Commentary
The path to a fairer, more humane immigration system
We have a humanitarian crisis that is impacting people across our nation due to our outdated immigration system. Nationally, many cities and towns are responding compassionately and creatively to the influx of migrants due to climate disruption, civil war, and persecution but the situation is being exploited politically. In my volunteer work, I’ve heard hundreds […]
In Granite State, investments in public education are key to a prosperous, inclusive future
New Hampshire’s state government contributed the smallest percentage of total local education revenue to local public K-12 education of any state in the nation, according to 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data. Using another metric, for every $1,000 in income, New Hampshire state funding ranked 47th in contributions to state revenue for public elementary and secondary education, […]
The art of creating artists
Hanging on the wall at the foot of our loft stairs is a painting of Mount Cardigan. The artist, Gary Hamel, lives in a little house tucked into the base of the mountain in Orange, New Hampshire. He was born and raised there, and has made a living with his art. But he’s made a […]
New Hampshire’s place in green hydrogen’s future
Both the recent pandemic and the Russian war against Ukraine have radically changed the energy expectations in many parts of the world. A recent article by staff at the Rocky Mountain Institute titled “From Deep Crisis, Profound Change” explains that both events have resulted in governments and businesses reconsidering the benefits of renewable energy sources. […]
Housing crisis is harming New Hampshire’s economy and its communities
New Hampshire’s housing shortage has contributed to record-high home and rental prices. According to the 2023 New Hampshire Statewide Housing Needs Assessment, housing in the Granite State currently falls short of needs by an estimated 23,500 housing units. By 2040, New Hampshire will need nearly 90,000 units to meet the state’s housing demand. Costs for a […]
Legislature deserves thanks for investing in NH’s youngest learners
The experiences children have in their earliest years play a crucial role in healthy development and learning, as evidenced by research on children’s rapid brain development during early childhood. Children under 5 who are enrolled in quality child care programs enter school better prepared to thrive. Decades of research shows that learning experiences in early […]
When government works
Did you ever hear someone complain about government? Did you ever hear someone not complain about government, more like it? From the diner to the debate stage and across social media, it has become a ritual, almost reflexive, practice among Americans to pooh-pooh all things emanating from Washington, D.C. In fact, listening to the recent […]
Going far together: A new way to look at mental health
Mental health professionals like me often write about things such as the discrimination we call stigma, or the need for greater awareness of and funding for treatment services, or the powerful, life-changing work accomplished by treatment and service professionals every day throughout our state and nation. While all this is solidly true, let’s think about […]
Why live in New Hampshire?
About 50 years ago, just after finishing graduate school in Ohio, I made the decision to decline some good job offers and move back to New Hampshire. Well, moving back might be a bit of an overstatement, as my life in New Hampshire up until age 24 consisted of summers as a kid on a […]
On Constitution Day, thoughts of gerrymandering, money in politics, and other modern problems
Raphael’s “School of Athens,” painted in the early 16th century, famously depicts Plato and Aristotle in dialogue about their respective philosophical approaches. Plato points skyward to emphasize the primacy of abstract principles – found in the Realm of Forms – whereas Aristotle extends the palm of his hand over the ground, emphasizing the need to […]
Editor’s Notebook: As within, so without
Technology is the mind made external. From sensors to computer memory to artificial intelligence, human beings have dedicated their very existence to shifting the inner world to the outer, with dreams of duplicating or even surpassing the organism itself. Look around you right now, and whatever you see should make it clear that the mind […]
Frost, friendship, and a longing for poetic simplicity
The Granite State claims the beloved poet Robert Frost as its own, and with one of his collections actually titled “New Hampshire,” it seems perfectly appropriate to do so. For those of us raised here, Frost became part of the fabric of our education, and many of us probably still carry visions of stone walls, […]