by Anura Guruge
on January 15, 2021
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I wasn’t sure whether I was surprised or shocked when I saw this #1 ranking for ‘New Hampshire‘ in the U.K. ‘Daily Mail’ (which I read (at least) 4 times a day).
I moved to New Hampshire, in 1986, because I was captivated by the ‘Live Free Or Die’ motto that I saw on a car license plate. I knew I had to live there, i.e., New Hampshire (as opposed to ‘Taxachusetts‘, i.e., ‘Massachusetts‘). I had a job, with Wang, in MA but I knew I wanted to live in NH.
That, amazingly, was 36 years ago.
Suffice to say much water has flown under the numerous NH bridges over those many years.
Soon after I moved I discovered, to my horror (& to those of some others) that NH had NO ordinance against ‘explosive blasting’. So, the folks who had bought the empty lot next to us in extremely rural ‘New Ipswich‘ could use dynamite, with abandonment, to break up the granite ledge (that NH is so famous for) so that they could dig out space for their basement. NOTHING. They didn’t even have to notify the abutters. That was how free the State was. Not sure what the regulations are now for blasting. Though I made numerous calls I am not sure whether anything got changed.
I personally don’t feel that NH is that FREE — especially having been a small business owner. But, I really have no experience of any other states.
But, I am glad that NH is ranked #1 in terms of the FREEEST States. That is cool. Makes me smile.