Monday, February 29, 2016
Since the early 2000s, the county's vacancy rate has averaged 1.6 percent, according to Allen & Brooks, a South Burlington firm that collects real estate data and monitors trends. In December, the firm reported that the rate was 3 percent, almost double the average.
Twice a year, Allen & Brooks surveys a group of rental property owners, who collectively own about a quarter of the county's units. This survey provides a point-in-time estimate of the percentage of apartments that are vacant.
Demand for rental housing hasn't diminished, Mark Brooks said. Rather, he attributes the higher vacancy rate to a surge in the construction of new units throughout the county. In other words, supply has increased.
Tags: Burlington , vacancy rate , Allen & Brooks , Chittenden County , Stu McGowan , Image , Web Only
"I decided to vote for Hillary, but it was a tossup between her and Mr. Bernie, cuz I really think he want to make a change," she said, referring to Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Top of mind for Rivers, a behavioral health specialist for the state Department of Mental Health, was the rising cost of electricity and health insurance, coupled with stagnant wages.
"We livin' from paycheck to paycheck," she said. "Our insurance is up — way up. It's like if you took a whole 'nother $150 out of my check, and I'm already struggling."
While Sanders' message appealed to Rivers, who is African American, she was ultimately swayed by the belief that Clinton was better equipped to get the job done.
"Mr. Bernie, I think he really focusing more on the wage than anything, but I just think she a little bit stronger," she said. "But I hope they work together, whichever one win."
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Gilbert, a mild-mannered former newspaper reporter, has become Vermont's leading advocate for civil liberties and privacy. He is a frequent presence in the Statehouse, where he often squares off against law enforcement, and a go-to guy for quotes for members of the media.
“It’s not enough to be outraged by an action taken by the government that you think is unfair or even unconstitutional,” Gilbert told Seven Days in a 2013 profile. “You have to be able to take that outrage and win your point, whether it be by legislation or litigation.”
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The deep-pocketed PAC formalized its endorsement Monday, though it has been anticipated for months. Several weeks ago, Minter replaced her campaign manager with one referred to her by the organization.
Speaking last Wednesday on Vermont Public Radio, EMILY's List president Stephanie Schriock said, "We are working very closely with Sue Minter, been very impressed with her candidacy for governor, and I think you can expect some news soon."
That news came Monday in an announcement from the Minter campaign, first reported by VTDigger.org.
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“I’m supporting Gov. John Kasich because he is a competent manager who has helped to revitalize his state’s economy, while bringing both Democrats and Republicans together,” Lisman said in a statement to Seven Days on Saturday.
Kasich, who was planning his third Vermont visit of the campaign Monday, is trailing significantly in what has become a five-candidate Republican race as it heads into Super Tuesday.
Lisman did not attend Kasich’s Colchester rally February 20, where Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, his rival in the race for the Republican nomination for governor, introduced the candidate. Scott did not endorse Kasich, and days later said he decided he’ll be voting for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), declaring Rubio offered the best hope of pulling the party together.
Tags: John Kasich , Marco Rubio , Bruce Lisman , Phil Scott , Image , Web Only
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Sanders' presidential campaign announced Sunday that he will appear at a rally and concert Tuesday evening at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. The event will take place as Democrats in 11 states, including Vermont, make their presidential pick by primary or caucus. Roughly 880 delegates will be awarded that day — about a third of those necessary to win the Democratic nomination.
Joining the candidate for the event will be the pianist Ben Folds and several Vermont artists who have performed at other Sanders concerts: Kat Wright, Brett Hughes, Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson. Folds announced on Facebook earlier Sunday that he would join Sanders "to play a few tunes at his rally before he takes the stage, do some press and anything else I can do to help."
He added, "Those who know me know that I’ve never put myself wholeheartedly into a public endorsement for a politician, but Bernie is a rare candidate."
Doors open at 4 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m., though Sanders likely won't speak until quite a bit later. According to the campaign, tickets are not required, but an RSVP is "strongly encouraged."
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Two of Vermont's most influential newspapers endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Sunday, delivering a tough blow to hometown hero Bernie Sanders.
The Rutland Herald and the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus, which are owned by the same family and share an editorial board, hailed the "serious and substantive challenge" the Vermont senator has mounted against the former secretary of state, calling his contribution to the debate "of historic importance." The papers credited the insurgent candidate with leading a progressive "awakening" that would continue long after the election is over.
"But outsider status, which Sanders has always enjoyed, does not automatically confer wisdom or ability," they wrote. "As the leader of a movement he has been a great success. As president of all the people, he is not the best choice."
Clinton, the papers argued, is the candidate with the "thorough and realistic understanding" of policy and the "breadth of experience" to implement a progressive vision. And in a "scary" election season featuring Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, they wrote, "The Democrats must be prepared to turn back that threat with the best possible candidate."
Tags: Senator , Hillary Clinton , Bernie Sanders , presidential campaign , Image , Recommended Reading , Web Only
Saturday, February 27, 2016
As she celebrated a jaw-dropping victory Saturday night in South Carolina, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton turned her gaze to the general election.
“Tomorrow, this campaign goes national,” she told a roaring crowd of supporters in Columbia at the University of South Carolina's Carolina Volleyball Center.
With nearly every precinct reporting, Clinton was leading Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) late Saturday 74 percent to 26 percent. The 48-point margin was more than twice what many observers had predicted. Clinton was on track to take 39 delegates to Sanders’ 14.
Even more jarring to the Sanders campaign than the size of his loss was his drubbing among African Americans, who made up 62 percent of the electorate. According to exit polls, black voters split 87 percent to 13 percent in Clinton’s favor.
Clinton’s strong showing came just three days before the biggest prize yet of the primary season: Super Tuesday, when 11 states weigh in on the Democratic presidential nomination. Sanders is hoping to score victories in a handful of those states — Massachusetts, Minnesota, Colorado, Oklahoma and his home state of Vermont — but Clinton’s renewed momentum could make that difficult.
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Specifically, protesters wanted to highlight “the problem of racial bullying and harassment and excessive suspensions and expulsions of students of color in Vermont schools,” said a statement from Black Lives Matter.
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Sanders' early exit appeared to be part of a weeklong effort by his campaign to lower expectations in South Carolina, where he's expected to lose to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by a wide margin. Sanders touched down in the state just three times in the past week, spending much of the rest of it in states that vote early next month, such as Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Michigan and Ohio.
Clinton, meanwhile, spent most of the week campaigning in the Palmetto State and was expected to speak Saturday night at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
"It doesn't say anything," Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said Friday of his boss' early departure. "Obama used to do that, too. You'd roll ahead to the next contest. The problem is, you've got so many states coming up on Tuesday, right? It's only four days away, so it's difficult to stay."
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