01-21-2009
Rep. Ernie Shand
Cavendish -Weathersfield
It is now several weeks into the new session. The new Speaker of the House appointed me to the House Commerce Committee as the ranking member of the committee. We are in the process of changing the committee’s name to the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee. We will continue to explore ways to jump-start Vermont’s economy, build long-term sustainable jobs, and support both new and existing small businesses.
We heard testimony from the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration (BISHCA) about the agency’s Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP). If you, a friend, a relative or a neighbor seem to be having trouble making mortgage payments, BISCHA will provide information about possible relief programs. This call should ideally be made before missing mortgage payments and most certainly before a foreclosure proceeding has been started. The MAP number to call is 1-888-568-4547 or visit www.vermontbanking.info. These numbers can also be obtained by dialing 211. BISHCA will probably ask you to call your lender to explore a mutually adjusted mortgage payment. If that doesn’t happen, BISHCA can call the lender at a loan mitigation level. As a bank regulator, it sometimes can find it easier to reach the lender than the customer. They can also request a voluntary 60-day stay on foreclosure proceedings, which is usually granted.
Our committee members have heard that many Vermonters have lost their jobs and are applying for unemployment benefits. Some are having trouble getting through to the call centers in Montpelier. We heard testimony from the Secretary of Labor that they have added 12 new people to the call center work force to help receive and process the heavy influx of people requesting help. She suggests that the best time to call is mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Early morning, noon time and late afternoon traffic is usually very heavy. She also recommends that an applicant try to dial repeatedly at one sitting using the redial feature on your phone. The wait on hold can be as long as 20 minutes. The number to call is 1-802-828-4000. For more information, you can visit the website at www.labor.vt.gov. Vermont provides 26 weeks of unemployment insurance, and the federal government has provided a 20 week extension if the recipient qualifies.
While the Legislature was out of session this past summer and fall, the Joint Fiscal Committee recommended that the quarterly payment of the State Aid to Cities and Towns funds be frozen until we came back into session. We did pass a resolution which called on the administration to free up to 85% of the January payment to the cities and towns. I presume that we will look at the April payment in that month. Funds for bridge and highway projects have been sadly lacking the last several years. The majority of these funds come from the motor fuel tax, which has been performing poorly lately. More and more Vermonters are finding ways to reduce the miles driven, which reduces the tax paid to the state for highway and bridge maintenance projects.
I am always glad to hear from constituents. My Legislative e-mail is eshand@leg.state.vt.us the snail mail address is 115 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-5201. You can call the Statehouse and leave a message with the Sergeant at Arms 1-800-322-5616 or 802-828-2228. My home phone is 1-802-674-5021. My home mailing address is 46 Old Bridge Rd., Weathersfield, VT 05089-0965.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 February 2009 13:00 |
Town Government 
