Changes are afoot in Dem-land.

First, Democratic Party Executive Director Robert Dempsey, is vacating the position after shepherding the party to historic heights last November. After the David W. Curtis awards in mid-March, Mr. Dempsey is off to pursue other opportunities.

Also leaving is Vermont Organizing For America Director Jesse Bragg as of Monday. No word through the rumor mill on why, and I haven’t approached him for comment. Word is that OFA is pulling staffers from smaller, less contested ‘markets,’ and funding them in the usual swing states. OFA wanted Bragg to go elsewhere, he didn’t want to leave Vermont. It is the time of year/election-cycle to move onto to other things in politics-world if one is so inclined, though.

Also, State Committee changes are already afoot on this reorganization year. James Valente, a young man who is reading law for the Vermont bar with former Lieutenant Governor candidate Tom Costello, is seeking to become the VDP Secretary, as Linda Weiss, the current Secretary, is seeking to replace former treasurer Ed Clark, who resigned as of Dec. 31. Rumor has it that Valente can expect competition for the post (Valente was unanimously selected, as per the comments below.

And it’s widely assumed that VDP Chair Judy Bevans will step down this year as well. Bevans is very popular with the rank and file, but many in the upper echelons of the Democratic Party political class have been known to grumble over their view of her effectiveness. A classic elite-vs-grassroots conflict?

Under traditional scenarios, Governor Shumlin becomes the de facto leader of the Party, of course, and would likely fill the Chair slot with someone of his choosing. Today’s Democratic Party, however – especially the Vermont Democratic Committee – is a lot less inclined to just fall in line, as the VDP is far less of a command-and-control operation than its counterparts the Republican and Progressive parties.

In other words, this could get interesting.

On a personal note, I have considered putting my name in for VDP Chair in the past… hmmm….

Or Mubarak = Pahlavi?

I have the feeling I’ve seen this movie before. A dictator who is largely friendly to the United States and its foreign policy goals is in trouble, shaken by massive street demonstrations.

It’s not quite the same as Iran, because in this case the dictator wasn’t installed by the United States. Still, things are not looking too stable for Hosni Mubarak.

It’s very hard to feel bad about what seems to be happening to Hosni Mubarak, who seems to be a born henchman. And it’s almost impossible not to identify with the demonstrators in the street, to say, as a friend of mine just observed, we are all Egyptians now.

If you’re old enough you remember the same feeling watching the students in Tehran, risking murder by Pahlavi’s SAVAK. I sure did. In fact, when I was in law school I had the chance to represent an Iranian student who was arrested on campus at the University of Michigan for wearing a mask at an anti-Pahlavi demonstration.

My problem is that I also remember what happened next. All right-thinking Americans supported the Iranian students. None of us thought that the result would be installation of an Islamic fascist dictatorship that holds power to this day.

I don’t know the answer, but my question is this: Is there any chance that Mubarak can be escorted out without creating and Iranian-style Islamic dictatorship?

And does anyone have any suggestions on how to get there?

I did some searching on news from the last 24 hours about the “new” leak, which apparently has existed for more than a month, but hasn’t been tested until more recently.  According to this VPR audio clip Shumlin’s said VY is pretty much done.  

Below is some of the news that’s come out since last night.  As usual, this is a trash day thing– Friday nights are often the best time to avoid a politically damaging news cycle, so it’s up to us to keep this in plain sight and not disappear over the weekend.

Brattleboro Reformer / Bob Audette:

Both the NRC and the Vermont Department of Health have expressed concern that the source of the tritiated water may not be the advanced off gas system because GZ-24S is 150 feet north of the AOG’s plume and six wells are located between it and the plume. None of those wells, except GZ-6, have tested positive for tritiated water.

Burlington Free Press / Terri Hallenbeck:

Smith said broken equipment delayed testing between initial indications of tritium in GZ-24 in December and the confirmation of it last week.

WCAX:

This well is near another well where tritium was discovered last week. Both wells are in an area where officials did not expect the contamination from the original leak to have migrated. So inspectors are trying to determine the source of the tritium, including the possibility of a new leak.

VPR / Bob Kinsel:

VPR’s John Dillon says this one, Well No. 6, is near the radioactive waste building on the nuclear plant’s grounds. The latest discovery could mean that a new leak has developed in pipes that Entergy said didn’t exist last year.

VPR / John Dillon:

According to Yankee spokesman Larry Smith, it now turns out that for two weeks in December and January, the plant wasn’t able to test for tritium because of failed equipment.

(Smith) “So therefore the samples were unable to be analyzed until January 11 of 2011 when the machine was repaired. So that accounts for the delay in reporting that.”

(Dillon) State officials say they were surprised the equipment wasn’t working for two weeks. Radiological health chief Bill Irwin says the state Health Department uses similar testing equipment and has ordered a backup device.

(Irwin) “I’m somewhat surprised that Entergy didn’t have a backup and I actually thought that they at one time were obtaining a backup.”

(Dillon) Irwin says he’s looking forward to Yankee’s explanations for why there was such a delay.

Vermont casino gambling, it’s a zombie of an idea that lives on in good times and bad. Tom Salmon last floated the idea but now Vermont lawmaker Rep.Ron Hubert in a Burlington Free Press article says he too thinks its time to start a conversation about legalizing casino gambling  in Vermont.

Despite the fact that more competition and the long recession have driven casino revenues to lows nationally for several years he says:

“I thought there was certainly no harm in getting the conversation started”

Why? Well customers at his market

“…head to the Mohegan Sun and Akwesasne Mohawk casinos in nearby states. They grouse about how Vermont loses out on their businesses [sic] by not having casinos.”

Rep.Hubert has support for this bill from sixteen other reps, most of them are republicans.

Ideas under consideration include floating casinos on Lake Champlain or in trains out of White River Junction.  

Casino revenues  are down for their fourth straight year in Atlantic City due to competition from neighboring Philadelphia, New York and Delaware. Connecticut casinos laid off 300 workers in the past year to cut costs due to five year drop in gambling.This increased profits for one quarter despite continued low overall revenue. Iowa opened casinos in 2006 and they are suffering stagnant revenues. An attempt by the state of Iowa  to increase their tax on casinos is causing threats from casino operators of cutbacks, job losses and ultimately closure of these gambling operations which are heavily in debt.  

No harm in getting this conversation started? Here in Vermont the chairwoman of the house committee which received the bill notes worries about casinos may complicate the efforts of the Abenaki to gain tribal recognition.  

Tactful permitting! Surprisingly, Hubert sees Vermont’s development and permitting laws, normally maligned  by Republicans  offering a check on casino development should  it be allowed.

“With Vermont’s permit regulations, there should be sufficient constraints to make sure any casino is tactful, he said.  

Through extensive research (okay, I browsed their web site), I discovered the secret (these people are really not at all subtle) agenda behind the web site “Nation for Marriage,” the organization currently attempting to overturn same-sex marriage in New Hampshire.

Take for example, their primary talking point:

Language to avoid at all costs: “Ban same-sex marriage.” Our base loves this wording. So do supporters of SSM. They know it causes us to lose about ten percentage points in polls. Don’t use it. Say we’re against “redefining marriage” or in favor or “marriage as the union of husband and wife” NEVER “banning same-sex marriage.”

Hey, this is kind of familiar.  Don’t use the word “privatization.”  Use the term “protecting our investment in the future.”  Don’t say “torture” say “coercive methods via which to obtain critical and crucial information.”  Don’t say “quagmire.”  Say “global war on extremist ideologies among those evil evildoers of evil.”  

But that’s not all.  They also have some really nice gems about Why marriage matters.

Now, mind you, many opponents of same-sex marriage will tell you that it’s not about religion, but about an institution that’s been part of our lives for a very long time.  

But here’s something interesting.  Nation for Marriage thinks that you need three different versions of the explanation as to why marriage matters: Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish.

What can we learn from these different approaches to marketing based on religion?

Well, for one thing, Jews apparently like the color green, and are fond of the font Herculanum:

Catholics, on the other hand, clearly like stark color and contrast, and prefer a non Jewy, serif font:

Protestants, however, clearly have no taste at all:

And you know what else we learned?  Cathoics and Protestants, unlike Jews, speak Spanish.

Their website also has some neat tools.  Take for example, their Northeast Project page.  You can use it to e-mail your legislator.  I just used it to send a thank you note to my legislators in Vermont.  Of course, one of my legislators is a friend so I’ll probably see him at the next jam session I go to, so this seems silly.  But that’s Vermont for you.

How about the various threats that same sex marriage poses?  You can read all about them on NOM’s handy little blog.  On their blog you can learn about all sorts of things, like the threat of same-sex marriage being handed down through the courts!

“Unlike the people of California, the people of Iowa have no direct way to get this issue on the ballot so that they can take marriage back from the courts,” notes Maggie Gallagher, president of NOM. “Once again the most undemocratic branch of government is being used to advance an agenda the majority of Americans reject. Marriage means a husband and wife. That’s not discrimination, that’s common sense.”

Of course, just because they object to it done through the courts doesn’t mean they don’t object to it through the legislature:

“Even in states like Vermont where they are pushing this issue through legislatures, gay marriage advocates are totally unwilling to let the people decide these issues directly,” agreed Brown. “They’ve just about run out of courts willing to radically redefine marriage. The next step for gay marriage advocates will be to use these new laws to push Congress to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and then use the federal courts to impose gay marriage on all 50 states.”

Now, admittedly, it is indeed a sad day for Vermont (emphasis mine):

But we take heart in knowing that this vote was not representative of what Vermonters understand marriage to be…

Which is interesting, as Vermont, like the rest of the country, seems to be a representative Democracy

The piece continues:

Today is indeed a sad day, but let all of us who understand that marriage is the union of a husband and wife redouble our commitment to ensuring that same-sex marriage does not spread throughout our nation, that religious liberty is protected, and ultimately that marriage is restored in these states as well for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

Hear that, people?  It’s a virus.  Like that HIV thingy!  

But, really, how can you say no to this face?

Have we have no hearts?  Clearly, Christians are under attack from the onslaught of same-sex marriage!

I will note two facts:

1. not only did Vermont’s legislature support same sex marriage, they did it with over 2/3rds support of the legislature;
2. Not only did Vermont’s senate vote to support same sex marriage, a majority of Vermont’s Republican senators voted to support it.

Be sure to thank your legislators, everyone.  They’ll be here all week.

Sidenote: I originally wrote this back in April of 2009, just after Vermont passed legislation supporting same sex marriage.  Since then, they have removed Vermont entirely from their Northeast Project page.  

There was even an attempt to primary some of the Republican who supported same sex marriage and it did not go as planned.  

Apparently, we are unredeemable.

Hurray!

(cross-posted from Vermont Watch, here)

The Vermont Legislature should consider adopting as well as enacting something along the lines of the following seven (7) recommendations when it considers addressing the current shortfall in terms of crafting the fiscal year 2012 budget:

1. Tap up to half of the rainy day reserve funds, not counting the Agency of Human Services (AHS) caseload reserve fund as is already proposed to be used;
2. Create a tax scheme along the lines of what former Governor Dick Snelling and the state legislature had wisely enacted back in the early 1990’s. This could be used to both help raise a portion of the current shortfall as well as ensuring to have a certain amount of those tax receipts be dedicated to help build back up the tapped rainy day reserve funds;
3. While still needing to find and make cuts to the Fiscal Year 2012 budget to cover the shortfall, this time around make sure to cut the fat where the fat truly exists: i.e., At the top and mid level regions of the higher paid and positioned bureaucracy across state government, starting within the administration itself and ensuring that the rank and file state workforce that delivers direct services to the citizens of the state are able to be held harmless: e.g., during these tight budget times, the state cannot afford nor does it need all the deputy commissioners at the department level across state government, including at the department of mental health;
4. In addition, put or keep in place a permanent cap on all salary increases, bonuses, merit increases or whatever they might be termed these days for those working in top or middle management positions across state government, including and starting with the administration. This policy should be kept in place until the economy fully recovers and, also not be ceased until all human services program cuts are then fully restored to what they were prior to the series of cuts that have been made within previous years as well as any forthcoming cuts;
5. As was done previously, cut salaries of higher level state employees receiving $60,000 or more. However this time do so by 10 percent (10%), beginning with members of the administration, including the Governor. It is certain there are others who are as well qualified and also willing to serve within those positions who could step in to take over for anyone not willing or able to take such cuts and who choose to leave their positions as a result;
6. Put an end to providing meal allowances and other such stipends for any and all state employees, including the Governor and members of the state legislature, etc.;
7. Severely restrict out of state travel allowances for state employees across state government, including members of the administration and the state legislature and recommend use of teleconferencing or use of other electronic means rather than attending meetings in person. In addition, also severely restrict allowances covering conference fees and the like for all state employees, including within the administration and state legislature, whether it be for instate or out of state conferences or other such meetings.

These are some of the places state government should be looking to cut first and foremost. Rather than beginning at the bottom and working their way up the food chain, they should be starting at the top and working their way down.

( – promoted by odum)

Yup, bad news from Vermont Yankee. Another well tests positive for tritium.

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail…

Key line:

The latest discovery could mean that a new leak has developed in pipes that Entergy said didn’t exist last year.

Note: all the photos here are smaller versions.  Clicking on them gets you to a larger one.

This is probably one of the best photos I’ve ever taken:

It took a bit over an hour: 20 minutes each way to get to the orchard, about 10 minutes to set up and then just under 42 minutes to do the shot itself.  Clicking on the image will get you the link with exposure details, film settings, etc., but clicking here will get you a version that’s a bit larger.

I decided to share this photo for a few reasons, but primarily because it’s pretty damned cool.

Funny sidenote: I applied to iStockPhoto the other day– I got rejected, but not badly so– it basically boiled down to “all your photos are the same– we want to see some diversity.”  Since most of what I do is bird photography, I can see their point– I gave them three images, all of birds, all kind of similar.  From my POV, they were very different images- one was of a green heron, another of a savannah sparrow and the third of a magnolia warbler.  

To me, these are strikingly different photos, but I can see how they’d want me to show them diversity of subject matter rather than just diversity of bird.  They asked me to resubmit in a few days with more variety so I’ll be including at least one of the photos from this set, as well as a really nice toad photo I took last summer and I’m not sure if the third one will be birds again or something very different.  

Anyway, live and learn.

This…

is a 7 minute, 22 second exposure.  I used Christmas lights attached to a pole, turning them on and off to create a tunnel pattern. I used to think 7 minutes was a really long exposure.  Not so much now 🙂

Spirals created with laser light pens:

3d spiral effect:

Night sky w/wood factory and traffic:

Plum Island, MA, at night:

                               


                               

And… videos:

I’ve been having fun playing with light in this new way– where I collapse movement of objects into time.  I may do some more of it tonight.

(“We don’t need no steenking tasers!“)

the once friendly streets of our town

on this cool clear summer night

have now become a bit edgy

there’s an electricity in the air

as though to walk a little faster

or a little slower would create

some situation out of control

a dreaded glitch in a new order

that’s taken hold and makes us

all feel less than we were before

makes us want to hurry home

yet know we must not hurry

lest we trip some ghostly false alarm

in the darkness with our heartbeat

Peter Buknatski

Montpelier, Vt.

“For the thousands of early educators like me who work every day to teach and care for our kids at this critical early age, it means SO much to have the support of so many of our elected leaders,” Said Dawn Gieseke, Director of Rainbow Playschool in Woodstock. “This legislation is an important step to our being able to deliver quality, professional education to all kids under five, which is so important for our families and our economy.”

The legislative effort to create a new regime enabling early childhood educators and caregivers to unionize received a big affirmation from Governor Shumlin today.

The bills – H.97 and S.29 – have 53 and 11 co-sponsors respectively, and that list includes Ds, Ps, and Rs. Expect this one to move forward quickly.

In a press release from the union, Shumlin was also quoted as saying “I would like to recognize and thank the thousands of Early Educators who work in both centers and homes across Vermont. I understand that in order to build a world-class education system in Vermont, the input of these hardworking women and men is invaluable. I support legislation that gives them a seat at the table as partners with state officials who design and implement our education system.”

Complete list of co-sponsors follows the flip (Full disclosure: I’m doing some communications consulting with VEEU/AFT on this effort)

Full list of sponsors

H.97

Larson, Mark

Ancel, Janet

Andrews, Margaret

Bissonnette, Clem

Burke, Mollie S.

Buxton, Sarah E.

Cheney, Margaret

Christie, Kevin “Coach”

Clarkson, Alison H.

Consejo, Michel

Copeland-Hanzas, Sarah

Davis, Susan

Deen, David L.

Edwards, Sarah

Fisher, Michael

Font-Russell, Herb

Frank, Bill

French, Patsy

Grad, Maxine Jo

Hebert, Michael

Hooper, Mary S.

Jerman, Tim

Kitzmiller, Warren F.

Klein, Tony

Lanpher, Diane

Lorber, Jason P.

Macaig, Terry

Marek, Richard J.

Martin, Linda J.

Masland, Jim

McCullough, Jim

Mitchell, Mark B.

Mook, Anne H.

Moran, John

Morrissey, Mary A.

Mrowicki, Michael

Nuovo, Betty A.

Partridge, Carolyn W.

Pearson, Christopher

Poirier, Paul N.

Ram, Kesha K.

Shand, Ernie

Sharpe, Dave

South, Robert

Spengler, Kristy

Stevens, Tom

Stuart, Valerie A.

Taylor, Tess

Townsend, Larry

Webb, Kate

Weston, Rachel

Wizowaty, Suzi

Young, Sam

S.29

Snelling, Diane

Ashe, Tim

Cummings, Ann

Fox, Sally

Lyons, Virginia “Ginny”

MacDonald, Mark A.

McCormack, Dick

Miller, Hinda

Pollina, Anthony

Sears, Dick

White, Jeanette K.