Once again, I’d like to introduce an open thread of New Years resolutions that politicos might make for 2012.
I’ll begin with Peter Shumlin, who certainly should resolve not to appoint anymore Republicans to key positions in his administration.
The Governor might also resolve to abstain from exclusive luxury get-aways until he can find it in his heart to support a modest raise in taxes for his privileged economic class…
New Years advice to Tom Salmon, in the immortal words of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: “Love the one you’re with.” No one has demonstrated a shorter attention span for the position he was elected to than our state auditor. Mr. Salmon should resolve to concentrate on his current job, and forgoing higher ambitions, to sustain an interest in the mundanities of being auditor.
Randy Brock should resolve to get out more. His voting record in Montpelier demonstrates that he is abysmally out-of-step with statewide attitudes and unlikely to make much of an impression in the 2012 governor’s race.
While many on the left have some issues with Governor Shumlin, they will most decidedly NOT be voting for Randy Brock. He is attempting to represent himself as a “centrist,” but that position has been more than locked-up by Shumlin, who, except for some high-profile positions on things like VY and same-sex marriage, has demonstrated an affinity for positions that are considered centerist-to-right-of-center in largely progressive Vermont.
Franklin County Sheriff, Robert Norris would be well-advised to resolve himself to a career change. Having lost the contract for policing St. Albans City this year, Sheriff Norris has been vocally outraged, compounding the tempest by suing the City. Now it seems the Town of Swanton will no longer be using his services, and will instead engage the Swanton Village police department. Is this a trend? The Sheriff is approaching a county shut-out, having earlier lost contracts with Enosburgh Town, Enosburgh Village, Sheldon, Richford, Fairfax and Georgia.
Peter Welch should resolve to get more background before signing on to regressive stuff like extreme austerity measures and hamstringing ACORN.
Senator Leahy, should resolve daily to exit the Capitol building through a doorway inaccessible to industry lobbyists.
Bernie should resolve to carry a pocket comb.
I’ve got one for President Obama, too. Facing an almost miraculous vacuum on the right, it looks as though Mr. Obama might get his fondest wish for a second term. With that in mind, he should resolve that, the minute the polls close in November, he will seize his opportunity as a lame duck to make a final unbridled push for progressive reforms that are dear to the hearts of the folks who elected him in 2008. I know this is nothing more than a pipe dream, but I had to get it in here.
BZZZZT!
Part of Bernie’s charm is the mad scientist look that he sports. It certainly doesn’t hurt his polling. 😉
I do like that this is the only thing on the list about him. Had he assigned one of his staffers to at least pat down his hair before every public appearance, would have had nothing to say about him? ‘Bernie should resolve to do more for poor Vermonters?’ Heh. I love voting for Bernie.
I hate that Leahy is on the ballot at all. His ‘hand total control of the internet to a handful of huge faceless corporations’ bill is a direct threat to my Vermont-based small business. If his PROTECT IP Act passes in any form my company, and everyone else with any online presence, won’t be able to afford to survive the frivolous copyright challenges that will follow. I wish Leahy would announce his retirement.
heads up, typo there.
… right wing, elephant hunting (really) founder of “godaddy.com” – a domain registration and web hosting company that is exempt from the bill is stepping back from SOPA and PIPA, you KNOW it’s BAD legislation.
In the 30 years I’ve been in Vermont, our Governors have all been to the center of their parties. If you look at what national Republicans espouse, both Snelling and Douglas would not be elected dog catcher in a Republican primary. We rejected Dubie because he was too close and clearly leaning towards the national republican standard. (Reproductive rights did him in)
As to Dems, I can recall huge disappointment and anger with Kunin, Dean (especially) and now Shumlin from the Progressive element in the state. Same with Lahey and Welch. And yet…they win easily once elected the first time. We are centrist with our statewide officials (with notable distinction of Bernie) and more non-central on a local basis.
…the radicals; but I was not a radical; I was a Democrat; so I did nothing.
Then they came for the union workers; but as a Democrat, I had, oddly, never belonged to a union; so I did nothing.
Then they came for the environmentalists; but as a Democrat, I thought: Shit, I like my SUV; so I did nothing.
Then they came for the elderly, the gays, the migrant workers, the socialists, the independents, the libertarians, the writers, the painters, the teachers, the students, the bloggers, the peace people, the feminists, the critical thinkers, and half of my neighbors and their kids; but I, as a Democrat, knew that the alternative was so much worse and that it takes time for things to get better; so I did nothing.
Then they came for the Democrats; and I said Hey! What the…………..”
And that, folks, is how America became the United Republican States.
You forgot to give Shummy credit for pushing universal access to (not exactly single-payer) healthcare.
He’s got three small-p progressive dog whistles (to borrow a meme from Odum): Shutting VY, healthcare, and marriage equality (which was before he was elected gov).
He’s got at least as many, if not more right-wing tropes: crapping on public employee unions (until recently), hiring Republicans, refusal to raise taxes on the folks who can most afford it for ‘refudiated’ reasons, supporting centralized industrial power generation (coupled with very cozy relationships with the power company’s execs), dumping environmental regulations when expedient (and decide later whether they ever get enforced again), taking lots of vacations regular folks can’t afford, cutting state employee wages while raising those of his own appointees. I think there might be more, but that’s my current list.
Another one of those tilted scales, until you put “not Brock” on the light side, which outweighs a lot of the right-wingery.
NanuqFC
In a Time of Universal Deceit, TELLING the TRUTH Is a Revolutionary Act. ~ George Orwell