In his commentary, former Democratic nominee for governor Mark Fernald says critics of Obamacare focus too much on its cost and complexity, but utter "nary a word about its benefits."Like any good salesman, he hopes we will get so excited…

Every flu season, public health officials tell us that washing our hands and covering a cough are good ways to avoid getting sick or passing on the illness.It seems that nearly every office worker, teacher and nurse has a bottle…

With the fourth-lowest unemployment rate in the nation and the second-highest ranking in recent job growth, New Hampshire's economy is favorable relative to other states. The problem is that the state's unemployment rate is still significantly higher than it was…

As members of the 111th Congress return to Washington for their final lame-duck session, surely the economy is forefront on their minds. Few question that the economic downturn the United States has experienced over the past two years is the…

The energy sector in New England is undergoing the most dramatic changes we have seen in more than a decade. In the electric sector alone, NStar and Northeast Utilities are merging, billions of dollars in transmission investments have bolstered reliability,…

Both the Obama administration and the Republicans have housing blood on their hands. Obama was silent as Democrats and Republicans in 2009 defeated Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin's bankruptcy reform bill that would have stopped the foreclosure tidal wave.One simple change…

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…