From today’s Brattleboro Reformer, in a piece by By Howard Weiss-Tisman:
Vermont… has not yet sent in its application to the U.S. Department of Education for its share of stimulus money.
States have until July 1 and Vermont expects to receive $77 million from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund…
Vermont’s application was held up due to the budget fight between Gov. James Douglas and the Legislature, and Tom Evslin, the state’s chief recovery officer, said his staff is working to get the application in on time.
“We could not finish this until the budget was finalized. We could not have done this any sooner,” Evslin said Monday.
So let me get this right: the governor’s pissing match with the legislature had the potential to completely eliminate our deadline for the Fiscal Stabilization money?
Maybe he just likes to play chicken.
certainly kept his mouth shut about this probable delay during Douglas’s budget performance.
The story that is making the airwaves is a little more detailed…
It points to the challenge the DemocratIC legislators had with Jim=jobsforhiscampign aids, not with the legislature in general.
I guess Jim was out cutting a ribbon or leaning on a shovel when all the Republican Reps stood up during the override vote and said in really clear English “I would not vote for the Governor’s budget proposal either” Even MR Republican KurtoftheQuickstop disassociated himself from the Gov on that one…
Douglas has his campaign hat on already, either to get ready for the next race or to mend his tarnished image. I am however glad he has so much experience leaning on that shovel… my driveway will need attention after the next election..