In the wake of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, there’s been a lot of chatter about another big battle brewing in Congress: FEMA disaster relief funding. The agency’s been underfunded for years, to the point that it hasn’t been able to keep some promises dating back to 2008. Some long-term rebuilding projects have been put on hold as FEMA mobilizes to deal with damage from Irene. As New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts continue to examine the aftermath of the storm, they, along with other states, will likely have their hands out for federal money.
And all of this got StateImpact wondering…how do states go about getting FEMA funding, anyway? Continue Reading →
“The state’s largest utility, PSNH still has tens of thousands without any service.
…Company spokesperson Mike Skelton says thankfully more help is on the way.
“We have crews joining us from Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey and we’ll continue to make those requests as we need more help, wherever we can get it.”
Skelton says New Hampshire’s Nashua and Manchester should have power fully restored by daybreak tomorrow.”
Recently, the New Hampshire Business Review published an interesting update on a federal issue that’s not getting a lot of press right now. In her story lead, Kathleen Callahan writes,
“A looming federal deadline coupled [with] the usual Washington deadlock could stall the state highway program, which is already low on gas.
Two key transportation-related statutes are set to expire at the end of September – one that allows the federal government to levy a gas tax and another that authorizes giving aid to states for infrastructure projects, according to the state Department of Transportation.” Continue Reading →
If you've got five minutes to burn, check out StateImpact's town-by-town interactive map. Just find your town, click on it, and see how many vacation homes are there, and what percentage of the housing stock they make up. If you've got 10 minutes, you can get the context behind the numbers with our written analysis. And if you've got an hour or more, the map will keep you very, very entertained. Trust us. Continue reading →
This month, State Impact is digging into New Hampshire’s tourism economy, and this piece by Charles Pierce of the Boston Globecaught our eye. Back in 2003, New Hampshire’s leading symbol–the Old Man of the Mountain, finally collapsed.
“Now, though, through…[the] Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, and through the work of a sculptor and an inventor of toys from Essex, Massachusetts, the now blank side of the mountain is getting a slow-motion face lift of sorts. The Old Man is being put back up there, at least as a visual image, if not in actual fact.” Continue Reading →
It’s the tax break you might not have heard of. If you use an ATV, boat, or snowmobile, and you actually used them off the roads, and you save your receipts and you fill out a special state form…you’re eligible for a small refund on your gas tax. Specifically, it’s a refund on the sliver of the tax that falls under “road tolls” and pays for highway maintenance. Continue Reading →
“A toxic waste site in Berlin, New Hampshire continues to leak mercury into the Androscoggin River…
The EPA listed it as a federal Superfund site six years ago. But the EPA has just begun its investigation to determine if the site poses any health risks, and how it can be cleaned up.” Continue Reading →
“The president of Standard & Poor’s [Deven Sharma] is stepping down, an announcement coming only weeks after the rating agency’s unprecedented move to strip the United States of its AAA credit rating.” Continue Reading →
“Stocks have fallen four weeks in a row. Some on Wall Street worry that the resulting blow to
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Some market analysts fear that what's happening on Wall Street is affecting the economy outside the trading room floor and vice-versa, creating a nasty feedback loop.
confidence, not to mention 401(k) statements, has set off a spiral of fear that could push prices even lower, cause people and businesses to pull back and tip the economy into a new recession.”I’m nervous that fear will lead companies to stop hiring and people to stop spending,” says Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist of Wells Capital Management, famous for his usually bullish take on the markets.A home sales report this past week showed that more sales than usual fell apart at the last minute, which suggests plunging stocks and dismal economic news gave buyers cold feet. At least 16 percent of deals were canceled ahead of closings last month, four times the rate in May.”
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