Statement on Gov. Peter Shumlin’s Jan. 15, 2014, Budget Address

Gov. Peter Shumlin struck a better chord with his Budget Address than he did last year, when it seemed like he wanted to balance the budget on the backs of poor Vermonters. This year the governor talked about protecting vulnerable Vermonters and making “investments that will enhance Vermonters’ quality of life.”

Understanding the details about exactly where the governor plans to make investments and where the money will come from will require deeper analysis, but the governor deserves credit for trying to include all Vermonters in his address. He committed to make the kinds of investments have been shown to provide good returns: infrastructure, education, health care, and early child development.

We join the governor in urging local voters to get involved in their local schools and the education of their kids. And we agree that they should scrutinize their local school budgets. But we also have faith that local voters can decide for themselves how much they want to spend to support their children. We hope the Legislature will resist any temptation they might have to curb voters’ control over their own purse strings.