GOING FOR THE GOLD 

Few countries (eight so far) win two gold medals. Representative Rick Hube's district, R-Dover, Jamaica, Londonderry, Stratton, and Wardsboro, has two: Kelly Clark from Dover and Ross Powers from Londonderry. Congratulations! 

GERRYMANDERING 101 

In 1814 or thereabouts, we'll take a little trip on down to Massachusetts. Governor Gerry had this good buddy whom he wanted to help to a legislative seat. By creating a district that looked somewhat like a salamander, he succeeded. And thus gerrymandering began.

In the 1960's, courts said that each legislative district had to follow the one man one vote principle. At the time in Vermont, almost each town, about 246 of them, had a representative and each county had two senators. Seemed almost fair as the larger cities and counties had more wealth, power, influence and access. The legislature based on one town one vote kept things in balance. 

DEAN'S SENIOR MOMENT

Every ten years, we must redraw the districts to reflect changes in population to comply with one person one vote. A committee was established in 2001, it went around the state, held hearings and produced a map for the new house districts. The House Government Operations Committee took those recommendations, added their own wisdom, produced another map of the districts, and passed that plan along to the senate.

Then along came Governor Dean who announced that he would sign no plan that had any Democrat incumbents running against each other. When asked why he didn't take a similar position in the last redistricting, he said that he wasn't governor in 1992. Actually when reminded that he ascended upon Dick Snelling's demise in August of 1991, he conceded that, oh right, he was governor but that he didn't pay much attention to the redistricting process as he had the deficit to worry about.

Today though, now a famed circus juggler, Dean can attend to the deficit, campaign for president, and insure that the redistricting plans will have no Democrat incumbents running against each other. 

THE BEAT GOES ON

The press have had one or two redistricting stories in the paper every day for weeks. Each story is basically the same: in 1992 the Democrats were bipartisan and fair and today the Republicans are being not just partisan but worse. The crowning insult was their quoting former Speaker Obuchowski as saying that it's oh so bad that the Republicans are being so mean spirited because in 1992 everything was so fair. Yea, Right. Let's hear from Wright.

This from Vermont Press Bureau a decade ago: "(Speaker Ralph) Wright told the Democrat caucus that he had worked for ten years to protect Democrats, pointing out that the legislature was a political body. He implored the members of the caucus to not be squeamish about being partisan in this case (redistricting.) 'Don't be weak kneed about this, not about this' Wright told his fellow Democrats. Wright suggested that (Republican Representative Patricia) Welch might have a chance of beating one of the two Springfield Democrats if she were left to run in her home community."

Heaven forbid that someone might actually run in their own community. Welch's Springfield street got moved sixteen miles south to Bellow Falls in one of the meanest cases of gerrymandering ever. 

ALL POLITICS IS PERSONAL 

Speaker Wright penned his autobiography, "All Politics is Personal." This is how he described 1992's redistricting. "As Speaker, I chose the committee responsible for drawing up the (redistricting) bill...carefully...the committee had a 7-4 Democrat majority (even though the Republicans had a two seat majority in the legislature)...(I) made sure that the Democrats were aware of the once-in-a-decade opportunity that had been handed to them...(we could) create districts that were politically beneficial, harvesting great rewards for the party over the next decade. And, it was all legal as the high court had ruled re-apportionment was a political exercise as well as a Constitutional exercise. We were determined to take advantage of this opportunity and we did. We didn't match the tears and contentiousness of 1965 (when 96 members had to give up their seats), but there were moments when we must have come close." (pp. 48-49) 

TRACY DOES WRIGHT

Minority Leader John Tracy, D-Burlington told his caucus, "Listen carefully to this presentation on redistricting. This is how we are going to get back in the majority." From the first day of the session, Tracy and fellow Democrat Whip Patricia Doyle, D-Richmond have complained about the unfair partisan process, keeping the press stories coming. In spite of a magnificent effort by the Democrats and the media to keep this story alive, it does not appear to be gaining any traction in the public yet. 

GOP THROWS IN THE TOWEL?

Majority Leader John LaBarge, R-Grand Isle, told his caucus, "They still complain and call us names. But we conceded on Windham, we conceded on Norwich, we conceded on Sharon, we conceded on Hinesburg, we conceded on Fairfax, we conceded on Westford, we conceded on Jericho, we conceded on Richmond, and we conceded on the Upper Mad River Valley. We conceded to get them to support the plan." But of course they didn't support the plan, that wasn't part of their strategy.

Now the redistricting plan has moved to the senate. The senate historically has never involved itself in the house redistricting plan nor the house in theirs. Understand that for the Democrats power is like oxygen, without it they cannot live. They will not be fair, bipartisan, decent, or just. You cannot earn their support, deserve their support, and should not bother to pray for their support. They will only allow you to acquiesce to their plan as happened in 1992. They are shameless in their pursuit of power. Give them credit. They are totally committed. They are very good, very focused, stay on message, pull every lever of power including the senate, the governor, the courts, and the press. Are the GOP out manned, out gunned, and out spun? Only time will tell.

Because in the end, Speaker Wright was right when he wrote in his book describing redistricting, "...imagine a group of master chess players pitting their expertise and cunning against each other." Who knows which master will win in the end. But in 1992 the winner was clear, Ralph Wright and the Democrats went into the election two down and came out 15 ahead. His cleverness was apparent all the way through the decade. He did such a thorough job that in the 1998 election, even though the Republican legislative candidates received 96,000 votes while the Democrat legislative candidates received only 89,000, the Democrats won 78 seats and the Republicans won only 67. 

WHERE'S WALDO?

Governor Howard Dean stopped by Vermont on his way to the White House this week. Monday was a holiday, Tuesday he swung through Montpelier, departing momentarily from his presidential swing, Wednesday to New Hampshire, Thursday at Brown University talking with activists, Friday and Saturday in Iowa, Sunday at the National Governors' Association meeting in Washington.

While here, he did offer that the drug companies are bankrupting state budgets across the country. Of course one can't get drugs without a prescription signed by one of Doctor Dean's colleagues, but that would have been off message. He decried the length of patent protections but ignored that the patent clock starts when the drug is invented, not when the Food and Drug Administration approves it for sale, perhaps some 10 years later.

Perhaps drugs keep people working and paying taxes. Perhaps drugs keep people off more serious Medicare or Medicaid rolls. Perhaps drugs keep people on their own or with their families instead in extended care facilities. Perhaps citizens should be expected to assume some responsibility for their own well being, eating well, exercising, not smoking and drinking in moderation. It used to be that "you reap what you sow." Not today, The healthy and the productive reap what the unhealthy and unproductive sow.

But that would have been off message and Dean is both a believer in message and disciplined about staying on message. Recall his remarks at the James Carville lovefest: "What I learned from James Carville is this: in a campaign, keep intense focus, work hard, refine your message and put it forth. Put forth what they want to hear about, not what you think." If it worked three times for Senator Peter Shumlin, why couldn't it work for Dean. 

DEAN'S NEW MEDICAL POLICY, "UP YOURS"

When pushed to explain why he would not consent to marijuana being used to reduce the pain and symptoms of terminally ill patients, Dean implied that first you do no evil; you do not prescribe nor would the FDA approve a drug with a delivery system which causes cancer. That people are already terminally ill didn't register. He said that he would support a marijuana pill if approved by the FDA. When it was suggested that some people who would benefit from the use of marijuana cannot swallow and therefore might he not relent and let them light up? He said, "No, they could use the suppository form of marijuana." Don't bogart that suppository my friend? 

THE POLITICAL MACHINE

Auditor of Accounts Elizabeth Ready is one fine politician. She must have the record for the most press releases in modern history. Though accomplished, she is not appreciated by all. Over the Transom came this note.

"Attached is a letter and a copy of a recent op-ed written and sent by Auditor Ready to the 240 odd fire departments in Vermont. It basically says, 'Hey, thanks firefighters, you are a great group.' ...this letter which fulfilled no function of the State Auditor was printed on the state auditor letterhead and mailed in state envelopes with state postage. It is absurd for the elected keeper of the state's financial accountability to put out what amounts to a campaign letter using state funds."

When contacted, Auditor Ready said, "The letter speaks for itself." 

TRADE RUMORED

Rumors have it that UVM's Board of Trustees will trade Bruce Lisman for Carl Lisman and two players to be named later. 

Representative Carina Driscoll, P-Burlington, called and left a message: "Your publication is incredibly biased and not credible and has a very small readership and I want you to know the facts and print a correction. I earned $15,399 in 2001 (working for Bernie), not $8000 a month as you reported. And I work incredibly hard."

From DPR's February 8th issue. "In that period (July 1-December 31, 2001), Sanders raised $183,883 and spent $83,856 leaving a cash balance of an impressive $697,955. Believing that charity begins at home, his step- daughter, Representative Carina Driscoll, P- Burlington, received monthly wages totaling over $8,000 before payroll tax deductions."

We are embarrassed by our clumsy sentence structure. It did seem clear to us that her pay of "over $8000" was for the period July 1-December 31, 2001. However "incredibly" hard she worked, there were very few expenditures associated with any type of campaign activity. Lots of restaurant expenses, though. 

INCOME TAX WARS

Rep. Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, was quoted in Monday's Burlington Free Press saying, "I'm uncomfortable having a Vermont income tax policy that reflects the policies of Washington, D.C."

Newsflash: Many Vermonters are very uncomfortable with having a Vermont income tax policy that reflects the policies of the volatile Vermont legislature! 

LAND BEFORE TIME

Burlington's new City Market opened this week. Negotiations began in the land before time, which over the years have moved with fits and starts to its finally opening its doors. The buzz has been to say, despite the wait, how much better it is than Shaw's. Everyone conveniently forgets, and of course that helps make their argument, that there were three companies very interested in opening a downtown market on the site, the third being Mac's Market. Mac operates smaller grocery stores in Vermont. Nonetheless, Burlington has a downtown health food market complete with Twinkies, white bread, and fruit loops. Thank God Danny White has gone onto his reward. Well, we're not sure about the Twinkies. 

ACT 60 BUCKET HAS A HOLE IN IT

Vermont's Joint Fiscal Office has prepared a new Act 60 "Education Fund Outlook." Get this: The document, presented at the statehouse last Friday, predicts that over the next three years (FY02-FY05)...

• Vermont property owners will pay 36 percent more in state and local share education property taxes, with the amount collected increasing from $620 to $843.2 million. The portion due under the statewide tax will increase by 19 percent. The local share portion creeps up by 72 percent.

• Income sensitivity and rebate payouts will increase by 60 percent, from $72.9 to $116.4 million. The overall percentage of education property tax receipts redistributed to individuals rather than used for education will increase from 11.8 to 13.8 percent.

Visit http://www.act60.org/jfo_projection_02.htm for additional details from the JFO.

ACT 60 VERSUS EDUCATION QUALITY 

One intent of Act 60 was to increase the quality of education in Vermont. Yet the incentives created by Act 60 are contrary to that goal, according to Economist Art Woolf.

Before Act 60, all members of a community had practical reasons to invest in school quality. After all, with better schools, more people would want to move to the community. That would raise property values, and assuming that property values increased faster than school spending, the property tax rate would go down.

Under Act 60 these incentives are perverted. Increased property values increase property taxes, but the tax rate never goes down. Moreover, the added tax revenue is taken by the state and not available for local schools.

The number of "gold towns" is increasing each year. Spending another dollar on education in these towns costs more than a dollar --a lot more in some places. While intended as a cost control, this mechanism has become punitive. Act 60 is punishing middle class Vermonters who sincerely want good schools, concluded Woolf. 

THE END IS NEAR

Governor Dean said that it is time for towns to tighten their belts. The state is tightening its belt and he recommends only level funding state transfer payments to schools. Towns have the power to spend less, he says.

Well actually they don't as this week's Herald of Randolph points out. Brookfield's school budget is down $3,627 from last year. Yet assuming level funding, their school tax will increase twelve percent. Welcome to Democrat mathematics. According to the article, it is not just Brookfield. Royalton's school budget goes up four percent but its school taxes go up fourteen percent. In Tunbridge, they held the line at just over a one percent increase in their school budget but will enjoy a seventeen percent increase in their school tax.

Is this cool or what dude? Maybe the Democrats can benefit from some remedial math classes instead of focusing on the ideology of class warfare, of developing policy based on the theory they resurrected from the dustbin of history: From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs. We can only hope that the liberal hegemony over our fair state is near its end. 

FIGHTING CHARACTER ASSASSINATION

The recent TIMES ARGUS editorial went, "Fighting corruption. Republicans are pulling out all stops to block the passage of campaign finance reform..."

From 1986 to 1994 the Democrats controlled both houses in Washington. If they were sincere about campaign finance, they could have passed it then. For the last two of those years they also controlled the White House. But only words, no deeds.

Now here comes Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, who has campaigned for years on this one issue. And in the house, there is Representative Chris Shays, R- Connecticut leading the fight. They are not just confronting their own leadership but also their president. They do so at some risk. The bill could not have passed without brave Republican support.

Here in Vermont, leading campaign finance supporters Dean, Racine, and Shumlin eschew public financing, making a mockery of Vermont's attempts to reform campaign finance. Yet the Times Argus can only condemn Republicans. 

ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS

Re-start your cancelled subscription! The BURLINGTON FREE PRESS carried a Providence Journal editorial Thursday that read in part, "...after Vermont Sen. James Jeffords defected from the Republicans, giving Democrats control of the Senate, his colleague Patrick Leahy became chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and judicial confirmations came to a screeching halt.

"For Democrats, of course, it is payback time. ...Democrats choose to subject nominees to public campaigns of lies, distortion and personal abuse. The groundwork is laid by those progressive organizations -- Alliance for Justice, People for the American Way, etc. -- that specialize in such dirty work; but senior Democrats depend on their propaganda skills, and lend their prestige to the climate of corruption. ...an increasingly ugly machinery that ruins personal reputations on the basis of public deceit is neither smart politics nor a system of checks and balances."

Full editorial here: http://www.projo.com/report/html/opinion/07061761.htm

TRUE NORTH

Remember, for a review of what's happening in Montpelier, turn to True North Radio and listen to their "man in Montpelier," your editor, James Dwinell, every Thursday from 1105-1200 on WKDR, Burlington, 1390 AM. True North may soon be featured in a newspaper near you. 

*** THE ROAR OF THE CROWD: EMAIL ***

CON JOB

»» Paul Chandler, Newport: I would think that Howard Dean's endorsement of Hogan's candidacy might possibly have been a clue to Mr. Hogan. That he is THAT myopic really only confirms that his skills are well suited to bureaucracy, but not necessarily to governing. And most certainly not suited to be the leader of the Republican ticket in the fall. As a Republican, I have chosen to support Jim Douglas. I never seriously looked at Mr. Hogan. The first sentence should be read over and over by Mr. Hogan before he starts whining that the party did not want a primary. By the way, what happened to the Democrats' primary in the race for governor? 

THE NEW MONARCHY

»» Craig Averill, Goshen: Is Vermont an English Monarchy? I refer to the Snellings? Barb takes over because Dick dies, Diane takes over because Barb is quitting? What is this? If I want to run and I have no relatives in office, I have to pound the pavement, sell my ideas and opinions, seek endorsements and then be elected. What is it with the Snellings? I am a Republican but this is ridiculous. There must be better qualified Republicans. Do we bow to them as well? I am just asking because I don't know. Okay to wear a sword? 

BUTTONS PUSHED

»» James Gregoire: Last weeks letter by Jennifer Hersey of Barton really pushed my buttons. I have to be honest, I couldn't care less about how non- traumatic abortions are to the women whether of age or a minor. ...I go on record here and anywhere else that choice is made prior to sex not after, murder takes place after. There are clearly incidents when pregnancy is not by one's own actions or in other cases can cause harm or death to a human if she goes to term but this is not the norm. Today the overwhelming majority of abortions are as birth control and that is wrong. I think she is way off base and seriously misguided in telling you that your misogyny is obvious. What is obvious is that she lacks the clear mind to understand that the parental notification bill (to my knowledge) contains provisions for her incest scenario which do not necessarily involve telling the parent.

Regardless, her apparent outlook of abortion being a matter of a woman's right to choose is something that we will never cure her of. The inability of these people to recognize that three people are involved in abortion is sad. Women may carry the child, but last time I checked it takes a man and woman to make one. The view that a man should have no say is outrageous and that the child has no say in its own fate is intolerable. Take a look at some photos and videos of aborted children and then try to honestly tell me that killing them is different than killing a three year old. Isn't it odd that most people that support abortion (the killing of a completely innocent child) oppose the death penalty (the killing of the savages of society)? It isn't just one of those things about liberals that makes no sense, but then again liberals don't make any sense. 

RE: RIDE THE BUS

»» Chris Cole, General Manager, CCTA, Burlington: ...we will be stopping the Williston route in June, not because of a lack of ridership, as your story indicates, but because the Governor neglected to provide the state funds necessary to match the federal grant that Vermont has received, which supported the Williston route. As was reported in the Burlington Free Press, it was an Agency of Transportation official, not CCTA, who stated that they were discontinuing to fund the program because of a lack of ridership. As I understand it, that AOT statement was based upon ridership in other areas of the state not the Williston route... 

FISCAL PARADOX

»» Craig Averill, Goshen: Dean oh wonderful Dean, the ex doctor who has been trying for years to get a Universal Health Plan in Vermont and all he has succeeded in doing is to chase insurance companies out of Vermont. Does anyone know why we have the surpluses? Let's see: Snelling said, "raise the sales tax to 4% to put more into education and relieve the Property tax payer" then he said "Yes let's get involved with the Megabucks to put towards education and help out the property tax payer" then after a brief leave and a quick return he says "Yes we will impose a 5% sales tax for two years to put into education and help the property taxpayer" Then Dean comes along, sees that the sales tax is due to SUNSET and calls for an emergency session, you guessed it, they came out with the idea that it will be a permanent tax. Funny thing too, my property taxes have increased by over 100% since those statements and state aid to education has dropped by 47%.

Keep up the good work, I have respect for people who can call a spade a spade, regardless which side they are on. 

GET INVOLVED

»» Gregory Thayer, Rutland: Another great newsletter. Response to Dick Trudell and Rob Mazza. I agree, GET INVOLVED in your local and state party. We're on the RIGHT track with the election of Joe Acinapura as our new GOP Chairman. Joe is an awesome man with great leadership & listening skills.

One of his first official moves was to hire Susan Hudson as the new ED (with the opening.) Susan's great! Well connected in Washington, DC as a former National Republican Committee employee, and well connected and very knowledgeable around the state of VT. She's worked over the past eight years or so as a campaign employee for John Carroll, Dennis Delaney, and manager for Ruth Dwyer! 

ERRATUM

»» Ralph F Colin, Jr., Dorset: I...look forward, indeed, to your Friday reports. As always, they bring a needed sense of balance and good judgement to the otherwise wacky media vomit we are asked to digest by what purports to be an unbiased press in this state. No point in articulating the litany of incogitant and obtuse causes which they espouse and nourish; you and your readers discuss them every week. If we had to depend upon what farcically passes as objective journalism in Vermont, we'd be just as well off living in some third-world nation where propaganda is acknowledged to be all the news that's fit to print. Thanks for your "get real" approach to what's happening. It keeps many of us on the pragmatic side of sanity.

Having said all that, just one note of minor rectification. In your piece entitled "The Bureau and the Mole" in last Friday's edition, you define the commonly used term, "RON" as being "rest over night." Unless it has been changed since my days an Air Force pilot on active duty some 45 or so years ago, it stands for "remain over night." At least in my time, there was not always a component of rest involved.

Cheers and don't let up on your attempt to keeping 'em honest. 

THEY LIKE US! 

»» Lamoille County GOP: Thanks for your very informative newsletter. 

*** QUOTABLE ***

"An economy hampered with excessive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance the budget and it will never produce enough jobs." -- John F. Kennedy (a right-wing radical for sure), 1963 

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." --George Bernard Shaw 

James Dwinell, editor-in-chief of this newsletter, is available for speaking engagements on a variety of political topics. 
Contact: Dwinell@adelphia.net for more information.

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