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      Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen
      
      
       
          3.13.2008 
        
         
        
           
            
              Out of the mouths of out-of-staters
  
              
          
        
        One of the coolest things about the Vermont Statehouse is its simplicity. There isn't a whole lot of spare room there, which I would venture to say is a good thing. It means there's no place to hide, and that's good for government, though it can be tough on the knees. Today I overheard someone asking a page (the 8th-graders who spend a few weeks working in the Statehouse delivering messages) where the minority leaders' office was. Clearly an out-of-stater. The minority leader's office is his desk in the House chamber. When the House isn't in session, you can often find him there conferring with the assistant majority leader. The majority leader's office often is a table in the cafeteria or a space in the corner of the speaker's office.
  Space was at a premium this morning in the Senate Economic Development Committee, where I squeezed in with about 50 people who were interested in the Abenaki recognition issue (shown here at right). If I've learned one thing after four years of traversing the Statehouse, it's how to pick a spot in a room. In this particular one, there's a lot more space at the far end than near the door, so it's worth climbing over people to find sanctuary on the other side. Get caught near the door and you likely will get caught upside the head by the door. Based on the looks on their faces, it wasn't very comfortable for the people crammed in on that side of the room, but it's the price we pay for government that's close to the people.  The governor himself has a spacious ceremonial office, large enough to host several Scout troops at a time, but his staff has an oversized water closet. It's a wonder they can stand each other. - Terri Hallenbeck 
          
         
        
          
        
      
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