NH Resources

  Communities across New Hampshire are voting against keno. Bethlehem, Littleton and the rest of the North Country should do the same. Questionable If Keno will create revenue for local communities and education.   Described as assistance to education, particularly kindergarten keno is an electronic bingo game with below average payouts and the description I've heard "a state tax used to finance the bureaucracy in Concord."   Portsmouth, Keene and ironically even the city of Concord itself have voted against allowing keno. Their concerns are valid: that this state lottery game isn't going to return any major revenues to local economies or education.   This would be enhanced in the North Country which is already largely undeserved if not neglected by Concord to begin with. The actual gaming numbers of keno will also be significantly impacted by the next year startup of casinos in Boston and Springfield, Mass. which will immediately begin draining $62 million d

 The Balsam's in Dixville Notch is surrounded by bad history.   Opened in 1865 the hotel thrived at a time when for 90% of the population reality was pretty grim. Each day thousands of low paid workers from across New England would wearily trudge into mills in Lowell, Lawrence, Manchester, Sanford and closer areas like Groveton, Berlin and some sources say even Littleton. Cloistered Opulence At Risk To The NH Taxpayer.   The history books actually enhance this era of grand hotels or gilded era. Scenes of cloistered opulence with crystal glasses and fine china appear while the grim reality in the lower castes of society were simply ignored. $28 Million Proposed Bailout For This Property.   Today the Balsam's looks like a "broken dollhouse." It's worse than this. It's developer like Les Otten is attempting to sell the idea of a $28 million dollar state backed loan guarantee and more recently, a "credit enhancement" to push this risky pr

After the Northern Pass decision was reached Mayor Paul Grenier responded by making statements about Governor Chris Sununu and economic development in the North Country. Neither of these statements has any validity.   "This sends a very chilling message to anyone working to bring economic development to the North Country." Grenier said as he requested that Gov. Sununu take a more active role in addressing the real issues in the North Country. He didn't say what these real issues are.   Berlin could pursue many strategies in economic development and creating jobs but it's clear that Mayor Grenier himself that isn't taking an active role in addressing the real issues in the North Country. Norfolk Southern Heads North Into Canada.   As a long-term railfan I've excitedly and recently watched Norfolk Southern railroad locomotives power a St. Lawrence & Atlantic train up through Berlin enroute to Canada. There is immense potential to use rail transporta

 Vermont should suspend it's Amtrak service and it's state subsidy.      Amtrak needs to improve it's state operations and run a well-managed, competitive railroad.   Throughout this winter (2018) I've witnessed half-empty Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express trains traverse through Vermont as Greyhound bus lines ran on exactly the same routes with better service and prices. Their coaches weren't half-empty either. Not Many Palm Trees In Vermont.   Started in 1971 after the bankruptcy of the Penn Central railroad Amtrak has strayed from its original purpose to save passenger rail. Instead its become a labyrinthine bureaucracy based in Washington that doesn't respond to anything including market conditions.    For example, Amtrak has a corporate goal in it's route planning of serving state capitols like Montpelier. They've actually scrapped better route proposals like Boston to Burlington because of policies like this which makes no sense. Bringing

 Casino legislation has once again been filed.   Senate Bill 586 would allow 5,000 slot machines and 240 table games at "siting of the casino locations is done for optimal revenue impact." Wherever this is.   Starting next year two higher end casinos in Boston and Springfield, Massachusetts will open and almost immediately begin scraping $59 million dollars a year right off the New Hampshire economy. This number will only go higher. Senate Bill 586 is so poorly crafted legislation it does nothing consider Massachusetts never mind competing with it. Senate Bill 586 Is So Poorly Crafted It is destined to fail.   Senator D'Allesandro the lead sponsor should have done some in-depth market research before filing this bill and it's apparent he didn't. For example the Lakes Region and North Country areas both have strong tourism economies which casino gaming might enhance, possibly exponentially. This bill does nothing to consider the tourism economy in New H

 After the Northern Pass decision was reached Mayor Paul Grenier responded by making statements about Governor Chris Sununu and economic development in the North Country. Neither of these statements has any validity.   "This sends a very chilling message to anyone working to bring economic development to the North Country." Grenier said as he requested that Gov. Sununu take a more active role in addressing the real issues in the North Country. He didn't say what these real issues are.   Berlin could pursue many strategies in economic development and creating jobs but it's clear that Mayor Grenier himself that isn't taking an active role in addressing the real issues in the North Country. I've Recently Seen Trains To/From Canada.   As a long-term railfan I've excitedly and recently watched Norfolk Southern railroad locomotives power a St. Lawrence & Atlantic train up through Berlin enroute to Canada. There is immense potential to use rail transp

 Within hours of the Northern Pass decision Berlin Mayor Paul Grenier made statements about Governor Chris Sununu and economic development in the North Country.   "This sends a very chilling message to anyone working to bring economic development to the North Country." Grenier said as he called for Governor Sununu to take a more active role in addressing the real issues facing the North Country. This isn't valid. Not at all.   There are many strategies Berlin could pursue to create good jobs and economic development in Berlin and across the North Country. It's Grenier himself that isn't taking an active role. There are many strategies Berlin could pursue.   Several years ago there was a quality proposal to separate Berlin from the North Country Council regional planning agency and create it's own economic development district with it's own authority to advance federal grant programs, long-term regional planning and state loan guarantees. Th

 In a 180 degree flip-flop Governor Chris Sununu now supports a subsidized commuter rail system in southern New Hampshire. Not only is this political but it demonstrates an unbalanced if not biased policy towards the use of rail in this state.     "New Hampshire's groundbreaking Amazon proposal has demonstrated the need to study potential options." Sununu says in support of yet another feasibility study to throw millions of dollars to move, at most, 2900 people a day from Boston to Nashua, Manchester and Concord. New Hampshire has a questionable if not biased position towards rail.   As an example of this bias New Hampshire owns over 170 miles of active freight rail lines that could be independently profitable if they were marketed correctly but they aren't. Instead, first term Governor Sununu prefers shiny passenger trains running through politically valuable re-election areas.   The Concord to Lincoln rail line goes right through the Lakes Region and could

  The slot machine revenue at the Oxford Casino is increasing. This is good for Maine and continues to be bad for New Hampshire. Slot Machine Revenues Increasing. Good for Maine and Bad For New Hampshire.   Located about 40 miles east of the New Hampshire border at East Conway it's yearly revenue for 2017 was $796.6 million dollars up $62 million from the year before. It isn't unreasonable to believe that 25% of these revenues at this small casino are coming from the Mount Washington Valley and the rest of the Granite State. These numbers are in direct contrast to the argument that the market for casinos in New Hampshire is "over- saturated."  Not true.    But despite this ever increasing revenue going over to Maine, the New Hampshire legislature has once again tabled and killed casino legislation. Co-Sponsored by North Country Senator Jeff Woodburn, Senate Bill 586 was actually a bad piece of legislation. Intended for "optimal revenue impact" the b

 Vermont could have one of the best passenger rail systems in the country.     It isn't to be and the reason is politics and chaos and it's on both sides of the river.      During the last 30 years I've watched Vermont taxpayers throw millions of dollars in financial subsidy at Amtrak in exchange for empty seats and an unclear direction for the future. Nothing has ever changed.    The Amtrak Vermonter train which truncates at St. Albans is politically supported by Senator Patrick Leahy and more recently, New Hampshire's Senator Maggie Hassan.There is an expensive proposal to bring this train back to it's original namesake, Montreal. Nothing is ever said about ridership numbers for this idea. "They are so critical for our state's and businesses." Sen. Hassan said in support of Amtrak. She hasn't said which New Hampshire businesses and how Amtrak running up and down the Connecticut River Valley could be considered "critical." Is

 New Hampshire isn't doing enough to create jobs and expand beyond it's own borders. It's becoming an isolationist state.   In one of her last acts as governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley signed an executive order advancing the future construction of what will be the largest seaport trade terminal in the United States, the Jasper Ocean Terminal at Charleston. And because of it's size, design and intermodal sophistication it will very likely change the flow of freight on the east coast and ultimately the lowering of tariffs all up and down the interstate 95 corridor. These lower freight rates and faster service to and from destinations all over the world will open up new markets and areas that haven't been readily accessible before. New Hampshire Is Becoming A Place Of Isolation .⇒玆玆     The Jasper Ocean Terminal could be valuable for a small state like New Hampshire that could export everything from granite blocks to high grade maple syrup. Hundreds of go