NH Resources

  The Business Finance Authority is set to vote in March on the Balsam's Bailout. This is a bad deal for New Hampshire.   The Balsam's Bailout. "There will have to be public hearings if they submit an application." said James Key-Wallace of the BFA in response to my concerns that this proposed $28 million dollar state guarantee involves too much risk and long-term consequences to the state treasury if it fails.     So where were the public hearings?     It will be interesting if this Balsam's bailout impacts the state owned Cannon mountain along with the rest of the state's ski industry. This will be bad for skiing and bad for New Hampshire.

      Governor Maggie Hassan and the NH Rail Transit Authority recently unveiled an expensive rail study for the NH "capitol corridor" for passenger rail from Boston to Nashua and Manchester. The whole idea of this is a politically based train wreck. I'm finding it interesting that Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau is becoming such a "cheerleader" for the whole idea which New Hampshire clearly cannot afford. Before proceeding someone should be asking the outgoing Nashua Mayor what kind of financial shape Nashua is in? I think the answer to this question is right behind what is happening throughout the rest of New Hampshire especially in financing a rail project that this state does not need. www.nhinsider.com

Maine Gov. LePage has made it a priority to expand the International Marine Terminal with is located on commercial street in Portland. This will be a very good capital investment and create many quality jobs and needed tax base. For example, construction has now started to expand rail access into the terminal areas where containers can be easily loaded from ship to railcars or trucks for shipment across the Northeast. Maine sees the future. New Hampshire does not. New Hampshire has a state port authority based in Portsmouth. Though it's terminal is significantly smaller than what exists in Portland nothing is being done. No expansion plans, no capital plans and no strategy to create needed jobs for New Hampshire. And did I say this lack of action is all at NH taxpayer expense.