vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

9.25.2007

Another one bites the dust

State government has lured another journalist to the dark side, as we say. Sabina Haskell will be the new spokesman for the Agency of Natural Resources. She replaces Darren Allen, former Vermont Press Bureau chief who stayed at ANR a short time before continuing his foray on the drak side at the Vermont NEA.

Haskell will be in an interesting position at ANR. As a journalist and head of the Vermont Press Association, she fought for open meetings and public records. ANR is an agency that has had its own fights over public records, for which the Conservation Law Foundation took the agency to court.

The story is in today's Brattleboro Reformer, with a convenient link HERE.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 10:55 AM |

Comments:

Did she ever fight for opening former Gov. Dean's secret papers? Only 5 more years to find out just what it is Dean's been hiding.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:29 AM, September 25, 2007

This shows the extent to which the Douglas Administration will go in managing news coverage in Vermont. Sabina Haskell isn't just a reporter, she's been the editor of the Brattleboro Reformer for the past two years. A cynical observer would say the Douglas Administration is buying off the editor of the paper that has often been critical of the administration, and, more importantly, of Entergy. What better way to ensure that Vermont Yankee's license gets extended than to buy off the editor of the Reformer?

Will Haskell last any longer at ANR than Darren Allen? Apparently George Crombie is not the easiest person to work for.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:37 AM, September 25, 2007

Esmeralda to Quasimodo Crombie.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:42 AM, September 25, 2007

Good point, Bubba.

What do you think Dean's been hiding???

Secret prisons in South Ludlow??

Wiretapping of Snarkyboy's phonelines??

Perhaps we'll finally uncover Dean's covert plan to overthrow New Hampshire!!

Oh my -- soon the whole world will know!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:38 PM, September 25, 2007

"Executive" privileges are only for liberals. If we only had Pat ("Leaker") Leahy investigating what's in Dean's closet then I could tell you what I think.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:47 PM, September 25, 2007

Being the press person for Crombie isn't an enviable job. She'll have to be fairly skilled to hide the fact that the guy is coo coo for Cocoa Puffs. In only a few months he's taken resignations from both Darren Allen and the DEC Commish. Very unstable...fits in well with the 5th floor crowd.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:08 PM, September 25, 2007

Morale in ANR is at an alltime low with George "of the jungle" Crombie. State workers are fearing for their jobs.

And Sabina Haskell to the Douglas Administration is a joke - the Douglas Administration will stoop very low to silence its critics.

Douglas through Jason Gibbs calls the editors of Vt Newspapers if they publish anything "critical" about Douglas.

Hell, if Jim Douglas, Mike Smith, Jason Gibbs and Neale Lunderville had their way - they qwould take over the newspapers in order to "CONTROL THE MESSAGE."

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:16 PM, September 25, 2007

If: ""Executive" privileges are only for liberals" -- then why do George Bush, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove hide behind it every chance they get??

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:22 PM, September 25, 2007

Gov Douglas wants to silence any negative media - and he does it by buying the reporters to jin his team.

This is pretty scary stuff!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:48 PM, September 25, 2007

So are we to infer that the Free Press reporters thnk of the NEA as the "drak (dark) side?" That's really too bad. I guess the crap that Gannett puts in your drinking water must be working. Someday, maybe you'll work for a real newspaper, meaning one whose reporters are represented by the Guild. Then you might begin to see that it really ain't so dark in a unionized workplace.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:49 PM, September 25, 2007

Right on, union slugs! Aren't you proud of your overpaid UAW "brothers" destroying GM at this very minute? No wonder public education is in the pits what with the mentality (or lack of) of today's spoiled, petulent NEA "teachers"!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:06 PM, September 25, 2007

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:46 PM, September 25, 2007

Let me clarify the "dark side." It's a comment flippantly used by journalists to refer to anyone who leaves the profession for any public relations job. It doesn't technically matter for these purposes if you're doing pr for Charles Manson or for Mother Theresa (though that might matter for other purposes) - the idea is you've forsaken this lofty pursuit of the truth we call journalism to sell someone else's story for them. Mostly, we say it to make ourselves feel better because generally speaking the person who has left journalism will be making more money and working more regular hours.
- TH

# Posted by:

vt.Buzz | 2:52 PM, September 25, 2007

Appreciate the clarification Terri. Thanks.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:13 PM, September 25, 2007

GM destroyed itself.

Can't blame the union for the companies crumby product.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:43 PM, September 25, 2007

The unions were responsible for forcing GM to not only overpay workers but to prevent them from firing incompetent ones (sound familiar, NEA?). In addition, they had the usual featherbedding, not to mention unreasonable benefit packages that are about bankrupting the companies today. This all has resulted in an overpriced, sometimes-inferior product compared to Toyota, Honda, etc. UAW workers are well-paid and should not be killing the goose that layed the golden eggs. They should start ignoring the union bosses, and start working with management to build a better car. Is there anything here you liberals can't understand?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:00 PM, September 25, 2007

Bubba - you are insane or ignorant!

UAW workers are fighting for their families and their working lives.

In fact, I would suggest that this could be a turning point in this country towards better workers rights.

Competition and market base economics have done nothing but take away workers rights, workers retirements, workers healthcare -- all under the premise of we need to be more competitive.

This is the major reason why unions are enjoying the greatest increase in members in decades.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:02 PM, September 25, 2007

Look around Vermont and what do you see? Toyotas, Subarus, Hondas and Nissans. Vermont is an anamoly in that repsect. You'd have to drive as far south as Georgia to match the same density of imported vehicles on the road. And don't give me the "American cars fall apart" BS, because these days it really is BS. I've had my American car for years and have only had to perform routine maintenance. My friend with a Subaru has not been so lucky. Sure, it's luck of the draw, but Jesus, Americans kill themselves in auto showrooms, just like they kill themselves in the voting booth. We've got no one to blame but ourselves.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:03 PM, September 25, 2007

How many members of the NEA drive cars built by American union workers in U.S. plants?

I bet more of them drive Subaru wagons than anything else - the Subaru wagon is the best-selling car in Vermont.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:28 PM, September 25, 2007

Union "increases":
1945: 35% of workers belonged to unions;
1979: 24.1 %
1998: 13.9
2005: 12.5
2006: 12.0
Where are the increases? Or are you just another union steward.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:28 PM, September 25, 2007

Subaru's suck

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:35 PM, September 25, 2007

If businesses behaved in upstanding ways there would be less need for unions.
Unions didn't come around because workers wanted a handout. They came around because workers were treated poorly.

The percents quoted above mean nothing without knowing the number of workers.

Actually the product differences between Japanese cars and american cars has little to do with workers, but rather with manufacturing process and controls.

American manufacturing (even outside of the auto industry) is duplicating the successful Japanese processes.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:47 PM, September 25, 2007

Bubba - bubba ----

I thought you were smarter than that! I guess not!

I was not referring to percentage of overall workers - heck, just Wal-Mart would skew that with all of their PT workers at low wages.

I was referring to actual # of union members.

The AFL-CIO is growing its membership at about 10% per year - why Bubba?

Because of the onslaught of workers rights and workers benefits.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:55 PM, September 25, 2007

Let's see ... top GM execs get paid million dollar sallaries ... the worker on the line gets paid $40k a year ... yep ... must be it's the lowly worker who is to blame here ...

Let's fix it by giving another huge tax break to the millionaire executives, and taking away the worker's health care benifits.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:17 PM, September 25, 2007

"A cynical observer would say the Douglas Administration is buying off the editor of the paper."

Not a well thought out remark. The reporter doesn't have to take the job. If she makes the decision to take it, how is that Douglas buying off the paper?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:54 PM, September 25, 2007

He is buying off the editor not the paper.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:20 AM, September 26, 2007

I don't think the Japanese are known for firing poor performers.

GM faces much higher health costs in the US than in Canada or Japan because of our stupid system.

But in the end, when they need to discount a car $3-4k to move the metal, they have a design problem and an engineering problem, not a labor problem.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:24 AM, September 26, 2007

Perhaps you could enlighten us as to where your imaginary statistic that AFL-CIO is "growing" at 10% a year comes from? I didn't think so.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:12 AM, September 26, 2007

bubba,
It's called a library. Ever use one? I didn't think so.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:24 AM, September 26, 2007

Libraries are big places. Perhaps you could be more specific, as difficult as it must be to produce falsely claimed stats. Are you Dan Rather?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:10 AM, September 26, 2007

Hey Bubba,

Where did your useless statistics come from?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:05 AM, September 26, 2007

AFL-CIO web pages, moron.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:12 AM, September 26, 2007

If these web pages exist, provide links, moron.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:10 AM, September 26, 2007

Hey Bubba... I'm laughing because my data came from the AFL-CIO website as well...

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/09/21/workers-joining-afl-cio-unions-at-highest-rate-in-two-generations/

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:30 PM, September 26, 2007

The only stats Blubba can spit out are the ones he hears on O'Reilly and Limbaugh. His points are often full of holes, just like his idols.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:02 PM, September 26, 2007

As anyone with half a brain knows, union membership has been going down steadily for years. Now we have a couple of union slugs claiming "10% increases, blah blah blah" Hey, prove it with your web site!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:28 PM, September 26, 2007

Union membership should be going down simply because of offshoring.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:28 PM, September 26, 2007

bubba,

You asked and I provided the link to the AFL website so you could read the article. Where is yours?

You were quik to cite the same AFL website to support your contention - however, percent of population is not a true measure - percent increase of existing membership is!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:40 PM, September 26, 2007

Bubba, Perhaps you could enlighten us as to where your imaginary statistic that AFL-CIO is loosing members comes from? I didn't think so.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:08 PM, September 26, 2007

Think what you want but unions are Dinosaurs. Their purpose for existing went away 50 years ago.

They are focused at everything but how to make their companies more competitive in a global economy.

A declining union population is a good thing. Keep up the truth Bubba!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:43 PM, September 26, 2007

The GOP and conservative view is that competition and market base economics solve all problems - and Gov Jim Douglas in trying to satisfy his conservative base, is following this playbook.

In reality competition and market base economics take away workers rights, reduces worker retirements, and tries to eliminate workers healthcare -- all under the premise of the need to lower costs so the US can be more competitive.

And while the Executives are cutting slaries and benefits of their workers, they are taking ever increasing bonuses and salary increases.

This, BUBBA, is why unions are making a comeback and experiencing increases in membership.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:57 PM, September 26, 2007

Where is that, in Venezuela?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:17 PM, September 26, 2007

Bubba, Perhaps you could enlighten us as to where your imaginary statistic that AFL-CIO is loosing members comes from? I didn't think so.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:42 PM, September 26, 2007

"In reality competition and market base economics take away workers rights, reduces worker retirements, and tries to eliminate workers healthcare -- all under the premise of the need to lower costs so the US can be more competitive."

If your answer is protectionism, I don't think so. A rash of protectionism by the industrial nations after the stock market crash in 1928 gave us the Great Depression. Let's not go there again, please.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:35 PM, September 26, 2007

The teachers union is taking the whole educational system down - and they don't even care!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:48 PM, September 26, 2007

Isn't that the truth!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:32 PM, September 29, 2007

Thats why schools are failing.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:29 AM, October 03, 2007

Notwithstanding the usual personal attacks, I'm pleased to see that some bloggers are sharing the sources of their information instead of just repeating the same old anecdotes and slogans used to scare and mislead people.

Facts matter. Solving problems requires good information (to define the problem and to evaluate possible solutions). Let's have more of that.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:21 AM, October 06, 2007

You won't have any problem solving as long as the teachers union has a stranglehold on the school system.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:24 PM, October 06, 2007

No change will come.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:05 AM, October 07, 2007

Unions are dinosaurs - face it! Lets move into the future.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:30 AM, October 08, 2007