Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen
1.06.2010
Larson turns attention to Leggie
Rep. Mark Larson, D-Burlington, will no longer be a consultant to Sen. Doug Racine's gubernatorial campaign, now that the legislative session has started, Racine's campaign announced today.
“It was always our plan that my commitment would end as the Legislative session began," Larson said in a statement. "Doug continues to have my support, but I will now return my focus to the Legislature and building a budget that meets the needs of Vermont families in these challenging times.”
Larson is vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Susan Bartlett, a Democratic state senator who wants to be governor, has hired a couple of Washington-based experts and a Vermont election veteran to help her make her case to voters.
"This is the beginning of the team we will build," Bartlett said. "I view the campaign as a job interview. David, Alan and John will help me share my vision, credentials and strengths with the people of Vermont."
She will use David Heller of Main Street Communications to develop and place all her advertising. Check out Heller's Web Site.
She has hired Alan Secrest of Cooper and Secrest to do polling. The firm doesn't seem to have a Web site, but there are plenty of stories about their work.
John Bauer, local boy, will help her with "message development, fundraising and data management." Sounds like a campaign manager, but she didn't identify him as such. Bauer's local credentials include managing Jeb Spaulding's first bid to become treasurer in 2002 when he had to fend off Democratic rival Ed Flanagan in a primary.
Bartlett, of course, faces a primary. She one of three officially declared Democratic candidates for governor. The others are Sen. Doug Racine and Secretary of State Deb Markowitz. Sen. Peter Shumlin and former Sen. Matt Dunne have all but jumped into the Democratic race, too. Look for their decisions in the next few weeks.
Based on how many staff the announced candidates have already hired, this is going to be one costly gubernatorial election.
Doug Racine, Democratic state senator and gubernatorial hopeful, just announced he had hired Brendan Bush of Original Gravity Media Inc. to redesign his Web site and presto, it's done.
In the same announcement, Racine said he plans to tour the state soon. The calendar on the Web site will tell Vermonters where and when they can "chat with Doug."
A gubernatorial candidate forum planned by South Burlington and Shelburne Democrats has now been postponed because of the death in the family of one of the candidates.
The forum was to have featured Sen. Doug Racine, Secretary of State Deb Markowitz and Sen. Susan Bartlett.
It was scheduled for Thursday night in Shelburne. Democratic Party Executive Director Robert Dempsey said organizers will reschedule it.
Vtbuzz: on financial disclosure, the latest gubernatorial race news and kicking cans and balls
Vermont ranks last for public disclosure of officials’ financials
While five states recently enhanced their financial disclosure requirements for public officials, a Washington D.C. investigative reporting non-profit identified Vermont and two other states as standing out “somewhat notoriously, for, well, doing nothing.”
Vermont law doesn’t require the governor, other statewide officers or legislators to disclose for public review any personal/professional financial information. The same goes for Michigan and Idaho, but the Center for Public Integrity noted disclosure legislation at least comes up for consideration in Michigan and Idaho. Not so in Vermont.
“I’ve never heard a single Vermonter raise an issue about it,” said Senate Government Operations Chairwoman Jeanette White, D-Windham.
Check out the center’s update and earlier reports on disclosure here.
Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, said financial disclosure wasn’t a top priority for his organization, but he agreed that transparency about finances and potential conflicts of interest were legitimate public goals.
Burns recalled the controversy in the 2008 gubernatorial election when Democrat Gaye Symington released incomplete data on family finances, while Republican Gov. Jim Douglas and Progressive Anthony Pollina provided complete tax returns. Burns suggested the state takes a first step toward disclosure by enacting a requirement for all statewide offices.
— Nancy Remsen
Still so many unanswered campaign questions
It’s hard to believe that a year from now, General Election ballots will be on their way to town clerks so early voting can begin. At the moment there are so many unanswered questions about whose names will end up on those ballots.
Take for example, the gubernatorial race, where everyone is waiting and waiting and waiting for Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie to announce whether he’s running or not for the state’s top job.
Will it come this week? “You will hear something this week,” said Susie Hudson, a Dubie political insider.
Meanwhile, Democratic candidates abound. Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin has just about jumped into the race. He has been crisscrossing the state to talk with movers and shakers about his candidacy compared to the three Democrats with hats already in the ring — Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, Sen. Doug Racine and Sen. Susan Bartlett.
“All of them would be great governors,” Shumlin said Monday. Still he confirmed, “I’m strongly leaning toward running.”
“Vermont needs a governor who has run a business, met a payroll,” he explained. Shumlin and his brother run a student educational travel business.
During Monday’s phone chat, Shumlin launched into what would likely be his campaign theme – “Vermont has to stop plodding along and get a piece of the extraordinary job opportunities as we move off our addiction to oil.”
Shumlin said he isn’t afraid of a free-for-all primary with his Democratic friends. “We have a real opportunity to have a civil discussion about where Vermont should go,” he said of the run up to next year’s Democratic primary election. I think Democrats will be strengthened.”
— Nancy Remsen
Candidate updates
If you are keeping tabs on the announced Democratic gubernatorial candidates, note that Doug Racine just hired Brendan Bush, 29, of Original Gravity Media, Inc., to provide him with some Internet strategy. “Bush will redesign Racine’s campaign Website, develop online outreach materials, and work with field director Amy Shollenberger to add to the campaign’s grassroots outreach strategy.”
Also last week, Deb Markowitz released a second video and launched a spread-the-word campaign. She wants supporters to share the link in the hopes her video could go viral.
Susan Bartlett noted her competitors’ focus on the Internet. “It seems to me there is a made dash right now to get high tech stuff because Matt Dunne might get in,” she said, referring for former Sen. Matt Dunne, who now works for Google. Dunne has confirmed he is weighing whether to join the Democratic crowd running for governor.
Bartlett noted that many Vermonters don’t have high tech Internet connections. “My sense is Vermonters will want a good old-fashioned type campaign.”
Bartlett said she still hasn’t hired staff, although she has volunteers who accompany her as she travels the state. “I’m not in a yank to spend money.”
The trio — Bartlett, Markowitz and Racine — are scheduled to appear together before Shelburne and South Burlington Democrats at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Shelburne Town Office.
They will meet individually at closed sessions with members of the Vermont Business Roundtable beginning next week. Roundtable President Lisa Ventriss said the sessions give members a chance to get acquainted with the candidates, understand why they are seeking “this very difficult job” and hear what strengths they offer. As more candidates jump into the race, additional sessions will be scheduled, Ventriss said.
— Nancy Remsen
Local election news
Denise Barnard, former Democratic representative from Richmond who narrowly lost her bid for a Chittenden Senate seat in 2008, was mysterious about her political future Monday.
“I’m tanned, I’m rested and I’m running in 2010,” Barnard said, “ but I’m not telling you what I’m running for — yet.”
She did confirm she wasn’t running for governor.
She said she expected to go public with her plans soon. “I’m very excited about the future.
Meanwhile, Democrat Philip Baruth of Burlington kicks up his Chittenden Senate campaign at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Nectar’s in downtown Burlington.
— Nancy Remsen
Kicking the can or whatever
Secretary of Administration Neale Lunderville said several times recently that he didn’t want to “kick the can” any longer when it came to making tough decisions about labor expenses. That’s why he, in the final negotiations with the union last week, refused to agree to a plan to cut $7.4 million from the current budget without some commitment from the Vermont State Employees Association on cuts in the next two fiscal years.
Jes Kraus, VSEA director, argued, the union and the administration should kick that can in separate talks about the next two-year contract, talks that are already underway.
Up the road from the state capital where the abortive talks took place, a pair of Democratic legislators focused on kicking the ball.
Reps. Sue Minter and Tom Stevens organized a “Causeball” kickball tournament that was held in the rain Sunday, but still raised $2,300 for local food shelves.
“Anybody can plan kickball,” Minter said.
That brings this entry back to kicking the can. Legislative leaders — particularly Rep. Michael Obuchowski, D-Rockingham — have worked the phones to try to bring the administration and union back to the table to resume talks. What about bringing them to a field and let kickball settle the aforementioned kick-the-can question?
Two Democratic gubernatorial candidates crank up their campaigns
In a race that isn't likely to be settled for nearly a year, Democrats Doug Racine and Deb Markowitz continue to up the ante in their competition to become the party's gubernatorial nominee in 2010.
They aren't the only Democrats running. Sen. Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, has announced she's in and several other Democrats have said they are considering runs, too. Racine and Markowitz, however, have been at it longer and seem to step up their efforts at about the same moment.
Racine, a state senator and former lieutenant governor, announced this week he had added to his "arsenal." He contracted with Brendan Bush of Original Gravity Media, Inc., in Burlington, as an Internet strategy consultant.
Bush, 29, will redesign Racine's campaign website, develop online outreach materials, and work with field director Amy Shollenberger to add to the campaign's grassroots outreach strategy.
Racine said Bush's credentials include work on two presidential campaigns, numerous U.S. senate campaigns, and two gubernatorial campaigns.
Markowitz, secretary of state, just released an online video she hopes will go viral. She wants supporters to share it with their friends.
The video is a kind of get-acquainted piece. Check it out. I'm not sure it's such a good idea to show Markowitz looking at the camera as she drives, but that's me.
Obviously, their latest campaign additions show that both Markowitz and Racine plan to use more than stickers and whistle stops to reach voters.
Markowitz hires manager for her gubernatorial campaign
Deb Markowitz has hired Paul Tencher, 29, a Rhode Island native, to run her gubernatorial campaign. Tencher begins Oct. 12.
He currently works as communications director for Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, D-OH, but he said he's ready to leave the polarized world of DC. He's only worked for Kilroy since January.
He has experience on several campaigns, successful and unsuccessful. He worked for a Missouri Democratic congressional candidate who lost in 2008. Earlier he worked for the Rhode Island lieutenant governor, helping her win a primary and then an election. He served as her chief of staff for a year.
Tencher must like a challenge, because Markowitz is far from alone in her desire to run for governor. Other Democrats in the race or giving it serious consideration include Sen. Doug Racine, D-Chittenden; Sen. Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille; perhaps Sen. Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, and maybe former Sen. Matt Dunne of Windsor, now with Google.
That's just the Democratic competition. We all await word whether Brian Dubie will choose to be the Republican candidate or if there will end up being a free-for-all primary fight there, too.
Thursday afternoon, House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morristown, couldn't have been more clear.
When asked if he would consider a run for governor, he said, "I'm planning to run for re-election in the House."
He said he'd received calls from several people suggesting he consider becoming a gubernatorial candidate and apparently the idea started to grow on him. That and he had a chance to talk with his wife later in the day, he said.
Friday he joined those talking about the new opportunities in the "changed political landscape."
"I'm very interested in continuing to work for Vermont. I'm looking at a variety of ways I can do that." Running for governor is one of the ways he's pondering, he said, although he added, "My inclination is to run for re-election."
If you are keeping count of all the Democrats committed to or considering gubernatorial runs, here's our best list of the moment: Deb Markowitz, current secretary of state Doug Racine, state senator Susan Bartlett, state senator, Peter Shumlin, Senate president pro tempore Shap Smith, House speaker Tom Salmon, state auditor
Members of the Joint Legislative Committee on Health Access Oversight wondered Wednesday how their colleagues on the Joint Fiscal Committee could decide to void the Legislature's decision about expanding eligibility to Catamount Health.
Tuesday, as part of the package of $28 million in budget changes to address problem of shrinking state revenues, the Joint Fiscal Committee agreed to cut the funding necessary to cover two changes in who qualifies for the state's Catamount Health program for the uninsured. The administration also recommended repealing the changes and the committee apparently went along with that suggestion -- for now. The immediate savings would be $81,000, but the future cost is estimated at more than $600,000 a year.
When the Legislature passed the Catamount changes, it directed the Douglas administration to apply by Sept. 1 to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for approval of an amendment to the state's Medicaid waiver that would allow federal dollars to help cover the expenses for this expansion.
Susan Besio, director of the Office of Vermont Health Access, said she is now caught between conflicting directives from legislators. Statute demands she file a letter with CMS, while the Joint Fiscal's vote suggests the application would be pointless.
The health oversight committee felt it had been left out of the loop and some members -- particularly Sen. Doug Racine, D-Chittenden, questioned what authority allowed the Joint Fiscal Committee to reverse a legislative policy decision.
This isn't the first time legislators who aren't on the Joint Fiscal Committee have chafed at the power that panel has -- most notably when budgets cuts are required after the Legislature adjourns.
Rep. Paul Poirier, I-Barre, proposed last winter that the Joint Fiscal Committee be stripped of its power to approve budget cuts. If changes are needed, Poirier said the governor should have to call the full Legislature back into session.
Lawmakers chose instead to rewrite some of the rules for off-season budget decisions, including a new requirement for a public hearing.
For now, however, the Joint Fiscal Committee still has "the power," but legislators on the health access oversight panel have asked for some legal advice about the limits of that power.
Yesterday, Gov. Jim Douglas spoke against the "public option" for health care. Today, one of his Democratic opponents dumped on him for it.
Says Sen. Doug Racine, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor:
"Jim Douglas does not understand that his reliance on private insurance companies has not produced the affordability, accessibility, or accountability that Vermonters really need and never will. He is out of step with President Obama, our congressional delegation, and most Vermonters who understand that providing people with the choice of a public health care option is essential.
"While it is an honor to have a Vermonter as chairman of the National Governors Association once again, it is unfortunate that Jim Douglas does not understand what the last Vermonter who held the position does. ... Sadly, Jim Douglas is using his new position to oppose real change."
Sen. Doug Racine, a Democratic candidate for governor, will report raising more than $100,000 toward his race.
He didn't match his chief Democratic competitor dollar for dollar, but Markowitz has been fundraising longer. Racine didn't get serious until after the Legislature adjourned. Her figure, as you may have seen in the previous blog entry, will be about double Racine's.
"We've had a very successful month and a half," reported Mark Larson, a state representative from Burlington who is working on Racine's campaign. Racine wanted to hit six figures and did, Larson said.
There will be a lot more details about candidate fundraising available from filings due to election officials Wednesday.
So what do the figures say about the strength of the two candidates? Is it too soon to tell anything?
Larson suggested that taken together the fundraising for Markowitz and Racine shows strong interest in unseating Republican Gov. Jim Douglas -- should he choose to run for re-election.
It will be interesting to see what Douglas reports tomorrow.
Deb Markowitz, presumably a candidate for governor in 2010, released how much money she had amassed for this effort on the day before the filing deadline -- a challenge to her would-be opponents.
Her total -- more than $190,000, she said, with 90 percent from Vermont and Vermonters. In all, more than 1,000 folks have lined up behind Markowitz, a Democrat from Montpelier who currently serves as secretary of state.
Markowitz started before the rest of the field of potential Democratic candidates, so it is hardly surprising if she ends up with more money when all the reports are filed. The other folks who have said they are in the race are Sen. Doug Racine, D-Chittenden, and Sen. Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille. Racine has been busy since the legislative session wrapped up, while Bartlett went public only a few weeks ago.
Obviously a head start in raising money and securing supporters is important. Time will tell if Markowitz's presumed advantage now sticks. Sometimes a leader steps out of the pack and runs away with the race and sometimes a leader is only a rabbit who loses momentum on the steeps because everyone else held back until it counted.
Markowitz argues in her announcement about her funding -- "This early success is a demonstration of a true movement for real change and new leadership for Vermont."
How important do you think the money tallies are in July 2009, 16 months before the election?
