vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

5.08.2007

Idling thoughts

Are we marching toward a Friday adjournment? It would be hard to say that's the case based on today's events.

It took 45 minutes to get under way in the House today after recognizing the hordes of Vermonters who were there to be recognized.

In the education funding conference committee, an early-morning disagreement erupted over numbers.

The transportation budget conference committee didn't hold their morning meeting.

In the energy conference committee, where that Vermont Yankee tax looms, there's been lots of nibbling around the edges but they haven't touched the meat of this one.

Bus idling? Well, yes, that one is done. They've agreed to ban the idling of buses outside Vermont schools.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 12:40 PM |

Comments:

There was originally enough money in the state budget to cover the legislature's salaries and operating costs through last Saturday, May 5. The supplemental appropriations bill that was passed last week includes enough money for at least two more weeks. Do you believe that the legislators will really adjourn this week if by dragging things out on a few bills they could get paid for another week? They should be paid a salary that is fixed in advance regardless of how many weeks they meet.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:48 PM, May 08, 2007

Busted: Climate Change Group

So who is behind this shadowy group that launched full page ads in newspapers today?

Hiding behind a Post Office box, an unlisted phone number, and a web domain registered through an anonymous service, these guys are a bit of a mystery.

Funny - they claim to be a group of regular Vermonters, yet they go to great lengths to hide their identities and most importantly - who is paying for all the ads.

Well... with a little magic, someone has been able to identify the PR firm behind the rhetoric, the website, and the newspaper ads - it is none other than Burlington-based Marketing Partners, Inc.
http://www.marketing-partners.com
Tel - 864-6710

I must say, they have a very interesting list of clients too, starting with none other, than NRG Systems, Inc. Gee... they don't have a vested interest in any of the tax incentives, grants, and other goodies that the Shumlin Tax will yield, now do they?

Give them a call yourself and ask who is paying the bills. Funny - they don't seem to want to share any info about who these "average Vermonters" are.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:25 PM, May 08, 2007

I think these guys do a lot of work for Efficiency Vermont too. According to their website, it looks like they have picked up a lot of state contracts over the years. I guess they can kiss those goodbye.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:42 PM, May 08, 2007

The top two officers of NRG Systems of Hinesburg are Jan and David Blittersdorf of Charlotte. They are also among the largest contributors to Democratic committees and candidates in Vermont. In the 2005-06 election cycle, the Blittersdorfs contributed $38,000 to the Vermont State Democratic Committee, $4,200 to Bernie Sanders, and $1,650 to Peter Welch. They also contributed $4,000 to the American Wind Energy Association, $1,000 to Republican Congressman Jim McCrery of Louisiana, and $500 to Lois Herr, an unsuccessful Democratic Congressional candidate from Pennsylvania. If the Blittersdorfs are indeed behind the "Climate Change Group" radio and newspaper ads, this is an excellent case study for why we need meaningful campaign finance reform.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:51 PM, May 08, 2007

Let's just get this session over with - it is a painful slow death.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:47 PM, May 08, 2007

It would be very interesting to know what links there are between Efficiency Vermont and this Climate Change Organization. Hopefully there are some good investigative journalists on the case.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:18 PM, May 08, 2007

Yea, because the last thing we need is people pushing energy efficiency.

What we really need is more tax incentives for the oil companies. That'd solve everything.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:46 PM, May 08, 2007

Just how efficient is Vermont Efficiency? Ask them how many employees they have and how much their employees make.

How about this for an idea - why not eliminate the middle-man and get more money to consumers so they can afford even more energy-saving measures.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:11 PM, May 08, 2007

Re: the wise-guy who said, "Yea, because the last thing we need is people pushing energy efficiency": maybe you don't realize that the energy efficiency bill that includes the "Shameless Shumlin" tax grab against Vermont Yankee ALSO includes a proposed hefty tax on wind energy. And the tax currently under consideration on KWs produced by wind energy is higher than any tax on wind KWs in any other state. So let's think about this for a second. In order to attack global warming, we're going to slam the two non-carbon producing energy sources in the state: nuclear and wind. Make the production of wind power even less economically attractive! In a state where you can't even talk about putting up a wind turbine without someone suing you for disturbing their "view." Yea, that makes sense. Leaving aside the fact that this is a perfect example of why Vermont is perceived as violently anti-business (meaning only the trust-funders can afford to live here), taxing non-greenhouse gas producing energy sources, to address global warming, is the most irrational thing I've ever heard.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:22 PM, May 08, 2007

Oh my God. The paid political ad that you printed on Page 7 -- one of your editorial pages -- is one of the most disgusting pieces of political propaganda I've ever seen. A picture of a smirking "fat-cat" nuclear power supporter with a cowboy hat and a cigar? Does this person, or anyone even remotely like him, even exist? Disgusting. And the implication that he is the enemy of a pictured Vermont family, is beyond the pale. And demonizing unnamed "lobbyists" in "suits" as the enemy of Vermont families is so incredibly cheap it's almost beyond discussion. Shame on the organization that created this ad and shame on the Free Press for running it. Shame shame shame. This is proof that the "Left" will engage in propaganda tactics more shameful than anything the "Right" ever came up with.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:24 PM, May 08, 2007

Visit vpirg.org to see that they are behind the newspaper and radio ads...they freely admit it

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:49 PM, May 08, 2007

"This is proof that the "Left" will engage in propaganda tactics more shameful than anything the "Right" ever came up with."

Pretty bold statement, remembering that it was the GOP that ran those lovely ads against Max Cleland. And that Swift Boat garbage? Puh-lease. And the Harold Ford ads? Oh, and Willie Horton too. The Left has a long way to go to meet the Right's distortions.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:08 PM, May 08, 2007

I agree that we should cut out the middle man - give a better financial incentive to install solar power at our homes or wind power on the farms and it would work. The problem is the start up cost. Forget about efficiency Vermont and get the help to vermonters so they can get on with it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:56 PM, May 08, 2007

Yea, because that's worked so well in the past ...

If the market rules, than the only incentive for energy producers is to push energy inefficiency.

That's why we need someone to intercede and promote energy efficiency.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:03 AM, May 09, 2007

Like that is working?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:07 PM, May 09, 2007

It's fine to invest money in energy efficiency, and I support that, but to just turn around and stick it to one politically-easy target (VY) is unprincipled, dirty, filthy, cheap, demagogery, by our two-faced (three-faced?), demagogue-in-chief, Peter "what's in it for me" Shumlin.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:37 PM, May 09, 2007

Yes. Efficiency Vermont works. It's a great program.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:48 PM, May 09, 2007

If it works and it's a great program, then we should ALL pay for it, through gasoline and heating oil taxes -- those are the fuels that creat global warming. It's totally inappropriate to stick it to one company that doesn't get to vote. That's the definition of cowardice. A leader would convince us that we all have to pay for this, even though it's uncomfortable. A coward says, "hey we should do this, and we need to pay for it, so let's find a target that can't object -- despite the deal we made with them 2 years ago." Nice.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:34 PM, May 10, 2007

I wish someone would dig a little deeper into who's behind the sleazy ads supporting Shumlin. We already know that VPIRG had their fingers in it, but they aren't the only ones...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:32 PM, May 10, 2007

Shumlin and Campbell can have each other.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:42 AM, May 11, 2007

There's a special place in hell for politicians who will do or say anything to justify their personal political ambitions. Shumlin would sell his mother for 5 bucks. His seat in that special place is already reserved. Whatever happened to Vermont "statesmen?"

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:12 PM, May 12, 2007