I just don’t know what to do with this:

Another feature of the reborn 2008 Shumlin bill is the all-out taxpayer-financed “climate change educational campaign,” also known as the “Green Madrassah,” through which the next generation of Vermonters will be thoroughly indoctrinated in Al Gore and Bill McKibben’s apocalyptic climate theology. This is designed to reduce resistance to the increasingly desperate tax and regulatory schemes that will likely be needed to push Vermont to the goal of 90 percent of energy from renewables by 2050.

http://www.benningtonbanner.co…

That didn't take long:

Republican Burlington mayoral candidate Kurt Wright’s plan to sell off the city’s electric department might not yield his envisioned windfall, the utility’s general manager says. Wright, a Ward 4 city councilor, said Wednesday that a sale of Burlington Electric Department likely would net more than $100 million — after paying off its bonds — and boost the city’s recently downgraded credit rating.

From the Freeps He also thinks the airport might be in need of a commercial 'partner' to thrive as a regional airport. Really? Wonder if Entergy would be interested in BED. Lots of fresh water in the lake to absorb some tritium exit sign chemicals, and they could refurbish the old Moran plant – it already leaks and has structural issues, no mismanagement needed. This election might see a call to 'Occupy Kurt Wright'.

I fear that the long shadow of 9/11 will be with us for years to come. It has stretched over our politics, our wars, our ‘defense’ of the homeland, our immigration policy, etc. etc. etc.

And it now stretches over the narrative of the race for Governor of Vermont.

From the Freeps:

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was heading to work at Boston’s Logan airport, where I have flown as a captain for Americans Airlines since 1989. At about 8:20, I re­ceived a message that one of our flight attendants in the air had re­ported a hijacking. I knew my friend, Capt. John Ogonowski, was in the cockpit on Flight 11 that day.

…I had seen the TV cover­age of the devastation at ground zero and expected the worst, but nothing had prepared me for the over­whelming psychological and spiritual shock of see­ing that dark expanse of twisted, smoking wreckage that held the remains of thousands of human beings.

And with the shadow of 9/11, of course comes the line ‘Duty to country…’ and the dramatic vision of our fearless co-pilot springing into action.

…To ensure that rescue workers at ground zero were able to communicate, a Motorola factory in Fort Lauderdale pre-programmed 2,000 ra­dios, but were told to wait for the proper authority be­fore we could act. With a choice of waiting for ap­proval or bucking the chain of command, I decided to act. I called the aircraft commander of the Florida Air Guard, gave him my so­cial security number, and said, “I take full responsi­bility, just get those radios to the people in need right now.”

I honor and respect Mr. Dubie (and his family’s) service to country.

But I’m always wondering what this man of action has been doing the last 8 years? Does he take full (or even partial) responsibility for the state of the state? For the ‘tough’ choices he’s had to make? For helping to grow local businesses? Address issues of spiraling health care costs to our citizens and businesses?

Could he stand up and order action that gets services, food, jobs, benefits, and compassion to those Vermonters in dire need of help – those ‘targeted’ most vulnerable citizens who have lost jobs, businesses and homes? Those people who now need their government to help them through a crisis? Who calls in the radio’s for Vermont’s citizens in time of need? Who makes the tough decisions to just get it done? Mr. Dubie has been sitting in the co-pilot’s chair for a long time. Has he ever asked to take the controls for a bit? Has he ever been given the chance? Where’s his voice? What has he done?

Vermonters may not be buried in rubble and in shock from a heinous act of murder – but many need to dig out from the mismanagement of the past and from a financial disaster unlike any in recent history. While our finances have crumbled – our roads and bridges are doing the same, and our schools are on the very same path.

Mr. Dubie – can you call in those radios for Vermonters? Can you ditch protocol and sidestep the chain of command, the ideology of party, the talking points? Can you do what is right for Vermonters?

Based on 8 years in the co-pilot seat – I’d have to guess – probably not.

Seems tritium levels continue to rise, with more monitoring wells on the way:

Levels of tritium continue to rise in the well closest to the Connecticut River and within the mapped plume. Smith said that well, GZ14-S, was shallow and about 60 feet from the river. Tritium was measured at 370,000 picocuries per liter last week, up from 353,000 picocuries per liter on Aug. 16. That level of radioactivity is similar to water inside the reactor.

From the Times Argus

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

From the Burlington Free Press:

Entergy Corp., owner of the Vernon power plant, is required to report to the state every five years how much cleanup of the site would cost when the plant closes, how much money is available and how the company will make up the difference. The report from state Auditor Tom Salmon’s office, said that should happen every 2 1/2 years, or more frequently if there is significant turmoil in the financial markets.

Legislators asked for the audit in 2007 amid concerns that the decommissioning fund would be inadequate. The fund had $428 million as of Dec. 31. Decommissioning is estimated to cost close to $1 billion.

So the request was in 2007. The report was released in 2010 (was it really released? there is not a link to the report, or any specific information…) – and Mr. Salmon suggests that it should be repeated every 2 1/2 years (or more frequently) instead of the five.

So, has his office already started on the next audit?

Not much more at BFP: http://bit.ly/apfaLP

Glad to hear that a mere earthquake or hurricane cannot phase VY.

From VPR:

Vermont Yankee spokesperson Larry Smith said operators at the facility definitely felt the earthquake and quickly implemented a series of protocols:

(Smith) “Under that procedure plant operators immediately go walk down all of the safety systems – every part of the plant – to ensure that there’s no damage. There are no effects from this earthquake, no damage to plant equipment whatsoever, no damage to the buildings. The plant is at 100% power.”

I’m not surprised at the outcome of the ‘walkdown’ – after weekly leaks, cracks, pipes, etc… what could go wrong? The thing is falling apart on its own – it doesn’t need any shaking to help it out. I wonder what kind of ‘walkdown’ it would take to get this stuff to stop happening:

From WCAX:

A new problem at Vermont Yankee: The nuclear plant says it had to fix two cracks in a water cooling tower last week, but Entergy never told the state about it.