Voices in the news this week on the minimum wage, the cleanup of Lake Champlain, protections for whistleblowers, retaining young workers in Bennington County and a showdown over the primary election date.
Shumlin, House Lawmakers At Odds Over Minimum Wage Increase
(Speaker of the House Shap Smith) “It’s always a balancing act, and it seems to me that if you look at other areas that have increased the minimum wage, the effect on employment hasn’t been as severe as some had predicted.”
(Jim Harrison, Vermont Grocers Association) “To go to $10.10 in one fell swoop in just nine months from now is pretty dramatic and pretty severe and will have repercussions.”
Advocates Flog New Lake Champlain Clean-Up Plan
(Environmental Conservation Commissioner David Mears) “And what’s different about this plan is we are really, truly putting out a comprehensive proposal that addresses all of the major sources of phosphorus into the lake. And if we follow through on this, then we really will make a substantial dent in the amount of phosphorus reduction. In terms of cost effectiveness, it’ll be the best investment we can make.”
(Kim Greenwood, Vermont Natural Resources Council) “I would have expected some of the provisions in here to be more mandatory and less voluntary and incentive-based. Because we’ve been trying incentives and education for years and it’s not getting us where we need to go.”
Lawmakers Mull Protections For Whistleblowers
(Kate Duffy, commissioner of the Department of Human Resources) “But the auditor did indicate that he had had a situation where he felt that there was a need to protect a whistleblower. And to me if that’s what it takes - I mean if it’s one person or it’s 20 - we want to make sure that people feel that they’re protected under our whistleblower laws.”
Young People Urged To Stay And Work In Bennington County
(Peter Odierna, executive director of the Bennington County Industrial Corporation) “There are businesses all across industries and different sectors here in Bennington County that right now have job openings, that they are having problems filling.”
State Tries To Avoid Showdown Over Primary Election Date
(Secretary of State Jim Condos) “My concern is to make sure that I protect the constitutional right of every eligible voter. And whether that be here in Vermont or somewhere else in the world, if they’re eligible to vote in our primary races, they deserve to have that opportunity.”
