SLEUTHING SENATE FINANCE REPORTS 

Zillions of reports were filed on September 25, reports from parties, statewides, legislative, senate, political action committees, and others. Vermont is alive with participants, groups participating in PAC format and major and minor party candidates. The pile of copies on our floor is just over twenty inches. You only were required to file if you raised or spent $500. Another zillion probably were not required to file, that even includes Senator John Bloomer.

As mentioned last week, the Democrat closing effort is very impressive every election year. Armed with the best lists, a coordinated strategy and message, experienced and shared vendors, and precise research from focus groups and polls, they are unbeatable in the final days. You best have a lead ten days out if you are running against a Democrat.

Most important is money. Contrary to the stereotype, the Democrats outspend Republicans every cycle, by a large margin, as high as 150 percent. Many a Democrat senate candidate appears lazy, hardly raising any money at all. Then comes the rush of mail, phone calls, and turn out the vote, sweeping in the lazy with the deserving, often the lazy instead of the deserving.

This year the situation has been made worse by the Jeffords’s defection. Not that Jim was ever a Pat Leahy when it came to helping out the home team, but he helped. Now he is helping Democrats, locally and nationally. All three powerful members of our Congressional delegation are now working for the liberal cause.

They bring money, experience, staff (which is illegal but widespread), expertise, research, and national contacts and resources. That any other candidates prevail is miraculous and a credit to the few voters who can and do separate spin, fabrication ("Racine is a fiscal conservative"), attacks, and volumes of excellent mail.

A NEW RECORD

There are always surprises. The record for spending on a senate seat belongs to Skip Vallee. He continues to file reports from his 2000 committee. His total spending has now grown to $130,304.75. In his recent filing he also forgave a $67,000 loan to his committee. On September 15th he also bought one question on a Fabrizio McLaughlin poll taken for someone else in this year’s campaign. What would his question be?

Skip Vallee, his wife, and his business holdings appear regularly as a contributor on other’s filings, $1,200 for Diane Snelling, $1,500 for Kate Purcell, and $900 for Cathy Voyer.

THE METROPOLITIANS

Senator Jim Leddy, D-Chittenden, has raised $12,945 including a maxed out $300 contribution from Ben Cohen, the recent New York City pig rider and the former Ben & Jerry’s dude. Senator Diane Snelling, R-Chittenden, raised $4,655 including $300 from the pro-civil unions PAC Vermont Fund for Families, the only Republican Senator we found.

Kate Purcell, a Republican challenging for one of the Chittenden County seats raised $9,145. Senator Ginny Lyons, D-Chittenden, has raised $722. Hinda Miller, who was collecting signatures to run for the senate both as a Republican and as a Democrat, raised $11,810 including $300 from the Dean Campaign Committee. Maybe it was the call from Dean and a promise of support which swung her over to run as a Democrat. Art Hogan’s campaign was jump-started with his $1,600 loan.

THE SUBURBAN AGS

Representative Carl Rosenquist who is trying to step up to the senate from Franklin County to replace Judge Costes raised a disappointing $1,495, almost all from Republican Committees. Senator Sara Kittell, D-Franklin, raised $4,739 including a maxed out $300 in-kind contribution from the Republican GOP Chair Ted Tyler via the Tyler Place and another $300 from a Pixley Tyler Hill.

Clare Ayer seems off and running to upset Senator Tom Bahre, R-Addison, having out-raised Tom $12,222 to $8,050. Meg Barnes of Addison County raised $7,033 while Senator Gerry Gossens, D-Addison, raised $6,296. Ayer listed an expense of $140.61 for attending an Emily’s List campaign workshop in Stowe in June. It seemed from reading the financial reports that she was the one attending though we are sure she was not alone. Emily’s List (early money is like yeast) is a PAC to help female candidates but we expect that there were few to no Republicans in attendance.

BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE

Senator James Greenwood, R-Orleans, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille and who knows what else, and Senator Rob Ide, R-Caledonia and Orange, have been very busy sharing their money as neither face a significant challenge, making gifts across the state to GOP hopefuls. Senator Vince Illuzzi, R-Barre, Orleans, Essex, Franklin, and Lamoille shows the most interesting campaign spending patterns.

His campaign expenditures include the Imperial Hotel in Benhavn, Denmark, Monarch Knudshoved in Nyborg Denmark, Café Norden in Kobenhavn Denmark, the Radison Hotel in Odense Denmark, Jet Blue for a Chicago event, Starbucks in Chantilli, Virginia and $19.64 for a "Ruffed Grouse Dinner" somewhere in Caledonia County. Lots of votes in Denmark, Virginia, and Chicago? He also used his largess to contribute to other Republicans.

THE CAPITOL DISTRICT

A Progressive is running for the senate, John Potthast. John likes coffee. He charged his campaign for coffee at NECI, three times, Capitol Grounds twice, Irasville Country Store, Champlain Farms, the Vermont Country Store on a trip to see the wind towers, the Coffee Cellar, and Mac’s in Warren. Probably these should have been under the heading, "fuel." He also enjoyed a luncheon celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Vermont Land Trust all on someone’s political donations. Those new guys learn fast.

Kim Cheney, former Republican Attorney General and now liberal Democrat finding stereotypical faults with his former party, used his campaign contributions to dine out with the Vermont Historical Society for $125.

Senator Ann Cummings raised $4,741, over ten percent from Robert Sherman of Washington. A fund raising star is Paul Giuliani who raised tons in a steady call to traditional Republicans.

AMERICAN IDOL

The star search has found a winner, Matt Dunn of Hartland. In his first run for the senate, Matt has already raised $24,646.57. Match that up against seasoned entrants Senator Peter Welch, D-Windsor, who raised $3,154 and Senator John Campbell who raised $9,034. Or consider the GOP’s lone candidate, Henry Holmes who raised $7,941.

Money is the mother’s milk of politics. Senator Peter Shumlin built his power base on his ability to raise money and organize a successful campaign to elect fellow Democrats. Dunn could do the same with the sort of success he has shown here, raising money both in Vermont and around the country.

SKI COUNTRY

Cathy Voyer raised $20,088 in a steady effort. From her report, there is hardly a day without signs of successful efforts. Though her contributions came from all sections of Vermont, over a third came from Stowe. Senator Bartlett raised $11,710, a little in Stowe, $600 from the Stritzler’s of Smugglers and $900 via Kimble, Sherman, and Ellis.

PRINCE OF TIDES

Outgoing Senator Gerry Morrissey, R-Bennington, used much of his surplus to bring Bennington school children up to Montpelier on two separate occasions to take a look-see at their government in operation. 

LEAVE OF SENSES

Anthony Pollina, Progressive candidate for lieutenant governor, said recently in a debate in Westfield, "our income tax burden is much lower than other states." Taken as a whole, our state tax burden as compared to our per capita income is number one in the country according to the United State Census. Is any other measure necessary? 

VOODOO SCIENCE

According to the Barton Chronicle reporting on a meeting on Champion Lands, some folks are calling the effort to use data on reserves as small as fifty acres to justify a 25,000 acre one "voodoo science." Others suggest, "these people do not want a constructive dialogue. They want an appearance of a dialogue while they continue to ram their agenda down our throats."

Real Vermont News pointed out that the call for more forest should fall on deaf ears when Vermont forests have grown from twenty percent of the land mass to over eighty percent in the last one hundred years merely from economic forces having nothing to do with the environmental crowd.

"Some people do not view good news as a positive thing because it jeopardizes future funding (for their causes and a potential loss of jobs for themselves), " wrote John Pike in Insight Magazine. 

PERMIT HADES ENCORE

According to the Caledonian-Record, the District 7 environmental commission required an applicant for a communication tower to convince and persuade them that the developer had a valid commercial purpose. Are they suggesting that applicants go through the expense and hassle trying to gain a permit just for the fun of it? Or maybe they torture themselves just to get back at their opponents by building unnecessary structures to annoy them. Really.

Story here: http://www.caledonian-record.com/pages/local_news/story/fa1388796

NO CRACKER-BARREL STOVE

In Perkinsville, folks wanted to open a 169 year-old general store in the middle of town which had been closed for the last six years. It had the support of the townspeople who had missed that heartbeat in the center of town. It was a place to meet and greet, pick up the odd supply, and enjoy each others company. They received their local conditional use permit

Alas, a neighbor had become accustomed to the peace and tranquillity of no store next door. They appealed. According to the Rutland Herald, Judge Cook in Windsor agreed that peace and quiet wins over local town government, the wishes of the people, and those who might wish to reduce the need to drive longer distances to pick up a few items. Can't have a general store in Vermont. Amazing.

Story here: http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/Archive/Articles/Article/54489

JUDGE WRONG

The Republicans had their chance. Even Governor Dean pushed. Get rid of Environmental Court Judge Meredith Wright whose court rulings are glacial and often just plain wrong. But no, the Grand Old Party with the unsure footing of a colt, gave her six more years. What a disgrace and disaster.

John Hand of Manchester has been trying to expand his small business. You know the type of business the state says it is now targeting. No more Huskys or IBMs. Let's encourage our small businesses to grow. He proposed to build a 21,000 square foot addition to his existing business, nearly doubling it. Probably 20-30 new jobs would be created. The tax base would grow. Hand received his permit in August, 2001.

And then the inevitable, some person was offended by job creation and appealed. According to the Bennington Banner Judge Meredith Wrong still has not been heard from. Limbo used to be a Caribbean contest, now it is a way of life for those dwindling Vermonters who care to dance. Fewer each year probably.

Full story here: http://www.benningtonbanner.com/Stories/0,1413,104%7E8676%7E925628,00.html

GET A JOB, BUT NOT HERE

Now it is Ben and Jerrys laying off because of a competitive environment. Come on Bernie, they are your buddies, stop them from laying us off. Heck with the real world. This is Vermont.

P & C grocery store in Randolph is closing, putting twenty four out of work. Then in the corner of the C Section of the Times Argus was a tiny note, state tax revenues are off target. Any connection to anything we ever write about, permits, taxes, competition, investment, technology, energy costs, transportation, or education? No we did not think so. That must be why Racine has a thirteen percent lead. 

CAN'T TELL IT LIKE IT IS 

The campaign finance debate speaks of the "megaphone." It is unfair that some inherently receive a bigger megaphone than others. Let's level the playing field.

That does not work when the press will not play fair. Here it is from two leading reporters this week. "Despite a liberal tag, Raicine seeks moderate course." No this is not true. It is not a tag, Racine is a proud liberal and his record speaks volumes about that. Racine does not seek a moderate course, he seeks a victory. They seem to think that a moderate course campaign rhetoric will get them there.

Another paper writes, "The current lieutenant governor as a fiscal conservative ran counter to the picture of Racine that Jim Douglas has tried to paint." No, it runs counter to the facts, to the record, to Racine's own beliefs and self image.

Each mischaracterization further seals the deal for Racine's "evolution" from pro gay marriage to against it, for higher taxes to against them, for parental leave to against it, for a single payer health system to opposed to it, opposed to the Circ to supportive, and so long. The list is so long...

The press refuses to be independent, to analyze, to play fair, to speak the truth. 

NO FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

Howard Dean, once governor of these Green Mountains, returned home. "It is a rare day when Governor Dean is in Vermont," noted the WCAX newscaster. We went to Channel 17, they are always there to record the gov, but they did not bother to go to film the performance.

And a performance it was. Dean endorsed the "fiscal conservative" Doug Racine for governor, something that he has done often at his weekly press conferences. One reporter could not stop laughing when describing the event to us. Yet he concluded that probably sixty percent of the voters will believe him. Sad. Sad that Dean lied, sad that we do not get more from our elected officials, sad he might be believed. 

IGNORED BY THE DAILIES

Kudos to the Vermont Times for publishing an article reporting that Congressional candidate Bill Meub picked up an important endorsement on October 6th. Arizona Senator John McCain publicly announced his support for Meub while visiting New England that day.

The story never made the dailies, except for a brief mention in passing in a Vermont Press Bureau story concerning the 10/08 radio "debate" between Meub and Sanders.

Read the Vermont Times article here: 

McCain endorses Meub’s run for congressional seat

Congressional candidate Bill Meub picked up an important endorsement this weekend when Arizona Senator John McCain publicly announced his support for Meub while visiting New England on Sunday.

“Bill Meub is a straight hiker and the kind of guy who does what he says. I admire his strong stands on campaign reform, his reasoned approach to the important economic and security questions facing America and his insistence on sub-stantive debates on the issues. I’m proud to recommend him to the peo-ple of Vermont.

McCaln is viewed as an independent-minded centrist, something that Meub says he finds very appealing.

“I am extremely honored to have John supporting my candidacy,” Meub said. “John doesn’t throw his backing behind just anyone. He’s an independent-minded person, as am I.”

Vermonters overwhelmingly supported John McCain’s bid for the presidency when he ran in the Republican primary in 2000. Although he lost nationally, McCain carried Vermont with 49,045 votes, or 60.3 percent of all the Republican votes cast in the 2000 presidential primary in Vermont.

McCain even pulled more votes than the two top vote-getters in the Democratic primary combined— Al Gore (with 26,774 votes) and Bill Bradley (with 21,629 votes).

“John McCain embodies so many attributes Vermonters hold dear,” said Meub of the endorsement. “He’s a fighter, he’s independent, he’s got a common sense approach to problems. Frankly, he’s a hero of mine, and I couldn’t be more grateful for his words of support.”

Meub said Sen. McCain has expressed his desire to visit Vermont to help him.

“I look forward to welcoming John to our won-derful state and having his help on my campaign.”

HOGAN VOTE = RACINE VOTE

»» Lisa Ann Dick, Montpelier: [Re: Stephen Allen's letter supporting Art Hogan] I'll tell you why *this* thoughtful Republican is not voting for Con Hogan. It is because Con Hogan is hurting the Republican cause, not helping it. He is working extremely hard to take votes away from the Republican candidate. He is a third party spoiler. Con's interests are not for Vermont and Republicans; Con's interests are for himself alone. Every vote for Con Hogan is a vote stolen from the Republican, Jim Douglas.

Voting for Con Hogan has the same effect as voting for the Democrats. I for one have had enough of Democrats. 

THEY REPRESENT US 

»» Dick Tracy, Sharon: A key fact has been lost in the furor over the constitutionally mandated process by which the legislature decides gubernatorial elections in which no candidate gains a majority of the votes: that is, the legislature IS the people. They is us!!! No amount of political blackmail and strong arming ought to change the minds of those who are elected by us to represent us.

If liberal whiners such as Peter Welch don't like the way the constitution is written then they should put in motion a constitutional amendment. Short of that they should just - shut - up!

»» Bruce P. Shields: Amid the contention about election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor by the Vermont House, it would be helpful to take a longer perspective of this issue.

Many writers to this newspaper have scolded the US regarding our pursuit of a regime change in Iraq, and have urged that we learn how things are done elsewhere in the world. That relates to this issue. The American method of selecting the chief executive of a state is clearly "out of sync" with how things are done in most of the world. A chief executive with legislative power -- i.e. a president or a governor -- elected directly by popular vote is almost unique to the American system. In Canada, the United Kingdom, in almost all the world, the functional executive is chosen by the legislature, in the so-called Parliamentary System. The leader of the majority party automatically becomes executive.

The Vermont Constitution blends the Parliamentary System with direct election. The people are given opportunity to speak. If they fail to speak decisively, the Legislature is empowered to act. Given how many democratic countries around the world require the legislature to elect the chief executive, I think it is not very helpful for one Vermont political party to call legislative election "undemocratic." 

WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE? 

»» Betty Ferraro, Rutland: How much longer are Vermonters going to tolerate paying the expenses for several of our State Troopers to escort Gov. Dean on his campaign trail all over the country - say nothing about paying his salary as Governor! I would not have a problem with him campaigning on his own time - but he is still Governor of Vermont (really part time), yet comes back long enough to reiterate a few barbs about the Republican Candidates and our President and pick up his check!!! Come on Vermonters - this is not right! Am I the only one up in arms about this? 

BYE, BYE JIM 

»» Gregory Thayer, Rutland: I think every Vermonter that voted for Jeffords two years ago, and the Vermont GOP, ought to lead the charge--should DEMAND Jeffords resignation from the U.S. Senate. Especially as Jeffords is moving around the country campaigning against the Republican candidates, this is just another slap to all the Vermonters who elected him. Vermont has lost credibility in a Republican Senate! Resign Jim, if the GOP takes control of the U.S. Senate, for the good of Vermont! 

THE "TORCH" BURNS OUT 

»» Dave Frink, Hinesburg: I read, with some degree of amusement I must admit, the story about Senator Torricelli throwing his hat out of the ring in the race for re-election to the U.S. Senate in New Jersey. Although it would be more correct to say that he had his hat stomped on and thrown out by his own actions along with a little help no doubt from the Democratic Party seeing that Mr. Torricelli had recently elevated himself to full lame duck status. For Mr. Torricelli to say that he "will not be responsible for the loss of the Democratic majority in the United States Senate" is akin to Ken Lay claiming no responsibility for the slight drop in Enron's stock value.

But the real question here is what will this mean for Vermont's two swaggering Senators, Leahy and Jeffords, if the Democrats loose the Senate this fall. After all the our two Senators have wielded considerable power in Washington since Jumpin' Jim relieved himself of the shackles of party affiliation and handed the U.S. Senate to Mr. Daschle on a silver platter.

Well, Senator Leahy will be relieved of his position as chairman of the Judiciary Committee which oddly enough will be a good thing for the Judiciary. Senator Leahy has blocked nearly every judicial appointment made by President Bush since the Democrats took control of the Senate. He has not allowed a vote on almost any of these important Judicial positions in his own Committee let alone the entire Senate. I know he's got this entire litmus test agenda - i.e. no conservatives - but that pesky document called the U.S. Constitution says "advise and consent" not block and prevent. How I'll miss the dulcet tones heard from Senator Leahy over these past months as his voice will soon become shrill and virulent as the very Judicial appointments he has spent so much time blocking come to a vote.

I believe the future for our junior Senator will be much like his past only colder and harder. If the Democrats loose the Senate they will have no more immediate need for Jumpin' Jim and will toss him to the back of the cupboard like a chipped dinner plate until they need to use him again. And the warm and fuzzies between Jeffords and the Republican Party ended a long time ago. So Jim will return to where he is most comfortable, small and irrelevant, trumpeting pet issues and doing his best to avoid the spotlight. THANKS JIM! 

ELECT REPUBLICANS 

»» G. Lester Corwin II, South Royalton: This is a Republic, not a democracy. Let's keep it that way. And those words don't have anything to do with party politics. The Republican Party began at the time of Abraham Lincoln. Article 4 section 4 of the United States Constitution, which guarantees to each state a republican form of government predated Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party by nearly a hundred years. We should all read the US and Vermont Constitutions more, especially if the judges have difficulty in that endeavor. Reduce partisanship in the Vermont Senate. Elect Republicans. They are kinder and less partisan. And they will help restore opportunity. 

REMEMBERS JOHN CARROLL COVERAGE 

»» Dennis Myrick, Danville: I was at the interview with John Carroll conducted by Betsy Liley. I heard clearly what John said about reforming the permitting process of act 250. She asked him if he thought it needed to be thrown out and he said "if that is what it takes to make getting a permit easier then yes." Betsy reported the next day that John Carroll wanted to throw out Act 250. He clearly was focused on the permit process not the act itself. As you know you cannot un-ring a bell. When the editors of the Free Press finally straightened out the mess, this quote was being repeated on call in shows all over Vermont.

I also was present in 1996 when John, at a press conference in Montpelier was asked if property taxes needed to be "reformed". John replied with the statement that he did not hear people coming up to him on the campaign trail saying that their "property taxes need to be reformed". He said I hear people telling me their property taxes are too high. He explained that Vermonters were willing to pay to educate their children as they always have, but the perception of the taxpayers was the exchange in value of their money for the product was disproportionate. Ross Sneyd reported John's statement as a somewhat antagonistic quote and John asked him where he had been all during the campaign when he was talking about high property taxes and working to change the situation. As you can imagine, the story came out less than flattering and Doug Racine still misquotes John on the issue. 

NOT HAPPY WITH PRESS CORPS 

»» Laura Brueckner, Waterbury Center: Of all the questions to our Congressmen about bills they deny knowledge of, letters to the editors of newspapers across the state, for all my statements about the crookedness of the real estate tax, for all my comments about Act 60 being about Act 71, lawsuits in reference to the real estate tax - no reporter has EVER called me. In fact a television crew was at the Supreme Court the day of one real estate tax cases and when they found out the case - they promptly left. On the Mark Johnson show I said words something like that IF Shumlin had an affair with a person for whom he was/is a superior it is the business of the taxpayers/voters only in as much as, if, there were a lawsuit taxpayers would get the bill. Got a call from a reporter demanding to know if I knew personally of any affairs... I had to repeatedly state that I WAS NOT commenting on an affair but the fact that as a taxpayer I would get the bill - so to speak. It seems if a reporter can use the reporter's job to intimidate and protect a favored candidate it will be done, but to find facts on Congressional bills that have cost Americans their standard of living, 401's etc. there is no interest. 

CONSERVATIVES ALIVE AND WELL 

»» Dick and Margaret Waite, Braintree: To comment on one issue in the report (Are Conservatives Dead?): No they are not dead, but they are disenchanted with the Republican party because of the lack of party support for a candidate that would have WON in the 2000 election, and saved us from two more years of Howard Dean. If, after Ruth Dwyer had replaced him, they felt she was not doing a good job, they could have worked to replace her in 2002. Frankly, both of us after listening to Ms Dwyer speak on several occasions, were so impressed with her qualifications and values that we made our first (ever) political campaign contribution. We will be making a contribution to the campaign of Brian Dubie, but not that of Douglas. Can you guess why? 

BOTTOM LINES, NOT HEADLINES 

»» Paul Chandler, Newport: I can remember that the only time I ever heard about Alexander Acebo, longtime state auditor, was when Channel 3 had his name on the tote board running unopposed. He did his job. He stayed out of the limelight. The job was apolitical. How times have changed with the likes of Ed Flanagan & Elizabeth Ready. I would love to see Mr. Hyde win simply so we do not have to look at any Auditor political headlines for 2 years. 

KEEPING US HONEST 

»» David H. Millson, New Haven: My favorite maxim, second only to, "Liberals tolerate everyone... except the people they hate," is: Qui custodiet ipsos custodes; Who will watch over the guardians themselves?

In your 10/3 "The Breaks of the Game," you wrote, "There are just too many absent or late [campaign finance] filings to report...," yet, in the interest of creating a story from minimal information, or maybe simply out of editorial expedience, you continue, "...but here, according to the office of campaigns and elections, are senate candidates who filed their campaign finance reports 'with the secretary of state' late." And you proceed to name the select few.

The article concludes, "There is an advantage to filing late: the media will never go back and see your filing. You are home free." The implication of the last seems to be, "You have gotten away with hiding your figures." That's a leap of logic one would normally attribute to the Democrat/liberal press half-truth/innuendo style: the Free Press, Addison Independent, or Rutland Herald, not the DPR.

Readers expect greater integrity from you, the very verbal decrier of media obfuscation and bias. Yet, in a single article, you have reported the actions of only those late-filing candidates selected and reported by the Democrat Secretary of State's office -- (All the news that fits we print.) -- and attributed negative motivation to them all, leaving many others "home free" from DPR scrutiny and implied negative comment.

You castigate other media sources for their bias, innuendo, selective reporting and incomplete facts. Please don't open The Dwinell Political Report to similar criticism again. You work hard to bring us information reported nowhere else, and it is very much appreciated. Please work as hard to remain the custodian of honest, objective, comprehensive journalism, over whom no other custodians need watch. 

SOURED ON HOWARD 

»» Craig Averill, Goshen: I have always Voted for the person and for the last several years, it has been far more Republicans than Democrats. I am not trying to sound stupid, but I have never been able to find a book that describes what either is suppose to represent or be. I sure do see a lot of flag flying though and I see a war being waged under the flags. Not at issues, but attacking each others flags. Silly, but true.

Dean has proved to me two things.

1. The Governor's job should be advertise as a part-time job. Vermonters could save money there.

2. That his better ideas have been failures. Where is the Healthy Vermonter? Our choices for coverage is as small as our choice for decent bank loans on Homes and Autos. He has destroyed Vermont's economy, jobs, health insurance and our Morals, he has rasied our sales tax, property taxes, sin taxes, fuel taxes and taxes on taxes. Our cost for educating our kids is one of the highest in the Nation, our quality of education is marginal, businesses are moving out of our state with the good paying jobs and he sees it as globilization, even though they are only going to New York, North Carolina and Maine. Our zoning laws have taken all rights from the owners and laid it on the state or towns. And now he wants to tackle the Nation. Let it be remembered that our sales tax was raised twice and we even got a lottery to help support Education and take the burden off the tax payer. Well porperty taxes are at unreal highs, well beyond the 2% of the annual household income and way beyond the 1% of the homestead values and the state aid to education has dropped by 46%. Atta boy Dean. Lets not even talk about our roads and how they don't seem to plow them any more, or let's not talk about how often we see a State Trooper with a flashing blue light, or how bad our bridges and intersections are, let's not talk about our wonderful infrastructure that doesn't allow raw material to come in or finish products to go out. Yeah Dean, I could go on and I think you have done a fine job, I for one will not miss you and I am sorry I will miss your going away party, my wife and I, both have to work and we couldn't find a sitter or a Day Care if we wanted to.

Dean's ego will soon be torn apart by the New York Times and the big RAGS. No one looks at him as a threat and probably more as a joke than anything. I think he is the biggest piece of entertainment since Jesse Jackson.

One more thing, how about the Racine Shuffle, neat huh? A few weeks ago, according to Racine and Hogan, Vermont didn't have a business problem and only Douglas acknowledged that we did. Now ole' Racine sees the popularity in saying there is and guess who is saying there is.

Great source of information. Love your boldness and your work. 

THE HECK WITH 'EM 

»» William Brueckner Sr, Waterbury Ctr: Dean and the politicians are balancing the budget on the backs of the taxpayer. Dean recommends and executes budget law of the Senate with a Democratic majority and the House that is overwhelmingly Republican. Government does not have any money of its own so it is always us who pay. Republicans and Democrats worked together to raise taxes to the point where we can’t live here and businesses leave. The problem is government.

If you listen to public testimony in the "house of the people" a cross section of our society has repeatedly asked for lower taxes and fairer taxes. We have elected a government that has failed its people. 

THEY LIKE US 

»» Brendan Kinney, Chair, Vermont Libertarian Party: Thanks for the work you do. I appreciate your newsletter and read it every week. just checked the website too, very nice!

»» Joe Cousino, South Burlington: Wow. Dwinell's newsletter this week was one of the best, ever. It amazes me how the GOP comes up in second place so often with so much truth out there!

»» Ian Robertson, Elmore: That was by far your best issue in a very long time. To be honest, lately you the DPR seems to me to have sometimes shown signs of fatigue. Its a HUGE proposition, single-handedly putting out a publication of no small size. I honestly cannot comprehend how you manage it. Yesterdays issue was packed and sharp and hung together very well. It was really a very sharp piece of writing. I hope you can keep that edge through November! 

ELECTRICITY TAX HIKE JUST PLAIN FOOLISH
by Representative Rick Hube, South Londonderry 

Vermont’s loss of livable-wage jobs has now reached into the thousands and hit every corner of the state. That is, every corner except Montpelier. In a breathtakingly ill-timed move, the Department of Public Service is arguing that a 30 percent increase in an electricity tax, set to take effect in 2003, should be structured to disproportionately punish business customers.

The tax is called the “energy efficiency charge” and appears as a line item on your electric bill. State government spends the money on programs intended to improve the efficiency of consumers’ electricity use. If the Public Service Board approves the Department’s tax increase scheme, it will raise almost $16.2 million next year from most of the state’s electricity customers.

Large business customers already have every incentive to use electricity as efficiently as possible. Do we really need to impose higher power bills on our most sophisticated employers so a government contractor (Efficiency Vermont) can show up at their door and tell them how to run their business?

This tax forces companies to pay for services they most likely never need or want. Do we even know if the services the tax pays for are cost effective? Not really. In four years, the budget for this program has essentially doubled, from just over $8 million to more than $16 million.

Such an explosive rate of growth is unsustainable and unnecessary. Worse, its negative impact on working Vermonters could not come at a worse time.

Our state is losing high-quality jobs. Many believe that’s because state bureaucrats are out of touch, unaccountable and oblivious to the real-world, negative impacts of their own decrees. The Department’s decision to skewer quality-job creators with an electricity tax hike during a recession only re-enforces that view. 

JUMPIN' JIM NOT SO SWIFT 

Senator Jim Jeffords, who traded to the Democrats last season (nominally, he's an independent), made the novel argument that Saddam wouldn't use weapons of mass destruction after he has "paid so dearly" to acquire them. As the saying goes, when Jeffords switched parties, it improved the average IQ of both parties. --Ann Coulter, TownHall.com, October 10, 2002 

Full commentary here: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/ac20021010.shtml

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The mission of the Dwinell Political Report is to give readers another view of the news that is refreshing, provocative and sometimes irreverent. 

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