Finances Archives - Granite Grok

COLQUHOUN: Mismanaged Finances

August 15, 2026 Laura Colquhoun

Nashua taxpayers deserve full transparency, accuracy, and candor from their elected officials. Recent developments, however, raise serious concerns about how Mayor Jim Donchess and the Board of Aldermen are managing the City’s finances, and how residents are being informed about those decisions. The FY2026 budget initially presented to residents totaled $474,895,381. Yet the City now … Read more

COLQUHOUN: Declining Transparency in Nashua’s Financial Administration

August 6, 2026 Laura Colquhoun

Nashua residents deserve a city government that is transparent, accountable, and respectful of the people it serves. Over the past several years, however, the City of Nashua’s financial administration has moved in the opposite direction, away from openness and toward practices that make it harder for residents to understand how their tax dollars are being … Read more

SMITH: Camille Pattison’s Fiscal ‘Agency’

July 10, 2026 Julie Smith

Most readers are aware by now that there isn’t much ‘Grok readership in Ward 2, Nashua. Just look at the serial absence of representation in City Hall and the House, election after election, going back several cycles. Having “marked myself safe” from Alderman Dowd before last fall’s election, I can share good news: all of … Read more

MACDONALD: Miz. Omar, We’re From the IRS and We Have Questions

April 24, 2026April 24, 2026 Steve MacDonald

Ilhan Omar is no stranger to controversy. Like many a Squad member, she invites it. It amps her Q rating with cat-litter-lugging divorced liberal wine moms. Karens, AWFLs, they love that stuff. It makes someone committed to creating an American Despotism, possibly even a Theocratic one, look like she’s a rebel fighting the system. The … Read more

Help New Hampshire Support Its Student’s Financial Literacy

September 11, 2023 Steve MacDonald

Can you be at Granite State College this Thursday by 10 AM because your help is needed? The State Board of Education will vote on whether to approve an optional financial literacy course for New Hampshire students, and the opposition is expected to be fierce.

What Steps Can You Take to Achieve Your Desired Financial Health

October 12, 2023October 11, 2022 Guest Contributor

Over the course of the past few years, many people have begun to take more of an interest in and a hands-on approach to their personal finance. Driven in part by Covid-19 lockdowns, when people forced to stay indoors decided to assess their assets to pass the time, ensuring a stable and sustainable financial future … Read more

Sorry, but a Lot of Nashua Mayor Donchess’s Financial Laments Are Due to His Administration’s Actions

June 23, 2021 Laura Colquhoun

He complains that the State is requiring $4+ million in “new” pension plan payments. What, he hasn’t known what’s going on? Did he take his eyes off the Bigger Pictures?

NH Only Ranks 24th Nationally for Financial Health – We Need to Do Better

September 24, 2020 Steve MacDonald

The Granite State has a way of doing very well on just about every metric. But we’ve got a few Achilles heels. We rely too much on federal money, and our pension debt is an ugly bruise we’re trying to heal. And then came COVID, which also impacted our Truth in Accounting’s Financial State of the States report ranking.

THIS is Delayed Gratification!

July 30, 2020 Skip

One of my (and should be EVERYONE’S!) pet peeves is the Left’s utter denigration of delayed gratification. The sense of putting off immediate desires for better outcomes in the future.

How to Borrow Money Responsibly

June 17, 2020March 24, 2020 Third Party Content

While many of us don’t want to get into debt, there are some instances where you may need to borrow money. Whether it’s taking out a loan or applying for a credit card, there are several things that you can do to ensure you pay it off quickly, as well as make sure that it … Read more

Is a stealth financial “lock up” starting to happen?

October 27, 2019 Skip

I do look at CNN, mostly for the business side as their presentation of the markets is better than some of the others. There, I saw this post and started scratching my head as I haven’t seen this anywhere else in the “general issues” sites that I visit. I’m not a financial geek and I’m … Read more

China: not as strong as the media tells us?

October 16, 2019October 16, 2019 Skip

I remember when Germany was going to beat the pants off us economically. Japan back in the 70s. Rumors for South Korea – ditto. And the European Union, with its free trade emphasis, was supposed to be the juggernaut that was going to run roughshod over the US. Each one of them, when you looked … Read more

I’ve just been appointed to the SB131 commission to study grandfamilies in New Hampshire

October 9, 2019 Skip

This was unexpected! I just received this email: From: “Adams, Angela” <Angela.Adams@doe.nh.gov> To: “‘SenateClerkOffice@leg.state.nh.us’” <SenateClerkOffice@leg.state.nh.us> Cc: “‘Skip’” <Skip@granitegrok.com>; “Adams, Angela” <Angela.Adams@doe.nh.gov> Sent: 10/7/2019 1:08:04 PM Subject: Commissioner Edelblut’s designee ~ SB 131, CH 197:1, reestablishing a commission to study grandfamilies in NH Good afternoon, Commissioner Edelblut has selected David “Skip” Murphy to be his designee … Read more

9 Things You Can Do if You Need Emergency Cash

October 4, 2019 Third Party Content

Life can be stressful when you are tight on money and an emergency comes up. Click here for some things to do if you need emergency cash. Did you know that 4 out of 5 Americans live paycheck to paycheck? Even 10% of Americans who make $100,000 or more live check to check. Many of … Read more