full years) as an apprentice. If you want to paint houses you’ll need 6,000 hours. A surveyor assistant – not the surveyor but an assistant – needs 4,000 hours apprenticeship. (Source: New Hampshire Employment Security, http://www.nh.gov/nhes/elmi/pdfzip/specialpub/lcro/LicOccs09.pdf)

The way to fix the economy is to get government out of the way. I will work for less spending, lower taxes, limited government, more freedom, and fewer stupid regulations. That is how to encourage businesses (or individuals) to create more good jobs in NH.

Fiscal responsibility

Families and businesses know that they can’t spend more than they take in. The same is true of our state government – but they haven’t figured that out. They’ve been in charge for four years and they keep spending more and more.

From 2007 to 2009, total revenues went up almost $250 million, from $4,230 to $4,475 million. But spending increased by almost $650 million, from $4,303 to $4,950. (Source:New Hampshire Administrative Services, http://www.admin.state.nh.us/accounting/FY%2009/CAFR%20FY09.pdf) We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.

To “balance” the budget they relied on phony accounting schemes. They pretended that they would sell $60 million of state assets. They borrowed $25 million on behalf of the Univ. of New Hampshire, in return for UNH writing a $25 million check to the State.

This big spending and phony accounting cannot continue. We are headed for a train wreck unless we change course. I will work to reduce spending – not just to reduce the growth of spending but to actually spend a lower dollar amount. I pledge to vote against a budget that is even one penny higher than the current budget or that has any funny money accounting schemes.

Health care

Both the federal and state governments have interfered in health care for too long, which has led to excessive costs of both health care and health insurance. We must make health care accessible and affordable again by removing barriers to competition, costly mandates, and needless regulations as well as reducing medical liability. To do this, I believe we should:

• Pass legislation to invalidate the unconstitutional requirements of Obamacare in New Hampshire.
• Eliminate government mandates on insurance companies and allow the people decide what level of coverage they want.
• Enable insurers to provide catastrophic-only coverage, wherein a person could choose to pay for routine care out of pocket and get coverage only when it is truly needed.
• Allow New Hampshire residents to buy insurance policies written in other states and allow insurance companies in other states to sell their plans in New Hampshire.
• Allow New Hampshire residents to create health insurance pools so they can receive the same discounts as large companies.
• Limit claims on medical malpractice.