This New England

That Massachusetts's immigrant population grew 2.5 percent last year (according to the U.S. Census Bureau), even with the financial meltdown, demonstrates that the Bay State still has lots of economic dynamism, fueled by its technology and, yes, financial sectors. Its Boston area university-centered high tech is formidable, and so is its mutual-fund sector. Boston, especially, has many captive customers of 401(k) giant Fidelity Investments, along with private equity and venture-capital firms.
Some of Boston's other "investment (or disinvestment) firms'' have more dubious impact on the American economy and the livelihood of workers.

One is Thomas H. Lee Partners, which recently helped ravage the Simmons Bedding Co. while of course enriching itself. I sometimes can't see how its moguls can live with themselves after they drain previously good companies of their cash and leave them to die. It's the sour side of capitalism, however good it may be to, for example, the Museum of Fine Arts's fund-raising drives among people who want their names on plaques. America would be better off if those who manipulated money had a tad less power and those who made things more.

Anyway, The Boston Globe talked to researchers who suggested that immigrants to Massachusetts are ore likely to stay than in many places because they're more highly educated (and better paid) than most immigrants and thus less likely to be in the state illegally. If only low-wage Rhode Island and Maine could follow suit.
But then, they don't have the Harvard-MIT-BU-Northeastern, etc., complex in their capital cities.

Whatever the reason, it's a sign of the state's economic strength and good long-term news, both for Massachusetts and for New England, of which the Bay State is the major economic engine (followed by Fairfield County, Conn., with its corporate headquarters closed to the financial markets in New York).

XXX

The best news for New England's tourist business this year! The AP reports that Loren Coleman says his International Cryptozoology Museum will open on Congress Street in Portland on Nov. 1! His museum will feature creatures that many people believe exist but science doesn't yet accept, such as the Loch Ness monster, Big Foot and the Abominable Snowman.

Sadly, rationalist New England has few such "legendary"' beasts at the moment, though Northeast Kingdom Vermont's Lake Willoughby (named "Willy'' or "Wila'') and, to the west, Lake Champlain ("Champ") have been alleged to harbor Loch Ness-style beasts -- and in waters bounded by terrain rather reminiscent of Scotland to boot.

In any event, Portland needs all the amusement it can to get through the long, hard winter. This will be a nice supplement to the rather more refined Portland Museum of Art.

 Tags  International Cryptozoology Museum Massachusetts immigrants Thomas H. Lee Partners

Comments

jeff said:

Let's not forget the Pamet Puma, of Truro lore, a cat whose paws were never compared to the creeping fog...and speaking of creeps, I can see a day, maybe 2020, when the legend of federally-backed mobster Whitey Bulger will have grown to cryptozoological proportions...

Link | October 7, 2009 8:32 AM
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Tap Dance Mat said:

The cryptozoology museum would be a great tourist attraction.

Link | October 30, 2009 2:49 PM
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free guitar lessons said:

That would be a nice place to visit. I love reading stories about legendary beast and myths. I hope I could visit that museum. Things like those always strikes my interest.

Link | November 2, 2009 11:19 AM
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Gold said:

Thanks for writing about this. Very interesting. Hope to read more form you. I will wait for your next blog entries!

Link | November 14, 2009 1:27 AM
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