A good job with benefits. A nice house, with affordable property taxes. Good schools and colleges. Paved and plowed roads. Sturdy bridges. Functioning courts. Police and fire protection. Clean air and water. Parks and playgrounds, libraries and museums. Treatment, not…

New Hampshire's 60-plus population is expected to swell from 262,000 today to 419,000 in 2020 and to 504,000 by 2030. That has significant implications for the delivery of health care and for the public policies that help drive that care.…

Over 50 percent of high school graduates entering college end up dropping out. In addition, 50 percent or more of our students do best in schools of applied learning rather than purely academic schools. Somewhere over the years, applied learning,…

Housing accounts for more than 16 percent of our state's economy, making it a key driver in New Hampshire's economic rebound. But as our governor and legislators carry out the unenviable task of trying to balance our state books, they…

The following are excerpts from a letter sent by Frank J. Chaloupka, a professor of economics and public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, to both Gov. John Lynch and Senate President Peter Bragdon. Dear Governor Lynch and…

Our state's technology and manufacturing-based economy was strong enough to weather the national recession, but can it really withstand the foolhardiness of the New Hampshire Legislature?After Gov. John Lynch proposed a downright conservative budget that would have made yesterday's Republicans…

For years, businesses owners and managers have cited the rising cost of health care and health insurance as the top challenge facing their business, after the health of the economy. And for years, the Business and Industry Association of New…

The Women's Leadership Summit is not just a conference, but is part and parcel of the educational life of women in New Hampshire. The ongoing challenge of the summit - the fourth of which will be held in June -…

The House has produced a balanced budget that keeps our faith with voters who demanded an end to big government when they elected Republicans last fall. This budget lives up to our commitment of making government operate within its means,…

It is critical that we abolish the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority before it can saddle state taxpayers with millions in new burdens each year.This government bureaucracy was established with the goal of bringing passenger rail service to New Hampshire.…

Fourteen years ago, starting with the Claremont II lawsuit, New Hampshire began a process in funding local education that can best be described as a cycle of chaos. The result has been an untenable reality that has pitted communities against…

With gasoline prices rapidly climbing back to the $4-a-gallon level, it is time once again to plead with our representatives in Washington to show much-needed leadership on energy policy.In the just-completed election cycle, there was far too little attention paid…

Our health-care system is in crisis, with no real solutions on the horizon. Federal health-care reform, for the most part, protects the current system rather than truly reforming it. It remains hard to fathom that a government-sponsored health system is…

Imagine paying $900 for a mold assessment on your home and gaining nothing from the experience. That is exactly what happened to a customer who called me recently.He said the person he hired sent collected mold samples to a laboratory,…

Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. It's cold. I find myself standing deep in a crowd of 400 to 500 cheerful people in front of the Seacoast Repertory Theatre on Bow Street. We are there showing our support of "The Laramie Project,"…

A New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services report on obesity, focusing on third-grade students, is packed with troubling news for Coos County. It shows the northernmost county has a growing problem tied to poor diet and little exercise.…

When the Northern Pass project was presented, we at the Forest Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests listened to its proponents and carefully considered their arguments. We thoughtfully analyzed the pros and cons of the project as it…