Small-business owners have often learned the hard way that not knowing the law is not an acceptable excuse for noncompliance. You are expected to follow the law and the associated rules and regulations, or you will suffer the consequences of…

In his State of the Union address in January, President Obama emphasized the importance of American innovation - especially in creating an American energy economy that is built to last.At USDA, we are working every day to fuel renewable energy…

The last year was difficult for many. While the stock markets were up about 5 percent, it was a bumpy ride. Other markets, such as commercial real estate, were not so volatile. In fact, they continue to be somewhat lethargic.Now…

For more than 10 years, New Hampshire has been paying for an "adequate" education for primary and secondary public school students across the state. State spending on public education is in addition to what local communities raise and spend.State spending…

Over the past several years, our region and our nation have faced great economic challenges. We are fortunate in New England to have weathered this period with less collateral damage than other parts of the country.Our overall regional unemployment rate…

What do the Federal Reserve and a Ouija board have in common? Both are equally adept at predicting the economic state three months from now. So when the Fed recently announced its intent to keep interest rates near zero for…

Three and a half years have passed since the onset of the financial and economic crisis of 2008, yet despite what politicians campaigning across New Hampshire have been saying about the U.S. economy, the New Hampshire economy appears to be…

On Jan. 4, the New Hampshire Legislature passed House Bill 542, a bill that took effect immediately and grants parents unprecedented powers to direct the education of their child in public schools.Specifically, the new law - sponsored by Rep. J.R.…

Just before the primaries, I met a woman who didn't have health insurance. She was not my patient, but was one of those truly Good Samaritans we hear about. She was driving a patient of mine to my office. She…

House Bill 1515, which proposes major changes to the assessment and use of the Land Use Change Tax, threatens local control, raises significant concerns on several levels, and should be killed.First, the bill provides that the failure to pay all…

Conservative and ethically challenged activist James O'Keefe is back in the news, once again, manufacturing edited videos to make a case he can't produce with existing facts.On New Hampshire's primary day, O'Keefe and crew committed voter fraud at polling locations…

On Jan. 2, 1987, culminating years of legislative deliberations, a new environmental agency was created: the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. So this year, 2012, marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of DES and its service to the…

If the people running New Hampshire's RGGI program were running a business in the private sector, they'd either be fired, under criminal investigation or both. Of course, they're not. And in the world of government, they haven't done anything wrong.They've…

Grant Bosse of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy neglects to discuss the benefits of the program as they affect small businesses and jobs in New Hampshire.Bosse suggests that the RGGI program includes reen energy boondoggles -- that is…

New Year's resolutions generally conjure up good intentions to lose weight and reorganize our homes or office desk.But for millions of Americans, this year's resolutions are more urgent. To find a job. To keep a job they already have. To…