It's probably a reflection of the overwhelming Democratic majorities in the House and Senate (or rather, a resignation to that fact), but the word on redistricting out of the House is all smiles and kumbayas.
Last time (as reflected on in this diary), it was a protracted, contentious process. Republicans had the House, Democrats had the Senate. Progressives were working with Dems, until GOP Speaker Freed made them a better deal for their support. Then, in conference committee, the Progs got squeezed out of their deal altogether and it came down to Rs and Ds. It was all very dramatic, if you're into that sort of thing.
Different story this time around. Here's from the Speaker's press release:
Montpelier, VT- On Wednesday, the Vermont House of Representatives advanced a bill that redraws House districts to reflect changes in population as reported by the 2010 U.S. Census. The redistricting bill-often known across the country as the most partisan bill of the decade for state legislatures-was approved on a bipartisan vote, 138-4.
[...] "We appreciate the effort of the majority leadership to work with us to obtain a reasonable solution to the redistricting puzzle that, although not perfect, meets many of the objectives our caucus set forth prior to beginning this process," said House Minority Leader Don Turner. "This plan keeps towns whole and provides most Vermonters an opportunity for fair representation in the Vermont House of Representatives."
[...]"Today, we watched the legislative process at its best. The committee faced a formidable challenge and answered it swiftly and with an undeniable sense of fairness. If only Washington would follow our lead," concluded Progressive Leader Chris Pearson.
The Senate will take a little longer, and may get more... interesting - but not that much. And of course, the tri-partisan Legislative Apportionment Board (in which we were treated to a flashback of the Republican-Prog alliance), is proving to be an irrelevance, as predicted.
The final redistricting bill will show up nearer the end of the session.
There he goes again. First, Mr. Salmon said, "As state auditor, it is my duty to evaluate the performance of state government. I would be remiss if I didn't point out that state government has wasted a lot of taxpayer money..."
Recent events regarding energy policy and Vermont Yankee are the result of elections and legislative action. Decisions by our elected officials are unavoidably subjective and cannot be audited like a state program. Mr. Salmon's comments were about policy decisions. The fact that money was spent reflects choices made by our elected officials. That's their job; not Mr. Salmon's.
Mr. Salmon also said, "PSB Chairman Jim Volz and members David Coen and John Burke have the duty to remain objective in the face of shrill, arrogant anti-nuclear zealots who could care less about the practical issues involving energy policy."
Wow. It's ironic at best that Mr. Salmon - who routinely ignores the statutory limits of his own job, feels the need to lecture the members of the PSB about their responsibilities.
The NRC is feeling good about itself.Sounding pumped, like a lean mean nuclear regulatin’ machine on their "blog" where they declare:
“When the NRC says we consider new and significant information, we mean it.”
The story is, errors in recently submitted information were found during a review process for equipment replacement at an existing plant in the Southern US. Based on this new significant information the NRC found that designs for a new Economic Simplified Boiling-Water Reactor (ESBWR) plant might have similar errors. What’s the upshot of these NRC discoveries? It could mean the NRC must revise reports and/or have the applicants make changes to design control documents which will delay their final decision on design certification. New information comes to light, consideration given to the new facts, followed by regulatory action. Has a watchdog stirred?
Breaking from all over: The Susan G. Komen Foundation has announced that it will cut off all funding for breast cancer screenings to Planned Parenthood.
You know what Planned Parenthood is. It's the group with chapters all across the country that provides health care to women and men in such vital areas as family planning and cancer screening. In so doing, Planned Parenthood has probably done more to reduce abortions than any other single organization.
This is a new low. While they claim they are trying to protect the purity of their funding, it seems more likely that they're trying to protect themselves against association with the anti-choice, anti-sex attacks leveled against Planned Parenthood.
The Susan G. Komen message boards are being flooded with comments from women protesting this betrayal of women's health concerns. I encourage you to add your voice.
There are also "Boycott Susan G. Komen" groups popping up on Facebook, and here's where I suggest caution. If you read the group descriptions, at least one of these groups is an anti-choice cause basing its attacks on the fact that SGK was giving money to Planned Parenthood. The group to join is the one I just linked to, not the Boycott Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, which is the anti-choice group.
Burlington Representative Jason Lorber just tweeted that the local Democrats are forwarding three names to Governor Shumlin to consider as a replacement for the (sadly) outgoing Burlington Representative Rachel Weston: Jill Krowinski, Autumn Barnett, and Curt McCormack.
I have no doubt that any one of those three would make an excellent Representative.
...but...
GO JILL!
(Weston is leaving Vermont for a new position in Jordan promoting women's political participation.)
VTdigger is carrying a retraction today that bears some discussion. This is not to pile blame on 'Digger for its mistake in posting a press release that was later found to have come from a known hate group, but to consider how easy it is to perpetuate lies and distortions in this era of instant news coverage.
Publisher Anne Galloway explains that the release, which concerned the purported results of a "survey" on attitudes toward undocumented workers, came to VTdigger from what has usually been a 'reliable source.'
The information was distributed by PRNewswire, a commonly used mainstream media information source, and it was also published in The Sacramento Bee.
We received an email from Brendan O'Neill, an activist with Migrant Justice, within minutes of posting the FAIR press release. O'Neill who is an advocate for Mexican migrant workers in Vermont pointed out that FAIR has a dubious reputation. The organization is described as a "hate" group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights organization, based in Montgomery, Ala.
At least Galloway had the good sense and dignity to promptly remove the scurrilous press release and issue a heartfelt apology.
VTdigger is, after all, of somewhat limited resources, and mistakes can happen; but I was curious to see just how many distinct times this "survey" was referenced on Google by different venues.
The answer is: plenty. I gave up counting at forty.
How many times must a lie be repeated before it assumes a mantle of "truthiness" that no amount of daylight can dissolve?
We've focused recently on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's historic conflict of interest. Although the name and peculiar autonomy the Commission enjoys would both suggest that it is a scrupulous servant of the public good, whose sole function is to ensure that all aspects of nuclear energy production in this country are held to the highest standard of safety; it has long been apparent that the NRC is primarily a servant of the industry it is charged with regulating.
In another example of a regulatory agency that seems to be corrupted by its intimacy with the industry it monitors, we are learning that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) spied on the personal e-mail of a group of six of its scientists and doctors who raised concerns to Congress about medical devices approved by the FDA, that might cause injury to patients.
All six of the spying victims have experienced harassment or dismissal since their whistleblower status was discovered through the e-mail surveillance.
This revelation, that the FDA mistreated whistleblowers at the possible behest of industry, comes just as a petition is circulating online to once again demand that the President withdraw his appointment (made in 2009) of a former VP and lobbyist for Monsanto, Michael Taylor, to serve as Food Safety "czar" to the FDA.
It was Mr. Taylor's lobbying efforts that were central to allowing Bovine Growth Hormone (rGBH) to enter our milk supply.
With industry so deeply embedded in our federal regulatory agencies, it begs the question: how far can we actually be from the regulation-free landscape that Republicans have been clamoring for for years?
This interview takes place just before Odum announced his goodbye to the GMD community. It has been tough not to notice, however, that he has been moreprolificthanever. So fret not, as his bid for Montpelier City Clerk does not culminate until Town Meeting Day, John will still be GMD's heart and soul for at least the month of February.
Posted:
On the Huffington Post, 1/20/12 05:18 PM ET
I am mindful that it is an important election year -- and as Vermont's Secretary of State, there is one item of particular distress to me -- the suppression of voter participation in the United States.
Yes, the very basis of our democracy is under siege -- under the guise of preventing voter fraud!
In 2011, legislation was introduced in 40 states to limit voter participation in the following ways:
•mandating photo IDs in order to cast a ballot;
•reducing early voting days -- in some cases from 45 days to 7;
•repealing election day registration;
•restricting student voting;
•repealing voter-verified ballot paper trail for all voting machines;
•restricting voter registration drives by placing obstructive burdens on filing.
Frankly, these changes threaten the very fabric of our democracy.
According to a report by Wendy R. Weiser and Lawrence Norden at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law,
"These new restrictions fall most heavily on young, minority, and low-income voters, as well as on voters with disabilities. This wave of changes may sharply tilt the political terrain for the 2012 election."
These legislative changes also place disproportionate burdens upon other groups including the elderly, overseas, and military voters.
(Note: The balance of this diary is included beneath the fold)
The gun-rights alarmist fundraising scare tactic that will not go away!
Facepalm! Double facepalm! Triple facepalm!
Dear fellow American, Gun-grabbers around the globe believe they have it made.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently announced the Obama Administration will be working hand-in-glove with the UN to pass a new "Small Arms Treaty."
Disguised as an "International Arms Control Treaty" to fight against "terrorism," "insurgency" and "international crime syndicates," the UN's Small Arms Treaty is in fact a massive, GLOBAL gun control scheme.
If passed by the UN and ratified by the U.S. Senate, the UN "Small Arms Treaty" would almost certainly FORCE the United States to:
*** Enact tougher licensing requirements, making law-abiding Americans cut through even more bureaucratic red tape just to own a firearm legally;
*** CONFISCATE and DESTROY ALL "unauthorized" civilian firearms (all firearms owned by the government are excluded, of course);
*** BAN the trade, sale and private ownership of ALL semi-automatic weapons;
*** Create an INTERNATIONAL gun registry, setting the stage for full-scale gun CONFISCATION.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this is NOT a fight we can afford to lose.
I'm helping lead the fight to defeat this radical treaty in the United States Senate and I want your help.
Please join me by taking a public stand AGAINST this outright assault on our national sovereignty by signing the Official Firearms Sovereignty Survey below!
For Freedom,
Rand Paul
U.S. Senator (R-KY)
And the idiocy is here, too. Gun Owners of Vermont (another one of those groups whose survival would seem to depend on fabricating threats where none exist) continues to push this bullshit on their front page.
I may not need to say this, but if I do, write this on your hand so you don't forget it:
250-1
55-1
The NRC is feeling good about itself.Sounding pumped, like a lean mean nuclear regulatin’ machine 
