Food For Thought:
"Are rich people leaving the state? According to information from the IRS, tax filers moving into the state earn about 18 percent more on average than taxpayers who leave the state. In 2008, the average income of a new Vermonter was about $53,000, while the wages of the average Vermonter migrating out of state were about $44,000."
"A healthy pension fund should be about 80 percent funded at any given time; however, the New Hampshire funding stands at about 58.5 percent. About one-third of the gap can be traced to national upheaval affecting us all."
Vermont’s pension fund is 82% funded!
Good Piece On The Demonizing Of Maine State Employees
"Public workers in Colorado, South Dakota and Minnesota are already suing their states, which are among 18 that want to pare pension costs by increasing employee contributions, raising the retirement age or curbing cost-of-living increases."
"Politicians will keep silent on the key alternative to deep cuts – precisely because it would otherwise be on most citizens’ agendas. That alternative would be to raise the tax share paid by leading firms and the wealthiest 5-10 percent of citizens. In most cases, this means returning to the levels of taxation in the 1980s."
Scenes From VSEA’s 2011 Legislative Open House!