TransCanada is called an energy giant. This giant has almost 40,000 miles of pipeline, 355 billion cubic feet of gas storage facilities and capacity to generate 10,800 megawatts of power. The giant has local connections here in Vermont; one is the Bellows Falls hydro-electric dam which they purchased in 2005. They also are affiliated with and heavily committed to the Keystone pipeline project in the Midwest. In the Midwest and New York they are giving away fairly sizable amounts of money to communities.

TransCanada is committed to strengthening relationships with key stakeholders and building healthy and vibrant communities where we operate

In two press recent press releases TransCanada brags …er announces having given approximately $340,000 in the mid-west and an additional $350,000 in the New York City area to community projects.

That is the give, now the taking part here in Vermont.

 Vtdigger.com reports TransCanada is pursuing a different approach in Vermont. The town of Rockingham and the village of Bellows Falls are being pushed hard by TransCanada to significantly lower the hydro-electric dam’s current taxed value. The Canadian energy giant is disputing a state of Vermont funded and approved property assessment. The value of the dam is sizable part (almost half) for the Village of Bellows Falls and (approx. a third) for the Town of Rockingham’s tax base.  

On June 20, town listers decided not to allow the reduction in market value, after hearing TransCanada’s case about a week and a half ago. TransCanada is now appealing that decision with the town’s Board of Civil Authority (BCA), which will hear the case on July 17, and then make a decision within 30 days.

If TransCanada gets the proposed reduction, it would result in a total tax revenue loss of $640,000, which would have to be made up by other taxpayers.

[…]There is also the threat of possible litigation if TransCanada is unhappy with the BCA’s decision. In the past, TransCanada has sued Littleton, N.H., and Concord, Vt., over dam property values. The company won its case in Concord.

While they fight here in Vermont it seems they are waging a well funded charm offensive in other areas.  TransCanada is putting a little goodwill in the pipeline out west and in New York City. “When we became aware of the obvious needs in the communities where we operate, we felt compelled to help.” says William Taylor, TransCanada's senior vice-president of eastern power. But in cash strapped Bellows Falls and Rockingham they feel compelled to wipe out $640,000 from the community’s tax base.  

Well incredibly Maine’s Governor LePage has kept his foot out of his mouth for about 24 hrs so how about a little US Olympic team fashion news for a hot summer night? Just in case anyone has missed it.

Not sure where the story broke but I first read a couple days ago in a press release from Senator Bernie Sanders that the new US Olympic team uniforms were made in China. An unusually aggressive Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to pile the uniforms up and burn them. Bernie Sanders doesn’t necessarily want them burned but he sensibly wonders why they weren’t made in the US.

Sanders said. "At a time when millions of Americans are unemployed, there is no reason why U.S. Olympic uniforms are not being manufactured in the U.S. This action on the part of the U.S. Olympic Committee is symbolic of a disastrous trade policy which has cost us millions of decent-paying jobs and must be changed."

Democrats and Republicans are now in rare agreement that manufacturing the official berets, blazers, pants and shoes in China is a bad thing.  

On their website, the AFL-CIO published a list of US companies that could handle manufacturing the Ralph Lauren polo branded uniforms. They say it could be done for less than the reported cost of $1,945 for the men’s outfit and $1,473 for the women’s. The union website also includes this comment from the NY Daily News fashion writer:

There’s something that Ralph does that often times can look costume-y. . .It was a combination of things to me: rich, British private school kids. . .and Mr. Howell from ‘Gilligan’s Island.’ I wasn’t sure if they were really chic crossing guards or Olympians.”

 Well ,well Lt.Governor Phil Scott’s  webpage sure has more Democrats on it than one might expect from one of the few Vermont GOP rising stars. On the issues section Scott is pictured with Senate President Pro Tempore John Campbell and Congressman Peter Welch. A nice quote from Senator Campbell is even displayed.

Maybe Lt. Gov. Scott is trying to make up for his crack last October made when observing the hurricane Irene clean-up

“As I crisscrossed the state and witnessed recovery efforts, and saw the truck drivers, the equipment operators, the law enforcement personnel, the National Guard members, the municipal leaders … and it may have been my imagination, but I do believe most of them who were doing the work were Republicans.”

Republican Scott’s opponent, Democratic candidate for Lt.Governor  Cassandra Gekas can be found here on Facebook.  If they haven’t already done so Senate Pro Tempore Campbell or even Congressman Welch might take a look.  

 The State of Vermont has tons of old office equipment and associated stuff to get rid of ahead of the massive Waterbury office complex building project. So to make way for demolition there will be a giant tag sale held July 12th though July 14th.

The plan is the office equipment and furniture that must be gotten rid of will first be offered at no cost to municipalities, then (also at no cost) non-profits get a chance, and lastly the public for a nominal fee is allowed to make some picks from what is left. Basically this seems a sensible strategy that probably will get whatever is useful into the hands of those that can make some use of it- so no complaint with that part.

But, here is the cranky taxpayer part: What’s with the nominal fee charged to the public?  

I have to imagine whatever remains after July 14th will have to be carted at away and disposed of at some cost to the state. So why impose a fee, even a nominal fee,to the public for saving this stuff a trip to the dump? Could there be some regulation that allows gifts to municipalities and non profits but prohibits the giving of state property and equipment away to the public? You know I hate to embrace this petty cranky taxpayer bit too firmly (oh madness lies that way) but when you get down to it we paid for this stuff once already.  

Here is a report about a recent study that finds life expectancy gains in the US to be “very moderate” and a five year gap between the wealthy and the poor exists. Data from 1930 to 2000 was used to determine trends and make forecasts on what the future life expectancy might be to the year 2055.

Among the findings of the Rice University of Colorado study called Stagnating Life Expectancies and Future Prospects in an Age of Uncertainty are the following: Average life expectancy in the US for a person born today is 78.49. Recently the world’s richest man Carlos Slim and others have called for increasing the retirement age to 70 or older. This average US age ,78.49, is lower than someone born today in Monaco 89.68yrs., Macau 84.43 yrs. and Japan at 83.91yrs..  

The study also found that gains made from the 1930 into the 1960’s have flattened out and despite disproportionate spending on health care the US international ranking on life expectancy continues to fall. Seems to me health care companies’ profits may have sky rocketed during this same period life expectancies were flattening out.

Also significant in terms of the growing awareness of US income inequity,

the most deprived U.S. citizens tend to live five years less than their more affluent countrymen, according to Justin Denney, Rice assistant professor of sociology, who was principal author for the study.

Professor Denny calls this “the ugly side of inequality,”

It is ugly and how about that 8.49 years of retirement?  

 Here are two different outlooks on Vermont’s economic state from two groups that are normally of the same tribe. In the Campaign for Vermont’s June Email newsletter (find full copy after the jump) Bruce Lisman is going full heavy on the gloom.

SNAPSHOT VERMONT: “…an uneasy feeling hangs in the air”.

Lisman continues

“the sense of abundant opportunities has gone away and optimism is waning. Too many Vermonters are just getting by and private sector employers, who create jobs that fuel state government with taxes, are cautious.

This contrasts with the qualified, but noticeably more upbeat assessment found in the Vermont Business Roundtable’s CEO Economic Outlook Survey. After laying out some routine qualifiers the Roundtable chairman says

“The Roundtable’s survey results indicate an increasing degree of optimism in the economy when compared against the previous quarter,”

Key findings from the second quarter of 2012 over the first quarter of 2012 include:

An expected seven percent increase in stable company sales;

An expected six percent increase in stable capital spending; and finally;

An expected five percent increase in stable employment levels.

Vermont Business CEO’s see stable sales, an increase in capital spending and five percent increase in stable employment levels yet Lisman and the Campaign for Vermont are full of foreboding; their sense optimism is waning and an uneasy feeling hangs in the air they say.

What’s up with Bruce, what could the problem be?  

Well since he was an investment banker maybe a little wild speculation is appropriate.

I was told about neuroscientist John Coates’ study of testosterone and other hormone levels of trading floor bankers The Hour Between Dog and Wolf. Haven’t read the book but his findings apparently suggest that spikes in hormone levels affect behavior in ways that make the financial boom and bust crisis cycle almost unavoidable. Post crisis says Coates the financial industry becomes filled with anxiety and a sense of imminent danger, a "clinical population" of the psychologically battered.

Maybe post Wall Street crash Bruce Lisman needs to tune-up his hormone level. Aw, better keep it simple and assume Lisman’s Campaign just wants to sound like a little Mitt Romney or Randy Brock.    

                                             June 19 2012

JOIN US!  SNAPSHOT VERMONT: Despite the fact that most Vermonters are working, an uneasy feeling hangs in the air that hard work equates to barely keeping ones head above water. The sense of abundant opportunities has gone away and optimism is waning. Too many Vermonters are just getting by and private sector employers, who create jobs that fuel state government with taxes, are cautious.                                                                                              Vermont's population and their real personal income per capita have been flat lined, with both growing at less than .03 of one percent annually over the past decade. For Vermont businesses, this means that the number of customers and the dollars they can spend is essentially stagnant, or declining.(http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/50000lk.html)                                                                                       Despite the current state of our economy, since the start of the recession in 2008, and exclusive of federal funds, the state budget has grown by $390 million or 13.7%. This doesn't even take into consideration embarking on a new health care scheme with costs that are still unknown, and stands in stark contrast to the income stagnation over this same period experienced by Vermonters.

(http://www.leg.state.vt.us/jfo/appropriations/fy_2012_-_FY12_Total_Appropriations_Comparison.pdf)(http://www.leg.state.vt.us/jfo/appropriations/fy_2013/FY09 – FY13_Appropriations_History _final.pdf (page 31))                                                                                                                                                   WE CAN DO BETTER YOU CAN HELP  GET INVOLVED WITH CFV                                              Contact us at:info@campaignforvermont.org  Campaign for Vermont is putting progress before partisanship and uniting Vermonters.

*smoke but no fire reports say

Like some kind of welcome back celebration for returning spokesflack Rob Williams Vermont Yankee is running at reduced power due to a smoky electrical generator problem.

According to Vermont Yankee spokesman Rob Williams, there was an electrical failure in one of the two motor generator sets, which controls the reactor's power by varying the flow of reactor cooling water.

Oh, and of course, nothing to see here, no danger, no problems. But it is kind of smoky in here and it could have been the same problem from last time but who knows…

"This is not related to plant safety," Williams told the Reformer. "The plant will remain online at the reduced power output until the investigation of what happened is complete and proper repairs are made."  

On Sept. 30, 2011, the plant was forced to reduce its power output after one of its recirculation pumps had an electrical problem.  

Williams said it's unclear at this time if it's the same pump or not

 I thought of writing something to go along with this but…one picture/graph is worth a thousand of my words.

The graph is from here.

 The well known catch phrases; “What could possibly go wrong?” and “Who could have predicted?” should come to mind when reading about the fast track U.S. domestic drones are on.  Early this year the ACLU was the lone voice lobbying against the move by congress to permit domestic drones. One observer said

“The privacy caucus didn’t even realize until it was passed and they are now playing catch up.”

The ACLU spent $500,000 last quarter lobbying unsuccessfully against the FAA Reauthorization Act that mandated the development of regulations for commercial drones by 2015.One corporation that manufactures drones for the Navy spends 2.2 million lobbying congress. The FAA is reportedly predicting we could see 30,000 drones in US skies in the near future.  

So,while the FAA moves forward on its mandate Sen.Rand Paul has offered a bill that will require warrants for some domestic surveillance drone use. What other evidence of the weak resistance to domestic pilotless drones is needed than when Rand Paul, often called America’s dumbest senator is one of the lone voices of caution.  

Domestic drones at the moment…    

After the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Aviation Administration they released a list that shows 63 authorized US launch sites. Interactive map here.There are 300 active operating licenses out of the 700-750 which have been issued since 2006.Among the list are about 20 state and local governments, 25 universities and colleges, two small mid-western towns and defense contractors. The FAA list does not identify the types of drones in use.

Some investors are predicting pilotless drones could take on everyday Fed-Ex style delivery tasks and there was the West Coast’s Taco-copter hoax (Lobster-copter on the East coast) but until we all get our very own jet packs,

Several big manufacturers of“unmanned aircraft,” as the industry prefers to call them, each spent millions of dollars during the first quarter of this year, in part lobbying for language tucked inside the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration requiring the agency to allow drones into airspace with other planes in the next three years.

Another big push came from the military, which is preparing to bring home drones that were used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under current law, the military is restricted in moving drones around the country and using them for training operations.

The answers to the two questions; “What could possibly go wrong?” and “Who could have predicted?” could prove to be everything could go wrong and had anyone been paying attention everyone might have predicted it.