The VTDigger.org team produced more than 400 stories and uploaded 541 youtube videos over the course of 2010. Though many of the reports could be categorized as daily fare, nearly a third were long-form, in-depth articles.
Whenever possible, we post what we like to think of as hallmark VTDigger.org stories — explanatory reports that are highly detailed and investigatory in nature. This approach requires interviews with many sources and close attention to the paper trail, as well as reflective thinking and writing. The payoff is the opportunity to present comprehensive articles.
Many of the pieces we produced over the last year were on topics of ongoing impact: Vermont Yankee, campaign finance, teacher’s retirement, economic development, racial profiling, Challenges for Change government restructuring and the historic 2010 gubernatorial election.
We hope the links to the VTDigger.org stories that follow give you a lasting impression of some of the biggest issues Vermonters faced over the last 12 months. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
~Anne Galloway, editor of VTDigger.org
Foreclosed: One middle class couple’s journey into penury
By Tena Starr on November 12, 2010
Leslie Patenaude remains upset that, after a long history of paying bills on time, the bank was not more accommodating when she and her husband hit hard times. Continue reading
Private gifts, public trust: Records law at center of press-gown kerfuffle
By Anne Galloway on March 9, 2010
Corredera says that without a shield law for anonymous donors, UVM can’t compete with other schools for contributions. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: Gov.-elect Peter Shumlin, then Senate President Pro-Tem ordered the bill to lie and it was never taken up for a vote. Read the story.
Vermont’s campaign finance reporting rules among weakest
By Jon Margolis on June 29, 2010
The candidates have to file their campaign finance information on July 15. Then the world will know how much they have raised and spent since the last time they had to file—a year ago, July 15, 2009. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: Lawmakers plan to take up new legislation this coming session to improve campaign finance disclosure rules.
Is trust enough? Embezzlements rattle faith in accounting practices
By Anne Galloway on November 19, 2010
There has been a spate of high-profile embezzlements around the state over the last several years. Six have made the news in the last two months. Continue reading
Vermont News Guy: Teachers retirement plan a win-win-win for union, state budget, Dems
By Jon Margolis on February 13, 2010
The VSEA and state officials are farther apart than the Vermont-NEA ever was on retirement issues. They are not even negotiating yet. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: It’s likely that the Shumlin administration will negotiate a pension deal with the VSEA in the coming year.
Vermont Democratic Party fined for inaccurate financial reporting
By Anne Galloway on June 12, 2010
Robert Dempsey: “Certainly, the situation I inherited wasn’t the easiest to figure out. I likened it to untangling a spool of Christmas lights.” Continue reading
A tale of two charts: Two analyses, two different answers to cost conundrum
By Anne Galloway on June 15, 2010
The state would have to eliminate 1,549 teaching positions to increase the student-teacher ratio to 13.1 to 1, according to the Douglas administration. Continue reading
New police rules leave migrant workers and immigrants vulnerable
By Anne Galloway on July 10, 2010
State and local efforts to purge agencies of racial prejudice are complicated by an issue that is intertwined with racism: immigration. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: Attorney General William Sorrell promulgated anti-bias policing guidelines in November for Vermont’s local police departments that includes some protection for migrant dairy farmworkers.
Will lawmakers reconsider the primary date?
By Kate Robinson on September 24, 2010
Could there be a way around the cumbersome and expensive primary process, while leaving in place the non-partisan voter registration that seems to suit the independent Vermont voter? Continue reading
BUDGETWISE
Modernization efforts put food stamps on hold
By Anne Galloway on October 14, 2010
The benefits system, which was touted as a model for Challenges for Change, isn’t working the way it’s supposed to, and hundreds of Vermont families are waiting six to eight weeks for food stamps. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: The Douglas administration and the incoming Shumlin administration agreed to hire 20 new employees to handle the backlog of paperwork.
In topsy-turvy world of Challenges, party ideology flips
By Anne Galloway on April 16, 2010
Vermont House GOP members push for protection of services for Vermonters; Dems promote efficient government. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: Challenges for Change remains as controversial as ever. In the end, the Douglas administration was able to identify $30 million in permanent savings through a combination of cuts and restructuring efforts. The remaining $8 million was addressed through one-time savings.
House Education nearly runs aground on Challenges
By Anne Galloway on April 11, 2010
The draft legislation asks the commissioner to develop specific spending reduction targets for each supervisory union district for fiscal year 2012. The commissioner is obliged to consider a number of factors in determining the targets, including: a district’s level of fiscal restraint over a three-year period, student poverty rates, the percentage of non-English speaking students, low per-pupil administrative costs and high student-to-staff ratios. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: The Shumlin administration has backed off the Challenges targets for 2012; schools will have $19 million in federal money for the coming budget season; in 2013, they’ll have to find the reductions. Read story.
Schools did not meet the targets; they came up short by $16 million. Read story.
Education advocates give Vilaseca an A for effort and an F for proposing to mandate school district mergers and redraw the boundaries himself.
THE UPSHOT: Vilaseca decided to support the Legislature’s voluntary school district consolidation plan instead of imposing student to teacher ratio minimums.
Challenges 2: Vermont’s economic development programs under the knife
By Anne Galloway on May 2, 2010
Illuzzi’s committee adopts most of the administration’s $3.4 million cuts to the state’s economic development budget, but spares key programs for one year. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: The Senate voted down the proposed restructuring of regional development corporations and planning commissions under the Challenges for Change government restructuring plan.
Proposed merger of regional planning commissions, development corporations raises hackles
By Anne Galloway on April 6, 2010
Shupe: The Agency of Commerce’s plan is “half-baked” and could stall the state’s fragile economic recovery. Continue reading
VERMONT YANKEE
Permission denied: In one fell swoop, Vermont Senate blocks Yankee license renewal
By Anne Galloway on February 25, 2010
Shumlin orchestrated the procedural move that pushed the historic vote forward and caught some senators off guard. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: Entergy Corp. has put the plant on the market and observers say if Vermont Yankee was sold to a new owner there is a chance the Legislature and Gov.-elect Peter Shumlin would consider allowing the plant to continue operating beyond its scheduled shutdown in March 2012. Shumlin has said he doesn’t think the plant is likely to sell and doesn’t plan to push for a license extension. Speaker of the House Shap Smith has said the Senate has spoken and there is no reason for the House to take the matter up for a vote.
Report: Entergy’s corporate culture led to recent problems at Vermont Yankee
By Anne Galloway on July 20, 2010
The oversight panel cited three main “concerns,” including “misleading information,” Entergy officials’ unquestioning attitude and the corporation’s maintenance of the plant. Continue reading
By Anne Galloway on October 12, 2010
Recent actions taken by the states of New Jersey and Illinois suggest that Vermont officials could pursue civil litigation or issue a directive dictating the cleanup of the tritium leak. VIDEO, SHUMLIN Continue reading
Controversial rules for Texas landfill could impact decommissioning of Vermont Yankee
By Anne Galloway on December 1, 2010
Members of the Texas Commission who support the new rules say that opening the site to “imported” waste will help to pay for the construction of the facility. Continue reading
THE UPSHOT: The vote on the new rules was set for Jan. 4, just two days before Shumlin’s election. A judge ordered a temporary halt on the vote.
THE GUBERNATORIAL RACE
On the Money: Governor’s race cost $6.1 million, including primary, outside money
By Anne Galloway on November 15, 2010
WPTZ made $772,600 in advertising from September through November in ads from PACs, 527s and the two candidates; WCAX brought in $713,359; and Fox 44 received $366,285. Continue reading
By the numbers: Polling kerfuffle hits home in Vermont
By Anne Galloway on July 6, 2010
So far, only two firms have conducted polls in Vermont this year – Research 2000 and Rasmussen Reports–but already there are questions being raised about the accuracy and methodologies of both. Continue reading
Truth Squad: Is Shumlin’s health care plan “unrealistic”?
By Anne Galloway on October 15, 2010
The road to a single-payer system is fraught with political, legal, financial and logistical obstacles. Navigating past the problems would be no easy task – even for Shumlin who repeats the mantra — “I’m the guy who gets tough things done” – whenever the subject of health care comes up. Continue reading
Truth Squad: Do Dubie’s tax plans help the rich?
By Anne Galloway on October 21, 2010
Dubie says Vermont’s tax system is burdensome. We look into his suggestions that Vermont adopt a tax system like New Hampshire’s or Massachusetts’ and his plans to cut $84 million from education. Continue reading
On the Money: Dems donations for governor’s race are more Wall Street than Main Street
By Anne Galloway on August 4, 2010
Vtdigger.org examines who is funding the five Democratic gubernatorial primary campaigns. Continue reading
On the Money: Dubie banks on large donors, contractors and GOP activists
By Anne Galloway on July 29, 2010 | Edit
Dubie has received more money from large individual donors, political action committees and the business community than any of his Democratic rivals. Continue reading
