One budget cut the governor opposes

Posted by Paul Cillo on May 7, 2010 at 4:51 pm

The Vermont Legislature gets kudos this week for voting to postpone the increase in the domestic production deduction, an obscure federal business tax break that passes through to Vermont corporations.  Vermont’s tax structure is tied to the federal system, which is boosting this tax break by 50 percent this year.  This tax expenditure increase would cost the state at least $1.7 million in fiscal 2011 and about the same in…

Let’s back the Challenges promise with reserve funds

Posted by Jack Hoffman on May 6, 2010 at 9:58 am

If Legislative leaders and the administration believe in Challenges for Change, the government reform plan that promises better services for less money, they should be willing to guarantee that promise with the state’s reserve funds. Many legislators are leery of Challenges because they fear the administration is more interested in cutting the budget than improving services. Therefore, if the administration can develop plans over the next several months and satisfy…

2011 state budget plans raise property taxes

Posted by Jack Hoffman on April 29, 2010 at 3:54 pm

Vermont property taxpayers will be taking it on the chin this year. Given the rhetoric they’ve been hearing all year from Montpelier, they have reason to be upset.

First, the governor repeated his (erroneous) claim that education spending was out of control, and proposed a plan he said would reduce property taxes. What he didn’t mention was that for his plan to work local school districts would have to make…