(This one’s been so hot in the sidebar that I thought I’d give it a whirl on the front page so that more people might join the conversation.  It’s been pretty civil, so let’s keep it that way! – promoted by Sue Prent)

VT Sen Mullin is reviving the effort to rid our commonwealth of the philosophical exemption to vaccinations.  I'm hopeful we can beat back the lobbying of misinformed, selfish people who were effective at scuttling the statutory change back in 2012.  I've already contacted our 3 legislators.

Sadly, according to the VPR report our school is below 90% compliance WRT to the MMR vax.  That's not necessarily inconsistent with general information I got recently from our principal, but I've written to him, the schoolboard chair, and the district superintendent for clarification on our immunization rates and how the administration might be addressing this issue.

Anywayz, please contact your delegation in Mount Peculiar:

• House: http://legislature.vermont.gov/people/all/2016/House
• Senate: http://legislature.vermont.gov/people/all/2016/Senate

Let's make sure rationality and social responsibility prevail this time.

ntodd

Update from the school nurse via our Johnny-on-the-spot principal:

I do not know where the information for this article was pulled from.  It is not current.  It may be the numbers from the Dec 2012 report.  The most recently publicly reported numbers are on the Dept of Health website http://www.healthvermont.gov/hc/imm/immsurv.aspx   Click on the 2013-2014 aggregate rates by school.  This is the information that was given to the Health Dept by us in December of 2013.  It has our MMR rate at 99.2%.  The most recent report that was done in December of 2014 has not yet been publicly reported by the Health Dept, but our MMR rate is similar to the 99.2%.  I don't have the exact number here, but I can give it to you on Thursday when I am back in the office.  I can understand this parent's concern; the number reported for us was not good, but also not correct.

Thanks also to the superintendent, who also got back to us quickly and will be informing VPR of their inaccuracy.

Adding: VPR fixed their story, noting they used outdated information.  FES is no longer on The List of Shame. 

I’ve been a fan of (and occasional contributor to) Green Mountain Daily for years. Where else can Vermont’s political left-of-center debate each other until they’re blue in the face? The Statehouse cafeteria, you say? True, but it’s a bit stuffy in there and it’s all too likely that some well-meaning legislator will overdo it and launch some salad dressing from one of the magnum dispensers on your laptop while you blog about it. GMD has been an inviting  place to share perspectives and catch up on the happenings that we Vermonters care about in our towns, our state and our world. The Front Pagers have always seemed like my kind of people.

That’s why I was humbled and, to tell the truth, a bit surprised when I got the message that some of my favorite critics, philosophers and political know-it-alls thought I could swing it as a GMD Front Pager. Well Front Page, here I am.

You may remember me blogging as azvox. I’ll be leaving that handle behind for the eponymous ID MikeMcCarthy. You may also remember me as a one-term Democratic Representative from Saint Albans who got swept out in the 2014 Red Mini-Wave. I’m also that long-haired guy who ran Cosmic Bakery on Main Street in Saint Albans for six years and is now racing around the state working on community solar.

Although I’m sad to be out of the Statehouse, it has freed me up to spend more time with my daughter, Molly (2.5 going on 16) and my incredible wife, Stephanie. It’s also given me the opportunity to take another look at what it means to be a Democrat in a purple place like Franklin County and share some of my thoughts about it with you fine people.

Many thanks to the Front Pagers, especially Sue Prent, for the opportunity to join the crew. You’re one of the few groups that occasionally remind me that I’m not as much of a radical as I think I am. I’m looking forward to many conversations, many debates and a constant renewal of my faith that there are others who care about good government in these cynical times.

Tonight’s Messenger (behind a paywall) featured an editorial by Mike Smith, a onetime Secretary of Administration under Jim Douglas.  In it he adds his outrage to the cacophany of right-eous voices in the blogosphere, all in defense of a Hollywood action flick.

Along with many others, Mr. Smith might want to walk back some of the heat in his response to remarks made about the movie “American Sniper.”

It is, after all, only a blockbuster movie; so get a grip, Mr. Smith.

Michael Moore doesn’t need defending.  Neither does Howard Dean; and Bill Maher, least of all.

I know the context in which each commented regarding “American Sniper” and it is sufficient to say that I get what they were trying to say.  

But this would be an opportunity lost, if we didn’t pause to remark on yet another invocation of the false outrage that threatens to sap our collective common sense.

The real story here isn’t political; it is cultural…and maybe ethical.

Being a former Navy Seal certainly qualifies Mr. Smith to comment on his own experience and whether or not the movie represents that in a meaningful way, but it does not endow him with particular privilege to attack anyone who doesn’t love this picture and the creepy blood-lust it raises in some audiences.

Howard Dean may have regretted his quip about the Tea Party, but that’s because he is a politician and the remark violated political “best practices,” not because there was no grain of truth in it.  

And nothing that he said disrespected real servicemen and women in any way.   His remarks were directed primarily toward “armchair warriors” who just love a fighting war, especially when they aren’t in it.

The fact is that movies glorifying American warriors, while appealing on many levels, do find a particular audience among the simply xenophobic, and those who distrust anyone who doesn’t share our common zeitgeist.  

While the Tea Party’s founding principles were primarily based on small government and conservative fiscal policy, it was soon co-opted to deliver messages of “American Exceptionalism” and xenophobia.

It isn’t much of a reach to joke that a movie that is heavy on defining the enemy as “savages” might have special appeal to the extreme right of American politics.

I looked to see what other ex-military had to say about the movie and found this very articulate piece on salon.com, by Garrett Reppenhagen, himself a former sniper in Iraq.

Says Reppenhagen of the movie:

This portrayal is not unrealistic. My unit had plenty of soldiers who thought like that. When you are sacrificing so much, it’s tempting to believe so strongly in the “noble cause,” a belief that gets hardened by the fatigue of multiple tours and whatever is going on at home. But viewing the war only through his eyes gives us too narrow a frame.

So while he acknowledges there is some truth in the portrayal, he is quick to point out the risk in allowing the emotions this piece of docu-drama raises in the susceptible to be mistaken for authenticity.

I met some incredible Iraqis during and after my deployment, and it is shameful to know that the movie has furthered ignorance that might put them in danger.

And he points to an important difference in the nature of the war wounds his own service as a sniper has left upon him:

Unlike Chris Kyle, who claimed his PTSD came from the inability to save more service members, most of the damage to my mental health was what I call “moral injury,” which is becoming a popular term in many veteran circles.

As a sniper I was not usually the victim of a traumatic event, but the perpetrator of violence and death. My actions in combat would have been more acceptable to me if I could cloak myself in the belief that the whole mission was for a greater good. Instead, I watched as the purpose of the mission slowly unraveled.

In Mr. Reppenhagen’s remarks we read authentic pain and haunting shadow.  

This is not a movie.

It’s Ground Hog Day in Vermont and we could all use some good news…other than the Patriots’. win, that is.

‘High time to welcome a new Front Pager to Green Mountain Daily: former Democratic Representative from St. Albans, Mike McCarthy!

I’ll let Mike introduce himself, but suffice it to say that he has been a contributor to GMD for a number of years now; is the Franklin County party chair, and currently works for the folks who endeavor to bring solar energy to as many Vermont households as they can, Sun Common.

Franklin County readers will remember him also as the former proprietor of a lively bakery/coffee shop, and occasional performance space, Cosmic Bakery, which became the hub of informal conversation and intense political debate.

Throughout the years, Mike has contributed his time generously to a number of community endeavors.

Mike is a husband and a dad, and we are grateful that he can still carve out some time for this wholly unpaid gig.

With that I’ll leave it to him to update the record.



Welcome Mike!

Brattleboro’s Barber Building up for sale

Sam’s: Staying in business … for at least another 10 years

By Robert Audette

raudette@reformer.com @shocked60 on Twitter

Posted:   01/30/2015 07:57:01 PM EST0 Comments | Updated:   about 12 hours ago

http://www.reformer.com/news/c…

Sam’s ‘Army Navy’ in Brattleboro VT — much loved highly successful local store serving residents as well as our friends from the downcountry flatter-lands — young & old alike since 1932 — looks to sell out their building & property which has been home for over 80 years since 1932 in landmark building built nearly 100 years ago in 1917. And, the Borofsky family- business owner is discouraging the next in line family member to become owner from continuing.

According to the Reformer story the flagship VT store has suffered a revenue loss the while the Keene NH store prospers & expands:

“We are becoming more of a tourist attraction because the locals choose to go across the river,” he said.

“The Keene store is going to expand this summer by a little more than 50 percent. It has a great future there.”

That’s a huge amount especially in this overall stagnant US economy.

The Hadley MA store is reportedly also strongly positioned.

Not mentioned is the Bellows Falls store, anchor of the downtown square which closed years ago leaving yet another hole in the local Windham Cty economy as they were a longtime steady business bringing commerce to the tiny town. Offered great paying steady employment in a wonderful atmosphere. And longtime employer for a small location.  

“The business climate gets worse and worse here and it gets better on the other side of the river,” he said…”On the east side of the Connecticut River there has been nothing but growth. But on our side, for about 30 years, it’s been in decline.”

As taxes rise here in VT including the optional local tax, or threat therof, affixed to the state sales tax to bolster declining revenues as well as the business community, this also becomes a disincentive for businesses to locate where the tax is levied or to stay. And this self-perpetuating downward spiral hurts everyone, state & local in part b/c VT is so small. Any ripple in the economy reverberates locally & regionally at the very least.

While our breathtakingly foolish wealthy governor and 1% club member cushions, pads & protects the bottom line of other wealthy VT friends he now hands a no-strings-attached cool $2.5 million to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi — worth hundreds of billions in assets — yes billions to keep former IBM soon-to-be Global Foundries in VT which not only shames our state and makes VT another laughingstock at least in Dubai. I’m sure the palace is ROFLAO. I guess chief dude his higness is free to fill campaign coffers as well as anyone.

As our own businesses go belly up, high-tail it for greener pastures or stay and die a slow painful death, VTers suffer as services are cut due to fiscal mismanagement and reduced income tax revenue. While simultaneously leveraging a huge tax bill on businesses is in the offing to pay for Shummy’s no-competition insurance giveaway aka Shummycare with its multimillion no-bid contracts to planners, architects, IT firms & other six-figure parasytical functionaries of a health care plan which offers few choices & is prohibitively expensive iow – the ‘Affordable’ CA is unaffordable in VT.

And forcing everyone who receives health care in VT to be shoved in who can be except for the elite members of VT society – teachers, state & municipal employees including retirees with cushy cadillac plans which allow them to go to the finest hospitals in the country. And the rest of us are on track to also pay the bill for their “cadillac tax” which will rise millions per year.

I’m beginning to suspect as middle class & working poor Vermonters become even poorer while costs of goods & services rise there will be larger tax deduction eligibility which will account for more declining revenue. And the reason for low unemployment is very likely due to those working 2-3 jobs which could be another revenue drain due to large deductions if these are HOH w/families.  

http://vtdigger.org/2015/01/29…

The largest employer in VT is the State of VT and other government employees who work for municipal government as well as teachers, compensation therof comprise 80% of school budgets all of which is unsustainable — think Greece where the majority of the populus worked in the public sector — this also caused a self-perpetuating downward spiral in which ordinary citizens & business owners were so heavily taxed they simply found ways to not pay at all.

Here in VT I have heard comments that some suspect VTers who work in NH are using NH residences and those that also own homes or real-estate in NH are claiming residency 6 mo + 1 day gets one in. Unsure if there is data which could show any movement this early to back up these suspicions.

Plenty of blame to go around and Jim-equals-jobs Douglas should get plenty. However just as Obama cannot blame Bush forever Shummy also gets to wear this one due to gross mismanagement.

As Shummy fiddles — VT burns.    

Vermont will be giving $2.5 million in incentive funds to GlobalFoundries Inc. This is the Dubai state-owned business that was virtually paid by IBM to take their plant here in Vermont off their hands.

Apparently no guarantees were made by the company in exchange for the $2.5 million incentive fund — or at least none were announced. Secretary of Administration Justin Johnson says the details are being worked out. Vague wishes to be “helpful to GlobalFoundries” and desire for the transfer from IBM go “smoothly” were expressed. And of course Governor Shumlin hopes Global may even retain jobs here in Vermont.

“I think there are some things we can do that would be helpful to GlobalFoundries to make sure we keep all the employees at IBM and expand in Vermont.” […] “This is a good deal for Vermont, it’s the right thing to do for us whenever,” the governor said.

The $2.5 million GlobalFoundries will receive is all that remains in the Vermont Enterprise Fund proposed last June by Governor Shumlin for “unforeseen or extraordinary circumstances.” The fund had originally been almost twice as large but state budget crunching reduced it significantly. There are no plans to replenish the fund after the GlobalFoundries gift empties it. Funny how all those litle incentive “eggs” wound up in the IBM/GlobalFoundries basket.

Secretary Johnson says the gift is all about “looking to the future,” but in all the business-based blather he comes the closest to uttering just the tiniest hint of gossamer strings attached to Vermont’s $2.5 million (ahem) donation to GlobalFoundries. He said, “We’d like them to do their next cool, big thing here and not somewhere else.”

Good plan! Just cross your fingers, hand over our millions and wish hard for the next cool, big thing.

Update/correction:  Contraleslie points out (in her comment below) that this is, in any case,  the decision of just the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board of the NRC, and will not necessarily be adopted by the entire Commission.

I guess I should be stunned by the decision of the Atomic Safety & Licensing Board of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that Entergy should be excused from the obligation to provide emergency monitoring at Vermont Yankee.

It is a measure of my lack of faith in the NRC that I am am, at most, confirmed in my cynicism.  

That the 2-1 vote was not unanimous is the one ray of hope on the horizon. Per the fire-walled Rutland Herald:

The majority said Vermont had not made a case for why Vermont Yankee should be treated differently from other nuclear power plants that are shut down and are not required to keep the emergency data system in place.

But the dissenting member, Richard Wardwell, said the other two members were misinterpreting the plain language about the issue of exemption, saying the law did apply to Vermont Yankee, operational or not. The exemption, Wardwell wrote in his dissent, applied to plants shut down before the requirement was put in place in 1990.

The state has maintained that enforced monitoring would be essential to community safety for as along as fuel remains in the spent fuel pool.

Entergy has always said it planned to move all of the fuel into dry cask storage “as soon as possible,” but I don’t believe there are any NRC rules mandating by what date the fuel must all be transferred to dry cask storage.

Spent fuel must remain in the pool for about five years, after which it is cool enough  to move to into dry storage. The casks are extremely costly themselves; even the cheaper design for which Entergy has opted.

This is in addition to the costs of creating onsite storage pads for the casks, since no permanent repository has been created, and the transfer process itself has attendant risks and costs.  

For all these reasons, reactor operators tend to delay the transfer as long as at all possible.  This has led to a situation of overcrowding in spent fuel pools all over the country.

Even if we take Entergy at its word (which has historically been unreliable),  the spent fuel will remain vulnerable in the pool for five more years.

No where are the fuel assemblies more vulnerable, in fact, than in the spent fuel pools built atop Mark 1 GE BWR reactors, such as the one at VY.

Built high above the reactor itself, if even a small breach in the pool occurs, simple gravity may lower the water level to a dangerous point rather rapidly. If electrical issues in the dormant facility compound the problem, remediation could conceivably fail.

Furthermore, positioned as it is beneath a relatively flimsy canopy of ceiling at the top at the reactor, the pool could be targeted by terrorists using all manner of aircraft, now including civilian drones.

These are, admittedly, unlikely scenarios, but don’t they seem more likely today than fifteen years ago?

What is amazing is that in this post 9/11 America, where we have been forced to surrender so much of our personal freedom for the sake of security, and few of the old rules seem to apply, the NRC can still insist on consistency with its own long standing policies that favor business interests over population safety concerns.

Nonetheless, based on Commissioner Wardwell’s comment, it sounds to me as if the State has pretty solid grounds for appeal, should the NRC agree with its Safety and Licensing Board.

(Please note: as always, this diary represents my own personal views and not necessarily those of Fairewinds Energy Education, where I am employed in a non-technical capacity.)

power for retrieving the missing information Gruber has failed to provide officials.

Hoffer can’t get answers on Gruber invoices

Morgan True Jan. 23 2015, 5:39 pm 9 Comments

State Auditor Doug Hoffer hasn’t gotten a satisfactory explanation for two sparsely detailed invoices totaling $160,000 the state received, and paid out, to economist Johnathan Gruber, Hoffer said.

http://vtdigger.org/2015/01/23…

If not for the analysis of the revenue sieve our leaky-boat Vermont has become from the office of Auditor Hoffer — the state agency that doesn’t function as another state-run bureaucracy and ticketmaster for the rich game players who operate in our state like its one big casino, there would not be much positive news.

There have been other notable actions that did not get much press — but this is a huge bold step to hopefully recoup state funds if found to be fraudulently received — as well as shining a light in the darkness of the get-rich-quick-scheme aka as the State of Vermont as well as bureaucrats & elected officials who don’t seem to care about the huge hole in our ship where our finances are circling around the drain.

Hear the deafeningly loud sucking sound … its the loss of revenue due to gross mismanagement by our elected officials. The list is long and we are all paying the price while those on top run to the side of the deck which is still above water as our ship begins to sink. Those on bottom in third class? SOL.    

Gee, I wonder how many of these highly paid fuctionaries including the newly wealthy will be able to say on their next luxury cruise following the other financial shipwreck of VHC “We built our fortune in VT”.

We need not wonder why:

Raimondo did not announce Rader Wallack’s salary.

http://www.providencejournal.c…

What could possibly go wrong?

http://www.history.com/topics/…

Iceberg? What iceberg…

We have “Democratic” leaders in our State actually proposing legislation to “prohibit teachers and school administrators from striking and school boards from imposing contracts and to require mandatory binding arbitration.”  WOW!  Sarah Buxton, Kevin Christie,and Jim Condon, you should be ashamed of yourselves.  H.76 is the bill I am referring to.  

The Democratic party in Vermont can no longer claim to be a friend of labor.  With a “Democratic” governor, who has, at every turn, shunned labor.  

Leadership?  Not of the party I know, and yes, I have been a life long Democrat…

About one week after Essex/Orleans Senator John Rodgers (D) (beagle) introduced S.25 — a bill to name a state dog — the idea is getting little support. At least in an online WCAX poll, little enthusiasm is being shown for the senator’s pet project. Keep in mind though, the poll is non-scientific and as with other things on WCAX perhaps meaningless.

WCAX.com Poll: Should Vermont have a state dog? If so, what kind should it be? We will share the results with policymakers in Montpelier who will make the choice.

Beagle 13% 

Pug 2% 

Golden retriever 7% 

Chocolate lab 4%

Black lab 8%

Husky 3%

German shepherd 5%

Mutt 10%

Something else 4%

Vermont doesn't need a state dog 44%

But then again, bill sponsor Senator Rodgers readily admits he is just having a little legislative laugh, and certainly he's not wasting everyone's time. “It’s been a source of amusement if nothing else.”

Recently on his FaceBook page Rodgers explained what he thinks is a waste of time:

By now most of you have heard about “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. […] 

I guess Senator Rodgers always opens with a joke — or maybe a dogwhistle.