From what I have read, travel FROM Europe to the USA is up and FROM the USA to Europe is down. That is due to the value of the dollar not being at the levels it used to be. This is also true because of the high costs of Crude Oil which directly affect the costs of JP-8 (Jet fuel). There are also a lot of cheap (Ryan Air, for example) Europe-Europe airline companies taking off, which provide service to many European cities for the same price as the rail system (but much more convenient). I think the discount airlines are counting on their low prices to bring more people out to the airports. I have not heard many reports as to how well these discount airlines are doing, however.
A company such as laidlaw (whose mission statement revolves around clean energy) would not hinder tourism in any way, if that is what BerlinNHresident is concerned about. Tourists do not visit Berlin. Berlin (Not to knock on Berlin in ANY way) is not seen as a tourist destination. They do not have the B&Bs, Hotels, or Restaurants that are native to Gorham/Randolph/Shelburne/Jefferson. Berlin has and will always be an industrial town. Why any resident of Berlin (who KNOWS the history of the town) would want to change that, is beyond my current comprehension. The logging industry (in this case, Biomass from woodchips) has always been the lifeblood of Berlin and part of the downfall has come from high energy prices and also factoring in that we are living in an increasingly paperless world (Thank you internet). The need for Pulp and Paper coupled with the costs of running the mill brought it to its knees.
It is time to come in with a change of pace and help this struggling town out! With this plant comes jobs and capital. Leave the outdoorsy tourism to the ski resort towns (Gorham, Bethel) and to the quaint B&Bs that dot the towns. Keep Berlin industrial!
Matthew
