Oops, I overlooked something in Bruce Lisman’s profoundly narcissistic announcement of non-candidacy. It was right there in plain sight. Did you miss it, too?

Here’s a reduced version of his key statement.

In response to strong urgings by a broad cross section of Vermonters, … Bruce Lisman… today announced he will not be running for Governor of Vermont in 2014.

See it now?

The plain reading of that sentence is this: A broad cross-section of Vermonters was urging him NOT to run.

Cough. That news release was even more accurate than Lisman knew.

Kudos also to Lisman spokesflack Shawn Shouldice for putting out such an amusingly flawed sentence. Oopsie much?  

With Bruce Lisman’s formal announcement that he will not run for Governor, the Vermont Republican Party is facing something of an existential crisis.

Wait, you may be saying. What could possibly be worse than 2012, when all the VTGOP’s statewide candidates except Phil Scott lost badly and the party was reduced to super-minority status in the Legislature?

Well, how about this. No candidate running for Governor*. Perhaps no candidate running for other statewide offices aside from Lieutenant Governor. Tea Partier Mark Donka dragging down the “ticket” with his second no-hope bid to unseat Congressman Peter Welch.

*Emily Peyton is running as a Republican, but the party has said it would disavow her if she wins the GOP primary. Which is starting to look like a real possibility.

Farfetched, you might say? Not so, my friend.

I’ve been told that Randy Brock has, sensibly, decided not to throw good money (and effort) after bad with another run for Governor. And with Heidi Scheuermann already out, and Lisman sidelining himself, the Party appears to be pinning all its hopes on businessman Scott Milne, who has said he will decide whether to run on June 12, which happens to be the filing deadline. (I’ve also been told there’s nobody waiting in the wings to run for Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor, or Attorney General. Seems unlikely, but then, it’s extremely late for anyone to begin a serious statewide campaign.)

If that’s really his plan, then he might as well withdraw right now. And if he does, the VTGOP might be left without a plausible candidate for Governor, and with more vacancies than candidates on the statewide ballot.

After the jump: Death knell for Phil Scott Republicanism?

Which then calls into question the “new, inclusive, Phil Scott VTGOP” narrative. If the party falls on its face this year, I have to think the Lindley/Johnston/Roper/McLaughry forces will be chomping at the bit, waiting to stage a counter-coup. After all, the Scott move will have been an utter failure, no?

Sad. Pathetic. Embarrassing. And, even if you’re a supporter of the Democratic Party, not good news for the health of our political system. In the absence of a credible VTGOP, the Dems stand every chance of getting fat, lazy, and corrupt. (Yes, I know some of you think they’re already there. Let’s say, for your sake, “even more fat, lazy, and corrupt.”)

We know how that endgame goes: sooner or later the voters sit up and take notice and throw the bums out, just like the post-Jean Chretien Liberals in Canada. (It wasn’t that long ago the Conservatives were hopelessly divided, the NDP was marginalized, and the Liberals looked unbeatable. Where are they now?)

This observation won’t keep me from tossing rotten tomatoes at the lifeboats abandoning the Good Ship VTGOP, but really, it’s a depressing development.  

Darn, I was right after all. Bruce Lisman is not running for Governor. His announcement of non-candidacy is just dripping with unwarranted narcissism.

In response to strong urgings by a broad cross section of Vermonters over the past few months and persistent media inquiries, Bruce Lisman, a native Vermonter, successful business executive, and founding officer of Campaign for Vermont today announced he will not be running for Governor of Vermont in 2014.

Good God. How full of himself is he?

Well, half full of himself, half full of bullshit.

“I love Vermont and believe that she faces serious challenges as seldom before in her history,” said Lisman. “At this time, however, I believe I can best contribute to improving Vermont’s future by publicly and vigorously advocating for a focused, core set of moderate, nonpartisan and common sense government reforms. Indeed, this coalition building effort is the best approach to policy change and consistent with my focus since 2011.”

Shorter Lisman: Vermonters far and wide have begged me to come to their rescue. However, I must sadly decline their urgings to be their Messiah and lead them to salvation. I can best serve the polity by doing whatever the hell I’ve been doing for the last three years.

Among other things, Lisman’s dithering about a possible run may well have completely derailed the Vermont Republican Party. I’ll have more to say about this in an upcoming diary.

What a schmuck.  

Another day, another marriage equality decision.

A week or two ago I was out with some other white hat lobbyists at an event we call Beer Friday, where we decompress and share stories about our experiences under the Dome, fighting for people nobody much wants to fight for. Someone commented that they couldn't really think of anything good happening on the national political scene these days, and the first thing I could think of was how fast marriage equality and the recognition of rights for all people have advanced.

This week's decision in the Pennsylvania marriage case, even though it's already the third such decision this week, is an inspiring example. This is a decision by a federal judge appointed by George W. Bush and strongly supported by Rick Santorum, and yet, like a growing number of Republicans across the country this judge understands what's at stake and what these cases mean.

Just think about how he phrased it. It sticks with you:

 “We are a better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them into the ash heap of history.”

 Oh yes, and the other good news: the Republican governor of Pennsylvania, who defended this case when the Democratic attorney general wouldn't, has announced that the state will not appeal the decision.

It seems that the stubborn problem of nuclear waste will not stay off the radar, no matter how hard the nuclear industry tries to hide it.

The latest development is a newly discovered leak at the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Project in New Mexico, near Carlsbad, California.

Vermont’s own Arnie Gundersen, of Fairewinds Associates made an appearance on CNN last night to explain the problem, an example of the all too likely scenario of human error intervening in the theoretically “safe” longterm storage of nuclear waste.

Apparently, conventional cat litter has, for decades, been the preferred material to soak up spills in nuclear labs. So it made sense that, when the question of moisture suppression arose in long-term storage of nuclear waste, kitty litter efficiently answered the call.  Barrels containing the waste were packed for long term storage with kitty litter in order to draw moisture away from the sensitive contents.  

Unfortunately, some well-meaning soul, probably in procurement, changed the type of cat litter used to an organic variety, apparently without consulting anyone with a knowledge of chemistry.  

As Arnie explains, the organic cat litter is corn-based, and when the corn absorbs the nitrogen in the container, a very volatile and unstable compound resembling nitroglycerin is the product. This has already led to the explosion of a barrel in the underground facility In New Mexico, broadcasting radiation contamination all over the place.

It is unknown how many more containers are affected; or even where those may be located.

According to the order, two of those containers are known to be at WIPP. It doesn’t say where the rest of the barrels are, but Los Alamos was in the process of transferring the last of thousands of barrels of waste from decades of nuclear bomb making to the underground dump when the leak shuttered the half-mile (800-meter)-deep mine.

Bad enough is the discovery and clean-up effort that will be required inside the WIPP underground facility.  Far more concerning is the fate of the unknown number of similarly affected barrels that may be resting above ground in locations  there and elsewhere in the country.

Arnie points to the high temperatures coming with summer that will only serve to exacerbate the explosion potential from those undetected barrels.

This material gets more and more unstable as it gets warmer; and, of course, we’re heading into the summer months on the desert.   So, those barrels that are above ground, if they were to blow like the one that did below ground, we’d have a serious public health effect.

As they listen to Entergy’s arguments that there will be no need for an evacuation plan once Yankee has been shuttered for six months, one can only hope that the NRC will bear in mind the lesson on the dangers of simple human error illustrated at WIPP.

To that they should add the mental image of mice and other vermin gaining access over the decades before the plant is fully neutralized.  Think of all those non-humans randomly gnawing away at wires and other essential conduits.

If that isn’t enough to chill their blood, they should think of a solitary watchman, ten years on the job at pay Entergy deems fitting for a non-returning facility.  Think of that watchman snoozing fitfully while some fledgling terrorist or foolish teenager breeches aging security features to gain access to nuclear materials or scrap copper fittings.

There are so many ways in which to fear the post nuclear future.  We will have created so much toxic product; so many substances that didn’t exist before human folly created them.

Could they be our final legacy?

Have you received your driver’s license renewal notice from the Vermont DMV recently?

It comes with plenty of changes, none of them good for anyone concerned with privacy and records protection.

In fact, mine came with this scary poster:

And the kicker (one wonders whether some DMV employee has a sense of irony … nah) is the bottom line:

Thank you for helping us keep America safe.

Here are your license renewal options: Get a “Real ID”- compliant driver’s license (and for that you get what they call a “gold star”); OR get a “Driver’s Privilege Card,” good for a maximum of two years, and marked in a scary red banner:

NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION

For those who don’t know what “Real ID” means:

1. In effect, the state no longer regulates the issuance of driver’s licenses and non-driver’s identification cards; the federal government does.

2. In about 18 months, the United States will have established a de facto national identity card, without which you cannot board a plane or enter any federal building (with the likely exception of the Post Office).

3. The REAL ID Act imposes on states, now including Vermont, federal regulations on data retention and storage; documents required to issue a driver’s license (see below); and the linking of databases, to name just a few.

Think about it.

Some of the most infamous tyrannies (think Germany in the late 1930s, or South Africa in the 1970s) required that their citizens carry their national ID cards with them at all times, subject to severe penalties, or even the suspicions/whims of a cop having a bad day.

[REAL ID document requirements and latest local intrusions after the jump.]

REAL IDs cannot be issued in Vermont unless you renew your license in person at a DMV office.

You must bring with you 3 forms of ID:

• passport and/or name change documents, including marriage or civil union certificate;
• at least one document containing your social security number
  • your social security card
  • a W-2
  • 1099
  • or a pay stub);
• two pieces of mail with name & street address, or if you’re using a PO box,
  • copies of property tax bill
  • utility bill
  • property insurance policy.

If you’ve got all that, you get a “gold” star for your REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or non-driver ID. And, the contents of all those “proof of identity and residence” documents will be encoded onto your REAL-ID gold-star Vermont (hah) Driver’s License.

If not, or if you choose to renew by mail, no gold star for you! instead, you get the scary, red banner NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION on your 2-year “Driver’s Privilege Card,” after which time you have to come up with the documents for your federal national identity document.

So let’s remember that, originally, your social security number was only to be used for, um, your social security account and related tax forms. Right. Now, think of all the places you are asked for your social security number.

Now imagine how many places will refuse to accept any identification other than the gold-star REAL ID: federally chartered banks, federal courts, the aforementioned airlines, grocery stores validating debit and credit cards, car dealerships, insurance companies, clinics and hospitals receiving federal funds.

Imagine how suspiciously the state cop will regard you when you offer your “Driver Privilege Card” with your insurance card the next time you have a taillight out or you’re traveling a mite fast.

And now imagine how undocumented migrant workers might feel, since, according to current DMV website examples and a statement at the top of the renewal form I received, the non-REAL-ID-compliant “license” is the same card that they get: a “Driver’s Privilege Card.”

Vermont’s DMV already has scanned every driver’s license photo it has into a digital database, which is potentially available to any federal or state investigator for any reason – or none. All they have to do is ask. And now the askers will have access to your property tax bill, your home owner’s or renter’s insurance policy, and what you’re paying for utilities and to whom.

The final intrusion is, to the best of my recollection, a brand new renewal question, regardless of which brand of driver ID document you get:

4. Do you have a history of any physical or mental condition including diabetes, epilepsy, seizures or blackouts, (other than properly corrected eyesight) that could affect your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle?

Answering yes requires explanation and details of medications.

Which means that suddenly the DMV has your health information in its files, available to anyone who has access to DMV records, and apparently without any of the protections built into healthcare records elsewhere.

And what if you say no? Will the DMV check into healthcare records to confirm or challenge your answer? On what authority?

This is not the security state: it’s the surveillance state. And Vermont has surrendered.

Thank you, Vermont DMV, for helping “us” keep America submissive and surveilled.

– updated –

KOCH BROTHERS EXPOSED: 2014 Edition

I hope you’re ready for a wild ride. Billionaires David and Charles Koch have been handed the ability to buy our democracy in the form of giant checks to the House, Senate, and soon, possibly even the Presidency. The last time we exposed the Koch Brothers’ dealings to the world we here at Brave New Films wound up in their crosshairs. They produced online ad campaigns attacking us, but, it takes more than a banner ad to slow us down.

We’ve reissued Koch Brothers Exposed in an updated version, Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014 Edition, to shine a light on them. We’ve delved even deeper into where their money is going, who their money is hurting, and how much they are making during this whole process leading up to the 2014 Elections.

Two years ago when we made this film very few people knew who the Koch Brothers were or what the Koch Brothers were doing. But now, we so strongly believe that everyone should know what is happening that with your help and donations we are able to offer the film for free. We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to see the truth:

Finally found the time to watch the 55 minute film. Initially, had a very difficult time getting the download — I just didn’t know how to navigate their site. One must register & obviously they want a donation — no problem here but wanted to bring the film for anyone who wishes to to watch it. So, after registering, film can’t be downloaded until opening e-mail which apparently completes the process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?…

http://www.bravenewfilms.org/k…

One of the great things this film does is touch upon ALEC & how easy ALEC makes it to infiltrate our state legislatures to make all states conform to their extremist ideology as much as possible.

GOP rep raises concerns over showing of anti-Koch brothers movie in Capitol

Published May 19, 2014

A Republican lawmaker is raising concerns over the fact that Democrats are planning to host the premiere of an anti-Koch brothers documentary in a taxpayer-funded room in the Capitol on Tuesday.

http://www.foxnews.com/politic…

Wiki says it is a 2012 film however I hadn’t seen it or even heard of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…

However politically motivated it may be or may not be, the truth is still the truth regardless of who’s spittin it. Whether rules or whatever else are being violated — and I haven’t seen anything but the links posted, nor do I understand the intricisies here — however one thing is clear –all of these activities & the players in the game need a closer look.

Following Citizens United SCOTUS decision, the upending & poisoning of our democracy by the oceans of limitless cash available for bankrolling the Corporate Reichocracy & special interests as well as the purchasing of our elected leaders, I think the gullible public needs an awakening.

There are many who remain completely uninformed of the shenaningans & the undue influence exerted behind the scenes of controversies we face at the local & state level, to say nothing about the national scene. Energy sources are big business — and as competitive as any product we purchase.

Hopefully with this new version — this will be an eye-opener for Vermonters who watch the film as we ponder ho will fill the energy void as well as who is saying what & why.    

More:

The Koch Brothers – Exposed!

By Julian Brookes

POSTED: April 20, 5:15 PM ET

http://www.rollingstone.com/po…

( – promoted by Sue Prent)

As I noted in the socialmediazonez, my Favorite Vermont Birther, H Brooke Paige, was denied cert today, which makes me incredibly sad.  I've been earnestly waiting since March for SCOTUS to pick up the definitive case that would prove once and for all that Obama is or is not president.  Now we'll never, ever know.

*shakes fist at Horace Greeley, updates scorecard*

ntodd

PS–I hope Paige still has Google Alerts on and provides one of his patented ALL CAPS responses. 

PPS–Birthers are sad:

[T]he US Supreme Court has once again abrogated their duty. They decided to not take on the appeal from the Vermont courts of H. Brooke Paige in Paige V Vermont. A challenge of Barack Obama’s natural born citizen status.

Sadly we have no functioning Supreme Court, no separation of powers.

No justice or justices.

It's almost like they don't even consider that SCOTUS might not take up a case because they agree with the 11 score rulings against The Cause so denying cert is, in fact, the Court's duty.

Almost. 

Still waiting for H Brooke Paige to emerge from his cave to set us right about how this is really a victory because SCOTUS didn't rule on merits. 

(Nice to hear what’s up in the northeast corner of the state! – promoted by Sue Prent)

As promised, Kristina Michelsen is not running again for the house representing the CALEDONIA-2 district. Some Men In Suits were seen in front of the Centennial Building shortly before new Select Board Members Larry Hamill announced he was running as a Republican for the seat.

I had previously posted here that the Dems were beating the bushes to try to find somebody, anybody, to run against the Republican Party. They got some guy named Chip Something-Or-Other…

Well, on Saturday, I was standing outside glaring at the teen drivers speeding down the otherwise calm and quiet residential street when this grizzled greybeard came up and introduced himself. He was the famous Chip Not-The-Republican!

There’s more in a rare split diary from the Disillusioned Comrade:

He was making the rounds gathering signatures to get on the ballot.  I was eager to sign.

He is Chip Troiano from Stannard, he’s been working for Legal Aid representing the poor and homeless for several years. He’s older than me, having been in the infantry in Viet-Nam, finishing his time there as a door-gunner on the famous Hueys…

We had an interesting talk, he asked great questions, starting with, “What’s your biggest concern in the legislature?”

We spoke about how Vermont is way behind the times regarding Cannabis policy (thanks for nothing, Shap!), the crazy ways that our schools are funded where the cap on per-pupil spending doesn’t take into account special needs students so that three special needs kids and their caretakers almost put the tiny burg of Woodbury into the same class as Stowe: A ‘Sending’ Town, and the way that the Vermont welfare system is still stuck in full-time work thus not understanding the Brave New Republican world where no one has full time jobs anymore, no one get’s paid the same month to month and everyone has to have three jobs just to pay the gas to get to those jobs.

Nice guy. I’ll vote for him…

Got this note from John Bauer, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor:

Today the Vermont Democratic Party’s State Committee voted to formally endorse my campaign for Lt. Governor. I am honored and delighted to receive the overwhelming support of representatives from every county in the state

I ask that democrats across Vermont join with the woman surviving on Social Security who contributed $5, with the retiree working part-time who gave $10, and the musician who could only afford a dollar to help me qualify for public financing by June 12.

To be honest, the Dems had spent a fair bit of time casting about for an alternative to Bauer without success. I think they were hoping to find a female candidate with a higher political profile (Sue Minter’s name was tossed around, but she decided to keep her cabinet post); but the party could certainly do worse than Bauer. He’ll be an energetic, articulate opponent for Phil Scott. He’ll do his best to make Scott actually articulate some actual positions. And, win or lose, he’ll get some good ideas into the policy debate.  

I hope the party nod will give Bauer a big boost toward qualifying for public financing. Those funds would be crucial in mounting a credible campaign. And, as I wrote before, I’d just like to see public financing become a credible option for candidates.

It’s also nice to see the state committee endorse a decidedly liberal (or even small-P progressive, a word Bauer uses to describe himself) candidate.