In Vermont, as across the country, there’s been a lot of talk about jobs and economic development. Bluntly stated, the economy has been lousy for some time now. Yet two months ago, Governor Jim Douglas touted his record in his “State of the State” speech, greatly exaggerating his accomplishments in this regard.

Here are the facts:... Read more

Editors' Note: In his column, "Is Vermont Really On the Job?" Doug Hoffer analyzes Vermont's economic development strategy. Got questions about Hoffer's stats? Here's where he got 'em.

1. Governor Douglas' State of the State: "As a result of our steadfast focus on economic growth, in the last five years, we’ve created 12,000 new jobs and our unemployment rate remains well below the national average." See http://governor.vermont.gov/speeches/state_of_the_state-1-10-08.pdf p.2... Read more