Opinion

The most important thing about the Nov. 2 elections is that they're over. The close of campaign season means the politicking should stop and the real work of governing begin. We voters might think our job is done, but in…

Over the past 20 years, I have spent considerable time in some of the world's most beautiful countries, working as a tropical ecologist. In my travels I have seen the effects of forests destroyed and species threatened with extinction, all…

The day after the election, I saw a photograph of a huge wave on a Republican Web site. I soon realized: I've seen that same photo before. After a minute or so it came to me. That very same wave…

Political campaigns bring out the worst in the otherwise mild-mannered policymaker.I experienced the pull of the polls many times when I was a public servant representing New Hampshire, and I can clearly see the influence of the campaign season and…

The federal budget deficit is like the weather: Everyone complains about it, but no one does anything about it. Each party blames the other for our current fiscal situation. Detailed plans are few.Over the past 50 years, only two presidents…

If you study the lessons of "Schoolhouse Rock," as I strongly recommend we all do, you will surely remember how a bill becomes a law. Submission, hearings, amendments, back and forth between the chambers, and signed or vetoed by the…

There has been much said about the Republicans' effort to repeal Senate Bill 500, the new law that gives every inmate a period on parole with supervision and help in rejoining society. Repeal is a bad idea. Here's why:I spent…

In New Hampshire, manufacturing brings in four times as much revenue as tourism. Since 2003, manufacturing has grown almost three times faster than the state's economy as a whole.Surprised? How could this be when national trends point to the declining…

John Stephen is telling a big lie about the new parole law, Senate Bill 500, in his race to become governor.SB 500 makes sure all inmates leave prison with a parole officer to watch them. In a recent press release,…

In the midst of ongoing political debate over deficits, shortfalls and fiscal management, one important truth about New Hampshire's fiscal state of affairs is impossible to obscure. We're a mess, and it's getting worse, not better.The governor and his opponent…