Platform
Issues & Concerns
Platform
New Hampshire is a state facing many of the same issues as our country. While we are sometimes as divided
by ideology as the rest of the country, we are all NH residents who work together in our communities to create
an environment in New Hampshire where people want to live. Below are issues Mary believes in strongly. Mary
is a passionate and skilled leader, devoted to working the issues out with others to get the most important
things accomplished. You will find yourself well represented by her experience and knowledge and a positive,
can do attitude. To learn more about Mary's platform, please view the headings below and click here for the details.
Protect Our NH 1st In The Nation Primary Advantage
I will oppose any attempts to implement broad based taxes, such as income or sales, in New Hampshire. I will also vote against legislation that might lead to government spending that would require funding by broad-based taxes. Government is not the solution to every problem. We must encourage personal responsibility and government accountability for spending taxpayer money.
I will oppose any attempts to tax social security or capital gains (particularly unrealized gains). The elimination of the dividend and interest tax will help our senior citizens retain more income to supplement social security and allow our state to join other states claiming no income taxes. New Hampshire is one of the fastest growing states in New England due to safety and quality of life. Our no income or sales taxes are other reasons new residents frequently mention as reasons for relocating to our state. These are New Hampshire Advantages we must preserve for future generations.
I will fight to preserve New Hampshire’s First-In-The-Nation Primary Status. The economic impact of our Primary is significant for businesses in our state. It is estimated that media and visitor spending are approximately $71 million, hotel and restaurant sales are $43 million, transportation-related sales is $33 million and the state gets the equivalent of $6.6 million in tourism marketing due to the media’s focus on the state during the Primary. The Democratic National Committee attempted to undermine New Hampshire’s Primary legal standing and will do so again. New Hampshire’s Congressional Delegation was powerless to stop them. For this, their voting against reasonable election integrity legislation, and other reasons, they need to be replaced when they come up for re-election. Lily Tang-Williams, a Republican, is the candidate I am supporting to replace Democratic Congresswoman Kuster.
I will oppose any attempts to tax social security or capital gains (particularly unrealized gains). The elimination of the dividend and interest tax will help our senior citizens retain more income to supplement social security and allow our state to join other states claiming no income taxes. New Hampshire is one of the fastest growing states in New England due to safety and quality of life. Our no income or sales taxes are other reasons new residents frequently mention as reasons for relocating to our state. These are New Hampshire Advantages we must preserve for future generations.
I will fight to preserve New Hampshire’s First-In-The-Nation Primary Status. The economic impact of our Primary is significant for businesses in our state. It is estimated that media and visitor spending are approximately $71 million, hotel and restaurant sales are $43 million, transportation-related sales is $33 million and the state gets the equivalent of $6.6 million in tourism marketing due to the media’s focus on the state during the Primary. The Democratic National Committee attempted to undermine New Hampshire’s Primary legal standing and will do so again. New Hampshire’s Congressional Delegation was powerless to stop them. For this, their voting against reasonable election integrity legislation, and other reasons, they need to be replaced when they come up for re-election. Lily Tang-Williams, a Republican, is the candidate I am supporting to replace Democratic Congresswoman Kuster.
Defend the NH & US Constitution
Politicians from both parties are guilty of growing the Washington permanent bureaucracy to the point where the “parasite is killing the host” and unelected bureaucrats and the Biden/Harris Administration are violating laws (such as forgiving student loans against which the Supreme Court has ruled) and infringing upon citizens’ Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms (the Harris/Biden Administration’s pressure on Meta to censor free speech during the pandemic and Vice President Harris’ stated plans to implement a mandatory gun buyback which is the same as gun confiscation). The Tenth Amendment reserves powers to the states that aren't delegated to the federal government or prohibited by it. We must fight to conserve our freedoms and independence as a sovereign state and protect our quality of life from federal government overreach and the illegal alien invasion. Less government and more individual freedom are better for you and your family.
As a Patron Level Lifetime NRA Member, I am especially determined to protect 2nd Amendment rights of New Hampshire citizens. Instead of focusing on criminals who do not comply with gun laws, the Democrats continuously attempt to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens to own guns, ammunition, accessories and equipment. All the while they open our borders and ports of entry to terrorists, drug cartels, rapists, murderers, organized criminal gangs, human traffickers, and unvetted people with mental and dangerous illnesses. The 2nd Amendment clearly states: “. . . the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” I will vote against any attempt to create a gun registry; red flag gun law, gun or ammo tax; laws to restrict or track gun, ammo, and accessory purchases; or in any other way infringe this important right.
As a Patron Level Lifetime NRA Member, I am especially determined to protect 2nd Amendment rights of New Hampshire citizens. Instead of focusing on criminals who do not comply with gun laws, the Democrats continuously attempt to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens to own guns, ammunition, accessories and equipment. All the while they open our borders and ports of entry to terrorists, drug cartels, rapists, murderers, organized criminal gangs, human traffickers, and unvetted people with mental and dangerous illnesses. The 2nd Amendment clearly states: “. . . the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” I will vote against any attempt to create a gun registry; red flag gun law, gun or ammo tax; laws to restrict or track gun, ammo, and accessory purchases; or in any other way infringe this important right.
Find Cost of Living Solutions
New Hampshire has above average rent and housing prices. We are in the top ten most expensive states for Healthcare costs. Eversource has just announced a 40% supply price increase over the next five years. Education costs are also above average and rising. The new statewide average operating cost per pupil of $20,323 is up 4.8 percent from last year’s average cost per pupil of $19,400. New Hampshire spent more than $3.8 billion in the 2022-2023 school year. All of these costs are contributing to a higher-than-average cost of living in our state which must be addressed or we risk losing our young people and forcing our elderly back into the workforce or homelessness.
We need a statewide master plan and coordinated effort among government, employers, builders, and town planning boards to increase the supply of housing throughout the state to bring down the cost of rents and housing. (The subsidies Harris/Walz are talking about will only exacerbate housing inflation.) We need new, innovative solutions to our high energy costs, such as Slightly Used Nuclear Fuel (SUNF reactors), increased emphasis on conservation and energy efficient appliances, increased use of clean burning natural gas and propane, use of clean coal and other fossil fuels, and (where practical) adoption of alternative energy solutions, such as hydroelectric, solar, and geothermal. New Hampshire is the second most forested state in the USA, so alternative energy makes less sense in our state than other states, but should be incorporated into an “diversified energy” approach to bringing down the supply cost of electricity and home heating and cooling.
We are careening toward a health care crisis due to an aging demographic and limited supply of medical personnel. NH has the second oldest population in the USA. We also have a growing population of people who are turning to Medicaid (welfare) for their long-term care needs instead of buying insurance to cover this very high cost. Finally, we are witnessing illegal aliens overwhelming and bankrupting hospitals and other providers throughout the United States due to their sheer numbers and the fact the federal government is not conducting adequate health vetting before admission to our country. We need to leverage new price transparency laws to help bring the cost of healthcare down in our state and increase the supply of medical providers through legal immigration and supporting our universities focused on educating doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel.
We need a statewide master plan and coordinated effort among government, employers, builders, and town planning boards to increase the supply of housing throughout the state to bring down the cost of rents and housing. (The subsidies Harris/Walz are talking about will only exacerbate housing inflation.) We need new, innovative solutions to our high energy costs, such as Slightly Used Nuclear Fuel (SUNF reactors), increased emphasis on conservation and energy efficient appliances, increased use of clean burning natural gas and propane, use of clean coal and other fossil fuels, and (where practical) adoption of alternative energy solutions, such as hydroelectric, solar, and geothermal. New Hampshire is the second most forested state in the USA, so alternative energy makes less sense in our state than other states, but should be incorporated into an “diversified energy” approach to bringing down the supply cost of electricity and home heating and cooling.
We are careening toward a health care crisis due to an aging demographic and limited supply of medical personnel. NH has the second oldest population in the USA. We also have a growing population of people who are turning to Medicaid (welfare) for their long-term care needs instead of buying insurance to cover this very high cost. Finally, we are witnessing illegal aliens overwhelming and bankrupting hospitals and other providers throughout the United States due to their sheer numbers and the fact the federal government is not conducting adequate health vetting before admission to our country. We need to leverage new price transparency laws to help bring the cost of healthcare down in our state and increase the supply of medical providers through legal immigration and supporting our universities focused on educating doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel.
Increase Economic Growth
The Dividend and Interest Taxes, Business and Enterprise Tax, and Business Profits Tax are being eliminated or reduced. New Hampshire must find ways to replace this lost revenue or reduce expenses. I think we need to do both. If we can grow our economy and recruit more companies to relocate to our state, as Florida and Texas are doing, we can grow our revenue without increasing property taxes at the state level. This requires coordination with other stakeholders, as companies need well-educated employees, who need affordable rents and housing, and affordable and reliable electricity and other utilities. Our state is uncompetitive currently with Massachusetts which taxes businesses at 4% versus our 7.5%. We need to reconsider regulations that might cause companies to avoid relocating to our state and consider regulations (e.g. Right-to-Work Law) that would make us more competitive with other states. We need to put the power back in the hands of individual workers, not union bureaucracies that charge mandated fees while producing mixed results for members. We also need to find ways to reduce utility costs and improve reliability to attract companies.
Improve Educational Outcomes
New Hampshire spends more than average per pupil and we are ranked 6th for Education in the USA. However, the USA is ranked 38th in math among similarly developed countries, so there is much room for improvement. We need to consider ways to bring education costs down and proficiency in math, reading, and writing up. We have too much bureaucratic overhead in the form of over 105 SAUs and Special Education Administrations. These should be consolidated wherever practical. We should leverage technology to address teacher shortages, particularly in math, science, and business. We should tap local talent to fill in part-time when practical and provide them with curriculum design, classroom control, and other training, if necessary. We need to consider reforming our public education system to better prepare students for future careers that might involve robots and AI or the trades. The current system was designed for (and funded by) 1900s industries that in many cases have been outsourced or obsoleted.
Support Fiscal Responsibility
New Hampshire is facing a number of budget challenges in the future including the $100 million DCY settlement and reductions in tax receipts resulting from eliminating the Dividends and Interest taxes and reducing the Business and Enterprise Tax and Business Profits Tax. Our state pension system is also underfunded. The responsible thing to do is to identify new potential revenue sources and new spending cuts to cover these items. Growing our economy by recruiting new businesses to relocate to our state and identifying areas for savings in our state budget are some possibilities. Also, the cost of new regulations should be identified prior to passage and obsolete regulations eliminated from our laws.
Encourage Tough on Crime Policies
We have a persistent and increasingly dangerous drug culture in New Hampshire. I think the state might benefit from increased penalties for recidivist drug users and drug dealers, particularly when there is an overdose death. I support truth in sentencing and ensuring criminals remain incarcerated for their full prison term. I would like New Hampshire to implement enhanced penalties for drug dealing, human trafficking and organized and gang crime. We should continue to discourage illegal alien migration to our state by requiring employers to vet prospective employees through E-Verify, a federal system that determines citizenship, and continuing to deny them access to public assistance programs, education, healthcare, and other services to be reserved for legal immigrants and citizens. We must stop the Democrat debasement of the value of United States Citizenship
Improve Wireless, Internet Access, Affordability and Reliability
I relocated from Bedford, NH to Francestown, NH in 2017. We took for granted our fiber optic high speed internet and reliable cell phone coverage in Bedford. When we got to Francestown, we discovered that both wireless coverage and internet access were not readily available or reliable. I became a member of the Francestown Broadband Committee with the goal of increasing internet access throughout our town while taking advantage of federal (our recycled) tax dollars being returned to the State of New Hampshire for this purpose. The Committee is making progress and we expect to secure funds this year to be used to deploy internet access to areas of our town in which it is not currently available.
Wireless is another matter. We have a very, very limited choice of wireless providers in Deering and Francestown due to lack of towers and Not In My Backyard mentality. This is a statewide problem and it must change. Wireless is a necessity, not a luxury, and I would argue wireless accessibility and reliability are more important than internet access. (Wireless can be used for internet access and frequently remains in service during storms that cause broadband outages.) If we are to successfully recruit businesses to relocate to our state, they must be able to place and receive calls anywhere in our state, not just our most populous cities and towns. I will be leveraging my technology connections to investigate alternatives to our current wireless providers to increase competition and bring costs down as well as increasing availability and reliability.
Wireless is another matter. We have a very, very limited choice of wireless providers in Deering and Francestown due to lack of towers and Not In My Backyard mentality. This is a statewide problem and it must change. Wireless is a necessity, not a luxury, and I would argue wireless accessibility and reliability are more important than internet access. (Wireless can be used for internet access and frequently remains in service during storms that cause broadband outages.) If we are to successfully recruit businesses to relocate to our state, they must be able to place and receive calls anywhere in our state, not just our most populous cities and towns. I will be leveraging my technology connections to investigate alternatives to our current wireless providers to increase competition and bring costs down as well as increasing availability and reliability.