GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS 

A few centuries ago the wealthy land barons of New York sent their sheriffs to collect taxes from Vermonters. Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys responded with Vermont's first tax revolt and sent the sheriffs packing, creating in the process the Republic of Vermont. The current governor fears a new tax revolt is in the making.

Responding Thursday to a question from the media asking if the Governor might urge Vermonters to "stay the course," Douglas quickly replied, "Frankly, I am concerned about a taxpayer revolt."

"The tax situation is very frustrating," Douglas added. "We need to think creatively about how to structure and pay for education. Property values have gone up, and school enrollments have gone down. Act 60 is clearly broken. For me to support an Act 60 plan, it must be sustainable, fully funded, include cost containment, and have immediate and sustainable property tax relief."

As for equity, Douglas added, "If we're truly interested in equal education opportunity for every child in the state, poor and middle class children must have access to the same schools and wealthy children through school choice." 

PASS OR FAIL ON ACT 60? 

The Senate Finance Committee is offering its "solution" for Act 60. Reading the quote from Senate pro tem Peter Welch, D-Windsor, suggests that they have no solution whatsoever. Here goes: "We are offering this bill because we are convinced that it will improve education." Education is not the crisis, property taxes are. Get a grip!

Recall in the heady days of monopolistic government; all power, courts, house, senate and executive in liberal Democrat hands. Brigham just decided without a trial, Plaintiff's attorney Robert Ginsberg rushes, decision in hand, into the Democrat legislative caucus and reportedly shouts: "We now control the property tax." It was never about education, it was and is about power and money.

SENATE ABOLISHES PROPERTY TAX!

Actually, the Senate did abolish the words "property tax" this week. Section 16(a) of the new bill states, "The term "education tax" shall be substituted for the terms "state wide property tax", "education property tax", "state education property tax" or other similar terms referring to the state education property tax enacted by No. 60 of the Acts of 1997..."

BUT NOT REALLY

Shell game; the Senate bill is a rearranged version of Act 60. The same amounts of money are raised using the property tax. The same amounts are distributed. The gimmick is to blend the statewide and local share property taxes into one tax. This means increasing the statewide property tax from $1.10 to $1.38, and the per-pupil "block grant" from $5,566 to $7,000. Towns spending more would pay a proportionally higher rate.

The Senate plan restores the General Fund transfer amount budgeted last year. This would be helpful, except that the Senate did not indicate where the extra $24 million needed would come from. Either new taxes would have to be levied or budgets would have to be whacked. Democrats have no aptitude for budget whacking.

The plan does nothing about the Common Level of Appraisal mechanism that is jacking up your property taxes. Nor does it address the property valuation issues raised by the Killington decision. It does not change the income sensitivity vote-buying gimmick that creates and corrupts one group of taxpayers that is largely protected from runaway property taxes, and another that is not.

SUMMER JOBS

Just how little the Senate bill does accomplish is apparent in all the "studies" mandated by the bill. These are to be completed by "a special Senate study committee" working at taxpayer expense over the summer and fall. We don't know why the Department of Education, with a $13 million plus budget, has not already studied these issues. Maybe they have but the results did not fit ideology. A partial list of things to "study":

• Special education standards of service and litigation reduction strategies;
• District size to identify opportunities for economies of scale in administrative services;
• Potential for savings through coordinated staff and teacher recruitment and screening and possible state funded assistance with teacher and staff bargaining support;
• Opportunities for joint purchasing of services or centralized services including insurance products, supplies, materials, uniform computer systems;
• Review of health insurance and workers compensation as to budget impacts, including levels of premiums, co-payments and plan quality as compared to that provided to other public sector employees including the state employees;
• Issues affecting grand list valuation and their impact on property tax equity, including factors contributing to fluctuations in common levels of appraisal and variations in coefficients of dispersion;
• The fiscal impact of the homestead property tax income sensitivity adjustment, as it may be affected by adjusting the allowable acreage surrounding an eligible homestead from two acres to 25 or 27 acres, or other appropriate acreage.

WHAT CAN WE REDUCE? 

Representative Stephen Webster, R-Randolph, met with constituents. He said according to the Herald, "We spend more than we can afford on education." Simple, not earth shattering to us, but disbelieved by others.

"There were looks of outright shock on the faces of school board members...'What can we reduce, the sports staff? The music program?' asked Laura Soares, chair, in almost disbelief."

They always take the cheap shot; cut school buses, baseball, or cheerleading. This newspaper has seen no evidence that smaller class sizes benefit children. It feels good, looks good, seems right. The teacher advocates have successfully sold us on the concept. Of all the possible education "reforms" none is more expensive than small classes. Why? You must have more teachers and classrooms, the two most expensive parts of the school budget. Vermont leads the nation in small class size. It is a reform we cannot afford. Webster is correct.

HIT MAN COMETH

Senator Mark McDonald, D-Orange and teacher, took the low road, "Webster's committee is dominated by Gold Towns who tell us we spend too much, but spend a lot on themselves." Well that moves the debate along... 

NO ADULT LEFT BEHIND 

Below is the 35th annual Doyle Poll for your town meeting day participation. We remember them from when we were just little shavers. Think and prepare, go to the library, so that Vermont can continue to lead the nation in test scores.

Answer Yes, No, or Not Sure:

1.) Do you support Act 60?
2.) Do you believe that the environmental permit process needs to be changed?
3.) Are you optimistic about the future of Vermont’s economy?
4.) Should Vermont require a photo on driver’s licenses?
5.) Should Vermont set limits on medical malpractice judgments?
6.) Do you believe Governor Douglas was correct in asking for a new Board at Fletcher Allen?
7.) Should the legislature increase the tax on beer by 2 cents to fund drug substance abuse programs?
8.) Should seriously ill people be allowed to use medical marijuana under a physician’s supervision?
9.) Should the Vermont Constitution be amended to provide that the candidate for Governor with the highest number of votes (plurality) be enacted?
10.) Do you think the Vermont Legislature is doing a good job?
11.) Do you think Governor Douglas is doing a good job?
12.) Do you think Howard Dean makes a good presidential candidate?
13.) Should Vermont have a 4-year term for governor?

VERMONT GOP HIRES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Governor Jim Douglas has selected Susie Hudson, Executive Director of the Vermont Republican Party to be the Executive Director of the Vermont Commission on National and Community Service.

Vermont Republican Party Chair Joe Acinapura has announced that the new Executive Director of the party will be Ben Golnik, a Middlebury College graduate (class of 2000) and Russian major. Acinapura has known Golnik since 1996 and speaks highly of him. Golnik has been working in the office of U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in Washington D.C. and also worked on the Douglas and Dubie campaigns this past Fall. We wish him luck in his new position. 

THE MESSAGE IS THE MESSAGE 

Dean is a big fan of message, message drives campaigns. We agree. Dean shamelessly will repeat the very same words before each and every group his campaign can put in front of him all day every day. It is not easy; Dean does it faultlessly. It shows in his results. Especially last week.

WALDO TRIFECTAS

Yup, our own Howard Dean had the weekend at the tracks; the big winner of three in a row. First, Meathead endorsed him for president. This is a really big deal. Meathead is now Rob Reiner, mega Hollywood producer/director. Reiner choose Dean because he is "the only major Democrat candidate speaking out against going to war without the support of the United Nations."

Hey, Dean a "major" candidate. The Little Scrapper has done good! Well, depends on your perspective. Reiner’s endorsement will mean an easy $2,000,000 in additional fundraising in 2003, an additional chunk in matching funds, your money via the Federal Election Commission, after January 1, 2004. All they have to do is schedule the events at Mr. Reiner's home and folks will show up.

MAKING THE BLOOD FLOW

Dean was the foot stomping, hand clapping, and heart-pounding candidate at the Democrat National Committee meeting last weekend. His give 'em hell rouser had them roused. "Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean ignited a meeting of party activists by telling them to 'stand for something' or fall again to President Bush," gushes AP White House Correspondent Ron Fournier.

JESSE’S GIRL

Breaking with tradition of hands off till the party has a nominee, the DNC’s chair of their Voting Rights Institute Donna Brazile "organized a meeting immediately after Dean’s address between her fellow black activists and Dean."

Brazile did not just fall off the back of the hay wagon. She was Jesse Jackson’s deputy campaign manager in 1984, a Dukakis campaign leader in 1988, and Al Gore’s campaign manager in 2000. For more on Brazile, go to: http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=donna+brazile 

COLD? 

Heard much about global warming lately? We are sure that bin Lauden believes our wicked winter is Allah's curse on America. Both bin Lauden and the enviros are nuts; weather patterns change over the centuries. They have, they will, so be it. 

CAN'T DO IT 

House Democrats have offered "permit reform" which prohibits any agency from issuing a permit that would lead to water quality violations. Former Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources Scott Johnston said last year that you basically could not develop, turnover the soil, or build roads without negatively impacting water quality.

Best gets in the way of better. In the days of youth, our streams were filled with suspended solids, granite waste, slaughter house waste, creamery waste and so forth. About all that is gone. The big water polluter now is the farmer. Not that he/she wants to be. It is just hard to turn soil every year, so much soil, and not have run off. So, who wants to shut down the farmer? 

STARVATION IS BETTER 

By popular demand, a technophobic "anti-GM food" resolution has been placed on the warning of nearly 40 town meetings in Vermont. It leads off with a whopper - "it has been shown..." What study... alarmists' bleating does not constitute "proof."

It appears that this comes out of the fever swamps of Plainfield, from the "Institute for Social Ecology." Our superiorly sophisticated "friends" in Europe are so worked up that they have persuaded the government of Zambia that it is in its interest to starve its citizens instead of giving them American food aid which includes GM foods.

Story: http://timesargus.nybor.com/Archive/Articles/Article/59730 

TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT 

More likely, to work or not to work. A suit has been filed by a group of greenies, Forest Watch, Friends of the Earth and Forest Conservation Council, to stop logging in towns of Rochester and Chittenden. One is the Santa Fe-based group which reportedly has brought suit in over 50 percent of federal logging contracts. We have written of the likely Chesapeake Mill closing in Hancock putting about 90 out of work.

Now loggers in the same area will be put out of work. There will be a shortage of logs, prices will increase. It will be harder in an already stressed wood industry to compete with off shore companies. Maybe we can find a have-a-heart trap for these folks, catch them and turn them loose back in their own habitat. 

THE MESSAGE - SEND MONEY 

Like Dean, we believe in message. We began four years ago on our path to get folks on message. At the time, Republicans were often stereotyped as anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-environment, anti-school, anti-child, and anti-senior; just a big negative nasty beast. As long as this stuck, Republicans were in the penalty box. You cannot score from the penalty box. You are not even on the ice, in the game. The Democrats worked hard to keep them there. A cheerleading press provided the forum. It is not that we decided to be partisan for partisan's sake; we believed Vermont to be on an unsustainable track. To move forward, the party not responsible for putting us there had to be strengthened. This was our mission.

RESULTS

Of course Democrats were not just warm and fuzzy, they were pro all those good things. But wait, maybe they were anti-jobs. No job, no car. No job, no date. No job, no health care. No job, no family. Maybe they were pro education, but "we can't pay teachers enough" was hard on the pocketbook. Including benefits and days worked, top teachers were passing bankers, business people, and other professionals in compensation.

Maybe they were anti-taxpayer. Maybe they were pro-bankruptcy, pro-forced home and farm sale, pro-class war and pro-town-to-town war. The tax recipient bill was bigger than the taxpayers' ability to pay. We are not talking willingness to pay but ability to pay. It was not pretty.

Maybe there are more workers than recipients. Maybe there are more taxpayers than tax subsidies.

And the worm began to turn. We threw in humor, hyperbole, hypocrisy, repetition, and research. We reached more readers and political leaders. It was quite the brew.

SNOWBALLING

We have a snowball effect. Much to our everlasting surprise, we scoop the majors from time to time. Like Chance the gardener, we plant seeds, seeds we see growing here and there in editorials, columns, and stories.

FRIDAY MORNINGS

We graced your late Thursday nights and Friday mornings. We had benefactors. We had you. We built a community. We built value.

We appreciate all of you who send $5, $10, $20, or $25. Some sent $50, $100, or $200.

Right now we are looking for a few great people who can send $1,000, $5,000 or hey maybe $10,000. Gee, Vermont Public Radio just received their first $1,000,000 donor. And they are not exactly on our team. Think big. And we need you to keep up the drumbeat of just what you can afford to keep the midnight oils burning here at DPR central.

Though your editor receives most of the credit and most of the blame, DPR has a small but dedicated anonymous group of writers, researchers, and contributors. We have a great web guy and web site to maintain. We have a server to pay for. We have postage and envelopes for those on snail mail.

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED, SEND MONEY?

Please send some money. Or don't. There is a season for all things. Maybe our season is ending. We did our thing, the Grand Old Party is stronger. Maybe now it is time for others.

Let us know. Send money if you can to JDLS Publishing, 610 Mason Road, Randolph, 05060. Hate to see the lights go out. Couldn't see if they did.

Thanks. 

COSGROVE RESPONDS TO COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW 

We pointed out a few weeks back that CJR had awarded a "Laurel" to the Brattleboro Reformer for standing up to big, bad Vermont Yankee. In their recent edition, Brian Cosgrove, Director of Public Affairs, took offense.

"Contrary to your Laurel, our meeting with the paper was not to have Eesha Williams taken off the beat; it was to draw attention to the anti-corporate screed that is the central theme of his book, Grassroots Journalism....the tone of the meeting was professional and cordial. We left with assurances that the Reformer would be fair... Since, we have written numerous emails to the paper disputing aspects of their coverage of Vermont Yankee... It is obvious that they simply blew off every one of our concerns..." 

UVM IMPROVING, BUT SOME FACULTY SLOW TO "GET IT" 

»» Nathan Rice, UVM Senior, Executive Director Burlington GOP: In response to your article this week on the changing tides at UVM, the political climate on campus is definitely changing but still needs some attention. An example:

On January 14th I attended the first class session of Politics 101, taught by Professor X. The course was started with a brief introduction by the professor about his personal life. The conversation quickly turned to his son, who as we were told is a huge New York Yankee baseball fan, compared to Professor X who said he is a Boston Red Sox fan. He continued by saying that if the only rebellious action his son ever took throughout his childhood was to become a Yankees fan, he could live with that. Professor X continued by saying, "It’s when he gets older and tells me that he's a Republican is when I know I’ve failed as a father."

The classroom setting at the University of Vermont, as well as any other public institution of higher learning, should be a setting of politically neutral debate, from the perspective of the professor. Under no circumstances do I feel it is appropriate for a professor, as a representative of the university, to bring forth his/her personal political agenda to the students, especially when it does not relate to course material. I feel that unless students specifically ask a professor for a personal opinion on a certain political topic or any topic that might stir emotions such as race, religion or creed, the professor should leave the presentation of ideas to the students and he/she should remain neutral. 

ADVICE FOR NORTHGATE APARTMENTS 

»» Jeff Chapple, Jupiter Beach, Florida: My suggestion for Northgate is to remove the front door for repairs. The tenant will either move or at least show up somewhere demanding their rights at which time they can be served with eviction papers. 

NAME GAME 

»» Frances Mallary, Bradford: It appears that you think Judy Steinberg/Dean is copping out by referring to herself as Judy Dean and imply that it has something to do with her husband's presidential campaign. I don't know what her usual practice is because I have met the lady only once. The occasion was a Democratic political dinner in 1993 and she introduced herself as "Judy Dean." it is not uncommon for a woman who keeps her own name in professional settings to use her husband's name when it his professional setting, probably to make it easier for everyone to figure out who's who. 

ACT 60 - A BOTTOMLESS PIT 

»» James Cook: Is anybody serious about relief from Act 60 or are we going to go through the same old dance?

In 1997, the last year before Act 60, Greensboro raised $746,248.75 in school taxes and spent it all locally.

In 2001 Greensboro raised $2,703,872.00 in school taxes. $1,153,399.51 was spent locally. $1,660,472.40 was sent to the state!

In 2002 Greensboro raised $3,051,927.70 in school taxes, four times as much as in the last year before Act 60. $1,233,907.00 was spent locally. Almost 60% ($1,818,020.70) was sent to the state!

What possible justification is there for this crazy situation? Does anybody in the legislature realize what is being done to us in the name of "equal educational opportunity"? We are being crucified.

»» Doug Richmond, Underhill: Where is the "Budget" for Act 60? All school spending at any local level is on a budget - this is how much we need to spend, and it will cost us this tax rate. With Act 60, they set a tax rate THEN SPEND ALL THE MONEY THAT COMES IN. But, they can't spend it fast enough, so they syphon off the "surplus" to the general fund where taxes don't meet the budget. We have the same effect in highway taxes.

Why are Education and Highway spending driven by tax receipts rather than by budgeting? BAD politics. BAD Act 60. Honesty requires courage - We must junk Act 60 altogether and put Education on a Budget FIRST and foremost. 

I BACK JACK 

»» Bette Trucott, Barton: I was very pleased to learn the Jack McMullen is again throwing his hat in the race for Senate against Leahy. Jack is a good and honorable man and the way he was treated last time is a disgrace. I hope Vermont has smartened up a little but I have my doubts. Is Fred too old and feeble to run again and if so who will Leahy find this time. What a snake Leahy is, I can't even stand to look at him. You go Jack and if I can be of help just let me know. 

OH, THAT'S DIFFERENT 

»» Tom Morse, Underhill: Your posting are superficial! I recently did a study of benefits for low income people. The poor today have in place many programs that provide for every aspect of their needs. Program eligibility has been raised to twice or even three times the poverty level, and health care, WIC, property tax relief, Earned Income Credit, fuel assistance, are all major programs to benefit the poor. The real problem is that there are very few investigative reports left who are willing to put in the time to adequately cover the story.

Frankly, I am more concerned about the lost of constitutional rights in Vermont and the significant number of people affected by collective public planning of land, buildings, businesses, jobs, and the economy --a modified form of Socialism/Communism.

Editor's Note: Sorry for the misunderstanding. We did write, "So who advocates for the poor taxpayer?" But what we meant was, "So who advocates for the beleaguered / plagued / tormented / besieged taxpayer?" As Rosanna-Danna-Danna used to say, "Oh. That's different."

TOO MUCH LOVE? 

»» Anthony Otis, Montpelier: Too much editorial license. I left out the word, "love" advisedly. That's the correct lyric but knowing your readers may have other sentiments about those with whom they disagree, I thought each could fill in the blank to his or her own sensibility. Second that emotion? 

ATTEMPTED HIJACKING FOILED 

»» Rob Towle, Candidate For Board Of Alderman, Rutland City: Tuesday night, Feb 18, a candidate for the Board of Alderman Chuck Naismith, with the backing of the Anti-War PAC, attempted to present a Resolution to the Board of Alderman to get the Board to go on record for non-support for the War. The resolution was read and then Alderwoman Hooker (also a candidate for the Board) recommended a motion to the Board that the resolution be voted upon. No other Alderman would second the motion so the effort was not acted upon. Alderwoman Hooker then used her seat to make a grandstand speech about not being able to let Rutland's voice be heard. The bottom line of the story is that Board members (with the exception of Hooker) felt that the Board's meeting was not the appropriate venue to have a one-sided debate with President Bush on Foreign Policy. Coincidentally, Los Angeles City Council Board had the same results also on Tuesday.

I feel that this is a gross misuse of voter trust on the parts of Hooker and Naismith. Using the fact of being an Alderman or aspiring to become one does not entitle one to side-step responsibility to voters to act on and carry out the business of the Voters as it pertains to Rutland City. Bringing the agenda of a PAC to a City Government Board is not only abusive but is also very selfish. City Taxpayers deserve Board members that conduct themselves in a professional manner and work on only issues that impact the Ciy and have tangible discussions to that effect, not to be the sounding board for any activist looking to change the Commander-In-Chief.

Since I am also seeking the title of Alderman, I feel it is necessary to point out these disrespectful actions that two of my opponents have carried out. Rutland should remember this performance when trying to "Carry The Word To Montpelier" for economic issues, etc. on behalf of Rutland. 

IRAQ 

»» Mike Ticehurst: I've been watching the news concerning the possibility of War with Iraq. I believe we should remove the Saddam Hussein's regime from power. After 12 years of this "cat & mouse" game, all the failed inspections, and the latest UN resolutions, I cannot come to an understanding of why some people are so incredibly against going into Iraq and removing this guy from power! Most say the reason France & Germany are against this is because they have lucrative oil contracts with Saddam, and they have a lot to lose if he is de-throned. Yet protestors are saying "no blood for oil". Have these people been brain-washed? Since when did disarming Saddam have anything to do with oil?

Also, I've been reading old news stories from the AP archives suggesting that France, Germany, Russia and China have sold Iraq a massive amount of weapons, which they would like to continue doing. And some news articles even suggest from Iraqi defectors that Saddam already has nuclear weapons among a massive amount of biological and chemical weapons stored in large bunkers several hundred feet below ground. Yet, you ask a protestor about this and they say it's garbage, total propaganda. Have they lost their minds??? I guess I'm just stunned that there were so many protests world-wide and so much anger against us. You'd think after 9/11 people would understand why we must deal with countries that build biological and chemical weapons and have clearly announced to the world they support terrorism. What is going on?

Now in the news, Senators Patrick Leahy D-VT and Diane Feinstein D-CA are questioning the President over this crisis? If Bush does ask Congress for war, will they approve? I bet you my paycheck, the Democrats will do everything in their power to defeat him, regardless of how it is viewed worldwide.

But at the same time, while we continue to talk about it and debate, our enemies are creeping closer and closer. When the terrorists finally get a serious weapon from Iraq or another country that sponsors terrorism, they're going to use it! Maybe this time, with the right weapons they'll wipe out New York City completely! Will Congress still be debating after that? Will the world still expect us not to pursue countries that publicly sponsor terrorist organizations? I wonder what kind of general consensus we will have to reach after that happens? Another UN Resolution? 

THEY LIKE US 

»» Al Moulton, Rotonda West, FL: Here is a little support for your newsletter. I enjoy it. 

SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH, GAVARITE PO RUSSKI? 

"Chirac lambasted eastern European nations for their support of Washington. 'It is not really responsible behavior. It is not well brought-up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet.'" --Barry Renfrew, Associated Press

"Washington needs a regime change as much as Baghdad." --John Valder, former Liberal Party President, Australia 

REMEMBER HITLER, STALIN, AND BREZHNEV 

"I think that it is not by chance that the idea of confronting evil may have found more support in those countries that have had a recent experience with totalitarian systems... The Czech experience with Munich, with appeasement, with yielding to evil, with demanding more and more evidence that Hitler was truly evil, that may be one reason that we look at things differently." --Former President Vaclav Havel, Czech Republic in The New Yorker, February 24, 2003 

SAILING THE TEMPESTUOUS SEA OF LIBERTY 

"To march against the war is not to give peace a chance. It is to give tyranny a chance. It is to give the Iraqi nuke a chance. It is to give the next terrorist mass murder a chance. It is to march for the furtherance of evil instead of the vanquishing of evil." --Michael Kelly

"...[W]e cannot allow the defense of American lives to be held hostage by the United Nations -- which has already given Saddam Hussein a final warning, and now wants to give him another final warning. And, if he doesn't heed that, they will threaten him with yet another warning." --Thomas Sowell 

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