Vermont Chamber of Commerce- Legislative Summary

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has stated the following at the close of the 2008 session. I have inserted my comments within theirs.

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce began the 2008 legislative session with hopes that important issues confronting Vermont businesses would be addressed, and that the legislators would enact:
· Meaningful workers' compensation reform
· A lessening of the tax burden
· An improvement in the cost of doing business in the state
· Housing Incentives
· Solutions to the shortfall in the transportation fund

While the issues of workers' compensation and housing were addressed by the legislature, the legislation that was produced, falls far short of the actual needs of the state and businesses. [Absolutely correct!] Furthermore, while there were several budget cuts, work on serious government spending reductions was left behind. [The present Legislature does not have the stomach for serious reduction in the budget.]

It is widely known that Vermont faces substantial and difficult financial choices in the near future. The shortfalls in: Medicaid funding, transportation infrastructure, and anticipated shortfalls in the education fund all require a need for hundreds of millions of dollars [Where is the leadership in the executive or Legislative branch to really get serious. It seems elections are more important that the welfare of Vermont].

The focus this past session was on increasing revenue for the state. While Vermont has a tax problem, [Vermont has no rational tax policy; every funding scheme seems to be ad hoc.] the state has an equally harmful spending problem [Vermont's legislative culture for the past few years has been to 'find revenue' rather than deal with the issues that can help us to have a health economy].

  The actions of state government do not take place in a bubble, and tough decisions must be made - soon [The Legislature missed an opportunity last session to deal with real issues].  It is imperative that the decisions bring with them a heavy dose of public program prioritization and spending cuts, if Vermont's business climate is to improve in the years to come. [Absolutely correct; we need to elect legislators who understand and believe this in their bellies.]

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce appreciates the effort made by the Administration and Legislators, and we realize that it is not an easy job to balance the wishes of all groups. We look forward to implementing the good work that was done this year and will continue to advocate for businesses, with the reduction in government spending at the forefront. [Palaver and salve will not help the cultural and ideological problem. Different legislators are needed]