Federal money ‘drying up’ that was used to house homeless in hotels
On Tuesday, the Goddard College radio show “Gathering Peace” interviewed a city mayor and homeless shelter co-director to discuss Vermont’s imminent homeless crisis.
Vermont GOP lawmakers share governor’s alarm over half-billion in new spending proposals
Vermont’s Republican House and Senate members met together at the Statehouse on Thursday to echo Gov. Phil Scott’s recent concerns that the budget proposed by the supermajority could raise the General Fund base budget by 12% and spend $500 million on new programs annually.
Mermel: Upfront cost of Affordable Heat Act likely over $5 billion
The Affordable Heat Act will increase income inequality and punish low and moderate income people, particularly our BIPOC population. It is an immoral, regressive surcharge on the most vulnerable among us.
Campaign for Vermont: A look at the governor’s $8.4 billion budget
Governor Scott presented his FY2024 budget to the Legislature on Friday, calling on them to help rejuvenate small towns during the 2023 legislative session, following up his call to action in the inaugural address from a couple weeks ago.
Fed report: 75% of $800 billion Paycheck Protection Program didn’t reach employees
Taxpayers paid $4 for every $1 in wages and benefits received by workers in jobs saved by the federal government’s pandemic Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), according to a new study.
Governor signals potential budget conflict regarding use of massive federal funds
At Tuesday’s press conference, Gov. Phil Scott signaled a potential budget conflict regarding the state’s intake of massive federal funds intended as relief for COVID-related issues.
Op-ed: New York announces $1 billion internet program that includes muni broadband funding
Given the massive amount of taxpayer money being spent for broadband deployment, it’s no surprise that the state of New York recently unveiled a $1 billion spending plan. Also, not surprising is the intention to spend the money on municipal broadband systems which continue to be financial sinkholes.
Vermont using federal COVID money as carrot in school vaccination push
Vermont will be using federal COVID-relief funds as incentives to get schools to push vaccinations on young children.
Teachers union wants federal money for its pensions
The state’s largest union for public workers, the Vermont-NEA, is asking that the state use as much federal money as possible from its massive $5 billion influx over the past year to pay down an ever-increasing liability in its pension program.
Flemming: More money, more problems for Vermont counties
Unless the U.S. Treasury makes the rules more flexible and allows town employees to make important funding decisions which county employees are making in other states, Vermont will be at a severe disadvantage relative to other states in regard to how it spends the county ARPA money.
After getting billions in federal money, Vermont ‘digging out and building back,’ think tank says
After receiving at least $5.4 billion in federal relief over the past year to ease shutdown-induced economic hardships, Vermont is now “digging out and building back” its economy, according to the Public Assets Institute.
New Hampshire to pull out of federal unemployment programs
Sununu said the state will end its participation in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other federal jobless programs on June 19, giving jobless workers a month to prepare for the changes. To entice workers back to their jobs, Sununu said the state is offering $500 to $1,000 bonuses for individuals who get a job and keep it for at least eight weeks.