Regional Planning Archives

Right Side Up Podcast Splash updated 4-21-26

Right Side Up: Regional Planning, Land Use, And Climate

May 7, 2026 Right Side Up

This week, on Right Side Up, Alison and Mike do a quick S.325 update (regional planning), discuss Acts 181 (Land Use) & 59 (Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act), who wasn’t included in the room & a WSJ op-ed on climate data. Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the embedded video does not load. … Read more

Right Side Up: Disorderly Conduct

April 30, 2026 Right Side Up

This week on Right Side Up, Alison and I discuss Chittenden County State’s Attorney not prosecuting disorderly conduct, Telecom siting, and new S.325 Regional Planning language. Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the embedded video does not load. Get More Right Side Up Here Check out all of our other podcasts. Get More Morning … Read more

Rhodes: The Illusion of Freedom

July 9, 2025July 6, 2025 Matthew Rhodes

How Hyper‑Planning Defines Liberty in New Hampshire I have come to realize that New Hampshire, far from being a bastion of freedom, is quietly becoming a textbook case of Charles Merriam’s vision of administrative progressivism. The technocratic restructuring of government that Merriam called for in the early twentieth century—replacing representative institutions with expert-driven administrative bodies—is … Read more

Soviet-style multi-family High density housing

Virginia Dems Want to Override Local Zoning Control for “Multi-Family” Housing (Like NH!)

December 27, 2019December 26, 2019 Steve MacDonald

New Hampshire is pushing a bipartisan plan to relinquish Concord, the Courts, and Developers of the burden of local zoning. Why? Well, in Virginia some who also want more dense multi-family housing think single-family suburban homes are racist.

Rick Manning on HUD and Regional Planning

July 15, 2024January 27, 2016 Steve MacDonald

Rick Manning from American’s for Limited Government explains the situation in Dubuque and Chicago,with HUD. If your community took HUD money, you are Dubuque, and the nearest major city is your Chicago, and if HUD pulls this trigger, you may not be able to do a damn thing about it.

EMail Doodlings – SB11 Part 2

September 26, 2018May 18, 2013 Skip

During an email conversation, I was emailed the NH Association of Regional Planning Commissions broad legislative support document – what the local RPCs want the towns and NH Legislature to do. Again, I looked at what SB11 was supposed to do, compared that to what SB11 will allow planners to do, and looked at the agenda of how the RPCs with to “Fundamentally Transform” NH’s lifestyle simple because they know a more “efficient” way to “guide us” – as though New Hampshire hasn’t figured out how to do this over the last 400 years by ourselves.

But, we aren’t trained Planners, are we? When I read over the bill again, I decided to compare what it was put up to be (to make it easier to allow Exeter and Stratham to do a water system together) with how expansive it seemed on the first read through it. And then I read the NHARPC legislative document. So, I just casually put down every disparate area down. Once again, I was floored:

On 5/7/2013 9:20 AM, Skip wrote:
Gee:

Lakes

recycling

water

energy

agriculture

When It Rains it Pours

September 26, 2018May 7, 2013 Steve MacDonald

rain

As an after-thought to my post on SB 11 yesterday–which has stirred up some interest around the Grokosphere and well beyond–I went looking for some details about the environmentalist/regionalist motivations with regard to water and sewer. It is a huge subject many parts of which we’ve touched on at the Grok already; you might say the socialist/central planner/ enviro-crowd is all-in on controlling water as the next best means to controlling us; so I’ll focus on the one thing that caught my eye while surfing (ha!) for details on the latest progressive New Hampshire-bureaucratic water grab.

SB-11 Everyone Votes Yea So Far…But Should We Say Nay?

September 26, 2018May 6, 2013 Steve MacDonald

A reader brought this to my attention. SB-11. It would allow for enhanced water districts via neighboring towns or municipalities to form intermunicipal water or sewer districts above and beyond (in addition to) existing ones, for the purpose of shared interests with regard to these utility services.

A few problems that come to my attention immediately. First, there is a new “regional” board or commission for every association of towns or cities who cooperate under this bill to address projects of regional interest; another board spending money should be viewed with suspicion. Second, they will be able to bond debt; another board with the power to create debt should be viewed with suspicion. Third, it is not clear whether people who do not use water or sewer might still be on the hook for assessments or fees collected to fund this new level of municipal government.

Guest Post by NH State Rep. Jane Cormier – “ICLEI is ICKY!”

September 26, 2018February 17, 2013 Skip

ICLEI is ICKY!

Okay, if you haven’t heard anything about the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) also known as Agenda 21, then you may have been living in a cave. ICLEI is a United Nations sponsored organization (that should tell us something right there) which helps promote “sustainability, climate protection, and clean energy initiative for towns, cities, and counties”. ICLEI supports (usually with GIANT federal tentacles) local governments by providing technical assistance and training opportunities to communities seeking its services. Sounds good doesn’t it? Actually, ICLEI is a lobbying and policy group that is designed to influence and change local governmental policies related to all aspects of human life. ICLEI/Agenda 21 is dedicated to changing the ideal of our inalienable rights which include life, liberty, and property. How does this happen?

Through legislation of course.