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


3.13.2007

 

Back in class

Legislators streamed back to the Statehouse today, like students headed straight into final exams, fresh from being admonished by their parents about their grades.

And just like at a typical school, some of them grumbled. There were more than a few snide comments about the governor's accusations that they hadn't been working hard. And there was some resistance to the whole idea of meeting Friday's crossover deadline for getting bills out of committee.

In a meeting of Senate committee chairs and vice chairs, some complained that everybody's gotten away with blowing crossover deadlines in the past, that in other years they've received House bills in the last weeks of the session that had been sitting around for a year and a half.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin played the role of the teacher. "We've definitely got to make crossover," he told them. "We've got the governor beating on us for not doing anything."

Legislators are not all in agreement on the work they are doing. In Senate and House caucus meetings today, there were questions about the bills in the works that target education spending, and whether that's really going to provide Vermonters with the property tax relief they're expecting.

Shumlin warned Senate Democrats in their caucus that if they have ideas, now's the time to share them with the committees, then it'll be time to get behind their colleagues' work. "Let's not get on the floor and not be one big happy family," he said.

He also warned that some people's expectations might be too high. "Vermonters who expect a 20, 30 or 40 percent reduction in their property taxes are going to be disappointed," he said. "There's going to be no ticker tape parade for us on property taxes."

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
Shumlin is correct, no ticker tape parades for the leftist Senators - maybe a lynch mob would fit the occasion.
 
As someone who lives in a school district where the superintendent basically tells the boards "it's OK to spend up to 122 or 123% of the state average" (just underneath the 125% level where the tax penalty kicks in), I would be happy to see the Legislature reduce the penalty level to 115% over the next few years. I realize my taxes aren't going to go down, but if reducing the penalty level means the increase in future years will be 3-5% rather than 5-8%, that's progress. Of course, reducing the penalty level does nothing for residents of low-spending school districts, especially taxpayers in those districts who own lots of land but have relatively low incomes.

Also, why don't the legislators put "death with dignity" aside this year so they can spend more time on property taxes and global warming? There is strong public support for action on K-12 school finance and climate change this year (not necessarily the same people), but I don't sense a clamor for "death with dignity" except from a few self-appointed advocates.
 
Excuses, excuses - that's all the dumb dems can provide
 
The House Education Committee has posted a draft bill on "education quality and cost control" at

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/misc/issues.htm

The part of this bill about school district restructuring is outrageous. It reads:

"Education restructuring. By 2011, school governance in Vermont shall be restructured by creating supervisory districts out of some or all of the current supervisory unions or the current school districts within those supervisory unions.

(b) Commissioner’s authority. The commissioner of education shall have sole authority to determine the number of supervisory districts that will be created and the existing school districts that will be combined to form those supervisory districts. The commissioner shall promulgate the restructuring plan by December 1, 2007. Any changes made in governance structure should foster increased cooperation and collaboration among public schools and provide support for the new demands and expectations placed on schools by an increasingly technological and global society."

If there is going to be restructuring of school districts in Vermont, it should be done by elected officials - the governor, the legislature, and school board members - who are accountable to the voters. The Commissioner of Education is one of the least accountable positions in Vermont state government - he is appointed by the state board of education, not by the governor, and he does not report either to the governor or the legislature.

Senator Susan Bartlett's ideas about school district restructuring are much better than Commissioner Cate's - Bartlett wants to reduce the number of superintendents, but keep elected school boards in each town. Cate wants to replace town school boards with district-wide boards and community "advisory councils." Vermonters who value local autonomy won't accept Cate's proposal. Cate's idea might work in Chittenden County, but it's not appropriate for the rest of the state.
 
Looking forward to suggestions from the people with all the complaints.
 
Revolt and Repeal: Repeal Act 60 and Act 68!!!!

P. S. Then what????
 
Leave it to Republican like Bubba to endorse lynching.
 
The answer is simple...

RE-VOTE and Repeal!

2008 isn't that far away and George Bush won't be kicking around any more, so people won't be so inclined to pull that D lever all the way down.
 
Please tell the state education commisioner CLOSE BELLOWS FALLS
UNION HIGH SCHOOL - ASAP!
 
Can we impeach Gaye Symington?
 
Impeaching Gaye Symington would be like swatting flies. Another one would just take her place. As long as the dim-ocrats are in power nothing will be done to reduce the state's tax burden. Raising taxes to a dim-ocrat is like a fix to a junkie.
 
What kills me is the whole state is screaming property taxes, property taxes, property taxes, and nothing is done.

Why wait another year?

Does it seem to anyone else that the legislature is just jerking our chains?

If no action is taken on property tax relief can the legislature really say they"ve accomplished anything?

Its a sad day for Vermonters when their representation completely forgets about their constituents and pursues their own agenda.

Hopefully someone in Montpelier gets it real soon else our state may find itself in real trouble.

Rednalsi
 
Here, here on Bellows Falls high School!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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