The people have spoken...

We're a little less than a month removed from mid-term elections 2006. The war in Iraq was correctly seen for what it is, and our sitting president is now a lame duck. 'Milk-and-cookies' diplomacy will now be given a chance, and two years hence--in 2008--we'll have a chance to see whether that was the right course to take. For now, it's hard to argue with those who say change was needed.

At a more micro level, our state of New Hampshire bears watching. We're now much more Democratic than we've ever been. The 'Live Free or Die' State is looking a whole lot like 'Massachusetts North.' In an ironic twist, many folks from Massachusetts--fed up with the goings-on in that Liberally-charged state--are fleeing to New Hampshire. But they're taking their baggage with them. Many of them want the things they had 'back home,' and that means higher taxes.

But the whole issue of 'taxes' has New Hampshire residents in a tizzy. Everything that needs funding here (read: schools) falls on the back of the local property tax. There is no income tax; there is no sales tax. That means there's no way for the State of New Hampshire to play 'Robin Hood.' And to this writer, that's a good thing. While my property tax is rather high, I know my dollars are staying within the town.

As projections and studies point to job and population growth for New Hampshire in the next several years, similar studies are pointing to just the opposite for Massachusetts. It will be interesting to see how our state evolves over the next few years, and whether the 'Live Free or Die' motto falls by the wayside in much the same way our beloved 'Old Man of the Mountain' did a few years ago.