MONEY, MONEY, MONEY (by ABBA)

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YES IT IS, NO IT ISN'T

Douglas remains opposed to the increase in the state's income tax rate as proposed in the Act 60 reform plan voted out of the House Ways and Means Committee. He says, "Tax economists say that it will be a greater disadvantage to the state. We will not be successful in attracting capital to Vermont. The professional services tax could have a detrimental impact on the state’s economy."

House Ways and Means Chair Dick Marron, R-Stowe, says that Douglas is choosing not to listen. "The income tax is capped at the first $125,000 of income or a max of $2,250. The liberals are beating me up over that. It is that Harlan [Sylvester of Salomon Smith Barney in South Burlington and Chair of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors] who does not like it and he has called everyone." 

IT IS TOO MUCH WORK

Word seemed to come back from the Senate through a reporter’s question that Douglas was asking them to work too hard. Poor dears. "Is it fair to push both Act 250 and Act 60 reform in the first year?"

Douglas responds, "It is doable. Clearly from the O’Neal Report and my campaign experience, permit reform is needed now. We need to capitalize on the mood around the state for tax reform. The senate should be spending time now on permit reform even if they do not have a bill. Next year will be a campaign year and everything will be harder." 

WHAT IS EDUCATION?

Douglas spoke again this week about his desire to define education. It appears that this definition will be part of a potential legal response to an expected challenge to an Act 60-reform package.

"I am having a lot of meetings on an Act 60 plan. We are crafting a consensus proposal. These meetings are very fruitful. We have some differences about what we expect from a school system. There is a senate bill attempting to define education and I support that. There will be summer studies to work on this subject."

A translation of this might go like this. "Schools and their populations in Vermont are very different. Some are too small for bands, even for football teams. Others are large enough for dozens of sports teams and different orchestras. Some want Latin, others Chinese. Some want calculus and others want Wednesday afternoon ski programs.

"The best way to accommodate all the needs and comply with Brigham’s demand for equal educational opportunity is to first define what a basic education is in Vermont. We must provide that to all Vermont children. We must provide school choice or access for students who want programs not offered at their schools.

"We will then have met the standard for equal educational opportunity. We will have a defined system which we can test to see if it is meeting our goals for equal educational opportunity. Where it is not, we can put extra resources to bring those schools up to grade." 

MYTHOLOGY

Last week Governor Jim Douglas ranted and raved about the permit problems in Vermont saying, "Not a single day went by on then campaign trail that I did not hear about the problems with the permit process. Today two companies are considering moving out of Vermont because of permit delays."

Then there was the $80,000 O'Neal Report two years ago where a polling, focus group, and research company concluded after interviews with more than 200 business and community leaders that the permit process was THE number one impediment to economic development (see http://www.thinkvermont.com/publications/pdf/brand_study.pdf, p.12).

There also is the steady drop in the per capita income of Vermonters as compared to folks in the other forty-nine states; the steady flow of companies moving out of Vermont last year.

But according to Mark Sinclair of the Conservation Law Foundation, all this evidence is merely "mythology." 

JUST THE FACTS MA'AM

It was Sinclair’s turn to rant. The forum was a Vermont Law School Earth Week event, "The State of the State." Sinclair began, "It is disgusting that Jim Douglas decided that permitting is a problem. That is a cop-out. It shows a lack of imagination in solving Vermont’s economic and environmental challenges.

"Douglas is looking for answers in all the wrong places. This is a witch-hunt. Don’t bore me with facts about the permitting process. We work in other states. The permit process is no more difficult here than in New Hampshire, Massachusetts or especially New York.

"Most Act 250 applications are approved in sixty days. Last year of the six hundred applications, only ten were turned down. The Conservation Law Foundation has appeared before the Environmental Board only once in years. Why are we afraid of voices?" 

AMEN

Moderator, Law School Professor Pat Parenteau, seconded Sinclair saying "We all know that Act 250 is unjustifiably criticized for hurting Vermont."

Sinclair was not done. "The way that Douglas’s permit reform was created behind closed doors has polarized the process. That they want to do away with the Environmental Board and go to court is great for the Conservation Law Foundation. Just think what we could do with delays, remands, new judges, and so forth." 

NARCISSUS SPEAKS ON THE FUTURE

Sinclair laid out his plans; "Our challenge is to show the rest of the country and the world how to have economic success and environmental quality. We are at a tipping point. We can go the way of the rest of the country or we can do it right. There is another way; economic growth that is environmentally sustainable. I am tired of growth for growth's sake. We can have Vermont be a model for the rest of the country.

"We are running out of time. Acid rain and climate change are close to causing a forest collapse. Lake Champlain is as dirty as the Great Lakes ever were in some ways. We have no courage to clean up farm and stormwater runoff." 

ELECTION, WHAT ELECTION?

The rush of events kept our usual election financing analysis on the back burner. Now, months late, the data are less interesting. We will only hit the highlights.

Governor

Douglas won and set a spending record in doing so, the first million-dollar man, spending $1,124,518. Of course our Congressional delegation has unconsciously spent millions for years. But not the locals.

The law of unintended consequences still works. Vermont passed one of the most rigorous campaign finance laws just a few years back. Part of it was to specifically ban lots of out-of-state money. So what do we get? Lots of out-of-state money of course.

Douglas received $530,000 in direct funds from the Republican National Committee, $80,000 from the Republican Senate arm of the RNC, and another $50,000 via the Republican State Election Committee. They even had enough money to reimburse Skip Vallee for "mileage."

Many people have taken credit for this largess from Washington. Clearly the credit goes to the Douglas campaign which through its performance could demonstrate that victory was at hand.

Doug Racine spent less, and reported less than they spent. Because they counted services and research contributed by the Democrat Party as a contribution but did not enter a corresponding amount as an expense, they showed $840,686 in income and only $723,907 of expense. The state records of campaign spending will be wrong forever.

It is unlikely that the difference between income and expense was savings, especially when Racine personally gave his campaign $35,000 during the last week. Hope is the tool of the Devil.

Again the big players were the national dudes, $376,200 from the Democrat National Committee and $80,265 from the state party.

Con Hogan forgave the $71,093 he loaned to his campaign. Wish that he had made the check out to the Dwinell Political Report (you can!).

Lieutenant Governor

No fool that Shumlin fellow. One of the sharper tools in the political shed, and a reader of poles, he pulled out of the last minute spending spree and ending up with a $77,152 surplus. Anthony Pollina out-raised Brian Dubie by $4,829. Dubie seemed to be the only one with direct get-out-the-vote phone banking.

The Rest of the Statewide Field

Bernie gave Elizabeth Ready $400. Almost a third of Deb Markowitz’s spending came from her family. Ed Flanagan lapsed into insanity in breaking all down-ticket records spending $231,990, including a personal loan of $186,841.

The Senate

Senate spending is difficult to estimate. Yes, each files. But the Democrats have many a political action committee which sends out mail specifically supporting targeted senate candidates. The Republicans have fewer. This year one or more of the candidates in Franklin, Addison, Lamoille, Orange, and Bennington were the targets.

We have allocated half of the total PAC spending to each of the targeted candidates on a per capita basis, one third of party spending, and the entire Democrat Senate Victory Fund. We then added that amount to their reported expenses. The Democrats won all but one of the six targeted races.

Different groups spend money in different ways. Lots of mail, research, polling, GOTV, field workers, and radio and television ads. Clearly low turnout among the Republican base hurt their cause.
 

Senator Vince Illuzzi chipped in supporting a phone bank to help turn out voters for Douglas. He also dined out on his donors, twice at Sarduccis, twice at the Parkside, and once at the Wayside and the Miss Lyndonville.

THE PARTIES AND PACs

It ain't close folks. The Democrats are the party of money. Vermont Democrat Party raised $683,474, the GOP a paltry $271,352. The Democrat House PAC raised $188,024 and the GOP Legislative PAC raised $117,264. The GOP added a bit by having a Speaker’s PAC which raised an additional $24,292. Four Republican County Committees contributed $105,779 to the cause.

The Democrat Senate PAC raised $121,822 and the Democrat Chittenden County PAC chipped in another $35,000. The GOP Senate PAC did not raise, did not exist, or did not file and did not win.

The Democrat leaning PACs out-raised the Republicans also: The Vermont Fund for Families raised $94,884; Vermonters for Civil Unions raised $41,137; VSEA $15,702; the Socially Responsible Business PAC raised $10,238; and the Labor PAC $7,050. Republican leaning PACs raised less: Vermont Contractors spent $12,265; Vermonters for Jobs $10,800; DOMA raised $5,581; and VRTL raised $6,403.

Legendary field organizer and moveable focus grouper Marty Rouse received money from multiple Democrat's pockets including the Democrat Party, the Democrat House Campaign, and the Vermont Fund for Families. 

WALDO BEING WALDO

When we wrote The Case for President Dean in a previous issue, we mentioned that perhaps his penchant for creating facts to suit his purpose and his need to exaggerate might land him in hot water with the national press. His days of having a cozy press corps are gone. He is "cute by half" as one insider said.

Not satisfied with Californian delegates standing on their chairs and cheering, our Waldo had to exaggerate; he accused opponent Senator Edwards of being "deceptive" about his stand on the war. Waldo had to pen an apology letter during his time-out. 

PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES

According to an article in the National Review, on January 31st Dean said that he would support military action even without the United Nations authorization if there were "persuasive evidence of weapons of mass destruction." But on February 21st he said that he would not "support sending troops unless the United Nations specifically approved."

Back home, the press never gave a hoot about his inconsistencies. He is in the majors now.

Go to: http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-geraghty032803.asp 

STAFF SHAKEUP

Saddled with a second tier campaign manager according to Professor Garrison Nelson of UVM and now having a first tier message, Dean appears to have sacked Rick Ridder in favor of Joe Trippi. According to insiders, if Trippi said jump, Dean would ask how high. "He will do anything Trippi says. He will say anything Trippi tells him to. He has complete confidence in Trippi. Has worked with him for years."

Rick is going to be spending more time with his kids as was long time press secretary Sue Allen who moves on at the same time. 

CREATIVE WRITER PROMOTES WALDO

The Advocate featured Dean April 1st. Here is a sampling.

"Dean captured 50.5 percent of the vote in 2000 against a virtual unknown opponent." One thing Ruth was not was unknown.

"Dean says 'The battle over civil unions was one of the things that first got me thinking about a presidential bid.'" Guess he forgot about all those New Hampshire gatherings he attended in 1997 before his polling suggested that Vermonters were about to dish him unless he gave up his bid.

Go to: http://www.advocate.com/html/stories/886/886_dean.asp 

HELPING OUT BIG BROTHER

You may have heard of state approved training programs. IDX has one. IDX is that little bitty company into hospital software. While their "employees" are being trained, they are not being paid by IDX. They are collecting unemployment charged to their last employer who of course will not benefit. Take from the poor and give to the rich. 

ELECTION RESULTS FROM THE SOVIET UNION

The recent constitutional referendum had a familiar ring. Ninety-nine point five percent voted in favor of the Kremlin’s proposal in Chechnya with an eighty-eight percent turnout. Though the Kremlin reported that voters were standing in line for ten or fifteen minutes," reporters could find none. Meanwhile, buses in Grozny where there are no rebels are still blowing up. The Economist wrote, "It was not the living souls who made up the numbers but the dead ones." 

THE BEAT GOES ON

In Pennsylvania a woman was convicted of third degree murder for killing a fetus during a fight. She was not a doctor. 

THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS

Whilst House Minority Leader Gaye Symington goes on her liberal way, the folks back home are beginning to ask questions. If the Underhill student enrollment has decreased 19.4 percent, why have the teacher and support positions increased by 21.7 percent?

Why are the teachers receiving annual compensation increases of eight percent when the annual inflation rate is 1.9 percent and the average income growth is 3 percent? Is a 20 percent property tax increase sustainable? 

PRO-CHOICE

»» Dan Treat, South Burlington: Isn't it interesting how the idea of "choice" can be good or bad, depending on the issue. If we are talking about abortion, in the eyes of most Democrats "choice" is apparently a good thing. But if we are talking about letting parents have a "choice" about where to send their kids to school, it's apparently a bad thing.

Or if we are talking about "choice" in health care, the Democrats feel this is wrong as well since they would like to force everyone to rely on a government sponsored single payer system. Last but not least, letting Vermonters have a choice about civil unions via a statewide referendum is apparently a horrible idea in the eyes of most Democrats. Oh well, Kudos from a Vermonter who is "pro-choice" on all the right issues. 

IDIOTS

»» Representative Alan Parent, St. Albans City: The floor action at Friday mornings Vermont House of Representatives was among the shortest all year. It was also one of the most memorable to date for this freshman Representative. Unfortunately this letter has nothing to do with the good that was done that day, but rather an unfortunate incident that occurred immediately following adjournment. The actions of a few may again ruin the freedom of many.

A short time following that morning's floor proceedings several of us Representatives were discussing permit reform and the pending weekends events when the chamber suddenly erupted with shouting. Several people stormed into the middle of the large room, followed by State House security, holding what appeared to be bouquets of helium filled balloons. In the balcony above us another small group of people began shouting and screaming at us. Two additional state police officers rushed in to help extricate the balloon toting individuals.

If this all sounds innocent and harmless consider this: The Capitol of Vermont is the closest to any foreign border. The only thing that separates the building from traffic is a flimsy metal bar painted to look impregnable. The guards, while seeming omnipresent, are spread over many square feet of space and out-manned by a rush of people. Temporary use of state police during orange alert is awkward due to their lack of knowledge of the daily workings of the legislators.

Friday's protestors acknowledged their intent to storm the house chambers during session to voice their opinions. Their actions will do only one thing: undermine the openness and freedom of our capitol building. Friday's lack of common sense will only result in additional security costs and reduced public access in Montpelier. 

HOW DO YOU PLEA?

»» Attorney General William H. Sorrell, Montpelier: You reported that we prosecuted Snow River for having taken inventory labeled "Made in Vermont" with it when it moved from Vermont and then sold the same without having removed the label.

I plead not guilty. We had no problem with the company’s sale of the products truthfully labeled "Made in Vermont". We did, however, object to the nearly $10,000 worth of products manufactured in Wisconsin which the company subsequently sold to Vermont retailers that had been, in the words of Snow River’s attorney, "inadvertently" labeled "Made in Vermont."

The vast majority of Vermont retailers wish to sell truthfully labeled products. Most consumers wish to purchase same. And virtually all Vermont manufacturers do not wish to see their own products in competition with products labeled "Made in Vermont" when such products have in fact been manufactured elsewhere. 

APPOINTMENTS I

»» Steve McConnel, Townshend: Missing among your list of winners who lost the election is Roger Allbee, unsuccessful candidate for State Representative from Townshend, Newfane and Marlboro. He's been appointed as Executive Director of the Federal Farm Service Agancy for Vermont. It seems the President likes him! 

APPOINTMENTS II

»» Ruth Stokes, Williston: I was interested to read that I now have a job with the Douglas administration. As you know, for the past four years I have been working with the Vermont Student Opportunity Scholarship Fund, a private organization. Please advise me which job I am apparently failing to fulfill.

Editor's note: Ruth Stokes was appointed by Governor Douglas to the Judicial Nominating Board.

»» Ruth Stokes, Williston: The piece in the Dwinell report, GET A JOB, "DA DA DA DA", implied that the people listed had somehow been rewarded by being given employment for their previous activities re: voting a certain way, being a Republican candidate for office, Executive Director, etc. Gov. Douglas asked me to serve as a volunteer on the Judicial Nominating Board. This commitment is apt to require a great deal of time and energy but this area is one in which I am very interested and feel strongly about and am therefore willing to serve. 

QUISLINGS III

»» Rob Towle, Rutland City: In response to Mr. Ogden's remarks about the War in Iraq... How many innocent Iraqi lives have been lost during the 12 years that Saddam has been unchallenged by an outside influence. In 1991, President Bush was successful in inciting 14 different regions of Iraqi civilians to revolt against Saddam but the Leftist Handwringers in Congress would not allow the United States to intervene on the behalf of the Iraqi revolutionists.

These Wait and See Non-Supporters of Everyone's Right to Freedom are now the same people that are saying "If only we had finished the Job during the Gulf War." I'm am very sure these people are descendants from the long line of Do-Nothings that secretly said that we shouldn't fight the British since the Tax on Tea would be far less than the Cost of a Revolutionary War.

If we do not help the Iraqi people, Who Will? If Hitler was not defeated, what would the World be like today? Does the Anti-War condone the actions of Saddam's army to Kidnap citizens of fighting age at gunpoint and at peril to family members to fight the Coalition forces? If Saddam does not have WMD, why are we finding so many Chemical Weapon suits and how many Scuds has Saddam fired since the War has started? 

MADELINE HARWOOD'S MEMOIR 

»» Roy Berkeley: Don't miss out! Only a few copies left of Madeline B. Harwood's wonderful book, Two Harwoods in the House: A Vermont Memoir. From her childhood on the farm, to her nursing school days, to her marriage to her beloved Doc, to her political life (14 years in the Vermont Senate, 4 years in the House, and contact with all the Republican presidents and presidential hopefuls of her time), this is a remarkable story. Every page is full of delicious memories and thoughtful reflections and salty humor.

Here's what Barbara Snelling writes, in her Foreword: "This is an autobiography with two levels of communication. It appears to be simply a narrative of an ordinary couple's life, but in truth, it is the story of an extraordinary husband and wife, each with exceptional contributions to their community, state, and nation. . . . If one does not know and love the Harwoods when starting the first chapter, one will surely love and respect them both before the book is closed."

Everyone on our side of the aisle should have a copy. All Vermonters should, of course, but that's probably too much to ask for. Send $16 (which includes tax and postage) to Madeline Harwood, The Fields 3A, Manchester Center, VT., 05255, and be sure to ask for a personal inscription. 

THEY LIKE US 

»» Jeff Chapple, Burlington: Keep up the good work.

»» Jens Jensen, Windsor: Great job, enjoy the report. 

SAY WHAT? 

"Yesterday I heard on VPRIG, I mean VPR..." --Spence Putnam, Executive Director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility at Vermont Law School Earth Week Forum. 

DON'T DO THEM ANY FAVORS 

"(Democrats) start every comment with, 'I certainly support the troops,' and then go denigrate why they're there. That's not supporting the troops, because you are telling that soldier directly he's risking his life for something that's wrong, and that has consequences. It has consequences in morale; it has consequences in soldiers second-guessing orders; it has consequences in soldiers questioning themselves as to what their commitment is." -- House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas) 

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