Wow, this guy is feeling secure enough in his elected position to let it all hang out, apparently. From Sneyd at VPR (emphasis mine):

(Beth Robinson) “When this (same-sex marriage) bill first came into the Legislature back in the spring the governor said he didn't really like the prospect of raising a divisive issue in the state. And it turns out that the governor is taking the lead in making this a divisive issue. And I'm disappointed in that.”

(Sneyd) Douglas won't address the criticism directly. All he'll say is it's coming from someone who probably isn't going to contribute money to his re-election.

That clunk you just heard was the sound of my jaw hitting the Langdon Street Cafe keyboard. Now that's honesty. A clear statement that, in Douglas's eyes – the value of your opinion is based on whether or not you'll pay him to take you seriously.

And here's some more honesty: after that comment, I actually feel for the first time that we might take this guy down next year after all.

Report: Brattleboro police chief needs to go

September 21, 2007
 

Associated Press

    BRATTLEBORO — Rank-and-file police officers have lost faith in their chief and patrol captain, and the two leaders should be dismissed or reassigned, a consultant has told town officials.

“It does not seem to me that the majority within the department have faith in the current chief's and patrol captain's abilities to resolve current issues and set the stage for future success,” wrote Tad Dwyer, an organizational consultant based in Keene, N.H. “This would make it very difficult for them to succeed within the police department, at least in those roles.”

The report doesn't address the chief's emulation of Reddy Kilowatt, but it's hard to believe that the trigger- and Taser-happy practices he has fostered had nothing to do with this. 

I don’t post as much about racial issues as I might here and I feel as though I’m already late to the game on this one, but I don’t see anyone else having posted about this so I think it’s worth some discussion.



So picture this scenario: a group of black kids decided they want to sit under a tree that’s on the traditionally “white” side of a high school. When asked if it’s okay, the Vice Principal tells them they can sit wherever they like. Shortly after, several nooses are hung from the tree.

Over the next few months, there are a series of racial incidents. In one case, a group of black kids is charged for theft when they wrestle a white man to the ground and take his shotgun away. This is immediately after they’d been in an argument with him and he ran back to his car to grab his gun.

This all ends in an incident in which six black kids are arrested, called “criminals” because of a fight at their high school which leaves a white kid unconscious.

This is contemporary. This is all within the last year.

This was what led to one of the biggest civil rights marches this country has seen in a long time.

What did we do during this monumental act?

We bitched about Patrick Leahey voting for the condemnation of the moveon.org ad.

I’m sort of disgusted with myself for not having posted about this sooner. I’m really of disgusted with myself for not having had it clear in my head just how important this is.

( – promoted by odum)

Driving to Shelburne today on a delivery, I was once again sadly amazed at the translucent gray haze obscuring the view of Camel’s Hump, Mount Mansfield, and the entire Green Mountain Range. Down in the valleys the diminishing quality of Vermont’s air is less evident, but the view to the hills is difficult to miss.  It’s also hard to miss the “Very Unhealthy” red zones representing pollution on ANR’s Air Quality Index map:

http://www.anr.state…

What’s particularly interesting is that the air quality monitoring locations in Burlington, Rutland and Brattleboro are all situated at elevations less than 600′ above sea level.  Bennington sits at 709′ and Underhill at 1291′, but when you glance to either the hillsides where people live, or to the ANR air quality map, the evidence of unhealthy air is staring you right in the face. Today, the Taconics, the Greens, and the Northeast Highlands have an AQI index exceeding 200, landing in the category of “Very Unhealthy”.  Even with lower elevation monitoring stations, Air Quality Advisories have been issued three times this year. 

In my opinion, and only partially verified, the primary source of air quality degradation results from eased emission standards for coal-burning plants in the Midwest.  No matter where this pollution is coming from, it seems as though the fact of diminishing air quality would be of high concern not only to ANR, but to the Department of Health and the Department of Tourism, and that some legal action might be taken on it.  I’d be curious to learn if anything is being done, or can be done due to the hurdles of interstate law or the Clear Air Act.

Despite various myths, pollution is not caused by humidity, nor is it only present on hot days.  It is only with complacency that one could say, “Our air will always be clean,” especially since on this very day, a thick, “Very Unhealthy” cloud rises up the hills. 

What do you think?  How is your view of your favorite mountain? 

Nate Freeman

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Even the casual observer will notice that Peter Freyne at Seven Days has had little good to say about Speaker Symington and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin. Hey, we've all had complaints – he's hardly alone in that. But Freyne may be seeing so much red when he looks at those two that he's losing perspective.

First was his reaction to the gay marriage commission, in which he mocked the two Dem leaders mercilessly, but couldn't squeeze out a single comment on the merits of the issue (despite his tireless support for civil unions). The latest is this week's column reporting that Shumlin is pushing Progressive Anthony Pollina to get into the Governor's race. It quotes Progressive Rep Dave Zuckerman as saying that  “'He came up to me at an event in Montpelier,' said Zuckerman, 'and said we’ve really got to talk about how we’re going to get rid of Jim Douglas, and I think Anthony Pollina should really consider running.'” The account mentions a follow-up conversation, and Shumlin's desire not to go public during his “calculating.”

Well, Sen. Shumlin remembers things a bit differently. From his recollection, it was Zuckerman who brought up Pollina. While Shumlin recalls being complimentary of Pollina (and has since reached out to him to mend long-broken fences), he says he has long maintained (to “anybody who will listen”) that Pollina could not take the middle, and would therefore lose such an election.

Who would Shumlin really like to see run? Says Shumlin: “I have told anyone who will listen that the best candidate, in my judgment is Matt Dunne.” (and Dunne verified Shumlin's encouragement in an unrelated conversation with me a ways back).

It doesn't make very thrilling copy, or very juicy political theater, but it does make a lot more sense, no?