Feb 12, 20143 min readThe Vermont paradox: The taxpayer advocate is a state employeeBy Yaël Ossowski | Vermont Watchdog With an office and desk housed within the Vermont Department of Taxes, Gloria Hobson is not your average salaried government employee. In fact, based upon her job …
Feb 4, 20143 min readVermont wants to be first state to ban ‘predatory loans’ for pensionersBy Yaël Ossowski | Vermont Watchdog On the trail of scammers, Vermont aims to set up financial guard dogs to sniff out companies offering high-interest predatory loans to elderly pensioners. A …
Jan 28, 20142 min readThe 10 state jobs you didn’t know your Vermont taxes coveredBy Yaël Ossowski | Vermont Watchdog In keeping with Vermont Watchdog‘s mission of keeping state government accountable, a quick peek at the state payroll is always important. The state of Vermont has …
Jan 23, 20142 min readIn VT, state psychiatrist makes $40,000 more than governorBy Yaël Ossowski | Vermont Watchdog All of the problems in Vermont seem bad enough to warrant paying big for mental health professionals. A recent examination of the employee state compensation …
Jan 21, 20143 min readNew Hampshire marijuana vote pushes Vermont to New England ‘domino effect’By Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org The dominoes are falling all across New England. The New Hampshire House of Representatives made history last week when it became the first state Legislature to vote in …
Jan 15, 20142 min readVermont’s ‘welfare-to-work’ limits show early successBy Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org Vermont last year began limiting how long its residents could receive welfare benefits. Six months later, the move appears successful. The ‘Reach Up’ initiative has …
Jan 10, 20144 min readVermont governor declares new ‘War on Drugs,’ but pumps up old bureaucracyBy Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org Vermont is knee-deep in a crisis of epic proportions, Gov. Peter Shumlin declared in his State of the State speech Wednesday. He’s determined to end it. “The crisis I …
Jan 8, 20142 min readVermont town to lose biggest taxpayer as nuclear plant shuttersBy Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org When nuclear power finally vanishes from Vermont’s borders this year, the town of Vernon will suffer the loss of its biggest taxpayer. As discovered in tax agreements …
Dec 27, 20133 min readFrom horse lying to lengthy beer tasting, the 10 strangest Vermont lawsBy Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org In many aspects, Vermont isn’t not afraid to buck the status quo. After the Revolutionary War, it existed as its own republic for nearly 14 years. It was the first …
Dec 19, 20133 min readVermont says ‘tis the season’ to hike texting finesBy Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org As Old Man Winter swoops into Vermont, the state government wants to be sure drivers are paying attention. “Our crews just completed a weekend marathon of plowing, and …
Dec 19, 20131 min readFox News Hit: Vermont says ‘tis the season’ to hike texting finesBy Yaël Ossowski Published December 19, 2013 Read story here
Dec 9, 20134 min readBitcoin politician wants to upgrade democracy in VermontBy Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org When Jeremy Hansen ran for political office in 2012, he had no idea his candidacy would spark imaginations across the country. The assistant professor of computer …