Online Chat
Old North End Community/Tech Center
May 13, 1997

[ONECTC1]  Hello there...I'm Chris Honnon from the Old North End Community Technology Center in Burlington Vermont

[EmilyC]  Hi Chris, the Senator will be in shortly. Is everyone on?

[ONECTC2]  Chris Honnon is using ONE CTC1

[ONECTC1]  great, let me know when we're ready...we have some anxious people here!! :-)

[Sen_Leahy]  Hi, are you all receiving back home in Burlington?

[EmilyC]  Does someone want to ask the first question? (please write your name in so we know who is asking)

[ONECTC1]  Senator, Welcome to Burlington. I'm Al Voegele, the Managing Director of the Old North End Community Technology Center. Joining us are members of the community who areinterested in cyberskills and computer literacy.

[Sen_Leahy]  Al good to hear from you. I do my own typing so I apologize for any mistakes

[Sen_Leahy]  Feel free to ask any questions - as you know I do these cyberchats around the state most weeks and find them very interesting because of the different questions.

[EmilyC]  Who wants to get us started?

*** ONECTC3 (chris@dial-3-MAX-BTVT-03.ramp.together.net) has joined #Leahy

[ONECTC5]  hi senetor my name is Aisha and I am concerned about the availability of high quality child care system for mothers who want to have to good jobs and have to struggle for work schedule etc.?

[ONECTC5]  hi senetor my name is Aisha and I am concerned about the availability of high quality child care system for mothers who want to have to good jobs and have to struggle for work schedule etc.? and like to keep ome good jobs.

[ONECTC1]  Hi, my name is Melanie, I'm here with my two-year old son. I have just taken

[ONECTC6]  Hello Senator, My name is Susan, I'm the Development Director here. I am interested that we develop programs that assist in job training, and community development, and that we begin the partnerships to accomplish this.

[Sen_Leahy]  Aisha quality child care, and affordable child care, is one of the most difficult issues facing parents today. I know it is for many who work in my office. More companies are providing such child care but we will not have true employment opportuynity until we do.

[EmilyC]  One question at a time-- he can only type so fast! Thanks

[EmilyC]  The Senator is answering Susans question...

[ONECTC3]  I have just found out that the shelter expense for a family on welfare in the Burlington Vt area is fixed at $439 per month. How is this number arrived at? The $439 per month seems very low. My shelter expense is about $925 per month.

[Sen_Leahy]  Susan there are many programs like that but I know the federal funds for some of them are being cut as we bring down the federal deficit. Which ones do you feel work the best?

[ONECTC6]  Senator, I am on a video conference in the other room with Prince Andrew, but in response to your question those programs that provide job training assistance with technology

[Sen_Leahy]  HUD reaches the shelter fiqure based on a lot of factors. The amount given would be less in other parts of the statae and a lot less in some states. This was the subject of a hearing I attended with Sec Cuomo this morning.

[Sen_Leahy]  I agree withthe job training with technology. The job skills we need to be competitve in a global market today will require a great deal of tech skills as well as very good reading and math comprehension.

[ONECTC6]  I couldn't agree more. We are indeed in a globally competetive market in which our BAnking services in VT could easily be taken over by our Malasian competetors. We must train our next generation of employees now.

[Sen_Leahy]  Absolutely. If we don't have the skills the jobs will go offshore. We have to look at the fact that in Europe and Asia students at a High School level are required to do a great deal more than our students are.

[ONECTC3]  I hope that HUD can find a way to make the shelter expense for welfare more realistic.

[ONECTC2]  hello senator my name is ella brackett , i am really injoying the things that i am learning here at the tec center i think it's a great thing for our community.my question is , being a person who has been on disability and s.s. for many years, i now am working and have lost my benifits . the problem is that i only make 5oo dollars amonth . and thats the cut off point. how is a person supposed to live on that?

[Sen_Leahy]  Sec Cuomo talked about that this morning at the hearing and I will continue to work with him as I have on the issue before. At my request we got a great deal of discretionary money for a shelter in Burlington.

[ONECTC6]  Technology in schools is essential, training the teachers is even more necessary. Forming collaborations with ther business community, and the schools is also essential so that our students are prepared for the expectations that the business community has for them. I am presently video conferencing with Santa Clara California, and Prince Andrew will be joining us

[Sen_Leahy]  I have argued, ella , that the cut-off should be phased in and not a total either or situation. I think that is self defeating.

[ONECTC5]  I am also concerned about the availability of high paying jobs in vermont these are so very few opportunities in vermont Should we bring more industries who can hire highly educated people in vermont?

[ONECTC1]  a cyberskills workshop which was great fun. I would love to take more, but child care is a big distraction. I'm also trying to read the rest of the Qs ans As coming across. Aside fromshelter expenses being fixed unrealistically low, I have heard that welfare computes grantd to just over half the "Basic needs" standard. How can a family, especially with small children, be expected to stay even at that rate, much less work to getting off welfare?

[ONECTC6]  Senator, sorry about the typos- I feel like I'm in two places at once, actually I am. No, we should be educating our potential workforce and our potrntial employers also. We have the opportunities here in VT, we have to develop the strategy to accomplish the coordination

[Sen_Leahy]  We need more industry in Vermont and we have to work with them. I am looking for more money for job training as we add things like Husky in Milton. These jobs will come to Vermont only if we can demonstrate that we have the skilled workforces here.

[ONECTC6]  I agree. We must ensure a workforce that is educated, and constantly retooled to compete. This involves the coordination with schools, and business snd industry, and the development of training opportunities for those employed and unemployed also.

[EmilyC]  We only have time for one more question, is there anyone who has not asked one yet?

[Sen_Leahy]  Jobs are the ultimate key - but with jobs we have to have training, child care and the cooperation of the state and federal authorities to keep the jobs in Vermont

[ONECTC6]  We would like to thank you for your time and your views, and hope we can do this on a regular basis. Susan

[ONECTC3]  Senator Leahy Thank You very much for your time!!!! :-)

[ONECTC5]  husky in Milton is a good start but don't we also need some biotechnological industeries in vermont sinse we have a good university here.

[Sen_Leahy]  On the issue of "basic needs". I voted against the so called welfare bill because all it did was make huge cuts withe little done to reform welfare, provide jobs and training etc.

[Sen_Leahy]  We have a very good bio-tech facility which I established [it is Stafford Hall]. It is one of the reasons the university got $54,000,000 in research grants last year

[Sen_Leahy]  Great being with you and I hope I can do this again. Will be in Vermont this weekend and if any of you see me on the street please stop and say hello. *** Sen_Leahy has quit IRC (Leaving)

[ONECTC6]  Will do, I know some great restaurants in Burlington. You might see me in one.

[EmilyC]  Thanks everyone!

[ONECTC6]  You are welcome, Emily