After reading this in the Free Press, I had a great idea what we can do with any funds coming to Vermont – support the high tech industry here! How fitting.

Vermont shares in $90 million settlement with Samsung

Published: Wednesday, February 7, 2007
MONTPELIER – Vermont is one of 40 states to settle with electronics manufacturer Samsung in an antitrust lawsuit, Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell announced this week.

The $90 million nationwide settlement with Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. arose from a claim of a price-fixing scheme among Samsung and several other of the world’s largest computer memory chip manufacturers that began in the 1990s.

The settlement, which is still subject to a court review, does not yet detail how the money will be meted out among the suit’s participating states and consumers.

Here’s a recent opinion piece in the local paper about the importance of Green businesses in Vermont. I keep harping about how green the software industry is at VTSDA meetings and want to get the state to include us in all of their efforts around promoting green industry here. It’s so good for Vermont. I will eventually get my message through! 🙂

From the Feb 23 Legislative Report of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

David Winslow, CEO and President of EpikOne, Inc. was recruited by the Chamber and GBIC to testify from a businessperson’s perspective about what business expects from our educational and workforce development systems.  David’s story of being an underachieving high school student to becoming an entrepreneur who owns a knowledge-based technology business employing 15 people fascinated both the House Commerce and Education committees.  The Committee members peppered him with questions about his experiences and what can be done to foster other entrepreneurial-minded young people. The essence of his testimony was that the education system should expose students to business during high school, encourage skills-based training and internships and better align the curriculum with the business needs and technology of today. He also spoke of the need for businesspersons to become more involved in the educational system to provide these opportunities.

From the Burlington Free Press an interesting look at Vermont’s “lopsided” economic evolution:

Vermont is the most entrepreneurial state in the country, according to the study. However, Vermont is last in creating high-wage service jobs; the service industry includes restaurant positions, financial and legal services, publishing and advertising. Connecticut, Delaware and New York lead this category.

Read the full article here