Current News

by John McClaughry Thanks in part to fifty years of unflagging advocacy by Bernie Sanders, “socialism” has become a frequent  topic of partisan debate. Like its counterpart “capitalism,” socialism has meant several quite different things both to its partisans and its opponents. That can make it difficult to make out just what the debate is about.

Historically, the meaning of socialism was spelled out in detail by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels starting in 1848. Their scientific theory of history held that at some crucial point in history the oppressed working class would arise and expropriate all significant means of production from their owners – capitalists who had expropriated the labor value of the workers – and bestow it all upon the new socialist State. The State would banish, or execute, the former owners, abolish private property, and manage the economy and society in the name of “the people.”

Vermont Business Magazine In recent days, the Vermont media have published detailed stories describing profoundly disturbing reports of sexual misconduct, assault, and abuse at Vermont’s correctional facility for women, the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF). The Vermont Commission on Women has been a long-standing advocate for ensuring that Vermont women in prison are provided equal rights and opportunities and that their health, safety, education, and overall welfare are safeguarded. We recognize that many of the conditions described in the media have been known and acknowledged for many years, without being remediated.

Vermont Business Magazine Mt Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) has announced the appointment of Amy Visser-Lynch, MSN, RN as Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). Visser-Lynch had served as interim CNO at MAHHC since early 2019. Visser-Lynch joined MAHHC in 2015 as Director of Staff Education. Since then, she has served as Interim Emergency Department Manager, as well as the Interim Director of Outpatient Clinical Practice. She has been a clinical nurse educator at Vermont Technical College and Grace Cottage Hospital.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont today launched an incentive program for the purchase or lease of new plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), which include all-electric vehicles and plug in hybrid electric vehicles, with a total of $1.1 million in funding to help Vermonters go electric. The incentives are available to individuals with an annual household income of $92,000 or less applying for a new PEV with a base price of $40,000 or less. More than 20 PEV models are eligible with $1,500 incentives for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and $2,500 incentives for all-electric vehicles. Larger incentives of $4,000 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and $5,000 for all-electric vehicles are available for individuals whose households qualify for Vermont’s Weatherization Program. The statewide incentive may be used in combination with additional PEV incentives offered by the state’s electric utilities and federal tax credits for greater savings.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that 69 public, private and independent schools across Vermont have been awarded funds to make safety improvements to school infrastructure. The $1.4 million school safety grant program will allow the schools to complete a total of 150 projects to better secure facilities.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo resigned today. This follows revelations that he had set up a fake Twitter account last summer and then lied about it to a Seven Days reporter. Seven Days broke the story last week. Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, who hired the chief in 2015, issued a lengthy statement on Friday explaining why he had not fired del Pozo when the chief first came to him to admit that he had set up the account and then lied about it.

Vermont Business Magazine To most people, last summer’s breach of Capital One, which exposed the financial records of nearly 106 million of the San Francisco-based bank’s customers, was more of the same: the latest in a numbing string of hacks that seem to threaten personal security more every year. But in an important way, it was different – and more alarming – than past hacks, like the Equifax breach of 2017.

Vermont Business Magazine In fall 2019, overall postsecondary enrollments decreased 1.3 percent or more than 231,000 students from the previous fall to 17.9 million students, according to the Fall 2019 Current Term Enrollment Estimates report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. For the first time in the decade, the nation's fall unduplicated enrollments fell below 18 million students and declined by more than 2 million students. Vermont ranked fifth in percentage drop with 4.4 percent decline in enrollment.

Vermont Business Magazine Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL) today announced CCiTV is now available throughout Northern New England. The telecom is introducing its next-generation TV service to consumers in Vermont, as well as making the service available to additional locations in Maine and New Hampshire. CCiTV was already available in southern Maine and in the Lakes Region, central and southern New Hampshire.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a six-month process to gather input from more than 30 customers, partners, and stakeholders, Efficiency Vermont recently proposed to its regulators a six-year plan for delivering energy efficiency to Vermonters. The proposed Demand Resources Plan (DRP) includes new performance targets that would focus more of the energy efficiency utility’s resources toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding weatherization support, and partnering with electric utilities to optimize grid efficiency.

Vermont Business Magazine The Scott Administration will head to Chittenden County on Tuesday, December 17 for its Capitol for a Day initiative, a 14-county tour launched by the Governor in 2018. After launching the second round this summer, the administration is revisiting each county over the next several months. Capitol for a Day gives local constituents, municipal government leaders and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with state leadership and staff.

“This initiative has been tremendously rewarding and productive,” said Governor Scott. “It’s been great to get back to each county, with the opportunity to see new local programs and projects, as well as hear from Vermonters about the challenges they face and the impact of the work we’re doing in Montpelier.”

Follow along on social media using the #VTCapitol4aDay hashtag.

WHEN:                Tuesday, December 17

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine In 1848, during the first American gold rush, random people became obscenely rich, others died violent deaths or were left begging by the side of the road and more than 750,000 pounds of gold were taken from the California hills. Somehow, this has become a good metaphor for what’s happening with hemp in 2019. The Cannabis sativa plant — from which comes hemp and marijuana — has been around forever; there’s a reason it’s nicknamed “weed.” The Chinese used it 1,000 years ago. They cultivated some for textiles, some for its curative properties and some for its euphoric ones. In recent decades, the plant — or maybe euphoria itself — has been illegal in America.