The state’s budget laws are often ignored. The general public knows this and so routinely believes that, no matter what they hear, some wool is being pulled over their eyes. The details often prove the public right. This year’s budget includes a diversion of $28 million of supposedly dedicated highway fund revenue in violation of a law that is only a few years old and already being ignored.

According to the foreclosure tracking firm RealtyTrac, 512 New Hampshire residential properties received foreclosure notices in January. While this is an increase from the 405 in December, the number of filings seen last month is substantially lower than the 2012 monthly average.

The governor’s budget address last week, while surprisingly incomplete, did reveal some troubling trends as well as a few pieces of good news. There are a lot of details we can’t figure out until she finishes the budget detail (which was due last Friday) but we do have a sense of the priorities she has set.

Today, the governor presents her budget to the Legislature. Every program and priority of the administration is part of the budget. The discussions and negotiations over those priorities include dozens of decisions that must balance revenue estimates and spending priorities.

Charlie Arlinghaus February 6, 2013 As originally published in the New Hampshire Union Leader As the governor and legislature struggle to put together a balanced budget, regulators are consider two budget dangers: helping the federal government regulate the new federal health law (the health care exchange) and a costly expansion of Medicaid. Lawmakers should move […]

There is a common misconception that the state has not studied this idea recently; however two lengthy studies have been completed in the past six years. One was done in 2007 by the Passenger Rail Taskforce looked at service to Manchester and the other in 2010 by TranSystems for the NH Rail Authority, NHDOT and the Nashua Rail Planning Commission which looked at the entire corridor to Concord. While neither study recommends for or against introducing commuter rail, they provide a wealth of information as to how much the route would cost.

From the studies it is clear that constructing the route in its entirety to Concord would cost roughly $300 million and require subsidies of $11 million a year to operate.

As we do every month, we take a closer look at the monthly jobs report, released the first Friday of the month. January saw the national unemployment rate increase from 7.8% to 7.9%. Looking into the data, there are few signs of growth. In short, much like December, January saw the labor market remain in neutral.

Much has been made in the past few years over the dysfunction of Illinois’ finances and the legislature’s inability to get the state’s fiscal house in order; however, rating agencies are taking a closer look at another factor that weighs heavily on state finances: pensions.

Educational opportunity is something we all want for our children but is under threat in New Hampshire in 2013. While the wealthy can choose among many options to find the best fit for their children, two small programs that increase options for poor people in New Hampshire are both under attack. If opponents succeed in killing the state’s modest charter school program and the school choice scholarship program, educational opportunity will still be a reality for rich people but not for poorer members of the Granite State.

According to the foreclosure tracking firm RealtyTrac, foreclosure filings in New Hampshire fell again in December, marking the third straight month of decreases. Statewide, 405 houses received a foreclosure filing, compared to 578 in November and 739 in October. There are currently 3703 foreclosure properties in the state.