vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

2.01.2007

Battle of Bennington II

Mike Smith, the governor's right-hand man, just announced that they're working on moving employees out of the Bennington State Office Building sooner. How much sooner isn't quite clear yet.

This much is different, though. District court will be moved to other courts in Bennington and Manchester as soon as possible, until construction of the temporary modular buildings is complete.

Probation & Parole will be in their modular space by March 1.

Other departments will be working out a temporary move until their modular space is ready.

It doesn't mean they'll move tomorrow, but it does appear that employees caught the governor's ear. Mike Smith said yesterday of their Tuesday meeting with employees, "I actually came away from that meeting with a good and healthy respect for many of their concerns."

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 12:04 PM |

Comments:

Amazing what a little bad press will do. Suddenly Governor Brokovich is insisting that everyone be moved out. Where were they in June?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:09 PM, February 01, 2007

Amazing. Here we have government officials being responsive to the stated concerns of citizens and ... they are bad-mouthed. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

# Posted by:

BarreBoy | 2:17 PM, February 01, 2007

Ask some of the folks diagnosed with sarcoidosis how "responsive" the Governor has been on this issue.

Has Michael Brown been an emergency management consultant for this Administration?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:00 PM, February 01, 2007

Barreboy sez, "Jim Douglas, you're doing a heck-of-a-job."

Nine months late, Douglas responded to a critical need.

His solution to the problem is to spend $3 million on trailers for temporary offices. The trailers are filled with mold.

$3 million would have bought a brand new office building in downtown Bennington.

Heck-of-a-job, Jimbo. Keep it up. You'll be promoted to Director of FEMA.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:22 PM, February 01, 2007

It seems Jim Douglas and Mike Smith are still not on the same page. This is a sentence from the story about this issue on the AP wire:

"Douglas, who had balked at setting a timetable for vacating the building when he met with workers Tuesday, said Thursday the shutdown would begin immediately, but Smith said it was planning for the shutdown that would begin immediately."

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:17 PM, February 01, 2007

"$3 million would have bought a brand new office building in downtown Bennington. "

And given him another red ribbon to cut.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:54 AM, February 02, 2007

In just two short days, Michael Smith proved the complete and utter uselessness of Building and General Services Commissioner Tasha Worthless.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:33 PM, February 02, 2007