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


1.07.2008

 

The breakfast crowd

Half the free world, it seemed, was at the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning at the Sheraton in South Burlington. Gov. Jim Douglas spoke.

If you've been reading the newspaper not much of it would have been news to you, and I have to believe that not much of it was news to anyone in the crowd, unless there was some poor lost soul from Omaha who'd been staying at the Sheraton, went down for breakfast and accidentally got caught in the hoopla.

Those of us not from Omaha were listening for nuances.
- No new funding sources for transportation, other than a little bonding.
- He's going to stick with the lottery leasing idea. He's standing by finishing the Circ.
- He'll consider incentives to help schools consolidate.
- He's intent on reminding people that the 38 recommendations from the Governor's Climate Change Commission came from the larger plenary group, not the actual six-member commission.
- He'll tweak the housing proposal that went nowhere last year but not in a major way.
- People might just be stuck with the one-year pre-existing condition clause in Catamount Health.

Aside from the fictional tourist from Omaha I mentioned, the chamber breakfast attracted somebody who has not attended these things in recent years: Anthony Pollina. The Prog who's running for governor needed to do some circulating. There are no subtleties intended in his use of tenses, he said. Friday, after Pollina said he will be a candidate for governor, Democratic Party Chairman Ian Carleton questioned his use of the future tense. Pollina said he used the future tense because he hasn't held a formal campaign announcement yet, but he's running.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
-- SAY WHAT?? --

No new funding sources for transportation -- but -- he still wants to build the circ.

How's the Gov going to pay for this new highway??
 
If the Democrats don't field a candidate I may just throw up my hands and vote Republican.
 
How come Deb Markowitz, Jeb Spaulding, and Bill Sorrell are just sitting until Douglas retires so running for Governor is a "sure thing"?
 
What Vermont really needs is a new Speaker of the House.
 
"He's intent on reminding people that the 38 recommendations from the Governor's Climate Change Commission came from the larger plenary group, not the actual six-member commission."

huh?

Douglas appoints 6 people who really do not have the education or experience to properly address the questions. Perhaps the 6 feel it is inappropriate for them to make recommendations of this scope, so they pull in experts from different fields to help them and as a group they reach consensus on the recommendations. This is what one does when problem scope is too large to address alone.

And now, Douglas' attempt to stack the deck backfired and the recommendations do not have merit?

Sorry, but if the recommendations came from the larger group and the 6 appointed people signed-off on them, the recommendations can be viewed, in part, as originating from the original 6 and at the same time be found to have more merit than originating solely from the original 6.

With this mentality. Douglas would not stand a chance in either academia or the private sector.

Douglas should be challenged on this one. There is simply no way to explain his statement other than with "I didn't get the result I wanted".
 
"If the Democrats don't field a candidate I may just throw up my hands and vote Republican."

Thanks for reminding me why people have given up on the Democratic Party.
 
If the Republicans don't field a candidate for Congress I may just throw up my hands and vote Democrat.
 
Anonymous said...

If the Democrats don't field a candidate I may just throw up my hands and vote Republican.

"Thanks for reminding me why people have given up on the Democratic Party."

Given the composition of the Vermont Legislature and its Congressional Delegation to Washington, just what is the factual basis for your contention that "... people have given up on the Democratic Party.", little anonymous fella?
 
Anonymous said...

"What Vermont really needs is a new Speaker of the House."

You just might be right about that. Assuming she's reelected in November, she's got this year to show she can do the job. She's certainly gotta do better than last year. If things don't go well this year and she can be held accountable for it, she's gotta be held accountable for it.
 
Symington is just another Dean Republicrat. I wish there was a Vermont woman who could challenge Gaye and remind us how a true Democrat woman conducts herself and conducts votes. Symington is a total lightweight.
 
This is the second time the governor dissed his own task force. The other time was the Fish and Wildlife funding task force. The odd part is that each task force was loaded up with industry, commercial, and people who typically are associated with the republican side.
 
"Symington is just another Dean Republicrat."

Is this supposed to mean she's too moderate?

That's a laff riot. If anything, she's too left-wing.

And just exactly how does "a true Democrat woman conduct herself"?

That sounds vaguely sexist.
 
"If anything, she's too left-wing"

Give me some of the drugs you're taking!
 
"That sounds vaguely sexist"

My apologies. Not meant to be. I meant Democrat women in the same way as Anne Richards, Shirley Chisholm, Maxine Waters,etc. I guess women who stand up for the party and its principles. Gaye caves at the slightest hint of conflict or blowback.
 
Ah, yes, Maxine Waters! She is the far, far left loon that "represents" the criminal element in Watts. She has stated that the only reason there is a crack problem in her district is because the FBI/CIA has brought it in to addict and control the neighborhood! What a wonderful example of a democrat woman!
 
Anonymous said...

"Symington is just another Dean Republicrat."

That's just a completely ridiculous thing to say. It's just a left-wing version of the wing-nut nonsense bubbles and his little anonymous friend deal in and that don't make it right any more than it makes it true.

"Thinking" like that put Bush in the White House, Jim Douglas in the Governor's Chair and brain-dead Brian Dubie on the State Payroll.

Symington's got some problems but being a corporate lackey who cares about preserving the environment as long as she doesn't actually have to do anything like Douglas and caves the first time Douglas says no ain't one of 'em.

She blew the veto override votes. Some of it was bad luck. some of it wasn't her fault - I offer one John Anderson of Montpelier appointed by Jim Douglas to replace Francis Brooks as Exhibit A., but gop-slop happens and she's gotta be prepared to deal with that when it happens again this year because, gops being gops, it will happen again this year.

Clearly, Douglas is no more willing to negotiate in good faith and respect the will of the State of Vermont any more than Bush is willing to do it on the National Level. Gop Scum will be gop scum and while that's unfortunate and there's no Earthly reason for them to behave in that manner, they're gop scum and nobody should be surprised when gop scum acts like gop scum. It's who they are, it's what they do.

Nancy Pelosi has to be prepared for it on the National Level and Gaye Symington needs to be prepared for it on the State Level.
 
Anonymous said...

"This is the second time the governor dissed his own task force. The other time was the Fish and Wildlife funding task force. The odd part is that each task force was loaded up with industry, commercial, and people who typically are associated with the republican side."

Well, given the fact that Elvis would have turned 73 today, if one had a suspicious mind, one would think they were trying to stack the deck with gop hacks to come up with a report in support of a conclusion that's already been made.

Lord, almighty, I feel my temperature risin'
 
jwcoop:
what's that have to do with race???
 
REPLACE SYMINGTON.
 
Anonymous said...

jwcoop:
"what's that have to do with race???"

How what has to do with race, little anonymous fella?
 
jw: you should go camp out at the Peter Welch's office and hold you breath. It's very effective.
 
Anonymous said...

"jw: you should go camp out at the Peter Welch's office and hold you breath. It's very effective."

More effective than your arguments, little anonymous fella.

You couldn't buy a fact any more than Mitt could buy a gop primary, sport.

Always a pleasure.
 
bubba said...

"Ah, yes, Maxine Waters! She is the far, far left loon that "represents" the criminal element in Watts. She has stated that the only reason there is a crack problem in her district is because the FBI/CIA has brought it in to addict and control the neighborhood! What a wonderful example of a democrat woman!"

You loons wanna ask me what the above has to do with race now, too?

Always a pleasure.
 
Anonymous said...

"REPLACE SYMINGTON."

With whom?
 
How about Martha Heath liberal but pragmatic, politically and fiscally !!
 
Ugh... Heath. No f'ing way. She's a fairweather Democrat at best and should be ousted from office, not promoted.
 
"REPLACE SYMINGTON.'

I doubt she would loose a re-election. So in order to replace her, you would have to get all the dems to agree to replace her or make a republican majority.

You might as well as get used to her.
 
Everybody ought to get used to a Dem Majority and a Gop Minority here and in Washington.

And while Douglas looks good in comparison to gop candidates for replacing shrub, that's not saying much. He can be had and the gops can kiss the WH goodbye.

They've got a better shot of duncan hunter and toxic-tommy delay are gonna spring the dukestir from the slam and ride to their rescue.
 
Martha is a mainsteam Democrat which certainly makes her a fairweather VT Dimocrat
 
Based on what, little anonymous fella?
 
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