I’ve often overlaid this power basis against issues that are important to me. On this day I’m interested in Item #111 which was recently tabled by the Executive Council relative to a state rail contract on the line to Bennington.Executive Councilor Pignatelli has significant power over an issue in her district. The question is what is the role of politics in the determination of decision and power?

I’m really wondering what the power base is, how the decision will be made and ultimately what the politics of this whole issue is. “It’s in Councilor Pignatelli’s district so I’ll be considering a lot of her information.” said Councilor Ray Burton in response to my question about his position on item #111.

I’m going to keep this blog short, it’s too nice outside but the vote is still on the 15^thwhich isn’t too far away. I think Executive Councilor Pignatelli is in an important position here, a position that could advance or defeat this very issue. And here is my current political speculation assuming item #111 is removed from the table:

It’s in her district so ultimately everything will come back to her. Whether this is jobs created or the line sits rusting for the next 2 ½ years and the vote is yea or nay.

Yea     Pan Am Railways gets the state contract as recommended by the NH Department of Transportation the line is reactivated sees new life customers and at least 15 fulltime jobs created followed by at least 20 more.  Pignatelli makes a political enemy in the rail lines former leasor Rep. Peter Leishman; a once Republican turned Democrat but this is still enough to impact the re-election chances for Pignatelli.  And if Pan Am Railways fails to deliver on what it’s stated in the contract application…

Nea    A lot of voters and people could care less about 18 miles of rusting rail somewhere west of Nashua. This isn’t a front burner item anyway. Rep.  Leishman could be granted the contract and his Milford-Bennington Railroad could somehow reactivate the rail service, somehow negotiate freight rates with Pan Am Railways from their interchange hub in Nashua and then meet all the NH DOT capital and marketing requirements as stated in its contract application.  I don’t see how the Milford-Bennington Railroad could do all this and still turn any profit. How many voters in Councilor Pignatelli’s district would base their re-election vote for her on the outcome of #111. I don’t think very many. I also don’t think the Gov. Hassan ‘Innovation Tour.’ will make a whistle stop on the 18 miles of state owned iron road somewhere west of Nashua.  

I’m still hoping for a Yea vote.

This would be the best for New Hampshire.

Norfolk Southern Locomotives headed east at North Adams, Mass. Norfolk Southern owns the rail line from Mechanicville,NY to Ayer, Mass. which is the primary gateway into NH and the state owned line to Bennington.In today’s global based deal making world the whole transportation sector has become nothing more than a cost; a cost that has to be squeezed, leveraged and at times actually given out for free.

John D. Rockefeller understood this. When he started moving his oil to the markets he was actually paying the railroads then after some time they were moving it for free then some more time passed and some reports state that the railroads were actually paying Rockefeller to move his oil. Some things have changed since the days of king oil and railroads but some things have not. Transportation is still a cost, a cost that can be squeezed whether this is moving a load of cane sugar from Laredo, Texas to Hershey, Pennsylvania or a load of crushed rock from Wilton, NH down to Boston. It’s all about the cost and what can be squeezed and the logistic strategy to make the move happen.

The law of economy of scale says that larger corporations are able to reduce or squeeze cost easier than small ones. This is the case in New Hampshire as Pan Am Railways with it large corporate portfolio will be able to offer greater cost savings than a smaller carrier like Milford-Bennington. This would be similar to McDonald’s selling hamburgers against a local hamburger stand.

This is also where New Hampshire politics comes in.

For whatever reason the Executive Council is actually looking at the local hamburger stand instead of looking at the larger picture which is McDonalds and what this state lease would do towards costs, transportation and ultimately serving business that uses rail transportation and the regional jobs that come with it.

I’d also state that the local hamburger stand has been closed for two years and if they’re granted this next lease they may very well be closed again if not more than 2 1/2 more years. I haven’t seen any information to contradict this. I don’t believe that the NH DOT has either.  

I'm also wondering where Gov. Hassan stands on this transportation related issue. 

Another example of what’s wrong with politics in New Hampshire.

This railroad line has been sitting rusting for some two years. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation solicited proposals to operate the line. The two applicants were:

Pan Am Railways based in North Billerica, Mass. (formerly Guilford Rail System).  

Milford-Bennington Railroad which previously held the lease on this state owned line for twenty or more years.

In the state contract the DOT stated that of the two applicants only one “was responsive” meaning only one provided the requested financial, operational and marketing information requested to make the determination as to which applicant should get the state contract.

Pan Am Railways provided this information.

Why weren’t they granted the state contract?

Enter politics.

All of the councilors supported the tabling motion for #111. Councilor Sununu wasn’t present at the meeting making this a 4-0 vote.  I didn’t hear any real reason(s), especially from Councilor Van Ostern why this really needed to be tabled so I’m having to assume or outright guess there has been some backroom politics involved between Rep. Peter Leishman, the owner of the Milford-Bennington Railroad and the Executive Council for this tabling motion.

It’s a 2 ½ year contract that runs until December 31, 2015. If Pan Am Railways does a poor job in operating this line then they can be replaced with a carrier that will provide the service.

It’s been tabled until May 15^th.

This was Rep. Vailliancourt’s callus, disrespectful characterization of Rockingham Park in Salem and especially some of the older people that frequent the simulcast facilities there. "A depressing stop at the Rock."

I love horses and as an occasional horse racing bettor, the closure of the Lodge at Belmont makes Rockingham Park the closest simulcast facility to northern New Hampshire. And I’ve been to Rockingham Park at least two times in the past year.

And the scene this Manchester legislator who has never held either a position in the house leadership or been a committee chairman in his years of elected experience describes a scene which is clearly unfair.

It’s true there are some older and elderly individuals that are present. Horse Racing isn’t the sport that it once was especially in a world of rap music, NASCAR, on-line sex and the ever popular sports books. However Horse Racing is still a sport and a tough one at that. If you notice that armchair political commando Vailiancourt doesn’t have anything to say about his own horse handicapping skills I don’t think he has any just like his political and leadership capability to be a committee chairman.

Effective horse handicapping requires a lot of work and I mean a lot of work. Just try picking three horses in correct finish order (trifecta) in a field of ten to twelve horses and do it effectively. Never mind the life changing pick six that routinely cashes tickets in the $120,000.00 range. Pick six horses in order in a twelve field it’s not as easy as you might think. Rep Vaillancourt can’t do it perhaps this is why he is so hard on Rockingham Park.

I’ll tell you this: those elderly individuals sitting in the wheelchairs some with oxygen some with canes routely hit the trifectas the superfectas and some even hit that wonderful pick six and the fantastic money that comes with it.  I’ve met them, I've seen it. I’m also a student of World War II history from the German perspective and have spoken with some of these same WW II  veterans at Rockingham Park that fought in Europe. I’ll tell you this too: their stories don’t appear in any history books just like the German’s versions don’t.

I have a great deal of respect for the older handicappers that appear at the historic Rockingham Park in Salem for who they are, their skills in a great but unappreciated sport, and what they’ve contributed to this great country.

As to the Rep. Vailiancourt propaganda machinery I have only one word left.

Loser.

I just looked on the records and I’ve been blogging on NHInsider.com for five years. That’s almost as long as I was in politics in New Hampshire including some of the campaigns that I was involved in.

Thanks for reading my blogs!

I’ll speak for myself as a blog writer I do it because not only do I like some of the issues and describing them but some of the feedback (yours) and how this shapes the discussion and the strategy of whatever the issue is.

So I’ve enjoyed reading your posts as hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading mine. 

But with this being said this winter has been a long one and at times has been very hard almost like a debate or issue that is controlled like lobbyists. It’s like nothing can be said, nothing can be done the fate has been decided. In one sense politics, power and the weather are all very much the same.  Especially some of these individuals that believe they can forecast any of these dynamics, especially the ones that are paid.

Let’s move on.

I’m taking a break from NHInsider.com I need to catch my breath. I don’t know if and when I’ll be coming back I’m thinking about shooting for July 1^st we’ll have to see how it goes.

Thanks again for reading my blogs!

Live Free Or Die.

Steve

Yet some are continuing to deliver quality service to New Hampshire.

White Mountain Community College is one of them.

I was reading in the Littleton Courier newspaper about this school which used to be called Berlin Vo- Tech based in this northern city about some of the capital constraints faced by this school. Believe from memory their stated capital requirement(s) or request for FY 13 is $17 million and the legislature is giving them $8 million instead.

I’ve had my own really positive experience at this school.

Before I became a long-distance truck driver I decided to seek some refresher type of training at this school which has campuses in places like Littleton and Conway. In any case, they didn’t try and sell me anything, instead I was given access to a state of the art trucking simulator which was not only affordable but was like driving the real thing. The instructors were not only expereinced and helpful but they actually taught how to drive instead of how to live in fear which is what some safety departments at trucking companies do. 

Trucking Simulator Like At White Mountain Community College.WMCC features a state of the art simulator and they teach you how to drive a truck.This simulator is also very significant because I would later learn that there are only about three of these simulators east of the Mississippi River and the next closest one is in New Jersey.

This school offer many types of courses including welding.

White Mountain Community College also offers many other programs that can’t be found elsewhere, one such example of this is welding. Again state of the art equipment and instruction at a much more affordable price than can be found at other schools which are far away from tax free New Hampshire.

I think this is beyond scary. It's not about control either, that's already been decided.  The real concern here is what comes next. Name any government entity that ever stops implementing things like Granite State Futures, Agenda 21 and other reaching programs.

They don't stop.

And where exactly is the control? How did these nine Regional Planning Commissions arrive at the decision to accept the millions of dollars in federal grant programs to implement these plans?

Was it ever voted on? Who voted it in?

I'm really glad Rochester opted out. I'm surprised they were even allowed to do this. 

Perhaps there are consequences for their actions... 

Granite State Future faces outspoken opposition

To supporters, statewide planning effort presents a unique opportunity; to opponents, it’s Agenda 21

A Manchester police officer and David Preece, executive director of the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, overlook a Granite State Future Listening session in Manchester.

By Kathleen Callahan

Is A Granite State Future -- a year-old statewide planning project currently being carried out by New Hampshire’s nine regional planning commissions -- actually a plot by the federal government to eventually take private property in New Hampshire?

That’s the viewpoint of some activists in the state who have attended meetings about Granite State Future around New Hampshire to voice their many issues with the project.

The opponents, many associated with the tea party, have a slew of concerns with the statewide planning project, which they say is a top-down federal program that has its roots in a decades-old United Nations sustainability plan called Agenda 21.

“I’ve been tracking it since September 2012. The more layers I peel back on it, the scarier it gets,” said Tim Carter, co-leader of the Lakes Region Tea Party, who has arguably emerged as Granite State Future’s most vocal opponent.

A Meredith resident, he has not just attended most of the Granite State Future listening workshops around the state, but has videotaped them as well. In fact, a cursory YouTube search turns up dozens of videos from Granite State Future meetings in various communities all over the state -- including meetings in Rochester, which, along with Salem, opted out of participation in the Granite State Future process altogether.

The very vocal opposition from certain members of the community has been somewhat surprising for all of the regional planning commissions, said Kerrie Dears, executive director of the Nashua Regional Planning Commission, which has taken the lead on Granite State Future.

“It wasn’t something that we anticipated,” she said. “From our perspective, we’re doing the work we’ve been doing for the last 50 years. That’s why we’re sort of puzzled why folks are so anti-planning, and honestly, I don’t know where they make the UN connection -- that’s sort of a leap that just isn’t there.”

At the core of the opposition to Granite State Future is its funding source: a multimillion-dollar grant from the federal government. Skeptics of Granite State Future see the money as something nefarious that ties New Hampshire’s future to the whims of the federal government.

“If there’s money, there’s strings attached always with the federal government, and that’s just the way it is,” said Lisa Gravel, a Manchester postal carrier who attended an April listening session on Granite State Future at Manchester Community College. “That’s how the federal government works.”

The planners and people behind Granite State Future say that the grant is just that -- a grant, which allows them to fulfill their missions by gaining as much public input into the planning process as possible.

Advisory plans

http://www.nhbr.com/April-19-2013/Granite-State-Future-faces-outspoken-opposition/

Witness a recent letter to the editor by Lincoln Rep. Edmond Gionet. I didn’t read all of it as it was pretty bad. The thrust or gist of the matter was his attempts to amend the pending casino legislation, H.B. 152 thus allowing a casino in northern New Hampshire.

He couldn’t get his own bill though to passage so he’ll simply amend H.B. 152.

Just like that.

This is like putting a fresh coat of paint on the Titanic and offering it for sale with a looming iceberg nearby. Then in his letter Rep. Gionet attacks legislators from the area claiming that: “They’ve said they support expanded casino gaming but they voted against his bill.” Or something to this effect.

A fresh coat of paint and a sales pitch isn't going to stop H.B. 152 from sinking. I stopped reading it after that.

I’m from northern New Hampshire. My impression of the legislators both Republican and Democratic range from very non-committal to negative on the very idea of a “highly regulated and higher end” casino whatever the Gov. Hassan statement really means.

I don't believe Gov. Hassan has even defined her own public statements. Another reason H.B. 152 should be killed.

Ran A Campaign Against Charlie Bass. What Has She Accomplished For New Hampshire?

Lack of constituent service isn’t one of them.

The person that defeated the long-time politician made many promises and sang the various themes as most politicians do.

But grabbing the microphone and the late payment of property taxes aside what is Kuster doing for the Second Congressional District and New Hampshire?

I’ve never even seen her in the northern part of the state never mind any legislative projects that she might be involved with.

Does she even have a district office here?

Let me start with the background: Rest Areas are a luxury this state can no longer afford.

About three years ago facing significant budget challenges the NH DOT decided to close and/or reduce a luxury the state can no longer afford:  Rest Areas.

NH DOT made the right choice. Many states including Delaware are exiting the Rest Area business and instead are leasing them out to the private sector.

You’ll probably never guess what happens when they do this.

Think better facilities that don’t cost the taxpayer a dime.

So it’s 2013 in northern New Hampshire and freshman Senator Jeff Woodburn and newly appointed DRED Commissioner Jeffrey Rose think it’s a good idea to re-open the rest areas that were either closed or reduced by the NH DOT.

Great.

Who is going to pay for this?

Was it ever voted on?

Does the DRED budget include the operation of Rest Areas?

I could go on but I won’t. But something is clearly wrong here, especially the spending part.