Vermonters for Economic Health

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The Myth of Local
Control

(Published in the Colchester Sun, Feb 18, 2010)

Vermont's reputation of local school boards and voters balancing the tough choices between spending and taxes is mostly myth. The reality is that state K-12 education costs and the funding scheme that feeds them is breaking the backs of taxpayers and the state budget. True control rests with the Legislature.

Funding and spending for education is a jumble of sources, rules, regulations, formulas and obscure budget mechanisms. Few citizens understand this complex stream of policies and rules flowing from the Legislature and the Department of Education. Unless more taxpayers understand and experience the financial effects of their votes, local control is a fantasy.

Hat tip to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce for this update.

Senate Economic Development Votes Out Jobs Bill 

The Senate Economic Development Committee completed its work late yesterday (Thursday, Feb 11, 2010) on a Jobs Bill that allocates $8.6 million in federal stimulus funds.
The Committee, led by Senator Vince Illuzzi (R-Essex/Orleans), voted 5-0 in favor of the newly revised bill.

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See the story here at Vermont Digger.

More bad news for the Legislature, the Administration and Vermont's economic health. The FY2011 budget gap just widened by $5.5 Million as FY2010 revenues for January are below the forecast which is only one month old.

Fundamental change is needed to get the economy back on track and state spending must be reduced substantially for the both the short and long term. That, coupled with policies that move government out of the way are the only solutions to Vermont's job and financial pain. Raising taxes is NOT the answer

In a nutshell (HT to vermontbiz.com):

Much of the $38 Million savings proposed in the report Challenges for Change produced by the consultant hired by the Joint Legislative Government Accountability Committee will come hard, very hard. These savings should begin to accrue on July 1, 2010. The agencies should hit the ground running to make these changes pay off as predicted. But I'll bet my dollar to your doughnut that implementation planning has barely begun in the various state agencies.

Who's job is it to keep score on these savings? The enabling legislation states, "At least annually, the committee (Joint Legislative Government Accountability Committee)shall report its activities, together with recommendations, if any, to the general assembly." That's hardly sufficient to track progress.