Current News

Campaign for Vermont today called upon Governor Shumlin to provide legislators and the public with information and analysis of single-payer health care financing options as required by law.
“There is a fundamental right of voters to know the financing options under consideration for Green Mountain Care so they are fully informed when discussing options with legislative and statewide candidates for office during the coming election season,” said Campaign for Vermont Board Member Tom Pelham.
Campaign for Vermont sent the attached request to the Council asking them to “advise the Governor to provide to the public the information and analysis of funding options” the Council is currently considering before the conclusion of the 2014 legislative session.”
Click here to view CFV’s letter to the Governor’s Business Advisory Council on Health Care Financing.

The Vermont Department of Economic Development has issued its Winter Newsletter to highlight recent developments.
Vermont ranked first overall in the nation in the latest Scorecard published by the Corporation for Enterprise Development. The Assets & Opportunity Scorecard is a comprehensive look at Americans’ financial security today and their opportunities to create a more prosperous future.
It assesses the 50 states and the District of Columbia on 133 outcome and policy measures, which describe how well residents are faring and what states can do to help them build and protect assets. These measures are grouped into five issue areas: Financial Assets & Income, Businesses & Jobs, Housing & Homeownership, Health Care, and Education. (Photo: North Woods Joinery, Jeffersonville)
For Solar Jobs, Too

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org In an email blast Monday, the Vermont GOP blamed manufacturing layoffs on Gov. Peter Shumlin and tied the pink slips at Plasan and IBM to the governor’s jaunt to the Caribbean this week. The Republicans say Shumlin is responsible for 700 job losses.
David Sunderland, the new chair of the Vermont Republican Party, says the governor isn’t focused on creating jobs for Vermonters, instead he says Shumlin is more interested in “jetsetting around the nation raising millions of dollars so he and other politicians can keep their jobs or setting sail to the Caribbean island where he owns property.”

Related Company: Gifford Medical CenterIf there was any doubt that Randolph’s local hospital – Gifford – stands above when it comes to commitment to community and financial stability, it was wholly erased Saturday as the medical center held its 108th Annual Meeting of its corporators.
The evening gathering at Gifford featured an overview of the hospital’s successful past year, news of spectacular community outreach efforts, a video detailing employees commitment to caring for their neighbors and a ringing endorsement from Al Gobeille, chairman of the Green Mountain Care Board and the evening’s guest speaker.

Versatile Communications, Inc and GreenPages Technology Solutions, Inc have entered into a definitive agreement for Versatile, with an office in Brighton, Vermont, to acquire GreenPages' GPDistribution Division, a market leading Value Added Distribution provider offering a broad selection of solutions that solve the most common and most challenging high performance computing problems.
Versatile announced in 2013 the formation of its Versatile Distribution Services (VDS) division to build upon its existing high performance computing workflow expertise supporting manufacturers, independent software vendors, and value added reseller channel partners. VDS will add to its distributed solution offerings capability by accelerating strategic growth and further differentiating the company from competitors by increasing its solutions portfolio, supply chain management, and light manufacturing services.

Related Company: Verizon WirelessVerizon Wireless recently expanded fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network coverage in Georgia, Vermont. 4G LTE empowers Verizon Wireless customers with compatible devices to surf the Web, post status updates and photos, and download files wirelessly at speeds up to 10 times faster than customers on 3G networks.
Verizon Wireless first debuted its 4G LTE network in Vermont in May 2012. Recently, Verizon Wireless enhanced its network coverage in Georgia along Interstate 89.
“4G LTE is changing the way customers interact with the world via next generation apps, devices and solutions,” commented Dave MacBeth, Executive Director of Network for Verizon Wireless. “By investing in wireless broadband, we’re investing in local communities and economies where our customers live, work and play.”
Source: Verizon Wireless 3.18.2014

by Morgan True vtdigger.org The dysfunctional Vermont Health Connect website has burned up some of the Shumlin administration’s political capital and could jeopardize millions in ongoing federal funding for health care in Vermont.
Vermont Republicans plan to use the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Vermont as a vehicle for winning seats in the Legislature this election season. For months the GOP has pilloried Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin and his staff for defects that have marred the rollout of the state’s health care exchange.
Though Republicans don’t yet have a gubernatorial challenger, they hope the exchange failures will give their candidates a competitive edge in local House and Senate races. Their objective is to chip away at the Democratic super majority in the Statehouse. If they are successful, they could impede the Shumlin administration’s plans for a smooth transition to a universal health care system.

By Anne Galloway vtdigger.org Lawmakers will take testimony on a proposal to raise the minimum wage this week.
Gov. Peter Shumlin wants to increase the state’s minimum wage from $8.73 per hour to $10.10 per hour, by 2017.
The hearing will be held in the House Chamber from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 20. Members of the public who want to testify can sign up 30 minutes before the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs begins taking testimony. Each person who testifies has two to three minutes to speak. The hearing will be recorded.
Last year lawmakers tied the minimum wage to the consumer price index so that the wage level increases a small percentage every year, but advocates say it’s not enough to help the working poor.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org Legislators are considering a proposal to restructure public education in Vermont. Under the plan, school boards would be consolidated into smaller units that would govern larger groups of students. The practical effect would be the dissolution of the state’s 282 school board districts and the creation of 30 to 60 supervisory districts
The bill is still being drafted by the House Education Committee; lawmakers hope to finalize the legislation (which is a committee bill and at this point does not have a number) after a public hearing on Tuesday.
The hearing will be held in the House Chamber of the Statehouse from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Committee members debated the details of the bill Friday and were still a long way from agreement on key components of the legislation, including the timeline, the criteria for districts and how the Legislature would be involved in the process.

According to the RE/MAX of New England February Monthly Housing Report, Vermont experienced a boost in total housing transactions, up 18.2 percent, while median price decreased -6.4 percent year-over-year. Pending sales were up 12.9 percent year-over-year.
Across the region, winter snowfall and frigid temperatures significantly impacted the housing market. The RE/MAX of New England February Monthly Housing Report shows a drop in sales, year-over-year, in every state in New England except Vermont. On average, median prices throughout New England were up 1.3 percent in 2014 and pending sales rose to 28.3 percent.
“This is an expected trend in the height of the winter months,” said Dan Breault, EVP/Regional Director of RE/MAX of New England. “The good news is that month-over-month pending sales are up 26.4 percent. This is an encouraging sign and I anticipate March and April to be even stronger months as we turn the corner from winter to spring.”

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield will join dozens of Vermont legislators and community members tomorrow to call for the passage of H208 the Earned Sick Days Bill and to urge legislators to raise the minimum wage to a livable wage. Ben and Jerry will also be scooping free ice cream to everyone in the building.
“We thought about coming up with a new flavor 'Raisin Up Vermont,' but based on popular demand we are bringing some favorite flavors and hoping to have lots of good conversations with people about how we can raise up Vermont so it works for everybody,” said Jerry Greenfield.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 18 at 1 pm Ice cream at 12:30 pm in cafeteria
WHERE: Cedar Creek Room at the State House. (Ice cream in cafeteria)
WHO:

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream

State Senator Philip Baruth, (D-Chittenden County) Senate Majority Leader

Driven by a steep decrease in the number of unemployed, the Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for January 2014 was 4.0 percent. In contrast to recent monthly drops in the unemployment rate, the January figure reflected an increase in both the labor force and number of employed from December. Previous declines have been driven to a large extent by a decrease in the labor force.
The January rate represents a decrease of two-tenths of a percent from the December 2013 rate of 4.2 percent. The comparative national average was 6.6 percent, which was down one-tenth of a percent from December. January 2014 data represents the fourth consecutive reported monthly decrease to the statewide unemployment rate in Vermont. As of the prior month’s initial data, Vermont’s unemployment rate was tied for the fifth lowest in the
nation.