Current News

Rep. Peter Welch late last week voted against legislation that would subject Vermont family farmers, small businesses and artisan food producers to unreasonable fees. The Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749) would prevent food-borne illnesses by increasing the number and scope of food inspections but would do so at the expense of small food producers. The bill unfairly subjects Vermont farmers, maple syrup producers and cheese-makers to the same $500 annual registration fee as large, multi-state agri-businesses.
Welch worked to amend the bill to create a sliding fee scale which would take into account the size of a business. While Welch was successful in reducing the fee from $1,000 to $500, he argued that the flat fee still unfairly penalizes small producers.

Governor Jim Douglas has announced the allocation of $1.7 million in tax credits for a dozen Vermont communities to assist in the renovation or repair of buildings in downtowns and village centers. Governor Douglas announced the projects approved by the Downtown Development Board for Downtown and Village Center State Tax Credits at a ceremony in Springfield the site of two approved projects.
These tax credits are especially important as we seek to rejuvenate Vermont s economy, Douglas said. The downtown tax credits support the redevelopment of older and historic buildings, and encourage the installation of sprinklers, elevators and other building upgrades.
In addition, public investments like these tax credits help spur job creation, both short and long-term, Douglas said.

In a clear sign that the recession may be easing, commercial and industrial investment in the second quarter fell 8.9 percent, according to the July 31 gross domestic product (GDP) report by the U.S. Department of Commerce. This represents a stark improvement over the first quarter nonresidential construction decline of 39 percent.

The US Department of Agriculture has lifted the floor price for dairy products, it was announced today. The decision comes two days after the Vermont senators and a coalition of more than two dozen senators from other dairy states met with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The prices will rise from $1.13 per pound for block cheese to $1.31; barrel cheese, from $1.10/lb. to $1.28; nonfat dry milk powder, from $0.80/lb. to $0.92. This has the potential to increase the price paid to farmers for milk by $1.25 to $1.50 per hundredweight.
The meeting and the multi-region coalition of senators were organized by Senator Leahy, the senior-most member of the Agriculture Committee, to seek a short-term hike in the price the federal government pays for milk and dairy products in the marketplace. Leahy and the coalition also followed through with an appeal to White House Budget Director Peter Orszag.

Green Mountain Power today asked the Vermont Public Service Board to authorize a 4.84 percent rate adjustment to go into effect on October 1, 2009, as part of its alternative regulation plan. The increase is primarily due to factors that affect all utilities in the region, such as the costs of reliability upgrades to the New England transmission grid.
"We continue to work hard to reduce every single controllable expense on behalf of our customers," said Mary Powell, Green Mountain Power President and Chief Executive Officer. "In fact, less than half a percent of the rate increase is due to changes in Green Mountain Power's operating costs that are under our direct control. During these challenging economic times, we know that any change in rates will be difficult for our customers, and in response we have taken extra steps to keep this increase as low as possible, including keeping payroll costs flat and cutting other operating expenses."

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced grants totaling $26.5 million to 25 states to implement or enhance the Re-employment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) Initiative for unemployment insurance (UI) recipients. Vermont will get $688,156.

"Unemployment insurance is a centerpiece of the social safety net, but it is only part of a process designed to help get workers back into good jobs," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "By expanding training and employment services, these grants will help prepare workers for employment in thriving regional industries, and give them a better opportunity to provide for their families."

Captive insurance professionals from throughout the United States and around the world will gather in Burlington, Vermont for the world's largest captive insurance conference, August 11 - 13, 2009 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center and the UVM Davis Center. The event is the 24th Annual Conference hosted by the Vermont Captive Insurance Association.
Though more than half of the US states now have captive insurance laws on their books, Vermont continues to be the premier domicile in the United States and the third largest in the world. Captive insurance is a specialized form of self insurance. Among the close to 600 active captive insurance companies in Vermont, 44 of the Fortune 100 and 21 of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average are domiciled here. The industry is also responsible for more than 1400 jobs (direct and indirect) for Vermonters.

The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $10 million in funding to organizations that connect older Americans to career opportunities. Included is $1 million to Vermont Associates for Training & Development, Inc. The Aging Worker Initiative: Strategies for Regional Talent Development is designed to train workers age 55 and older for jobs in high-growth, high-demand industries, and increase the public workforce system's capacity to effectively serve an aging worker population. The department also has launched a unique private-public partnership with the Atlantic Philanthropies, which will invest an additional $3.6 million in this effort.

Rep. Peter Welch supported and the House passed legislation late Wednesday to address a projected shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund by restoring $7 billion in federal transportation funding to the states. HR 3357 prevents an 85 percent reduction in Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funding, which would have reduced Vermont s share from $134 million to $20 million in 2010.
The cut would have forced Vermont Agency of Transportation to shut down all new FHWA construction, resulting in the loss of 998 jobs, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.
A recession is no time to cut federal highway funding and layoff hundreds of workers, Welch said. This bill ensures that Vermont can continue to rebuild its roads and bridges and maintain good-paying jobs.

Chittenden Bank President Michael Seaver and Senior Vice President Kathy Schirling presented the final $10,000 contribution of the bank s $40,000 multi-year pledge for the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Campaign to Hilary Casillas, vice president of income development, on Thursday, July 30, at Hope Lodge, 237 East Avenue in Burlington.
In 2007, the Society built a new, 13,000-square-foot facility on East Avenue, close to Fletcher Allen Health Care, to provide free, temporary housing and support services to more than 2,000 cancer patients and their families each year, tripling the capacity of the old Burlington Lodge in operation since 1983. Thanks to the generosity of community donors like Chittenden Bank, nearly $5 million dollars were raised to fund construction of the Lois McClure-Bee Tabakin building, which opened in January 2008.

The Orleans Medical Clinic has been sold to North Country Health Systemn. On June 30, Dr David Bourgeois sold the practice, which is located in the Village of Orleans, to North Country Health System in Newport. The doctor and his staff will remain at the clinic at the same location. The practice is now known as Orleans Family Medicine.
This year marks Dr. Bourgeois 20th anniversary of service on the North Country Medical Staff, Claudio Fort said. During this time he has earned a reputation for his considerable work ethic as well as for his devotion to caring for the people of this medically under-served community. I am pleased that this new relationship will enable Dr. Bourgeois to re-focus his efforts from managing the business affairs of the practice to concentrating on the provision of patient care and, with his staff, to continue this crucial work in partnership with North Country Hospital. Fort is the CEO of North Country Health System.

It s been an exceptionally rainy and cool summer and one of the consequences is that Late Blight disease has been reported in every corner of Vermont and across the Northeast. With these weather conditions Late Blight rapidly kills the foliage of tomato and potato plants. Many hundreds of farmers and gardeners have already been stricken, and it is likely that the situation will get worse unless the weather turns hot and dry.
Late Blight is caused by a fungus, Phytophthora infestans, and it s the same disease that led to the Irish potato famine almost 150 years ago. The disease is not directly harmful to people as it only infects potatoes, tomatoes, and some related weeds.