vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

7.15.2008

Crowded stage

My goodness, the political stage got crowded today.

First a couple of Democratic Senate leaders -- Peter Shumlin and Dick Sears -- stood with Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie and Assistant Senate Republican Leader Kevin Mullin to announce their plans for a six-week examination of past, present and future sex offender legislation. The goal would be to come up with some remedies for consideration in a special session or next January.

Dubie, by the way, joined the group as a show of unity, he said, even though Monday he had called for speedier action. That's when he urged Gov. Jim Douglas to call a special session in 30 days. Dubie praised the list of issues that Sears and Shumlin said would be addressed during the special meetings of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Then at dinner time, the governor jumps on the stage. He says he supports calling a special session soon and supports a more deliberative process, too.

His message also suggested some people (left unnamed) were grandstanding! in response to the death of 12-year-old Brooke Bennett.

About the only person who didn't try to squeeze into the limelight Tuesday was House Speaker Gaye Symington. She had said Monday that since she's challenging Douglas in this year's race for governor, her involvement would create a political distraction to whatever work was going on. She opted to leave it to the Senate to take the lead for the Legislature.

Now the dynamics have changed. Douglas wants to meet with Shumlin, Symington and others to discuss a possible special session. Hard to see how folks will navigate the issues that Douglas plans to put on the table without partisan politics rearing its ugly head, but we'll see.

I thought some of you might enjoy the governor's statement. Since I don't see it on his Web site, I've copied it below.

Nancy Remsen

Gov. Jim Douglas's official statement on a special session and Senate hearing on safe communities legislation:

As public servants, our most important responsibility is to protect the most vulnerable among us from harm. Children represent our greatest hope for a better tomorrow and it is heart-wrenching for all of us when we are confronted with cases of abuse – especially sexual abuse against children.

There has been a great deal of talk, finger-pointing and grandstanding in recent days regarding the tragedy of Brooke Bennett’s death. This does nothing to serve Brooke’s memory. This does nothing to address the failures of that particular case and, more importantly, it does nothing to protect children all across our state who deserve to grow up in a safe and loving community.

We must remember that the ultimate responsibility of Brooke’s tragedy lies with the person or persons who ended her life. As a society, our responsibility is to ensure that we do everything possible to prevent future victims.

This isn’t about one community or one case; this is about every child and every community in our state. I will not rest until I can look every parent in the eye with the confidence that we have done everything possible to give parents the tools they need to protect their children.

Last week, I called for an immediate and aggressive internal investigation surrounding a probation officer’s 2004 recommendation that a judge grant Michael Jacques an early discharge from probation. Both the position of the probation officer and decision of the judge in that case couldn’t have been more wrong. I have demanded an overhaul of the department’s policies and practices to ensure that no judge can irresponsibly use the misguided recommendation of a probation officer to release a repeat sex offender from probation.

While that investigation is underway, and until a full report is issued by the Department, I have ordered that under no circumstances will a probation or parole officer or any other individual, department or agency support the early release of any sex offender before they have served their maximum sentence.

Additionally, I have asked Corrections to work closely with Senator Dick Sears and his committee to explore judicial and corrections improvements to protect Vermonters. The department has worked closely with Senator Sears in the past and Vermonters expect that he will conduct his review with the same objectivity and thoughtfulness that have characterized his prior efforts.

In order to effect positive change at every level, we must thoroughly examine judicial decision-making in these types of violent sexual cases to ensure that dangerous sexual predators are never again released before serving their maximum sentence. To that end, I expect the judiciary to conduct a similar review to ensure that missteps are not repeated by judges in future cases.

Now we must look to the future – to steps we can take today to strengthen Vermont’s sex offender laws in every way possible. We must not put off action on those changes we can make immediately. I stand ready to call a special session of the Legislature to pass civil confinement, an expanded sex offender registry and a Vermont-style Jessica’s Law to enhance mandatory minimums. These proposals have already been deliberated at length and do not require additional testimony.

I have reached out to the offices of the Speaker and President Pro Tem to request a meeting with them, the minority leaders and the chairs of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to urge them to support a one day special session for the sole purpose of considering these proposals. I would ask them to return for one day to give an up or down vote on these important reforms.

In the coming months, my administration will be an active participant in Senator Sears’ hearings and will work with him to advance a comprehensive package of reforms when the Legislature returns in January. I hope the Legislature will join with me in the same spirit of bi-partisanship to take immediate action in a one day special session to pass civil confinement, an expanded sex offender registry and a Jessica’s Law to enhance mandatory minimums.

Children trust adults. That bond is the basis for every healthy successful family and community. When that trust is broken and is used to harm a single child, the fabric of our community is torn. It is our responsibility to join together to take action that reassures the parents, families, and communities that we are doing everything possible to protect Vermont’s children.

posted by vt.Buzz | 7:47 PM |

Comments:

How is Douglas proposing to pay for his special session? Taxpayers want to know.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:08 PM, July 15, 2008

Legislators should do it for free.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:36 PM, July 15, 2008

The same way gop-scum handle everything - "Bore everybody to tears with the usual factually-challenged sanctimonious slop about personal responsibility, point out how murder of Brooke Bennett illustrates the need to deregulate business, pin the rap for her murder on VPIRG and CLF in particular and environmentalists in general, cap it off with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and/or bill signing, immediately head off to a gop-scum fundraiser, enter it in the budget as a fee instead of a tax and stick Vermonters with the tab.

After all, the jimi douglas experience only knows the one tune.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:56 PM, July 15, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Legislators should do it for free."

The jimi douglas experience fails to implement and enforce current law and your ignorant anonymous ass thinks the legislature should do a Special Session for free.

Ya gonna demand that the executive branch do it on the house, too, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella?

That's what I thought.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:03 PM, July 15, 2008

Jim Douglas should work for free.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:04 PM, July 15, 2008

Why doesn't anyone propose we castrate Jim Douglas, before he runs this state any further into the ground from his political games.

It is sick that this man has ignored the health and safety of Vermont over the concerns of Entergy/Vermont Yankee, Bush's war on lies, or his concessions to the whims of the health insurance industry and now he has to triumph the death of a little girl for his own political power, and for Brian Dubie, the pilot who is responsible for continued bombing of innocent people in Iraq, should make anyone with a conscious sick.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:46 PM, July 15, 2008

"There has been a great deal of talk, finger-pointing and grandstanding in recent days regarding the tragedy of Brooke Bennett’s death."

DO any of you folks in the fourth estate give a damn that he's saying this with a straight face, after running a push-poll smear campaign against Symington over the weekend on this very issue??? Or does THAT not count because news of it first popped up on blogs?

http://www.burlingtonpol.com/2008/07/douglas-campaign-push-polling.html
http://www.ibrattleboro.com/article.php/20080715064135222
http://greenmountaindaily.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2971

Out-freaking-rageous. If a tree falls in the forest, but the first person to report on it isn't a bona fide news pro-fessional.....

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:10 PM, July 15, 2008

Well, given his gop-scum history, it would have been a story if dubie hadn't run a push poll or exploited Brooke's murder for political political gain in some way shape or form.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:25 PM, July 15, 2008

Dubie didn't run the push-poll, Douglas did.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:26 AM, July 16, 2008

There seems to be a bad virus on this post- Coop and pals have caught it and they think the ONLY villain(s) in this case are Douglas & Dubie.
Not one of you has mentioned criminal penalties- you can only spew hatred for our Governor and LT Gov. You all think they should go to jail and Michael Jacques let free.
Didn't Bush have any part of this?
Take a pill and get over it!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:46 AM, July 16, 2008

Douglas, by-the-way, currently earns over $950 more per WEEK, than Dean did in his last year as Governor. Clearly his time is not free to taxpayers. Most Vermonters would love to earn $950 per week.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:07 AM, July 16, 2008

My monumental lack of understanding and oversight about offender behavoir should earn me a big, fat Jim Douglas bonus check!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:07 AM, July 16, 2008

Let's see now. I'm not going to fill vavcant positions in Parole and Probation and Community Correctional Officers, but I'm going to call for stepped up supervision of sex offenders. Maybe myself and Dick Sears can provide the missing supervision ourselves. Lord knows neither one of us is doing any real actual work. And while we're at it, we'll invite Doobs to join us. He hasn't worked either in the past six years.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:39 AM, July 16, 2008

"You all think they should go to jail and Michael Jacques let free."

It was the Douglas Administration who set that pervert free.

Yes, the Douglas Administration should be held accountable.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:12 AM, July 16, 2008

NEK, how is the view from the 5th floor of the Pavilion Building today?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:12 AM, July 16, 2008

If and when I go to Montpelier I will check out the view and report back. Some of you are blind with apathy and couldn't see the view anyway.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:57 AM, July 16, 2008

If they were apathetic, they wouldn't be in here trying to counter your babble NEK. Don't try to use big words unless you know what they mean.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:03 AM, July 16, 2008

There seems to be some quibbling about the cost of a special session of the Vermont Legislature. It's maybe $50,000 a day, is one estimate I've heard.

What is the value of the life of a 12-year-old girl, I wonder. Are there any costs involved when another sub-teen girl is repeatedly raped over a five-year period?

How much money would be saved on the costs of parole supervision if the sexual abuse culprits were locked up for 25 years with no opportunity for parole?

# Posted by:

wwgrant1 | 10:12 AM, July 16, 2008

Is this a political issue? Of course it is. Since the founding of this nation, human rights (including personal safety) have been a principal political goal.

Do politicians play politics with political issues during an election year? Surprisingly, the answer is yes?

Should politicians ignore issues involving rape and murder? This is maybe a tough question for some, but my opinion is: Yes, it should be one of their primary concerns.

# Posted by:

wwgrant1 | 10:18 AM, July 16, 2008

Hmm...where was this wwgrant person during the whole Vermont Catholic priest and little boys debate? Douglas has his troops coming out of the woodworks for this one. Must have touched a nerve.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:30 AM, July 16, 2008

"How much money would be saved on the costs of parole supervision if the sexual abuse culprits were locked up for 25 years"

Jacques was locked up. He would have stayed locked up if the Douglas Administration hadn't let him go 7 years early.

We can make more laws, but until Douglas starts enforcing them, it won't do any good.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:41 AM, July 16, 2008

anon 10;03
I meant what I said- you could care less about the crime- your only focus is to trash the Administration.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:18 AM, July 16, 2008

NEK, your focus is ALWAYS on trashing Democrats.

My focus in on keeping perverts in prison. The Douglas Administration is letting perverts out of prison EARLY.

With a stroke of his pen, Douglas can mandate that no perverts are let out of prison early ... he didn't do that. The result is beyond tragic.

Until Douglas starts enforcing the laws, making more laws won't help.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:24 AM, July 16, 2008

Anon said..." Most Vermonters would love to earn $950 per week."

You can earn $950 more per week. Run for Governor. Quit whining, show us your plan and get elected.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:26 AM, July 16, 2008

"It was the Douglas Administration who set that pervert free.

Yes, the Douglas Administration should be held accountable.

I think it was a civil servant that recommend his release, not the Administration. It is interesting that you have no outrage towards him/her. Only Dougalas. It is also interesting you have not outrage towards the legislature since they had the opportunity several times to implement Jessica's law and didn't. This is not the first sex offender that got a free ride under VT's laws

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:30 AM, July 16, 2008

The Administration sets the policies for state government.

The Administration leads state government.

The Administration is responsible for running the state government. Now Douglas is saying that he can't be held accountable for what goes on???

If he's saying that he isn't leading the state government, that's a good reason for him to resign or be voted out.

In this case, the Administration let a convicted rapist out of prison 7 years early.

The legislature didn't do that. The Dougals Administration did.

The problem is in the Douglas Administration. The solution is a new Administration.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:53 AM, July 16, 2008

While we are doing special sessions, we should take an extra day to pat ourselves on the back for the great job we have done bringing business to the state.

IBM is investing $1.5 billion in New York State because the state has worked with and supported them. In VT, IBM is laying them off because we won't. Nice work all you D's and P's. I hope your maple syrup stands are making good money for you all.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:55 AM, July 16, 2008

How are you providing the additional funding necessary to incarcerate a sex offender for the full 25-year sentence under Jessica's Law? Douglas and some legislators are already screaming bloody murder about corrections costs. Jessica's Law would increase those costs a lot, which isn't what our govenor says he wants to do. How about hiring more workers to supervise the offender instead of asking Vermont taxpayers to provide them room and board and meals for 25 years. At least if they are being supervised, Vermont taxpayers aren't paying to provide room, board and meals.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:56 AM, July 16, 2008

"IBM is investing $1.5 billion in New York State because the state has worked with and supported them"

IBM is building that plant because New York State is giving IBM $150 million to do it. You think that Vermont should have paid $200 million?

Where would that money have come from?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:13 PM, July 16, 2008

If this wasn't an election year, none of this would be discussed.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:21 PM, July 16, 2008

This is the exact small thinking that has made us a state of dairy farmers, B&B's and
maple syrup businesses.

It comes from the same place it does for New York and the same place it comes from in Austin TX or Silicon Valley, increased income and payroll tax revenues, more sales tax revenues and the overall expansion of the local business community as other support businesses spring up around IBM.

Do you believe our policy as it is today is attracting business? Ask the guys laid off at IBM and Tubbs.

We have a huge financial crisis looming and our citizen legislature does not have the business horespower to address it. This is one more clear example.

Throw the bums out and bring in a qualified group that can work in a bi-partisan manner to solve our problems.

Captain America

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:31 PM, July 16, 2008

11:56am doesn't want to lock them up because it is too expensive. Rather he wants to hire people to supervise them.

2 questions:

Are these people you hire free and how many hours a day to you supervise them? When they are free they can do what they want. Jacques was already abusing girls when he was being supervised under the system with a wife in his house to boot. These guys will find a way to abuse if they are free. Lock them up. Let them see there are consequences to their actions.

Perhaps if you think freeing them is effective, we can move them all to your neighborhood.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:37 PM, July 16, 2008

So the answer is to give hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to IBM?

That's a good solution?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:40 PM, July 16, 2008

So much nekwit nonsense, so little time.

NEK said...

"I meant what I said- you could care less about the crime- your only focus is to trash the Administration."

Nice try, nekkie boy. Jacques is in custody - federal custody. The jimi douglas experience won't get the opportunity to fook this up any further.

Jacques has already been denied bail and by the time this case comes to trial, we'll have a legitimate, competent President in the White House and a legitimate competent Governor in Montpelier.

Doogie's Corrections Department recommended early release from probation in '06. It was on their recommendation that the Judge let the scumbag out.

Current law is not the problem. The fault lies in the executive branch's failure to adequately enforce it.

You can apologize and make excuses for the doogie/dubie debacle all you want but it was his incompetent gop-scum Corrections Department that recommended granting Jacques early release from probation in '06 and this is just one more example of your ignorant ass not knowing what the hell you're talking about and one more reason why the jimi douglas experience needs to be brought to an end in November.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:40 PM, July 16, 2008

"Jacques was already abusing girls when he was being supervised"

That's false. The Douglas Administration set Jacques free without supervision.

They let him out 7 years early.

We need Douglas to enforce the law. That shoudn't take a special session of the legislature.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:41 PM, July 16, 2008

Captain America:

I believe it was New York's governor, not the legislature, who clinched the deal in IBM's building in Fishkill. Also helped that Albany University with its nanotechnology program and another prominent tech college are in the vicinity and a part of the program.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:34 PM, July 16, 2008

Perhaps UVM could aim at bringing some technology-oriented programs to Vermont rather than staying with the Liberal Arts approach to Ivy League status, which is what they seem to be aiming at with the current president.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:37 PM, July 16, 2008

Jim Douglas should be held accountable...

Jim=Jobs
Brooke Bennet
Lake Pollution Recovery
CIRC hwy

Jim, do us all a favor and resign!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:03 PM, July 16, 2008

Anonymous....

"While we are doing special sessions, we should take an extra day to pat ourselves on the back for the great job we have done bringing business to the state.

IBM is investing $1.5 billion in New York State because the state has worked with and supported them. In VT, IBM is laying them off because we won't. Nice work all you D's and P's. I hope your maple syrup stands are making good money for you all."

Ah, so Brooke Bennett's murder is the result of Vermont's failure to give away the store in response to IBM's latest 800 pound gorilla act when there's no evidence that the move had anything to do with Vermont, eh, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella.

Nice try. No sale.

You're dumb, you're scum and your ignorant anonymous ass has got bupkis.
Disappear.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 2:25 PM, July 16, 2008

Hey all you people saying bad things about my dad...I mean, my boss. You need to stop. Jim Douglas needs to spin this sex offender issue away from his own self. He pays me big dollars to help him to that. It's Scudder Parker's fault. Oops. Wait. Wrong year. It's Peter Shumlin's fault. Oops. Wait. Wrong race. It's Gaye Symington's fault. She's a negative nellie. Yeah, that wil work. Oboy oboy. I feel abother bonus coming my way.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:47 PM, July 16, 2008

Anonymous said...

"NEK, your focus is ALWAYS on trashing Democrats."

Well, given the fact that he's consistently caseless and clueless, can't distinguish his ignorant ass from his ill-informed elbow and the facts aren't doing him any favors, what would do you have the nekwit do?

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 3:13 PM, July 16, 2008

Does anyone on this blog actually know how the criminal justice system works?! Obviously not. The Department of Corrections didn't release Jacques early - they can't order ANY offender released. A probation officer RECOMMENDED his early release from probation and against the strong objections of the State Prosecuter, the JUDGE released Jacques early. Where is the outrage over the Judiciary's egregious actions? Oh, right, that wouldn't support your crusade to get Symington elected. You only like to be factual when it supports your case - typical liberal arrogance and selective ignorance.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:31 PM, July 16, 2008

Yeah, don't fool yourself. The probation officer's recommendation was probably aresult of a Corrections Department "mass exodus" order to release a certain number of offenders. Don't believe these "mass exodus" orders exist? Ask around. I think the employees refer to them as "mass exodus Friday's." It's a new policy under the governor's direction.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:35 PM, July 16, 2008

Hopefully a member of Vermont's elite press corp will start digging into how these offenders are supervised, how many employees are assigned to supervise them, who gives the order to release and all those fun facts. That would require some actual legwork though, and it is the summer.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:20 PM, July 16, 2008

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:20 PM, July 16, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Does anyone on this blog actually know how the criminal justice system works?! Obviously not. The Department of Corrections didn't release Jacques early - they can't order ANY offender released. A probation officer RECOMMENDED his early release from probation and against the strong objections of the State Prosecuter, the JUDGE released Jacques early."

Ah, so the Judge forced the Douglas Administration to recommend Jacques early release from supervised probation.

Is that your ignorant anonymous ass's final answer or do you wanna take a minute to figure a way to work the Legislature's failure to throw money at IBM, UVM, VPIRG, CLF, ACT-250, the freeps folks and the rest of the so-called liberal media in and blame them for the latest failure and example of incompetence on the part of the jimi douglas experience, too, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella?

No sale, schmuck.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 4:57 PM, July 16, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Hopefully a member of Vermont's elite press corp will start digging into how these offenders are supervised, how many employees are assigned to supervise them, who gives the order to release and all those fun facts. That would require some actual legwork though, and it is the summer."

Yeah, or the doogie/dubie debacle could just finish out the remaining months of their six-year gop-scum reign of error and they're replaced by a competent, legitimate Executive Branch by doing their jobs properly, enforcing existing law and putting competent people instead of cronies and political hacks in positions of authority like oh, say, the Department of Corrections, for example, before waiting for another unnecessary death of another innocent victim on their watch and do their jobs properly and not wait for a newspaper expose of their incompetence.

We could do that or we could just keep rewarding them for their failures with another two years, stick with what's not working and keep doing what we've been doing.

Doogie could bring in Rummy, Rice and Cheney at taxpayer expense to smooth things out.

Hey, Gonzo needs a gig. Doogie can bring him in, too.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 5:17 PM, July 16, 2008

Why didn't the press ask Symington and Pollina how they would handle sex offenders? And what would they do differently than is being done currently?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:19 PM, July 16, 2008

That question has been asked of Gaye.

She said that she'd start by not recommending the early release of dangerous perverts from prison early ... as the Douglas Administration does.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:40 PM, July 16, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Why didn't the press ask Symington and Pollina how they would handle sex offenders? And what would they do differently than is being done currently?"

Ah, the ol' "Why didn't you ask the people who aren't responsible for this mess what they would have done instead of holding the person responsible for this mess responsible for this mess!" song and dance.

Nice try. No sale.

But as long as I'm here, the answers to your questions are, Better and Everything, respectively.

Anything else?

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:51 PM, July 16, 2008

Anonymous said...

"That question has been asked of Gaye."

The only relevant question to put to Pollina is why he insists on being the only person in Vermont capable of keeping doogie in his job.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:54 PM, July 16, 2008

I give him credit for doing the right things to correct this abominable and unacceptable mess. The legislature has been delinquent in dealing with the problem of incurable and untreatable child rapists/predators being given free passes by the judiciary. No more "anything goes" moonbat dumbness, or slick defense attorney slimeball politicking. Protect the children. period.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:26 PM, July 16, 2008

Hey Press! Ask Rob Hofmann about his "mass exodus" directives and how many other sex offenders were "released" just to make the numbers look better. Better yet, ask some corrections employees about the exodus directives. They'll at least be honest.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:11 PM, July 16, 2008

Anonymous said...

"I give him credit for doing the right things to correct this abominable and unacceptable mess."

Well, I hate to confuse ya with the facts, little fella, the executive branch is responsible for enacting and enforcing the law. Probation and parole is under the Department of Corrections and Doogie appointed the Commissioner of Corrections who signed off on the early release for Jacques, so to the extent that any branch of government can be held responsible for the situation, it was his mess to clean up.

So, nice try. No sale.

Your ignorant anonymous ass can shuck and jive and make excuses for the doogie/dubie debacle and try to pin the rap on the Legislature and the Judiciary all ya want, little fella. Given the facts, your gop-scum disregard for them and the reality that you've got no alternative, I'm sure you'll continue to do just that. Nevertheless, it's the executive branch's responsibility to enforce the law. They didn't and the fault is Doogie's.

All of which leaves your with no case, no clue, no sale and no soap.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:36 PM, July 16, 2008

Anonymous....

"Hey Press! Ask Rob Hofmann about his "mass exodus" directives and how many other sex offenders were "released" just to make the numbers look better. Better yet, ask some corrections employees about the exodus directives. They'll at least be honest."

Yeah, I'm sure the doogie/dubie debacle will be just as welcoming, open, tolerant and supportive of whistle-blowers as the bush administration has.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:43 PM, July 16, 2008

Oh woe is me. My hero Bill O'Reilly ambushed my sweet sweet Jim in Philadelphia. That makes me so angry. I adored Billy O and even had his poster hanging in my bedroom, and now he's gone and tried to get a straight answer from Jimmily Wimmily about why his corrections cronies let this bad man out early and why he didn't enforce the laws on the books. I sure hope Rush doesn't do the same thing because I have his poster in my bathroom (wink wink).

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:51 AM, July 17, 2008

Does Gaye Symington have a staffer that answers questions about her on this blog? Or is it just some orchestrated effort to promote the Symington platform?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:03 PM, July 17, 2008

I think a lot of people are just sick and tired of Jim Douglas's political games.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:12 PM, July 17, 2008

If anything, there are paid Douglas staffers on this site.

God knows he has enough "communications" experts on the state payroll. I've gotta imagine that there are 2-3 of them monitoring this site.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:40 PM, July 17, 2008

Actually, those are taxpayer funded Douglas staffers.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:52 PM, July 17, 2008

Somebody please tell that hack Linda McIntyre to get a hairstyle consistent with the century she lives in!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:00 PM, July 17, 2008

i saw jim douglas at brooke bennetts funeral and also saw him speaking and consoleing her family as well... do you think maybe just maybe that what happened to brooke as also touched jim douglas as well as ALL VERMONTERS. I For one stand with jim douglas. We need to protect our children and im sure that is what he is thinking as well NOT EVERYTHING is politically motivated. (gaye) ! I dont know wehy but sometimes it takes a tragedy to make change. I dont know why it took a 12 year olds life to catch a MONSTER. we NEED to start to fix this broken system and make sure monsters like Jaques never see the light of day.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:00 PM, July 17, 2008

The MONSTER was already caught ... the Douglas Administration recommended his RELEASE from prison -- 7 years EARLY!

Jaques wouldn't have seen the light of day if the Douglas administration enforced the law and kept this dangerous pervert in prison to serve his sentence.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:05 PM, July 17, 2008

I hope that Douglas was moved enough at that funeral to stop letting child predators out of prison before their release date.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:20 PM, July 17, 2008

Douglas makes a point lately to tell everyone (including FOX) that "I attended the funeral and spoke to the family." Whoop Dee Doo Jim. Did you think people expected you to be at home eating chips and watching the tube? Thanks for sacrificing your valuable time governor. Maybe you should take some time now to try and meet with more families facing similar situations and try to understand why you need more supervision and less position whacking, as well as more behavoir modification programming and the like. The ribbons can wait.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:03 PM, July 17, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Does Gaye Symington have a staffer that answers questions about her on this blog? Or is it just some orchestrated effort to promote the Symington platform?"

Nah, it's just that reality has a liberal bias and the facts make gop-slime like doogie look bad, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:41 PM, July 17, 2008

Funerals are a great photo op. Douglas learned that from Rudy Giuliani.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:45 PM, July 17, 2008

You are all nuts and pitiful. Geesh.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:11 AM, July 18, 2008

It's easy to call names ... harder to actually refute the fact that the Administration recommended the release of this dangerous pervert ... 7 years before his minimum sentence was up.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:01 AM, July 18, 2008

I believe it was a civil servant that recommended his release, not Douglas.

Did Douglas:
a. Hire this individual that made the recommendation?
b. Counsel or pressure the civil servant to release the guy early?
c. Manipulate the early release criteria to give this guy an unfair advantage in securing an early release?
d. Exert undue influence on the local judge to concur with the release recommendation?

As I read the articles Jacques meet all the criteria for release and was deemed a success, in fact a poster child of rehabilitation. He had a steady job, had married and had an apparent normal life.

It was low level gov't employee recommending and a local judge concurring that the release was appropriate under the guidelines of state law. How is Douglas responsible for this? It points only to the inadequacy of the laws in effect in VT and how easily it is for someone to manipulate them to their advantage. You should be asking the defenders of the existing laws the hard questions (Sorrell, Sears, Shumlin, Symington, et. al.). They defend the status quo.

Douglas is doing the exact right thing. He is trying to enact stricter laws on child abuse. Rather than condemn him for someone for taking advantage of an inadequate set of laws, congratulate him for taking action to strengthen them.

Captain America

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:08 AM, July 18, 2008

Anon said..."If anything, there are paid Douglas staffers on this site."

You’re darn right! I am glad that there are none from the Symington or Pollina campaigns, The Progs or The Vermont Dems.

We need to keep the sanctity of the board. Coopy is working hard enough already insulting the limited number of special interests already here. It's not easy doing this and holding down a part time gig at Ben and Jerry's.

Scoop on Coopy!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:34 AM, July 18, 2008

Anonymous said...

"I believe it was a civil servant that recommended his release, not Douglas.

Did Douglas:
a. Hire this individual that made the recommendation?
b. Counsel or pressure the civil servant to release the guy early?
c. Manipulate the early release criteria to give this guy an unfair advantage in securing an early release?
d. Exert undue influence on the local judge to concur with the release recommendation?"

Well, given the fact that the executive branch is charged with enacting and enforcing the law, the Governor heads the executive branch and it was his Commissioner of Corrections that signed off on early release from supervised probation for Jacques, the answer to your questions is still yes.

"As I read the articles Jacques meet all the criteria for release and was deemed a success, in fact a poster child of rehabilitation. He had a steady job, had married and had an apparent normal life."

And it was Doogie's Commissioner of Corrections who signed off on it.

Just who forced him to do that, crazy lady?

That's what I thought.

It was low level gov't employee recommending and a local judge concurring that the release was appropriate under the guidelines of state law. How is Douglas responsible for this?"

Again, auntie amerika, just which part of the executive branch is responsible for enacting and enforcing the law is giving your ignorant anonymous ass trouble, little factually-challenged fella.

"It points only to the inadequacy of the laws in effect in VT and how easily it is for someone to manipulate them to their advantage. You should be asking the defenders of the existing laws the hard questions (Sorrell, Sears, Shumlin, Symington, et. al.). They defend the status quo."

No, they clean up the mess left by our incompetent gop-scum doogie/dubie debacle as he continues to run Vermont into the ground, and the only thing it points to is the inadequacy of our incompetent gop-scum governor and his ignorant-trash apologists, crazy lady.

"Douglas is doing the exact right thing. He is trying to enact stricter laws on child abuse. Rather than condemn him for someone for taking advantage of an inadequate set of laws, congratulate him for taking action to strengthen them."

And where in the law did it force Doogie's Commissioner of Corrections to release Jacques from supervised probation seven years early, cap'n clueless?

That's what I thought.

Douglas is incompetent trash on a good day and when the lunatic-fringe likes of billo ambushes the gop-scum Governor of Vermont at an NGA Conference in PA, he's not havin' a good day.

What's more, he and his ignorant-trash, gop-slime supporters look like they're gonna be havin' an even rougher November.

Gee, that's a shame.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:18 PM, July 18, 2008

Douglas's staffers are paid by the state.

Spin doctors -- paid for by your tax payer $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:47 PM, July 18, 2008

Yes, Douglas is in control of the Corrections Dept. He sets the policy. He is responsible for making sure that it is running properly. He is responsible for enforcing the law.

The responsibility for running state government lies with the Governor.

If the Governor could stop pointing fingers for one minute, he might be able to help protect our children from the perverts -- instead of letting them out of prison.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:49 PM, July 18, 2008

Anonymous...

Anon said..."If anything, there are paid Douglas staffers on this site."

"You’re darn right! I am glad that there are none from the Symington or Pollina campaigns, The Progs or The Vermont Dems.

We need to keep the sanctity of the board. Coopy is working hard enough already insulting the limited number of special interests already here. It's not easy doing this and holding down a part time gig at Ben and Jerry's.

Scoop on Coopy!"

In other words, you're still dumb, you're still scum and your ignorant anonymous ass has still got bupkis.

Thanks for clearin' that up, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 1:10 PM, July 18, 2008

Since you are on-line right now Coopy, when I stop by the Ben and Jerry's store later I will be wanting sprinkles on my ice cream. You were a little stingy with them last Sunday.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:27 PM, July 18, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Since you are on-line right now Coopy, when I stop by the Ben and Jerry's store later I will be wanting sprinkles on my ice cream. You were a little stingy with them last Sunday."

In other words, you're still dumb, you're still scum and your ignorant anonymous ass has still got bupkis.

Thanks for clearin' that up, little fella.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 6:22 PM, July 18, 2008

Thanks for the extra sprinkles Coopy. That was pretty cool how you waited for the manager to turn his back first. You are the man!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:53 PM, July 19, 2008

We are sick of Symingtons fun and games.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:17 PM, July 21, 2008