Current News

David Walker, former U.S Comptroller General and now President of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, will speak at the Sheraton Burlington Conference Center on Thursday morning, August 19, on the subject of his most recent book Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility.
Since moving to the Foundation in 2008, Walker has appeared on a nationwide Fiscal Wake Up Tour in some 45 states, speaking on America’s growing fiscal and debt problems. As a CPA and head of the Government Accountability Office for almost ten years, Walker is one of the most knowledgeable persons in the country on the long run outlook for federal finances – and the impacts on social security, Medicare, and other key programs.
Responding to Walker’s presentation will be a panel of three well-known and knowledgeable Vermonters:
Ø Dr. Art Woolf, UVM associate professor of economics and former state economist

The five Democratic candidates for governor of Vermont have released their economic development plans. Vermont Business Magazine requested that each of the candidates send their plan, or a synopsis, to be published on line. The following is the candidates' economic plans, along with their campaign Web sites. In some cases a link to the full report is provided. The primary is Tuesday, August 24.
Bartlett
State Senator Susan Bartlett
www.bartlettforgovernor.com
Innovation and Intellectual Property
A Plan for Good Paying Jobs in Vermont
When you run for higher office, or any office for that matter, part of the campaign promise is, "I'll work for better, more, green, whatever ... jobs." Well, who could be opposed to that idea?

The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan to become the 112th Justice of the United States Supreme Court by a vote of 63-37. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who presided over the confirmation proceedings on the nomination, made the following statement before the vote.
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
On The Nomination Of Solicitor General Elena Kagan
To Be An Associate Justice Of The United States Supreme Court
August 5, 2010
As we conclude the Senate debate on the nomination of Elena Kagan to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, I look forward to her bipartisan confirmation. She has been nominated to succeed Justice John Paul Stevens, someone who served with integrity for so many years, and her qualifications, intelligence, temperament and judgment will make her a worthy successor.

Conservationist Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam of Shaftsbury was honored today at the White House with a Citizens Medal presented by President Obama for her work helping ensure that public lands are enjoyed by future generations.
A founder of the conservation service movement, Putnam was among 13 people to receive 2010 Citizens Medals, the nation's second highest civilian honor.
The White House said she inspired thousands American youths to protect our natural bounty. Her vision to offer land restoration and maintenance service opportunities became a reality with the birth of the Student Conservation Association.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) attended the White House ceremony and congratulated Putnam for her award.
Since the honor was first bestowed in 1969, the Presidential Citizens Medal has been granted to United States citizens "who performed exemplary deeds or services for his or her country or fellow citizens.”

The Vermont Department of Education mailed FY2012 individualized education spending reduction targets Monday to each supervisory union, supervisory district, and the three technical center districts across the state, as required by Act 146 of the 2010 Legislative session. Overall the recommendations are for a 2.34 percent reduction across the state in education spending in order to meet the goal of saving $23.2 million dollars. District-level recommendations range from a 0.5 percent reduction to a 2.68 percent reduction.
The determinations were made at the district levels, but aggregated to the supervisory union level as the law requires. The determinations considered factors outlined in the law, such as per pupil spending, student-to-staff ratios and demonstrated fiscal restraint. The department examined data from the past four budget cycles on
· total education spending,
· spending per equalized pupil,
· student enrollment to direct instruction staff,

In a crucial showdown vote, the U.S. Senate today advanced a bill to preserve the jobs of teachers and extend emergency Medicaid payments to states. In Vermont, the measure includes $19 million for teachers and $30 million to $40 million for health care.
Winning approval of the relief funds for Vermont has been a high priority of Vermont’s congressional delegation and the state of Vermont.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said, “During the economic downturn, more Vermonters have relied on our state-run Medicaid program for basic health care, and that is straining Vermont’s budget. Without this extension of federal help, before long our state could be forced to cut essential services and more jobs. We have kept the pressure on, and the Senate has finally taken this important step toward providing this sorely needed infusion.”

The Berlin Mall has a new owner. A team of successful regional owners and operators of high-quality shopping centers has purchased the mall from Developers Diversified Realty with the intent to improve the property inside and out.
Berlin Mall LLC closed on the property August 4, 2010, and plans to immediately freshen up the exterior of the mall. The transaction marks a new phase in the history of the shopping center and the new owners promised an open relationship with the community as plans take shape.
“We specialize in taking under-utilized malls and making them better,” said Ken Simon of Lerner-Heidenberg Associates, one of the new owners. “That is what we do and we love doing it. We are determined to work with the community to integrate the shopping center into the life of Berlin and central Vermont.”
Berlin Mall LLC is a joint venture between Lerner-Heidenberg and Goldstein Associates, a Providence, RI real estate investment company.

By David Dill. Now that we are about halfway through the summer construction season, many Vermonters have become aware that the Agency of Transportation is replacing all the road signs along Vermont’s interstate system. This work has prompted many questions, the most common is why?
Understandably, many motorists believe that our old highway signs are just fine and that the money we are using to replace these highway signs could be better spent repairing bridges, expanding public transit and paving roads. I too would prefer to put every available dollar into these kinds of high-priority programs, but we do have to address our other responsibilities as well.
The bottom line is that from an engineering and safety perspective, those old signs are not OK and the state must replace them. Here is why.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday that an $81 million broadband stimulus grant and a $35 million government backed loan to Springfield-based Vermont Telephone Company (VTel). The $35,166,081 loan and $81,664,754 grant to VTel Wireless, Inc for their Wireless Open World (WOW) project is one of 49 broadband infrastructure projects announced nationally. The broadband investments will give rural residents in 29 states access to improved service that will expand economic, health care, educational, and many other opportunities to underserved rural communities. Today’s announcement is part of the second round of USDA broadband funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. today announced it is partnering with leading self-service provider EDC to brand nearly 600 ATMs at Cumberland Farms convenience store locations in New England and the Mid-Atlantic, as well as some locations in Florida, including 24 in Vermont. The ATMs will be surcharge-free for all Citizens Bank and Charter One customers.
The breakdown of Cumberland Farms ATM locations is: Connecticut (60), Delaware (10), Florida (62), Maine (37), Massachusetts (194), New Hampshire (49), New Jersey (16), New York (75), Pennsylvania (12), Rhode Island (44), and Vermont (24).

Vermont’s Chief Marketing Officer, Christine Werneke, with the Department of Tourism and Marketing and the Vermont Ski Area Association recently completed a research project to study the perceptions of Vermont and how these perceptions affect decision making for choosing a vacation destination. The goal of this research is to better understand Vermont’s unique strengths and areas of opportunity to enable the state and Vermont businesses to fully leverage Vermont’s brand and increase market share.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation on Monday, August 9, 2010 will close the northbound Interstate 89 onramp at Exit 8 (Montpelier) so that crews can repair an Interstate bridge. Northbound traffic emanating from the City of Montpelier looking to access the Interstate will be detoured along Route 2 towards Middlesex, where motorists can enter the Interstate at Exit 9.
The detour is expected to be in effect until the first weekend of September.
During this time, I-89 will be restricted to one northbound lane at the bridge, which is located just north of Exit 8. The repairs, which involve replacing the bridge's deck membrane, have been long planned and are part of VTrans' regular construction schedule.