Every week there is another story, or a full week of stories, about the administration's wrong-headed proposals to cut benefits and increase taxes on poor and working poor people in Vermont. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of my colleague Chris Curtis and other family and anti-poverty advocates, the advocates, ordinary people, and even the legislators are standing to oppose those cuts.

For instance, last week the Senate Human Services Committee voted to oppose the Reach-Up cuts the administration has proposed, but the administration isn't taking it lying down.

I have to ask, though, how some ordinarily smart, politically sophisticated people can so consistently hit the wrong note as they make and attempt to justify their proposals.

For instance, here's Dave Yacavone, quoted at Vermont Digger:

 “If something is a good policy and is going to help children and poor Vermonters, process for me does not trump the substance of the policy,” he said.

. . .

 The Senate Health and Welfare’s recommendation, Yacovone said, “is really clinging to approaches that haven’t been working. There is a thin line between being compassionate and enabling people.”

 Do they not realize that hardly anyone outside of the administration agrees that what they are proposing is "a good policy and is going to help children and poor Vermonters"?

 

Or another way to ask the question is, do they not realize that they are losing the PR war, and every time they try to take their case to the public they’re making it worse?

If they want to push their misguided policy they can go ahead and do it, obviously. They’re wrong to do it, but that’s their right. Still, I think they’d be more effective if they would just keep their heads down, stay away from the cameras and microphones, give their detailed, technical rationale in the committee rooms, and stop saying obnoxious* things to the public.

Of course, every time they open their mouths they hurt their case, so I’m not really complaining.

Edited to make the diary a little less, er dickish.