Vermont: Douglas

Budget negotiations between the legislature and the administration – which had been going on all weekend and today – broke down at about 2:20 with no prospects of a deal before 5:00 PM when Governor Douglas will veto the budget...

Governor Douglas has a decision to make. Sign the legislature's budget with its tax increases, subsidies to favored constituents, and overall spending increases to include $200 million (6.9%) in the area of human services where Vermont already leads the nation...

The Douglas administration has put two options on the table for state employees to ponder. The choices are something lawmakers will have to consider as well as they write their versions of the budget.

To fill the big gap in tax revenues that has developed as a result of the slowing economy, Gov. Jim Douglas first suggested he would need to layoff 600 workers. Actually he proposed 660 layoffs of which 60 were spelled out within his budget. The other 600 were to be identified later.

Wednesday, the administration identified 320 jobs that it was prepared to eliminate -- a lot fewer than the previously announced 600 because the administration would be willing to find some of the $17 million in payroll savings by going along with a concession the Vermont State Employees Association put on the table.

On St. Patrick's Day, Gov. Jim Douglas will host one of five health care forums the Obama administration is holding around the country. Mind you, this was the Obama administration's idea, and they turned to their new best Republican friend, Jim Douglas.

So how is this going over among those who've never seen Douglas as much of a health-care reformist? Funny you should ask, because Anthony Pollina has some thoughts on that:

“The irony here is far too great to ignore.

While Vermonters are fighting to maintain health care services, even in hard times, Douglas is leading the charge to throw people off health care programs and raise costs for lower income and middle class working families.