Live from the Airport Diner in Manchester, NHJournal presents Diner Table Economics!
Want to hear the specific economic proposals from the people who want to serve as your next governor? You’ll get it here, straight from the candidates themselves, over a cup of coffee at the iconic Airport Diner.
No “horserace politics,” no “politics of personality,” just a 25-minute conversation about jobs, inflation, taxes, and spending. The policy positions from taxes to housing to education funding that impact the daily lives of Granite Staters.
In this edition, former state Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem) talks about his priorities if elected New Hampshire’s next chief executive.
A few highlights:
What is the biggest economic challenge facing New Hampshire?
“The number one concern right now is Washington and their policies. They’re driving up interest rates, they’re driving up inflation. We’re seeing it here in New Hampshire. I think Washington’s the problem. I think the solution is having a President Trump.”
What would you do to address New Hampshire’s housing shortage?
“I think the solution to housing is working with businesses, the communities and the state, and let’s create this model that’s already working. It basically says, if you build so many units, we’ll give you so much for a unit. Let’s bring the water lines in. Let’s bring the roads in.
“We’re already doing it. Look at Peterborough and Jaffrey. We helped them with their water problem over there. They brought a line to [MilliporeSigma], which has basically created, I believe 500 new jobs. So it’s going to create a housing issue out there. But the state stepped in and helped with a little bit of the money, and then the business stepped in and said, ‘We’re going to pay the bond.’ We’ve done so many things like that. Right. I think that’s what a Morse administration would do.”
Do you think state education funding is right-sized in New Hampshire?
“I’ve always believed in funding education, and I certainly passed legislation to do that. We’ve given almost 11,000 kids now [education] opportunity between charter schools and EFAs. I think that’s a huge success as governor. I’d want every kid to have that opportunity.
“We spend $4,000 per child more than the national average. But when you look at, teachers pay isn’t going up. The number of students in the last 20 years has gone down about 11 percent. And the amount of administration’s gone up over 50 percent. There’s something wrong with the model. And if I was the teacher, I’d be concerned too. And I think we can fix that.”
To see Diner Table Economics with Vikram Mansharamani running in the Second Congressional District GOP primary, click here.
