Friday, July 8, 2011

Reaping... Sowing...

PISSED sends in this story. The facepalm is palpable.

New Hampshire’s secret salesman luring Bay State firms across the line


CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire pays Michael Bergeron to be a full-time thief, sending him across the border in an unmarked black sedan to poach Massachusetts companies.

To help keep his missions undercover, the business recruiter even scraped the New Hampshire state seal off his Ford Fusion. Equal parts real estate agent, financial adviser, and deal fixer, Bergeron has lured dozens of Massachusetts companies to the Granite State over the past few years with promises of lower tax bills, cheaper office and industrial space, and fewer regulations.

Got that? See, it's not that MA has a business environment toxic to businesses. High taxes, insane regulations, red tape out the wazoo. No, that's not why MA is hemorrhaging jobs and businesses to NH. It's because NH *ZOMG STEALS THEM OH NOES*. See?!?! He has a state car! OMG! Really, if this wasn't so pathetic - and done with my tax dollars - it would be laughable.

Then they try to argue that the recruitment effort isn't working, despite story after story of high-profile business fleeing MA. They're essentially taking on the role of the captain of the Titanic claiming that the water is coming from a spill in the dining room here. When you have an environment that is decidedly anti-business (PISSED sends this link that puts MA at 45th out of 50 for worst states in which to do business - only MI, CA, NJ, IL, and NY are worse) and a different environment that is significantly better (NH is ranked 18th on that same list), well, do the MAth...

Yeah, MA, your business is more likely to flee here...

That is all.

4 comments:

Bubblehead Les. said...

Hey, Ohio's 41st! Seems that the Redder the State, the better the Business Climate. Betcha if there was study on which state has better Welfare, Union Support, Higher Crime, Stricter Gun Laws, etc, it would reverse. So the correlation would be, class?

Mike W. said...

Lure? All he has to do is stand on his side of the NH state line with open arms and say "WELCOME! Enjoy our freedom!"

Liberalism. Driving productive businesses out of your state one by one.

Dave H said...

If he scraped the NH seal off his car, can't he be shot for espionage in MA?

Oh, right. No guns.

Ed said...

"Live Free or Die" may be the optimistic slogan, but the reality is "Live Cheaper and Suffer Miserably".

You may be "Freer" in New Hampshire than in Massachusetts, but being "Free" is like being a virgin - either you is, or you ain't.