vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Vt.buzz moves to a new site

2010-04-06T09:52:00.004-04:00

Dearest blog readers: Please allow me to direct your attention to our blog's new HOME.

Put it in your favorites, tell all your friends and relatives. And thanks for reading.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Challenging changes unveiled today

2010-03-30T09:40:00.001-04:00

Lawmakers briefed Monday on how the Douglas administration plans to save $38 million using a new budget strategy predict much hand wringing today when the rest of the Legislature and special interest groups see the document.

Monday’s briefings – working sessions, according to the administration -- weren’t open to the public.

“People will look at this and see big heartburn,” said Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, after her briefing. She noted, however, that lawmakers would have a say whether the administration’s proposals go forward.

Under a bill passed earlier in the session, the Legislature agreed that the Douglas administration would address one portion of next year’s $150 million revenue shortfall using a new budgeting technique. The Legislature set a total savings target, $38 million, and listed the outcomes it wanted achieved in selected areas of government operation. It left to the executive branch the task of figuring out how to achieve the outcomes and the savings.

The report that will be unveiled at noon today in a hearing in the House chamber represents the administration’s first response to the challenge, “but there is not going to be a detailed list that adds up to $38 million,” said Tom Evslin, the administration’s point man for the project.

The plan also includes law and rule changes the Legislature would need to make before adjourning should lawmakers agree to the administration’s proposals and suggested measures of outcomes.

Evslin said of the report, “There are certainly going to be things that are controversial. There will be lots of topics for heated discussion.”
Evslin said there are five themes that recur: Improved integration of programs and services; increased use of technology to improve efficiency and access; more personal attention from professionals when appropriate; creation of “paths to independence” to wean people from services; and performance incentives for vendors and groups that receive grants.

“There were some interesting ideas, some of which would be pretty challenging” said House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morristown, without elaborating. He expects House committees to begin vetting the proposals immediately. They have less than two weeks to refine proposals or offer alternatives that would produce both the required outcomes and needed savings.

The challenge strategy doesn’t ask state managers and staff if they can save $38 million. They have to – the money isn’t available to spend. The challenge is to take the money that is available and figure out how to deliver the same or better service.

“There is going to be plenty in here to criticize,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham. “It is incumbent on us to find new approaches in area where we have concerns.”

For example, one challenge concerns economic development. Bartlett said Monday she didn’t like the administration’s recommendations. “There are other ways to reach the results.”

The “challenges for change” law directed the Douglas administration to redesign the state’s economic development initiatives to focus on spending that gets measurable results. The law suggested potential savings of $3.4 million, but allowed for $400,000 to be spent on planning and development of measurement infrastructure.

Julie Tessler, executive director of the Vermont Council of Developmental and Mental Health, said her group is wary of ideas affecting human services that it heard about during discussions state officials had earlier this month with developmental and mental health providers.

“There are ideas on the table that have potential, but they are going to take time to analyze and work through,” Tessler said. She worried Monday that big changes were on a fast track that could jeopardize the health and well being of vulnerable Vermonters.

“The Vermont Council does not want to obstruct the process,” Tessler said. Slow it down – absolutely.

-- Nancy Remsen

Analyst: No value in VY

2010-03-29T17:59:00.001-04:00

Stock analysts saw last week’s news that New York state utility regulators nixed the Enexus move by which Vermont Yankee would be sliced off into a new company with five other nuclear power plants as the end of the line for the deal.

“We expect this vote in New York will end the spin-off plans,” Morningstar stock analysts said.

They also don’t seem to give two hoots about Vermont Yankee’s continued operation after 2012, which makes one wonder if Entergy Corp.’s board of directors will feel the same way.

“Renewal or no renewal, we see little incremental value in the Yankee plant for shareholders based on its relatively high cost, small capacity, and onerous power purchase contracts that we expect to persist for at least another decade. We think a decision to shut down Vermont Yankee when its license expires in March 2012 would not have a substantial impact on our fair value estimate,” the report said.

_ Terri Hallenbeck

Survey: Vters r agnst txtg

2010-03-29T17:57:00.002-04:00

Keeping in mind that this is an unscientific survey, Sen. Bill Doyle’s annual Town Meeting Day results are in, and survey says: Vermonters are quite solid on the notion that drivers should not be allowed to text.

The 96 percent who said it should be prohibited set Doyle Town Meeting poll history. No question in the survey’s 41-year history has ever received that kind of response, said Doyle, R-Washington.

A texting ban is in the works in the Legislature, though it is complicated by the fact that the House added a number of other driving restrictions to the bill that the Senate doesn’t like and they’ve got to work that out. The survey found 74 percent also thought prohibiting cell phone use while driving was a good idea.

Doyle’s survey, which attracted 12,500 responses from 150 communities, also found a shift in support for the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. This year, 52 percent said its license should not be renewed in 2012. Last year, only 37 percent thought that. There were also 17 percent this year who were unsure.

In other results, 53 percent said President Barack Obama was doing a good job; 49 percent did not think federal stimulus funds have been well-spent; 67 percent agreed with reducing Vermont’s prison population through alternatives; 43 percent said the University of Vermont should restore baseball and softball, but 40 percent were unsure.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Condos plans kickoff

2010-03-29T17:54:00.002-04:00

Former state Sen. Jim Condos will announce Wednesday that he’s running for secretary of state. He plans a 12:30 p.m. news conference at the Statehouse.

The Democrat who represented Chittenden County in the Senate and was chairman of the South Burlington City Council for many years, now lives in Montpelier. He is government affairs director for Vermont Gas Systems Inc.

He will face Charlie Merriman, a Middlesex lawyer, in the Democratic primary.

Interest in the seat is driven by the lack of an incumbent, as Secretary of State Deb Markowitz is running for governor. There will likely also be a Republican primary race, as announced candidate Chris Roy, a Williston lawyer, could face a challenge from Forest, Parks & Recreations Commissioner Jason Gibbs of Duxbury.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Snelling sets staff

2010-03-29T17:53:00.000-04:00

Mark Snelling, one of two Republican candidates for lieutenant governor, will have three people chairing his campaign — Mary Evslin, Stephan Morse, and Bill Stenger.

Evslin was founding chairwoman of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority. Morse is a former speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives. Stenger is president and chief executive officer of Jay Peak.

Snelling also named John Kleinhans of Lyndon as campaign coordinator and Charles Kittredge of Shelburne as campaign treasurer.

“It is a campaign dream team,“ Snelling said.

Sen. Phil Scott, a Republican, is also running.

— Nancy Remsen

So when is the primary?

2010-03-29T17:52:00.000-04:00

When is the primary election?

We still don’t know.

The House and Senate have said they want to reschedule this year’s primary election to the fourth Tuesday in August – Aug. 24 – in order to give election officials a bigger window to get ballots to and from voters who are overseas. Because of a technical issue, the bill has pingponged between the two chambers over the past week. It has yet to be sent to the governor.

Will Gov. Jim Douglas agree to a new date even though he says the change is politically motivated? He argues Democrats want to give their gubernatorial candidate more time to recover after the primary election – which as of now features five candidates. Douglas says there would be other ways to make sure the military can vote.

Douglas will have five days from the date the bill arrives in his office to decide what to do. He could sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature.

“I have to pick my fights,“ Douglas said last week. Is this a fight worth having?— Nancy Remsen

Plenty of chances to see Dems

2010-03-29T17:50:00.004-04:00

There seem to be endless opportunities to hear the five Democratic gubernatorial candidates. Here are a few dates to note:

- THURSDAY: Labor unions have lined up a debate, 7:30-9 p.m. at the Old Labor Hall, Barre. Vermont Public Television will air the event live on the tube and the Web.

- APRIL 11: Addison County and Middlebury College Democrats will hold a debate, 2-4 p.m., Dana Auditorium, Middlebury College.

- APRIL 12, South Burlington and Shelburne Democratic committees will hold a forum, 7-9 p.m. Shelburne Town Hall.

— Nancy Remsen/Terri Hallenbeck

Roy heralds McCain endorsement

2010-03-26T14:04:00.004-04:00

Republican Secretary of State candidate Chris Roy has landed the endorsement of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the erstwhile presidential candidate.

"This is an exciting day and a huge boost to our campaign," said Roy.

He cited McCain as a leader in issues of reform and government spending and quoted McCain as saying the two have known each other for more than 10 years.

Charles Merriman, a Democratic candidate for the seat, criticized the endorsement.

"Vermont deserves a Secretary of State dedicated to promoting open, responsive government and civic participation at the local and state level, not one focused on obtaining endorsements," Merriman said in a statement.

This blog has moved

2010-03-25T17:27:00.001-04:00

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VY's announcement

2010-03-25T15:53:00.003-04:00

Vermont Yankee officials declared victory this morning over the nuclear power plant's tritium leak. Free Press photographer Glenn Russell has video of the announcement.

Check it out HERE:

Meanwhile, New York state utility regulators were delivering the plant's owners bad news in Albany - they rejected Entergy Corp.'s plans to move six nuclear power plants _ two in New York state and Vermont Yankee among them _ into a separate company.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Poll: Dubie leads all Dems

2010-03-24T18:29:00.004-04:00

These poll numbers are not likely to be something the Vermont Democratic Party will be touting.

Rasmussen Reports says that likely Vermont voters would choose Republican Brian Dubie over any of his five possible Democratic opponents for governor this year.

In the poll taken March 18 of 500 likely Vermont voters, Dubie, a four-term lieutenant governor from Essex, had a:

- 46-39 percent lead over Secretary of State Deb Markowitz of Montpelier.
- 48-35 percent over Sen. Doug Racine of Richmond.
- 51-33 percent over Sen. Peter Shumlin of Putney.
- 51-29 percent over former Sen. Matt Dunne of Hartland.
- 52-26 percent over Sen. Susan Bartlett of Hyde Park.

Rasmussen's report on the poll indicated that this early in the race that will be decided in November, the percentage spread was less important than the percent of voters who feel particularly strongly one way or the other about each of the candidates.

Dubie led with a 31 percent very favorable rating. Markowitz had 22 percent, Shumlin and Racine each had 10 percent, Dunne had 8 percent, Bartlett had 5 percent.

When it came to very unfavorable ratings, Shumlin led with 23 percent, Bartlett had 16 percent, Dunne had 15 percent, Markowitz and Racine had 14 percent and Dubie had 13 percent. The poll had a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

Rasmussen concluded that Dubie and Markowitz are the best-known candidates while Dunne and Racine are the least-known, even though Racine is a former lieutenant governor.

Dubie's campaign heralded the poll numbers in an e-mail to supporters Wednesday and used the occasion to ask supporters for donations.

You can pore over the numbers HERE.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Douglas has more fans than Obama

2010-03-24T09:54:00.003-04:00

The Rasmussen poll also asked Vermont voters how they felt about President Obama and Gov. Douglas. Guess who's more popular?

Keeping in mind the numbers are within the margin for error, Obama won a favorable rating from 60 percent, Douglas from 64 percent. For Obama, 39 percent disapproved, while Douglas had a 36 percent disapproval rating.

Obama's fans and detractors were more feverish - he had 36 percent strongly favoring him and 29 percent strongly disapproving, while Douglas had 30 percent strongly favoring and 15 percent strongly disapproving.

Vermonters also showed support for the just-passed health care plan and were not keen on the state challenging the requirement that all buy health insurance in court. They got their way - 13 states are challenging it and Vermont is not among them.

You can see the poll questions and responses HERE.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Election 2010: Vermont Senate

2010-03-23T14:10:00.002-04:00

A Rasmussen report on a poll on Vermont's U.S. Senate race started out this way:

"Longtime Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy is comfortably on his way to a seventh term in Washington so far."

Republican challenger Len Britton took that as good news. When Britton saw the poll Monday he wasn't focused on those comments, he was looking at the number of people who said flat out without knowing who his opponent might be would vote against veteran U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

33 percent is that number. Britton, a Woodstock businessman, thought that was a good place to start.

The poll also found 58 percent would vote for Leahy.

Never mind, too, that Rasmussen's report said, "
No major Republican candidate has entered the race. Businessman Len Britton, a political newcomer, is the only declared GOP Senate candidate thus far."

Rasmussen also said that Leahy "clears an important early hurdle for an incumbent. At this early stage of a campaign, incumbents who earn less than 50% of the voter are considered potentially vulnerable."

Rasmussen also found:
- Male voters in the state break close to even between Leahy and the generic Republican, but women voters give the Democrat 67% support.

- Voters not affiliated with either major party prefer Leahy by a 49% to 36% margin.

- While a bare majority (52%) of Vermont voters think it would be better for the country if most incumbents in Congress were defeated this November, 51% say their local representative deserves reelection.

The poll was conducted March 18 of 500 likely voters, with a margin of error 3 percentage points.

There's more HERE.

- Terri Hallenbeck

The day after health care

2010-03-22T18:07:00.002-04:00

“People had an appreciation it was a crossing of the Rubicon,” recounted U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Monday in the aftermath of Sunday’s historic votes by the U.S. House of Representatives on health care reform.

Just to be clear, crossing the Rubicon (a river in Italy that Caesar waded across with his army enroute to Rome) means, according to Webster’s, “to commit oneself to a definite act or decision, take a final, irrevocable step.”

It was a tense day, Welch said, because people — even politicians who regardless of party talk a lot about the need to make change — are apprehensive when it comes to actually doing it.

There was plenty of uncertainty about the vote count, too, Welch noted. “It wasn’t clear what the outcome would be until midday.”

Perhaps there shouldn’t have been any doubt about the vote since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised several weeks ago that she would deliver health care reform one way or another.

“We will go through the gate. If the gate is closed, we will go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we will pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, we will parachute in. But we are going to get health care reform passed,“ Pelosi said Jan. 28.

Welch took to the House floor Sunday afternoon to tell his colleagues that the choice in the upcoming vote was “simple.”

“Will Congress today choose on behalf of the American people who elected us to build a health care system where every American has access to health care and where every American shares in the responsibility of paying for it?” he posed. “Will we today free ourselves from the shackles of the broken status quo?”

After the vote, Welch said the mood changed — at least for the 219 who won. “People felt quite relieved and positive.”

Welch said President Barack Obama set the stage for the vote with the pep talk he gave the Democratic caucus about those moments in life when a decision makes a difference. “He was appealing to members of Congress and the American people to have the courage to take on the challenge of making the health care system work for everybody.”

Perhaps it’s not surprising that Welch described the phone calls and e-mail his office has received Monday as positive. He, no doubt, has colleagues whose constituents aren’t happy.

Welch highlighted the benefits of health care legislation: it reforms health insurance, strengthens Medicare, ensures 96 percent of Americans will have health coverage and promises significant deficit reduction. Check out more details at Welch’s Web site.

Its shortcomings, he said, include no public health insurance option, no mandated price negotiations on prescription drugs and no antitrust provisions. For those changes, he promised, “We will fight another day.”

- Nancy Remsen

Perley charged

2010-03-22T18:02:00.001-04:00

Rep. Peter Perley, a Republican from Enosburg Falls, was charged last week with drunken driving and resisting arrest.

"I certainly made a mistake — a very serious one,” Perley said Monday. “I am just so sorry that it happened. I’m quite frankly embarrassed.”

Perley, a first-term lawmaker who serves on the House Education Committee, wouldn’t discuss details of what happened, but according to the news reports, Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted about an intoxicated man by a clerk at the Mobil station on Vermont 105 about 10:30 p.m. March 15. Perley allegedly tried to pull away as a deputy sought to handcuff him.

Perley is a sponsor of “Nick’s Law” legislation that seeks tougher penalties for drunk-driving offenders following the 2007 death of Nick Fournier of Swanton. Asked whether the charge affects his standing on that, Perley said Monday he continues to support the legislation. Supporters of Nick’s Law plan their annual rally at the Statehouse on Tuesday.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Douglas on health reform

2010-03-22T17:59:00.001-04:00

Gov. Jim Douglas said Monday he was focused on implementation of the national health care reform package.

“We don’t know exactly what it is yet,” he noted, since the Senate has yet to vote on the reconciliation package that became the compromise between the U.S. House and Senate. Douglas said Republican senators “although they don’t have the numbers, they believe they may have some parliamentary arguments” to make about the pending reconciliation bill.

Still, Douglas has asked his health care cabinet to analyze the pair of health care bills to identify starting dates. He also wants his staff to determine if the Vermont Legislature needs to make any law changes in response to the federal measures and if there are grants or funds offered that the state ought to seek.

As chairman of the National Governors Association, Douglas said he will work on making the implementation as smooth as possible for states — not an easy task.

“A number of governors and legislators are going to be resistant,” Douglas predicted.

“I still regret the lack of partisanship,” Douglas said. As a result of the divisive politics associated with the bill, implementing it, he said, “is going to be a less smooth process.”

- Nancy Remsen

Shumlin out-Foxed?

2010-03-22T17:52:00.002-04:00

A few days after the Vermont Senate voted against letting the Public Service Board go ahead with a decision on Vermont Yankee’s future, Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, went on a Fox TV business show that he surely is regretting now.

The show’s host, Stuart Varney, grilled Shumlin about where Vermont would get its power if not from the nuclear power plant. “You must be going back to coal or fossil fuels,” Varney challenged.

Shumlin answered that the state would turn to renewables. “The power market in America is going to dramatically shift,” Shumlin said. “Germany right now is producing 30 percent of its juice from solar.”

“Are you sure 30 percent of it comes from solar?” Varney countered.

“It happens to be a fact,” Shumlin said, until Varney’s colleagues starting surfing the Web and came up with indications that solar amounted to no more than 1 percent of Germany’s power. “I’m not really an expert on Germany,” Shumlin said. “That’s what I’ve been told.”

As it turns out, Germany’s goal for renewable energy is 30 percent. Supporters of Vermont Yankee and the Republican Governors Association have made hay of the interview, sending out e-mails and posting the interview online.

Shumlin said he was mistaken about Germany, but that he merely provided incorrect statistics, not under oath, and never suggested Vermont would replace all of Vermont Yankee’s power with renewables. Nor, he said, was the decision not to endorse Vermont Yankee’s continued operation based on that information. Varney, he said, started the show by spreading misinformation that Vermont would be turning to coal. “Only Fox News has that view,” he said.

The irony, of course, is that nothing has hurt Vermont Yankee’s cause more than its own misinformation in denying the existence of underground pipes that were later found to be leaking tritium.

The Fox interview can be seen at this pro-Vermont Yankee Web site.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Where's Brian?

2010-03-22T17:51:00.001-04:00

Most of last week, as the Vermont Senate conducted business, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie was not at the front of the room, where it’s his job to preside. That meant senators had to fill in for him at the podium. There were grumbles through the Statehouse about whether Dubie was off campaigning for governor or what.

Here’s what Dubie said he was up to last week:

Monday, he was chairing the meeting of the Aerospace States Association meeting, a group of lieutenant governor and other state officials focused on aerospace issues. Tuesday, he attended his farewell National Lieutenant Governor’s Association meeting in Washington. Wednesday, he met with the Canadian and Mexican ambassadors.

On Thursday, Gov. Jim Douglas was out of state (in Boston, meeting with Gov. Deval Patrick), making Dubie the acting governor which means he can’t preside over the Senate. Friday, Dubie presided over the Senate at the start of the day, but stepped away mid-morning for a previously scheduled meeting with former Republican Rep. Michael Bernhardt, who was delivering Dubie the good news that he wouldn’t mount an independent campaign for governor.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Stern starts campaign

2010-03-22T17:48:00.003-04:00

Keith Stern of Springfield announced on YouTube on Monday that he is running for Congress as a Republican, challenging Democrat Peter Welch, D-Vt.

“Peter Welch has voted repeatedly for bigger government and out-control spending,” Stern said on the video. “He is as responsible as anyone in Washington for the national debt climbing to over $12 trillion.”

Stern, who said he favors a flat income tax, ran for the office as an independent in 2006, the first year Welch was elected to the seat. Stern landed .3 percent of the vote in a field of eight candidates.

The executive director of the Vermont Republican Party, Eric Mason, told the Associated Press that some other Republicans are also considering challenging Welch and Stern said if a stronger Republican emerges, he’s likely to throw his support to that person.

You can catch his announcement HERE and go to his Web site HERE.

- Terri Hallenbeck

This week under Dome

2010-03-22T17:46:00.001-04:00

Looking for something to do this week? How about a trip to the Statehouse to watch some debate? There will be plenty of action. Check out the daily House and Senate calendars at the Legislature’s Web site.

The House takes up a bill today that would restructure the court system. It has upset probate judges because it shrinks their numbers and upset assistant judges because it strips them of some responsibilities.

Two of three money bills come up in the House, too. By money bills, we mean legislation outlining transportation work and the House version of the budget to run state government. These bills don’t always produce partisan bickering, but they usually prompt questions.

The House also takes up a miscellaneous tax bill that includes some changes in how the education tax will be assessed on certain homeowners.

In the Senate, a bill that would allow medical marijuana dispensaries comes up for consideration later in the week. No controversy there, right?

- Nancy Remsen

Tallies to watch

2010-03-19T15:29:00.004-04:00

Lots of exciting tallies to watch for this weekend.

- The male Hoop Cats against the Cuse Orangemen tonight.

- The lady Hoop Cats against the Wisconsin Badgers early Sunday afternoon.

- The health care bill in the U.S. House on Sunday. That might be the closest of them all.

Predictions?

- Terri Hallenbeck

Bernhardt won't run for Vt. gov

2010-03-19T10:44:00.003-04:00

Mike Bernhardt, a former Republican state legislator from South Londonderry, will not run for governor as an independent as he had considered, he announced Friday.

Bernhardt said if he were to run, it might result in no candidate winning a majority in the November election, leaving the election to be decided by a Democratic-controlled Legislature, which he fears would choose a Democrat.

"his party has demonstrated petulance for spending and a lack of fiscal restraint," Bernhardt said in a statement. "The only break to that was provided by a governor of the opposite party. ... The voters of Vermont must elect a governor who can offer our citizens the promise of an actual balance of power."

Bernhardt said he supports Republican candidate Brian Dubie. Last fall, Bernhardt said he didn't think any of the candidates would sufficiently address the states fiscal problems, but he said Friday he has since come to believe Dubie will do that.

Five Democrats _ Sen. Susan Bartlett of Hyde Park, former Sen. Matt Dunne of Hartland, Secretary of State Deb Markowitz of Montpelier, Sen. Doug Racine of Richmond and Sen. Peter Shumlin of Putney _ are facing off in that party's primary.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Bartlett calls the middle

2010-03-18T16:34:00.003-04:00

Sen. Susan Bartlett made her most direct effort yet to cast herself as the lone moderate in the race for governor.

In an e-mail to those on her campaign's e-mail list, she said of her opponents (Democrats and Republican): "One speaks of strength. One speaks of changing everything. One says Montpelier is grid-locked. One wants to raise taxes. One would continue to gut state government."

She seeks to lay claim to the middle and says: "It is time for the middle to rise up."

She is pointed about the Democratic Party's past candidates.
"Since Howard Dean we have had to choose between a liberal and a conservative. Douglas and Racine. Douglas and Parker. Douglas and Clavelle. Douglas and Symington or Pollina. This time moderates have a choice for governor that reflects our values. Fiscal responsibility and balance."

As proof of her status as a moderate she points to Seven Days recent legislative survey (without noting the dismal participation rate the survey received), which found her "most knowledgeable," "best informed" and "stingiest" of legislators.

And she notes her stance on Vermont Yankee in which she objected to the timing of this month's vote.

Does Bartlett rightly lay claim to being the most moderate of the candidates?

- Terri Hallenbeck

Another gubernatorial forum

2010-03-17T20:38:00.003-04:00

If you are looking for a chance to compare and contrast gubernatorial candidates -- at least the five Democratic candidates -- there's a forum planned for Monday in South Burlington.

The Vermont Council of Developmental and Mental Health Services has scheduled a forum for 5-7 p.m. at South Burlington High School. It's free and open to the public.

"The future of mental health, developmental services and substance abuse treatment will be greatly impacted by decisions made by the next governor," said Ken Libertoff, director of the Vermont Association for Mental Health.

Todd Centybear, executive director of HowardCenter, added, "The public needs to know what set of values the new governor will use when facing difficult choices."

All the announced candidates for governor were invited, the sponsors said. The five Democrats -- Sen. Susan Bartlett, former Sen. Matt Dunne, Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, Sen. Doug Racine and Sen. Peter Shumlin -- accepted the invitation. Lt. Gov.Brian Dubie, the Republican candidate, hasn't participated in any early forums and isn't expected at this one.

-- Nancy Remsen

Quick update on gubernatorial candidate finances

2010-03-16T18:13:00.003-04:00

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie isn't the only gubernatorial candidate raising money. Recall that last week he raised $115,000 at a birthday party for himself.

Most all the Democrats are busy, too.

However, as we have mentioned before, the public won't get a detailed accounting of how much candidates have raised, from whom or how they've spent the money until next summer when they have to file their first campaign finance reports. Right now any news about money is based on what candidates and their campaigns are willing to release.

Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, one of five Democratic gubernatorial candidates, held some kickoff events last week and her campaign staff report she raised about $25,000 from 117 donors.

Sen. Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, another of the Democratic five, is in the midst of a “charge the battery” fund drive. He wants to raise $20,000 in 20 days and reports raising nearly $8,000 with 15 days to go.

A campaign spokesperson for Sen. Doug Racine, D-Chittenden, said he hasn’t scheduled special fundraising events this month because of his hectic legislative schedule.

Sen. Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, said she, too, is a bit tied up writing a budget for state government. Her campaign manager said her fundraising is on track with the campaign's plan.

Matt Dunne, another of the Democratic candidates, reported Monday that Sarah Judd joined his campaign as finance director. Dunne said his gubernatorial campaign has raised more than the $100,000-plus he amassed for a 2006 primary challenge he faced in his run for lieutenant governor.

-- Nancy Remsen

REVving up for new job

2010-03-16T11:35:00.003-04:00

I can't help but feel sorry to see my friend and former colleague Sue Allen moving out of journalism, but I wish her well anyway.

Most recently she worked as a reporter covering Montpelier for the Times-Argus. She takes over as executive director of Renewable Energy Vermont, a nonprofit that
represents 300 energy companies, banks, law firms, colleges and others working in the renewable energy field.

She replaces Andrew Perchlik, who last year became director of the state's Clean Energy Development Fund.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Making money decisions

2010-03-15T18:59:00.003-04:00

Three House committees wrap up work on the bills that state government needs to operate after July 1 – the budget bill, the transportation budget bill and the capital project bill.

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Martha Heath, D-Westford, seemed confident Monday that her committee would recommend a budget that addressed the $150 million shortfall without decimating state services.

Heath gave the House Ways and Means Committee a sketch of the budget late last week. Here are some highlights about how the committee closes the gap:

*$15 million from changes in teacher retirement

*$38 million from structural changes through Challenges for Change process

*$9.2 million from changes in employee contract

*$20 million in redirected use of revenues proposed by Douglas administration

*$15 million carried forward in Medicaid

*$8 million anticipated from recertification of state psychiatric hospital

*$7 million in expected additional revenue from hospital provider tax

*$19 million in other changes that include $1 million from restructuring courts and $13.3 million from payments the state won’t have to make to Medicare

*and $10 million in cuts in human services.

That would leave about $9 million still to find. “We believe we will,” Heath said Monday.

Transportation Committee Chairman Patrick Brennan, R-Colchester, also reported being close to finished with the transportation project budget.

The committee had one recent surprise, he noted Monday. The panel found out it would have $3.5 million less than expected because the Appropriations Committee wasn’t going along with as big a reduction in the amount of transportation taxes supporting the Department of Public Safety as the Douglas administration recommended.

Brennan said the committee has found a potential solution – toll credits. Because the Lake Champlain Ferry is having a new boat built, there will be toll credits available that the state can use as its match for federal transportation dollars. The toll credits free up the state dollars needed to cover the public safety expenses the panel hadn’t counted on.

“I think everybody is OK with that,” Brennan said.

The Capital bill -- detailing how the state would spend $71.8 million in borrowed money -- could be voted out of committee on Wednesday, according to House Institutions Chairwoman Alice Emmons, D-Springfield.

Emmons said one of the expenses the bill will start to cover is the need for investments in rehabilitating the state office complex. The need is extensive, she said, noting there are code issues and roof problems.

The bill also provides $6.9 million to put toward the cost of the new state office building in Bennington. That, added to $8 million set aside last year, is enough to get the construction underway, Emmons said.

-- Nancy Remsen

Update on the SOS race

2010-03-15T18:50:00.002-04:00

What’s SOS? Shorthand for “Secretary of State.” With Deb Markowitz seeking higher office, the job is open. There’s some vigorous, under-the-radar campaigning going on.

Chris Roy, Republican candidate for secretary of state, reported Monday he had received an endorsement from former Lt. Gov. Barbara Snelling. Roy plans a fundraiser on March 25 in Barre. Check here for details.

What’s the Democratic challenger doing? Besides visiting lots of towns, Charles Merriman is revamping his Web site . Looks like his campaign will have a new color scheme – yellow and green.

There are two other people who have said they are seriously weighing runs for secretary of state, but neither has made it official. They are Democrat Jim Condos, a former senator, and Republican Jason Gibbs, commissioner of forest, parks and recreation.

-- Nancy Remsen

Stirring the political pot

2010-03-15T18:23:00.003-04:00

A couple of controversial bills are scheduled for debate and votes Tuesday morning – one in the House and another in the Senate.

The House will take up the Senate bill banning texting while driving, which the House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to amend to include a host of other highway safety measures in a House-passed bill that the Senate has ignored.

Some of the extra provisions the House supported previously include a ban on cell phone use by young drivers and a restriction to hand-held phones for adults, nighttime driving restrictions for junior drivers and authorization for police to stop and cite drivers who aren’t obeying the state’s mandatory seat belt requirement.

The House and Senate have sparred on these issues repeatedly in recent years. Any debate on the House floor today could be about whether it’s worth going another round.

Meanwhile the Senate is scheduled to vote on a bill that would move the primary election from mid-September to the last Tuesday in August. The Senate already passed the change and the House has agreed, but rewrote the bill. The controversy here isn’t the Legislature’s position, but that of Gov. Jim Douglas. He disagrees. Will he veto the change?

-- Nancy Remsen

Health care, anyone?

2010-03-15T18:07:00.002-04:00

Down in D.C., health-care legislation is on the line. Vermont’s delegation is hoping the Senate bill passes the House this week, an outcome that is in question, with further details to be worked out in a reconciliation bill.

It could be that by week’s end, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., has joined his House colleagues in voting for either the Senate plan or the reconciliation bill, but the timing is as much up in the air as the outcome.

What’s on the table is not quite what any of Vermont’s three-member delegation wanted, but it’s got enough to make them prefer it over nothing.

They like the idea that the plan would make health insurance available to more people: High-risk people would have access to lower-cost plans. Insurance companies would be barred from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. Children could stay on their parents’ plans until age 26. Adults without coverage could shop for plans through an exchange, theoretically at lower prices. Many employers would be penalized for not providing insurance, but could receive tax credits to help pay for it.

"Congressman Welch is going to continue pushing for a bill that extends
coverage to all Americans, ends abusive health insurance company
practices and makes health coverage more affordable for families and
businesses,” Welch spokesman Paul Heintz said.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is keen on the projection that this legislation would offer 74,000 more Vermonters health coverage, spokesman David Carle said. Leahy is also hoping the final version will institute rate reviews for sizable premium hikes, he said.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has his eye on $12.5 billion for health centers and doctor training, which he expects to survive the process, spokesman Michael Briggs said. Researchers at George Washington University have estimated it would save $17 billion in Medicaid costs over five years by providing those patients with preventive rather than emergency care, Briggs said.

The plan doesn’t have the public option that all three members of Vermont’s delegation back. Sanders hasn’t given up hope for it, but also looks to an option in the Senate plan that would allow states to establish their own single-payer program starting in 2017, Briggs said. Sanders hopes to see that date changed to 2014, he said.

Welch and Leahy also pledge to keep working on mandatory prescription drug-price negotiations and a repeal of the insurance industry’s exemption from anti-trust laws.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Health care at home

2010-03-15T18:05:00.001-04:00

While Washington wiggles its way through health care, the debate goes on in Vermont too.

William Hsiao, a Harvard economist who specializes in health care, will speak to Senate and House health committees at 2 p.m. Thursday in Room 11 of the Statehouse. Hsiao helped design Taiwan’s universal health-care system, based on the Canadian system.

“Dr. Hsiao has the skills to redesign
our health care system and I am hopeful that legislation will be passed
this year that will begin that process,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, a candidate for governor.

In a November New York Times interview, Hsiao said, “You can have universal coverage and good quality health care while still managing to control costs. But you have to have a single-payer system to do it.” To see the interview, visit HERE.

Meanwhile, Sen. Doug Racine, D-Chittenden, another gubernatorial candidate, is drumming up support for his legislation to create a panel to come up with three detailed options for universal coverage. He asked supporters to sign on to the bill as “citizen co-sponsors” on his campaign Web site.

Before it can reach the Senate floor, Racine’s bill has to go to the Senate Appropriations Committee, where Chairwoman Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, is also a candidate for governor.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Starting Senate run

2010-03-15T18:02:00.001-04:00

Chittenden State Senate candidate Mike Yantachka, a Democrat from Charlotte, will kick off his campaign with an event at 6 p.m. March 24 at the Outer Space Cafe on Flynn Avenue in Burlington.

He’s among those who will be competing in the six-seat district. Among those declining his invite on Facebook was fellow candidate Philip Baruth of Burlington, who begged off saying he had a class to teach at that time.

- Terri Hallenbeck

VY travels

2010-03-15T11:59:00.003-04:00

A week ago Sunday, I was strolling down a sidewalk in southern California when a woman from Greenpeace approached and asked for our help in saving the whales. There was a whale festival going on in honor of gray whale migration season.

The conversation inevitably turned to where we were from. Before I knew it, pretty much my first conversation in California turned to Vermont Yankee.

“Oh, we just shut down the nuclear power plant there," she said. "Because of Greenpeace.”

To which I replied, “Sort of.”

As in, Greenpeace sort of was involved and the plant has sort of been shut down.

I didn't expect the whale woman to know all the details, any more than I have a clue about whales. It struck me, though, the way the word was spreading.

Greenpeace lobbied against Vermont Yankee, but one might argue that a number of other organizations were also involved and that Vermont Yankee itself played quite a role in the vote the Senate recently took not to support continued operation.

It's also very much still running. As irony would have it, I’d been there for a tour just two days earlier and stood in the control room while they powered it back up to 100 percent from running at 70-something percent for fuel maintenance.

Technically speaking, what the Senate did was vote not to allow the Public Service Board to rule on Vermont Yankee’s continued operation after March 2012. That vote could still be reversed or challenged.

The whale-saver might not have had all the nuclear power details down, but it goes to show you this story is migrating faster than a gray whale.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Birthday Bash math

2010-03-11T09:49:00.002-05:00

Lots of comments have come in on the math surrounding Brian Dubie's birthday bash campaign fundraiser on Tuesday.

Here's the explanation.

He had 430 people come to the party. The charge to enter was $51 per head, in recognition of his new age.

However, people could choose to help "sponsor" the event by giving much more. There were four sponsorship levels between the maximum contribution allowed for the year -- $2000 and $250. More than 200 people contributed at one of the sponsorship levels. As a result, Corry Bliss, campaign manager, reports the total raised was $115,000.

-- Nancy Remsen

Birthday bash raises $115,000 for Dubie

2010-03-10T12:55:00.003-05:00

We don't get much information about the fundraising by the gubernatorial candidates and won't see their reports until summer.

Still, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, Republican candidate, reports today that his birthday bash Tuesday garnered $115,000 for his campaign.

In an email, his campaign staff report his $51 per head party attracted 430 people.

Dubie commented, "I am truly humbled by last night’s strong show of support for my campaign for governor. When I decided to have a birthday fundraiser I set the goal to raise $30,000 and sell 150 $51 tickets. To raise over $115,000 in one night and have 430 people buy tickets is beyond my expectations."

-- Nancy Remsen

Welch and others call on Reid to act

2010-03-09T16:57:00.002-05:00

Rep. Peter Welch, D-VT, and 32 other members of the House have sent a letter of complaint to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asking him to do something about the "silent filibuster."

The group argues that silent filibusters bottle up legislation and prevent debate on important issues. From the House perspective, there are more than 200 important bills passed by the House but stuck in the Senate.

Check out the letter here.

Anybody think the rules of operation for the U.S. Senate need a rewrite? Anybody think it will happen?

-- Nancy Remsen

Markowitz on campaign kickoff tour

2010-03-09T09:04:00.003-05:00

These days candidates no longer campaign. They do tours.

Deb Markowitz, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, held a campaign kickoff event Monday in Barre and then set out on a loop around the state -- a two-day tour. To read an account of her kickoff event, go here.

Markowitz is one of five Democratic candidates vying for the party's nomination to run against -- presumably -- Republican Brian Dubie, who has also been on one long business tour this winter.

One line in Markowitz's speech Monday in Barre raised a question in my mind. She declared, "I'm not a professional politician."

Markowitz has held elected office for a dozen years. That's been her job. So what is the definition of a professional politician? Who is one and who isn't?

-- Nancy Remsen

They're back

2010-03-08T19:41:00.002-05:00

After a week away from the Statehouse, lawmakers return today, many with fresh insight about Vermonters’ views on pending budget decisions and other bills thanks to conversations with constituents.

Lawmakers will be greeted with unpleasant news today. State revenues have continued to decline – especially personal income receipts.

The weight of this bad financial news falls especially on the House Appropriations Committee, which must wrap up work on its budget bill in the next two weeks.

Recall that revenues for next year already were projected to fall short of expenditures by $150 million. While the Legislature and Douglas administration agreed on a way to find $38 million in savings, the House budget-writing committee now must put on the table its plan to address the remaining shortfall – and more if the new revenue shrinkage turns into a long-term trend.

Secretary of Administration Neale Lunderville said there is no way lawmakers can avoid spending cuts. In a statement accompanying the February revenue report, he warned, "Now is not the time to rely on one-time patches or tax increases, both of which will slow our recovery and speed an exodus of businesses and taxpayers from Vermont."

There won’t even be standing room in the House Appropriations Committee as representatives of interest groups crowd in to witness the decision-making this week and next. The gasps coming from the room will either be reaction to cuts or to lack of breathable air.

-- Nancy Remsen

It's crossover

2010-03-08T19:30:00.003-05:00

What’s that, you ask?

Each year, legislative leaders set a deadline for committees to complete work on bills they would like their counterparts in the other body to take up. The idea is to give roughly equal time for the House and Senate to review bills.

This year, the magic date is Friday. Of course, there are exceptions. The House gets a few more weeks on the money bills because the Senate works on these bills without having them in their possession.

One of the biggest bills moving this week to make the crossover deadline will be a judicial restructuring proposal that the House Judiciary Committee has labored over since the beginning of the session.

The House Education Committee expects to vote Friday on a bill that would give school districts new incentives to consider consolidation. Prior to the vote, members of the House and Senate education committees will hold a rescheduled (weather did in the first date) hearing Wednesday night to give the public a chance to weigh in on an array of consolidation proposals – including some that mandate shrinkage in the number of school districts.

There could be a few final decisions on legislation this week.

Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, said the Senate, for example, could endorse the revised version of a bill moving the primary election to the last week of August. The Senate approved the change last year, but the House didn’t take up the bill until this session. The House recently endorsed the new primary date, but rewrote the bill – which means the Senate gets another bite at the apple.

The House seems poised to wrap up work on an $8 million job-creation bill the Senate already passed. It includes aid to farmers, help for Addison County businesses affected by the closure of the Champlain Bridge and job training money.

Lawmakers won’t act soon, however, on any bill addressing the bankrupt unemployment compensation fund. Despite a year and a half of discussion, lawmakers, the administration, workers and employers can’t agree on a remedy.

"Unemployment will need the committed attention of the speaker, governor, myself and the committee chairs to come up with a solution," Shumlin said.

"There are continuing conversations," said House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morristown. "We’ve got to do something."

-- Nancy Remsen

Quebec award for Douglas

2010-03-08T19:22:00.006-05:00

Gov. Jim Douglas is headed to Quebec Wednesday for meetings to improve bilateral relations between this state and its neighbor to the North.

The schedule was full, but now it includes a ceremony Thursday at the National Assembly during which Douglas will be given the highest honor awarded by the government of Quebec — the Ordre national du Québec or, in English, the National Order of Quebec.

The award, when given to foreigners, recognizes loyal friendship and efforts that help build respect for the province.

Douglas will receive the "Officer’s Insignia." Do we now call him Sir Jim?

Douglas started building ties with Quebec shortly after he was elected governor.

"Since we both took office in 2003, it has been a great pleasure to work with Premier Charest on issues of mutual importance," Douglas said, listing examples such as border security, a celebration of shared history, trade and environmental proteciton. "Working closely with our neighbors to the north is critical. Not only do Vermonters have friends and family in Quebec, they are our largest trading partner and many Quebec-based businesses employ Vermonters."

Douglas is bringing several Cabinet officials, business leaders and Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie with him for meetings with their Quebec counterparts. Topics for the talks include how to promote local food products in the region, green energy and trade.

Also during the visit, officials will sign two agreements. One updates cooperation on cleaning up Lake Champlain and the other commits the state and province to work on food initiatives.

-- Nancy Remsen

Happy Birthday Brian

2010-03-08T19:17:00.001-05:00

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, Republican candidate for governor, celebrates his birthday tonight with a campaign fundraiser.

That explains the odd contribution amount — $51 per person to mark his new age.

-- Nancy Remsen

On tap for Vermont Yankee

2010-03-08T19:11:00.002-05:00

Can a week go by without something happening that involves Vermont Yankee?

Not this week, at least.

Wednesday afternoon, the Public Service Board will hold a hearing on whether Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee should cease operating the nuclear plant until it finds and fixes the tritium leak.

The hearing will also consider whether there is cause to revoke the plant’s certificate of public good and whether the company should be penalized for the radioactive leaks.

Meanwhile, down at the plant, a "remotely operated vehicle" continues its probe of a tunnel and drainpipes that have been found to leak.

According to Monday’s dispatch from Entergy, "The inspection will allow engineers to determine the source for the small amount of leakage remaining internal to the tunnel and develop additional remediation steps that can be taken to completely eliminate the leak. As previously reported, water coming from the pipe is not reaching the environment. The water is being collected in a sump for processing through plant systems as designed."

Does it help Yankee's case before the board that there's been progress in identifying the cause of the leak?

— Nancy Remsen

Britton calling

2010-03-03T10:09:00.004-05:00

I apparently got the same call yesterday that Jon Margolis did. One of those long pauses when you answer the phone that tells you either nobody is on the other end or a telemarketer-type is. This pause was longer than usual, I'd say, and I would guess most people would hang up in the meantime, but I hung around for curiosity. I doubt the average person would have that much curiosity.

The recorded voice asked me to press one if I had a favorable opinion about Sen. Patrick Leahy, 2 if I had an unfavorable opinion. There was no third choice.

Next question: Would you vote for Patrick Leahy regardless of who ran against him? Really pushing for how many people would vote for Leahy no matter what. As Margolis suggests, perhaps so that opponent Len Britton can show supporters there are indeed people who might vote against Leahy.

Then: Did I have a favorable, unfavorable or no impression about Len Britton? This time, recipients were allowed to have no opinion.

The voice then declared the poll was paid for by Len Britton's campaign, the Republican running against Leahy.

- Terri Hallenbeck

The pilot and politician

2010-03-02T11:32:00.003-05:00

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Web site has an article on Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, the pilot and politician. You can read it HERE.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Politics and the VY vote

2010-03-01T15:11:00.002-05:00

When this legislative session started in January, we knew the fact that the Senate contained four people running for governor and one for lieutenant governor would make for some interesting political theater. Last Wednesday might just have been the command performance.

The Senate’s vote on the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant was oozing with political undertones.

Scene 1:

Sen. Phil Scott, R-Washington, (candidate for lieutenant governor), started things off by questioning the Senate Rules Committee vote to allow the Yankee bill to reach the floor without ever meeting in person. Standing almost directly behind Scott in the audience was Mark Snelling (fellow Republican candidate for lieutenant governor).

Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham,(candidate for governor) polled the committee members and declared the approval unanimous. He claimed it was a common practice.

Under questioning from Scott, Sen. Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland, said he didn’t believe he gave his approval.

A recess was called so the senators could sort this out, at which Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, (candidate for governor) said, “We’ve got a problem.”

To which Shumlin responded, “You’re creating a problem.”

Back on the floor, Scott called it a “flawed process.”

Shumlin accused Scott waiting to raise the issue in public when news cameras were rolling.

Then Mullin backed down, suggesting he and Shumlin had misunderstood each other and that he would never vote by informal polling again.

“I don’t want anyone to think my colleague from Windham was trying to pull a fast one,” Mullin said, referring to Shumlin. That pretty much left Scott hanging out alone.

Scott would continue challenging the Yankee bill. In the end, he was one of four senators to vote in support of the plant, calling the vote “a blatant political maneuver.”

Afterward, Scott said, referring to his own moves, “It may be political suicide.”

His support of Vermont Yankee might help him in the Republican primary, but then there’s the general election.

Scene II:

Shumlin, meanwhile, had a more subtle clash with Sen. Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, (fellow candidate for governor).

A few days before the vote, Bartlett issued a statement saying that though she was against Vermont Yankee operation after 2012, Shumlin’s timing on the vote was “more political theater than making good public policy.”

Shumlin slapped back, telling Vermont Public Radio the next day, “I understand that politicians don't always want to go on record taking courageous positions but it's time to move ahead."

A couple days later on the Senate floor, Bartlett had her response, "This vote is not an act of courage. Education reform was an act of courage. Civil unions was an act of courage. Equal marriage was an act of courage. This is a no-brainer."

Scene III:

Dubie, who presides over the Senate but doesn’t vote except to break a tie and doesn’t engage in the debate, had plenty to say when we asked him afterward, most of it directed at Shumlin:
- The Senate had not considered all the implications of the vote, should not have voted now, and if he had had a vote it would have been in support of the plant, he said.
- He noted that the Senate Finance Committee, which sent the bill to the Senate, is all Democrats, by virtue of appointments Shumlin made. “There’s not a contrarion view on the Finance Committee,” he said.

- Terri Hallenbeck

VY at TMD

2010-03-01T15:09:00.001-05:00

At least 14 towns are slated to weigh in on Vermont Yankee’s future at town meeting this year. Organizers of the anti-Yankee advisory resolution sought out towns that did not vote on the issue last year.

This year, resolutions are on the ballot in Sharon, Thetford, Cabot, Danville, Peacham, Bristol, Jamaica, Winooski, Moretown, Huntington, Montgomery, Cambridge, Waitsfield, and Brookfield. Residents in other towns could bring it up under other business from the floor.

In Woodstock on Saturday, a resolution to support the Senate’s vote last week came up on the floor and passed 20-11.

- Terri Hallenbeck

VY at PSB

2010-03-01T15:06:00.003-05:00

Word came out Friday about the Public Service Board's decision to hear the case for whether Vermont Yankee should be shut down until the leaking tritium is stopped. The board will hold an initial hearing at 1:30 p.m. March 10.

How common is it for a state regulator to ponder a nuclear shutdown? Not so common. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan said he knows of no other similar entity in another state that has opened a case to consider closing a nuclear plant down.

Does the board have the authority to shut the plant down? In its order issued last week, the board asserted it does when it comes to economic and nonradiological-health-and-safety consequences.

"It appears indisputable that the leaksmay result in increased site contamination that could substantially increase decommissioning costs. Increased site contamination could also delay completion of the decommissioning process, which in turn could affect the future economic use of the site," the board said.

"Whether the board could order the shut down of Vermont Yankee in response to these concerns, or in response to environmental damage associated with the leaks, is less clear, and requires more extensive legal briefing by the parties. Even if we were ultimately to conclude that we were preempted from closing down the plant, however, there may be other non-preempted actions we could take to ameliorate economic and land-use impacts of the leaks."

- Terri Hallenbeck

Doyle poll

2010-03-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

Sen. Bill Doyle’s annual Town Meeting Day poll is back with a list of timely questions for the masses.

Some of the topics he hits: Vermont Yankee’s continued operation, driving with cell phones, driving while texting, health insurance, broadband access, whether non-violent offenders should be jailed, how President Barack Obama is doing and whether the University of Vermont ought to bring back baseball and softball.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Push for health care

2010-03-01T15:04:00.001-05:00

The University of Vermont faculty union, United Academics, is hosting a forum on single-payer health care, 7-8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Memorial Lounge, Waterman Building,UVM. Their goal, they say, is to goose proposed legislation on the issue in Montpelier.

- Terri Hallenbeck

D.C. doings

2010-03-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

Rep. Peter Welch on Monday called for new campaign finance legislation in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision.

Welch called for a constitutional amendment to clarify Congress’ authority to limit corporate campaign contributions. He also said he supports legislation to ban foreign companies, government contractors and recipients of the Troubled Asset Relief Program from spending money on elections; require company executives and top donors to appear in campaign ads; ban groups’ coordination with a candidate within 90 days of a primary election for House and Senate races and 120 days for a presidential race.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Markowitz, Dubie events March 9

2010-02-25T12:06:00.005-05:00

Let me revise a previous posting. Things went down like this:

An e-mail arrived today from "Host Committee, DebforVermont" announcing a "Campaign Kick Off Party" for Deb Markowitz, Democratic candidate for governor. It would be held at 6 p.m. March 9 at Coffee Enterprises in Burlington. Recipients of the e-mail were being asked to save the date. A long list of names was given as hosts of the party. Prices were listed in coffee terms from $100 for "tall cup" up to $1,000 for host.

I posted a blog item about this and noted it was at the exact same time as an event Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie was holding for his 51st birthday for a donation of $51 per person. (An e-mail about that had arrived earlier in the week and I hadn't gotten around to noting it, so this seemed like an opportune time.)

This prompted an e-mail from the Vermont Republican Party criticizing Markowitz for charging for her campaign kickoff event, contending that this put her out of touch with ordinary Vermonters and saying that Dubie's eventual kickoff would be free.

Which prompted an e-mail from Markowitz campaign manager Paul Tencher to me saying I had misunderstood - the Coffee Enterprises event was actually just the end of a two-day campaign kickoff jobs tour for which details would be released next week (it will be in Barre and it's free), though no mention of that was made in the original e-mail (and my chances of guessing that were pretty small).

He followed that with a release criticizing the Vermont Republican Party for an "early political attack."

Phew, it's exhausting.

- Terri Hallenbeck

VY vote from the nation

2010-02-25T10:09:00.001-05:00

The New York Times takes a national view of the Vermont Senate's vote yesterday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/us/25nuke.html

Catch VY vote online

2010-02-22T18:42:00.002-05:00

Because we're always looking out for you, The Burlington Free Press will carry live coverage of the Senate’s vote on Vermont Yankee’s future Wednesday at www.burlingtonfreepress.com.

The debate is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.

That's legislative time, so be flexible.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Gov. Douglas and the D.C. scene

2010-02-22T18:37:00.002-05:00

Gov. Jim Douglas spent a busy weekend on the national political stage in Washington, D.C., running the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.

As NGA chairman, he had the job of delivering the bad news about the states’ fiscal health.

“The worst probably is yet to come,“ Douglas warned at the opening session Saturday.

Sunday morning found Douglas, a Republican, and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, on a talk show — CNN’s “State of the Union” with Candy Crowley for a chat about political gridlock and health care.

Unlike Congress, governors know how to get things done, the pair of governors suggested.

“Ultimately something has to happen. The work has to be done. The streets have to be plowed or the budget has to be balanced,” Douglas said. He noted that regardless of political affiliation, “in the National Governors Association, we have a much more collegial relationship. We talk with each other, we learn from each other, Deval and I hosted a health care forum last spring at the request of the president.”

Back in Vermont, Douglas has been part of a few political power struggles over the years that didn’t end up all that friendly. Think back to last spring, for example, and the budget battle that ended in a gubernatorial veto and a legislative override.

Crowley also quizzed Douglas and Patrick about the kind of health care reform governors wanted.

“We would like to have a better partner in Washington because we have a shared responsibility, but meanwhile governors are going to keep moving forward to try to insure the people of our states,” Douglas replied.

“Other than to fund Medicaid, though, would you rather they stay out of the way?” Crowley pressed.

DOUGLAS: Well, I think we have to work together. But remember what the real problem is, and that’s the cost of health care that keeps rising at rates that are multiples of inflation year after year after year. And I think there has been too much...

PATRICK: Whether you have a universal program or not.

DOUGLAS: Exactly.

PATRICK: That’s happening everywhere.

DOUGLAS: That’s the point, because it doesn’t matter whether it’s a publicly funded program or private health insurance companies, if we don’t get cost under control, we are going to be broke either way. So we need to reform the way we deliver care. We need to reform the payment system to incent quality care and good outcomes and get those costs under control.

Pretty good tag team.

At the end of the show, Crowley noted Douglas would retire at the end of this term.

“Governor Douglas of Vermont, have a happy retirement, but I imagine we’ll see you.”

DOUGLAS: Oh, no, no, no. I’ll find something else to do. .... It won’t be in Washington.”

Douglas’ relationship with President Barack Obama was on display Sunday night when governors and spouses donned tuxedoes and gowns for dinner at the White House.

Before the four-course dinner — which included French onion soup, rib-eye roast of beef and shrimp scampi, and baked Alaska — Obama thanked the governors for helping to “right the ship” of state during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

“This White House wants to continue to partner with you,” Obama said.

He raised his glass — water, rather than the Virginia, California or Michigan wines being served at the dinner. “So, cheers, everybody. Dinner is served. Oh, wait, wait, wait.”

Obama noticed Douglas heading to the front of the room. “This is not the waiter, although he can read the menu. Jim Douglas has been an extraordinary partner with this White House — always constructive, always thoughtful, and we are so pleased to have him here tonight.”

“Mr. President, I thought you might explain that I’m not the entertainment, either.”

Douglas offered his own toast — also with water.

— Nancy Remsen

Bartlett v. Shumlin

2010-02-22T18:36:00.002-05:00

When Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin announced last week that the Senate would vote this week on the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, it caught some senators by surprise. One could argue it shouldn’t have — he’s been telling the media for weeks that he foresees a vote this session and the session is motoring to its mid-point.

Nonetheless, Shumlin’s fellow Democratic gubernatorial candidate Susan Bartlett said he hadn’t clued her and others in on the vote, just as he hadn’t told them before announcing earlier this session that legislators would be taking a pay cut.

Bartlett’s irritation doesn’t seem to have abated over the weekend. She put out a statement Sunday night, calling this week’s vote “more political theater than making good public policy.”

She said she agrees that Vermont Yankee should not be relicensed, but thinks the time is not right for a vote, with several reports on Vermont Yankee pending.

“If we had followed the process we had in place, I believe that by the end of the session we would have voted as an entire legislature to close Yankee. That would have ended the discussion,” Bartlett said in her statement.

“I am on record as wanting to close Vermont Yankee in 2012. Their behavior in the past few months has only confirmed my opinion. This isn’t about my vote, it’s about doing the job right.”

She was careful not to mention Shumlin’s name anywhere in the statement. The candidates have, after all, agreed not to attack each other.

Bartlett will likely have a chance to vote on delaying the VY decision. Sen. Phil Scott, himself a candidate for lieutenant governor, said Monday he will introduce an amendment to send the bill to the Appropriations or Economic Development committee to study the economic ramifications of closing Vermont Yankee.

Will his amendment pass?

“I don’t know if I have enough support,” Scott said. “We’ll see.”

Senate Majority Leader John Campbell said he doesn’t think Scott has the votes.

Scott also said he doesn’t think he could vote to keep Vermont Yankee running for another 20 years based on current circumstances.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Paid sick leave?

2010-02-22T18:32:00.002-05:00

When the five Democratic gubernatorial candidates met last Thursday for a forum before the Vermont Grocers and Retail associations, moderator Chris Graff laid out the landscape this way: The typical person in the audience is Republican or independent, has voted for retiring Republican Gov. Douglas at least once, and feels worse off economically than the year before.

With that said, one of the questions Graff posed to the candidates was whether they support a bill that would mandate paid sick leave, an issue that would surely be of concern for this crowd of store owners.

Secretary of State Deb Markowitz answered first and said she would “be inclined to support additional protections for families.”

Sen. Doug Racine said, “Vermonters who are working ought to have sick leave,” but added, “The question is is this practical.”

Former Sen. Matt Dunne said he would have to look more closely at the problem and base the solution on that.

When it came to be Sen. Susan Bartlett’s turn to speak, she said, “I don’t believe this is the appropriate time to ask you to pay for more.” That drew hearty applause from the crowd.

The last candidate to speak, Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, said simply, “I agree” and sat down.

— Terri Hallenbeck

Is health reform made for TV?

2010-02-22T18:30:00.006-05:00

The White House will offer live-streaming of Thursday’s health care forum — an event that will either produce frustrating political drama or a miraculous bi-partisan compromise. C-Span also is scheduled to broadcast the event. Go here around 10 a.m. for the "show."

Members of Vermont Interfaith Action have already planned a group lunch so they can watch this “day of reckoning for health care reform” over pizza.

The group, which represents a broad spectrum of religious congregations, has worked on health care reform locally and nationally for several years. I picture this lunch a bit like Monday night football with a group of friends cheering their favorite team – but probably without the brew.

— Nancy Remsen

Chicken-dinner circuit

2010-02-22T18:30:00.004-05:00

Here’s a sign of the hardships of the campaign trail. At Thursday’s luncheon with the grocers and retailers, candidates Peter Shumlin and Matt Dunne ended up at the same table at the back of the room. It happened to be the last table served when it came time to passing out plates of what might have been turkey or chicken.

Shumlin and Dunne had each just taken a bite when they were called to the front of the room for the candidates’ forum. They both looked longingly back at their plates as they left the table.

— Terri Hallenbeck

Kunin's 25th

2010-02-22T18:28:00.000-05:00

The University of Vermont will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of Madeleine Kunin, the state’s first female governor, with an all-day symposium March 2titled “What is the Role of Government? Then and Now.”

A variety of panel discussions and speeches mark the day. Kunin is scheduled to speak at 3:30 p.m. on “What Difference Do Women in Leadership Make?”

Kunin served as governor from 1985 to 1991. For a full list of events and panelists visit http://www.uvm.edu/~crvt/KuninSymposium.html or call 656-4389.

— Terri Hallenbeck

If there were a veto vote

2010-02-18T08:45:00.002-05:00

So the House is poised to pass the bill changing the date for the primary election.

The Senate can be expected to go along with the changes the House made to the bill.

Then it goes to Gov. Jim Douglas, who has made no secret of his opposition to moving the primary to late August. A veto seems likely. What would be gained by letting the bill become law without his signature?

The veto would call into question the strength of the support for moving the primary date underneath the House vote of 139-6. The 50 votes in the House on an amendment proposing the state go for a waiver and introduce electronic voting, even though the Secretary of State's election office would have to scramble to put that in place, suggests Democratic leaders might struggle to win an override.

So do we mark our calendars in pen for an August primary, or use ink to for September? Oh, right, many of you use electronic calendars, so the inking a date is about as modern as mailing ballots to people so they can mark them with Xs.

-- Nancy Remsen

Poll: Dubie leads all but Markowitz

2010-02-17T17:44:00.003-05:00

Vermont political geeks can delight over poll results from WCAX to mull over for the governor's race.

The poll was good news for Democrat Deb Markowitz and Republican Brian Dubie.

It indicated Markowitz is the only one of the five Democratic candidates leading against Dubie. She had a 43-41 percent edge, with 16 percent undecided.

Dubie led Sen. Doug Racine of Richmond, 43-38 percent, with 19 percent undecided.

Dubie led Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin of Putney, 45-35 percent, with 20 percent undecided.

Dubie led former Sen. Matt Dunne of Hartland, 44-36 percent, with 20 percent undecided.

Dubie led Sen. Susan Bartlett of Hyde Park, 48-30 percent, with 22 percent undecided.
To view the poll, conducted by Research 2000 from a sampling of 400 likely Vermont voters, visit www.wcax.com.

To read former AP bureau chief Chris Graff's analysis, visit http://www.vermontbiz.com/news/february/dubie-markowitz-favored-early-poll-vermont-governor.

VY:The bill and the investigation

2010-02-17T16:18:00.005-05:00

The Senate Finance Committee today revealed the bill they'll be working with on Vermont Yankee's future.

The gist:

The general assembly determines that continued operation of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station for 20 years following its currently scheduled closing date of March 21, 2012 will promote the general welfare of the state.

The general assembly finds that storage of spent nuclear fuel derived from the operation of the VYNPS for 20 years following its currently scheduled closing date of March 21, 2012 will promote the general welfare of the state.

The general assembly approves until March 21, 2032 the continued operation of the VYNPS and the storage of spent nuclear fuel derived from the operation of the VYNPS, provided the VYBPS obtains from the public service board and any other agencies such certificates, permits and approvals related to the continued operation of the VYNPS and storage of spent fuel at the VYNPS as are required by law.

Also Wednesday, Attorney General Bill Sorrell delivered a letter to the legislative leaders and governor saying he's embarked on an investigation of information Vermont Yankee provided to the state.

He said VY owner Entergy Corp. has promised to "cooperate fully," sharing its own investigation with him and indicating it will waive its attorney/client privelege on correspondences regarding the Public Service Board.

He said Entergy has promised it hasn't and won't destroy documents.

He told them it could take months to draw any real conclusions.

If you haven't seen Free Press photographer Glenn Russell's video of the VY plant, do so immediately HERE.

- Terri Hallenbeck

NRC on VY

2010-02-17T15:58:00.002-05:00

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko spoke today at a conferene and included these remarks about the tritium leak at Vermont Yankee at the end of a more general speech:

Before I close my remarks, I would like to make one last point. For all the attention thatnew reactor issues receive, the NRC must always stay focused on ensuring that the existing fleet continues to operate in a safe, secure, and environmentally sensitive manner. That is our core mission, and I assure you that the agency has not lost sight of that. I’ll share one example of our
steady focus. It concerns an issue that has drawn a good bit of attention lately—leaking pipes and tritium. There is some concern as to whether tritium from the Vermont Yankee plant has leaked into the Connecticut River. Elected officials in that region have expressed considerable and very understandable concern, and not just about Vermont Yankee.

The headlines have not been pretty. As a scientist, I know the relative risk of tritium. In the grand scheme of radiation, it is well down the scale, but in the area of public perception, it takes on greater significance. People are asking legitimate questions— what’s leaking, where’s it leaking, how much is leaking, and—most importantly—what’s being done to deal with the problem? The NRC always inspects licensees who have such leaks and in each case makes certain that licensees are taking the appropriate steps to find the source, and to protect the public
and the environment. Inspections are ongoing at Vermont Yankee—once the source is identified, it will be fixed promptly and correctly. The situation was in many respects the same at the Oyster Creek plant in New Jersey last year. That episode told us a great deal about how buried pipe behaves over the years and the importance of ensuring that the right piping is installed in the first place. That situation is being dealt with as well.

We always have to ask ourselves at every turn whether we can we do more. That’s why
the agency is participating in a buried piping task force to evaluate the need for specific corrosion protection standards that could be implemented at nuclear power plant facilities. That’s why, last fall, I asked the agency staff to take a look at our general approach for inspecting and dealing with aging pipes. While we feel that the program we now have in place is sound, I personally think that more can be done.

Following reports of leaks at a few plants, the NRC created a special task force in 2006 to conduct a lessons-learned review of these incidents. The task force made more than two dozen recommendations—a great many of those have been incorporated in the guidance we provide to plants. While there are NRC requirements for documenting releases into the groundwater and relied on licensees to adhere to certain measures as best practice. Guidance is one thing. A regulatory requirement is another. Therefore, I intend to ask the staff to relook at the 2006 lessons learned recommendations and determine whether any changes in this area might be
advisable. I look at it this way: From time to time building codes are amended as civil engineers see areas that can be improved. This may be the time to take that step in the nuclear field.

And, because we want the public to fully understand all aspects of the tritium issue, the staff is exploring, at my request, conducting forums to discuss the tritium issue and to hear from the public on their thoughts. More specific information will be made available as soon as possible.

Be assured that on this issue and all others, the NRC will continue striving to be a strong, effective regulator. As Chairman, I will do my best to ensure that the NRC acts firmly and decisively and conducts itself openly and transparently in fulfilling our core mission and preparing for new issues and challenges. Again, thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you today.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Douglas busy with his other gig this weekend

2010-02-15T17:34:00.000-05:00

Gov. Jim Douglas presides this weekend over the winter meeting of the National Governor’s Association. He’s chairman.

The meeting opens Saturday with a discussion of health care reform. Later in the day premiers from Canadian provinces join the governors for a session entitled “Common Border, Common Ground.”

Sunday night, governors and spouses dress up for dinner at the White House. The governors return for talks with President Obama and his cabinet Monday morning. The event wraps up Monday afternoon.

— Nancy Remsen

Dubie's Web site

2010-02-15T17:29:00.001-05:00

Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie now has an updated Web site

One of the current features is a poll in which he asks, “Should the next governor grow state government?”

The options respondents can choose between aren’t exactly neutral. Traditionally choices are listed with the affirmative first, but in this poll, the first choice is “No, time for government to make tough decisions.” The second choice is “Yes, let’s grow government and increase spending.”

— Nancy Remsen

A VY vote?

2010-02-15T17:24:00.000-05:00

Nothing has happened regarding Vermont Yankee in recent weeks to improve the nuclear power plant’s chances of winning legislators’ support for its continued operation after March 2012.

If anything, more lawmakers are becoming more comfortable with the idea of voting against letting the Public Service Board decide on continued operation.

“If the vote was today, I’d vote against it,” Rep. Joe Krawczyk, R-Bennington, vice chairman of the House Natural Resources & Energy Committee, said Thursday.

Don’t be surprised if there is a vote by the end of the month, before the Legislature breaks for Town Meeting.

— Terri Hallenbeck

IRV on the line

2010-02-15T17:23:00.001-05:00

Instant runoff voting faces a test of Burlington voters at town meeting March 2. Voters can rev up for the vote by tuning into a debate on the issue at 7 p.m. Thursday at Burlington City Hall’s Contois Auditorium.

City voters will decide whether this method of voting that requires the winner to receive more than 50 percent of the vote and creates an instant runoff by having voters rank their choices and counting second, third, etc. choices until one candidate blips over the 50 percent mark.

Burlington has employed the method for the last two mayoral elections. Given the sizzle over Burlington Telecom’s financing and given that Mayor Bob Kiss won election to two terms with IRV in place, will the town meeting vote be a referendum and on Mayor Bob Kiss’ tenure?

— Terri Hallenbeck

More gubernatorial forums

2010-02-15T17:21:00.003-05:00

Vermont grocers get a chance to hear the five Democratic gubernatorial candidates Thursday at the Capital Plaza in Montpelier – assuming all five are free for lunch.

On Feb. 24, the Democratic quintet — Sen. Peter Shumlin, Sen. Doug Racine, Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, former Sen. Matt Dunne and Sen. Susan Bartlett — have confirmed participation in a Vermont League of Cities and Towns’ “lightening round” forum.

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, the only announced Republican gubernatorial candidate, was also invited, but he is declining to appear in these early candidate forums.

The Orleans Progressive Party has invited the Democratic candidates for a forum in Newport on Feb. 27, but this event doesn’t offer as much visibility as the Burlington Mardi Gras parade. Some candidates show the parade, not the forum on their schedules.

— Nancy Remsen

The politics of abortion

2010-02-15T17:20:00.001-05:00

Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington, announced last week that his Senate Judiciary Committee would not consider legislation addressing crimes against fetuses this year.

The topic came up after an August car crash in which a Bennington woman lost twin six-month fetuses and the discovery that the other driver could not be charged in connection with the loss of the fetuses. Two bills were proposed in response.

As a sign of just how sensitive this issue is, Sears took the unusual step of explaining his decision in a three-page written statement.

He said there was “a great deal of pressure” from several constituents, the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood not to take up any of the proposed legislation. At the same time, he said rhetoric from anti-abortion advocates “has, in my view, made any reasonable attempt at compromise more difficult, if not impossible.”

Sears concluded that a thoughtful conversation on the issue is not possible at this time. “I have little choice but to stop further consideration of both bills by the Senate Judiciary Committee,” he wrote.

Credit Sears with explaining himself. Around the Statehouse, this issue is more radioactive than Vermont Yankee.

Patricia Blair, the mother of the twin fetuses, was in the building lobbying for a bill a couple weeks ago. She said she had a meeting scheduled with Sears, but hadn’t met House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bill Lippert, D-Hinesburg. Somehow, even though the bill she supports has 55 legislative sponsors, none of them had managed to help her stop Lippert in the halls of the Statehouse.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Shap Smith told the Bennington Banner that the House committee’s agenda had been set in November, so it could not fit in this new, complicated issue. What he really means is the majority in the House doesn’t want to take up the bill because agendas have been known to change. Otherwise, no committees would be taking testimony on the tritium leak at Vermont Yankee, which wasn’t revealed until January.

— Terri Hallenbeck

Under the radar race

2010-02-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

Four House members are vying for two seats on the Vermont State College board of trustees.

The House and Senate meet Thursday to choose. The “campaign” is short – candidates had to file with the Secretary of State last week. And most of the campaigning takes place out of the spotlight, until the speeches of support get made Thursday morning.

The candidates include Rep. Bill Aswad, D-Burlington, seeking re-election to a second, four-year term on the board. Also running are Democrats Rep. Michel Consejo of Sheldon, Rep. Tim Jerman of Essex Junction and Rep. Jim Masland of Thetford.

— Nancy Remsen

Drawing tax lines

2010-02-15T17:17:00.002-05:00

When the Senate Economic Development Committee voted out a bill last week that outlines spending of $8.6 million in federal stimulus money on various economic development measures, it included a repeal of last year’s changes to the estate tax.

Changing the estate tax is and will continue to be controversial in the Legislature. That piece eked its way into the bill by a 3-2 vote. Sen. Doug Racine, D-Chittenden, was among those who voted for it, putting him in line with his nemesis, outgoing Republican Gov. Jim Douglas, and at odds with at least one of his fellow Democratic candidates for governor.

This is the same Doug Racine who in his campaign for governor is arguing that the state should raise income taxes temporarily to help fill the budget gap that the recession brought on. He said he believes the estate tax was hastily changed last legislative session (lowering the size of the estate from $3.5 million to $2 million for taxes to kick in). He said he objected then and favors repealing the change this year.

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, is not keen on erasing the changes, saying that with a $150 million budget gap, the state can’t afford to lose the revenue. Changing the estate tax would cost an estimated $3 million.

What’s not in that same bill is a repeal of the capital gains tax that Douglas wanted. Committee Chairman Vince Illuzzi, R-Essex/Orleans, said he couldn’t find a way to replace the $25 million it brings in. He’s counting on an improved economy to make up the $3 million from the estate tax.

— Terri Hallenbeck

Vermont's answer to the U.S. Supreme Court

2010-02-15T17:12:00.001-05:00

Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, wants the Vermont Legislature to respond to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that declares there are no limits on campaign spending by corporations and unions as long as they aren’t coordinating their efforts with candidates.

“This latest Supreme Court decision is one of the worst decisions for election and democracy in the history of the court,” Shumlin said. “The question is, what can Vermont do to mitigate as much as possible the buying of elections by corporations.”

Shumlin, Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, and Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, have a bill in the works that would give the public real-time information about organizations, corporations and unions that spend money on campaign ads. The Senate Judiciary Committee began working on the bill last week and takes it up again Thursday.

The early draft proposes to increase penalties for campaign finance violations and set requirements to help the public identify who is paying for independent campaign communications.

The sponsors also want the state to set up a Web site where the public could review the disclosure information the bill would require.

Sears, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said he’s trying to make sure the bill is as lawsuit-proof as possible. Campaign finance legislation has a tendency to end up in court.

The Judiciary Committee worked on a draft last week with advice from Cheryl Hanna, Vermont law school professor with expertise in constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hanna noted that the draft proposed raising the fine for campaign violations from $1,000 to $100,000 and the jail time from six months to five years. “Do any other states have penalties that are so high?”

Penalties or other provisions that are extreme could draw unwanted court attention, Hanna suggested. She noted other potential pitfalls in the first draft — giving corporations or union just 12 hours to notify candidates when expenditures of more than $200 are made.

“An argument could be made that $200 is too low,” Hanna said. “And 24 hours seems to be the standard of the day,” she said of notification requirements.

The bill proposed that independently financed radio ads would need to identify who paid for them every five seconds.

“I suspect the court would look skeptically on the requirement of every five seconds,” Hanna said.

“So would the listeners,” said Sen. Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland.

After the Senate Judiciary Committee vets the bill, Senate Government Operations gets it. Shumlin said he wants a full Senate vote by March 12.

— Nancy Remsen

From the Britton campaign

2010-02-08T18:41:00.002-05:00

Len Britton, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Patrick Leahy, is making the rounds. He just wrapped up a tour of town hall-style meetings around the state and now has some county committee meetings and skiing on the agenda.

He’s scheduled to speak at the Chittenden County Republican meeting at the Williston Fire House at 7 Tuesday night. Friday night, he’ll do the same with the Franklin County Republican Committee at the Franklin Homestead.

In between, he’ll hold an event that might become the envy of other politicians — A Day at the Slopes with Len Britton" at Killington. It’s apparently a fundraiser – the $250 price tag includes lift ticket.

- Terri Hallenbeck

From the Scott campaign

2010-02-08T18:40:00.002-05:00

Sen. Phil Scott, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, announced last week that his campaign’s finance chairman would be former KPMG executive Glen Wright.

Wright made a name for himself last year as the guy who came through on his threat to move his official residency to Florida because of Vermont taxes (you can read about it at http://www.vermonttiger.com/content/2009/05/farewell-.html.)

He still calls Vermont "our state," however. "As a longtime central Vermont businessman, Phil understand the needs of our state and has proven throughout his years in the Senate that he is willing to fight for those needs," Wright said in a news release.

- Terri Hallenbeck

From the Shumlin campaign

2010-02-08T18:38:00.002-05:00

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Shumlin has added to his campaign staff.

He announced Monday that Bryan Hageny will be his field director. Hageny has been deputy training director at Democracy for America for the last two years.

Arthur Berndt will serve as Shumlin’s finance chairman. Berndt and his wife, Anne, produce maple syrup at Maverick Farm in Sharon, maple syrup. Berndt served as finance co-chairman for Peter Welch in 2006 and was a member of the Dean’s List fundraising committee for Gov. Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Speaking of budget cuts

2010-02-08T18:37:00.001-05:00

More than 50 nonprofit organizations will be at the Statehouse on Thursday to meet with legislators and discuss the impact of budget cuts.

They’re scheduled to meet with the candidates for governor at 8:30 a.m. in the Cedar Creek Room and to meet with Gov. Jim Douglas at 2 p.m.

From noon-1 p.m. in Room 11, there will be a discussion of the future of Vermont’s nonprofits, moderated by businessman Bill Schubart and featuring panelists Stuart Comstock-Gaye of the Vermont Community Foundation, Tim Shea of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Bartlett and House Human Service Committee Chairwoman Ann Pugh.

For a list of the day’s activities, visit: http://www.cctv.org/news/vermont-nonprofits-go-montpelier-211.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Challenges indeed

2010-02-08T18:36:00.002-05:00

All the talk about Vermont Yankee this legislative session has taken the $150 million budget gap out of the limelight. The issue will start to peek out from behind the curtains this week.

"Challenges for Change," the method by which the Legislature and the Douglas administration propose to save $38 million through changes in the way government does business, makes its way to the Senate floor Tuesday morning.

The method essentially tells those who are providing the services to figure out how to achieve better outcomes with less money while providing them more leeway to make that happen.

Behind the scenes, plenty of people are scratching their heads over how this will work _ or whether it will work. The best selling point the plan has going for it is that quite of few prominent people have bought into it: legislative leaders, the governor and his under-study, the lieutenant governor, to name a few.

One of them is Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille. She’s one of five Democratic candidates for governor. She sent an e-mail to supporters Sunday talking up the Challenges for Change idea as a key to solving the state’s budget problems and an example of how she does business.

"I find this entire idea really exciting and am looking forward to working with folks over the session to further develop the ideas of developing more challenges for each agency,” Bartlett, the candidate, said.

At least she’s not in it alone.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Post-Yankee questions

2010-02-08T18:32:00.001-05:00

Vermont Yankee’s troubles with tritium and other issues have certainly raised the specter that the plant might not be give permission by the state to operate for another 20 years after March 2012.

Even if it’s not the Legislature or the Public Service Board that pulls the plug on the plant, Entergy Corp. Chief Executive Officer Wayne Leonard suggested last week the company might not be interested in keeping the plant. Leonard said last week during a corporate earnings conference call that Vermont Yankee "is simply not covering its cost of capital."

So then what would happen to that parcel of land alongside the Connecticut River in Vernon if Vermont Yankee opponents got their wish and the plant shut down in 2012? Last we knew, the company had 60 years to mothball the plant in a process called Safstor (CQ: No e’s) while letting the decommissioning fund accumulate interest. Plenty of people don’t feel good about leaving things hanging that long.

Twice, the governor has vetoed legislation that would make Vermont Yankee owner Entergy Corp. sock more money away for decommissioning the plant. This Legislature has had noted success in overriding other vetoes by the governor, but not this one.

A new bill has been introduced this year that would require a nuclear power plant to create two trust funds _ one to restore the site to greenfield status, the other to pay for long-term management of spent nuclear fuel.

One of its sponsors, Rep. Tony Klein, D-East Montpelier, said he doesn’t think the Legislature will pass the bill this year, declining to specify why, but he said he plans to bring it back next year.

"Safstor would be off the table, absolutely," Klein said. "It would set a date certain that greenfielding would have to occur by."

The state Public Service Department has opposed the Legislature’s decommissioning bills, but Commissioner David O’Brien has also said he’s not comfortable with Safstor.

Deputy Commissioner Steve Wark said the department hasn’t taken a stance on Klein’s new bill, but he said it "could be appropriate" for the state to zero in on setting requirements for greenfield status and managing spent fuel in the absence of a federal solution to that issue.

Vermont Yankee opponent Bob Stannard, a lobbyist for Citizens Action Network, has not lined up behind decommissioning legislation so far for fear that lawmakers would see it as assurance that the plant can continue to operate. Now he’s ready for such legislation. "Some sort of decommissioning bill has to pass the Legislature that says Entergy Corp. is responsible," Stannard said.

- Terri Hallenbeck

More picocuries

2010-02-04T15:59:00.003-05:00

One of the new monitoring wells at Vermont Yankee has a whole lot more picocuries of tritium than we've heard about in the other wells. This is how the company reported the news:

The continuing sampling of monitoring wells is helping the investigation team locate the source. The good news is that one newly installed well, located just to the east of the plant’s condensate water storage tank and some underground piping, appears to be closer to the source because its concentration is 774,825 picocuries per liter.

The well that was first identified with tritium is now at 36,261 picocuries per liter. However, a well about 75 feet to the south of that one that has been as high as 80,458 picocuries per liter, is now down to 69,392. Another recently installed well further south is at 1,940 picocuries per liter, up from a recent level of 1,800 Such variation is as expected with variations of groundwater flow.

The state Health Department's version was somewhat different:

"Vermont Yankee reported today that a new groundwater monitoring well, GZ-7, resulted in a sample with a tritium concentration of about 774,825 picocuries per liter (pCi/l).

GZ-7 is located near the station's condensate water storage tank, between the Advanced Off-Gas Building and the Reactor and Turbine Buildings. (MAP)

This is the highest concentration of tritium yet reported to date. These new findings may indicate the well is near a source of leakage. It may also narrow down the search area and systems to be searched. Groundwater contamination to this degree would be more likely to be from a system of high tritium radioactivity. This raises certain potential sources of the leak up in priority interest.

Vermont Yankee reports that, according to their tests, the other wells on site are still at, or near, previously reported levels of contamination. Specifically GZ-3, the original well found to be contaminated, is at about 36,000 pCi/l, GZ-4 is less than 2,000 pCi/l, and GZ-14 is about 70,000 pCi/l.

Vermont Yankee reports that as of the last verified analysis, all wells are not showing evidence of other radioactivity by gamma spectroscopy.

To date, all drinking water well tests are negative for elevated tritium. Vermont Yankee is now testing the drinking water well nearest the contaminated groundwater monitoring wells, the Construction Office Building well, every day."

- Terri Hallenbeck

Entergy's warm greeting at Statehouse

2010-02-04T11:08:00.003-05:00

There was physical evidence Wednesday that the Statehouse has become a hostile environment for Entergy Corp., owner of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.

The Senate Finance Committee was holding a meeting about Entergy's power price offer to the state's largest utilities. Marc Potkin, an Entergy Nuclear vice president for price marketing, was testifying.

The committee room was packed, as if often if for Vermont Yankee matters. This time, the crowd included an independent film producer who is working on a documentary, with a video camera on a tripod and a large boom mic hanging overhead.

Not long into Potkin's testimony, the film guy went to move a mic on the table in front of Potkin. In the process, he knocked Sen. Dick McCormack's coffee over and onto Potkin. It was not a highlight of hospitality in the Vermont Legislature, but Entergy these days isn't quite in a position to raise a stink. Potkin said the coffee wasn't hot.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Douglas, Obama talk energy

2010-02-02T16:48:00.004-05:00

Gov. Jim Douglas will meet Wednesday with the president and other governors about energy, from 2-3 p.m. at the White House.

Douglas often brings up the fact that President Barack Obama supports construction of new nuclear power plants. Will nuclear power, Vermont Yankee and the lack of a federal solution to nuclear waste come up?

- Terri Hallenbeck

Bernie's friends

2010-02-01T18:13:00.003-05:00

The political Web site politico reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders was among 12 senators schmoozing in Miami Beach with a whole bunch of national lobbyists. You can read about it HERE.

- Terri Hallenbeck

They remembered Rick Hube

2010-02-01T18:09:00.002-05:00

Estimates are that 600 people came to Stratton Mount School on Sunday to remember the late Rep. Rick Hube, R-South Londonderry, on what would have been his 63rd birthday. He died unexpectedly just before Christmas.

Friends assembled a book of memories and photos full of stories about Hube inviting friends into his house to wait out a snow squall, mentoring a young man curious about politics, skiing, sailing — and carrying out endless pranks.

Frank Cioffi, president of the Greater Burlington Industrial Corp. and fellow University of Vermont trustee, recounted phone pranks — Hube dialing Cioffi’s phone so it went off while he was in a meeting or leaving call-back numbers that turned out to be Hooters in Indiana or court diversion in Rutland.

“Throughout the years he made me laugh so hard at times that my side hurt,” Cioffi wrote, but added, “Please don’t think that because he was funny, that he wasn’t serious about important issues. He was.”

Numerous contributors noted how Hube put his mark on legislative discussions about school finance, taxes and redistricting during his decade in the House.

“The great thing about Rick,” wrote childhood friend Rod Morgan, “the memories and the stories are always good ones.”

- Nancy Remsen

Fish or cut bait?

2010-02-01T18:05:00.002-05:00

Rep. Christopher Bray, D-New Haven, announces today his decision about joining two other Democrats and two Republicans already running for lieutenant governor.

Bray said he began exploring a run for lieutenant governor in November. He will make public his decision at 11 a.m. in the Cedar Creek Room at the Statehouse.

Who is already in? Sen. Phil Scott, R-Washington, Republican Mark Snelling, Democrat Tim Palmer and Rep. Steve Howard, D-Rutland.

- Nancy Remsen

Advantage incumbents

2010-02-01T17:52:00.004-05:00

The three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation all raised money for re-election during the last quarter of 2009, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who faces a primary challenge from Daniel Freilich of Wilmington and a general election challenge from Republican Len Britton of Taftsville, raised $350,419 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. That’s oodles more than his challengers. Candidates have to report to the Federal Election Commission when they have raised or spent $5,000.

Freilich’s report shows $28,898 in contributions, with all the large contributions (greater than $200) from out-of-state supporters. He had five Vermont contributions, all $200 or less. Freilich spent $25,597 and reported $4,701 on hand.

Britton, who has said his campaign wouldn’t accept any special interest money, reported raising a net of $8,152 during the three-month period, listed $7,518 in expenditures and had $1,412 on hand.

Leahy reported receiving $289,308 from 1,984 individuals, many from outside Vermont and often in amounts ranging from $10 to $50. He had 30 contributions from political action committees for a total of $63,511.

Leahy spent a bundle — $180,464, but still has $2.74 million on hand for the primary and general election.

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., also comes up for re-election in the fall and has been fundraising in the event he faces a challenger. No one has stepped into the spotlight yet. He reported $209,077 in new contributions in the last quarter, with $77,000 from 52 political action committees and $132,198 from 510 individuals.

Welch spent $50,405 and has $794,904 on hand.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., doesn’t face re-election in the fall, but still raised $100,584 in the last quarter of 2009. He spent $26,317 and has $122,619 on hand.

— Nancy Remsen

Nuclear politics

2010-02-01T17:50:00.003-05:00

VY vote this year? Maybe

Once upon a time, the Legislature was balking at voting on Vermont Yankee’s future and the governor who was pushing for a vote. Now that tritium is leaking into groundwater at the plant from pipes that company officials said didn’t exist, things appear different.

Gov. Jim Douglas, a longtime supporter of the plant, for the first time last week said the Legislature should hold off on a vote.

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the Legislature to vote sooner rather than later, against the Vernon plant’s continued operation after 2012.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Dunne on Jan. 21 called for a vote. Fellow candidate Deb Markowitz chimed in last week. So did the Washington Electric Cooperative board.

House Natural Resources and Energy Committee Chairman Tony Klein, D-East Montpelier, said Monday he wants the state Public Service Board to turn Vermont Yankee owner Entergy Corp. down on its corporate restructuring plan and indicate it plans to turn the plant down on continued operation.

"If they don’t I believe the Legislature will take action before adjourning for the summer," Klein said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, said in December that the Senate might be ready to vote on Vermont Yankee this year, and it’s beginning to look like that could happen.

House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morristown, said legislators are awaiting a revised report from the public oversight panel on the plant’s reliability. The panel has re-formed to look at corrected information following Entergy’s admission last month that the plant does have underground pipes with radioactive material that it had previously denied.

That report is due back Feb. 16, though panel member Arnie Gundersen told Klein’s committee last week it might take longer.

Smith said he did think the Public Service Board has enough information to reject the corporate restructuring plan.

VY and the election

No matter what happens with a vote this year on Vermont Yankee, last week’s surprise announcement by Douglas that he wanted a timeout on decisions about Vermont Yankee drew a clearer-than-ever picture that the issue of the nuclear power plant’s future is going to be hanging still when a new governor takes office next January.

If you thought Vermont Yankee was a big election issue before, it just became even more so. It will be a new governor’s Public Service Department that will be advising the Public Service Board on such matters.

That has not escaped the notice of the candidates who hope to replace Douglas. As mentioned above, two of the Democratic candidates called for a decision against continued operation after 2012.

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, the Republican candidate, joined Douglas at his Yankee announcement last week. Dubie agreed with Douglas that a "timeout" was needed on Vermont Yankee decisions and focused most of his comments on concern for the 650 jobs at the plant.

"I am deeply concerned about the 650 people who work for Vermont Yankee; I am concerned about their jobs and their families; I am concerned about all the small businesses in the area that depend on VY and its employees. My cousin is an IBEW member who works at VY. I am concerned about his uncertain future.," Dubie said. "And I am extremely disappointed that VY management has compromised those jobs through repeated breaches of faith with the State of Vermont and its people."

There was strong speculation in the Statehouse that Douglas’ change in stance last week was at least partly about bringing Dubie over to the skeptical side of the issue as a growing number of Vermonters don’t like what’s going on at the plant.

Afterward in the next room, Shumlin, one of the Democratic candidates who hopes to replace Douglas, said that Douglas’ call for a change in management at Vermont Yankee won’t solve anything.

— Terri Hallenbeck

Note: For regular readers, we're now breaking up the Tuesday buzz into separate items rather than one long one.

The line to FairPoint

2010-01-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

MONTPELIER (AP) — Another official from the administration of Gov. Jim Douglas is going to work for the Vermont operations of FairPoint Communications.
Sabina Haskell is currently deputy secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
On Feb. 8 she will become FairPoint’s new director of public relations.
Last month FairPoint hired former Administration Secretary Mike Smith to be its new Vermont president.
Smith retired from state government in 2008.
Haskell will fill a position that was vacated by Beth Fastiggi who became FairPoint’s vice president of governmental relations in Vermont.

Welch's site hacked

2010-01-28T13:07:00.005-05:00

The Web site of Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., was one of several congressional Web site's hacked early this morning, according to the Huffington Post. The message included a swear word, so don't say you weren't warned if you want to go there and read about it.

Welch's site is now down for "site maintenance."

- Terri Hallenbeck

VY: Top place to work+

2010-01-28T12:45:00.002-05:00

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Business Magazine have released their list of top places in Vermont to work. On the list of large companies: Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, which this week has to be kind of a hard place to work. We won't know until March 29 where it ranks first through fifth among winners, but it's on the list.

- Terri Hallenbeck

What did you think of State of Union?

2010-01-27T22:23:00.004-05:00

What did you think of the president's State of the Union speech?

Did a freeze on federal spending scare those of you who voted for Barack Obama?

Did the Republicans among you buy his plea for setting aside the notion that "when I win, you lose"?

Other thoughts?

Do tell. (And yes, when I first posted this it said State of State - you just can't take the state out of me).

- Terri Hallenbeck

Botzow replaces Kitzmiller

2010-01-27T11:55:00.006-05:00

There is a new chairman in the House Commerce Committee as of today.

Rep. Warren Kitzmiller, D-Montpelier, steps down from the chair but stays on the committee.

Rep. Bill Botzow, D-Pownal, takes over as chair.

The official reason given is that Kitzmiller found the chairmanship too time-consuming.

- Terri Hallenbeck

The language of politics

2010-01-26T15:24:00.005-05:00

Last week, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Dunne called for the Douglas administration to issue an executive order shutting down Vermont Yankee in 2012. He also indicated the Legislature should vote to do that.

This week, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Markowitz called for an immediate vote up or down on Vermont Yankee's post-2012 future. She urged hem to take an "up-or-down vote," though the tone of her message seemed to indicate she meant she wanted it voted down.

Dunne didn't actually mention the Legislature in his release. He focused his attention on the governor's office, though he said, "We must clarify through vote or executive order that Vermont Yankee will be decommissioned in 2012." The Legislature is the entity that votes.

I took his sidestepping as an indication that he was avoiding direct criticism of his fellow Democratic gubernatorial opponents, three of whom are in the Legislature. They've agreed not to beat up on each other, after all.

Markowitz, in a newspaper opinion piece, said, "Our legislative leaders should vote now on the relicensing of Vermont Yankee." That would allow the state and the employees of VY to plan for the future, she said.

In an e-mail to supporters, she reworded the message to say that, "Montpelier needs an up-or-down vote now on the aging nuclear plant's future," without mentioning that Montpelier is the Legislature, one chamber of which is headed by one of her opponents who could call for a vote today but hasn't. She then encouraged her supporters to sign an online petition "so that our legislative leaders in Montpelier can see our names and hear our voices."

Which brings me to another thing I find odd about the Vermont Yankee issue and politicians. More than one has indicated that what's really worrisome about this issue is that it's been in the newspapers.

Here, for example, is what Rep. Peter Welch said in a statement two weeks ago:

“I am deeply disturbed by news reports indicating that Vermont Yankee failed to provide accurate information to the state and the public."

I think what he's disturbed about is that Vermont Yankee failed to provide accurate information, but he almost seems to be suggesting that it wouldn't be disturbing if the news reports hadn't gone blabbing it to everybody, but now that everybody knows about it he's got to act disturbed. I am glad to see, though, that news reports still matter.

- Terri Hallenbeck

The Tuesday buzz

2010-01-25T21:59:00.002-05:00

Legislators parry with gov on VY

House Speaker Shap Smith and Senate leader Peter Shumlin on Monday called on the Douglas administration to:

a) Withdraw its support for Vermont Yankee to be spun off from Entergy Corp. into a new company, Enexus, in light of the discovery of radioactive isotopes in water at the plant. Those discoveries will jack up the price of decommissioning, the legislators say, and make Enexus’ ability to cover those costs more difficult.

b) Institute a transparent, independent process by which Vermonters receive information about the tritium leak at Vermont Yankee. Smith and Shumlin said they learned of tritium found in a concrete trench at the plan "through an offhand comment by a state official a week after the administration was informed;" learned that there was also cobalt-60 in that trench from the media; and learned of a 2007 underground pipe inspection program through an anonymous source.

Gov. Jim Douglas indicated last week, however, that he has no plans to change direction on Enexus. The Department of Public Service concluded that Enexus offers the state more assurance than Entergy does.

Douglas also indicated that he doesn’t see the need — and perhaps sees harm — in revealing everything that’s discovered at Vermont Yankee because not all findings are relevant. The governor did have the Health Department start posting updates on Vermont Yankee, but the cobalt findings were not among the items mentioned.

Lite gov grace beefing up

The 2010 governor’s race won’t be the only one where the list of candidates is long enough to field a basketball team. One more Democrat says he’s definitely in the race for lieutenant governor; another says he’s seriously considering it.

Tim Palmer of Williston said he’s running, with an official announcement coming in early February. Palmer said he wants to use his grassroots advocacy experience (he ran Vermont CARES and the Community of Vermont Elders, worked for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility and is now a consultant) to make the office a non-political resource for making connections for businesses, nonprofits and communities. "I’m not a politician," he said.

Nonetheless, Palmer has run three times for state Senate in Chittenden County without success. So what makes him think he should try for a higher office instead? "It’s a different race," he said. "The lieutenant governor’s race gives more opportunity to engage on a one-on-one or one-on-two conversation about the future of the state," he said.

Rep. Chris Bray, D-New Haven, said he is thinking about a run for the office and will decide by Town Meeting Day. Bray is a two-term legislator who owns Common Ground Communications and helps run a horse farm at home.

"I see it as an opportunity to work year-round on important issues that are difficult to work on as a legislator," he said.

Palmer and Bray would join Rep. Steve Howard, D-Rutland, among Democrats seeking the seat. More say they are considering it.

Republicans who are in the race are Sen. Phil Scott, R-Washington, and businessman Mark Snelling of Starksboro. There will be no incumbent running for the seat this fall as four-term Republican Brian Dubie is running for governor.

olitics by poetry

Huck Gutman is taking a break from teaching literature at the University of Vermont to work as Sen. Bernie Sanders chief of staff in Washington, but he has not left the bards behind as he barters over bills. Gutman was featured last week in the Washington Post for his habit of sharing poetry with his Capitol Hill colleagues. He’s accumulated an e-mail list with some 1,500 recipients to whom he parses out poetry. Republicans, Democrats, his list knows no partisan boundaries.

"I need the poems," Gutman says in the article. "I need to be connected to a world other than Washington."

To see the article, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/18/AR2010011803526.html.

The meat man was there

With so many candidates in the governor’s race, it was interesting to see who would show up at Doug Racine’s campaign kickoff Saturday. Each candidate surely lays claim to his or her own set of political players.

Among those Racine has in his corner: former Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle, who shares with Racine the experience of losing to Douglas and said Racine will be stronger for it; Rep. Bill Lippert of Hinesburg, who said Racine supported same-sex marriage long before most others; and former Rep. George Cross of Winooski, who said he’s among those who pushed Racine to run.

A candidate is bound to collect people along the way who are outside the usual political grounds. Christina Melvin of Shelburne was in the Class of 1970 at Burlington High School with Racine. And Robert Root of Milton knows Racine from the Hannaford supermarket on Shelburne Road, where Racine sometimes shops (it’s not far from Racine’s Jeep dealership). Root is the assistant meat manager who happens to be interested enough in politics to have introduced himself to Racine and chat him up.

Youth movement

Last week, the House cast the Legislature’s last vote for a constitutional amendment that would allow Vermonters to vote in a primary election at age 17 if they will be 18 by the general election.

It passed 80-56 on Friday, not entirely along party lines — a few Republicans voted for it and a few Democrats voted against. The amendment passed the Senate last year 24-6. As is required for a constitutional amendment to move forward, both chambers also passed the item last biennium.

Next stop, the voters. It’ll be on your ballot in November.

Will court ruling change election?

Last week’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that corporations can spend all they want supporting or denouncing candidates for Congress sent tidal waves through the political world.

The decision governs races for U.S. House and U.S. Senate. In Vermont in 2010, Rep. Peter Welch and Sen. Patrick Leahy, both Democrats, are up for re-election this year. They and Sen. Bernie Sanders, criticized the ruling.

"It has thrown open the doors to a cash-driven, pay-to-play political system, virtually assuring that the voice of the American people will be drowned out," Welch said.

Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, a candidate for governor, said: "Get ready for an avalanche of political advertising that will cause more bitter partisan fights that further manipulate and divide our country. And the very real danger is that elected officials will be more and more beholden to the corporations who put them into office."

What voters might want to watch for is whether this generates any new signs of opposition to Welch and Leahy.

— Terri Hallenbeck

Politics by poetry

2010-01-23T11:45:00.004-05:00

A couple of eons ago, Huck Gutman taught me Chaucer and Milton and Shakespeare in a classroom at the University of Vermont. Now, it seems, he's teaching the stuff to senators and their staffers on Capital Hill.

The Washington Post did a story you can read HERE on Gutman, who's down there playing chief of staff for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. The professor has not left the bards behind as he barters over bills.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Gubernatorial candidates to meet

2010-01-22T18:10:00.004-05:00

The five Democratic gubernatorial candidates have a couple of meetings together coming up.

There's a brunch Sunday at Browns River Middle School in Jericho. It's organized by local Democratic types. You have to RSVP and pay money to benefit House Democrats for the food, but anyone can go to the 12:30 p.m. forum. Professor Bill Wilson of St. Michael's College will moderate.

Then on Monday night, at the University of Vermont, a forum sponsored by Castleton State College, St. Michael's College and UVM features the candidates talking about education.
Chris Graff, vice president for communications at National Life of Vermont and longtime former chief of the Vermont bureau of the Associated Press, will moderate.

The candidates will be asked: "What issues do you identify as most important in order to assure the quality of education for all Vermont students, and how would you address them?"

That's from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Silver Maple Ballroom in the Davis Center and is open to anyone.

- Terri Hallenbeck

What would Ethan say?

2010-01-21T18:10:00.002-05:00

That's the question that John McClaughry of the Ethan Allen Institute has posed to five Progressive House members about their choice of a name for the single-payer health care system they have proposed in H. 491.

McClaughry wrote in a letter that he wasn't shocked to see their bill calling for a "single-payer government health care scheme."

"But I am shocked to learn that you have entitled this monstrosity "Ethan Allen Health. Apparently you are so bereft of historical knowledge that you believe that your legislative creation would somehow find favor with Vermont's 18th century hero, Col. Ethan Allen."

Describing Allen as a "brawling, boozing, blaspheming giant" and an "outspoken champion of liberty and property," McClaughry question how anyone could think he would endorse a bill "to impose upon free Vermonters a government-run, taxpayer-financed health care system?"

"If you must label this legislative travesty in the name of an Allen, consider choosing Levi, the Tory. Levi died in a Burlington debtor's prison in 1801, which is what will likely happen to the whole state of Vermont if the General Assembly should, God forfend, enact your $2 billion health care legislation."

OK, anyone have names to suggest to the Progressives?

-- Nancy Remsen

Sign of the times

2010-01-21T16:37:00.003-05:00

Underage drinking, to be more precise.

Condos about to jump into Sec of State race

2010-01-20T12:55:00.001-05:00

Former state Sen. Jim Condos is close to announcing he plans to run for secretary of state this year, he said Wednesday.

Condos, a Democrat who represented Chittenden County in the Senate and served as chairman of the South Burlington City Council, said he expects to make an announcement "one way or the other _ most likely the other _ soon."

Condos would face a primary with Montpelier lawyer Charles Merriman for the job being vacated by Democrat Deb Markowitz, who is running for governor. On the Republican side, Williston lawyer Chris Roy is running for the office.

Condos said he would take a leave of absence from his job as manager of government and community relations at Vermont Gas Systems Inc.

- Terri Hallenbeck　

The aftermath of Mass.

2010-01-20T12:02:00.005-05:00

Did Vermonters feel the effects of the political earthquake in Massachusetts yesterday?

Here are a couple of reactions _ with people in both parties trying to use the results to raise money:

From Vermont Democratic Party Chairwoman Judy Bevans:

Yesterday, the Democratic Party was dealt a difficult blow. For the
first time in over thirty years, Massachusetts elected a Republican Senator,
weakening the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate. ...
We can’t allow this to become a trend in 2010!
This defeat serves as a wakeup call to all Democrats. If we want real
change, we need to work twice as hard to achieve it.
That’s why the Vermont Democratic Party has started early, building a
statewide “14 County Campaign” to elect a Democratic governor and elect
Democrats up and down the ballot. From re-electing Senator Leahy and
Congressman Welch to protecting our majorities in the State Legislature, we
can’t take a single seat for granted.
Please donate to the Vermont Democratic Party’s “14 County
Campaign” today to elect a Democratic governor and elect Democrats
statewide.
From Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, who is running for governor:

Yesterday night's victory in neighboring Massachusetts showed once again
that Americans are tired of politics as usual. Vermonters are looking for a
campaign run on ideas promoting job-creation, and economic
development.

I will be a jobs-Governor, one who prioritizes the
need for business growth in Vermont by lowering taxes and controlling runaway
government spending. Priority number one is to make sure that Vermont is the
best state in New England to do business.

- Terri Hallenbeck