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tploucks
Member since Aug 8, 2015
Recent Comments
Re: “'Sunshine Stenger' Stays Optimistic Despite Mounting Troubles”
Clearly there is a lot of smoke surrounding the EB-5 program here in Vermont. While smoke doesn't necessarily mean fire, it is always a good idea to check. Questions remain regarding specific projects, state oversight, and alleged financial misrepresentation. It would be entirely appropriate for the state to make public a comprehensive analysis of the state run EB-5 regional office and the programs the office has overseen since the inception of the program in 1997.
- How much money has the state spent running the EB-5 office? (Salaries, travel to Asia, etc..)
- How many projects and dollars have been authorized and funded since the inception of the office?
- What developers have led these projects and benefited from the investments?
If the state has spent millions to ensure the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars to one or two developers, we should reconsider the appropriateness of this program. If state oversight has resulted in many developers sharing the benefits of this program and launching a wide array of successful projects, we should keep this program in tact.
The state has the answers to these questions, and has a responsibility to share this information. Let's stop focusing in Mr. Stenger (and Mr. Quiros), and dig into the real issue. Is the state run EB-5 office serving the best interests of all Vermonters, or two Vermonters in particular?
Posted by
tploucks
on 08/08/2015 at 9:17 AM
Re: “Walters: Team Scott Achieves a Talking Point”
"Unlike the federal government, Vermont has always operated within its means. " Seriously John? If a family managed to pay their mortgage, utilities, healthcare, transportation and food bills in a timely fashion to keep their household running - but wracked up $50k in credit card debt to fund current spending, we wouldn't consider that operating within their means. Yet that is exactly what our state is doing by ignoring the unfunded pension and retiree medical care liabilities for state employees and teachers.