Hosmer is a Democrat to the core but his views on a number of issues are not right on the party line

LACONIA — No one who listens to Andrew Hosmer for very long will mistake him for being anything other than the Democrat he is but his views are far from strict orthodox.

Matched up against Republican computer store owner Josh Youssef, Hosmer is seeking the newly formed District 7 Senate seat that has no incumbent. And his supporters are hoping his formula of mixing passionate, expected views on social issues and an overall belief that government can play a important role in improving people's lives with a strain of watch our pennies conservatism will produce a majority vote in a part of the state that more often than not still votes Republican.

District 7 is anchored on the east by Laconia and on the west by Franklin and includes the townships of Andover, Belmont, Boscawen, Canterbury, Gilford, Northfield, Salisbury and Webster.

During a recent interview at The Daily Sun office, Hosmer reiterated his strong support for abortion rights — and the continuing need to protect those rights from "death by a thousand cuts" — and gay marriage — a "civil rights issue". He also voiced opposition to the enactment of so-called "right to work" legislation — "our goal shouldn't be to drive down wages" and any attempt to change the financially troubled retirement system for state and local government employees from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan.

Hosmer is also a severe critic of what he calls the "radical extreme politics" of the current Republican super majorities in both the House and the Senate, particularly targeting Speaker Bill O'Brien and House leadership. Like other Democrats he points to "needless" cuts GOP lawmakers make to state revenue sources at a time when income was driven down anyway by the recession and its aftermath.

In particular he mentioned the 10 cents a pack cut in the cigarette tax that "put a $20-million" hole in the budget. That $20 million "wouldn't have solved all the (budget) problems but it shows (their) priorities", he said.

Asked the current "state question" — does N.H. have revenue problem or a spending problem?, Hosmer answered "both".

While he states there is no possibility he will vote to enact a state income or general sales tax, he also offers that the property tax has "overwhelmed the (government) funding system" in the state and the burden can't be increased. "We may need another source of revenue," he conceded before suggesting only the revenue that a single, state-licensed casino in Southern N.H. would bring in could be an answer. If the state proceeds "slow and cautious" on the expanded gambling front, he said he would eventually be open to the idea of casinos in "a few places throughout the state"

Hosmer said he had no prediction as to how much money one or more state licensed casinos would bring in, but stated his belief that some state residents are going to gamble anyway and local casinos would keep that money in the state.

When he got going on the spending side of things, Hosmer sounded a bit like a Republican. Saying he did believe there was waste and inefficiency in state government, he stated a desire to "drill down and find where each dollar goes". "Senators need to ask those tough questions of department heads," he added. "Each department needs to be accountable."

He also, however, called attention to the fact state and nation are "in a trying period, coming our of a recession" and the Legislature "has to be cautious about when is the right time to make efficiencies. The state hasn't turned around (yet)."

On the subject of UNH, Hosmer joined fellow Democrats in their criticism of the Legislature's current biennium cut of $48 million from the university system appropriation but added that legitimate questions are being raised about the "overall efficiency" of the funds going UNH's way. He mentioned questions about the compensation levels for university system employees and teaching loads in particular.

Hosmer said funding post-secondary education should be priority in N.H. but not the highest priority — direct and immediate needs for critical state services would be at the top of his list.

Hosmer also sounded a Republican theme when he offered that he believes business is over-regulated, both on a federal and state level, and some of those regulations are hurting the economy and job creation. Asked what specific industries were being hurt in particular, he mentioned, retail, automotive and banking. (Hosmer is general manager of AutoServ Nissan in Tilton. The AutoServ company of dealerships is owned by his wife's family.)

Rather than just take a look at surviving each budget cycle as it comes along, Hosmer said he sees a need for a broader view of the state's economy and where it is headed. "We need a comprehensive plan," he said. "What is our vision for energy, transportation, education, infrastructure", etc.?

Acknowledging the LRGHeathcare is the largest employer in District 7, Hosmer said Congress and the Legislature "has to relieve the downward pressure" on the hospital company because the reimbursement system "is in crises and is not sustainable for (health care) providers". Hospitals, like Lakes Region General and Franklin Regional, that service a disproportionate percentage of Medicaid patients are being particularly hard hit by the government's reluctance to pay for the actual cost of services rendered and then the situation was compounded when the current Legislature decided not to return to hospitals, as was the tradition, the money collected through the so-called Medicaid Enhancement Tax.

Again breaking from the party line, Hosmer said he totally disagreed with the Democrat-controlled Legislature's 2009-2010 decision, thwarted by the court system, to confiscate $100 million in excess liability insurance premiums LRGHealthcare and other providers had paid into a state-manged insurance pool — the so-called JUA money.

I order to help try and drive down the cost of heath insurance, Hosmer also said he was willing to look at the idea of allowing the sale of policies across state lines, bypassing home state coverage mandates — an idea that is a non-starter for most Democrats.

When the subject of Northern Pass was broached, Hosmer quickly called attention to the fact that Franklin is in District 7 and that the energy transfer station planned for that community would "be huge", both in terms of providing construction jobs and a big boost to Franklin's property tax base. Emphasizing that the use of eminent domain to acquire any property needed to bring hydo-power generated electricity from Quebec to Franklin was "off the table", he nonetheless stated that the "overall picture is that we need clean and renewable sources of energy and Frankllin needs tax base and jobs."

At the conclusion of the interview, Hosmer was asked if he wished to comment on the peronsal issues that have followed his opponents campaign, particualry in the Republican primary race. Hosmer would only comment that some very serious issues had been raised about Youssef personal life — largely stemming from the aftershocks of a messy divorce — and that voters "try to size people up and get a sense of their character." "We're not running to be saints," he said of himself and Youssef, "but people want to be proud of the persons representing them."

A former prosecuting attorney in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Hosmer lives in Laconia with his wife Donna and their four young children.