A NEW DAY HAS DAWNED

Liberals were coming out of the woodwork. Make-up was banded. Sack dresses were derigeur. Figures were reserved for the budget. Beards and ponytails adorned guys in jeans. A new day had dawned; the Democrats were back in power.

Speaker, not queen, Gaye Symington was the uncontested Leader of the House. She announced her committees, proclaiming diversity. “Two Republicans, two gays, five women, an African American, a Progressive, and a partridge in a pear tree.”

Twenty-two years ago, Secretary James Watt, the Interior Secretary for President Ronald Reagan, when asked about diversity in his agency, said, "I have a black, a woman, two Jews, and a cripple and we have talent!" He was fired. What changed?

ALL PRAISE THE QUEEN

And they do. One and all say that she is brilliant, focused, and organized. She is well educated. Her enemy is not the Republican caucus, they are sans tooth. It is not the governor, he must compromise. It is the wide eyed liberal; like Voldemort, not sipping from the chalice of the power of the unicorn during the last four years left them deranged.

Symington appears to have controlled them, employing a combination of deals and banishment. For example, Representative Bill Lippert insisted on introducing a gay marriage bill. Lippert, a gay representative from Hinesburg, had, with his heartfelt rhetoric, persuaded the last couple of legislators to vote yes to insure passage of Civil Unions in 2000.

Such a move would have been a bonanza for Republicans. The Civil Unions session swung seventeen votes to the GOP. Symington, seeing herself as a one-term speaker, promptly appointed Lippert Chair of the Judiciary Committee, gaining postponement of the inevitable gay marriage bill.

IT’S A LONG AND WINDING ROAD

Curious minds do want to know, what is Speaker Symington made of? She appears to have never worried where her next meal was coming from, how her next doctor’s visit was being reimbursed, applied for fuel assistance, or worried that affordable housing did not exist in her price category. "Permits" related to permission slips allowed her children to go to piano lessons. Stormwater problems meant it was time to clean the gutters. It has been a life of privilege.

What will happen when all hell breaks loose in April, when there are bumps, snakes, quicksand, and tiger pits? When treachery and backstabbing run rampant? Can she take a punch?

WHAT WAS HIS NAME?

How soon we forget. Speaker Walter Freed has returned to his life as an oil-agarch, husband, parent, and neighbor. DPR asked what he thought his legacy would be. Freed told DPR, “That you can elect Republicans if you try. Folks should also acknowledge that Governor Douglas would not have passed his permit reform, Act 60 reform, workman’s compensation reform, and so forth without a Republican House.”

Freed became speaker because he earned it. First, he was chair of the party. When the party proved ineffective he set up his own PAC. He became minority leader. Act 60 increased his team by ten seats to sixty-seven, civil unions carried them to eighty-three. Once speaker, he had no agenda, no plan, no policies which he was just dying to enact and see implemented.

WALT’S THE MAN

Others were more generous. “The first two years were just plain fun. We could do anything we wanted, we had the votes. We could stuff Howard Dean. We could cause trouble. But it was hard to enact anything because we were young and stupid and because President pro tem Peter Shumlin of would not keep his word.

“In the last two years with Douglas as governor and Senator Peter Welch as President pro tem, lots could and did happen. Freed was brilliant in keeping in touch with Welch and not asking the unreasonable. He kept the house in order. He crushed anything which he did not want passed. With only seventy-four votes out of one hundred and fifty, he nevertheless reached his zenith and ushered through Douglas’s entire agenda.”

VOLATILITY IN THE MARKETPLACE

The CLA (Common Level of Appraisal) has replaced the CLF (Conservation Law Foundation) as the pejorative acronym du jour. You cut your school budget and your school taxes go up because a couple of properties went up in value. The state squashes you with CLA saying that you are now live in a richer town, pay up.

Governor Douglas has proposed legislation to level out the spikes. Douglas also asked for an eight cent reduction in the school tax. Fifty-four percent of residents use the income sensitivity provision to lower their taxes further. Douglas said that he heard loud and long complaints along the campaign trail about the spikes. He hopes that this three pronged attack on our burdensome property taxes will quell the masses.

LIAR LIAR

Douglas also proposed reforming VEPC, the Vermont Economic Progress Council. Passed as part of Act 60 at Governor Dean’s request to arm him with incentives to attract business, the system has gone from rifle shot to shotgun, so many possibilities that the state has lost control. Business takes tax credits which they have not earned.

The new proposal focuses on jobs: if you create jobs or increase wages of current jobs, you qualify for a tax credit if and only if you can repeat after us, “But for this incentive, I would not make the investment in Vermont.” Douglas proposes to strengthen the “but for...” clause. This of course is nuts.

THE LORD HELPS THEM WHO HELP THEMSELVES

What about the Vermonter? Some have tried for VEPC credits but have been denied because, well, they are already here. So let’s punish our current crop of entrepreneurs, a known, dedicated, and successful corps, for the liars from somewhere else. For a million dollars would folks lie? Stretch the truth? Fabricate? Sure, every day.

If you were unfortunate to have been born in this state, a state which imposes a crushing burden on the entrepreneur or developer, whose political culture is socialist but whose social culture is forthrightness, you know the “but for” concept is a crock. You are already committed to a life in Vermont and you will do your best to make the business work, VRPC or not. The state also knows that, so no credits.

Douglas should know better. His own sons have left the Green Mountains which he so sweetly defined in his Inaugural Address as there are not enough jobs being created for our graduates. We beggar ourselves to produce productive educated workers while burdening our businesses with regulation and taxes hampering their ability to create jobs We then export our most important and valuable product, those expensively educated kids, to other states to work and create wealth and opportunity there. Clever.

Then when our home grown industries apply for tax credits to reward investment and job creation, the same government says "no"; and now Douglas proposes that they will say "no" more often. There should be no “but for”; you create jobs, good tax paying jobs, and you earn a credit. When will the government learn to butt out?

REVENUES ARE UP BUT BEWARE

Every six months, the Emergency Board meets to set expected revenue levels for the State of Vermont. Two economists, Tom Kavet and Jeff Carr, presented data driven predictions this week. Kavet said, “Vermont’s economy is more favorable than we anticipated in July. Revenues are up. But in part it is fueled by the real estate bubble. Real estate prices in the third quarter of 2004 were up eighteen percent over a year earlier.

“This is providing a tremendous punch to the economy but it is not driven by Vermonters. Many properties are being bought with cash from out of state. These tax revenues are not driven by job or income growth. Please do not count this increase as permanent or sustainable revenue.”

BEWARE OF THE MEDIA

Senator Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille and Chair of Senate Appropriations and member of the Emergency Board said, “Please repeat that for the press. Otherwise they will go out of here and say ‘whoopie’, we have lots of money to spend, and we don’t.” Democrats do not trust the media to get it right?

IT’S THE PROCESS, MAN

Michael Obuchowski, D-Bellows Falls and Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, informed the Board that it was not following the statute which provides that all data is to be in the members’ hands ten days prior to its meeting, not ten minutes. A family feud was breaking out with the four Democrats. Douglas sat back and watched.

After some silence, Chairwoman Bartlett said, “I am comfortable with the numbers. The economic picture will not change in ten days. Maybe we should change the statutes.” Chairwomen Martha Heath of the House Appropriations Committee, D-Westford, added, “I do not want to put off the budget process an additional ten days.”

Not to be deterred, Obuchowski said, “I have confidence in the process. I feel very uncomfortable with this. Let’s ask them to give us the data. So many Vermonters rely on our Health Access programs and they need to know that they will be funded. They are looking to us to make the right decision.”

Bartlett shut down the debate by saying, “Nothing that we are doing today will have a negative impact on any Vermonter.” The Board accepted the revenue and health access projections with a vote of three to one. The staff promised to be timely with their reports in the future, a small victory for Obuchowski.

NAKED TRUTH

Sitting in the ceremonial office of the governor, the chandelier appeared to have twelve maids a’dancing, almost naked. Four scantily clad cherubs giggled mirthfully above. Inquiring minds wanted to know, and, yes, Betsy Bishop confirmed, naked art adorns the governor’s office. But was it not he, that prude, who banned the chained but naked thirteen inch nubile to the outer reaches of the capitol’s largest public gathering place, the Cedar Room?

SAY IT AIN’T SO WALDO

Some cringed, some cheered, the taxpayers once again lost. The Bush Administration had paid partisan columnist Armstrong Williams’ company $240,000 to advertise and promote No Child Left Behind on his radio show. Williams’ column was dropped like a hot potato by Tribune Media Services. Now comes our hero, Waldo, caught with his hand out. According to "Best of the Web," Zephyr Teachout, former Dean staffer, said that the Dean for National Poohbah committee had paid two partisan bloggers, Jerome Armstrong and Markos Zuniga. "They never committed to supporting Dean for the payment--but it was very clearly our goal," said the Zephyr.

Interesting bookends, Armstrong Williams and Jerome Armstrong, both political opinion makers, both exposed, one banished, and the other? Only time will tell.

Full story here: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB110566243803425942,00.html?mod=todays%5Ffree%5Ffeature

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE JACK MCMULLEN?

Notably missing from this year’s Inaugural Ball was Jack McMullen. Jack seemed to never miss any meeting of more than five Republicans. Maybe he will not take on Jim Jeffords in 2006. Maybe he will lower his sites to a Chittenden County senate seat and bring to the table his considerable talents.

WHERE HAVE THE THREE R’s GONE?

We are not talking readin', writin', and ‘rithmatic. We are talking Racine, Rivers and Ready. How sweet it is.

FREE IS TOO EXPENSIVE

Thank God Planned Parenthood is there, in our schools, protecting our youth, handing our condoms, free. Go forth young people and copulate, though shalt not multiply, you have the Assorted Colors or the Honeydew condom package. Don’t go wading without your boots boys and girls.

Along came Consumer Reports’, its February 2005 cover teasing, “CR tests condoms, two to avoid.” Rating twenty-three condoms, it placed Planned Parenthood’s Assorted Colors and Honeydew twenty-second and twenty-third. CR warned, “Avoid the low-rated scented Honeydew and Assorted Colors condoms.” But not our kids, condoms are free, in our schools, and recommended. And our tax dollars at work.

In related news, Planned Parenthood announced that they performed more abortions in 2003-2004, up six percent over the previous period. The ratio of abortions to adoptions has also grown 750 percent under President Gloria Feldt. She is paid $460,277 annually plus benefits for her successes. The New England director Cheryl Gibson made only $154,530, but that’s more than our governor. Abortions averaged $425.13 each and accounted for more than a third of their income.

TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM

Peter Clavelle is gone but not forgotten. Running on a message of demonizing Jim Douglas, calling him a Bush clone, he must have been astonished to find that Vermont voters gave to Bush more votes than to Clavelle.

A forty-day series by VTGOP brought to our attention the flood of tax increases supported by the Mayor. He, of course, denied that he was a tax and spender. His campaign came unglued over failing to account for how he might fund a $90,000,000 health care initiative. Candance Page might win a Tony for her bold question.

Just days into the New Year, Clavelle has proposed that the City of Burlington seek a 17% increase in their sales tax. How can a large downtown property tax base with little impact on city costs, a room and meals tax surcharge, a booming airport, and a business personal property tax not provide enough tax?

GIVE ME ROSSIGNOL REVISITED

In the last issue we quoted a Campaigns and Elections story about San Francisco’s first lady, Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom She had told a gay audience that her husband was “hung” and “hot” but not bisexual unless one could give better head than she.

It appears that Ms. Newsom’s days as first lady are now over, great head or not. After three years of marriage, the mayor and his wife are filing for divorce, citing “the strain posed by their high-profile” life. The statement went, “The demands of our respective careers have made it too difficult for us to continue as a married couple.”

They had been featured last September by Harper’s as the “new Kennedys.” Prescient.

LIBERALISM WORKS

You didn't fall for that did you? Massachusetts, home to two of the most liberal senators in the world, is the only state in the United States to lose population in 2004 in spite of America’s surge in immigration. Studies suggest that folks are leaving to seek opportunity. We almost had one of them for president, with the other peeking over his shoulder.

DEMOCRACY DEMOCRAT STYLE

In Democrat King County in the state of Washington, the dead voted, non-residents voted, one person voted 300 times, hundreds of “resident” voters lived at an office, and there were more votes that registrations. They don't call it King County for nothing. The Democrats have won this battle but they will lose the war.

THE RETURN OF THE EVIL EMPIRE

Nope, not yet, unless you are Russian. President Putin recently held his annual end of year live no-question-bared press conference. Putin reportedly in good humor having just stolen one of the largest oil pumping companies in the world, answered questions for over three hours.

According to an AP story, “Putin blamed the United States for a policy on Chechnya ‘aimed at creating elements that would destabilize the Russian Federation.’” He might have spent his time reading Laurence Kelly’s recent biography of Mikhail Lermontov. Lermontov was exiled to the Caucasus as punishment for his poem “Death of Poet”, homage to Pushkin laying the blame on the Tsar and his circle.

“The wretched quality of Russian intelligence about the Chechnian rebels was an important feature of the war. Neither general nor officers could speak the dialects of the Chechnian rebels. They were dependent on interpreters whose loyalties were suspect.

“The generals believed in terror and turned the war into a social war of destruction of whole communities, tribes and age-old ways of life. With survival at stake, the rebel leader proclamation of a holy war had found increasing acceptance, hardening the opposition into fanaticism.” Over 180 years later, Putin finds the learning curve too steep. Did not work then, does not work now.

Lermontov described the opponents in the Caucasus:

Seeking the loot by which they live
And terror everywhere they wreak
Nothing to them to steal and cheat
Honey and wine their daggers seek
Pay with a bullet for their wheat...
Blood the Koran verse hath clouded
With ancient hate they glare.

WAVING THE BLUES

Citing moral authority, the UN folks asked that the first responders to the tsunami, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, and others, wear the blue of the UN. Of course it was the blues who stood by and watched the Rwandan tragedy unfold, who are raping children and women in Zaire, who worked sex trafficking in Bosnia, and who watched the UN protected safe city of Srebrenica as the Serbs slaughter every male.

France complained that America was once again not working within the system, merely showing up and saving lives. Meanwhile, Amazon.com online contributions for the victims exceeded those of the French government.

THE NUTS ARE NOT ALL IN BRAZIL

Meanwhile, the Green crowd unhinged. Stephen Tindale, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: "No one can ignore the relentless increase in extreme weather events and so-called natural disasters.” From Friends of the Earth Director Tony Juniper more dribble: "Here again are yet more events in the real world that are consistent with climate change predictions."

WHAT THE REPORT ABOUT CBS REALLY SAID

Regarding the independent investigation of CBS's pre-election TexANG story on President Bush’s National Guard service:

"On the question of whether a political agenda played any role in the airing of the Segment, the Panel will not level allegations for which it cannot offer adequate proof.... we found certain actions that could support" the view that the decision to pursue and air the story was politically motivated, but we "cannot conclude that a political agenda drove the airing of the Segment." (Page 211)

Read the full report here: http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/complete_report/CBS_Report.pdf

Four CBS employees were fired and Dan Rather’s exit was accelerated.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SUMMARIZED

"The independent investigators said they could find no evidence to conclude the report was fueled by a political agenda."

GANNETT CONCLUDED (Burlington Free Press front page)

"An independent panel concluded there was no sign of political or anti-Bush bias...as Bush supporters have charged.”

THEY LIKE US

»» Mrs. Randy Brock, Swanton, “Thank you. You write literature. Laugh if you want, but you really do.”

»» Martin Harris, Addison: What a beautifully written piece!!! Does it work better than factual argument? Who knows? Does either work? Who knows? Can anything work here, now that the state has changed as much as it has? Probably not. Is it worth the effort to keep on trying, or are we just too dumb to quit?

»» Michael Seely, Dorset: I really enjoy your newsletter. You don't get paid enough to do this thing that you do so well--calling it as it is, all the time, come what may. People like YOU should run for office, even if your natural candor should make you a one-timer. You've got my vote.

»» SA, Jeffersonville: Wow -- another breath of fresh air! I am refreshed every time I read your Report. Because I work for the state and in an extremely hostile, liberal office, I have to keep my political and religious beliefs and opinions to myself or face hateful, disrespectful diatribes from my co-workers. I have found there to be few less tolerant than the "open-minded" liberals. It gives me the courage to go out the door to work when I can read your latest issue.

It is so nice to be reminded that I am not the only one to have the opinions that I have. Thank you, James.

»» Emilie Mattesich, Burlington: Just to thank you for your analyses of the international scene, especially Europe, and especially Central and Eastern Europe. Not many on this side of the Atlantic have firsthand knowledge of those areas of the world. Any future thoughts you have on them will be appreciated.

KARL MARX HE ISN’T

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies." --Groucho Marx

SPEAK ENGLISH!

"Whatever people's feelings or beliefs about the removal of Saddam Hussein and the wisdom of that, there surely is only one side to be on in what is now very clearly a battle between democracy and terror. On the one side you have people who desperately want to make the democratic process work, and want to have the same type of democratic freedoms other parts of the world enjoy, and on the other side people who are killing and intimidating and trying to destroy a better future for Iraq." -- Prime Minister Tony Blair, New York Times, December 23, 2004

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

The children returning to school in this rural Indonesian district focused on healing. "Today we are just teaching them how to pray in these difficult times," said Sutrisini, the principal of Guegajah Elementary School. She said normal lessons would not resume for weeks.

THE WHINE CELLAR

“Did Karl Rove manage to slip something into the whine cellar at Democratic headquarters? It beggars belief that they would start the new term with yet another reprise of the same old song: Bush, the World's Biggest Moron, managed to steal another election.” -- Columnist Mark Steyn

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