In March Burlington will issue a report on a review of their livable wage ordinance for the Skinny Pancake’s Burlington Airport restaurant. Well, the review is not specifically for the Skinny Pancake, but a result of questions surrounding a “substantial economic hardship” exemption from the ordinance the city granted the local restaurant chain.  

The Free Press reports that the wage ordinance is under “intense review by city officials.” The overhaul is needed, according to Burlington city officials, to eliminate confusion that might, they fear, stunt sustainable, entrepreneurial growth.

Burlington Business Association Director Kelly Devine explains all about ‘intense reviews’ and her hopes for this one

“Businesses do that all the time,” Devine said Friday. “They examine their income stream; they examine their expense stream to see how they’re performing — there’s an open-ended opportunity to make adjustments.”

Oh, so, no need to worry. It is just “a good hard look” and an intense review that will result in clarification of a puzzling set of rules for the smoother successful operation of business. As they say, it’s an “open-ended opportunity” to make some “adjustments.”  

Well here is a little test: List as many as you can of the “good hard looks and intense reviews”  by state and municipal officials over the past few years that resulted in cuts to wages, benefits and services in Vermont.  And next list all (or any) official “intense reviews and good hard looks” that resulted in salary or benefits cuts, tax increases or any hardship on the state’s high-income earners.

Now take a long hard look, which list is longer?