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


4.18.2007

 

Where's it go now?

So Peter Shumlin pulled the rabbit out of his sleeve and turned it into the governor's education spending cap. Now what?

Shumlin made no bones about the fact that he doesn't like the cap, that this move was not about him finding the governor's religion. So one is left to figure that he either hopes the cap gets defeated in the House for lack of support by Republicans or he lets the cap become law and hopes everybody hates it.

That's not such a stretch since voters tend to hate everything related to property taxes, including all attempts to fix them. Shumlin's also made it clear this year he doesn't seem some great solution out there, that there will be no ticker tape parade from voters on property tax.

But will voters: a) hate the cap; b) hate it in time for next election; c) take it out on the governor, or will they spread their discontent to the Legislature that passed it?

Gov. Jim Douglas, at his news conference today, said he was surprised at Shumlin's move, but that whatever Shumlin's strategy is, Douglas doesn't see a downside for himself. "They're curious, but irrelevant," he said of Shumlin's actions.

Anybody got this Rubik's cube figured out?

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
More Shumlin hypocracy. He likes to talk about being above politics -- "policy, not politics" -- but then he all but admitted that this is just a political ploy.

People are pissed about the House ed bill, which does nothing to address the property tax crisis. Shumlin didn't want to pick up the hot potato, so he pitched it over to the Governor by bringing the cap to the table.

If the House bill won't amount to much more than a fart in the wind, than the Cap will just be a bigger fart.

So it begs the question - where is Shumlin's leadership?

If he was a leader, he would be looking at a third way - something a little more creative and imaginative (not to mention, brave) than the Governor's cap or the House proposal.

Shumlin actually had an opportunity here - and he blew it. Once again, he has demonstrated that he's a mediocre politician and a useless policy wonk.
 
Imagine how pissed off the NEA union bosses and their slugs must be! Love it!
 
Sounds to me like someone is trying to appease a certain crowd - say moderate republicans? Someone thinking about running for governor?
 
It's not a bad proposal. If folks would take a moment to read it, they will realize that it simply sets a target or goal that can be easily overridden by the voters if the school board can make a case for increased spending beyond the cost of living.

How can the NEA union bosses hate that?

I think folks are simply surprised that something that even looks like it might trim spending was passed by the Vermont Legislature.
 
Booba just likes to take random swipes at leftist anything (e.g. the NEA). He really has no earthly clue what the hell he's talking about. He's our own FOX news, and we ignore him as such. Just skip over his ramblings. Not worth the effort.
 
If health care costs continue to rise (which, duh, they will) that 4 percent cap is not going to be realistic. Then let the bitching begin and let the deciding vote on the cap be traced back to none other than MIA Dubie. It'll be Gov. Doesless's mess to clean up.
 
We should put a spending cap on YOUR towns, but not on MY town.
 
We should put a cap on Shumlin's nose.
 
The Vermont legislature, with solid democratic majorities in both chambers, started the session with global warming and other non-local stuff and, near the end of the session, realized that they had managed to accomplish absolutely nothing this entire session. So now at the last minute the senate pro tem, in desperation, votes in favor of the cap because he can't think of anything else to do. Oh, yeah, that was yesterday. So now today he reversed himself on the impeachment thing and quietly rushed a vote through. The legislative leadership looks like hapless morons and Governor Do-Nothing can only be rolling on the floor laughing at his good fortune.
 
What have the democrats actually
gotten done? And have the Progressives become mutes?
 
Martha Abbott for Secretary of State!
 
Martha Abbott should run for Governor - the Secretary of State we have is really a progressive.
 
Shumlin will run for Governor!
 
Of course Shumlin will run for Governor. Duh. He's been planning it for about 60 years now. But he just soiled his pants with his pathetic on-again off-again on-again antics on impeachment.
 
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