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


9.08.2007

 

Politics with plywood

I stopped by today to see Matt Dunne's Service Politics Institute at work in Colchester.

Dunne, the erstwhile state legislator and unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2006, has started this nonprofit group to forge a connection between service and politics.

Saturday, that meant convening a handful of volunteers at the home of Patricia Hamilton. Her roof was leaking, which has led to mold in here paneled walls of her mobile home, which in turn created breathing problems for her.

The volunteers were prying off paneling, scrubbing walls and tarring the roof. In the midst of their work, they paused and gathered in Hamilton’s living room to chat a bit about the kind of services Hamilton receives, how those services help the senior citizen stay in her own home and what all that means to the state budget and policy-making.

Whether this is really a stage-setter for Dunne’s future political career is a matter of speculation. He says it’s not. "There are easier ways to do these things," he said, holding up his tar-covered hands.

Nonetheless, Dunne, 37, has shown his political ambition from a young age. He was elected to the Legislature in 1992 at age 22. He is considered a possible candidate for governor or lieutenant governor in 2008. He won’t make an announcement on that until at least November, he said.

Mary and Evan MacEwan of Essex were among the volunteers who were lured to Colchester on Saturday. She scrubbed walls while he pried paneling free. They received an e-mail through their connection to the Democratic Party and decided to help out, Mary MacEwan said. She didn’t know personally Dunne or the other politicians who joined him.

Those were Sens. Ginny Lyons and Hinda Miller, both Democrats from Chittenden County who took on the job of caulking windows. Miller, who has a flare for style, caulked the way one might frost a bakery cake. Lyons took the more practical route and smoothed her caulking out, the way one might frost a Betty Crocker cake.

Dunne, with virtually no experience in tarring, was spreading the goo on Hamilton’s roof.

Everybody was depending on contractor Andy Gray, who volunteered his expertise, to do the most technical work.

In Hamilton’s living room, Champlain Valley Area Agency on Aging Executive Director John Barbour talked about the Medicaid waiver that allows Hamilton, who has trouble walking, to receive care at home instead of moving to a nursing home. She has up to 23 hours of in-home care, receives food from Meals on Wheels and can call for emergency help with a click of a button. Hamilton talked about how important that is to her.

"I love my home," she said."Without the help of all the people who work on my behalf I wouldn’t be able to be here."

Staying home is preferable to Hamilton. It’s also typically cheaper, Barbour said.

Barbour noted that with population aging more people will be seeking these services. Lyons, who serves on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, noted the importance of planning for those costs.

In the other room, Evan MacEwan was eager to get back to work on replacing the moldy wall.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
Matt Dunne dresses it up with a nice title, "Service Politics." Most political scientists would call it machine politics.

And young Matthew certainly didn't bring this to Vermont. We have the old Master himself to thank for that - Ralph Wright.

Let's see what we've got here:

1. A warm and fuzzy, look good, charitable cause

2. A healthy dose of politicians ready to participate in said charitable cause

3. A database / mailing list that can call up the party faithful at a moment's notice

4. Too-close-for-comfort ties between a non-political charitible organizion and a political party

5. Oh... and let's not forget - the Press! (unless Teri just happened to stumble across this merry little event).

I've got to hand it to Ralphy boy - he has transformed the political landscape in Vermont for the next few decades.
 
Pretty boy Dunne doesn't do anything that won't benefit him personally. I've been to one of his "events" to watch him in action - pitiful. His "staff" at this Service Politics scheme are none other than the same kids that drove him around the state during his failed attempt at statewide office....
 
You can always tell when a liberal is about to run for office - staged events like the above, complete with advance notification to the fawning, leftist press. You know, we probably wouldn't need all of this "charity" if these same liberals hadn't destroyed the state over the last 30 years!
 
Geez. The guy is just helping out a neighbor. Chill out people.
 
OK - so help out the neighbor. I do that every week. But... I don't call in the press!
 
Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
And if you are shamelessly running for office - at least cop to it. Matt Dunne started raising money and campaigning before everyone else last time!
 
Oh - and if you were serious about helping this poor lady out, when in hell would you bring the JogBra woman to caulk her windows?

The fact that you he called in the press is just disgusting. Think about this poor lady's pride. Don't you think she deserves a little privacy and respect?
 
I guess the coincidence of this event and news on Dubie being considered for an FAA post escaped critical analysis.
 
Its nice to know that Karl Rove is working for Matt Dunne now.
 
It's sad to see such partisan hatred.

Here's a guy who is trying to encourage people to volunteer and help people out ... and all he gets is grief.

What did you do with your weekend? (other than attack people for helping others??)
 
As was said way back in post 2, Matt Dunne doesn't do anything that doesn't benefit himself. He is so transparent...I have to wonder just how many Republican politicians were invited to participate? I suspect they were not even notified...
 
I have to wonder just how many Republican politicians were invited to participate? I suspect they were not even notified...

Exactly!

Or progressives or independents for that matter. The fact remains that this was a political dog and pony dressed up in sheep's clothing.
 
Matt will never get elected to a statewide office becuase most people can see through him. He is not good at being political. He should get a real job doing real work that helps folks in need if that is what he is truly interested in. The only way he is ever going to have a high level position is if he gets "appointed", rather than elected.
 
Funny how people can be so hateful towards a guy who is just trying to encourage others to volunteer and help others.

It's too bad. If we had more people volunteering to help others, we'd have healthier communities and fewer problems with poverty, youth and drugs.

I guess it's just easier to attack people for doing the right thing than it is to pick up a hammer and lend a hand.
 
Wow - it's easy to come out and slam a guy trying to change the way politics are run.

Would you also say the same thing about Governor Douglas? Crisscrossing the state on tax dollars to effectively pay for his campaign to stay in office.

Or what about Governor Douglas agreeing to a 6 month $70,000 NO-BID Contract to a high priced Washington lobbyist known for helping Republicans - on state tax dollars!

And the reason is he doesn't like the rules coming from the Bushies - oh yeah, did he forget to tell you that he was Pres Bush's VT Campaign Chair?

No outrage there!?
 
No argument there but it still does not remove the sour taste in voters mouths over the self focus of Mr. Dunne.
 
Some people will take any chance to kick a guy for trying to help a neighbor.
 
Nothing wrong with helping a neighbor. I do it all the time. But can Dunn just leave the press out of it?
 
When you're trying to get the word out that volunteerism is important ... it helps to involve the media.

Habitat for Humanity uses this tactic all the time.
 
Habitat for Humanity is a great charity. They are not a political entity.
 
Exactly! They aren't a political entity, but they use politicians to draw attention to their good work.

(from Jimmy Carter to Newt Gingrich, from Bill Clinton to Bush Sr.)
 
Plenty of Pretty Boy Dunne's own Hartland neighbors need help. Why doesn't he stay in his own backyard? Because he's campaigning for himself and needs statewide exposure - he's not dumb.
 
ugly partisan hatred.

when someone does something good, you can't stand it.

very sad.
 
It's not partisan hatred...just the truth about Matt Dumb
 
People do good things for their neghbors all the time, every day -- without getting their picture in the paper or a story written about them.
 
I'm a Democrat and I have to say that this was a pretty tranparent bit of grandstanding.

But Matt is a good kid and I'm sure he'll learn to avoid these pitfalls in the future. Speed bumps aside, he has a long political career ahead of him.
 
some people will hate no matter what. it isn't about matt dunne. it's about people who can't accept that someone out there might be doing something good for someone else.
 
Some that wanted to like Matt Dunne became very turned off by his
approach.
 
Same can be said of Douglas, Bush, Cheney, Dubie, Rumsfeld, Ruth Dwyer, Rob Roeper ...
 
Give me a break!

Jim Douglas crisscrosses the state on taxpayer dollars handing out checks like he's personally writing them - and when confronted by one person about where the money comes from, he says, "well, the legislature actually budgets and approves these."

He has taken this taxpayer funded campaigning to a new level!
 
Someone should request the total cost for Douglas to go on his bi-annual "listening tours" across Vermont. You figure gas, mileage, lodging, food, set-up, staff time, etc. etc. It's probably a whole lotta money for very little return (two people at the wayside stop, and they were legislators). I say little return because Douglas doesn't act on much of anything he hears about.
 
"I say little return because Douglas doesn't act on much of anything he hears about."

His STAT stops were supposed to be about setting the agenda for teh legislature - clearly, Jim Douglas has not read the VT Constitution. It sets out "Separation of Powers".

Jim Douglas has no control over the legislature except to sign veto or allow a bill to become law w/o his signature.

Simply, he can't set the agenda for the legislature.
 
Wouldn't it be nice to have another choice for governor next year in addition to Douglas and Dunne?

Pollina for Governor!
 
Pollina is a poseur. Most of the time he has his fat ass plopped in a chair at Capital Grounds in Montpelier. Does this guy ever work?
 
As a strong Dem, I could never support Pollina -- what election has he ever won?

He has only been a spoiler!

As smart as he is, why doesn't he run for a lesser seat first? Vt House or Senate!

After all, Bernie lost several statewide elections before running for Burl Mayor and now look where he is.
 
Pollina's much, much too important to run for House or Senate.
 
He should move to Windham County and unseat Shumlin.
 
Pollina for Governor
Shumlin for Lt. Governor
 
Anne Noonan for Governor
Burr Morse for Lt. Governor
 
Oh, Yeah!
 
Hugo Chavez for Governor
Pollina for Minister of Propaganda -- er, I mean Lt. Gov.
 
Anne Noonan for Governor
Randy Brock for Lt. Governor
 
Annie Noonan for Gov
Jim Condos for Gov Lite
 
Jim Condos? You must be smokin something!
 
I'd take Rep. Jim Condon, but not Jim Condos.
 
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