Since the election, I’ve read about Vermont’s unfunded pension liabilities and the need for action. I am a state employee and taxpayer, and these commentaries struck me as “Chicken Little” partisan politics, since this important policy issue is, and has been, receiving attention from the Vermont politician best positioned by dint of experience, expertise and reputation to deal with it: State Treasurer Beth Pearce.
I, along with the many who voted for her just last month, trust Pearce with Vermonters’ money.
On the other hand, I have little confidence that Gov. Phil Scott won’t use his state of the state address to posture about unfunded pension liabilities and suggest changing the type of pension that is offered as a solution to the shortfall. Don’t get taken in by such misdirection.
With help from “one-percenters” like Texas hedge-fund billionaire John Arnold, who’s financed campaigns to gut public pensions across the country, Scott hopes to use Vermont’s unfunded pension liability problem as cover to undertake a partisan makeover, changing the state’s retirement from a defined benefit plan into a defined contribution plan, like a 401(k). What Scott and other partisans won’t admit is that such a change will do nothing to address or reduce Vermont’s unfunded pension liability. In fact, it would likely cost Vermont more.
Unlike a 401(k), the defined benefit retirement plans covering state and municipal workers and teachers guarantee a set amount of money in retirement that can’t be reduced if the stock market underperforms. This kind of pension plan is a key benefit that lawmakers saw fit to implement decades ago as a way to ensure a stable working life and retirement for career state employees.
Offering employees a solid retirement benefit serves as a valuable recruitment tool, which seems consistent with the recent $10,000 bonus effort to persuade people to move here.
Pearce knows that defined benefit plans provide the best value for Vermont.
Let Scott and others who’d make this a partisan issue know: Don’t play politics with state employee pensions.
John W. Vorder Bruegge
Springfield, Vt.
I reference the front-page article “Migrant Kids in Massive Program,” (Dec. 20): A first thought I had upon seeing the headline was to be so depressed as to not even speak out because there are so many depressing and even disgusting policies of this administration. But that’s just being downtrodden by the administration.
So I invite all to raise their voices (or computers, as the case may be) to protest these inhumane, immoral and disgusting policies.
We must sustain our hope.
Paul Tierney
Norwich
This is a note to businesses in the White River Junction and Lebanon area: As a regular electric car traveler from the Burlington area to the Boston area, I am dismayed by the lack of fast-charging facilities for EV cars around the Interstate 89/91 interchange.
Businesses in the region have the opportunity to reach a potentially loyal customer base. Using a fast charger, it takes 30-45 minutes to charge an electric vehicle and get back on the highway.
People traveling from Burlington or Montreal driving to Boston need to stop once midway to charge up. Enterprising businesses often install EV chargers to bring travelers to their restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, etc. As an added bonus, hosts of EV chargers come up on the EV driver phone apps. This helps drivers find chargers, and hosts get free customer impressions well before drivers reach their neighborhood.
Getting in early on the EV transition could help businesses build long-lasting customer traffic. To be clear, drivers pay for the charge.
There are some good grant programs now that may be gone by the time EV charging becomes an expected customer amenity at retail businesses, like ATMs.
I look forward to charging and shopping at your store.
Chuck Lacy
Jericho, Vt.