Massachusetts

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February 26, 2013

A New Push For Commuter Rail

This post was written by contributor Sheryl Rich-Kern Despite concern from opponents about costs, supporters of bringing commuter rail back to the Granite State are determined to keep momentum on track. For the first time in decades, state lawmakers are looking to restore commuter rail by extending existing rail lines from Lowell, Massachusetts, to Nashua, […]

February 15, 2013

Hassan Pitches Casino During Budget Address

Governor Maggie Hassan used her budget address to propose a new, high-end casino. Governor Hassan’s budget banks on this casino generating $80 million in licensing fees. And she said the state is already dealing with the social costs of gambling allowed in other states, without benefiting from the revenue.

April 26, 2012

Why A 60-Year Old Contract Has Massachusetts And NH At Loggerheads

Since the economy tanked and the legislature started slashing the budget, there’s been talk at the town level about so-called “down-shifting.” That’s when the state stops supporting local programs or making certain payments to towns, forcing localities to pick up the slack. Now, the legislature’s considering what to do when not only New Hampshire, but […]

April 17, 2012

WiValley Battles Topography And Budgets To Connect Monadnocks

Brian Foucher traveled some 300 days a year for business. When the Harrisville, N.H., resident was home, he telecommuted to meetings around the globe, but found his Internet connection so poor his employer became frustrated. With a wife and young family at home, that kind of work life was quickly growing old. Foucher’s initiative to […]

April 16, 2012

Why Urban States Are More Productive Than Rural Ones (And New England’s A Case In Point)

A new report from Credit Suisse has been getting a fair bit of buzz in the business press, largely thanks to the graph below. The report focused on how urbanization affects developing economies. As an example of the differences between rural and urban productivity, researchers broke down government data on American GDP by state and […]

April 9, 2012

Mystery Developer Hopes To Bring Big Warehouse–And 150 Jobs–To Concord

A super-secret business that could bring a lot of jobs to Concord hopes to set up shop on Integra Drive. As Ben Leubsdorf of the Concord Monitor reports: “A developer is looking to build a sprawling warehouse operation on Integra Drive, off Manchester Street, that Concord officials say could employ 150 people. But the name […]

April 2, 2012

Part 4: Which NH Counties Won New Residents (And Lost Old Ones)

One of our most popular sets of posts has been an occasional series with a different take on migration into–and out of–New Hampshire. Using IRS data, Jon Bruner of Forbes traced where people in every county in the country were moving to–and from–between 2005 and 2009. Then, he generated a really cool map that allows you […]

March 30, 2012

(Mega-Big Mega Millions Jackpot Aside) When It Comes To The Lotto, A Lot Of “Suckers” Live In New England

Earlier today, we reposted our Losing The Lotto series to give you a bit of context about why the Mega Millions frenzy is particularly important to New Hampshire’s struggling lottery. Since we posted, the jackpot’s increased yet again–from $540 million to $640 million. Not surprising given AP’s report of 27,000 transactions an hour in New […]

Why The Mega Millions Jackpot Is Extra-Important For New Hampshire

It’s a good day to be the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. The AP reports the commission is seeing sales on the order of “27,000 transactions an hour.” It’s all thanks to tonight’s Mega Millions Lottery, which, at $540 million, has ascended to Largest Lottery Jackpot In The World, Ever status. It’s probably safe to expect […]

March 15, 2012

Report: NH Barely Passes On Government Spending Transparency

New Hampshire has a long history of frugality. And with the current crop of spending hawks in the legislature, that sense of thrift has only intensified. But you’ll have a hard time if you want to keep tabs on state spending online. That’s according to “Following The Money 2012,” a report published by the clunky-titled […]