Current News

by John McClaughry A few days after his news conference announcing the death of single payer health care at least for now, a dejected Governor Peter Shumlin announced his determination to carry on down the same perilous path. Said he, "I'm open to any ideas that any legislators have that would get us where I want to go. If someone can find a path forward that we didn't, I'm all ears." Vermonters should pay careful attention to the governor’s choice of words here, because they presage yet another costly fool’s errand.

First, note that the governor is only open to ideas from “legislators”. Where the six independents are coming from is never clear, but the eight Progressives will continue to demand “Single Payer Now” because it’s the only chant they know. Similarly, the majority Democrats are with only a handful of exceptions completely wedded to Shumlin’s single payer bill of goods, prominently featured in their party’s platforms for years.

The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports announces it will sponsor 250 young Vermonters with discounted ski or ride lessons during Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month in January. “Vermonters love to be physically active all year, and our state is known far beyond its borders as a destination for snow sports,” said Governor Peter Shumlin. “As a cross country skier, I enthusiastically support the Council’s efforts to get Vermonters of all ages outdoors and active this winter.”

Don Rendall launched his tenure as the CEO of Vermont Gas Systems (VGS) on January 1, promising to bring a new vision and direction to the company. He succeeds Don Gilbert, who retired after 13 years as CEO. Rendall takes over at a time when VGS has had to rethink its southern expansion as cost hikes have caused further regulatory review of its plans to run a pipeline to Middlebury and then to Ticonderoga, NY, and later to Rutland.

Secretary of State Jim Condos today announced the successful launch of the new Vermont Lobbying Information System. The new system allows lobbyists, lobbyist firms, and lobbyist employers to register, manage their information, and make payments online. Secretary Condos explained “the new system not only makes lobbyist registration and disclosure simple and intuitive to use for anyone – from lobbying firms to local small businesses and nonprofits – that needs to register their activities with our office, it also provides the public with immediate access to more consistent and accurate information through a variety of search options.”

Incoming Vermont State Colleges (VSC) Chancellor Jeb Spaulding announced today two new members of his leadership team. Yasmine Ziesler has been named Chief Academic and Academic Technology Officer and Tricia Coates will become the Director for External and Governmental Affairs. Dr Ziesler currently serves as Dean of Technology, Business, and Physical Education at Castleton State College. She oversees Castleton's information and learning technologies, First-Year Seminar, and Study Away programs. Ziesler has previously served in a number of academic and student life leadership roles at the Community College of Vermont and at Castleton. In her new role, she will provide leadership for academic policy, program delivery, professional development, institutional research, and use of technology in academic programming and delivery across the Vermont State Colleges system.

Vermont ranks Number 4 on the list of Top Moving Destinations of 2014, according to the 2014 Annual National Movers Study released by United Van Lines, the nation’s largest mover. In 2014, more residents were moving into Vermont than out of Vermont with 59 percent of moves being inbound. Oregon holds on to its title as “Top Moving Destination” and continues to pull away from the pack, while the Northeast loses residents for the third consecutive year. Vermont is a newcomer to the inbound list this year. In a survey of its customers, United found that 37 percent of people moving to Vermont were doing so because of a new job.

The Johnson State College Presidential Search Committee has selected four semifinalists for campus visits in January. The semifinalists will conduct interviews with the search committee and visit with faculty, staff and students over the course of the week of January 26, 2015.

The four candidates are:

The Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) authorized incentives totaling $3.8 million under the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program, which will encourage the creation of 557 new, well-paying jobs for Vermonters, with an average compensation of $50,385. These projects will also create about $21.4 million in new full-time payroll for Vermonters, and the companies plan to invest $37.7 million in qualifying capital investments in Vermont between 2014 and 2019.

“The VEGI program continues to encourage the creation of good paying jobs and investment in Vermont that otherwise would not occur, generating new revenue to the state to support other programs,” said Patricia Moulton, Vermont’s Secretary of Commerce and Community Development. “It is exciting to see this much investment activity by Vermont businesses.”

National Life Group, through its foundation, and its employees donated more than $100,000 to a variety of nonprofits in an annual charitable giving campaign this year. Employees were given the opportunity to have contributions to nonprofits deducted from their 2015 paychecks and the National Life Group Foundation matched donations.

“We’re proud to put into action our corporate values to do good in our communities,” said Beth Rusnock, president of the National Life Group Foundation. “By teaming employees with our charitable giving arm, we are able to make the good go farther.”

Most of the donations will go to nonprofits in Vermont and Texas, where National Life Group has offices, and the groups range from local food banks to organizations supporting children and families.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Mayor Miro Weinberger delivered the following statement about the completion of the Settlement Agreement in the Burlington Telecom lawsuit. CitiBank had sued the city for $33.5 million over an unpaid loan from BT. A complex public/private financing plan eventually emerged last year to save the telecom from possible liquidation and city taxpayers from covering the debt.

Mayor Miro Weinberger Statement

Good afternoon and happy New Year. Thank you for joining us.

For the City of Burlington, the start of the New Year is an especially happy time. Earlier this afternoon, the final steps were taken to complete the Settlement Agreement in the Burlington Telecom lawsuit with Citibank.

Governor Peter Shumlin will appoint Burlington attorney Nancy Waples to serve on the Vermont Superior Court, replacing Judge Geoffrey Crawford. Waples currently practices with the Burlington law firm of Hoff Curtis where she focuses on criminal defense. She previously served as an Assistant US Attorney in the Criminal Division of the Vermont US Attorney’s Office. She has experience with a variety of civil and administrative matters, including adjudication of Act 250 cases as a Governor Howard Dean appointee to the State’s Environmental Board. She also provides pro bono legal services to non-English speaking individuals.

The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Waples was born in Canada and became a US citizen in 1977. Growing up working in her parents’ restaurant, she learned to speak English at age nine.

The Vermont DMV has announced that DMV Express, Vermont’s online vehicle registration service, recently eclipsed a total of 1.5 million online registration renewals since its launch in 2005. With approximately 750,000 vehicle registration renewals transacted annually through the Vermont DMV over all channels, over 30 percent are now processed through the popular online service.

“DMV Express is our most popular online service, and demonstrates that Vermonters have come to expect online services as the most efficient way to do business with the state,” said Commissioner Robert Ide.