Current News

Week Ending March 28, 2009 There were 1,179 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 109 from the week before. Altogether 18,599 new and continuing claims were filed, 92 less than a week ago and 7,754 more than a year earlier. The Department also processed 1,955 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 13 less than a week ago. In addition, there were 1,140 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program which is an increase of 52 from the week before. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/ Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc

Today, Ben & Jerry's lifted the lid on an April Fool's Day event aimed at raising consumer awareness of the government's recent approval of cloned milk and meat within the human food supply chain. In late-March Ben & Jerry's went undercover through the launch of Cyclone Dairy, a fictitious dairy company marketing milk made from 100% cloned cows, to gauge consumer reaction surrounding this issue. The make-believe company was launched via the Web site CycloneDairy.com and street sampling initiatives in Manhattan, with support from the Center for Food Safety, a nonprofit public interest organization based in Washington, D.C.
"April Fools! Ben & Jerry's is just kidding about Cyclone Dairy but we're serious about the need for a system to track cloned animals," said Walt Freese, Chief Euphoria Officer for Ben & Jerry's. "Americans should have the basic right to choose the foods they want to eat."

Governor Douglas today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services has released more than $2.7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to support expanded services at eight community health centers across Vermont. The funds are part of a total $338 million investment in centers nation wide.
Community Health Centers were asked to submit plans explaining how the funds would be used. While proposals vary among grantees, strategies may include adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding health services.

Ledyard Financial Group, Inc. (LFGP) announced today that its Board of Directors has voted to not participate in the U.S. Treasury Department s Capital Purchase Program (CPP). Ledyard was approved for funds, but after careful review of Ledyard s core businesses and capital position, the constraints and uncertainties of the CPP, and the overall strength of the Company, the Board of Directors decided to withdraw Ledyard s application.
The CPP is part of the Federal Government s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) approved by Congress to strengthen the banking system by providing healthy banks with additional capital. The Board of Directors as part of the Company s ongoing capital planning activities evaluates its need for capital to support Ledyard s community banking and wealth advisory services businesses. The Board concluded the most effective option available to Ledyard at this time is through the retention of earnings.

Members of a leading small business association today gathered at the State House to impress upon Governor Douglas and their legislators the difficulty they are having surviving in the current economic climate. Small business owners urged the governor and legislative leaders to focus on policies and programs that make Vermont a more business-friendly state for entrepreneurs and small employers.
Small businesses are the backbone of Vermont s economy, said Shawn Shouldice, Vermont state director of the National Federation of Independent Business. While much of the nation s attention is on Wall Street, it s important that our legislators here in Vermont understand that we re more concerned with what happens on Main Street.
NFIB/Vermont member Jim Eckhardt, president of Censor Security in Rutland, said surviving in the economic climate was difficult, but coping with higher taxes and more red tape from Montpelier would make things even worse.

Governor Douglas on Wednesday will announce that a major new manufacturer will be setting up operations at IBM s Essex facility and he will formally welcome them to Vermont. The announcement will be made at the IBM Microelectronics facility Presentation Center in Essex Junction at 3:30 pm.

The Vermont State Board of Education welcomed three new members to the Board at its March 17, 2009 meeting. State Board members are appointed by Governor Jim Douglas.
Don Collins, a resident of Swanton, most recently served six years on the Senate Education Committee in the Vermont Legislature, four years as chairman. He has taught mathematics and social studies the middle and high school level, and served as the director of guidance and curriculum at Lamoille Union High School. He served 28 years in administrative positions, including four years as the principal of Ferrisburgh Central School and 14 years as superintendent of the Franklin West Supervisory Union. He also served as director of Project Head Start in Northeastern Vermont and adjunct instructor at four Vermont colleges. He also served as a trustee of the Vermont State Colleges. He is currently chairman of the Swanton School Board. His term expires in 2015.

US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Tuesday that Vermont will receive $4,068,000 for several adult and youth workforce development programs across the state. Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the funds in the annual appropriations bill passed by the Congress signed into law by President Obama earlier this month.
Leahy said, Training and practical experience can turn the liability of unemployment and underemployment into assets, turning lives around and planting the seeds for the economic future we want for our state. With the economy in peril and joblessness on the rise, there is even greater urgency in training Vermont s youth and retraining underemployed workers for the jobs of tomorrow. These investments will support organizations around Vermont that have been forward thinking about our state s workforce development needs, training Vermonters for solid job opportunities right here at home.

Governor Douglas announced Monday a supplemental education funding plan for FY2010 and FY2011 that will make use of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to hold down property taxes, reform the Education Fund and help bring sustainability to the General Fund without the need for costly tax increases proposed by the Legislature. This proposal comes in light of new information about the federal recovery money and the actions of school districts and the Legislature since the Governor s budget recommendation in January.
I commend school districts for making progress in limiting spending growth to 2.2 percent this year, the Governor said. In these challenging economic times more must be done to rein in property taxes and ensure that increasing K-12 costs are not forcing deeper cuts to human services and environmental protection or pushing higher taxes onto already over stretched taxpayers.

The proportion of Vermont households with high-speed or broadband Internet connections has increased from 9% in 2001 to slightly more than 66% in 2009, according to the statewide Vermonter Poll conducted by the Center for Rural Studies at the University of Vermont. Of households that did not have Internet or broadband, nearly 46% said that they knew broadband was available to them, while 17% were not sure.
Despite the overall increase in household broadband, there is still evidence of a digital divide. According to this year's poll, 44% of responding households making less than $25,000/year have computers, compared to 83% of all households and 91% of households making more than $25,000.

Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education, will be the 2009 commencement speaker at Saint Michael's College on Thursday, May 14, at 10 a.m. in the Ross Sports Center. Secretary Duncan will address the 516 graduating seniors earning bachelor s degrees and 50 graduate students who are present, earning master s degrees, and their families, together totaling some 3,000 people at the college s graduation ceremonies. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, a graduate of the Saint Michael s College class of 1961, was instrumental in arranging for Secretary Duncan to speak at Leahy s alma mater.
Honorary Degrees:

The House Appropriations Committee this morning voted 9-2 to pass the Transportation Bill, which includes Speaker Shap Smith s $120 million jobs and transportation infrastructure package. The bill will be up for action on the House floor beginning Tuesday.
"On the first day of the session, I announced plans for a $120 million jobs and transportation infrastructure package to keep Vermonters working and begin the task of fixing our crumbling roads and bridges," said Speaker Smith. "The immediate economic crisis required decisive action and I am pleased that my committees worked together to craft this thoughtful package to keep our economy moving."