With State Looking For 20% Budget Reduction & Vermont’s Income Gap Continuing To Grow, Maybe It’s Time To Revisit Making State’s Wealthiest Pay A Little More?
Given the Scott Administration’s charge to department and agency heads to come up with a 20% reduction in spending by August 30 to "help close the gap between the projected growth in spending and available revenues," it might be time to revisit narrowing Vermont’s income gap by asking the state’s wealthiest to pay a little more.
Remember, according to a January 2018 Public Assets Institute report, from 2006 to 2016, average nominal income for the top 5 percent of Vermont earners rose 42 percent. Over the same period, the bottom fifth of earners saw an average increase of 6 percent.
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It was just five months ago that VSEA Corrections members from the Chittenden facility were at the State House to educate lawmakers and press in the room about their current work situation.
Here’s what appeared in VSEA’s weekly email newsletter from March 1, 2019:
After touring the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility last week, members of the Legislature’s Women’s Caucus asked to meet today with VSEA DOC members who work at the facility to discuss staffing and other employee concerns, as well as get some perspective on how it is to work with female inmates who are detoxing and the challenges associated. The workers lobbied for additional funding to help resolve the facility’s chronic staffing issues.
Note: Staffing is identified as a primary cause for concern at every Vermont corrections facility.
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VSEA Corrections members are fired up after WCAX aired a story that featured DOC Commissioner Mike Touchette telling the reporter that staffing is not an issue in Vermont prisons.
Say what?
VSEA Corrections members have delivered countless hours of testimony in the past few years to lawmakers and committees about chronic understaffing, mandatory overtime and temp usage–with press in the room. And President Bellini, a Corrections member himself, has penned commentaries on the topics.
WCAX’s story is unfortunate and misleading and VSEA members are questioning the motivation behind WCAX airing the story(?).
VSEA will be responding to this light-on-facts story.
A reminder that your union’s 2019 membership-recruitment drive is underway. Rewards for recruiting new members between now and September 1:
- 2 new members – Dunkin Donuts gift card;
- 5 new members – VSEA insulated coffee mug; or
- 10 new members – $50 VISA gift card!
- Bonus! Recruit a new member and receive an entry in a drawing to win one of four $300 prizes to be awarded at VSEA’s 2019 Annual Meeting! Each new recruit earns you an additional entry! Just be sure to have your recruits add your name in the "Recruited By" line of the VSEA Membership Application.
Need a quick reference to help with your recruiting? You can view an informational webpage with some recruitment tips and advice here.
Learn more about the 2019 membership drive…
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