April 7 2008

                   

 

GUEST: Erhard Mahnke, VT Affordable Housing Coalition

 

NEWS:  

• Food cost up – we learned this week food cost up 4% in 2007 – the biggest in increase in 20 years – expect the same in 2008 – Time Argus long article

• Harvard Prof. in this past weekend.

• Cost of living in Vermont – Livable Wage, we need to reduce costs, food costs

• Also learned about housing wage report – 2008 LW is $14.54 single average in VT – housing wage is $16.07 – John Fairbanks

• "So? Get a better job. Get some training. The rest of us don't owe you a living."
  That assumes you can find a "better job." Some can, many can't; because most of the jobs we're creating aren't "better." The 10 job categories in Vermont that employ the most people are, in descending order: retail salespeople, cashiers, teacher's assistants, registered nurses, bookkeeping/accounting/auditing clerks, waiters and waitresses, secretaries (except legal, medical and executive), janitors and cleaners (except maids and housekeeping cleaners), executive secretaries and administrative assistants, and home health aides. These are all basic jobs that are necessary to our economy. They employ one-fifth of our workers. Know how many of those pay enough to afford that apartment I mentioned earlier? Two.
  In the last 10 years, the job sector with the most growth has been in a category the Vermont Department of Labor calls "social assistance." Average annual wage: $16,888
  Looking ahead, the 10 fastest-growing job categories, in terms of projected employment, are: cashiers, retail salespeople, waiters and waitresses, registered nurses, home health aides, food prep and service, child care, office and administrative support, teacher's assistant and counter attendants.

• While more and more Vermonters are falling off the cliff of poverty the richest VTers are getting richer – listen to these numbers – DOUG’s SHEET

• Green Jobs idea – Jim Douglas has talked about becoming the silicon valley on the environment – good but lets see results

• Most importantly Maple Syrup expected to hit $40/gallon – fuel costs