A scary ‘right’ to health care
What kind of a “right” mandates that you exercise it? For example, imagine a law that imposes a monetary fine on anyone who does not own a gun or who does not belong to a church. Can you imagine The…
Opinion
Gambling plan is a Hobson’s choice
To the editor:After the March 18 hearing on Senate Bill 519, a bill that would further cut Department of Health and Human Services spending, Senate President Sylvia Larsen, a Concord Democrat who previously opposed gambling, said she believes allowing expanded…
Is access to broadband a right?
On March 9, Michael J. Copps of the Federal Communications Commission challenged the American people at the “American Digital Inclusion Summit” to expand opportunity through universal broadband access. In his remarks he asked us to engage in a conversation about…
The Music Hall’s next steps
Last month Portsmouth was named one of the most romantic cities in all North America. Add that to its treasure chest of top national rankings — one of the most historic, top 20 in lifestyle — and it’s a compelling…
Gambling won’t fix our problems
When a state spends more than it receives in revenue, legislators can reduce spending or increase revenue. Most people in New Hampshire oppose higher taxes and believe, as I do, that Concord must balance its budget by reducing its spending,…
SB 489 is really not a gamble
I have been a member of the New Hampshire House for nearly 20 years. I have cast literally thousands of votes on issues large and small during that time. They share one common bond. Whether I voted yes or no,…
Run the U.S. Senate like the N.H. Legislature
In a democracy, we expect our Legislature to operate based on democratic principles. The right to free speech dictates that there should be spirited debate where every viewpoint has a chance to be heard. After full debate, decisions should be…
‘Self-Reliance’ revisited
In his essay, “Self Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote something dear to the heart of all financial advisers: “The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from a sufficient distance, and…
The inflationary spiral in grades
The best-kept secret in education today – from kindergarten to college, public schools to private academies – is how well students are doing. So well, in fact, that more students make than miss the honor roll. Some 55 to 65…
What LLC tax ‘fairness’?
The one thing attorney Mark Fernald got right in his recent opinion piece on the so-called LLC tax (“Here’s the truth about the ‘LLC tax,’” Feb. 12-25 NHBR) is that it’s not a new tax, just a change to the…
A new path to higher education
For decades it has been understood that the reason for the high, ever-rising costs of college is that huge percentages of tuitions are not used to pay for instruction, but for research, administrative staff and buildings. I would be the…
Paid time off a necessity
To the editor:Tens of thousands of New Hampshire workers do not have a single paid sick day they can use when they fall ill, or when their children need care. Faced with the prospect of losing pay, many have no…
‘N.H. does not need its own Watergate’
The following are excerpts from a letter sent Feb. 22 to House Speaker Terie Norelli by Portsmouth Reps. Jim Splaine and Paul McEachern. We ask you to authorize the House Commerce Committee to begin a formal inquiry into the process…
Wind record a human triumph
There is an old saying that goes, “If you marry a mountain girl, you marry the whole mountain.” For many of us, who live in the shadows of Mount Washington, we can’t separate the mountains from ourselves, or for that…
Universal health fits with N.H. values
The founders of New Hampshire were religious people who understood the scripture’s call to aid the needy. They believed that government could be an instrument of God’s work and adopted laws to assist the poor even before New Hampshire became…
More than words killed health reform
To the editor:In response to an article submitted by Dr. James W. Squires on health care (“Triumph of the words,” Jan. 29-Feb. 11 NHBR):According to Dr. Squires, the failure of health-care reform can be blamed on a few dishonest words…
Repeal the interest and dividends tax extension
New Hampshire prides itself on having an open and transparent legislative process, where all who are interested and affected by public policy decisions benefit from the public-vetting process, including public hearings.In fact, New Hampshire requires that all bills introduced in…
What do you think?
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