In addition to his election as DGA chair, Shumlin also announced he’s going to Florida to listen to the F-35 fighter jets take off. The state experimented with using text messages to alert 911. The systemic problems continued for people in mental health crisis. And the negotiations over the fiscal cliff called into question whether unemployment benefits would continue for some people.
These were some of the voices in the news this week:
Shumlin Plans To Evaluate How Loud F-35s Are In Florida
(Gov. Peter Shumlin) "I think I owe it to Vermonters to listen to an F-35 as compared to an F-16 and see what it sounds like."
(South Burlington resident Juliette Buck) "My first thought was, ‘Oh good. We have three people who know nothing about noise going somewhere to not measure noise and spend the taxpayers’ money doing it.’"
State Says Texting On 911 System Succeeds, Will Expand
(David Tucker, Enhanced 911 Board) "It’s new way of providing access to emergency services. Most of the other states and counties that run 911 programs aren’t yet ready to do this. We were the first state that came along and said let’s do this on a statewide basis."
Report Says Mental Health Patients Still Waiting Days In ER
(Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux) "You know it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on emergency room staff, local law enforcement, or state police who in the past had to provide security for these folks. And the folks aren’t getting the treatment while they’re in the emergency room. It’s just kind of a purgatory here until they can get to a place that can help them."
Extended Unemployment Benefits To Expire For 1,400
(Unemployment recipient Heidi Benoit) "That is the only thing that I have to depend on right now. It goes towards rent, and groceries and car insurance, gas in the car. A job that pays around $12 an hour is the dream, whether there are benefits included or not. That part of the dream has been taken right out."