Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen
4.06.2010
Vt.buzz moves to a new site
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
Labels: Burlington Free Press, vermont politics, vt.Buzz
3.29.2010
Survey: Vters r agnst txtg
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
Labels: Sen. William Doyle, vermont politics
Condos plans kickoff
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
Labels: Jim Condos, vermont politics
Plenty of chances to see Dems
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
Labels: vermont politics
3.26.2010
Roy heralds McCain endorsement
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.
Labels: Charles Merriman, Chris Roy, vermont politics
3.24.2010
Poll: Dubie leads all Dems
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
Labels: Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, vermont politics
Douglas has more fans than Obama
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
Labels: Gov. Jim Douglas, vermont politics
3.23.2010
Election 2010: Vermont Senate
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
Labels: Len Britton, Sen. Patrick Leahy, vermont politics
3.22.2010
Stern starts campaign
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
Labels: Keith Stern. Rep. Peter Welch, vermont politics
3.19.2010
Tallies to watch
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
Labels: vermont politics
Bernhardt won't run for Vt. gov
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
Labels: Michael Bernhardt, vermont politics
3.18.2010
Bartlett calls the middle
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
Labels: Sen. Susan Bartlett, vermont politics
3.15.2010
Stirring the political pot
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
Labels: highway safety, texting, vermont politics
Starting Senate run
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
Labels: vermont politics
3.11.2010
Birthday Bash math
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
RemsenLabels: Brian Dubie, vermont politics
3.10.2010
Birthday bash raises $115,000 for Dubie
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
Labels: Brian Dubie, vermont politics
3.09.2010
Markowitz on campaign kickoff tour
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
Labels: Deb Markowitz, vermont politics
3.08.2010
They're back
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
RemsenLabels: Neale Lunderville, politics Vermont Legislature, state budget, vermont politics
3.01.2010
Doyle poll
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
Labels: Sen. William Doyle, vermont politics
2.25.2010
Markowitz, Dubie events March 9
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
Labels: Brian Dubie, Deb Markowitz, vermont politics
