Governor Hassan's Export Data More Than Faulty - Granite Grok

Governor Hassan’s Export Data More Than Faulty

About that 22% increase in Exports from New Hampshire you’ve been bragging about, Governor Hassan…its from Bakken-Fracking Shale Oil that didn’t even stop in New Hampshire!?

oilBusiness NH Magazine

Export data from the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Commerce updated in June does show NH’s exports increased 20 percent between 2012 and 2013 to $4.2 billion. (Data released earlier this year showed 22 percent growth as originally touted by the governor.) Driving that growth was $673 million in crude oil exports to Canada, making it NH’s second largest export. In fact, crude oil exports to Canada from NH skyrocketed 44,053 percent from $1.5 million in 2012.

The only problem? That crude oil merely travels on a train through NH from other locations to Canada, and most likely never stops here. When Business NH Magazine asked a variety of state officials where that oil comes from, given that NH neither produces nor refines oil, no one had an answer. Federal officials also could not offer answers despite issuing the statistics and the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. declined to provide more details citing “data disclosure constraints.”

Here’s what we do know. Take out that crude oil and NH exports grew only 0.7 percent.

(Emphasis mine.)  More…

As NH has no oil drilling, one might assume that someone here is importing crude oil and adding value to the oil. But the Energy Information Administration (EIA) lists no petroleum refineries in the Granite State. Perhaps oil is being shipped by a NH company through the Port of NH in Portsmouth? That’s a “no,” according to Geno Marconi, director of the NH Division of Ports and Harbors, who says there have been no such shipments through the port.

This entire issue could also create political problems in Gov. Hassan’s reelection bid, given that she cited export data to support a controversial trade mission to Turkey, ending a press release about the mission with this line: “The bipartisan budget that Governor Hassan signed last year increased international trade assistance and restored funding for trade missions to help businesses market and sell their products around the globe. These efforts to strengthen international trade helped make New Hampshire the fastest-growing state for exports in 2013 when business exports rose 22 percent.”

Governor Hassan’s Export Data More Than Faulty

Democrat Governor Hassan is taking export credit for oil obtained through fracking that just happened to stroll through the state on its way to Canada?  How’s that for ironic.  Does this mean she has to turn in her “Green” card?

You want to take oil credits Mags?  Build some refineries in the North Country.  Get the trains to stop, refine the oil there, and then export the by-product– and then you’ll got something that not only allows you to take credit, it would create jobs and generate a lot more long term revenue than mythical gaming license fees.

In the mean time, since none of that will ever happen, Governor Hassan should consider basing her next “trade mission” to Turkey on increased exports as a result of hunting tourism in Canada because the geese they shoot up there might have flown over New Hampshire on their way back north.

 

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