Those of you in central VT may have been following with interest the story about Home Depot's plans to put a big-box store in the abandoned Ames shopping center on Rt 302 (the Barre-Montpelier road). Apparently, Home Depot unexpectedly pulled their plans yesterday, so says the Argus:

In a bizarre development involving the controversial project, the company, which bills itself as “the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer,” Tuesday scrapped its plans to redevelop a partially abandoned strip mall on the Barre-Montpelier Road.

The April Fools' Day revelation came during an Environmental Court hearing concerning the project Tuesday afternoon, but Montpelier lawyer Paul Gillies assured Judge Thomas Durkin that his client wasn't kidding.

“The applicant (Home Depot) will be withdrawing the application for this use as soon as I can put the paperwork into the District (5 Environmental) Commission,” Gillies told Durkin and a courtroom filled with Home Depot opponents.

No doubt that there was a sigh of relief from our many fine merchants in the area, such as Allen Lumber, Somers Hardware, and Nelson Hardware. While the details at this point are somewhat murky, it's not necessarily becuse of the opposition; hearings had yet to even get underway. Many speculate it had to do with the economy.

Personally, I'm somewhat relieved. For the three or four times a year I actually go to HD for something I just can't find locally, it's not that big of a deal to go to Williston. And I doubt that the area will suffer from the loss of  the potential low-paying jobs the project would have brought; we already have plenty of those in the area, thank you, not to mention the effects it would have on our downtown local businesses whom HD could never hope to ever touch in terms of quality and personalized customer service. And the big-boxes, even though they have to put up with more resistance than in other states, still almost always end up getting their store when it all comes down to it.

But enough of my editorializing here. My question is how long before Whinin' Jim Douglas points out yet again this as another example of just how rotten it is to live in Vermont? Not like the guy's ever shopped for his own hammer or anything…

It didn’t seem appropriate to acknowledge the passing of Vi Coffin yesterday, as we were immersed in the antics of April Fools Day by the time I heard the news. For those who didn’t know her, Vi was a longtime Democratic stalwart. From the Free Press:

Violet Coffin, a former chairwoman of the state Democratic Party and former head of the Vermont Council on the Arts, has died. She was 87.

She led the state party from 1985 to 1993, following a career as a political activist that included a campaigns in Long Island as co-chairwoman of Robert Kennedy’s senatorial campaign in 1966.

I didn’t know Vi well, but her reputation preceded her. She was an extraordinarily committed, passionate and talented person who was an undeniable force for real good in the Democratic Party, the state and the nation. Vi did what we all should aspire to do; she made a difference.

Our sincere condolences go out to Ned and the rest of her family. She will be missed by all of us.

Former Vermont Guardian head Shay Totten will be taking over the political columnist spot left open by the retirement of Peter Freyne at Seven Days. In an email, Totten said:

The column will have a new name, and a slightly different attitude and approach, but I plan on it being chock full of the insider tidbits, sharp insight, and investigative reporting – the blend that Peter faithfully offered each and every week for more than 20 years. I’m looking forward to keeping pols honest, on their toes, and teasing out some of the stories that others miss, or just don’t know about. That’s been a hallmark of my own career in journalism.

Totten officially takes over May 7th, but will make his first appearence in a guest column in the April 9th edition. The column will no longer be called “Inside Track,” but a new name has not been settled on.

per the Rutland Herald:

House Speaker Gaye Symington said Tuesday she is thinking seriously about running for governor, confirming Statehouse speculation in recent days that the Jericho Democrat might seek the higher office.

“People have been encouraging me to run for governor,” Symington told the Vermont Press Bureau. “I am seriously considering running.”

Symington added that until the legislative session is complete, she is spending most of her energy on lawmaking.

“My focus is on managing the House and completing the session,” she said.

Gov. James Douglas, a Republican, and Progressive Anthony Pollina have declared their candidacies for the governorship.

( – promoted by Brattlerouser)

I started writing this as a reply to another diary, but decided post it on its own

I could be persuaded that calls for Clinton to drop out of the race are just as divisive as the campaign infighting.  I could be convinced that letting the selection process play out has a better chance of ending in party unity than bullying Clinton out of the race.

But I’m not too impressed with arguments that these primaries are “elections,” or with calls for “democracy” or “one man, one vote,” or complaints about “disenfranchisement.”  There seems to be a general and accpeted ignorance of the process in which we’re currently embroiled.

This is not an election, it’s the parties’ process of selecting a nominee to run in the election.  The parties are not required to be “democratic” in their process – in some states, one must be a registered party member to vote in that party’s primary.  That’s not democratic, it’s exclusive.

Neither party observes a “one man, one vote” philosophy in choosing their nominee.  For the party selection process to follow the “one man, one vote” principle, delegates would have to be awarded proportionately – neither party does that.  In the Republican party the contests are “winner take all;” if the first-place candidate wins by one vote, all of the state’s delegates and, therefore, all of the state’s votes go to that candidate.

The Dems make an effort toward “one man, one vote” by awarding delegates proportionately.  But then they go and nullify the proportional representatation with a somewhat insane and elitist “superdelegate” wildcard.  

The process in both parties disenfranchises voters, but this year Democratic voters have had more “enfranchisement” than they’ve had in years.   In the last few elections, the race has essentially been over after the first two primaries – never past super Tuesday.

And, dropping out of the race does not “disenfranchise” voters, it disappoints your supporters.  Dropping out of the race doesn’t take the candidate’s name off the ballot.  Voters can still vote.  But, yes, they’ll have to cast their ballot it with the full knowledge that the candidate has acknowledged the impossibility of their bid.

But I agree that these undemocratic primaries are an important part of the democratic process.  On to the election.