Research & Publications
Sound, timely, and accessible, focused on affecting equity, sustainability, and shared prosperity through budget, tax and economic policy.
Katrina Menard joins Public Assets as State Policy Fellow
MONTPELIER – Katrina Menard has been selected as the State Policy Fellow for Vermont. The State Policy Fellowship program, sponsored by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington D.C., is a research-focused fellowship dedicated to making change through careful research, thoughtful advocacy, and strong partnerships in a state policy context. Menard begins the two-year fellowship position on July 8.
Ed Paquin joins Public Assets’ board
Ed Paquin, former state representative and recently retired executive director of Disability Rights Vermont, has joined the board of the Public Assets Institute.
Since 1990 Paquin has advocated on behalf of his constituents and Vermonters with disabilities. His work in the Vermont House of Representatives contributed to expansions of health insurance coverage to low-income Vermonters, equalizing entitlements to home care and nursing home care, and protecting all aspects of the state’s community-based Medicaid Long-term Care system for people with disabilities. He led Disability Rights Vermont in shaping corrections policy to better serve people with psychiatric disabilities and preserving the civil rights of people facing forced treatments in many settings.
“Ed is an excellent addition to the board,” said Board Chair Steve Gold. “His understanding of the real-world consequences of policy, his thoughtful and practical advocacy, and the depth of his knowledge about the gaps in our supports for Vermonters with disabilities and their families will be invaluable as we continue to work for a Vermont that works for all of us.”
Janet Ancel Joins Public Assets’ Board
Janet Ancel has been unanimously elected to the board of Public Assets Institute.
Ancel was the chief architect of Vermont’s groundbreaking state Child Tax Credit, which became law in 2022. Ancel’s state credit was modeled on the pandemic-era expansion of the federal child tax credit, which successfully reduced child poverty by more than forty percent nationwide, with even larger reductions among Black and Hispanic children.
“We are delighted that Janet Ancel has joined us,” said Board Chair Steve Gold, “her leadership on the Vermont Child Tax Credit exemplifies precisely the type of equity-focused, data-driven innovation that Public Assets strives to bring to statewide policy conversations. We look forward to the contribution her leadership and vision will make to our work in the coming years.”
Sandrine Kibuey Joins Public Assets’ Board
Sandrine Kibuey has been unanimously elected to the board of Public Assets Institute.
“We are delighted that Sandrine Kibuey has joined us,” said Board Chair Steve Gold, “she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, and a perspective we value. Her work with a diversity of Vermonters including New Americans, and her commitment to equitable access to public resources and services make her an ideal addition to the board.”
“My work has focused on managing large local, regional, and international projects, and it’s made me care deeply about the policies that affect peoples’ wellbeing. I see my work with Public Assets as an extension of the work I do solving big problems and getting the details right.” said Kibuey, who is director of Statewide Housing Advocacy at Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) directing rapid rehousing housing, advocacy and support services to vulnerable communities including asylum seekers and mobile home park residents.
Public Assets Institute releases State of Working Vermont 2022
As the pandemic winds down, report evidences need for “new normal” of security, equity, and shared prosperity MONTPELIER —State of Working Vermont 2022, released today, analyzes Census and other data, including wages, jobs, and employment, poverty, household income, and migration to portray Vermonters’ well-being before, during, and after the arrival of COVID. Before the pandemic: […]
Stephanie Yu will take leadership of Public Assets Institute January 1
MONTPELIER –– Steven Gold, chair of the Public Assets Institute Board of Directors, announced today that it has selected Stephanie Yu, current deputy director, as the organization’s next president and executive director. Yu replaces founder Paul Cillo, who will step down at the end of this year.
“We are fortunate to have Steph’s experience and insights to lead Public Assets as the organization enters its third decade,” Gold said. “We’re excited about the prospects for Public Assets and for the state with Steph at the helm and are looking forward to the ideas and projects she advances in collaboration with Public Assets’ excellent staff.”
Public Assets Announces Retirement of Paul Cillo
Paul Cillo, founding Executive Director and President of the Public Assets Institute, is stepping down, the organization’s Board of Directors announced today. Cillo has led the think tank, which focuses on advancing racial, social, and economic justice, for 19 years.
“Paul’s impact on the state of Vermont can’t be overstated, and neither can his impact on turning Public Assets Institute into the respected, high-impact organization it is today,” said Board Chair Steve Gold. “We will miss his skilled leadership, and are so appreciative that he’s leaving the organization in excellent shape. It sets the stage for Public Assets’ continued effectiveness under its next leader.”
COVID-19 made a bad situation worse for many Vermonters
It also revealed the crucial role of government, not just in crises, new report shows
MONTPELIER — The recession created by the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in February 2020, ended the longest economic recovery on record. The highest-income Vermonters came out of that recovery better off. But no one else did. Those at the bottom had less income in 2019 than in 2007 before the start of the Great Recession. Real median household income—the middle of the scale—ended 2019 where it was in 2007. And the state’s poverty rate showed no improvement.
So when COVID-19 suddenly put nearly 100,000 Vermonters out of work, many were already in economically poor shape. Nearly $5 billion in federal assistance to Vermonters this year definitely helped Vermonters weather the pandemic, so far. But more is needed, now and in the future. The state needs to invest in the public good—child care, education, housing, and other essentials—to secure the long-term economic well-being of Vermonters.
Mattison Joins Public Assets Board
Montpelier – Tiffany Bluemle, chair of the board of Public Assets Institute, announced that C.D. Mattison of Burlington has been elected to the board.
A non-partisan nonprofit with offices in Montpelier, Public Assets Institute is Vermont’s premier independent research organization on state budget, tax, and economic issues and the source for timely and in-depth state fiscal and policy analysis from the perspective of everyday Vermonters.
“We’re delighted to have Mattison join the board,” said Bluemle, who is the founder of Change The Story Vermont. “She is a passionate, clear thinker with a breadth of experience in the private and nonprofit sectors who will help ensure that our work continues to be relevant to the needs of all Vermonters.”
Vermonters feel the effects of inadequate public investment
As the economy recovers many are left behind, new report shows MONTPELIER — Economists told us last summer that the current economic recovery had become the longest on record. Vermonters at the top of the income ladder have enjoyed the effects. But for the 66,000 in poverty, the single mother earning no more than her […]
Ben Doyle and Weiwei Wang Join Public Assets’ Board; Tiffany Bluemle Elected Chair
MONTPELIER –Tiffany Bluemle was elected chair of the board of Public Assets Institute at the organization’s annual meeting earlier this month. She announced that Weiwei Wang of Burlington and Ben Doyle of Montpelier have been elected to the board.
A non-partisan nonprofit with offices in Montpelier, Public Assets Institute is the state’s premier independent research organization on Vermont budget, tax, and economic issues and the source for timely and in-depth state fiscal and policy analysis.
“I have long respected and depended upon Public Assets for budget information and analysis. The role that it plays in shedding light on complicated issues and in shaping public conversation and priorities is critical. I am honored to serve as chair of a board that is rich in experience and expertise and am particularly happy to welcome the presence and insights that both of these accomplished young individuals bring to our work” said Bluemle, who is director of Change the Story Vermont.
Vermont’s persistent problem
MONTPELIER – Many Vermonters are not benefiting from the state’s economic growth. That’s the central message of State of Working Vermont 2018, released today by Public Assets Institute. The data are new. But the message was similar in the 2017 report—and the year before that, and the year before that. State of Working Vermont, based […]
Public Assets recommends 2019-20 state initiatives
MONTPELIER – With 25 percent more Vermonters living in poverty than in the early 2000s, median household income stagnant, and high-quality child care still not affordable or even available to many Vermont families, the state’s elected officials need to focus on addressing these and other foundational issues in the next biennium. To move Vermont forward, […]
Public Assets Institute Adds a New Policy Analyst
MONTPELIER – Dr. Julie Lowell has joined Public Assets Institute’s staff as a Policy Analyst.
“We’re delighted to welcome Julie to Public Assets. Her academic research and direct social-service work in Vermont make her a great addition to our staff,” Public Assets president and founder Paul Cillo said Monday.
Lowell came to Public Assets after working at Vermont Works for Women for four years, as both a program evaluator and a direct service provider. She has worked directly with survivors of domestic violence, families experiencing homelessness, and women exiting correctional settings, informing her advocacy at the state level to positively impact policy for individuals living in poverty.
New report: Vermont’s tax system is among the least regressive
MONTPELIER— Tax systems generally favor the wealthy, but Vermont’s system is skewed less than most other states when it comes to high-income taxpayers. That was the key finding of a study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and Public Assets Institute.
Taxes are considered regressive if lower-income taxpayers pay at higher rates than do taxpayers with higher incomes. According to the new report, Vermont taxpayers in the top 1 percent now pay a slightly higher share of their income in state and local taxes than those in the middle. However, some upper-income taxpayers pay a lower percentage than Vermonters in the middle. The lowest-income taxpayers pay the smallest share of their income in state and local taxes, according to the report.
To boost the state’s economy, flip our thinking
Public Assets Institute releases State of Working Vermont 2017
MONTPELIER—Even before Congressional Republicans passed the tax overhaul this month that promises to widen the worst income gap between rich and poor since before the Great Depression, there was ample evidence that the economy was leaving too many Vermonters behind. Now, as the President prepares to sign the bill, the task for Vermont’s leaders and policymakers grows urgently clear: They must focus on raising the incomes of low- and moderate-income Vermonters, challenging the message from Washington that wages will rise and prosperity will spread as soon as the economy improves.
US HOUSE TAX PLAN: BENEFIT FOR VERMONTERS AT THE TOP GROWS OVER TIME
Tax cuts for the top 1 percent are 200 times larger than those for the poorest A 50-state analysis of the House tax plan released this week by the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) reveals that the wealthiest 1 percent of Vermonters would receive the greatest share of the total tax cut in […]
New year brings a new opportunity for shared prosperity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 29, 2016 CONTACT: Paul Cillo or Jack Hoffman 802.223.6677 New year brings a new opportunity for shared prosperity Public Assets Institute releases State of Working Vermont 2016 MONTPELIER – While Washington and the rest of the nation sort out the meaning of a Donald Trump presidency, new leaders in […]
Center Names Five Public Policy & Community Research Fellows
For Immediate Release Contact: Richard Watts, Director Center for Research on Vermont 802-373-1131 CENTER NAMES FIVE PUBLIC POLICY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH FELLOWS Five Public Policy and Community Research Fellows were recently named by the Center for Research on Vermont. The Fellows provide an essential link between the Vermont community and University of Vermont students, […]
Policy Solutions to Move Vermont Forward
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 6, 2016 CONTACT: Sarah Lyons 802.223.6677 Public Assets Proposes Policy Solutions to Move Vermont Forward MONTPELIER – With a major turnover in political leadership in Montpelier this January, the new administration and Legislature should zero in on three fundamental initiatives to move the state forward: • Ensure that work pays […]
New report: Recovery is not benefitting all Vermonters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 31, 2015 CONTACT: Paul Cillo 802.223.6677 New report: Recovery is not benefitting all Vermonters Public Assets Institute releases State of Working Vermont 2015 MONTPELIER – Since the end of the Great Recession, life has actually gotten harder for many Vermonters, says the State of Working Vermont 2015, released today by […]
Public Assets Institute Expands Its Staff
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 2, 2015 MONTPELIER – Public Assets Institute has added a new policy analyst, Stephanie Yu, to its staff. “Stephanie brings a wealth of skills and experience, and we are delighted that she is joining our staff,” Public Assets president and founder Paul Cillo said Wednesday. Yu has worked as both a public […]
Tiffany Bluemle and Scudder Parker Join Public Assets Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2, 2015 MONTPELIER – Larry Mandell, chair of the board of Public Assets Institute, announced that Tiffany Bluemle of Burlington and Scudder Parker of Middlesex have been elected to the board. A non-partisan nonprofit with offices in Montpelier, Public Assets Institute is Vermont’s premier independent research organization on state budget, tax, […]
Vermont’s Tax System Is Still Unfair
MONTPELIER—Vermont taxes are higher, as a percentage of income, on the poor and those in the middle than they are on the 1 percent at the top, according to the new study Who Pays? released Wednesday by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). Vermont is not alone; the wealthiest pay less than everyone […]
New report: The economy is recovering, but many Vermonters have not yet seen the benefits
Public Assets Institute releases State of Working Vermont 2014 MONTPELIER—Vermont’s economy grew faster than most of the other New England states in recent years, but the gains have not reached many working Vermont families. Since the recession officially ended in 2009, there have been positive signs of recovery. At the same time, according to Public […]
