Jumpstarting the North Country Economy

by: Dean Barker

Wed Feb 18, 2009 at 05:49:17 AM EST

The state could pay for it or ask regional power manager ISO New England to help get surrounding states to pitch in, but with states slashing spending, Gallus says Washington is the most promising source.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen wants the power line upgrades included in New Hampshire's stimulus funds and the region's congressman, Rep. Paul Hodes, believes increased transmission capacity could create more jobs and bring more affordable energy to the region.

There is no magic bullet to getting us off fossil fuels and our dependence on the Middle East. But wood pellets are a major player in an expanding portfolio of alternatives that will get us there.  And we in New Hampshire have the timber, from sustainable forestry no less, to play a big role in that sector.

To me this is a no-brainer and a direct example of how to the stimulus money can get people working again, and in a greener economy.

A far more useful expenditure than, say, the billions we threw down Baghdad's way for reasons that are still not clear six years on, or tax cuts to the well-off that never trickled down.

Paul Hodes' Berlin Office Destroyed in Fire

by: Dean Barker

Sat Jan 17, 2009 at 21:26:33 PM EST

"I have been in contact with the Berlin Fire Chief on the details of the fires that destroyed several businesses early this morning. Fortunately no one was seriously injured. The officials are still investigating the cause of the fire and I will stay in contact with city officials in the coming days to ensure that they have all of the information and resources they need.

We will work to reopen our Berlin office as soon as possible but I would encourage city residents who need assistance to contact our Littleton or Concord offices."

The numbers for the Littleton office is (603) 444-8967 and the number for the Concord office is 603-223-9814.

Obama Speech in Berlin

by: Jennifer Daler

Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 15:55:29 PM EDT

I lived in West Berlin a few years before the wall came down. When I was there, two walls and barbed wire (and God knows what else) were between those two points. Friedrichstrasse, one of the crossover points, was like a no man's land. Now, you'll be happy to know there's a Starbuck's there, among other things.

But enough of my nostalgia--the speech rocked. The people were with him. They were even waving American flags. They never do that. And we know they weren't US Foreign Service wokers

TPM has the speech's transcript.

Obama was basically healing the "you're with us or against us" mentality of the last eight years. He urged the Berliners and by extension Europeans in general, to work with the US to help end world poverty, terrorism, and all the other plagues of the present. He said it will take work and sacrifice. He said--hide your eyes if you're squeamish--America hasn't been perfect. Imagine!
Not perfect ! I'm sure McBush will jump all over that one after his lunch at a German restaurant in Ohio. Who schedules this guy's campaign, anyway?

I have very close ties to Germany and am very partial to Europe in general. Shhh, I even lived in France for a while.

We have to deliver NH blue up and down the ticket. That's all there is to it.

Casino Wal-Marts In Portsmouth and Berlin? Not Smart Development.

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Thu Feb 22, 2007 at 20:54:58 PM EST

Berlin State Senator John Gallus is proposing a bill that would allow resort casinos to be built in Berlin and at the Pease International Tradeport.  It is scheduled for a public hearing on March 6th.

I don't think it is going to pass.  At least, it shouldn't.  We're smarter than that, I hope. 

I don't think we're desperate enough either in Portsmouth or Berlin to open the floodgates to gamblers either flying in or driving up for "a few days of fun." 

We can do better.

Nor are we willing to put at risk the future of New Hampshire by relying on expanded gambling as a supposed source of income.

Oh, expanded gambling.  It sounds so good -- such a good deal for the state.  But greater gambling causes many side effects, and eventually doesn't bring much money into the state because the gambling interests put up their tent stakes, take hold in the state, and then rent lobbyists and make campaign contributions to "persuade" lawmakers to lower the state take.

Plus, the corruption we have seen in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Nevada should encourage us to turn thumbs down.  Not good.

Having a casino as a destination site isn't going to help the Berlin economy all that much, and might well put some of the motels and hotels and restaurants in that area out of business.

Gambling casinos are the Wal-Marts of the "entertainment industry" when located in tourist areas.  People go there, sleep there, play there, eat there, spend (as in mostly lose) their money there, and the corporate "profits" are sent out-of-state to the stockholders and corporate bosses.

Plus, local residents who might gamble there only have so much money; if you lose your paycheck playing slots, you won't be visiting your neighborhood restaurant or movie theater quite so often, or perhaps the neighborhood clothing store.  The seduction of a quick buck is hard for some people to resist, and that will put more burden on other local services.

And as for Pease, I think we're doing just fine.  I was one of the seven members of the original Pease Redevelopment Commission in 1990 and 1991 which set into motion a vision for Pease that has paid off in considerable airport-related businesses being located there.  Some 6,000 jobs have been generated, many of them in technical industries and most of those well-paid.  We don't need a couple of hundred low-paid service-type jobs with the resulting additional traffic, crime, and addiction problems resulting. 

For New Hampshire and for our future generations, we can do better than this.