Vermonters for Economic Health

Entrepreneurial Government:
Better results with fewer resources
by Jason Gibbs

The engine of prosperity in this country is the private sector.  What will ultimately ensure our economy emerges from the Great Recession stronger and more resilient than ever before is the energy and imagination of America's entrepreneurs.

For government to be an effective partner in growing the economy and creating that prosperity it must recognize that it is the junior partner (hence the term "public servant") and embrace the nimble and creative mindset that successful enterprise thrives upon.

"Government Workers Feel No Economic Pain," David M. Dickson reports in The Washington Times:

The recession and the ongoing jobless recovery devastated much of the private-sector work force last year, sending unemployment soaring, but government workers emerged essentially unscathed, according to data released Wednesday by the Labor Department. 

Meanwhile, the compensation for state and local government employees continued to easily outdistance the wages and benefits for workers in private business, a separate Labor Department report showed. 

Anyone interested in understanding Vermont's K-12 education spending and funding maze should hustle on over to Vermont Tiger and spend the time
to follow Hugh Kemper's five excellent tutorials on how the system works and what can be done about the escalating spending amid continually declining student enrollment.

The power to fix this rests with the Legislature. Pay no attention to the political rhetoric from Legislators who ramble on about local control. The fix for the excessive spending and constant tax increases is theirs. Local control is a myth.

Ask your legislator if s/he supports the present K-12 funding/spending/governance system. If they say no, that's a good sign.

Featured image: 

The Myth of Local
Control

(Published in the Colchester Sun, Feb 18, 2010)

Vermont's reputation of local school boards and voters balancing the tough choices between spending and taxes is mostly myth. The reality is that state K-12 education costs and the funding scheme that feeds them is breaking the backs of taxpayers and the state budget. True control rests with the Legislature.

Funding and spending for education is a jumble of sources, rules, regulations, formulas and obscure budget mechanisms. Few citizens understand this complex stream of policies and rules flowing from the Legislature and the Department of Education. Unless more taxpayers understand and experience the financial effects of their votes, local control is a fantasy.

Hat tip to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce for this update.

Senate Economic Development Votes Out Jobs Bill 

The Senate Economic Development Committee completed its work late yesterday (Thursday, Feb 11, 2010) on a Jobs Bill that allocates $8.6 million in federal stimulus funds.
The Committee, led by Senator Vince Illuzzi (R-Essex/Orleans), voted 5-0 in favor of the newly revised bill.