Susan A. Elberger
Running for: NH House Hillsborough County District 05
Completed our 2024 State Candidate Survey
Position on Issues
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support the “Education Freedom Account” program, which gives students access to the per-pupil share of state school funding to spend on private school or home school expenses?
"EFAs are totally unregulated and unaccountable. They are managed by a private organization that does not answer to any government body. Proponents say that the EFAs allow children to receive education better suited to their needs than they can get in public schools, but are unwilling to allow testing to prove that they do any better than they would in public schools. If we don't have any way to prove that these children in private, religious, and home-schooling situations are doing better than they would in public schools, we should cut funding for them. EFAs were presented as an antipoverty measure to allow poorer families the same access to school choice as wealthier families. Right now, the income limit for EFAs is $109,200 for a family of 4, or 350% of the poverty level. Finally, the overwhelming majority of children whose families receive EFA funding have never attended public school. Their families were already paying for private and parochial schools. causing an increase in the burden on taxpayers."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?
"New Hampshire is the only New England state without legal protection for abortion rights. Women are being denied bodily autonomy, making us second-class citizens compared to men."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?
"New Hampshire is the only New England state without legal protection for abortion rights. Women are being denied bodily autonomy, making us second-class citizens compared to men."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"Our current state-wide tax revenue is insufficient to support our fiscal needs. Some new tax revenues have to be implemented. This and other broad-based taxes need to be considered. The downshifting of taxes from the state to the local level has caused our property taxes to rise. According to the Tax Foundation, our property taxes are third highest in the country behind New Jersey and Illinois. This has led to some state homeowners leaving the state because their property taxes are unmanageable."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"Our current state-wide tax revenue is insufficient to support our fiscal needs. Some new tax revenues have to be implemented. This and other broad-based taxes need to be considered. The downshifting of taxes from the state to the local level has caused our property taxes to rise. According to the Tax Foundation, our property taxes are third highest in the country behind New Jersey and Illinois. This has led to some state homeowners leaving the state because their property taxes are unmanageable."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?
"Given the lack of other tax revenues, we can't afford to lower these taxes."
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add a tax on capital gains?
"Again, we need to look at all options for raising sufficient funds to support state programs."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?
"Climate change is having an impact in New Hampshire. We see it in the rising temperatures, long stretches of no rain, and more tornadoes than we have experienced before. We need state government to take active measures, including financially encouraging insulation in homes and public buildings, providing electric car charging stations, and moving from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support giving voters who register without ID on Election Day a ballot that only counts if they return identifying documents to the state before a deadline?
"We need to continue to expand voting rights to citizens, not restrict them. A simple way to insure that a person is already a registered voter is to have a signature card which voters must sign every time they vote. For new voters, our previous system worked well and showed no signs of widespread voter fraud, according to the Governor and Secretary of State, and hearings throughout the state."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?
"Zoning laws restrict housing with regard to lot size, building size, and number of units. We need to allow a variety of housing types and sizes throughout our cities and towns."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support legislation to expand the net energy metering system capacity cap from 1 MW to 5 MW for all residential and commercial customers in New Hampshire?
"For"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?
"New Hampshire is the only New England state without legal protection for abortion rights. Women are being denied bodily autonomy, making us second-class citizens compared to men."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state increase funding for child care providers?
"Child care workers' salaries are so low that many of them have left to work in fast food restaurants and other industries, where their skills are not being used. We need to raise salaries and offer support for training to increase the number of child care workers. Additionally, the cost of child care in the state is so high that many working families can't afford it. Businesses rate lack of affordable child care as one of the two biggest challenges to hiring, the other being lack of affordable housing."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?
"We need to increase broad-based taxes to lower the burden on homeowners. We are facing required increases in state funding for public education due to court decisions and have no way to fund them. It would be shameful to raise homeowners' already burdensome taxes for this purpose."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?
"Marijuana needs to be legalized for reasons of social justice and economic sense. Doing it through state-run establishments will discourage growers from providing a product, since they would not be able to negotiate their prices. Licensing growers and retail locations will allow for government oversight for purity while allowing small businesses to thrive. Home growing for private use should be permitted."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?
"Marijuana needs to be legalized for reasons of social justice and economic sense. Doing it through state-run establishments will discourage growers from providing a product, since they would not be able to negotiate their prices. Licensing growers and retail locations will allow for government oversight for purity while allowing small businesses to thrive. Home growing for private use should be permitted."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?
"Marijuana needs to be legalized for reasons of social justice and economic sense. Doing it through state-run establishments will discourage growers from providing a product, since they would not be able to negotiate their prices. Licensing growers and retail locations will allow for government oversight for purity while allowing small businesses to thrive. Home growing for private use should be permitted."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?
"Our current minimum wage is $7.50/hr. Nobody can survive on this income, which amounts to $15,600/yr., assuming no days off. Doubling it is critical. Note that a $15/hr. wage would still only amounts to gross salary of $31,200/yr."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add legal protections for residents of other states who travel here for health care related to abortion or gender transition?
"There are no restrictions on any other medical care for people who travel here from out of state. There should not be any for this medical procedure either."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?
"New Hampshire is the only New England state without legal protection for abortion rights. Women are being denied bodily autonomy, making us second-class citizens compared to men."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?
"Federal immigration enforcement is just that, a federal responsibility. Local police departments, most of which are seriously understaffed, are already overburdened with their own responsibilities. The majority of local police chiefs oppose being asked to add this federal work to their already strained workload."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"Gun safety is an issue of major concern, and is becoming even more so. Laws to protect people from irresponsible or unlawful gun use are needed, including background checks for all gun purchases, so-called red flag laws, and outlawing military-style weapons. Use of guns for hunting and target shooting should be allowed."
