Archive - Oct 2009

Bruce Hyde, 56, was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Tourism and Marketing by Governor Jim Douglas in January 2003. He has owned and operated the Hyde Away Inn and Restaurant in Waitsfield since 1987. He served in the Vermont Legislature from 1994 to 2000 representing Mad River Valley. He holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from Bucknell University and taught high school chemistry and physics for 10 years. He is the organizer and director of the Mad River Valley Century Ride, a 100 mile bike ride through Central Vermont that is in its 19th year.

At a time when the luxury goods market is suffering through one of its worst recessions, Simon Pearce - the man, not the company - has, for the first time in 15 years, calmly gone back to blowing glass.

State officials recently told Vermont Life magazine's advertising director that they were terminating her contract which still has more than two years to run. That move prompted allegations that the Douglas Administration may be retaliating against the contractor, Gerianne Smart, for her public criticisms of earlier cutbacks affecting the 63-year-old state-published quarterly. Smart, who runs a marketing and advertising firm in Vergennes, said she doesn't know whether the state sought to punish her in response to comments she made in March at a State Legislature hearing.

Vermont regulators can't say they weren't warned that FairPoint might fail to keep its promises to maintain and improve telephone and broadband services in the state. Two unions representing hundreds of northern New England telecom workers campaigned for months against the sale of Verizon's landline business to FairPoint. Labor leaders and their allies argued that FairPoint lacked the resources and expertise to fulfill commitments made as part of the $2.3 billion deal with Verizon that closed in April 2008 with the blessings of regulators in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

The “public option” has emerged as a topic of debate in Vermont – not (yet?) in regard to health insurance, perhaps, but in the telecommunications industry.

Vermont's efforts to attract and retain businesses reliant on instantaneous communication weren't helped by a recent report indicating that average Internet download speeds in the state are among the pokiest in the country.

Following a year of falling sales abroad, Vermont's exporters now see the first signs of recovery in their orders from overseas. Recent indicators about international economic conditions undoubtedly paint a cheerful picture for state exporting companies. An economic revival abroad implies that foreign buyers have more income to spend for goods in general and goods made-in-Vermont in particular. This is the so-called ‘income-effect’ that drives foreign demand for state exports.

Governor Jim Douglas’ decision not to seek re-election was the right decision for him personally and for the state. He has avoided the fate suffered by most governors of the last 40 years, who stayed in office too long, ending their tenure somewhat battered and bruised. The job of governor is exhausting and it has been worrisome to see the tenure of governors stretching out – to Howard Dean’s modern time record of 11 years. Douglas is leaving before he has overstayed his welcome (although some would disagree) – and at a tenure of eight years.

When Vermonters debate issues of importance to our way of life, each side expects the other to advocate passionately for its position. Each side also expects the other to employ a standard of truthfulness even though they disagree. So it’s particularly sad to see that the Vermont Public Interest Research Group resorted to subterfuge to try to convince Vermonters that Vermont Yankee should not be relicensed.

At Governor Douglas’ direction, the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation is doing everything it can to generate economic activity and create jobs. We’re pleased to report that your investment of tax dollars is achieving important results and producing meaningful returns.