Sometimes it isn't what she says, but who she allows to say it. Terri Hallenbeck's May 7th article about the so-called “pocket-veto” was strikingly unbalanced. I've reorganized all portions of the article where Hallenbeck is either quoting or paraphrasing the message from Symington or Douglas. Just look (you don't even need to read it) at the difference in the amount of print space she gives to the Douglas message versus the Symington message. (And no, she apparently didn't bother to ask why Gibbs, a state employee whose salary is paid with our tax dollars, was clearly engaged in campaign activity… not that you suspected that level of journalistic curiosity from her.)
Douglas message:
Spokesman Jason Gibbs accused legislators of shirking their duties by leaving without a veto session and contended they did it to allow Democratic House Speaker Gaye Symington to start raising money from lobbyists for her expected campaign against Republican Douglas in the fall election.
“Their decision to forgo their responsibility on establishing a veto session has created a situation where any legislation the governor was intending not to sign would not become law because Gaye Symington wants to raise money from special interests,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs said the governor should be able to take advantage of the option of letting a bill become law without his signature for bills he doesn't particularly like but where there is widespread legislative support and no harm would come from allowing it to become law.
He cited an industrial hemp bill the Legislature passed last week as an example. Gibbs said Douglas will still not sign such bills, but the onus will be on the Legislature when the bills die.
Gibbs said the pocket-veto provision will not change how the governor handles a bill regarding the Vermont Yankee decommissioning fund. Douglas will act on that bill today, and Gibbs indicated he will veto it. “The governor's been very clear he does not support legislation that will result in (utility) rate increases for the people of Vermont,” Gibbs said.
Though Gibbs accused Symington of wanting the extra time to solicit campaign donations from “special interests,” he conceded that Douglas accepts donations from those who lobby in the state. “He certainly accepts contributions from organizations and individuals that represent them but this is a tactical move by the Speaker to put fundraising ahead of policy she supports,” Gibbs said.
Douglas has said he thinks party contributions in that bill would force campaign spending into the hands of outside “special interest” groups.
Symington message:
Symington… objected to the accusation on several fronts. “The governor's been calling for us to have an orderly adjournment,” she said. “Now they're somehow wanting us to extend the session?”
Symington said it shouldn't be a problem for the governor to decide whether he supports a bill or not. “Legislators only get to say yes or no. He wants to say maybe,” she said. “I think that's a cop-out of leadership.”
Symington said if Douglas is concerned about campaign donations, he should not have vetoed the Legislature's campaign finance bill that would have limited contributions