Our first experience in life with our Mom’s is where we make them uncomfortable, tired, sick in the mornings, and then a time of great pain. That’s our first impression on them. As we grow up in those first years, we continue to be little pains… and they love us anyway, unconditionally.  Our Moms teach us that no matter how we screw up, disappoint, and even fail, we are loved just as much anyway.  We are nothing without the Moms of the world.  Thank you to all the Moms.  I shudder to think what we, as a people, would be without their selfless love and support.  Happy Mother’s Day

Just a couple of weeks after it was reported that Oregon was abandoning its problem-riddled state exchange, earlier this week, Massachusetts announced it is following suit. The overhaul the MA state exchange had to go through to make it compatible with Obamacare has raised many technological problems with the system.
Massachusetts recently announced that it is hiring a company that will build a new state exchange, due to go live for the next enrollment period that begins on November 15th. Because of the uncertainty that this state exchange overhaul will be completed by the time the enrollment period begins, MA will simultaneously be shifting citizens on to the federal exchange.
This is a significant blow to state exchanges since MA’s exchange, which started in 2006, became the model for state exchanges nation-wide. Thousands of MA residents were placed on temporary Medicaid with the anticipation that they would be transitioned on to the state exchange, if they qualified. However, due to exchange failures, people have been unable to make the transition off temporary Medicaid, which was set to phase out by January and has now been extended through June, has ended up costing the state millions of dollars per month.
How much has this technological debacle cost Massachusetts taxpayers? The state had a $69 million contract with CGI, the same company that was a major developer of the beleaguered federal insurance website and the same company that had an $84 million contract to oversee the building of the Vermont exchange. The $69 million price tag does not include the cost of fixes and workarounds associated with the poor performance.
This further shows NH made the right decision of not implementing its own state exchange

Here is a great real life, local story about why NH should keep it’s taxes low, and it’s regulations less burdensome.

http://watchdog.org/143293/newbury-village-store/

By Bruce Parker | Vermont Watchdog

When Dave and Eileen McKnelly bought the Newbury Village Store in picturesque Newbury, Vt., the former New Hampshire couple thought they had made it.

“We came here to fulfill our dream, the American Dream, to raise and provide for our three children, be part of a community and make a positive impact,” Dave McKnelly told Vermont Watchdog.

But the owners of the 175-year-old country store say Vermont’s business environment may now force them to close the store for good, turning their lifelong dream into a nightmare.

“With the taxes we’ve been encountering this year, one of the serious options my wife and I looked at is Dec. 31 we’re going to close the store,” McKnelly said.

McKnelly said policies by Gov. Peter Shumlin’s administration have forced costs to escalate far beyond what his business can manage.

“It’s not just the minimum wage increase — it’s the increased payroll tax, increased Medicaid, increased workers’ comp fees and increased unemployment fees,” McKnelly said.

Not only would a mandatory wage hike force McKnelly to pay an additional $100 or more per week to minimum-wage employees, it would require him to give raises to higher-wage workers as well — labor costs he said he can’t afford.

“For me to be able to raise my revenues to a point where I can offset the minimum wage increase is daunting,” McKnelly said.

In addition to labor-related costs, the Newbury resident said a single-payer health plan tax hike looms for his store.

“With Shumlin’s new budget proposal, one of the line items he’s proposed is to help pay for the single-payer medical program. So it means my payroll tax is going to increase 12 percent per employee to pay for that — and my employees are going to pay between 5 and 6 percent.”

Situated on the Vermont-New Hampshire border just 35 miles from Dartmouth College, Newbury Village Store serves customers with backgrounds ranging from farming and academia to logging and professional services.

Despite the store’s broad appeal, McKnelly said new taxes are forcing Vermonters to cross the border to buy goods.

“We live in a border town with New Hampshire, which doesn’t have a sales tax. They have a minimal cigarette tax and beer tax — so they’re my major competition,” he said.

New Hampshire’s 0-percent sales tax is a threat to Vermont businesses.

Not only does Vermont have a 6-percent sales tax for most items, tobacco and alcohol get taxed at extremely high rates — and customers notice.

According to McKnelly, cigarettes that cost $8.64 in Vermont cost $5.65 across the river in New Hampshire. The price difference explains why the Newbury Village Store sells $1,500 of tobacco products a week while competitors across the border sell $25,000.

“I’ve often joked that if I could shut this place down, pick it up, and move it across the river to New Hampshire, I could literally look at the entrance to my backyard and I’d be doing great,” he said.

Some businesses are moving to New Hampshire.

“Trout River Brewing Company is looking to close down in Vermont and go to Lebanon, New Hampshire, because of the tax base,” McKnelly said. “Other companies are shutting down and moving across the border as well.”

Although McKnelly gave his testimony at the statehouse this year, lawmakers didn’t seem to be listening.

“Governor Shumlin thinks the state of Vermont is doing phenomenal. My comment to him was if you continue to impose taxes on small and medium-sized businesses, we’ll be forced to close down or go across the border.”

The problem with Montpelier, McKnelly said, is that lawmakers don’t notice when small businesses close shop or lay off employees — yet closings and layoffs quickly add up.

“If you take all of the little retail stores in the state of Vermont, and you look at all the people they employ and the taxes we pay, if they all decided to close down their stores, the state would go belly up in about a week. We employ a majority of the people in the state of Vermont.”

Contact Bruce Parker at bparker@watchdog.org

Please, feel free to “steal our stuff”! Just remember to credit Watchdog.org

http://wntk.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/newport-honors-bev-and-henry-rodeschin/

The Town of Newport dedicated its town report to Beverly and Henry Rodeschin, at Monday Night’s Selectboard’s meeting. The couple is responsible for the growth of NH and the development of the town of Newport. Henry served on numerous Town boards throughout the years including the Newport Selectboard, and Beverly served as a Selectboard member from 1999 to 2012. Beverly also served as State Representative for 11 terms.   Former Town Manager Dan O’Neill paid tribute in writing and said “They are two of the hardest working and dedicated public servants I have ever encountered. I can’t think of two more deserving people then Henry and Beverly Rodeschin for this year’s dedication. Thank you Henry and Bev for your dedicated service.”

Bill Duncan appointed to he Board of Education? Really? This makes as much sense as appointing Karl Rove or James Carville to a board tasked with keeping partisanship out of politics. http://nhgop.org/news/nhgop-to-hassan-withdraw-duncan-nomination