vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

8.04.2008

Mi casa es su casa?

Today, Gov, Jim Douglas released his personal financial information. He's worth about $2 million, if you count the $730 Dodge Neon that he doesn't drive because he has a state cop assigned to him.

Tomorrow, independent Anthony Pollina is expected to release his.

Last week, Democrat Gaye Symington released hers, showing assets of $373,222, including 70 beef cattle. That does not include the assets of her husband, Chuck Lacy. Douglas called on her to release her husband's records, saying it's all part of the package.

Pollina's people have said his info will include his wife's.

You'll recall that Peter Clavelle went through this four years ago, first not releasing his wife's, then changing his mind a few days later.

Symington indicated in releasing her own records that she buys into the idea behind the disclosure - that the public has a right to know where your money's coming from if you want to be their governor. Her claim is that it's her running for governor, not her family. She wasn't budging on that Monday.

The question is can a family's pot of money really be separated? Is her $48,000 in income paying to heat part of the house, put food on part of the table, clothe part of the children, pay part of the property taxes, being put away for her part of retirement? Does she benefit at all from her husband's money?

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 3:28 PM |

Comments:

People who don't like Gaye will say that it matters and that she's the worst person in the world for not disclosing Chuck's financial information.

People who like Gaye will say that it doesn't matter and you should get on with more important issues.

90% of Vermonters won't notice. They are too busy trying to figure out how to heat their homes this winter.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:54 PM, August 04, 2008

The Republicans will say that this is a huge problem ... without mentioning the fact that John McCain isn't releasing his wife's (very substantial) personal financial information.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:57 PM, August 04, 2008

The real issue is that the finacial assests of candidates are really not the business of the voter. What is the business is where do they get the money to run. If they donate to their campaigns that should be clear and all teh other donated funds. The media should spend more time uncovering where the money to run is coming from and where it is going. The current campaign finance reporting is much too complicated and much too slow. There should be weekly reporting. In this day of computers that is a very easy thing to do.
So let's uncover who is trying to influence elections and forget about how much or how little a candidate has.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:07 PM, August 04, 2008

I just want to know how Douglas who has literally only worked for the taxpayers for 34 years can be worth $2,000,000.00 (yes, million with an "M").

The people of Vermont obviously haven't gotten their money worth...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:56 PM, August 04, 2008

Maybe he bags compose in his spare time??

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:57 PM, August 04, 2008

He drives a Dodge Neon for God's sake. If the rest of us started living a frugal life like JD does we would have that money also. Fact is we want nice cars, big TV's and all the rest of the meaningless garbage.

Try living cheaply and you'll see your bank account grow very quickly.

While his 34 years of NEVER having a private sector job is concerning, we shouldn't condemn the man for being smart with his money.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:33 PM, August 04, 2008

Anonymous said...

"I just want to know how Douglas who has literally only worked for the taxpayers for 34 years can be worth $2,000,000.00 (yes, million with an "M").

He's incompetent gop-slim for fook sake. What's the mystery.

"The people of Vermont obviously haven't gotten their money worth..."

We never do with incompetent gop-slime at the helm.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:15 PM, August 04, 2008

Symington's Act 60/68 requires "household" income to be reported, that includes her kids egg money as well as Chuckie's Ben & Jerry's lucre. If it's good enough for her scheme to bilk us it should be good enough to report all earnings to the voters.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:19 PM, August 04, 2008

Anonymous said...

"He drives a Dodge Neon for God's sake. If the rest of us started living a frugal life like JD does we would have that money also. Fact is we want nice cars, big TV's and all the rest of the meaningless garbage."

Ah, so your ignorant anonymous ass
caught the blue light special on empty platitudes and you're gonna try to run some of the ol' misdirection malarkey, eh, little factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest fella.

No sale, schmuck. And how the hell would you know what everybody drives, how big their TVs are or how frugally they live, little factually-challenged fella.

That' what I thought. Tell it to the dukestir, delay and ted stevens, little fella.

You're dumb, you're scum and ya got bupkis, punk. Take your "to no good purpose-driven life" delusional dreck where the climate suits your sheet, schmuck.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:34 PM, August 04, 2008

I thought that Gaye and her husband were splitting up. In that case, his finances are irrelevant. Let it go.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:20 AM, August 05, 2008

This is a dumb move by Symington. No one who is or has been married believes for a moment that you can separate household finances - it all goes in the same pot. And ass the old adage goes, if you're hiding something, you've probably got something to hide.

Douglas and Pollina are being open and honest about their finances. Blue blood Symington and her trust fund hubby owe it to the voters to disclose their assets and see what, if any, possible conflicts of interest exist. We should also be able to see how much $ Chuck has available to loan to his wife's campaign, which she'll most certainly need in light of her abyssmal fundraising effort.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:03 AM, August 05, 2008

I smell a Fat Cat.

Only in VT is it a political liablity to have had success and accumulated a respectable net worth. You all have had the same opportunity to go to school, work hard, take risks and be successful. It's called the American Dream.

The shame is to have been successful but pretended that you are just one of the regular folks for political gain.

Cudos to Douglas and Pollina for putting it out there for public scrutiny. Shame on Gaye for trying to hide the facts.

In the scheme of things her personal wealth would have made little difference to voters but her attempt to play the system may.

Captain America

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:07 AM, August 05, 2008

"This is a dumb move by Symington. No one who is or has been married believes for a moment that you can separate household finances - it all goes in the same pot. And ass the old adage goes, if you're hiding something, you've probably got something to hide."

I'm sure that you are just as passionate about the fact that Cindy McCain has not released her personal financial information.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:26 PM, August 05, 2008

"Shame on Gaye for trying to hide the facts."

And shame on John McCain for trying to hide the facts too.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:27 PM, August 05, 2008

Anonymous...

"I smell a Fat Cat."

Well auntie amerika, when ya turn your back on humanity and insist on hanging out with gop-slime, like burnin' your puss while bobbin' for apples in boiling water, that's bound to happen.

"Only in VT is it a political liablity to have had success and
accumulated a respectable net worth."

And who said it was a crime to do that, crazy lady?

Moreover, who forced ya to misspell liability in the process of making that allegation, failing to make your point and to reveal that, once again, your ignorant anonymous ass can't even spell what it can't substantiate?

That's what I thought.

"..You all have had the same
opportunity to go to school, work hard, take risks and be successful.
It's called the American Dream."

Well, since Brigham, anyhow. Evidently, your ignorant anonymous ass was outta the barn long before that Decision. Bummer.

"The shame is to have been successful but pretended that you are just one of the regular folks for political gain."

Ah, so if you've worked hard, overcome difficult circumstances, pulled yourself up by your boot straps like, oh, say, shrub, steve forbes, newt, ted stevens, the dukestir, cheney, rummy and the mittwit and had the good fortune to become wealthy, despite being born on third base, don't give back to the community or try to help the less fortunate, stand up piss on the poor, pretend you hit a triple, and act like a Bush for Christ sake, even if you do have to be the only member of the family to adopt a phony Texas accent despite being born in New Haven, CT when poppy was at Yale and you and your siblings were all educated at the same Phillips Andover, Yale and Harvard as legacies when ya would have had a hard time gettin' into Odessa Community College on your own merits and you spent your NG days drunk, coked-up and AWOL while lining up solidly in support of the Vietnam War as long as your ignorant blue-blooded, addle-minded ass didn't actually have to fight in it.

Sure thing, crazy lady.

"Cudos to Douglas and Pollina for putting it out there for public
scrutiny. Shame on Gaye for trying to hide the facts."

Evidently, your ignorant, anonymous, auntie amerikan ass still hasn't mastered the mechanics of spell-check and doesn't realize that "cudos" is spelled Kudos and has been for quite some time, crazy lady.

Literacy is a traditional value your ignorant anonymous ass would do well to embrace, crazy lady.

Evidently, you didn't have the same access to education you claim everyone else had.

Well, look on the bright side, little lunatic-fringe lady. That's as instructive to others as it is unfortunate for you

In the scheme of things her personal wealth would have made little difference to voters but her attempt to play the system may.

Captain America"

Well, ya can always pray that's the case, cap'n clueless. Ya can always pray.

'Cause if Pollina folds and it comes down to the doogie/dubie debacle V Symington and the facts, you're fooked, crazy lady. Bummer.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 1:09 PM, August 05, 2008

Likewise Coopy....you must be on your knees daily hoping, praying and begging Pollina runs out of cash and fades away. Heck of a way to have to get your candidate in knowing she couldn't beat legitimate opponents.

Say it with me now 'Two more years, two more years, two more years...Go JIM!'

you sweet talkin' guy, you.

Auntie A.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:32 PM, August 05, 2008

"Symington's Act 60/68 requires "household" income to be reported, that includes her kids egg money as well as Chuckie's Ben & Jerry's lucre. If it's good enough for her scheme to bilk us it should be good enough to report all earnings to the voters."

GOOD one.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:18 PM, August 05, 2008

just skip over coop comments

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:39 PM, August 05, 2008

just skip over poop comments

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:41 PM, August 05, 2008

Gee, I haven't heard that one before.

Your ignorant anonymous asses didn't last the morning back when bubbles and his brain-dead band of nameless-nitwits kept claimin' I was Doug Hoffer, Hitler was no threat to the US and FDR forced Japan to bomb Pearl Harbor to get us out of the Depression he'd had us mired in for the past decade last November.

You were ignorant anonymous trash with bupkis who couldn't distinguish your asses from your elbows then and you're just as dim, dumb and clueless as ya ever were.

Ya reveled in your ignorance then and ya revel in your ignorance now. You won't last the day this time, either.

None of ya can keep your cluelessness to your ignorant anonymous asses then and ya won't fare any better this time.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:58 PM, August 05, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Likewise Coopy....you must be on your knees daily hoping, praying and begging Pollina runs out of cash and fades away. Heck of a way to have to get your candidate in knowing she couldn't beat legitimate opponents."

Pollina's the only thing that got dubie elected. He's the only thing that can keep doogie in his job.

If Pollina folds, it's 50/50 at best.

Whenever the Legislature's tried to do something, he's vetoed it. Everything else has had his signature on it, so he can't blame his incompetence on the Legislature.

He's had his six. He's failed in every way possible. He can't do ribbon-cuttings at IBM lay-offs and Starbucks closings any longer.

Like Bush, he is the face of incompetent gop-slime failure.

If he does keep his job, he won't have his veto-override-proof gop-scum legislative minority to gum up the works any longer.

The 43rd reich is goin' down and he's goin' with it.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:11 PM, August 05, 2008

Coopy:

You've never denied you were Hoffer, only challenged people to prove it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:57 PM, August 05, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Coopy:

You've never denied you were Hoffer, only challenged people to prove it."

You are priceless, little factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest/nameless-nitwit fella. Dumb as a post, but priceless, all the same.

Ya see, in this Country, if some nameless nitwit with bupkis makes an allegation that I'm, oh, say, Doug Hoffer, for example, it's up to the accuser to make the allegation stick. I'm under no obligation to disprove what your ignorant anonymous ass has yet to prove.

Like your boy, doogie, you've had a considerable amount of time to make your case. He's had six years, you've had the better part of 9 months. You've both come up with bupkis.

Babies have been conceived and born since your ignorant anonymous ass first made that allegation. Based on your track record to date, they'll die of old age before you substantiate what ya frequently can't spell.

Given the fact that you not only can't find the plate, you keep throwin' it over the backstop, my grandson will inherit this bat before I get to swing it.

Then again, why should this be any different than any of your other clueless-cretin contentions.

Ya know, you can start tryin' any time now, little fella.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:25 PM, August 05, 2008

ooh good one Poopy.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:31 AM, August 06, 2008

JWCOOP10 said... "Pollina's the only thing that got dubie elected. He's the only thing that can keep doogie in his job."

Stop playing the victim, Coopy. You sound like such a little baby.

Dubie won because his campaign was most compelling to the voters of VT. He collected the winning number of votes under the laws of the State (or is there a Bush/Cheney conspiracy here too? Maybe you should check with your pals at Moveon.org).

If Douglas wins it will be because his vision for the State best resonated with the State's voters, not because Pollina was in the race.

If Gaye is most in-tune with the of VT she will collect the most votes and win. That's how it works in the free world.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:38 AM, August 06, 2008

Oops,

The last paragraph should say: "If Gaye is most in-tune with the voters of VT..."

My bad, my apologies.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:47 AM, August 06, 2008

Anonymous....

JWCOOP10 said... "Pollina's the only thing that got dubie elected. He's the only thing that can keep doogie in his job.""

"Stop playing the victim, Coopy. You sound like such a little baby."

Ignorant anonymous trash with bupkis talkin' about playin' the victim. That's a good one, little factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest/nameless-nitwit fella.

"Dubie won because his campaign was most compelling to the voters of VT."

Dubie is compelling, eh? Besides job-hunting on the Vermont Taxpayer's dime and illegally using nonpartisan NG events as an opportunity to line his own pockets with partisan fundraisers, just what has this "compelling" conservative cretin accomplished in the better part of six years of gop-slime sponging that's left Vermont considerably worse off than he found it, little fella?

That's what I thought.

Stating the facts isn't playin' the victim, little fella. It's stating the facts.

It's a fact that they ain't doin' the doogie/dubie debacle or the likes of your ignorant anonymous ass any favors, little fella.

They never do.

He collected the winning number of votes under the laws of the State
(or is there a Bush/Cheney conspiracy here too? Maybe you should check with your pals at Moveon.org).

Feel free to point out just where and when I cited "my friends at Moveon.org", little fella.

That's what I thought.

Dubie owes his political career to Pollina. Dubie remains Pollina's sole contribution to Vermont.

"If Douglas wins it will be because his vision for the State best resonated with the State's voters, not because Pollina was in the race."

So, ribbon cuttings to celebrate IBM lay-offs and Starbucks branch closings constitutes visionary resonance, eh, little fella.

Nice try. We'll see how large the scum vote continues to be in November, little fella.

"If Gaye is most in-tune with the of VT she will collect the most votes and win. That's how it works in the free world."

Ignorant, anonymous trash with bupkis talkin' about how things are done in the free world.

That's a good one, little fella.

Always a pleasure. Give my best to bubbles.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:46 AM, August 06, 2008

Translated, Coopy said: Waa, Waa, Waa...oh boo hoo. Those mean old Republicans and that good-for-nothing Pollina.... Woe is me. Just wait till I tell Arianna Huffington on you.

Can you spell victim?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:51 AM, August 06, 2008

Coop needs a rabies shot

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:08 PM, August 06, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Can you spell victim?"

Yeah, but given your track record, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that you can, little fella. Clearly, that hasn't always been the case and it's been touch and go with your ignorant anonymous ass without bubbles checkin' your work for ya.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:15 PM, August 06, 2008

Translated, Coopy said...

"waa, waa, waa....boo hoo, boo hoo...

...mom, they are picking on me again"

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:42 PM, August 06, 2008

Ahh, JW is that it? You miss Bubba don't you.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:44 PM, August 06, 2008

Chuck Lacy is co-founder of Scranton/Lacy Films, LLC and an experienced entrepreneur, historian, and cattle breeder. Currently, Lacy is the President of the Barred Rock Fund, a venture capital fund he founded in 2000.
This is the first major project for the Scranton/Lacy partnership. He and Deborah Scranton started Scranton/Lacy Films, LLC to make films about everyday people in New England.

He is the former President of Ben & Jerry’s. His other current interests as Partner or Director include Gonofone Inc., founder of GrammenPhone the largest wireless phone company in Bangladesh; Bakewell Reproduction Center, breeder and marketer of the world’s best cattle for grass fed beef production; Hardwick Beef, the largest distributor of grass-fed beef in the Northeast; and others.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:21 PM, August 06, 2008

And his wealth shouldn't matter?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:22 PM, August 06, 2008

wow what a resume!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

embarrassed to admit that her husband is loaded?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:06 PM, August 06, 2008

"Anonymous said... Chuck Lacy is co-founder of Scranton/Lacy Films, LLC and an experienced entrepreneur, historian, and cattle breeder. Currently, Lacy is the President of the Barred Rock Fund, a venture capital fund he founded in 2000.

This is the first major project for the Scranton/Lacy partnership. He and Deborah Scranton started Scranton/Lacy Films, LLC to make films about everyday people in New England.

He is the former President of Ben & Jerry’s. His other current interests as Partner or Director include Gonofone Inc., founder of GrammenPhone the largest wireless phone company in Bangladesh; Bakewell Reproduction Center, breeder and marketer of the world’s best cattle for grass fed beef production; Hardwick Beef, the largest distributor of grass-fed beef in the Northeast; and others."

Yeah? And? Is it your clueless-cretin contention that a man with that resume hired the lunatic-fringe likes of your ignorant anonymous ass to be his agent and to disseminate his resume, little factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest/nameless-nitwit with bupkis fella?

Just how is Lacy's success as President of Ben and Jerry's along with an assortment of other business ventures a bad thing in the eyes of you champions of free market capitalism? Doogie, like the Dukestir, Newt, Phil Gramm and Ted Stevens managed to make himself a wealthy man while never holding a job outside of the public sector. How is it a bad thing to make money in the private sector? If you have evidence of criminal activity on the part of Lacy and Symington, feel free to present it.

That's what I thought.

Not everybody has the strong moral fiber and leadership qualities necessary to put the wife on waivers while presenting her with a legal pad with a list of divorce demands on it while she's lying in a hospital bed recovering from cancer surgery waiting for the anesthesia fog to lift or to give her the bum's rush for a younger, richer beer heiress, little fella.

Clearly, nothin' says ready to lead from day one like some gung-ho, Vietnam-dodgin', gop-slime, chicken-hawk with the chutzpah to say "You've been served, Sugar. Have your lawyer contact mine."

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:08 PM, August 06, 2008

Anonymous said... "Ahh, JW is that it? You miss Bubba don't you."

Not really, but if you think your current line-up of clueless-cretins as constituted needs reinforcement, it's fine by me, little fella.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:33 PM, August 06, 2008

Nice to see Montpelier's pride and joy Jeff Cooper is up to his tricks here as well.

For those of you have not been paying attention one of his favorites is to argue with himself using multiple identities.

Jeff's fans can reach him at 802-223-1098

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:57 AM, August 07, 2008

Coopy...I thought Fat Cats were bad. Now you say they are good. Or is it that they are okay as long as they are not too fat and not too middle of the road?

Flip flop, flip flop, flip flop.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:53 AM, August 07, 2008

If you don't want to call him, you can see Jeffy leve and in person at the Ben and Jerry's store.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:04 AM, August 07, 2008

Anthony released financials for him and his wife - Symington should do the same.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:24 AM, August 07, 2008

So should John McCain.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:18 AM, August 07, 2008

How many $$ has Simpleton received from NRG to support their 40 story wind towers? I hope that she wants some on top of Mansfield so they can be seen from Jericho. What's with these hypocrits that don't want a short cellphone tower and yet clamor for a 400+ foot wind tower?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:26 PM, August 07, 2008

Anonymous said...

"If you don't want to call him, you can see Jeffy leve and in person at the Ben and Jerry's store."

"leve and in person", eh?

Well, at least your ignorant anonymous ass managed to spew one bogus charge ya couldn't substantiate without misspellin' it in the process, punk.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 5:15 PM, August 08, 2008

Ding Ding!

The match is over.

We have a new champion.

You can keep whining for a recount, Poopy, but if I were you I would be waaaay to embarrassed to keep this up. Why don't you go terrorize the new moderated blog?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:08 PM, August 09, 2008

Anonymous said...

"The Republicans will say that this is a huge problem ... without mentioning the fact that John McCain isn't releasing his wife's (very substantial) personal financial information."

Well, if gops didn't think that it was different when they do it, they wouldn't be gops.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 4:40 PM, August 09, 2008

You're a funny guy Coopsie.

Thanks for the laughs.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:46 PM, August 09, 2008

The legislature is going to vote in Symington.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:54 AM, August 10, 2008

BFP, can't you find a way to ban these clowns from the site? Tell them to take their little pissing match elsewhere. The adults would like to have a civil conversation.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:09 PM, August 10, 2008

Anonymous....

"...The adults would like to have a civil conversation."

Great. Let me know when they get here.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 4:56 PM, August 10, 2008

and I third that sentiment. Enough is enough.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:32 AM, August 11, 2008

Coop makes a decent conversation impossible. The Freeps should ask him to clean it up or find another venue. Terri et al do a great job starting topics. Coop wastes the potential.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:23 AM, August 12, 2008