Regional Economic Prosperity in NH.

It's ironic that a sense of regional economic prosperity in New Hampshire might have to come from nearby Maine as we are unable to do it for ourselves.

Sad.

This is a UTUBE video about the progress of the Black Bear Casino off 26 in Oxford, Maine which once completed I think will be the closest full scale casino to most of central and northern New Hampshire. I haven't calculated the mileages to Foxwoods, Montreal or the Turning Stone in Verona, New York but I think Oxford, Maine is still closer.

I think the Black Bear will do well it's already near a tourism based economy and it's not so far off the beaten path that it will build a market on it's own. There are anti-casino factions in Portland that are complaining of all the toll paying traffic that is going to come to Portland enroute to the Black Bear. Horrible isn't it all this revenue, taxbase and economic prosperity that will come into southwest Maine.

Take that Mr. Social Capital Lew Feldstein and the New Hampshire Chairitible Foundation!  

It's too bad the policymakers in Concord can't have any sense of vision to find economic prosperity in Hampshire. Instead it will go to Maine.

Cornerstone Prop Bet.

So I'm reading the Boston Globe and the political developments concerning expanded casino gaming in Massachusetts. If passed, I'm confident will meet with results similar to what the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is now experiencing:

Jobs.

Tourism.

State Revenue Growth.

Proactive policy for the future and imagine that. Nearby Maine is also poised to pass similar legislation actually, the former textile mills in Lewiston is the proposed site for yet another multi million dollar casino proposal and doesn't take a degree in rocket science to see where this will lead. Then in New Hampshire comes this:

"Commenting on these developments was Cornerstone Action Executive Director, Kevin Smith:"

“Once again, our neighbor to the south is leading the way in how not to grow an economy and improve the quality of life for its citizens. At the same time, with Massachusetts now saturating the casino market with four new facilities, along with Maine considering adding two more casinos in addition to their existing two, it should be abundantly clear to lawmakers here that there is no market for casinos in New Hampshire – and the Granite State is better off for it.”

I'm curious as to how Mr. Smith could support any of these statements with reality. I don't think he can. This is like saying that there are ski areas in Maine and Vermont and therefor there is no market for skiing in New Hampshire. And it's clear that the societal thinker Mr. Smith doesn't know anything about consumer behavior or the demographics of the gaming market because if he did he wouldn't be saying stupidity like this.

And he actually wants to be a candidate for Governor of New Hampshire

This is a prop bet. And a bad one at that.