One thing my 14 years in the state Senate taught me was that the merits of a bill matter less than political influence. The forces pushing for imposing gambling on our state are back, and they’re pumped. With the great…

Over the past 12 months, the American economy has shed more than 2.6 million jobs. However, amid all the economic doom and gloom, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that in just four years there will be a shortage of…

President-elect Barack Obama and his economic team have added their voices to the growing chorus of policy experts, state officials and industry representatives calling on Congress to include transportation infrastructure spending as part of an economic stimulus package. The New…

The New Hampshire Retirement System was set up to provide retirement benefits for municipal, county and state employees. It is funded by contributions from employees, employers (i.e. the municipalities) and the state general fund. In fact, the state contributes a…

In 1948, my grandfather paid 55 cents for a dozen eggs to serve at the Whitefield eatery that still bears his name. That was a whopping price, when you consider that, back then, the average family earned less than $10…

In New Hampshire’s private sector, killing for hire is a capital crime, punishable by death. In the public sector, though, killing is a bureaucratic procedure. In the wake of a jury’s decision to sentence Michael Addison to death, the state’s…

“The Circle of a Good Life” is more than just the theme to Moore Center Services’ recent annual meeting. In fact, its meaning has perhaps never been clearer than it is in today’s challenging times, as people are struggling to…

Right now, many people in New Hampshire and across America are struggling to survive. The costs of food and health care are skyrocketing, families are losing their homes and millions of Americans can’t find work. Americans with retirement accounts are…

Judging from the reaction of some New Hampshire Republicans to the announcement by former Gov. John H. Sununu that he will run for chairman of the state GOP, all that’s left to do is to pick out new furniture for…

Editor’s note: Mike Vlacich, who has served as director of the state’s Division of Economic Development for the last two years, recently announced his plans to leave the post to become state director for U.S. Sen.-elect Jeanne Shaheen. This is…

Up to now, much of the discussion about a rescue plan for the automakers has focused on the Detroit Three: GM, Ford and Chrysler. But it’s important not to lose sight of the economic engine of Main Street: the nation’s…

Far too much of America’s energy is being drained today in frenzied attempts to prop up bigness. The housing crisis, the financial meltdown, the teetering of the Big Three automakers. The unifying theme is turn-of-the-last century, laissez-faire, supra-governmental corporate bigness.…

America’s economy is in recession. The world economy is in recession. Every family worries about the future, and politicians want to step forward and demonstrate that they are doing something about it. Sometimes, however, doing the wrong thing is far…

The New Hampshire Legislature is facing a budget shortfall of massive proportions. The term “structural deficit” has been aptly used to describe the magnitude of the gap between projected revenue and spending. No Rube Goldberg cobbling of multiple revenue streams…

“Nick” has been in special education services since elementary school and developed a substance abuse problem by the time he was in middle school. Then he was diagnosed with a mental health problem. As a teen, he was arrested and…

For the second election in a row, the New Hampshire Republican Party failed to mount a serious challenge for the office of governor. Joe Kenney did not even get a third of the votes. And for the second election in…

It’s the holiday season, with Thanksgiving already right around the corner and the New Year not far behind. This is the season where we often take the time to reflect, to count our blessings and plan for our futures. We…