vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

4.22.2009

Renewably cozy?

The Vermont Republican Party alleges that legislators are passing the renewable energy bill because some renewable energy producers are election donors. From Chairman Rob Roper:

"Wonder why the Democrats want to raise your electric rates? Because
they are in the pockets of their political friends. These individuals and
their companies stand to make hundreds of thousands of dollars from the
"alternative" energy bill passed by the Vermont House.
David Blittersdorf (NRG Systems) $12,000 to the Vermont Democratic
Party
Jan Blittersdorf (NRG Systems) $12,000 to the Vermont Democratic Party
Jeffrey Wolfe (groSolar) $2,000 to the Vermont Democratic Party

Also, why is the Washington Electric Coop the ONLY electric
company exempted from the renewable energy pricing
program, saving Washington Electric thousands of dollars in electric
costs? Tony Klein, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, is
a former lobbyist for Washington Electric.

This last item came up on the House floor today. The co-op would be exempt from a requirement to buy renewable power because it uses at least 25 percent renewable energy already, but with a deadline of this summer, there'd be no time for other utilities to get themselves to exempt status. Klein said he hadn't received money from the co-op in nine years.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 5:17 PM |

Comments:

Roper's right and I'm hoping it won't be long before we're reading about donations made to the GOP in
Vermont.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:51 PM, April 22, 2009

The Douglas Dweebs have no real arguments against the renewable power bill so they are resorting to slime.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:41 PM, April 22, 2009

The Blittersdorfs have also been bankrolling VPIRG, who have been lobbying for this bill. I hope the Free Press looks into that connection too.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:52 PM, April 22, 2009

How about Douglas's donations from out-of-state private jail operators?
Connected to subsequent closure of prisons recommended which will cost many jobs in Northeastern Vermont which desperately needs more jobs not fewer?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:01 PM, April 22, 2009

This probably isn't a road Doper wants to head down. It's a two-way road and there's crashes on each side.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:20 PM, April 22, 2009

We should be looking at Union donations to Dems, Education donations to Dems anything they won't cut or are trying to raise is probably going to have a money trail right to the agenda driven lefties campaign coffers. They have done nothing for the welfare of VT only their flock of interests for the last 3 years.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:33 PM, April 22, 2009

Well, let's go down that road -

The Governor always talks about Environmental or Union leaders as "special interests"...

Would not any business or business org. or Entergy or Right to Life be a "special interest" as well...

The problem is the Governor wants it his way or no way - with no compromise!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:05 PM, April 23, 2009

Pike Industries funds the hell out of our governor. How many stimulus dollars are going their way?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:10 PM, April 23, 2009

The reason we're in the mud bucket is because republicans can't come to terms with providing incentives. Meanwhile, every other state and country provides incentives to locate business. Who cares if it's green business, it's a business just the same. I swear republicans would rather see Vermont in a gutter rather than see Vermont move forward on a democratic driven idea.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:37 PM, April 24, 2009

There are incentives in place right now; the VEGI incentives that evolved out of the Vermont Economic Progress Council, which was set up by a Democratic Governor, Howard Dean.

The problem is the Blittersdorfs have never applied for them, as far as I know. Because if they did, then Democrats like Michael Obuchowski and Progs like Anthony Pollina couldn't whine about "corporate giveaways" and criticize the incentives.

Given all the ink the press gave to anti-nuclear New England Coalition's strained allegations of "conflict of interest" against PSD Commissioner David O'Brien, it's nice to see some ink being given the Blittersdorfs and Tony Klein on this issue, even if it is only on a blog.

# Posted by:

Independent Vermonter | 1:09 PM, April 26, 2009

Please do not confuse a relationship between political donors with our elected officials and a relationship between a corporation and the individual responsible for regulating that corporation. These are miles apart and by making this comparison you are truly comparing apples to oranges.

While both create problems they are very different problems and need to addressed separately.

For instance, any person, regardless of money can influence their legislator. Not everyone that is being regulated gets to have dinner and drinks with the guy that's about to decide on the relicensing of their plant. Can you imagine if a wind developer was caught having dinner with Obrien what the uproar would have been like?

I have no problem calling out political donors and any favor, real or perceived, they may have gotten from their donation but lets not kid ourselves that this is not occurring with in every party and with every major official. The dems have Blittersdorf and others and Douglas has IBM, Home Builders, Wal-Mart, Religious right and so on.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:52 AM, April 27, 2009

Hey Don't forget Corrections Corp of America (CCA)...

Why do you think Douglas wants to close ST J Jail and send prisoners out of state?

Because they give him (and the GOP) big fat checks!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:30 AM, April 27, 2009

Oh, I didn't forget. My hands were just cramping from typing the list of fat cat donors Douglas has.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:32 PM, April 27, 2009

Well, the real question is why are the banana republicans so opposed to clean energy.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:58 PM, April 27, 2009