Thursday, December 29, 2011

GOP candidates urged to accept climate change by scientists - The Hill's E2-Wire

GOP candidates urged to accept climate change by scientists - The Hill's E2-Wire

.Council wants city to be able to collect property tax on utility poles & conduits

http://www.laconiadailysun.com/node/125692/18661

Hotel by airport closing parking lot | New Hampshire NEWS02

Hotel by airport closing parking lot New Hampshire NEWS02

Only in Print: Water Commission sinks plan to cut rate | New Hampshire NEWS15

Only in Print: Water Commission sinks plan to cut rate New Hampshire NEWS15

North Country: Balsams deal appears key to power plan | Concord Monitor

North Country: Balsams deal appears key to power plan Concord Monitor

Monday, December 26, 2011

Deirdre Fleming: Funding for projects may be headed to Maine | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Deirdre Fleming: Funding for projects may be headed to Maine The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Exeter weight limit on road irks businesses in Brentwood | New Hampshire NEWS06

Exeter weight limit on road irks businesses in Brentwood New Hampshire NEWS06

Story of the year 2011: 9. City clears hurdles in Pennichuck purchase - NashuaTelegraph.com

Story of the year 2011: 9. City clears hurdles in Pennichuck purchase - NashuaTelegraph.com

Around the region: Powering your home - with a Prius? | Concord Monitor

Around the region: Powering your home - with a Prius? Concord Monitor

Concord: Council to keep eye on downtown | Concord Monitor

Concord: Council to keep eye on downtown Concord Monitor

Monitor editorial: Arctic thaw means humans must act | Concord Monitor

Monitor editorial: Arctic thaw means humans must act Concord Monitor

Friday, December 23, 2011

PSNH says Bow scrubber already meeting pollution standards | New Hampshire NEWS02

PSNH says Bow scrubber already meeting pollution standards New Hampshire NEWS02

Seabrook Station VP defends emergency plan | SeacoastOnline.com

Seabrook Station VP defends emergency plan SeacoastOnline.com

Temporary fix allows bridge on Jennison Road in Milford to reopen - NashuaTelegraph.com

Temporary fix allows bridge on Jennison Road in Milford to reopen - NashuaTelegraph.com

State tells towns, 'Put it on our tab' | Concord Monitor

State tells towns, 'Put it on our tab' Concord Monitor

Northern Pass ups offer for Balsams land | Concord Monitor

Northern Pass ups offer for Balsams land Concord Monitor

Sunday, December 18, 2011

I-93 widening project faces shortage of funding for improvements | New Hampshire NEWS

I-93 widening project faces shortage of funding for improvements New Hampshire NEWS

Nashua...From the inside - NashuaTelegraph.com

Nashua...From the inside - NashuaTelegraph.com

Nine Nashua union contracts still unsigned nearly six months later - NashuaTelegraph.com

Nine Nashua union contracts still unsigned nearly six months later - NashuaTelegraph.com

Colors of the season - NashuaTelegraph.com

Colors of the season - NashuaTelegraph.com

Water weeds causing problem in Hudson ponds; town accepts $13K grant to help - NashuaTelegraph.com

Water weeds causing problem in Hudson ponds; town accepts $13K grant to help - NashuaTelegraph.com

Letter: Buy American | Concord Monitor

Letter: Buy American Concord Monitor

Schools: Could school building aid be ranked? | Concord Monitor

Schools: Could school building aid be ranked? Concord Monitor

Monday, December 12, 2011

Memorial Bridge to close for good next month | SeacoastOnline.com

Memorial Bridge to close for good next month SeacoastOnline.com

150-foot sinkhole swallows car | New Hampshire NEWS07

150-foot sinkhole swallows car New Hampshire NEWS07

Deadly stretch of I-93 gets special cable barrier | New Hampshire NEWS07

Deadly stretch of I-93 gets special cable barrier New Hampshire NEWS07

Highway construction project to last until 2015 | Concord Monitor

Highway construction project to last until 2015 Concord Monitor

Franklin: Northern Pass buys 118-acre plot | Concord Monitor

Franklin: Northern Pass buys 118-acre plot Concord Monitor

Sinkhole Closes Beech Street In Manchester - New Hampshire News Story - WMUR New Hampshire

Sinkhole Closes Beech Street In Manchester - New Hampshire News Story - WMUR New Hampshire

Monday, December 5, 2011

US Post Office about to make Fatal Mistake

The US Post Office is about to make an announcement to cut its distribution centers in half. This will save a significant amount of money, but will reduce first class mail delivery times from 1 to 3 days to a minimum of about a week. Before this decision is made, we need to either decide that mail service will be maintained as a subsidized institution that provides vital services to our many businesses or decide to privitize it now before its reduction in reliability destroys its customer base.

Many business failures are the result of a series of small decisions that over time erode customer base. In the end the failure is blamed on the customers' fickle ways with little recognition of how these cost-cutting measures had contributed to the value provided to the customer.

There is no question that mail service has continually changed, but has the post office reacted appropriately to these changes? While express services continue to stay profitable and internet services continue to expand avenues for communication, the post office is losing billions of dollars. To salvage this entity, they must reevaluate their mission statement. Many businesses retain less profitable sectors due to their value to the identity of the company, but they recognize why these sectors are being retained. A good example is Kodak which is still most recognizable to the masses as a camera company even though printing ink cartridges provide most of their profits. To sustain mail service, the postal service will need to expand services into e-mail communication and rapid delivery markets. Without more profitable diversity, the Post Office is doomed if attempts are made to run it as an unsubsidized entity.

The concept of maintaining mail to every citizen is not a profitable business model. If this is the target, mail service will need to be subsidized. As long as that is the understanding, that is fine, but when business practices are applied to a subsidized service it will always lose money or need to significantly reduce service to the outlying (less profitable) elements of the business. Subsidized services can compliment other businesses making for a more profitable society, but when weighed by themselves they continually fall short. Commuter rail service is a good example of this dilema.

Before the Post Office makes this critical decision, it needs to take a  better assessment of its ability to survive in the future as a non-diversified entity providing poor client service. If we are unwilling to maintain postal service through subsidies, then instead of selling off the distribution network, at likely fire-sale prices, the US Post Office should be privatized while it still has significant assets.

Around the Region: Developer floats floodway eatery | Concord Monitor

Around the Region: Developer floats floodway eatery Concord Monitor

Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Day - River Crossings Sometimes Involve a Leap of Faith | News from southeastern Connecticut

The Day - River Crossings Sometimes Involve a Leap of Faith News from southeastern Connecticut

Only in Print: Minus rival Southwest, US Airways flight to Philadelphia to cost more | New Hampshire NEWS15

Only in Print: Minus rival Southwest, US Airways flight to Philadelphia to cost more New Hampshire NEWS15

My Turn: Committee unbiased on Northern Pass | Concord Monitor

My Turn: Committee unbiased on Northern Pass Concord Monitor

PSNH: Storm efforts a success - Page 2 | Concord Monitor

PSNH: Storm efforts a success - Page 2 Concord Monitor

Lack of farms to blame? | Concord Monitor

Lack of farms to blame? Concord Monitor

Suncook River could get protections | Concord Monitor

Suncook River could get protections Concord Monitor

Canterbury: Local farmers lose town vote | Concord Monitor

Canterbury: Local farmers lose town vote Concord Monitor