vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

1.21.2009

Live coverage of gov's budget address

Tomorrow is the day Gov. Jim Douglas unveils his 2010 budget proposal. Vermonters will find out how he proposes to make up for a $150 million decline in revenues.

There will surely be layoffs of state employees, he has said, but how many and where? There will surely be cuts to programs that people consider untouchable, but which ones and how deep will the cuts be?

You can be among the first to find out by tuning in to live video coverage at www.burlingtonfreepress.com at 2 p.m. Thursday.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 6:02 PM |

Comments:

I'll have a bottle of lube and a tissue ready.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:24 PM, January 21, 2009

Deb Markowitz for Governor

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:01 AM, January 22, 2009

Think Douglas will man up and admit to his failure to lead and to make decisions since 2002 that could have prevented this mess? Not a chance.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:16 AM, January 22, 2009

And just where would you old financial wizard have made changes since 2002 to solve the current mess???

Just as I thought- you and Coop are Monday morning quarterbacks at best!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:46 AM, January 22, 2009

And you're not?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:52 AM, January 22, 2009

Notice Microsoft is laying off masses of employees because the haves who own stock aren't making enough profit. And just imagine, not in Vermont's hostile business climate! Greed anyone?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:53 AM, January 22, 2009

Is the session open? Can the public come watch?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:37 AM, January 22, 2009

To NEK:

With regard to unemployment insurance, I wouldn't have frozen Vermont's wage base at $8,000 for 20 years and missed all the revenue that would have come with increased tax levies.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:47 AM, January 22, 2009

Of course the public can come and watch. Tends to be crowded.
- TH

# Posted by:

vt.Buzz | 11:57 AM, January 22, 2009

But fun

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:02 PM, January 22, 2009

Yea, there is nothing quite as fun as listening to Jim Douglas give a long speach about the state budget.

Bring a can of Red Bull if you want to stay awake.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:09 PM, January 22, 2009

To anonymous on the unemployment cap- I agree with you that it should have changed gradually over the years- it was set at $8k long before Douglas' time. The rates have been escalating since 2002 so it wasn't completely ignored.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:01 PM, January 22, 2009

The point was your guy Jim chose to ignore it and not address it. What's his excuse?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:00 PM, January 22, 2009

Jim Douglas has singled out two groups as teh cause of our ills - 1) Schools and 2) State Workers.

Typical Douglas point a finger at someone else and say "it's their fault"

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:36 PM, January 22, 2009

The fact is that Douglas' proposals for education is nothing more than a shift to local governemnts and more specifically an increase in taxes at the local level.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:37 PM, January 22, 2009

I love how Douglas glossed over the DMV "fee" increases he wants. Spineless s&^t can't even call it a tax.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:33 PM, January 22, 2009

oh come on. education spending is totally out of hand. how can costs rise 22% and student enrollment decline at 10%. Everyone needs to share the pain. Everyone. Maybe the time has come to get rid of all of the supervisory unions. what do they do anyway? More administraters. The money needs to be spent on the kids not on each supervisory union
\duplicating services. This is a very small state. Consolidation is the magic word

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:35 PM, January 22, 2009

Consolodation would reduce education costs by less than 3%.

That's hardly going to put a dent in the increases seen recently.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:10 PM, January 22, 2009

Douglas wants to get involved with the decisions of local school boards then he should put forth some ideas.

Tell us, Governor, what should be cut from the school budgets ????

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:11 PM, January 22, 2009

The teachers union!

Like Obama said - it is not weather it is big or small but does it work. If not get rid of it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:10 PM, January 22, 2009

You think that the state should cut funding for the teacher's union?

That won't save much money since the Union isn't paid for by the State of Vermont.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:55 PM, January 22, 2009

... or the local school budgets.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:56 PM, January 22, 2009

"Consolodation would reduce education costs by less than 3%.
That's hardly going to put a dent in the increases seen recently."

Then cut the teaching staff in this time of declining enrollment, and cap teacher's salaries. And make the towns that approve budget increases pay into the teacher retirement fund. Currently, it is funded by the state, not by the Ed Fund.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:18 PM, January 22, 2009

Shumlin for Governor.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:09 AM, January 24, 2009

Oh, yeah!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:21 PM, January 24, 2009