Burlington officials settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Burlington Telecom, clearing the way to sell the public utility. Many towns faced dilemmas with their school budgets. A group of lawmakers pushed to delay the state’s single-payer health care plan until 2019. And Vermont’s athletes made their final preparations for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
These were some of the voices in the news this week.
With Settlement, 'Dark Cloud' Of Burlington Telecom Lifts, 2/3/14
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger: “I think there’s been a broadly held sense for a long time that ultimately to compete in this quickly evolving, capital-intensive telecommunications space, that a private partner would ultimately be an important part of Burlington Telecom’s long-term success.”
Many Towns Face Big Dilemma With School Budgets, 2/4/14
Montpelier Resident Phil Dodd: “People in Montpelier want good schools and the parents are very supportive of the school system. We’ve got good administration and teachers in place,” said Dodd. “On the other side I think it’s appropriate to look at the state system, and I know the legislators are doing that now, to think about changes there that might reduce this burden.”
Bipartisan Group Of Lawmakers Wants Single Payer Delay Until At Least 2019, 2/4/14
Dorset Representative Patti Komline: “A lot needs to be done between now and 2017 to make that happen. So I just think why not give people some more time. And what we’re saying is 'let’s give us a couple of more years to get that information in place rather than race to a deadline.' Make sure we get it right and learn from mistakes we made in the exchange.”
Liz Stephen Likes Chances For Relay Medal In Sochi, 2/4/14
Olympic cross country skier Liz Stephen: “I’m really excited. It definitely in terms of the nervousness, it helps to have gone to one Olympics before, for sure. I remember at this time before Vancouver was, uh, quite stressful. I think after four more years of experience in learning how to deal with pressure, I am certainly more excited than I am nervous.”
