Who knows better the needs of a community than the people who live in that community? It’s a good question. This short video about participatory budgeting in New York City asks that question directly and discusses how some communities are beginning to participate in their city’s budget process. Read more

Mitt Romney was famously recorded last year assaulting the character of 47 percent of Americans for not paying taxes. He might not have known it, but he was referring to the percentage of Americans who did not pay federal income taxes in 2010. Read more

It’s not unusual to hear exaggerated claims about Vermont’s taxes, and some people have come to believe them. Fortunately, not everyone has bought into the myths. If they did, places like Stratton, Winhall, Killington, Stowe, Dover, Ludlow and others would be ghost towns. Read more

The best way for Vermont to strengthen its economy is by continuing to invest in educating its workforce, according to a new paper published today by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN).

“A Well Educated Workforce is Key to State Prosperity” was researched and written by Noah Berger, president of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, and Peter Fisher, research director at the Iowa Policy Project. Read more

The subject of a little-noticed provision in the state budget last year is getting national attention today, with a short, lively animation released by the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative and the Vermont Workers’ Center.

To shift the focus of Vermont’s budget process from money to people, the Vermont Workers’ Center has been promoting a People’s Budget.  Read more

The controversial land deal between Governor Shumlin and his East Montpelier neighbor Jeremy Dodge raises a fundamental tax policy question: Why is Dodge, or any Vermont homeowner, being asked to pay property taxes on his home to fund schools?

The short answer: Because the property tax has always funded local public services. Read more

For years we’ve heard the same refrain from much of the Vermont business community: Taxes are too high, and there’s too much regulation. They’ve chided the Legislature about the state’s poor business climate and called for austerity. Politicians were quick to parrot the message or risk rebuke as taxers and spenders. Read more

The purpose of the state budget is to improve the well-being of the people of the state. That’s what the Legislature declared last year for the first time.

The Legislature also demanded greater accountability, so the average person can see whether Vermonters’ health, economic security, education, and quality of life are improving or getting worse, and greater public participation, by allowing the public to weigh in on budget goals and help prioritize spending and revenue initiatives. Read more

The governor and legislative leaders announced a deal this week that will mean no new taxes beyond the gas tax for the coming year. While a lot of people—legislators included—welcome the agreement as a sign that the session is nearing a close, it also ends, at least for this year, the Legislature’s efforts to push for the smart investments that are needed to move Vermont forward. Read more

A bill being headlined as an effort to control school costs includes provisions that simply shift costs from upper-income Vermonters and second home owners onto low- and moderate-income Vermonters. The Legislature should re-think these provisions.

H.538 contains a number of provisions that would affect school spending and taxes in fiscal 2015. Read more