A New Shape

I just finished reading an article by Richard Florida in The Atlantic magazine by the title "How The Crash Will Reshape America". I'll quote the leading paragraph for the sake of accuracy; " The crash of 2008 continues to reverberate loudly nationwide-destroying jobs, bankrupting businesses, and displacing homeowners. But already, it has damaged some places much more severely than others. On one side of the crisis, America's economic landscape will look very different than it does today. What fate will the coming years hold for New York, Charlotte, Detroit, Las Vegas? Will the suburbs be ineffably changed? Which cities and regions can come back strong? And which will never come back at all"?  Another chapter in the article is titled "The last crisis of the factory towns" Again I feel I have to quote; "Sadly and unjustly, the places likely to suffer most from the crash-especially in the long run-are the ones least associated with high finances. While the crisis may have begun in New York, it will likely find its fullest bloom in the interior of the country-in older, manufacturing regions whose heydays are long past."  I would never admit to being a pessimist, and even today I see many opportunities for Berlin and the region. I quote this article to wake us up to the need to think of ourselves in new ways and to urge us to get off our backsides. When reading this article, it becomes obvious that the communities that will survive this crash and reshaping are those who can change their collective attitudes and focus. The article screams at places like Berlin and the North Country to wake up to the threat of becoming but a memory in history. (We have examples of local places once important, now diminished, places like Percy, Crystal, Stratford and Columbia, victims of other crashes) To the optimist like myself, this is all about the opportunity to re-invent ourselves and capture the best that life in the 21st century has to offer. We need to find the strength to push the pain of our losses with the closing of the mills out of our daily lives. We need to accept without regret that those "good old days" will not come back and that we need to create "new good days" and that they may not look anything like the old ones. We have entered a post industrial period and the collapse of the paper industry has caught us flat footed. It's time for us to roll-up our sleves as did our grandparents and carve-out a piece of the new economic pie from the many resources we're blessed with having in the North Country.

Comments

[Jonathan Edwards]

Berlin's opposition to this plant will not only depend on its population for support but also those who should be filing to intervene. Businesses impacted by the very resource that fuels the north country, environmentalists, the elderly and disabled within close proximity to the plant, those within the medical field, businesses within the city that recognize this plant as a negative, and the city itself. What will give any intervening a backbone, though, will be the areas population voicing their opposition outside of thank you's to others who are doing so as they cross paths.

[Rocky]

...and Jon, how do you think this will come together?

[Jillian]

I would think the subject of Berlin shrinking to nothing unless we reshape it would bring about a lively discussion. Do the people just don't care or have they given up? Watching our kids leave after high school to never see them again should motivate us to do something, at least try different things. What is the average person waiting for?

[Jonathan Edwards]

nine phone calls each last 10 seconds, Rocky. I have them ready to go, but don't anticipate having to dial.

[Rocky]

Jon, sorry but I don't get it?????????

[Jonathan Edwards]

Sorry Rocky, you asked how all of this will come together. I have a list of 9 entities (outside of city hall) who I believe are very interested in intervening if need be. I would call representatives of these various organizations to "come together" to discuss concerns. I don't anticipate having to contact them, however, as I think PSNH may weigh out that they have too much on their plate right now with Bow. I don't think PSNH needs the bad publicity of three negatives (major fights in Bow AND Berlin and noise issues surfacing at Schiller due to the removal of silencers without permission) I believe it would impact a decision against PSNH's interests in Bow. At a minimum Bow's fight will be delaying PSNH's further involvement in Berlin. All in my opinion of course.

[Jonathan Edwards]

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090627/NEWS01/906270401

[Timothy Gordon]

Jon, your "posse", do they wear white hats and sing while riding their horses? Or they more the shining their armor while awaiting the call? Oh, I know, "knights in white satin" now that might even get me out to hear that one again.

[Wing Nut]

Hi all,

It has been a while since I've posted so I though I'd drop a line and let you know my recent thoughts. It has occurred to me more and more often lately that the LLEG plant probably will be constructed. Here is my reasoning;

1.) It is private property and it is zoned for industrial use. Let's face it, none of us would want anybody telling us how to use our own property, particularly if that use was okay per current zoning.

2.) The plant has strong blue collar support (particularly from people who used to work in the pulp & paper industry or are still currently working at Fraser). Do not underestimate the power of blue collar support, particularly when you have a Governor who claims to be a strong supporter of this demographic.

3.) Economy (here & around the country) - It sucks. Let's face it, people want good paying jobs and this plant will provide them. Hard to argue against that logic, even if it is only 30 or 40 direct jobs.

4.) Green energy - While we all know that this plant is not carbon neutral (by any means), it is not fueled by foreign oil and I have to say that I personally hate foreign oil.

5.) Local political support - John Gallus is supporting this project behind the scenes. I don't know what kind of clout he has but it certainly helps LLEG if our Senator strongly supports the project.

6.) PSNH support - Everyone knows that PSNH wants this project to happen mainly due to the Governor's 25% by 2025 initiative.

Folks, let's face it, this plant is coming. On a good note, the tax revenue from the plant will help the City. I think I’m over being angry about the plant. If the owner of this property wants to build a plant and the property is zoned for this use, then so be it. What right do I have to try to stop him? As a strong supporter of Republican ideals (individual freedom, private property rights, free market, etc.) I’m no longer sure that opposing this plant is the right thing to do. We may not like it, but that is too damn bad. Jon, good luck with the fight but you may be facing a losing battle.

Take care.......WN.

[Rocky]

Hold on there Wing Nut..............#1 Yes it's zoned industrial, but it's a "new use" for that boiler. It was an oil fired recovery boiler, not a fluidized bed biomass steam boiler. If you took a VW bug cut it open and converted it into an ATV, I bet the State Police would say it didn't belong on the streets anymore. #2 I don't believe it has blue collar support. I bet that 75% of mill workers I've talked to want the boiler gone. #3 Good paying jobs? Says who? Have you seen how many and at what pay scale? How much do you think the front loader operator will make or the guy telling them where to dump the chips? #4 You may hate oil, but chips to electricity is an efficiency nightmare (25%-30%)that may just get outlawed. #5 John who? Gallus has no credibility. Not too many people take him seriously here or in Concord. #6 PSNH credibility is as bad as Gallus's. Everybody knows that it's a self serving company, even the PUC. So don't throw the towel in yet, this has a long way to go before it generates its first electron!

[Wing Nut]

Thanks for straightening me out Rocky. You make very valid points. At heart I'm still opposed to the concept of a Biomass plant in downtown Berlin but I'm starting to feel like the opposition is losing momentum on this one (and perhaps rightfully so). The permit application will certainly be an interesting read and I'm curious to see who will file as interveners. I realize this process will take a long time to play out and there are no guarantees either way. Take care.......WN.

[Bite me Laidlaw]

WN, mark these words, Laidlaw will not file the application. Period end of story. May as well start thinking about what you want on that site. There are just to many issues for them to overcome. It was never going to happen. For Bartoszek and his kool aid drinking cult followers on ihub it was always about making money on stock. PSNH will never make it happen. They cannot overcome all the obstacles. Anyone who believes this thing is still a possibility just need to wait a little longer to see that what I am saying will come to pass. Bye Bye Laidlaw and your loser followers.

[V.]

When one door closes..... Good day and enjoy the decline....

[Rocky]

Wing Nut, I thought you would find interesting that your comments on this blog were copied to the I-Hub LLEG investors blog as proof that Laidlaw is winning the hearts and minds of people in Berlin. Also interesting is the fact that they never quoted my reply to your 6 points. I think the lesson here is that when we have a situation like this, just one person giving up can give others on the fence a reason to jump off. WN, they hope to wear us down with their bs.

[Wing Nut]

Rocky,

Understood. I'm not giving up. I'm just thinking out loud on this blog. Others have given up the fight and that is very unfortunate. Those that have given up basically believe that there is nothing that can be done to stop the plant. I still hold out hope that the State will deny the permit but my gut tells me that this one may eventually get approved. Don't forget, some investment firm has apparently agreed to pony up $100 million to build this thing (and have LLEG run it) and as you know money talks & BS walks in this country. Obviously the $100 million dollar investor believes it is going to happen. It makes me wonder what the investor knows about the issues that we don't know (e.g. grid capacity problems, wood supply problems, place in the queue, etc.). I'm very much looking forward to reading the permit application (should it ever be submitted). Take care...........WN

[Voice of reason]

Wing - also that 100 million dollar investor will probably also fund a lawsuit if LLEG needs to file to protect their rights to run a business. As long as the mayor doesn't do anything illegal I don't think a lawsuit will be filed. I think you should speak your mind you know the plant will be built. The permit will be filed and those that don't think it will be are just kidding themselves now it may be a battle getting all the approvals and road blocks put up by the Mayor and his band of merry men but the permit will be filed that is a fact. Mark my words. VOR

[Voice of reason]

Whatever happened to the June 18 dog and pony show I haven't heard anything about it I guess it was a non event and LLEG made the correct decision not to attend? VOR

[Voice of reason]

Maybe they will miss their mid-August time line but they will file.

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=382815378205116668&postID=5722489224924022213

VOR

[Matthew]

One could very easily label the group that regularly posts on this blog as a group of "kool aid drinkers" as well.

BTW, WN, your article was not copied to show that the opposition has given up. Another poster posted something very similar to your post just hours before and I had asked that person if the copied post belonged to him. Turned out it didn't but it was very similar. Read and you'll understand.

Good day to all.

Matthew