Citizens feel shut out of local Act 250 cases
TIMES ARGUS July 7, 2012 By Thatcher Moats VERMONT PRESS BUREAU MONTPELIER — What do an asphalt plant proposed for Barre Town and a biomass project being developed at Goddard College in Plainfield have in common? The separate cases have upset central Vermont citizens who say Act 250 regulators are flubbing the review process [...]
Veterans Deserve the Best
Imagine a situation where military personnel are punched in the face, given food unfit to eat, generally humiliated and abused. It’s wrong, but perhaps expected in a POW camp during a time of war. Now imagine the same conditions endured not by active combat military but by older veterans in the Vermont Veterans Home in [...]
New Law Ensures Help for Vermonters with Autism and Developmental Delays
It is extremely gratifying to enact new policies that truly and directly help families and the most vulnerable of our neighbors. Such is the case with a bill I wrote this year. The new law ensures that Vermonters with autism and developmental delays will get therapies they need to improve their quality of life. As [...]
Advocates press for expanded autism coverage
February 1, 2012 – By Alan Panebaker, VTDigger.org Parents and lobbyists held a press conference Wednesday promoting a bill that would expand private insurance coverage for people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder to include those older than 6 years. In 2010, Vermont passed Act 127, which mandates that private insurance companies and Medicaid cover diagnosis [...]
Parents, advocates say autism insurance mandate falls short
By Alan Panebaker, VTDigger.org On Oct. 2, Lisa Howarth’s daughter, Stella, celebrated her sixth birthday. Stella has been diagnosed with autism, and she uses a communication device instead of speaking. For Stella, turning 6 brought a harsh dose of reality. A law passed in Vermont requiring insurance companies to cover the diagnosis and treatment of [...]
Lawmakers Want Vermont To Create State Bank
January 20, 2012 A group of lawmakers wants Vermont to become the second state in the country to create a state bank. They believe a state bank would strengthen the Vermont economy by making more capital available to small businesses. VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports: (Kinzel) The creation of a state bank has been a priority [...]
Pollina: Inequality, economy are the issues
December 19, 2011 Washington County State Senator Anthony Pollina says the Legislature should recognize the growing income and wealth gap and work to reverse the trend he says is hurting our economy and families and making any real economic recovery more difficult. Pollina is introducing a resolution asking the Legislature to support policies that close [...]
A New Way to Measure the Health of Vermont Economy
Introducing Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) to Replace Gross Domestic Product (GDP) August 18, 2011 Washington County State Senator Anthony Pollina says Vermont needs a new way to measure the strength of our economy, one that better reflects what people are really experiencing. He will introduce a proposal to have Vermont use a Genuine Progress Indicator [...]
The question of greed
Times Argus Editorial August 21, 2011 The rift between the Progressive view and the Democratic view of the state of our economy was on full display Thursday when spokesmen for each addressed a rally held to defend Social Security and Medicare. A group of senior citizens had gathered in Montpelier to speak out against threats [...]
Retiree group rallies for entitlements
Times Argus, Vermont Press Bureau, Thatcher Moats August 19, 2011 MONTPELIER — Marguerite Desany, a 75-year-old Burlington resident, has been retired and enrolled in Medicare for more than a decade. But only in the past year has she started worrying that the government-run health insurance program could face cuts. “I’m a little worried,” Desany said, [...]