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Local Business Announcements / Meals on Wheels Drivers Needed

« on: December 03, 2012, 09:31:27 PM »

Want Your Giving to Really Mean Something?

If you've been thinking about community service but just haven't found the right 'gig', here's a special opportunity for you. Meals on Wheels is in desperate need right now! Help our proud Vermont seniors remain in their homes for as long as possible, by delivering warm smiles, hot meals and providing a vital safely check on their well being. Your visit is as important as the nutritious meal you bring. Please call Lisa at CVAA 865-0360 or 800-642-5119 or email lisat@cvaa.org.

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Current News / Meals on Wheels Drivers Needed

« on: December 03, 2012, 09:30:12 PM »

Want Your Giving to Really Mean Something?

If you've been thinking about community service but just haven't found the right 'gig', here's a special opportunity for you. Meals on Wheels is in desperate need right now! Help our proud Vermont seniors remain in their homes for as long as possible, by delivering warm smiles, hot meals and providing a vital safely check on their well being. Your visit is as important as the nutritious meal you bring. Please call Lisa at CVAA 865-0360 or 800-642-5119 or email lisat@cvaa.org.

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General Discussion / Thanks Fire & Rescue for being there when you’re needed

« on: January 24, 2011, 11:24:29 PM »

Sunday afternoon, just as the sun was setting, we noticed the smell of burning plastic in the basement. The pipe that attaches to the chimney from our wood boiler was orange hot.

We called 911 and within minutes Fairfax Fire & Rescue showed up. They took time out of their day and showed up with temperatures below zero to do their job promptly, professionally and courteously. They are our neighbors and they take their responsibilities seriously.

They noticed that there was no smoke coming out of the chimney. They sent a couple of guys up to the roof to drop a chain down the pipe to clear any blockage. When the chain came down, so did quite a bit of creosote. Once the blockage was cleared, you could hear the sound of the smoke going up the chimney.

The Chief used an infrared scanner to check the temperature of the stack that houses the chimney on all of the floors. They also checked for CO2.

Everything checked out fine, but we were told not to use the wood boiler until the chimney is cleaned and inspected – which was not welcome news since we had the chimney cleaned and inspected before the heating season and I had set aside some nice large pieces of wood for the minus 20 temperatures, but the right thing to do.

There is a lot of discussion on this forum about the taxes we pay in this town. Although the Fire & Rescue squad is all volunteer, their equipment, vehicles and facility are a considerable expense. Our taxes help pay for those things that allow them to do their job efficiently.

I am grateful all of it is there when needed. Thanks for being there for us today.

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Political Issues/Comments / IBM layoffs vs State job cuts - what's the difference?

« on: February 01, 2009, 04:55:40 PM »

Here is what the Governor had to say to WCAX regarding the IBM layoffs. 

"The IBM employees are well paid, they recirculate their resources in the economy, they pay taxes, so any layoff of that magnitude has an impact not only on the economy of the region but also on the state's fiscal health. It's part of the reason we're facing the budget challenges we are confronting."

Without the last sentence, couldn't this also describe the 600 State employees Jim says we have to cut?

I would love to hear from our elected officials about this.

Thanks

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Political Issues/Comments / Douglas - one of fifty Herbert Hoovers?

« on: December 29, 2008, 11:23:24 PM »

As we continue the discussion about how to deal with the State's budget shortfall, Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman has some thoughts in the New York Times. We do have other options besides slashing State jobs, programs and services.

Fifty Herbert Hoovers By PAUL KRUGMAN

No modern American president would repeat the fiscal mistake of 1932, in which the federal government tried to balance its budget in the face of a severe recession. The Obama administration will put deficit concerns on hold while it fights the economic crisis.

But even as Washington tries to rescue the economy, the nation will be reeling from the actions of 50 Herbert Hoovers — state governors who are slashing spending in a time of recession, often at the expense both of their most vulnerable constituents and of the nation’s economic future.

These state-level cutbacks range from small acts of cruelty to giant acts of panic — from cuts in South Carolina’s juvenile justice program, which will force young offenders out of group homes and into prison, to the decision by a committee that manages California state spending to halt all construction outlays for six months.

Now, state governors aren’t stupid (not all of them, anyway). They’re cutting back because they have to — because they’re caught in a fiscal trap. But let’s step back for a moment and contemplate just how crazy it is, from a national point of view, to be cutting public services and public investment right now.

Think about it: is America — not state governments, but the nation as a whole — less able to afford help to troubled teens, medical care for families, or repairs to decaying roads and bridges than it was one or two years ago? Of course not. Our capacity hasn’t been diminished; our workers haven’t lost their skills; our technological know-how is intact. Why can’t we keep doing good things?

It’s true that the economy is currently shrinking. But that’s the result of a slump in private spending. It makes no sense to add to the problem by cutting public spending, too.

In fact, the true cost of government programs, especially public investment, is much lower now than in more prosperous times. When the economy is booming, public investment competes with the private sector for scarce resources — for skilled construction workers, for capital. But right now many of the workers employed on infrastructure projects would otherwise be unemployed, and the money borrowed to pay for these projects would otherwise sit idle.

And shredding the social safety net at a moment when many more Americans need help isn’t just cruel. It adds to the sense of insecurity that is one important factor driving the economy down.

So why are we doing this to ourselves?

You can read the rest here - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/opinion/29krugman.html

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Political Issues/Comments / Symington endorsement from Southern VT

« on: November 02, 2008, 08:35:54 AM »

Courage outside the comfort zone
By JOYCEMARCEL

Thursday, October 30
DUMMERSTON

It looks like the undecideds are going to carry Vermont's gubernatorial election, and until last Saturday, I was one of them.

Here's how the race plays out to me. Republican Gov. Jim Douglas is an uncreative thinker, a failed leader and an impediment to progress. Even in a time of economic miasma, he still believes in unbridled free markets and the power of Wall Street. (Remember earlier this year, when he wanted to sell the state lottery to Lehman Brothers?) He's such a bad judge of character that his best friend in Washington is George W. Bush. He needs to go.

Independent Anthony Pollina is a charmer, a good speaker, a quick-on-his-feet debater and he has some fresh ideas. On the surface, he's an attractive candidate. The trouble is that he's inconsistent (he started the campaign as a Progressive and then dumped the party), his resumé is weak, he's never been elected to anything, he's never run anything, and a lot of Democrats hate him. If he won, he'd be a polarizing figure.

That leaves former Speaker of the House Gaye Symington, a Democrat. During the four years she's run the House, she's never been able to beat Douglas; he's vetoed most of her best ideas and taken credit for the rest. But that wouldn't matter if she was governor, would it?

Symington has been a dreadful candidate. She's stiff and ill at ease in public and she's so uncomfortable in debate that she makes me wince.

So I was on the fence until Saturday, when I had a chance to talk privately with Symington. One-on-one, she is not only smart and capable -- everyone acknowledges that she's smart and capable -- but also funny and brave. She turned out to be the adult I was looking for in this field of spoiled, entitled boys.

Symington spent four years in the House working on education and environmental issues and getting a reputation for being somewhat of a wonk. Then she retired. In 2002, just after Vermont passed civil unions, she returned and found herself surrounded by newly-elected, closed-minded Republicans who were hell bent on "taking back Vermont" to the Middle Ages.

"I don't know if you remember, but the Republican-controlled House repealed civil unions," Symington said. "Then we passed a law that would have compromised a young woman's right to make her own reproductive health choices. We passed what would have been legislation to give tax advantages back to property-wealthy communities. I listened to a Republican legislator stand up and say that a woman was created out of the rib of a man, and that defines the relationship between a man and a woman. And a woman is subservient to a man. He went on and on and on. And I realized that I just can't sit there."

She started driving around the state, searching out good people and encouraging them to run in the next election.

"I ran training sessions to help them win, and stayed in touch with them all through the election season," Symington said. "It really helped us regain seats. We won strongly in 2004. That year I ran for and was elected speaker."

Pollina wants to close down Windham County's antique nuclear power plant, Vermont Yankee, which is owned by Entergy. But it would be a complicated process, and he doesn't say how he will do it.

Symington has taken a different approach. She fought hard for -- and won -- funding for the House to have its own independent oversight committee to inspect Yankee before it gets a license extension.

"I wouldn't have set up this independent safety analysis if I was just going to say in the end that regardless, I'll shut it down," Symington said. "But I'm pretty convinced that that will be their conclusion. There's a process we have to go through here. We have to move a whole state, and the whole state doesn't have the same proximity to the plant that Windham County does. The rest of the state has to begin to get it. And for them to get it, we have to take them through this, and give them access to the information and help them understand this is not cheap power, not when you have Entergy bragging to its shareholders about the opportunity for increased earnings."

That's not a sound bite, it's a policy. Symington admits that the debates have been a misery.

"I've certainly improved at one-minute answers to totally complicated subjects," she said. "'How are you going to fix education funding?' Answer in one minute and a bell's going to ring. Well, I'll answer it in a minute if you want, but if you really want substance, then maybe we should talk about it a little longer."

John Wayne said that courage is when you're really scared but you saddle up the horse and get on it anyway.

"That's true," Symington said. "It's scary to put yourself out there. It's uncomfortable. But we all need to speak up when we see something is wrong. I've shown that I'm willing to step outside my own comfort zone and and find some common ground so we can make some progress and get beyond the rhetoric."

Intelligence. Process. Substance. Courage. Wit. Competence. Getting beyond the rhetoric (whether it's left or right). Willingness to take action when you think something is wrong. Government experience. Sacrificing your own comfort zone to make change. If these are the qualities that Symington will bring to the governor's office, how can I remain undecided?

"My focus is making the case that we need a different governor than Jim Douglas and I'm that person," Symington said.

And I agree.

Joyce Marcel is a journalist whose first collection of columns, "A Thousand Words or Less," can be ordered from her web site, joycemarcel.com. She can be reached at joycemarcel@yahoo.com.

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Political Issues/Comments / Pollina Attacked by Vermont Republican Party

« on: October 30, 2008, 09:21:25 PM »

Response to Republican Attack of Vermont Milk Company
Thursday, October 30, 2008

Statement by Anthony Pollina

It is really sad that Vermont politics has stooped so low. There are so many important issues and difficult struggles Vermonters are dealing with and this type of political manuvering does nothing to address them. I want to keep the important issues on the table but also feel I must respond to this attack.

Targeting a small business in an effort to make me look bad shows how out of touch Douglas is. It appears he has no sense of what start-ups go through. Big and small businesses struggle to make ends meet. For the Governor and the Vermont Republican Party to stoop so low shows how nervous they are about the coming election. I also find it remarkable that the Vermont Republican Party would spend over $48,000 to a company in Utah to carry out this attack. The Vermont economy and farmers could really use that money. I think Vermonters understand the challenges of running a business in Vermont and will not fall for this misdirected attack or negative misinformation.

Statement by Rupert Thouron, Vermont Milk Company Investor and Board Member

I am an investor and small business owner. I joined the Vermont Milk Company to help small farmers in Vermont. This type of propaganda does not help the Vermont Milk Company establish a brand or place in Vermont. I am deeply saddended by this political move.

Statement by Dexter Randall, Organic Dairy Farmer and Vermont Milk Company Board Member:

As a Vermont farmer, I am disappointed, in fact angry, though not surprised, that Governor Douglas and the Vermont Republican Party would attack the Vermont Milk Company as part of their political campaign. They have run the Vermont Milk Company through the manure spreader for their own political good. This move smacks of desperation and we cannot allow it to go unanswered.

Farmers, like all Vermonters, are tired of negative campaigning. Rather than spend tens of thousands of dollars attacking others, candidates should tell us what they are going to do for us.

It is absolutely wrong to say that Anthony left us 'high and dry."  Anthony did what we asked him to do - help us establish the Vermont Milk Company. We then encouraged Anthony to run for Governor so we would have a Governor truly committed to doing the right thing for Vermont farmers and all Vermont families. 

Years ago, we asked Anthony Pollina for help in looking for ways to regain control over our milk and create a Vermont dairy brand

Anthony founded Rural Vermont, helped lay groundwork for the Dairy Compact, helped found the Vermont Milk Company, advised Bernie Sanders on farm policy, served on the board of Vermont Northeast Organic Farmers and more.

As Governor, he will establish a real Vermont State buy local program - something Governor Douglas opposes - saying we farmers would raise our prices to take advantage of it. Anthony will get Vermont milk and dairy products into every Vermont school, something you have not done. We know Anthony is committed to these things and we trust him because he has a proven record of working with farmers, and because he is our friend.

We look forward to the Vermont Credit Card Anthony proposed. Instead of supporting big Wall Street banks that take our money out of state, the Vermont Credit Card will be part of Vermont and invest in Vermont agriculture every time it is used. It is frankly almost unbelievable to us farmers that anyone would oppose this fabulous way to invest in Vermont agriculture.

As far as we know, Governor Douglas has been a full-time politician virtually all of his adult life. As far as we know, he has never been part of a start-up business and may not know that all start-ups struggle. They struggle with high costs of fuel and transportation, workers comp and raw materials. And sometimes they even fall behind on their bills. The Governor does know many Vermont businesses are struggling even big ones like IBM, Rock of Ages, Tubbs and many others. And yes Vermont Milk has struggled and may continue to struggle, although we are close to turning our first profit.

The last thing any start-up needs is to be dragged through the manure by a politician who would risk our future for their own political gain. Shame on you Jim Douglas.

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Political Issues/Comments / Douglas Using Public Resources for Campaign

« on: October 30, 2008, 09:19:37 PM »

SYMINGTON DEMANDS DOUGLAS STOP CAMPAIGNING ON PUBLIC DIME

Statement by Gaye Symington:

I am here to call on Jim Douglas to stop asking Vermont taxpayers to foot the bill for his campaign expenses. His latest campaign reports show he has lots of friends willing to chip in thousands of dollars towards his negative campaign ads. He shouldn't be asking Vermont taxpayers to also contribute to his campaign. But he is.

One of the reasons I decided to run for Governor is that Jim Douglas' actions don't square with his rhetoric. Throughout this campaign Jim Douglas has professed sympathy for Vermonters who are struggling with the weak economy. He likes to position himself as on the side of working Vermonters and a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars. But the facts don't square with the spin and Douglas has not squared with Vermonters.

An investigative reporter recently uncovered that Jim Douglas has failed to reimburse taxpayers for his campaign expenses this year and in previous runs for Governor going back to at least 2004. This leaves us to wonder about all of his prior campaigns stretching back more than 30 years. (see investigative story at http://www.7dvt.com/2008governors-free-ride)

This is simply wrong and breaks with the Executive Office Code of Ethics and state personnel policy. It also breaks with the practice of Governor Dean who was meticulous about reimbursing Vermonters for any state resources used for political purposes. Jim Douglas owes Vermonters a full accounting of this abuse. Most importantly, he needs to give the money back immediately.

It’s galling that at a time when an increasing number of Vermonters are losing their jobs, Jim Douglas is using Vermonters' tax dollars to campaign to keep his own. At a time when Jim Douglas has cut vital services for Vermonters he is helping himself to more of our tax dollars to campaign on the public's dime. He needs to give the money back.

Is it a lot of money? The truth is we don't know -- and the governor and his campaign have made it clear they have no intention of saying. But it's the principle that matters. When the governor uses tax dollars to campaign, he's not protecting taxpayers, he's exploiting them. He says he will protect taxpayers and yet he is willing to risk their footing a half billion dollar tab to clean up after Vermont Yankee if Entergy walks away from its original promises. He says he will protect Vermont's most vulnerable, but as the last round of budget rescissions proved, he would rather cut services to Vermonters than eliminate a single one of his public relations positions.

His willingness to misuse taxpayer dollars every day on a self-promotion machine, his unwillingness to comply with state policy and his own code of ethics, his failure to follow the example set by Howard Dean and other statewide officials, and his silence about his lack of reimbursement since the story broke - all of this calls in to question who Jim Douglas really is fighting for.

This is just one reason why Vermont needs a change in leadership. When I am Governor I will not use taxpayers' money for campaigning and I will not allow top political staff to use state resources for partisan political purposes. I will not spend a million dollars a year on a PR staff that makes campaign statements instead of providing information about public policy.

Vermonters deserve better and I am ready to provide them real leadership. Jim Douglas, give the money back.

CITATIONS:

Executive Office Code of Ethics:
http://governor.vermont.gov/tools/index.php?topic=ExecutiveOrders&id=248&v=Article

WHEREAS, it is essential to the proper operation of government…that public office not be used for private gain other than the remuneration provided by law; and that there be public confidence in the integrity of government.

II. General Conduct
A. Thus, an Appointee shall take all reasonable steps to avoid any action or circumstances, whether or not specifically prohibited by this code, which might result in:
(5) Using public office for the advancement of personal interest;

F. An Appointee shall not use state property nor permit others to use state property unless the use is reasonably related to his or her official responsibilities or the conduct is permitted pursuant to a duly adopted state or agency personnel policy.

G. An Appointee shall not enter into any commitment to expend state funds unless the expenditure is reasonable and valuable to the state and made in accordance with all applicable statutes, rules or directives from the Secretary of the Agency of Administration.

From State Personnel Policy
http://www.vermontpersonnel.org/employee/labor_section.php?id=5

“Employees shall not use, or attempt to use, State personnel, property, or equipment for their private use or for any use not required for the proper discharge of their official duties.”

PR Staff Making Campaign Statements: Rutland Herald July 1, 2008
Jason Gibbs:
"A vote for Douglas is a vote for change and economic growth," Gibbs said. "We saw in the last session what happens when an out-of-mainstream Legislature decides not to work on important issues such as property tax relief."

Sources to Contact:
Kate O’Connor, campaign manager for Governor Dean 279-0233

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Political Issues/Comments / From Anthony Pollina

« on: October 27, 2008, 06:40:46 PM »

Pollina Challenges Douglas on Campaign Finances and Expenses

October 27, 2008 Press Statement:

Pollina will challenge Jim Douglas’ increasing spending on negative attack ads as well as his misleading statements regarding jobs, the economy and taxes throughout the campaign.

“With so many Vermonters struggling to pay bills, it amazes me that Jim Douglas keeps throwing so much money at negative attack ads. And given his misleading statements on jobs, economic development and taxes it is hard to imagine anyone actually believing what he says in the attack ads. We would all be better off he made a donation to the food shelf and promised to tell the truth,” Pollina said.

Find out more at http://www.anthonypollina.com

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Political Issues/Comments / From Gaye Symington

« on: October 27, 2008, 06:39:01 PM »

SYMINGTON CAMPAIGN PROVIDES REALITY CHECK ON DOUGLAS JOB CREATION CLAIMS

As Governor Douglas continues to tout his record handling Vermont’s economy, it is essential for the public to be able to put his claims in context and square them with the facts. Statistics from his own Department of Labor and the Federal Reserve demonstrate that Jim Douglas’ claim to have done a good job creating jobs is simply untrue.

Douglas Says: I Created 10,000 Jobs Since 2003

Reality: Even if you accept this disputed number (which could be as low as 7,900) this is a very weak performance.

- By comparison, in just 2007, New Hampshire created 10,000 jobs, Connecticut added 16,000 and Massachusetts grew 25,900 jobs. (Federal Reserve)

- We currently have fewer jobs in Vermont than we did before the last recession (VT DOL)

- The rate of private sector job growth under Howard Dean in the 5 years before the 2001-2003 recession was three times faster than the rate at which private sector jobs have been created since that recession under Jim Douglas. (VT DOL)

- The vast majority of these jobs simply replaced the jobs lost during the last recession. This is the “bounce-back” that is normally seen in post-recession years. The sign of effective job growth policies would be growth beyond the bounce-back number, which is very weak under Jim Douglas.

Douglas Says: It’s Not My Fault. Blame the National Economic Downturn:

Reality: Vermont’s economic slide started well before the current economic downturn. These fact show Jim Douglas’ economic performance has been worse than that of New England and the nation in key respects:

- Our job growth rate over the last five years has been HALF the national rate (2.6% vs. 5.8% - VT DOL)

- The unemployment rate in Vermont started trending up in 2005, and has increased 41% in the last three years. (VT DOL)

- We've lost 2,700 private sector jobs since he was re-elected in 2006- well before the current national downturn (VT DOL)

- Household income has dropped more in Vermont than any other state but one. (U.S. Census Bureau)

- We have the slowest economy in New England. (Federal Reserve).

- We’re the only state in New England that experienced a drop in exports in 2007. (Federal Reserve)

Douglas Says: My Tax Credits Work, Look at Vermont Castings Example

Reality: The Governor’s claim that making VEGI credits available to Vermont Castings could (not will) create 62 manufacturing jobs over the next five years is an extremely weak example when put in context:

- Since 2005, we’ve lost approximately 40 manufacturing jobs per month under Jim Douglas. At that rate, all of the potential new Vermont Casting jobs will be offset by job losses that will occur between now and early December.

Jim Douglas is using selective statistics to create the impression that he’s done everything right on economic policy and his programs are effective. Unfortunately for him, the facts are overwhelming his spin. Vermont’s failing economy provides undeniable proof that what Jim Douglas is doing isn’t working, and that's why more and more Vermonters aren't working.

find out more at - http://symingtonforgovernor.com