The Stowe Reporter has endorsed Matt Dunne in the Democratic primary for Governor. This makes two for Dunne, along with his previous Addison Indy endorsement. From the editorial:

Change is part of who he is; he believes there are better ways to run state government – and he’s absolutely right. His work for Google and AmeriCorps and at the Legislature reflects an ability to assess challenges and inefficiencies, revamp approaches, set goals and meet them. As such, Dunne not only has set broad political and policy goals for the state and organized the framework to reach them – everything from balancing the budget to making Vermont an “innovation state” – but he defines the specifics.

The latest and greatest refrain from today’s Republican Party has become “vote for us because once upon a time we did the right thing”. In particular I’m now hearing how it was primarily the Democratic party that stood in the way of the civil rights movement … hell … it was a Republican president, Abe Lincoln, who actually took up the literal fight to end slavery in the United States.

Of course this was all true up to a point (the reality being that the mainstream Democratic membership by the 1950s was busy going anti-segregation which is why a vast majority of them supported the civil rights movement).

But then Trick Dicky Nixon (not to be confused with Tricky Dickey Cheney) decided he’d win an election by embracing southern style racism ala the Dixiecrats and George Wallace both of whom/which were thoroughly rejected by the mainstream Democratic Party.

The election of a completely corrupt Richard Nixon to the presidency who we know expressed regular disdain (to be polite) for such things as Blacks and Jews quickly set up “the rest of the story”.

Bigotry is not solely the purview of our nation’s south. It darkens the minds and souls of folks from sea to shining sea; but just as we as a nation were getting ready to drive a spike through that evil heart the Republican Party took up the cause by legitimizing the concept of the poor white master now relegated to handing jobs over to blacks simply because of skin color … and then of course came the hippies from the north and then those god damned women libbers and their equal rights amendment and those homosexuals who wanted access to the benefits of society and lately the evil Hispanic hoards intent on invading and annexing the southwest and now the Muslims of the world.

What was it that Nixon picked up on that the Republican Party has used so effectively for the past 50 years?

Simple … do what Hitler and Stalin and Pol Pot (ooops, that friend of Ronald Reagan hadn’t come to power yet) did … define some great evil other that requires extraordinary big brother police and military action to stop. When this happens reality doesn’t count because the intended effect is to whip up a frenzy of fear and helplessness that can be assuaged only by allowing the correct people to lead the way.

That has been the message of the Republican Party since Tricky Dicky Nixon became president.

And today we’re hearing such asinine arguments as this NYC mosque being built too close to something called ground zero or the invasion of the Hispanic anchor babies and even terrorist babies being born in US so as to return in 21 years and pull a suicide bombing on us.

Doesn’t really matter as long as there’s an “us” (the good guys) and “them” (the bad guys) and a Republican Party willing to go to extremes of war and torture and stomping on civil liberties to protect us.

Because once upon a time …

(Promoted for the usual reasons – promoted by JulieWaters)

Today Brian Dubie’s campaign put out a joking press release about the upcoming forum in Bennington County.

Dubie’s campaign called it “a game of ‘let’s pretend’” and their campaign manger, Cory Bliss said, “It’s no surprise Brian’s opponents would rather debate an empty chair than talk about their own agenda for higher taxes and dozens of new government programs.”

The irony here is that someone must stand in for him because Brian won’t stand up for himself. Instead of making jokes about not showing up to debates, Brian Dubie’s campaign should explain to Vermonters why their candidate has declined every forum he’s been invited to and is too afraid to have an open and honest discussion on the issues.

The metaphor of an empty chair in the release is an appropriate symbol not only for Brian Dubie’s absence during this campaign but also for his tenure as Lt. Governor.

Every two weeks Brian Dubie is paid by the people of Vermont, yet he puts nothing on his public calendar and declines to show up at public forums to face voters. It is insulting to Vermonters that Dubie refuses to participate in the forums he is invited to, and then turns around and mocks the Democrats for having someone stand in for him.

During this campaign I’ve often asked one simple question: Brian Dubie, where have you been?

Where have you been when you declined every forum invitation you have received? Where have you been when you criticize other candidates’ jobs plans without putting out a plan of your own? Where have you been when you deride Vermont as a bad place to do business while, under your watch, the economy suffered and the number of new businesses dropped?

Brian Dubie would rather make a joke than join a debate. But the state of our economy is not a joke and the number of out of work Vermonters is no laughing matter. Brian Dubie, let’s put an end to the games and talk about the real issues facing Vermonters.

What’s on your mind?

   The past may offer clues as to how negative the friends of Team Dubie might go in a close race this fall. This week the AP did some notable reporting about Brian Dubie and the Green Mountain Prosperity PAC. The report stands out in contrast to much of the coverage of Dubie’s substance-averse, image-driven campaign by opening a window into the actual character his campaign is taking and who his camp followers are.  

Green Mountain Prosperity is RGA’s spin-off PAC set up to assist the Dubie campaign. Some finance filing disclosure questions are being brought up. The article noted that GMP PAC to date has reported no expenditures, thus saving its money for later, which has been the pattern with the RGA’s tactics in the past. Late in the 2004 election, the RGA spent a huge $300,000 in advertising support for Gov. Douglas’s re-election.  

With this in mind, it is worth remembering Dubie’s 2004 campaign benefited late in the election from another PAC’s money. [see who below the fold]

Ultimately the outcome wasn’t close, but even into the last days of October the three way race for Lt. Governor was considered close by the press. One late October headline read: Candidates for Lt. Gov. campaign in tight race and said that the candidates “Find themselves in a competitive race in the final days before the election”  

In 2004, the American Taxpayers Alliance (ATA) spent $50,000 in support of Dubie to run a series of controversial ads late in the campaign. In the days before Brietbart and Youtube, maybe akin to Nixon’s dirty tricksters, they featured distorted and out of context quotes and broadcasted his opponents’ home phone numbers.    

The ATA (a so called stealth PAC) avoided having to disclose donors or beneficiaries and operated without direct coordination from the Dubie campaign. I can’t find any record of Dubie commenting at the time on these ads or ever disavowing their negative style or content in any way.  

The Times Argus wrote that year about the level of negative campaigning in Vermont.  About the ATA’s Dubie ads they said:  

Another negative ad campaign was a nearly $50,000 affair funded by the American Taxpayers Alliance. Unlike the RGA, the alliance is a so-called stealth political action committee, because its donors and beneficiaries are not disclosed.  

The campaign – putatively on behalf of Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie – featured out-of-context and distorted remarks about former state Sen. Cheryl Rivers, who, along with Progressive Steve Hingtgen, ran against Dubie. The ad concluded with Rivers' home telephone number

UPDATE:Credit where credit is due.

After this diary was posted I noticed that frequent GMD poster Rama Schneider had also noticed this same phenomenon. And a couple of weeks ago, Shay Totten covered it in Seven Days. So no scoop for either GMD or the Burlington Free Press on this one.

The Burlington Free Press had a story this morning about the financial difficulties of the three Republican candidates for Congress. It's worth reading, particularly because Republicans like to hold themselves out as the party of financial responsibility.

The thing that really jumped out at me when I read the article was this sentence:

And I mean the well know and the little known …

[Republican congressional wannabe Paul] Beaudry is taking a $500-a-week salary from his campaign …

(Two Vermont candidates had money problems, Burlington Free Press, 08/11/10)

“But who watches the watchdog, especially if he shows signs of distemper?” wrote Ken Picard of Seven Days in his lengthy piece about the Vermont State auditor’s race in last week’s Seven Days entitled Which Watchdog.

 If the latest press and press releases are any indication, Vermont State Auditor Candidate Doug Hoffer isn’t shy about focusing on the facts and campaigning in the process.

More than a month ago, auditor candidate Hoffer chastised the other auditors currently campaigning for the seat, past auditor Ed Flanagan and current auditor Tom Salmon, for calculation errors in their campaign finance reports.  Last week Hoffer focused on the integrity required by the office (see quotes below), and now this week is chastising Tom Salmon for not releasing the audit of the Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Fund that was requested by the state legislature almost three years ago.

According to Dan Barlow in the August 7 Rutland Herald article Policy analyst Doug Hoffer is proud to run on his record,

The mistakes – ranging from carry-over funds mysteriously showing up to double-reporting contributions to inflate the total – were embarrassing for his opponents, especially since they are running for an office that audits state government.

“I don’t think either of them had any bad intent, it was just sloppy work,” Hoffer said during a telephone interview this week from his Burlington home. “But considering the job they are running for, they shouldn’t have made these mistakes.

Maybe its Hoffer’s legal training or his 17-years as an independent business consultant to the State of Vermont and the City of Burlington, just to name two of his clients, but Hoffer appears to be on top of the facts, thorough in his research, and doesn’t mince words.

Hoffer’s press release this morning was entitled,

“Hoffer calls on Salmon to Release Overdue Entergy report”

Democratic candidate for State Auditor Doug Hoffer today asked Tom Salmon to explain why his office has not released an audit of the Vermont Yankee decommissioning fund requested by legislators nearly three years ago.  

More below the fold…

In his direct email request to Salmon, Hoffer said,

From: drhoffer@comcast.net

To: tom.salmon@state.vt.us

Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 11:26:47 AM

Subject: comment

Tom — It has now been almost three years since four state senators asked you to conduct an audit of the Vermont Yankee decommissioning fund (letter sent 11/6/07).  The owners of the plant are gearing up for the coming legislative session and the information requested by the senators is extremely important.  I am unclear why it has taken so long to complete the audit but policymakers and the public need to see it.  I hope you will release the audit as soon as possible.

Thank you – Doug Hoffer

The firm I founded in 2003 and incorporated in 2005, Fairewinds Associates, Inc, first alerted the State Legislature to the issue of the lack of funding in the fall of 2007.  Until I read Hoffer’s press release today, I had forgotten all the details and efforts leading up to our report(s), subsequent legislative action, and the complete lack of action by current auditor Tom Salmon for more than 3-years!  

Hoffer included this letter, which I had totally forgotten about, in his press release.  With all the oversight work Fairewinds has done on Vermont Yankee and on the lack of money in its decommissioning fund, I had forgotten that Senator Shumlin; Senator Cummings; Senator MacDonald, and Senator Lyons had written to auditor Salmon requesting a complete review almost 3-years ago.  My experience with the auditor began months before this letter and the issuance of the Fairewinds’ Report.

November 6, 2007

Dear Tom:

We are writing to express our concern about the status of the fund for decommissioning Entergy Nuclear’s Vermont Yankee power plant in Vernon.  The enclosed information, compiled by Fairewinds Associates, Inc., raises serious questions about the size of the fund relative to projected decommissioning costs, the management of the fund by Entergy Nuclear, and the corporate structure of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee relative to its parent company and the potential ramifications of that structure for Vermont taxpayers.

As legislative leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure that the decommissioning fund – which is composed of ratepayer dollars – is managed and used in a way that best benefits the State and its citizens.  We would like to request an independent audit by your office to explore whether or not this is the case.

Senator Shumlin; Senator Cummings; Senator MacDonald, and Senator Lyons

Fairewinds Associates, Inc is a paralegal services and expert witness firm that I founded in 2003 after earning my paralegal certificate from Burlington College.  My intent upon my career change from teaching to paralegal was to work with kids in juvenile justice, but a request by New England Coalition for my services in the Vermont Yankee Uprate Case before the Public Service Board started me down a different path.  The request came because in addition to my paralegal background, I also had years of experience in the nuclear industry, first in nuclear reload core design as an engineering assistant and later in nuclear public relations, sort of the female Rob Williams of the site to which I was assigned.

Now nearly 85% of my Fairewinds Associates’ business revolves around nuclear safety and nuclear engineering issues with the remaining 15% divided between basic paralegal services on small business or personal contracts (rental agreements, etc) and pro-bono child abuse work.

In July 2007, with Fairewinds 4-year history in nuclear safety and engineering analysis, we went to newly elected auditor Tom Salmon to ask for clarification regarding significant discrepancies Fairewinds Chief Engineer Arnie Gundersen and I had found in the VY decommissioning fund.  We met with auditor Salmon and members of his staff several times during that summer and early fall.  We asked questions and provided them with all the information we had.  

I had assumed that the auditor would have answers to some of our questions.  He did not.  I hoped we would get answers quickly so that we could speak with legislators during the fall and the legislature could address Fairewinds’ concerns beginning in January.  I did not want to see VT taxpayers stuck with a huge tax liability when VY was decommissioned because the fund was underfunded.  

I felt like I was sending this critical information into a black hole.  I was told that the auditor had more important issues on his desk and it might be many, many months before he would be able to adequately review this issue.  Of great concern to me was the fact that I was not just asking Salmon to review VY’s fund, although that is the auditor’s job, but I was also asking for information as a member of the public and as a taxpayer with legitimate concerns.  Neither of which I received.  

Finally, I took my Fairewinds’ internal document, bundled it and took it to the only person I knew at the time who might be interested, Senator Virgina Lyons.  I picked Senator Lyons because she was the Chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and one of the Chittenden County Senators I had met at several events.  Senator Lyons was stunned by Fairewinds analysis and took it for review by Senator Shumlin, Campbell, and Cummings, all of whom were equally concerned and therefore requested the audit from Tom Salmon.

Back to present time, Hoffer said in today’s press release:

“These were not idle thoughts by the senators,” said Hoffer.  “Their concerns were based on information provided by Fairewinds Associates about the adequacy and management of the funds.”  

Shortfalls in the decommissioning fund led to passage of S.373 in 2008 that required Entergy to guarantee funding now instead of decades hence.  The bill was subsequently vetoed by Governor Douglas but the issue is alive and unresolved.  

“With Vermont Yankee’s owners gearing up for a fight in the next legislative session, it is critical that legislators and the public have access to the audit,” Hoffer said.

Hoffer noted that the Auditor was visited by officials from Entergy during the legislative debate over S.373.  Shortly thereafter Salmon sent a letter to all legislators expressing concern that “S.373 could add undue risk to the state.”  The letter was sent on April 22, 2008, over five months after the Auditor was asked to audit the decommissioning fund.

But Hoffer asked “having not completed the audit, on what basis did Salmon decide that S.373 ‘could add undue risk to the state.'”  

Hoffer continued, “We will never know what transpired in those conversations between Tom Salmon and Entergy officials, but it is not unreasonable to ask whether Mr. Salmon feels at all biased or personally impaired in the matter.  

Government Auditing Standards make it clear that ‘auditors…must be free from personal impairments’ to objectively carry out their duties.”  

Hoffer concluded, “In any event, two and a half years ought to be sufficient to complete even the most complex audit.  The legislature needs the requested information and Tom Salmon should release the audit and explain why it has taken so long (and tell us the cost of the audit as well).”

Doug Hoffer’s quote that

Government Auditing Standards make it clear that ‘auditors…must be free from personal impairments’ to objectively carry out their duties.

really struck me and reminded me of Hoffer’s Opinion piece sent out last week and featured in full in VTDigger entitled Hoffer: As auditor, I will ensure taxes are spent effectively

The State Auditor is the elected official responsible for ensuring the integrity of every tax dollar spent. In carrying out that responsibility, the Auditor’s office itself must conduct its business with the highest integrity.

As Auditor, I will restore the integrity of the office. I will do this in two ways: first, by adhering to a personal code of conduct appropriate to the Auditor’s position, and by revitalizing the office to be a robust watchdog for Vermont taxpayers.

I believe confidence in the State Auditor is at a new low because of personal conduct issues. Of most concern to me is the use of taxpayer dollars for political campaign use. This has been well-documented and reported, and yet it bears repeating.

As a business owner who brought an issue of legitimate concern forward to our state auditor, I am appalled that in more than three years, Salmon has been unable to write a report that was almost written for him.  The issues raised by Fairewinds became part of a large national story broken by Vermont AP Reporter Dave Gram, that showed that more than 25% of operating nuclear power plants have seriously underfunded decommissioning funds.  Vermont’s Auditor could have been leading the country in uncovering this critical issue.  

Now all I see in Salmon is someone hiding and most likely manipulating data in order to attempt to boost his election credibility with a report release during the last 3-months of his reelection bid!

I remember when I first moved to Vermont in 2001, how impressed I was with reports from the auditor’s office.  To me this seemed like a great state where an elected official had the awesome responsibility of protecting the taxpayers of the State of VT.  



Doug Hoffer gives me the confidence that he will protect all of us from the over-reaching arm of any corporation as well as any state agency.  

I think Hoffer is already doing the job he will be elected to do in November – if you vote.

**********

PS

I wondered, isn’t there some type of oath that state officers must take to uphold the integrity of the office???  I know that I take an oath with documents I prepare; I take an oath as a Justice of the Peace and as a notary public; and I take an oath as a City of Burlington Public Works Commissioner.

Here is the oath of office that I found in the Vermont Constitution that State Officers like Tom Salmon take:

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE; OATH OF OFFICE

§ 56. Oaths of allegiance and office (notes)

Every officer, whether judicial, executive, or military, in authority under this State, before entering upon the execution of office, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation of allegiance to this State, (unless the officer shall produce evidence that the officer has before taken the same) and also the following oath or affirmation of office, except military officers, and such as shall be exempted by the Legislature.

The Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance

You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will be true and faithful to the State of Vermont and that you will not, directly or indirectly, do any act or thing injurious to the Constitution or Government thereof. (If an affirmation) Under the pains and penalties of perjury.

The Oath or Affirmation of Office

You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will faithfully execute the office of __ for the __ of __ and will therein do equal right and justice to all persons, to the best of your judgment and ability, according to law. (If an oath) So help you God. (If an affirmation) Under the pains and penalties of perjury.

(Promoted for the usual reasons. – promoted by JulieWaters)

Today I launched a health care initiative to implement a health care system that will relieve the financial burden on government, families and businesses caused by sharply escalating health care costs so Vermont can concentrate on job creation. It starts with a commitment to seek a federal waiver to allow Vermont to implement health care for all.

As governor, I will work aggressively to make Vermont a national leader in health care reform once again. I will work with our federal delegation to get a waiver to allow Vermont to ensure that every Vermonter has access to the doctors, medicines and care they need

But I am realistic. I realize that waiver will not come overnight, but Vermonters need help right now. That’s why I have outlined the following steps to help cut health insurance abuses and reduce health care costs. We can implement these swiftly when I am governor.

Eliminate Insurance Company Abuses and Costly Health Care Overhead

The Journal Health Affairs estimated that medical paperwork and the labor costs to fill and file that paperwork costs doctors and patients more than $7 billion nationwide, including millions in wrongly denied claims because of insurance company loopholes designed to confuse. I will launch a pilot program statewide with the largest hospitals and doctors groups to implement standardized billing procedures that will reduce overhead in health care, cost consumers less and eliminate headaches for medical professionals.

A Public Option in Vermont to Compete

The federal health care reform efforts mean that soon nearly 75,000 Vermonter will have access to

more affordable health care, more than 18,000 Vermont seniors will see the “donut-hole” in Medicare Part D cut in half, and 11,500 small businesses will qualify for tax credits to offset payments towards employees’ health care costs. While we need to go even further in Vermont, as I outlined above with a self-insurance system, I am excited to implement the Health Insurance Exchange component of health care reform when I am governor.

As early as March 2011, states will apply for federal grants to design health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals buying health insurance on their own. The exchanges will look just like Expedia or Orbitz, where consumers can choose the type of plan they want and see different options. This ensures that they will find the lowest price possible. As governor, I will make sure Vermont leads the nation with an innovative state health care exchange that includes a public option.

Until we can implement a universal system, this is another step forward to make sure the health

insurance monopoly ends and a level playing field is created for consumers.

Quality, Affordable Prescription Drugs  

Reforms at the federal level make Medicare Part D more affordable, but seniors, families and business are still paying too much, and pharmaceutical companies’ profits continue to soar. As governor, I will institute a cross-border program to make sure Vermonters pay the same costs for safe, quality prescription drugs that our Canadian neighbors pay. There have been bipartisan efforts in Congress to make the importation of prescription drugs safe and legal.

Unfortunately, lobbyists continue to block these efforts. As governor, I will fight the drug companies to make affordable, quality prescription drugs available from Canada for Vermonters.  

After the snoresville race for Vermont governor between Gaye Symington (Dem) and Jim Douglas (Rep) in 2008, politically-hungry Vermonters thought we’d be getting a good dose of juicy red-meat politics with the news that five – count ’em, five! – Democrats would slug it out for this year’s primary. Even Team Democrat, that nest of ninnies who can seemingly be led anywhere and hope-hypnotized into believing anything as long as there’s a bogeyman or woman in the room (McCain! Palin! Nader! Boo!), convinced themselves that a five-way was going to be “exciting” and “invigorating!”

Well, we’re now just two weeks away from the primary and…well…welcome back to snoresville – Vermont style. And here’s who to blame for all the boredom:

1). The candidates themselves. Each and every one of them has been nothing but bland. Instead of trying to rise above the hum of boredom, each seems to be trying to out wallflower the other. “You think Doug’s boring,” Peter, Deb, Susan and Matt seemingly call out, “listen to us!” Zzzzzzzz….. “Jobs, blah, children, blah, energy, blah.”

Oh my, please, tell me again how you are all in favor of jobs, children, Mother Earth and the firm belief in all-things-Vermont! Because I can’t get enough. Not.

Instead of being invigorated, the winner of this bore-fest is going to have to have a session or two with the defibrillator. Wake up! Because there’s a right-winger in aw-shucks clothing waiting for you in the general election.

2.) The Media. Let’s face it, the Vermont media has been like deer in headlights when it comes to this race. Overwhelmed by having to cover five people, they’ve apparently decided to not really cover any of them. I’ve heard several of them lament over and over again “how difficult” it is covering five viable candidates. Oh, poor babies….but, if you’d really like to try difficult, try the unemployment line. Please?

Unfortunately, the Vermont media’s “overwhelmed” mood has translated to coverage that is almost exclusively dedicated to press releases and statements from the campaigns. In other words, forget the digging, the muckraking, the probing and the – shock! – investigating. Because none of that is happening on the Vermont media’s watch. Cue 6-year-old whining voice: “We…don’t…have….time.”

This morning, for example, the guest on WDEV’s Mark Johnson Show was Louis Porter of the Vermont Press Bureau (I should also add that the guest host in Mark’s absence was the entirely sleepy Peter Mallory – oh Mark, stop leaving the microphone to that dolt!). Mallory yawned out a couple questions about the governor’s race, to which the equally sleepy Porter snored this bit of (non)wisdom and honesty: “The race has been fairly uneventful. I mean, we’ve been reporting on their press releases and statements and all but…”

Earth to Porter: The race has been sleepy because those covering it have been asleep. And since when did reporters pride themselves on doing little more than regurgitating campaign statements? [Flashback with Porter substituted for Bernstein: “Well, Nixon said he didn’t do it.”]

Mr. Porter: You could at any moment, after all, ask a question or do some digging that could make the race mighty interesting. And, trust me, as one of five reporters in the state, you’ll get your calls returned. How about you try to take a little control of the situation? You know, like asking them questions and probing beyond the boring, same-old, same-old campaign-speak?

If you can’t think of anything, try this: Ask them how they feel about the wars since they are, after all, seeking to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Vermont National Guard, a force that now has over 1500 Vermonters serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or ask them how, as Democrats, they may disagree with the Obama administration? Or how they disagree with Leahy and Sanders? Or why they support yet another “study” of our health care system when so much of the public is already demanding the answer (read: single payer)? Or how the use and promotion of recreation vehicles (snowmobiles and ATVs) fits into their energy conservation programs? Just saying.

Or, better yet, we-the-voters could start demanding some answers to the questions outside the campaigns’ press releases. Peter Buknatski’s been doing just that here at Green Mountain Daily. Every time one of the Dem candidates posts one of their campaign statements, Buknatski’s been asking them about the wars. The total and complete silence (from the candidates and Team Democrat) should tell us all something: We’re about to be fooled again.

Unless, of course, we’re not. Cue: Alarm clock. Wake up, Vermont.

[Cross-posted at Broadsides.org]