Vermont lawmakers convene hearings today and Thursday on the latest budget proposal by Governor Jim Douglas. And a Douglas aide calls the hearings a "stunt."
Legislative leaders say they want to hear from the public on a plan unveiled by Douglas last week that relies less on taxes and more on cuts to balance the budget than a plan passed by lawmakers earlier this month.
But Douglas aide Dennise Casey says the fact that the hearings are set for the Statehouse from 1 to 4 in the afternoon indicates that lawmakers want to hear mainly from paid lobbyists, rather than from working Vermonters struggling to pay their taxes.
Lawmakers say their budget calls for a middle-class tax cut, while Douglas aims to avoid increasing taxes on the wealthy.