vt.Buzz ~ a political blog: Road show

Jim Douglas, smart politician that he is, scheduled the first two of these accountability forums while the Legislature is on recess, so the governor gets to dominate this issue for at least two news cycles.

Symington and Shumlin made a big mistake by having the Legislature go on break this week - they should have been back in Montpelier on Wednesday.

Do the legislators get paid for this week they are taking off?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:10 PM, March 07, 2007

Legislators do not get paid for the Town Meeting week recess. They are only paid while in session. Symington and Shumlin have wasted 2 months of taxpayers money so far..what would be accomplished by bringing the folks back this week? Nothing more than more polictical showmanship by Shumlin. Vermonters should've figured out by now that Shumlin is all spin and no real substantive action. Symington simply plays "Peter Says" and follows along meekly. She only speaks when her mouthpiece, Bill Lofy, tells her what to say. These two have and will continue to blame Douglas for all of this state's woes. Remember that it is the Legislature that makes laws not the Administration - they only get to implement what the legislature does. Listening to the spin on the news tonight it is very clear that the democratic majority will not be responding to the complaints that Douglas heard tonight. "What crisis?" they cry.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:25 PM, March 07, 2007

The leftists in Vermont have created such a mess with regards to taxes, property rights restrictions, child predators, anti-business attitudes that there is really nothing left for them to screw up. Better to just babble on about killing old people, Iraq, global warming, etc. Meanwhile, Sanders is in Washington licking the union bosses boots, Welch is just an idiot, and of course Leahy is still aiding the terrorists. Maybe the reps COULD mandate adult diapers for cows to cut down on methane. That is just about the limit of their intelligence.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:01 AM, March 08, 2007

C'mon Richie Tarrant (a.k.a. Bubba). Time to get over that huge defeat and begin realizing that right-wing ideology doesn't fly anymore. Your party is the party of the largest government ever, the largest deficit ever, the worst international policy screw up ever, etc. etc. etc. Oh--your guy Bush--his approval is 29 percent. You gotta accept that you should pay higher taxes Richie. The gravy train leaves the station in January 2009 (Hoo-f'in-Ray!)

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:29 AM, March 08, 2007

Too bad you guys can't post any comments that are relevent to the original posting by Terri. Instead you just trash each other

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:43 AM, March 08, 2007

This must be one of those double-top-secret tours, cuz I live in Barre and I haven't heard a word about a time, date or place. Is this the Bush/Cheney strategy of dropping in unannounced? Maybe it's the strategy of stacking the room with supporters so it appears your ideas(?), plans(?) are being enbraced by the public. That's probably what happened in Lyndonville. Oh well. At least Jim got to see his 125 NEK supporters up close.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:24 AM, March 08, 2007

We need to replace Douglas. For $143,000 per year, what do we get from Douglas?

Nothing. We pay him $143,000 per year to campaign 24x7. His tour is nothing but early campaigning.

Will he stop in BTV? I doubt it.

NEK-ers need to recognize that Douglas is as much of the problem as anybody (he signs(ed) the bills) and that Douglas can decide to write leglislation with Shumlin and Symington rather than wasting our money touring the state in early campigning.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:18 AM, March 08, 2007

"Vermont's trash, inmates, wind towers"

Sorry, but when I see that I see jobs.

Maybe these folks are too bent on living Vermont's fairly tale non-existent past rather than on making a living in the current reality.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:20 AM, March 08, 2007

Vermonter,

You forgot the (lack of) accountability clause.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:23 AM, March 08, 2007

Speaking of jobs, take a look at these unemployment numbers from Wednesday's Free Press:

Statewide
Dec 06 - 3.8%
Jan 07 - 4.0%

St. Johnsbury
Dec 06 - 3.9%
Jan 07 - 5.0%

Newport
Dec 06 - 6.0%
Jan 07 - 7.6%

The Kingdom is hurting economically. The gripes Douglas heard last night in Lyndonville are legitimate.

Who do the legislative Democrats represent? Either the people who depend on support from the public sector (elderly, teachers, etc.), or rich liberals who moved to Vermont from down-country and live off their investment earnings. Shumlin and Symington need to have their own listening tour, to hear from the dwindling number of people who support the productive economy in Vermont.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:28 AM, March 08, 2007

"global warming" "anti-business "

You can't stick these two in same sentence. The democrats want to build business around global warming industries which are extremely good businesses to be involved in as they are growing by leaps and bounds.

But, the republicans are sour on it because the Democrats want to provide incentives to people to spur growth rather than the typical republican corporate handout.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:29 AM, March 08, 2007

Douglas actually thinks it's okay that Vermont taxpayers are paying for this tour thingy. To me, this tour smacks of partisan politics. His '08 campaign should pay the bill. I'm with another poster here; this is nothing but early campaigning, or, better yet, desperation campaigning. Does anyone in the press ever think to ask Douglas if he's ever thought about sitting down with THE HUGE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY and trying to hammer out some compromise legislation that benefits all Vermonters? Wouldn't that actually be time better spent? This tour does nothing, but this is the Bush way, and Douglas loves Bush, so I shouldn't be surprised. Sigh...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:33 AM, March 08, 2007

"The Kingdom is hurting economically."

The kingdom will always be worse off than the more populated centers. Jan 2007 national unemployment was 4.6%.

Perhaps if the kindgom wasn't so stuck in the past, job numbers might be better. They need to realize that Vermont's recreation economy has changed and that old non-sustainable resource based business practices no longer are viable.

You're way off the mark with regard to legislative representation.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:39 AM, March 08, 2007

Oh no there not. Many of today's legislative leaders have been fed with a silver spoon all their lives...Symington and Nease are two examples

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:05 AM, March 08, 2007

Now you are just making assumptions about how much $$ other people have.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:53 AM, March 08, 2007

Where is Doobie?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:33 PM, March 08, 2007

Who?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:18 PM, March 08, 2007

Maybe Matt Dunn was right.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:47 PM, March 08, 2007

Revolt & Repeal!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:09 PM, March 08, 2007

People say revolt and repeal like it means something.

It's just another empty republican stupidism.

"Mission Accomplished"
"Take Back Vermont"
"Revolt and Repeal"
"Stay the Course"

These aren't sound policies, they are empty slogans.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:20 PM, March 08, 2007

And they're articulated by empty heads...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:23 PM, March 08, 2007

You left out the biggest empty slogan/head:

"Scudder Parker"

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:41 PM, March 08, 2007

"Scudder Parker" isn't a slogan, it's a proper noun.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:05 PM, March 08, 2007

zzzzzzzz.......... boring ol' politics.

atleast the free press is indirectly challenging douglas. However - when are they going to challenge our trustee elected officials to - oh i don't know - do there job and get somethign done?

WAIT! I forgot, my dogs' ears are now safe! YES!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:26 PM, March 08, 2007