vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

12.30.2008

They're not off to a staggering start

You know how there was talk last week of staggering the start of the legislative session? Well, that was so last week.

Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin said today they are not going to do that. They'll instead glom themselves onto the congressional delegation and drink every bit of monetary information they can from them, in hopes that it will come in time to make key decisions.

Shumlin said he and Speaker-to-be Shap Smith are committed to operating the Legislature for 16 weeks. So that could mean some sort of hiatus mid-way or near the end to allow budgeting magic to happen without extending the session.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 1:22 PM |

Comments:

For the legislature to be an equal branch of government, they need time to do their work.

The budget that they pass this year will have a very long term impact.

They should focus more on doing a good job and not about doing a fast job.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:14 PM, December 30, 2008

They should have plenty of time to do a good job by focusing on the job they have been elected to do, and not resorting to political grandstanding, e.g.:

1. Impeaching the president

2. Ending the war in Iraq

3. Legalizing Hemp

There is nothing wrong with a discussion of the issues above, but we already have three people who can speak for us on those issues in Washington. Its time that we had a state legislature that focused its energy (and our tax dollars) on those things that it can actually control. This year, it's all about the budget and the economy. Focus on those two issues, and 16 weeks shouldn't be a problem

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:11 PM, December 30, 2008

They will take as much time as they need to do a good job.

They are an equal branch of government.

They have an important job to do.

Let them do it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:29 PM, December 30, 2008

"They are an equal branch of government.
They have an important job to do. "

Yeah, except that, sadly, during the last biennium they made a complete ass of themselves with impeachment, global warming, letting the unwashed masses take over the State House, Gaye's flip-flop on school funding, etc.

They didn't look or act like an "equal branch" of government. They looked like a bunch of clowns.

And the Governor cleaned their clock, as usual.

Not because he's brilliant, but because they were incompetent. They defeated themselves.

That's why the same Vermont voters who voted for Obama put Douglas back in charge of the state.

Think that woulda happened under Ralph Wright?

If they want to be taken seriously as an equal branch of government, they've got to act like adults.

It may take a full biennium or so of reputation-restoring before that can possibly happen.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:54 AM, December 31, 2008

You can continue to whine about the legislative session of 2007 -- Legislature is going to focus on what to do in 2009.

They have an important job to do.

Whining about 2007 isn't going to solve any current problems.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:52 AM, December 31, 2008

So much anonymous nonsense, so little time.

The Municipalities can't budget because they don't know what they're going to get from the State. The State can't budget because they don't know what they're going to get from the Feds when we finally take out the trash and we get a legitimate, competent President for the first time in eight years and a Dem Congress to work with him.

Of course, doogie's no new taxes nonsense is as bogus and brain-dead as 41's was as the incompetent fraud talks belt tightening and cuts to everyone, everywhere but the pavilion ministry of propaganda outta one side of his mouth while he goes begging, cap in hand, to the Congress and the President he opposed in hopes that they'll bail him outta the mess he, his boys and his brain-dead policies put us in in the first place outta the other.

The Legislature should take quick measure of doogie. If, as is his history, he refuses to bargain in good faith and makes with his my way or the highway nonsense that's been putting Vermont in the toilet for the six years he's been at the helm, then they should just go right over his head and override the sumbitch.

Happy New Year! It's good to be back.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 6:22 PM, December 31, 2008

Yeah, ok, sure.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:11 PM, December 31, 2008

Yeah, we really have had a competent Congress for the last two years, haven't we? Gee, I can still remember the DOW over 12,000 just prior to the Pelosi-Reid take-over! But, hey, a few more Chicago-area Senators like Blogo's latest pick not to mention the brilliant Caroline Kennedy will no doubt REALLY give this country a boost!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:43 AM, January 01, 2009

Of course not, idiot! We will have even MORE dim-wits in Congress next year!

DUH!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:45 AM, January 01, 2009

"Now if we can only get somebody who knows which end is up in the Pavilion."

Oh, you mean the guy whom the ultraliberal Vermont electorate has chosen to lead the state over every Democrat that they've been offered in 4 elections -- Racine, Clavelle, Parker, Symington?

That guy?

He obviously knows which end is up.

You obviously don't, shmendrik.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:06 PM, January 01, 2009

Understandable. It is frustrating to watch people consistently voting against their own interests.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:27 AM, January 02, 2009

The legislature cannot do good work since they don't like to tell
the truth to the voters.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:58 PM, January 02, 2009

Even by the less than lofty standards of nameless-nitwit nation, that's a bit of a silly blanket statement to make, little factose-intolerant fella.

What is the basis of your bupkis? Gee, I'm shocked.

The Legislature's ability to do good work is hampered by the incompetent trash in the Pavilion and his penchant for vetoing legislation supported by the majority of Vermonters.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 2:41 PM, January 02, 2009

Hey, moron - thought you lefties had a "veto-proof" majority this year!

DOH!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:53 PM, January 02, 2009

The only one who said the Dems in the VT. Legislature had a veto-proof majority was the lunatic-fringe likes of you, bubbakis.

Apart from the scum-vote, folks can tell the difference between a D and a P or and I, little factually-challenged fella.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:20 PM, January 02, 2009

Didn't I say "leftie" veto-proof majority, moron? Always thought that meant "d" and "P" and "I".

DOH!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:51 AM, January 04, 2009

bubba said...

"Didn't I say "leftie" veto-proof majority, moron? Always thought that meant "d" and "P" and "I"."

Ah, so what you're sayin', bubbakis, is that there's doogie disciples and there's "lefties".

Nice try, nitwit. No sale.

If the lunatic-fringe likes of you "always thought", there'd be no scum vote and we wouldn't be in this fix in the first place.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:12 AM, January 04, 2009

I think you've got it backwards - the reason Vermont is in the dire straits it's in is because of New Jersey and New York trash like yourself invading a once economically-sound state with conservative, moral principles and inhabitants that still had their basic freedoms to live, work, and raise their children in a decent, Christian atmosphere. Those days are obviously long gone!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:18 AM, January 04, 2009

bubba....

"I think....

Sure ya do, bubbakis. Sure, ya do.

Well, little factually-challenged fella, since your take-back-vermunt-trash, scum-vote-values are gone with the wind, ya can continue your ass-backwards march towards your much-deserved destiny with the dumpster-divers of history and take it where the climate suits your sheet.

It's always a pleasure to watch the lunatic-fringe likes of you rapidly recede into the delusional-dreck- dealin' distance.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:54 AM, January 04, 2009

Hey, thanks, Terri, for cleaning up this blog in 2009!

trash
nonsense
bogus
brain-dead
incompetent fraud
brain-dead
toilet
sumbitch
nameless-nitwit nation
little factose-intolerant fella
bupkis
lunatic-fringe likes of you, bubbakis
scum-vote
little factually-challenged fella
nitwit
lunatic-fringe
scum
little factually-challenged fella
take-back-vermunt-trash
scum-vote-values
ass-backwards
your sheet
lunatic-fringe
delusional-dreck

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:17 PM, January 04, 2009