( – promoted by Sue Prent)

Eleven of Franklin County’s thirteen legislators are now Republicans, and Democrats like me who lost their seats in the last election are watching our new Representatives and Senators in Montpelier with a lot of apprehension.

In the 1/21/15 edition of the Messenger, Rep. Parent wrote about how he would urge his new colleagues to stand against the Governor and work to make Vermont a more affordable place to live and work. That sounds a lot like what he promised during the campaign. I’m concerned that regardless of what legislators think about the Governor or his budget, there were no suggestions of what cuts should be made to offset the proposed tax increases.

I pose this challenge to my Republican friends, especially the one who called me and Rep. Keenan “intellectually lazy” at a forum last fall: If you believe you can govern our state better, tell us how. If you think we can’t afford to provide healthcare for every Vermonter, tell us who should go without. If you think the poorest Vermonters, those with disabilities, those looking for work, students at our state colleges, members of law enforcement, state employees, highways or health care providers should get funding cuts then tell us.  Please do not pretend that every dollar we spend investing in our kids, our communities, and our economic growth is wasted.

The campaign is over and it’s time for the new legislature to state priorities and lay out an alternative to Gov. Shumlin’s budget and tax proposals.  My fear is that Franklin County’s inexperienced new legislators will spend more time criticizing the Governor than serving the interests of our communities. Can these legislators suggest alternative policies and work together with the Democratic majority to get them passed the way me, Michel Consejo, Cindy Weed, and Sara Kittell have done in the past?  It remains to be seen.  

The campaign is over. It’s time to govern. Simply stating that one stands against the Governor is easy. Offering real alternatives and successfully implementing them may be beyond the experience, vision and leadership of Franklin County’s new legislators.

Mike McCarthy

Saint Albans

( – promoted by Sue Prent)

I’m going to admit, I kind of like the song “Habits (Stay High)” by Tove Lo. Guilty pleasure pop songs rarely have anything to do with politics, but I’ve been on a bit of a mental roadtrip and I think I’ve found a connection between the YOLO zeitgeist (represented here by Tove Lo) and the decline of the American Middle Class that’s important to explore.

Why do so many of us feel the need to “stay high all of the time” like Tove Lo? Hm.

I’ve also finally gotten around to reading Elizabeth Warren’s A Fighting Chance which reminds me so much of elements that were in Fareed Zakaria’s book The Future of Freedom. Isn’t it strange that ten years after Zakaria was describing in plain English how the banks were hosing us all (and even after the economic meltdown) there still hasn’t been a mass movement to overthrow the bankers and the people who have propped them up (#Occupy=#failure)? Odd that the party who took control of both houses of Congress in November just pushed through a budget with measures deregulating the banking industry so they can gamble with complex derivatives and mortgage-backed securities all over again?

Who needs a drink?

So how does this have anything to do with Tove Lo? I’ve been trying to decide if I’m a really bad person/parent for liking this song. “Staying high all of the time doesn’t solve anything!” I want to say. Binge-eating twinkies and mourning failed romantic relationships is keeping Tove Lo and so many of us young and young-ish irresponsible people from voting- let alone rioting in the streets to fight against the unfettered greed that has kept wages low, left so many people in foreclosure and/or medical bankruptcy (thanks for explaining that one better, Sen. Warren), and kept the people at the top getting richer while everyone else gets… well, like, you know.  

There’s another way to see Tove Lo’s song, though. If you take it at face value it’s a predictable YOLO formula: “Look at me! I’m sad, gotta get high. At least I look good doing it.”

But WAIT! She doesn’t look good doing it. Look at the video.

http://youtu.be/oh2LWWORoiM

She looks miserable. Not just a little miserable. She’s tired, pounding Alka-Seltzer, having no fun partying. Maybe she’s trying to secretly tell all of the kids something that’s been eating at me since I stopped partying and tried to act like a grown-up. Maybe she’s hidden a pearl of wisdom in her pop anthem for anyone who’s ready to scratch the surface and see how messed up it is to encourage the behavior she’s espousing in this dreadful song.

Or maybe she’s just saying, “High is as good as it gets.” Might as well stay high if your love is gone, your job is gone, there’s no one to protect you, the cheap crap you eat is making you fat, you can’t afford the debt that’s eating you and your neighbors alive, etc.

I’m not sure, but it’s catchy… and that video really got me thinking.

( – promoted by Sue Prent)

Gov. Shumlin and Lt. Governor Phil Scott spoke this evening at the Vermont Rail Action Network annual meeting in Saint Albans. Governor Shumlin spoke first, and gave a rousing speech about rail and cross-border trains and their importance to Vermont’s future economic growth. The food by Twigg’s was delicious, by the way.

The room of about 150 railroad officials, government agencies, and legislators was a little surprised that instead of talking about rail, Lt. Governor Scott focused solely on last week’s election and slammed “Montpelier” for not listening to Vermonters.  I guess this is what the beginning of a 2016 gubernatorial run looks like: No More Mr. Nice Phil.

It was tough for me to sit there and listen to him slam the same people he helped make laws with for years, especially in a crowd that is so happy we’ve continued to find ways to invest in rail infrastructure that has benefited St. Albans and the rest of Vermont. I’m sad I won’t be back there next year to keep pushing for smart investments that will improve freight resources for existing businesses in our state and open up passenger service to millions of tourists from nearby markets.  Our new representative-elect in Saint Albans made it very clear during the campaign that he does not support the revenue increases that made these investments possible. It’s apparently not something we can afford.

I find it hard to be accused of not listening by someone who for the first time in his political life seemed to have gone tone deaf. Just when I thought I was going to put the politics to rest for a while, Phil Scott shocked the heck out of me when I least expected it.  

( – promoted by Sue Prent)

The hard work of many candidates during this election has been admirable. These times call for serious leaders, those who are willing to stand up against fear- not those who use it to win elections. These are tough economic times, but we have turned the corner in many parts of our economy and I’m proud to have worked to bring jobs and economic progress to our region. I’m asking for another two years in the Vermont House so that I can continue to be an effective advocate for our future success.

The opening of the parking garage was a milestone on the long road to revitalization and is proof of what we can do when we work together toward common goals as a community. The word “affordable” has been tossed around by those who think that the investments we are responsible for in our children, in our health, and in infrastructure should be shirked so that we can push them on to another generation. Austerity in these areas would be the death of our long-term economic development. While we can’t spend our way out of recession, we can and have worked to build public-private partnerships where smart investments lead to jobs in our region.

There are irresponsible candidates this year who make the claim that Democrats are trying to take away Medicare benefits. This claim is preposterous. It’s the kind of falsehood that confuses voters and casts doubt. There are plenty of concerns about the future of healthcare in Vermont, but cutting benefits to seniors is not one of them. Why would the party who has worked to expand healthcare affordability and accessibility to all take away Medicare benefits? We recently passed legislation clarifying that Vermont’s Green Mountain Care would not “take over” Medicare and cut benefits.

I want my daughter to grow up in a Vermont with good schools, with strong communities and a growing economy. Those who use fear as their ally are trying to convince us that if we tighten our belts things will get better. Things get better when we share our talents, our wealth and our hope so that we can build a better future. It’s not surprising that these candidates have been supported by out of state interests who will profit when they cut programs we rely on, continue policies that keep wages down and lower taxes for the wealthy.

So, let’s say the worst happens on Tuesday and the politics of fear prevail. The handful of candidates who make it to Montpelier on promises to slash budgets across the board, stop healthcare reform and shut down critical parts of government are going to have a hard time making good on these overblown promises. Being an effective legislator is a lot less about the “fight” of the campaign and a lot more about compromise, deal-making and listening.

I trust that years of service in this community won’t be traded in for a cheap future. We all want to live in a Vermont where we pass a quality of life and community values from generation to generation. On Tuesday, don’t sell our future out cheap. Let’s find truly affordable ways to move beyond these challenging times- policies that work.

We can change the way we finance our schools and our healthcare so that we can provide better services at a lower cost. We can repower our state, and our nation so that we no longer have to rely on dirty, dangerous energy. Our future belongs to those who embrace hope, not fear. I believe in this community and this state. Let’s find real solutions and keep our community rolling forward. We can’t afford not to.

Representative Mike McCarthy

Saint Albans

( – promoted by Sue Prent)

The Campaign for Vermont  recently released an Education Research Tool with spending figures  for all Vermont schools. I was shocked to see that BFA tops the list at $30,859 per pupil per year. Fortunately, this number is totally inaccurate.

The Agency of Education and the BFA Annual Report from 2013 both show an equalized annual per pupil spending of $14,325 for fiscal year 2014. Why the big difference? I believe that it stems largely from the use of the budgets of the high school and the tech center together divided by an inaccurate pupil count for the high school alone to arrive at a grossly inaccurate spending number. I leave it to readers to decide whether this was a willful manipulation of the data or just bad methodology.

I applaud the Campaign for Vermont for their effort to shine light on education spending, but erroneous data causes confusion. Misinformation is worse than no information at all. I encourage everyone to educate themselves as to the real spending at each of our schools- and to look beyond test scores to outcomes like employment, graduation rates, and college enrollment as evidence of value for our tax dollars.

In Montpelier we are looking at changes in school property tax formulations, school governance and other policies that should reduce cost and improve outcomes for Vermont students. Data is very useful, but inaccurate data can be misleading and dangerous.

I applaud the work of FCSU and BFA administrators, staff and school board members. I’m very happy to report that, contrary to the Campaign for Vermont’s ERT, BFA’s per pupil spending is below the state average for Vermont high schools.

Representative Mike McCarthy

Saint Albans

( – promoted by Sue Prent)

I’m about to be Super Pac’d! Me, Mike McCarthy, running for a State Rep. seat. Was it the indignant letter to the editor I wrote criticizing Tayt Brooks and Vermonters First a few weeks ago, or is this just the new normal…?

Looks like me and 37 other candidates for the Vermont House and Senate are about to be mentioned according to a Notice of Mass Media Activities completed 10/18/12 and mailed to me at my campaign HQ (aka home) and signed by none other than Tayt Brooks.

Is it strange that I feel a sense of pride at being targeted by people who obviously have no freakin’ clue what campaigning in Vermont should be about?

Sad thing is the expenditure, dated 10/17/12, was made to Creative Direct out of Richmond, VA. If you want to voice your Super PAC disgust please email Tayt at vemonters1st@gmail.com . If you want to fight back, please join me in supporting the targets of these mail pieces.

John S. Rodgers

Stephen Amos

Jane Kitchel

Caroline Bright

Don Collins

Ann Cummings

Anthony Pollina

Amos Bell

Bob Irish

Cindy Weed

Claudette Sortino

Edward McGuire

Justin Marsh

Ken Fredette

Dave Potter

Timothy Cutler

Mike McCarthy

Peter Peltz

Bob South

Eldred French

Herb Russell

Jim Condon

Curt Taylor

Joan G. Lenes

John W. Malcolm

Kevin Christie

Kristy Kurt Spengler

Margaret “Peg” Andrews

Sarah Buxton

John H. Taylor

Susan Hatch Davis

Paul Poirier

Tess Taylor

Tim Jerman

Linda Waite-Simpson

Sherri Durgin-Campbell

Stephen Carr

Randy Brock’s facebook shared the link to VT Digger’s Fact Checker story about the “single biggest tax hike in history” claim being labeled as “True”. Here’s my response:

While the as yet still undeveloped Single Payer system will funnel the consumer payment and payment delivery to providers through government (possibly via a partnership with some private insurer(s)) the great benefit for us working stiffs is that it would take health insurance premiums out of our monthly budgets (not to mention our employers).

Raising the alarm about this “single biggest tax hike” is a lot like saying to someone who is on the lot at a car dealership shopping for a new car “They are going to take your old car away!” without them understanding that by doing so they are giving you the opportunity to get a new one with a lower monthly payment.  

(Promoted again. Philip Baruth and Doug Hoffer are pledging to help defend Mike against the Republican smears. Anyone else?

As we witnessed in the Republican primary and earlier in St. Albans City elections, there is a particularly ugly side emerging in Franklin County politics; but daylight is the best disinfectant, so we especially appreciate Mike’s diary appearing on GMD! – promoted by Jack McCullough)

Just so we’re clear, I’m Mike McCarthy, and I post on GMD as azvox. I’m a Democratic candidate for the State House in Saint Albans (Franklin 3-1). I also am a new Dad, a husband, the owner and operator of Cosmic Bakery & Cafe on Main Street, a volunteer at the St. Albans Community Justice Center and the Vice Chair of the Saint Albans Downtown Board.

A day after the primary a friend tagged me on his Facebook comment on a page entitled “I Like Mike McCarthy to Go Away”. The page, mirroring my campaign site, was filled with messages dating back to June 19 imploring the anonymous author’s friends to show their dislike for me.

All of the posts on the page were in caps, so the page had a pretty amateur feel, but the animosity was expressed with great enthusiasm and little humor. A hint of positivity graced the page, a link to the page of one of my opponents, Casey Toof.

Saint Albans is a pretty close-knit town, and we usually avoid overt negativity in our local races. However since the contentious City Council race in the Spring, it seems that some people find it acceptable to trash talk and call candidates “ARROGANT, SELFISH, and OUT FOR HIMSELF” on the old Facebook.

The site has since come down, but facebook traffic about the site has revealed some of the author’s associates and their feeling that my letter in the Labor Day edition of the Saint Albans Messenger was “full of untruths”.

It’s funny how bullies claim they’re the victims when a light is shown on their behavior. As I said in my letter to the editor, I would ask my supporters to keep their responses positive and clear about the vision we have for a more vibrant Saint Albans.

You can “like” my real Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ilikemikes…

(In the spirit of Julie Waters, whose critiques of misrepresentations and false equivalencies helped keep us all on a firm footing.   – promoted by NanuqFC)

Folks, Dr. Olgiati in freshman year Chemistry at Saint Michael’s College would have been appalled by some of the things I’ve been seeing on a daily basis in American Political Charts and Graphs.

I’ll start with a classic. The Laffer Curve. It was made famous by a conservative economics professor who was trying to illustrate something to Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney and was drawn on a napkin in one of the most important moments in voodoo economics. The laughable Laffer breaks two of the golden rules of statistical visual representation.

#1- Define some freaking units

#2- Describe where the data used to plot your curve or make your graph comes from.

The Laffer Curve has two “real” data points. Tax revenue at zero and 100% tax rates really will be zero. Everything else is a complete fiction, imagined and used to promote supply-side economics for 30 years. There is no greater argument for the need to increase resources for STEM education than the fact that Americans were willing to swallow this as actual economic information.

Here’s a more realistic “curve” set against the backdrop of the B.S. one. Oh, and by the way, the “tax rate” represented here as the U.S. point is the on the books corporate rate, not the effective rate after all of the loopholes, credits, subsidies and kickbacks that get paid.

A recent post on mediamatters.org included this latest piece of misleading chart art from my favorite people at Fox:

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2…

This little gem kills me. The right axis arbitrarily starts at 34%? WTF? Looks like a huge increase right? Wrong:

For my sanity’s sake. Please look at the units. Please question the curve. Do not be bullied by the bar graph. Stand up people! Use that cerebrum!

( – promoted by BP)

Last night in the beautiful Bliss Auditorium at the St. Albans Historical Museum I was serving up lasagna and listening to Senator Bernie Sanders take questions from the crowd. Bernie painted a pretty clear picture of America’s growing income inequality and he didn’t mince words about the cause: greed. A few large corporations, banks and families (Bernie mentioned the Waltons for example) own most of the wealth in America.

Much of that wealth was accumulated by shutting down some 60,000 manufacturing facilities in America in the last 50 years and instead relying on labor in places like China and Vietnam where people work for less than a dollar per hour.

This weekend I was at Franklin County Field Days and I also talked with a couple of voters and Cassandra Gekas, who is running for Lt. Governor, about Social Security disability benefits. Cass said working people have got to stop fighting among themselves for a few hundred dollars in government benefits and start demanding that the economy provide them with more opportunities to work and thrive.

Much more below the “fold”

We should be demanding that those who have grown wealthy reinvest in America. We should expect them to believe in and hire our workers. We should fix our crumbling roads and bridges, expand broadband access, catch up with Europe and Japan on high-speed rail.

Bernie made the choice in 2012 pretty clear last night, and I agree with his view. We don’t have the public resources to put Americans to work rebuilding our infrastructure because we’ve fought two long wars while at the same time cutting taxes. On top of this disastrous scheme, recession has reduced revenues to their lowest levels in decades as a percentage of GDP. Many in Congress would now like to blame programs like Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid for our $1.2 trillion deficit and our $16 trillion debt.

So we should cut back on our investments in health, education and infrastructure, right? It seems to make sense that if there’s less money coming in for revenues we should be cutting back on spending, but this is wrong. We won’t find our way to an America with a competitive rail system, a 21st century energy portfolio, better schools, safer roads and quality employment for all working people through austerity and tax breaks.

Fixing this economy requires businesses and individuals with resources to pay for a revitalized America. Anyone who loves this country should be proud to chip in. Bernie said 93% of the new income generated in America in 2009-2010 went to the top 1% of earners. Is it wrong for us to ask them to pay a little more to help America to get back on track? Let’s demand that Congress close tax loopholes, stop subsidizing profitable industries, and work together for a long-term vision of shared prosperity. American labor is ready to work.