Times-Argus readers are lucky to have sportsman Dennis Jensen on board. He follows the issues relating to hunting and fishing very closely with a sober attention to policy and detail, instead of the often hot-headed knee-jerk responsiveness that is often typical to the field. He also tells really good stories. His “Jensen Afield” column is something I look forward to every Sunday.

What's also really good about Jensen is in a field that generally leans conservative in terms of political leanings, he's been known to occasionally write some rather scathing pieces about the neo-cons and such (somehow still managing to fit it in the context of a hunting or fishing frame). I don't remember the specifics of it, but a few years back he wrote a piece calling out the chickenhawks and the folly of Iraq, and I believe he also gave some criticism to the readers who supported them. He doesn't seem to be afraid to call out the sportsman crowd when they act foolish, and he can do it with a measure of credibility, for his hunting credentials are impeccable. It's not like he's throwing shots from a position of self-righteousness from the other side of the fence or anything. He's just a smart guy.

It obviously struck a nerve, because he got quite a few negative letters to the editor after that one. It was great, because so often, in our diverse Vermont culture, with those ever-present woodchuck/flatlander or redneck/hippie dichotomies that still unfortunately permeate our thinking and biases, he was able to completely break through that one. Today Jensen wrote a good one skewering Douglas, among other things, using that photo-op of Douglas (that Nate wrote about here) out fishing on opening day and having someone else bait his hook for him.

Jensen had a bit to say about that… below the jump.     

In Douglas takes a new angle to fishing, Jensen starts off nice enough:

So it was such a pleasure to see a photograph of our very own governor, issued by the Fish & Wildlife Department, out there on opening day.

His presence, along the river bank demonstrates that Gov. James Douglas is very much like the rest of us. Just like the rest of us, he likes to “get down” on opening day and wet a line.

Uh.. maybe not. After discussing Douglas being apparently unable to bait his own hook, Jensen lets it fly:

What's the big deal?

Here's the big deal. I think this speaks volumes about what is wrong with the people we elect to lead us. We get had, again and again, by people in elected office who pretend to be something they are not.

If the governor can't bait his own hook, even as the cameras are rolling, then he is clearly pretending to be a fisherman. The question is, why? Why pretend to be something you are not?

I'll tell you why. It looks good. It makes him look like he's one of “us.” And looking good, saying the right things and acting “the part” is all that matters, when it comes to getting elected and re-elected.

And it's not just Douglas, a man who never met a photo opportunity he didn't like. The phonies can be found everywhere in politics and public office.

We elected a president who struts around like a cowboy who just jumped off the meanest bull in the rodeo.

He then takes on religious hypocrites, neocons, and the VT legislature in none-too-kind terms, but at the heart of Jensen's argument is the fact that we have politicians like this here in VT and abroad becuse so many voters have just become complacent, instead of “getting up, getting into it, and getting involved”, like James Brown once told us to do.

Now, no, that's not everyone.  You know that. And perhaps the ridiculously high turnout at the Dem primaries is indeed a good sign. But there's no doubt that many problems we have simply wouldn't be there if people were paying more attention than they are. Hence, we have many Americans agreeing with su on so many of the issues of the day, yet we end up with hard-right radicals continuing to run the show, becuse they play dirty, lie about their agendas, and appeal to America's worst instincts instead of their best instincts.

But aside from that, Jensen really gets to the meat about Douglas: his entire tenure seems to be one big giant photo-op. He's masterful at convincing people that he's doing something, when, other than standing in the way of progress and perpetually remiding us how bad of a place Vermont is, he's not doing anything. He pretends to be a leader. I wish someone would pick up that and run with it, because I'm a bit too old to be playing make-believe, let alone have the head of the state contiuously do it, and what's worse, make a career out of it.

The Session’s over, and the chaos of last year has been replaced by some incremental policy improvements, coupled with some steps backward. A net gain overall, to be sure, but we are talking baby steps.

One issue that got lost was an attempt to undo the “two vote” requirement on local school budgets, and both its initial passage as well as the failure to repeal send strong signals about the weakening clout of teachers’ unions in Montpelier. The law, of course, requires that any proposed school spending that increases the previous year’s budget beyond the rate of inflation must be approved on a second ballot. Clearly a naked attempt to create an institutional impediment to greater school spending – even if that spending is necessitated to offset rising fuel, health care, or special ed costs that consistently rise at a rate far greater than inflation.

Anti-public school activists, of course, remain gleeful over the creation of an institutionalized, organizational and political advantage for their cause, and have used the opportunity to camouflage their intent with pro-democracy rhetoric. The pushback is a simplistic more votes= more democracy, so if you’re against more votes, you’re against democracy nonsense.

But obviously it wasn’t just Repubs buying it:

Senate Education Chairman Don Collins (D-Franklin)… says he likes the two-vote plan because it allows school boards to seek additional funds if they can make a solid case to local voters.

…and more recently (and definitively):

The Senate Finance Committee considered inserting a repeal – or at least a one-year delay in implementation of the two-vote or “think twice” provision – into the miscellaneous tax bill. But Shumlin, a Putney Democrat, scuttled the language…

“We have been read the riot act by the Senate President Pro Tempore,”… said Sen. Dick McCormack, D-Windsor.

But you know, maybe they’re right…

Sure it singles out local schools for a uniquely burdensome electoral two-step designed to discourage honest budgets and a straightforward up-or-down vote on the work of local school boards, but who cares about silly principles if it brings spending down and gives you brownie points with the right wing in the process? And yeah, more elections always equals more Democracy!. Hey, maybe we should have a seperate election for each individual dollar in a school budget proposal! Boy would that peg the ol’ democracy meter!

In fact, I think we should apply this principle more broadly – and I’m sure Senators Shumlin, Collins and the Republicans will step right up and lead the way.

I propose a two-vote system for the election of state Senators. It works on the same principle: the first vote authorizes them to act as Senators up through the same period of the previous year’s session. That means, Senators Shumlin, Collins and the others would be re-elected in November to act as Senators until May 3rd of 2009 only. If the session is to go longer than that, or there is to be a special session, or other ongoing committee work, they’ll need to have a second election to approve authorization.

Hey, more voting means more, better democracy, right? And it would keep costs down, since we wouldn’t have to pay them. All that talk about fairness, and the responsible running of our public institutions is just crazy communist talk, after all.

So I’m sold. I’m sure Senator Shumlin will step right up to implement it – voluntarily if necessary – rather than risk being accused of inconsistency.