vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

4.11.2007

Does not compute

The Statehouse computers were down this morning, ironically delaying work on a bill that aims to bring high-speed Internet to every corner of Vermont. Remember when life was simpler? Harder maybe, but simpler.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 1:05 PM |

Comments:

If Blunderville were in charge of the state IT systems, these kinds of problems would have been bribed away by now.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:11 PM, April 11, 2007

What tricks does Vince Illuzzi have up his sleeve regarding the broadband bill? He'll hold out sending it to the Senate floor until he gets his price for something else. It's not just Lunderville and the Dems who play hardball at the State House.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:55 PM, April 11, 2007

Speaking of when life was simpler......

check out Vermont Trivia at www.rednalsiofvermont.blogspot.com

40 or more right and you can consider yourself a Vermonter.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 8:07 PM, April 11, 2007

Speaking of Vemont trivia ...

check out MY AWESOME website at:

www.pimpMYownWEBSITE.blogspot.LOOKatME.net

P.S. You can consider yourself a Vermonter if your family has been here for three generations or more. Otherwise, you're a flatlander -- I don't care if you did pass that little trivia test.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:33 PM, April 11, 2007

In the hours before a vote to override Governor Douglas's veto of a budget bill, the Douglas administration was aggressively trying to avoid political embarrassment by pressuring lawmakers to vote against the override. Although the bill has no relation to his job, Secretary of Transportation Neale Lunderville was enlisted by the governor to twist some arms.

But it wasn't just arm-twisting that Lunderville set out to do; it was bribery with public funds. Lunderville pulled Democratic Rep. Fitzgerald off the floor of the House and offered him $50,000 of taxpayer dollars toward a transportation project in Fitzgerald's district if the representative voted to sustain the veto. Lunderville doesn't dispute that he was lobbying for a bill that was unrelated to his job, nor does he deny pulling Rep. Fitzgerald off the floor to talk about the transportation project, nor does he deny that just a few days before this incident, he wrote Rep. Fitzgerald a letter saying that funding would not be available to assist in the construction of the highway project (although he generously offered to paint the lines on the road after it was complete!).

Nonetheless, Secretary Lunderville has publicly disparaged Rep. Fitzgerald by suggesting he's a liar. Given Fitzgerald's unquestioned integrity and reputation as a well-respected lawmaker, Speaker Gaye Symington has written the governor about Lunderville's violation of the Executive Ethics Code and is considering further legislative action to get to the bottom of what happened.

Neale Lunderville was trained by Karl Rove in the White House. Like Rove, he worked as a loyal campaign operative for his boss and was rewarded with a plum government job. Like Rove, he brought to his job an approach to politics that puts partisan, slash-and-burn politics ahead of the people's interests. And like Rove, he went too far and got caught. Bribing public officials with taxpayer dollars has no place in Vermont politics.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:30 PM, April 11, 2007

you think this type of shit is unique to the Republicans?

Not excusing it but just saying.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:34 AM, April 12, 2007

Does anyone remember Ralph Wright? He made Lunderville look like Mother Theresa.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:55 AM, April 12, 2007

Saying "other people do it" isn't a good answer.

We need to stomp out corruption in Government.

What Douglas and Lunderville did was wrong.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:21 AM, April 12, 2007

But is it against the rules or illegal?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:31 AM, April 12, 2007

Douglas could take a crap on the Statehouse lawn and a majority of Vermonters (including most of the press) would turn a blind eye. I don't get it. Douglas will coddle Lunderville just like he has these communications people. Everyone will coo and the story will die.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:48 AM, April 12, 2007

Good to see this subject has become the string, as opposed to the dorky broadband piece. Lord forbid we talk about serious ethincs issues. Fitzgerald is a stand-up guy who isn't deserving of boot-licker Lunderville's flimsy accusations. Gibbs can flak all he wants for Little Boy Neal, but, in the end, this is a serious issue and it deserves a serious reponse from Douglas, not some Bush "shoot the messanger" scheme. Although, why we shouldn't expect that from Gibbs and company is beyond me. Practice makes perfect.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:59 AM, April 12, 2007

We should expect more from our Governor.

We need our political leaders to set a higher standard of integrity.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:50 AM, April 12, 2007

Say what you want but what Douglas does seems to be working.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:28 AM, April 12, 2007

^^ your argument is that ethics violations WORK, so they are okay.

That's just stupid.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:37 AM, April 12, 2007

Hey anon 7:33 pm April 11,

1) I said Vermonter, not "true" or "real" Vermonter.

2) I hardly consider 60 questions a "simple" test.

3) By all means let me know where your blog is at so I can go see what you have to say.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 11:00 AM, April 12, 2007

www.pimpMYownWEBSITE.blogspot.LOOKatME.net

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:46 AM, April 12, 2007

Yep, just what I thought, you're one of those that leaves comments, but doesn't have anything real to say.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 12:07 PM, April 12, 2007

As opposed to rednalsi, who says very little with a whole lot of hot air. MOVE ALREADY!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:21 PM, April 12, 2007

www.pimpMYownWEBSITE.blogspot.NARCISSIST.ORG

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:45 PM, April 12, 2007

www.LOOKatMElookATmeLOOKatMElookATmeLOOKatMElookATmeLOOKatMElookATme.com

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:46 PM, April 12, 2007

Oh my god, the horror, an anon has a problem with me, my life is over!

Must be another flatlander that has a problem with Vermonters who possess resolve.

Yep, good thing some of us Vermonters can still be happy when we're broke and poor.

Especially when those with a big fat bank account, have to rain on everyone else's parade.

How's this anon, you go buy me a place in northern New York and I'll move.

But then this is the world wide web, and it's not like that'll get rid of me either.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 2:34 PM, April 12, 2007

www.iLOVEtoBITCHaboutVERMONTonMYstupidBLOG.net

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:49 PM, April 12, 2007

www.ImakeIDIOTICassumptionsABOUTotherPEOPLE.org

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:49 PM, April 12, 2007

www.WEdon'tNEEDanotherEGOTISTICALblogger.blogspot/youdon'thaveanythingtosay/pleasestop.net

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:03 PM, April 12, 2007

You're the one that was crying in one of your posts about having to leave Vermont. Stick to your guns Red. Show some resolve. If you won't then do all of us anons a huge favor and quit yappin like a little dog. Oh, your little juvenile survey. Not even remotely cute or smart. True Vermonters don't blog.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:03 PM, April 12, 2007

www.Idon'tNEEDtoANSWER40questionsTOknowWHOiAM.org

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:04 PM, April 12, 2007

Oh I know, you're the anon I PO'd when I made the list of "true" vermonterisms.

Must of made you mad as hell when you got your butt kicked by some Vermont trivia, probably even learned a few things you didn't know before.

And anon goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on..........

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 5:28 PM, April 12, 2007

True Vermonters don't blog. Look it up.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:23 PM, April 12, 2007

Actually, I've never been to your little website -- I don't know what you write about there, and I don't really care.

I just know that I don't care for the comments that you make here.

Not interested.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:52 PM, April 12, 2007

This true Vermonter blogs up a storm, that I po'd you is proof of that.

I don't doubt that you've never been to the site, I write about completely different things than I comment about. Fact is you'd probably like it if you weren't so prejudiced by my comments.

How about the Lake Carmi Bog, or Taking Kids Fishing?

But then you wouldn't want to go anyways, no ability to leave anonymous comments.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 7:43 AM, April 13, 2007

Yeah. Using "Rednalsi" is so above being anon. Get over yourself.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:10 AM, April 13, 2007

Matt Dunne or Peter Shumlin should be Governor - they both understand the IT problems with Vermont.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:24 AM, April 13, 2007

At least people know who's saying what and when.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 9:51 AM, April 13, 2007

Nice comeback. Why not clear the air and list your name and phone number right here? Show us how it's done oh great one.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:53 AM, April 13, 2007

yeah, ok, right after you.

It's not like I hide, I wear a black baseball cap with REDNALSI in big red letters everywhere I go.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 11:20 AM, April 13, 2007

So stop whining about "anons" when you are no better. Certainly, that simple point can't be lost on you.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:38 AM, April 13, 2007

Who said Shumlin for Governor??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:56 PM, April 13, 2007

Anon 10:38 April 13.

Which one were you again?

Oh yeah, you're the anon who keeps hounding me and telling me to leave the state. And you wonder why I prefer to remain anonymous?

Certainly that simple point can't be lost on you.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 2:18 PM, April 13, 2007

Don't bitch about anons and then say, "I prefer to remain anonymous".

That's moronic.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:23 PM, April 13, 2007

OK how's this I have a beef with anons who hound people because they associate a name with previously made comments.

You may not like what I have to say, but it's my right to say it. Just like you have the right to disagree, and say whatever you want.

I've liked some things anons have said, and I haven't liked things some anons have said. But the fact is I have no idea what comments you've made because you won't even use a pen or screen name.

You want to find out who rednalsi is so bad, then go ahead. Rednalsi is Islander spelled backwards. I live in Grand Isle county, and it's a pretty small place.

Plenty of people there know who I am. Take a drive, see if you can find me. I'll even drop a few more crumbs in that there are a couple people at the Free Press who know who my real name, but not that I'm rednalsi.

Otherwise RESPECT another persons opinions for being just that, I don't go around harping on people for their OPINIONS like you do.

That's moronic.

# Posted by:

REDNALSI | 3:07 PM, April 13, 2007

God ... is it a wonder that people won't go read your blog?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:11 PM, April 13, 2007

Nobody really wants to find you Rednalsi. Calm down. A few of us just think your sanctimonious attitude towards "anons" is pretty hypocritical. You, in fact, mine as well be an anon yourself. I would guess the reason you apply the "rednalsi" tag to yourself is to a) market your web page and b) you like to live vicariously through a name. It is true though that true Vermonters don't blog. They would laugh at you for being a computer nerd, actually.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:48 PM, April 13, 2007

I wear a baseball cap with ANONYMOUS in big red letters.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:50 PM, April 13, 2007

I don't blame you.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:52 AM, April 14, 2007

Angry with not receiving your Free Press in the morning? Flood this blog with comments each and every day you don't get a paper, we will FORCE Free Press circulation department to get their act together!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:47 AM, April 16, 2007

"Rednalsi is Islander spelled backward"

Its also "I Slander"

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:24 PM, April 16, 2007

"www.LOOKatMElookATmeLOOKatMElookATmeLOOKatMElookATmeLOOKatMElookATme.com"

To whoever came up with these...I have to say these were hilarious.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:25 PM, April 16, 2007

Rednalsi IS "I slander" That is so on target. I agree too. The www's were classic.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:57 PM, April 16, 2007

"www.pimpMYownWEBSITE.blogspot.NARCISSIST.ORG"

sorry, but these are just too funny!!!

ROFLMAO