Category Archives: local/regional

Matt Dunne wants a little Bernie buzz?

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As of now, Matt Dunne is the one to beat, at least in terms of money raised. Vermont News Bureau’s Neal Goswami reports that Dunne now has more than $430,000 in cash-on-hand — the most of any gubernatorial candidate — for the remainder of the primary season and into the general election if he wins the nomination. Dunne’s Democratic primary opponent, Sue Minter,  currently has $328,500 cash on hand which is nothing to sneeze at, either. So this current advantage may not make Dunne a front-runner, but he can hang his hat on it for now.

Right now, it looks like the Dunne campaign hopes to piggy-back on turnout and fund raising among the Bernie Sanders voters. Should Sanders win or lose the nomination the enthusiasm for change he fueled is likely to spill over to some degree into November.newbuzzmenu

Dunne had already moved to mark out a share of that territory with his refusal of corporate donations. Said Dunne when he gave back about $16,000.00 in corporate donations “inspired by Bernie Sanders and his ability to compete with a people-powered campaign.” 

Good strategy, but the announcement likely produced fewer bangs for his bucks thanks to the scene-stealing skills of Peter Galbraith. At the news conference called by Dunne, Galbraith ‘reluctantly’ commented on whether he may or may not enter the gubernatorial primary race.

The other day Dunne’s campaign manager pitched or those voters again  – linking Bernie’s enthusiastic voter base with Dunne’s fundraising philosophy:

“There’s a wide mix, including a great deal of in-state Vermonters who have made small-dollar contributions,” Nick Charyk said. “We have contributions from Vermonters in every county in the state and a lot of Vermonters who have never made a contribution before who have said, ‘my first contribution was to Bernie [Sanders] and now I’m donating to Matt.’”

Whoever wins the gubernatorial primary – Dunne or Minter – better build a good turnout firewall: Republican Phil Scott not only has excellent statewide name recognition with all voters but can also count on support from some Democrats even in a presidential year. Senator Dick Mazza (D, alleged) is already fundraising for his favorite Republican friend. And Senator John Campbell, Scott’s other Democratic BFF may even be counted on to help out the Republican in a pinch.

And former state senator Peter Galbraith has warned us he is waiting in the wings and may enter the primary race – joining the performance already underway.

NRC praises ‘flexible’ strategies

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Once in a while, just to see what I can see I’ll take a look at the US NRC blog. It is a special place where it almost seems believable that everything nuclear is always under control, always has been and always will be  — forever and ever.FukushimaMeltdown101113 However, a recent NRC post, on the anniversary of the Fukushima disaster tells me  “…great strides” have been made in the past five years. The NRC is getting even better!

A key lesson from the accident was that plants must be prepared for events not contemplated when they were designed and constructed. Plants’ strategies to address external events must be flexible enough to deal with variety of circumstances.

VYkidpoolAll that would be much more reassuring if  images of Entergy’s half dozen or so  kiddie pools full of tritiated water at Vermont Yankee weren’t still fresh in the mind of Vermonters.VYkidpool2 Granted Entergy’s plant is not operating but this can’t be what the NRC meant by flexible strategies.

 

 

Phil Scott swims with the GOP

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Last November Phil Scott was reported to support the growing call for stopping planned Syrian refugee immigration. Shortly thereafter he had to clarify his position to say that he had meant “pause.” Scott’s awkward swing at the anti-immigration issue didn’t look too good for a first-time gubernatorial candidate.

Not that he was the only state executive to weigh in. In the panic and unease following the early-winter terrorist attack in Paris, amid reports and rumors of a connection to the Syrian conflict, the Republican governors of Maine and Massachusetts and others said they would halt efforts to relocate Syrian refugees to their states.

Phil Scott and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Lisman both expressed a similar desire to hold off allowing Syrian resettlement in Vermont. Both were rebuked by supporters of allowing vetted war refugee immigrants to come to Vermont. Among the critics was Governor Shumlin, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Sue Minter and Matt Dunne, who said Scott and Lisman were “playing to our worst fears.”

Scott responded, saying in part “[…] I probably should have gone a little further to explain that I don’t understand the situation and I certainly don’t feel like we can pause or stop the refugee program in its entirety,” and from there proceeded to backtrack.

In very short order, Scott also suggested his position had been “misinterpreted” (VPR published the transcript of the interview), and found himself clarifying that he didn’t understand the refugee vetting process, was worried about security and wanted a “pause” not a “ stop.” He even helpfully added that “pause” meant “to stop, take a breath, explain the process and then resume.”

Belatedly he arranged for Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn to “get a couple of people together to explain it [security vetting process] to me.”

I say he backtracked, but looking back to last November it appears more like he just squiggled around awkwardly after sticking his neck out a bit and luckily for him finessed the issue –down the memory hole — away in a few news cycles.

So what might cause the normally cautious Lt. Governor to uncharacteristically speak out against I mean, come out in favor of a “pause” on war refugee immigration to Vermont? In this particular bit of clumsy international-state policy pronouncement, he may have spent down a little of the Phil-Scott-is-a-great-guy credit he accumulated with Democratic crossover voters.

It should now be obvious that while Phil Scott and Donald J. Trump are very different politicians, they both belong to the same Republican Party.

And since national polls show Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to say that some religions’ teachings promote violence, there is broad support in the party for these views.

In a survey conducted in January, Pew found that 65 percent of Republicans or those who lean Republican want to hear blunt talk about Islam, even if it includes blanket statements about the faith, while 29 percent prefer that politicians be careful not to criticize the faith as a whole.

Only 22 percent of Democrats and those who lean Democratic want politicians to use sweeping statements to criticize Islam, while 70 percent prefer more nuanced approaches.

So Donald J. can go around the country yowling “I think Islam hates us.” and find himself soaring in the polls. Vermonter Phil Scott hasn’t done that, but given Trump’s primary victory here, you can make the case that even in Vermont Scott is now swimming in the same fetid pool of GOP voters. And to win the governorship he must appeal to those Trump voters.

Multiple choice: Snyder, Lisman or Scott

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Okay time for a pop quiz:

Who said the following?“It is time for a new model.  It is time for customer service government.  The role of government is to treat you, the citizen, as the customer and look at life through your eyes and say ‘How can we help you succeed and how can we get out of your way.’”

A.) Bruce Lisman (R, Wall Street)  wsi 1

B.) Rollo Tamasi

C.) Gov. Rick Snyder (R, MN)

D.) Lt. Gov. Phil Scott (R, VT)

E.) none of the above

Answer:  C.)

It is Snyder’s governing philosophy as he explained when he first became Michigan governor. He also issued assurances that  radical streamlining of regulations aka ‘getting government out of the way’ wouldn’t be detrimental to the health and safety of the public or to the environment.

The city of Flint Michigan’s lead tainted drinking water, caused in part by Snyder’s administration, probably was in the back of many people’s mind when reports surfaced that we are having a toxic water crisis right here in Vermont. It is much smaller scale but just as bad for those affected.

We are already seeing how our state agencies and government officials will cope with the short term issues-supplying drinking water, testing wells, etc. In the long run an examination of how the contamination was allowed to happen and future regulatory policy corrections will likely be explored by the next governor we elect.

It is probably worth noting that both Vermont Republican primary candidates for governor are expressing strategies for governing eerily similar  to Snyder’s.

In fact Lisman’s recent editorial about what he calls the “valued customer citizen” could have been cribbed directly from the Michigan Governor’s remarks. “First, I’d ask you to re-imagine our state’s government – one that treats its constituents as valued customers and sees employers as strategic partners,” said Lisman.

And  like Lisman, Lt. Governor Scott has a vivid imagination. “Imagine if we had a governor’s office that treated every sector in the same way,” he says. But all sectors are not the same.

Financial sector regulations are designed to guard against poisoning the economic wellbeing of the state. However, in a different sector, say the chemical industry, unique rules must prevent poisoning people, water, and the economy. There was plenty of bailing out done but there was no need to distribute bottled water during the credit default swap crisis.

And speaking of the chemical industry: Lt. Gov. Scott had a chance to practice the industry-friendly philosophy he preaches when he cast a rare tie-breaking vote in the Senate. That 2015 vote probably pleased the chemical industry. His “Yes” vote killed a bill that would have strengthened recently enacted regulations (Act 188) controlling toxic chemicals used in children’s toys.

Scott opposed the changes, so as not to ‘create uncertainty’ for the industry, and suggested the existing weaker regulations should be “given a chance” so we could “see what happens.” It is worth stressing his choice was between strengthening the existing rules governing “chemicals of high concern to children” in toys or keep the law in its present form, which is considered weaker.

Hard to know exactly what form governor Lisman or governor Scott’s re-imagined government might take, but a quick glimpse at the havoc wrought from Snyder’s Flint-style customer service gives a frightening preview of the experiment.

Re-imagine that.

Updated: Jim Condos backs Bernie…& it’s a Michigan blowout!

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Following a shockingly unexpected victory for Bernie Sanders in the Michigan primary, these folks must feel especially good about their gutsy decision.

Vermont Secretary of State, Jim Condos, and Rep. Tim Jerman of Essex Junction have announced that, as superdelegates to the Democratic party convention, they will be joining Peter Welch in supporting Bernie Sanders’ bid to become President of the United States.  I completely overlooked the news that Democratic Party Chair, Dottie Deans, also threw her super support behind Bernie!  I must have been suffering from double-Dean vision.  Well done, Ms. Dean!

The pair waited until after Vermont’s voters had spoken in the primary to announce their choice because both felt it important to lend their weight to the choice of the people of Vermont.

Bernie Sanders, as we all know, walked away with all of the pledged delegates, when he scored more than 86 % of the popular vote in the Vermont primary.

It is unfortunate that Governor Shumlin and Senator Leahy could not wait to see what is the will of their constituents before throwing their own superdelegate support behind Hillary Clinton, who gained less than 13% of the popular vote. Howard Dean, who as a former Democratic Chairman also enjoys superdelegate status (and who once defeated Senator Sanders in a gubernatorial race) was another early Hillary supporter.

It would have been nice to see them also refrain from endorsement until after the people had spoken, but the Clintons represent a formidable bloc in the Democratic party, demanding and receiving loyalty based on their combined history of  electoral success; and nobody ever said that party politics were fair…or even particularly democratic.

Anyway, thank you Secretary Condos, Dottie Deans and Tim Jerman for resisting the siren’s song of power politics and instead remembering your own loyal constitutents.

Your contribution puts you on the right side of American history at what we can only hope will prove a pivotal moment.

Dog Pack on the Hunt for Lt. Gov.

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There is already almost half a dozen members of the pack in the hunt, by my count, and now one more will try to fit their collar and tags in the clutch to run for Lt. Governor. And now perhaps sniffing an opportunity Sen. John Rodgers (D-Essex/Orleans) is considering it.

The NEK’s Rodgers wants to see if a run for Lt. Gov. makes sense: “I’ve got some folks looking at numbers and figuring out a path forward. If it looks doable and feasible I’ve got to figure out if it fits into my personal life.”

The field as of today – Randy Brock will as of now is the only Republican. Boots Wardinski of Newbury will be running as a Progressive and Dr. Louis Meyers who is new to politics will run as an Independent.hatnring

On the Democratic side, current office holders Sen. David Zuckerman P/D,  Rep. Kesha Ram D have announced their candidacies. Brandon Riker of Marlboro who has never held elected office is reportedly also running. Earlier former Politico.com editor Garret Graff explored making a run but dropped out. The former Montpelier resident’s plans were disrupted when — to his shock — he discovered that he did not meet eligibility rules, after a ten-year absence from Vermont — a state he claims as his “mental home.”

Maine and New Hampshire are two of five states that find no reason to have an office of Lt. Gov. at all, but here in Vermont people are falling all over themselves to run for the part-time job. The official duties are limited but include being acting governor in the governor’s absence and being President of the Senate, except when exercising the office of Governor. And of course, in the event of the death of a serving governor, the Lt. Gov takes over.

Significant in terms of the Senate, the Lt. Gov. also serves as the third member on the powerful Committee on Committees. The three-member leadership Committee on Committees hand-picks senators to serve as chair-people on standing committees. The chairs in turn influence much of what gets a hearing in the legislative sessions. Currently the C of C’s is made up of alleged Democrats Dick Mazza (Grand Isle) and Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell (Windsor) and their BFF, Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott.

Although he may not be well known outside of the Northeast Kingdom, Senator Rodgers previously served in the State House for 8 years. He achieved some notoriety around the state in 2015 when he introduced legislation to designate the beagle the official state dog of Vermont.

In the Senate, his “Beagle bill” was called “a source of amusement if nothing else.” However PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) expressed concern over whether naming a specific breed was “a step backwards” and worried the designation would encourage the growth of “puppy mills.”

Senator Rogers defended the bill and explained how else he intends to spend his time in the Senate:

“the Beagle Bill” that I introduced for a constituent. I assure you that it literally took about two minutes. If you want to talk about a waste of time let’s talk about the new gun control proposal that I am busy trying to stop. […].

In addition to shouldering the burden of naming a state dog and stonewalling gun control, Senator Rodgers sits on the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, as well as being vice chair of the Committee on Institutions. According to the American Conservative Union, Rodgers is one of two highest-rated Democrats on conservative issues. At 43% he is a top conservative dog compared to other Democratic senators, to whom the ACU inaccurately refers as a “coalition of the radical left.”

All the actual and potential candidates a for Lt. Governor stress the agenda-setting capacity of the job. If Rodgers chooses to run he might be the perfect boutique candidate for Democratic beagle fans with a strong conservative bent.

It’s not clear what kind of state dog might be favored by Committee on Committee heads Senators Mazza and Campbell. For now at least, there is a wide array of possible future Lt. Governors seeking to wear the collar.

Frankln County: Bernie decimates Hillary and GOP field

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The front page table in today’s St. Albans Messenger tells it all: Bernie Sanders is the best candidate the Democrats can field in the general election.

As one of the most conservative counties in Vermont, Franklin County is a pretty good place to consider in an up-close examination of the primary results.

According to today’s table, here is how things shook out:

Donald Trump got a total of 1,782 votes.

Hillary got a total of 888 votes in all municipalities, roughly half of Trump’s total.

Of the other Republicans, only Ted Cruz got less votes than Hillary, at 508.

Bernie got a total of 7,060 votes!!  That is six times Trump’s total.

Bernie got more votes than all of the others together!

When voters really get to know Bernie, they are overwhelmingly drawn to his message.  For months now, Bernie’s strength against all of the Republicans (and Hillary’s relative weakness) has consistently shown up in all the polls.

Primaries are relatively poor tests of ultimate match-ups.

As we discovered in 2008, the super delegates are party loyalists above all.  When they began to see the groundswell of support for Obama toward the end of the primary season, they didn’t hesitate to throw-over Hillary for Obama.   I have to believe that they will eventually come around to recognizing where their best hope of winning lies.

Otherwise, we are in deep doo-doo.

VTGOP, Rubio flunk at Trump U.

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Marco Rubio finished third yesterday behind Donald Trump and John Kasich. And thirty Vermont GOP leaders may be a little red in face today after deciding at the last minute to back Marco Rubio for President “because of his uplifting message”.havinalaugh

Phil Scott briefly seemed to wiggle toward Kasich but followed that with a barely visible, embarrassed nod from a distance to conservative Marco Rubio.

History could have guided them. Had they given it any thought beforehand they might have looked back in the state’s Republican past: “What would Calvin Coolidge do?” Vermont’s famous taciturn Republican  would likely have kept his mouth shut .

Rubio’s supposedly positive message the VTGOP thought they heard quickly proved an illusion.The endorsement risks alienating centrist Vermont voters in the general election due to Rubio’s conservative positions on women’s issue and climate change.

Today the New York Times describes Rubio (and Ted Cruz) in no uncertain terms:

Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio — are not only to the right of Mr. Trump on many issues, but are embracing the same game of exclusion, bigotry and character assassination. That Mr. Rubio would make double entendres about the size of Mr. Trump’s hands and talk about Mr. Trump wetting his pants shows how much his influence has permeated this race and how willingly his rivals are copying his tactics.

Coolidge once said, “I have noticed that nothing I have never said ever did me any harm.”  

Vermont’s gang of Rubio supporters might update Silent Cal’s observation : “No one we never endorsed could ever do us any harm.”   Phil Scott, Kurt Wright, and Randy Brock failed history at Trump U.

Vermont conservatives perched on three legged stool

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The fabled moderate Vermont Republican has pretty much vanished, and if you believe the American Conservative Union, that respected personage of the past has been replaced by a small pocket of Reagan conservatives.

The American Conservative Union and the American Conservative Union Foundation were founded by William F. Buckley after the presidential election in 1964 (Barry Goldwater’s huge loss to LBJ). Along with a host of other activities they sponsor the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) once chaired by Carly Fiorina.

And now, the American Conservative Union says it is thrilled to announce “a small pocket of conservatism exists in Vermont: 33 out of 150 Representatives and 5 out of 30 Senators will receive ACU’s conservative award.”. ACUvt 1Vermont’s small conservative pocket is mostly Republican but a lone Democrat did well in the ratings: One outlier in the legislature is Representative Browning, a Democrat who will receive the ACU Conservative Excellence award for her 100% rating.

Rep. Cynthia Browning (D-Arlington) made the grade. She often votes with Republicans and has tangled with the Shumlin administration over access to healthcare funding details. And two NEK state senators, Bobby Starr and John Rodgers D-Essex-Orleans, hardly starting out as part of what the ACU termed the “coalition of the radical left,” might find their way into the conservative pocket with a little effort.ACUvt2

The ACU judged legislators on a wide range of bills from the 2015 session, selected to reflect an adherence to certain conservative principles.

We select bills that focus on former President Ronald Reagan’s philosophy of the “three-legged stool”: 1) economic: taxes, budgets, regulation, spending, healthcare, and property; 2) social and cultural: 2nd Amendment, religious freedom, life, welfare, and education; and 3) government integrity: voting, individual liberty, privacy, and transparency.

That seems to me less a description of a simple three-legged stool than some elaborate Empire dining room suite of issues. But who would know Ronald Reagan’s stool better than ACU and CPAC.

Trump’s BFF racist wake-up call to Vermonters

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Vermont GOPer’s it is past time to speak out.

Here is the text of the racist robo call that Comrade Rutherford mentions in his diary below.klanflamable

The American National Super PAC makes this call to support Donald Trump. I am William Johnson, a farmer and white nationalist.

The white race is dying out in America and Europe because we are afraid to be called “racist.” This is our mindset: It’s okay that our government destroys our children’s future, but don’t call me racist. I am afraid to be called racist. It’s okay to give away our country through immigration, but don’t call me racist. It’s okay that few schools anymore have beautiful white children as the majority, but don’t call me racist. Gradual genocide against the white race is okay, but don’t call me racist. I am afraid to be called racist. Donald Trump is not a racist, but Donald Trump is not afraid.

Don’t vote for a Cuban. Vote for Donald Trump. (213) 718-3908. This call is not authorized by Donald Trump.

Many people (mostly those with landlines perhaps) got American National Super PAC’s chilling call for Trump here in Vermont last night. It was lurking on my answering at work this morning.

Rightwingwatch.com has a bit more on Trump’s fan William Johnson and he isn’t exactly a farmer: “In the 1980s, Johnson put considerable effort into promoting his plan to strip the citizenship of and deport all but a small number of non-white people from the United States.”

One of my neighbors said she was in tears- half anger and half sadness after getting that call. What will happen if/when Republican Trump runs – it can’t happen here?