On July 31, 2009, Shott Solar, Inc., closes its doors and with the closing, the town loses another 200+ jobs; 180 of which are full-time positions. Shott Solar, Inc. is building a $100,000,000.00 facility in New Mexico and cites a need to “streamline” its business.

Streamline is a cute name for moving jobs to save costs; salary, benefit and other operating expenses; including and especially tax laws. The Hispanic group LaRaza, it seems, has also grown a fondness for using the word “streamline” in a new context as well.

Massachusetts has had a continuing problem with abandoned businesses that have suddenly left the Commonwealth for greener pastures. The Commonwealth’s Economic Development Incentive Program which offers the means and taxpayer money to bribe companies into either coming into the Bay State or expanding their business, seems to be having little to no effect on the local economy. In an interview regarding the loss of Nortel and now Jabil, earlier this year, Rich Scanlon and then Selectman O’Donnell stated that the surge in job loss seems to be a trend that began with the closure of the Boston Globe facility. The attribute it due to the “dot.com” industry’s failure. Never once did it dawn on them that perhaps Massachusetts is a bad place to do business; especially in a bad economy. If you want to improve matters, don’t you have to admit that maybe, at least part of the problem stems from you?

Instead of bringing in a boom of jobs; it seems the influx of Certified Project jobs through block grants cannot keep pace with the exodus of companies struggling to make a profit in a State known for inflated wages & benefits, recalcitrant unions, and inept but dictatorial government intrusion into the day to day operations of industry. Just as Massachusetts has been a bad neighbor for N.H., it has been a poor host for business.

It seem that no lessone was learned when Massachusetts chased away auto insurers with the dumb policies of “sharing the misery of trying to share the wealth”. The Commonwealth made some changes to its legal policies and requirements regarding insurance companies, and lo and behold, many of those who left with their money and investments came back. Rates have dropped, extra cash flow has been made available; but it’s not enough to make up for the losses the government seems built to create.

In that vein, one who looks ahead should clearly see more job losses on the horizon directly attributable to the Commonwealth’s insatiable demand for money and its tyrannical means of obtaining it; no matter how hard it hurts. The passage of the sales tax hike from 5% to 6.5% is going to devastate small business, especially, those struggling to survive as it is along the border region. The tax is now high enough to justify an extend drive to shop above the border to avoid taxes.

The Commonwealth’s classless pursuit of revenue above the border by threatening businesses located in New Hampshire and Massachusetts with penalties for not acting as Commonwealth Revenue Agents has already turned New Hampshire government hostile. They have legislation pending that will forbid any New Hampshire company from providing sales or tax information to any entity outside of New Hampshire.

So, not only is the Commonwealth chasing money and jobs across the border with poor fiscal policy and a refusal to cut spending and realign hack pension and other benefit programs with those of the private sector; it is now engaged in a mutual self destruction war with New Hampshire.

My question goes out to the reps for our area: State Representative William Greene, Billerica; U.S. Representative Nikki Tsongas, Lowell; U.S. Senator John Kerry and U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy – what are you going to do to reverse this trend and how do you plan to help stabilize the economic well being of Commonwealth citizens; particularly those of Billerica?

One more question: “Who is John Galt?”