Legislature should get a second opinion

Posted by Jack Hoffman on April 13, 2010 at 4:18 pm

The version of the fiscal 2011 budget approved by the Vermont House late last month sets aside $62 million in a reserve fund, which might be used to help close part of the budget gap projected for fiscal 2012. But legislators might want to check with federal officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to make sure their plan complies with the law. It would be a shame…

Cutting our commitment

Posted by Jack Hoffman on April 9, 2010 at 3:45 pm

The message couldn’t have been clearer this week from three former officials of the Vermont Agency of Human Services. They said budgets proposed by both the administration and the Legislature would result in cuts to services for many of the state’s most vulnerable citizens. They also called on political leaders to restore the commitment to helping people in need during difficult economic times that Vermont historically has shown.

The former…

Savings could mean more cuts

Posted by Jack Hoffman on March 30, 2010 at 9:22 am

Vermonters who rely on services from the Agency of Human Services got a reprieve last week when the Vermont House passed its version of the fiscal 2011 budget. But they shouldn’t relax just yet. The Challenges for Change bill still holds the potential to take back what the House restored.

Challenges for Change is a report prepared by a Minnesota consulting firm hired to recommend efficiency savings for Vermont. According…