Fri, 07/02/2021 - 4:47pm -- tim by Julie Lowell, Public Assets Institute Vermont leaders demonstrated their commitment to Vermonters during the pandemic. They told the truth, faced reality, and committed to the public good to weather the emergency. The post-COVID recovery requires this same level of commitment to address the ongoing challenges that the pandemic highlighted—deteriorating infrastructure, income insecurity, and systemic inequities. Aided by federal relief funds this year, the $7.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2022, which started on July 1, provides a good start. Infrastructure Lawmakers allocated $150 million of federal funds for broadband improvement, to start fixing a system that left many unable to learn or work from home over the past 15 months. Another $115 million from the feds will go toward clean water, and $50 million will support climate action. These are entrenched state problems requiring large-scale investments.