The AP is reporting that Department of Health Commissioner Wendy Davis is now recognizing that, in the reporter’s words “the volume and direction of flow of tritium-tainted groundwater leads to the conclusion that it’s reaching the river.”

According to the report, Vermont Yankee officials agree with the conclusion.

(HT D.B. in the comments)

Okay…I’m going to play a hunch here and suggest that an effort may be afoot to convince our beleaguered legislators that it will be unnecessary to stick their necks out and participate in a vote on relicensing Vermont Yankee.  The gist of this fanciful scenario is that, if our lawmakers can resist the impulse to bring the measure to a vote in the 2010 session, Vermont Yankee will make the first move to discontinue its relationship with Vermont, sparing everyone from the discomfort of having to “come out” against relicensing.  Yeah, sure; and if you go for that one, I’ve got waterfront property in Death Valley that might interest you.

From the position of a simple bystander, here’s my take on the situation:

1) The Vernon reactor was built in 1972, which means it was probably designed in the late 60’s.  Even if you didn’t know that it’s life-expectancy was only 40 years, and that its output  has already been ramped-up to well-beyond the capacity it was designed for; shouldn’t the mere fact that it is a product of the same technical era as the Ford Pinto, 8-track tapes, stretch pants and Tang give us all pause for thought?  It’s one of the oldest nuclear reactors in the world that’s still operating; and it’s doing so at 20% above its designed capacity!

2) The cat is out of the bag; claims by Entergy regarding Vermont Yankee cannot be trusted.  Despite furious efforts at damage control, the past couple of years have seen a laundry list of Yankee collapses, leaks, lapses (and even a brand new security breach) find their way into the press.  Recent revelations that Yankee officials have been somewhat less than forthright inevitably lead one to wonder what else they may not be telling us.

3) Vermont is no longer any where near as dependent on Yankee to serve our power needs as it once was; and we are about to see a significant increase in the cost of the power that is supplied to us by Yankee. It would seem to be in the best long-term interests of the state to factor Yankee out of our energy plans sooner rather than later.  There are credible alternatives that will have the added benefit of creating new economic opportunities for Vermonters.  If the plant continues to operate beyond it’s scheduled sunset, there is an ever increasing possibility that some harm far greater than the current tritium leaks will arise from the aged facility.  Apart from the devastating risk to local communities from a large scale safety failure, the potential for damage to  Vermont’s “brand” that would accompany a major contamination scandal could bring far greater job loss than will accompany the closing of Yankee,  even if none of the Yankee jobs were replaced in alternative energy industries.

Some of our representatives may have been led to believe that a lawsuit by Entergy is avoidable if the legislature never exercises its prerogative to say “no” to relicensing. Think again. The decommissioning fund has been gutted. Entergy is trying to spin-off Yankee and it’s ugly stepsisters.  Do you honestly think we’re going to see that corporation fulfill its commitments with regard to decommissioning without an epic legal battle?  

Delaying a vote will only advantage Entergy, allowing them more opportunity to cover their tracks and manipulate public sentiment.  Right now, the majority of Vermonters are squarely against relicensing and will applaud their reps for taking action.

Speaking for myself.

You can’t make this stuff up, but it appears Vermont Yankee is “melting down” in more ways than one.

Two weeks ago, an ice truck made a delivery to the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant without being searched. Now we’re learning about the incident.

Bob Audette of The Brattleboro Reformer has the story.

Though spokesmen from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon said there was no danger to the plant’s reactor building, a man who delivered a truckload of ice to the plant said he was astounded when he was waved through the front gate two weeks ago without being searched.

“It struck me as weird to be able to drive through the first gate,” said Peter Caloon, Rice’s Ice plant manager, in Greenfield, Mass. “Why do they have a guy with an automatic rifle at the gate if they’re not worried about checking vehicles there?”

Caloon was delivering $68 dollars worth of ice — 360 pounds – -for an employee meeting.

“If I had gotten through the second gate and my truck was filled with explosives like Timothy McVeigh and I pushed a button, everyone would have been gone,” said Caloon.

Caloon used to drive for a local beverage dealer and whenever he delivered spring water to the plant, his truck was searched. But not now.

Neil Shehan, of the NRC, gives the usual “nothing to see here, keep moving” excuse. Audette continues.

Under NRC regulations, plants are required to ensure that only authorized vehicles are granted access through vehicle barrier portals, he said, which might consist of obstacles such as Jersey barriers or large concrete blocks.

“Vehicles and materials that will be going through the vehicle barrier portals are searched for contraband or other items that could be used to commit radiological sabotage,” said Sheehan. “The ice truck was not granted access past those vehicle barriers and therefore did not have to be searched. There was no requirement that the truck be searched.”

But Caloon comes up with the money quote.

“Shouldn’t that be your first line of defense?” asked Caloon, about the main gate. Caloon was so concerned that he contacted the NRC’s Allegations Division, which told him no security measures were violated. Caloon said he begged to differ with its conclusion.

“I was delivering ice to the Keystone Cops,” he said.

To read the article in full click here.

Cross posted from Nourishing the Planet.

Madyo Couto has a tough job. He works under the Mozambique Ministry of Tourism to help manage the country’s Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs). These areas were initially established to help conserve and protect wildlife, but they’re now evolving to include other uses of land that aren’t specifically for conservation.

Madyo explained that in addition to linking the communities that live near or in conservation areas to the private sector to build lodges and other services for tourists, they’re also helping farmers establish honey projects to generate income. In many of national parks and other conservation areas, farmers resort to poaching and hunting wildlife to earn money. Establishing alternative-and profitable-sources of income is vital to protecting both agriculture and biodiversity in the TFCAs.

Stay tuned for more blogs about the links between wildlife conservation and agriculture.

The “put up or shut up” card is played, and a high-profile campaign defection occurs. The intrigue begins, and it all gets a little more complicated.

A collective mojometer narrative this time, because I’m behind on them.

As an observer, this period for me was about fleshing out who among the candidates truly recognized the implications of a longer elections calendar and a full-on primary, and who didn’t. I truly expected that one or two candidates would hold off throwing all in because starting the campaign season before summer was “not the Vermont way” or some conveniently lazy nonsense.

Not so. All five have been campaigning actively, so all five have “graduated” into the modern world of Vermont campaigns.

So what we have now is a game of chess; of making strategic, long-term moves designed to build a long term narrative about the candidates (or something less than a narrative – an impression) – as well as trying to impact opponents’ long-term narratives. All without looking like they’re doing that.

And that process has begun in force in the last two weeks.

Vermont Yankee is a big part of that battlefield. This has been Peter Shumlin‘s strongest issue, but also his most dangerous, as he is uniquely positioned to do something about it. Matt Dunne was the first candidate outside the Statehouse to take advantage of the tricky political dynamics of the Senate (in which he is no longer immersed) by calling for a VY vote sooner rather than later. Deb Markowitz followed with a petition (which enables her to add to her list as well – very clever) – all of which puts the three Senators on the spot in front of the primary voters.

Doug Racine wisely joined in to deflect that pressure play, rightfully pointing out that he has no power to call for a relicense vote, but standing ready to vote no. Only Bartlett hasn’t thrown in, but its clear the pressure is on Senate President Pro Tem Shumlin.

Thing is, of course, Shumlin is fully capable of quickly and unexpectedly jiu-jitsuing the pressure and actually calling for that vote (remember how quickly and definitively he moved on the Bush impeachment vote when the pressure was on). If he does that, he retakes the primary momentum in a big way, becoming the poster child of “walking the walk” to rank and file Dems – so the politics of this issue remain explosive.

And Shumlin’s and Dunne’s strong early moves – perhaps unexpectedly so – are keeping the early jockeying for position quite lively, and the ones who they threaten are likely Susan Bartlett and Markowitz. With Racine’s name recognition, Chittenden County base, and popularity among constituent groups like labor, he’s likely to be in the “top three” when primary day comes unless he gets complacent (and yes, his sometimes-skimpy answers to the GMD questionnaire might suggest a little of that, but on the other hand, his uncharacteristically passionate “win” at the labor forum suggests the opposite).

For the others, its harder to say. One of them will likely get squeezed out. At present, Bartlett is not a safe bet to be in the top tier, of course, but she does have that potential “dark horse” mojo which can work quickly with so few voters involved – especially if voters start getting tired of the higher profile candidates. And she is not being shy about forging her own, more “centrist” policy narrative. She may well own that territory in the final vote. I’d be surprised if that in and of itself would be a winner for her among primary voters, but it could yet leave her among the contenders in the final stretch. Hard to guess.

Even early powerhouse Markowitz could still get squeezed out, but she has also raised enough money for several campaign peaks, and anecdotally, she seems to have the supporter base most willing to give repeatedly (as that seems to be what they’re doing). That’s huge.

But that’s not to say the big money supporters aren’t fluid. The most interesting “inside baseball” move of the week began with the mysterious disappearance from the supporter list on Markowitz’s website of Arthur and Anne Berndt – two of the biggest, highest profile Democratic campaign contributors in the state. They were early supporters of Markowitz.

Where’d they go? The Shumlin campaign just announced that Arthur Berndt was his new Finance Chair. In insider Dem circles, this shift is a big, big deal, and it underscores the real behind-the-scenes wrestling match going on. The Berndts sway a lot of other Dems, so this isn’t good news for Markowitz. Expect to see her get more actively involved in state issues to keep her supporters amped and onboard – Yankee was only the beginning.

So the chess game is afoot. At some point in the summer, it will turn into something more like NASCAR, but for the next few months it’ll be chess. Collective mojometers below, and since everybody is engaged and nobody is currently slacking, everybody starts out a little ahead with the mojo once again – but the dynamics I cited above will determine who is a little higher than who. Markowitz gets hot with Yankee, but loses heat with Berndt’s defection and the insider message that sends. Shumlin gets hot with the influential pickup, but is losing some heat by finding himself on the hot seat with his #1 issue. Racine is strong, but just shy of smoking, while Dunne stays constant and continues to open people’s eyes to his campaign’s viability. And Bartlett, given her position and responsibilities as Chair of Appropriations, is simply going to have a hard time doing a lot more than breaking even, until and unless she becomes a star of the budget process towards the end of the session.

SUSAN BARTLETT:

The levels of tritium being found in some of the wells is high enough to be straight from the reactor vessel … correct?

If the water being tested with that high of a tritium level is coming from the containment vessel, wouldn’t there be other radioactive ingredients?

All we keep hearing about is tritium … is this because nobody is testing for anything else? Is this because we’re still being lied to? Am I wrong in where I’m going with this??

Both from today’s Rutland Herald:

The Department of Health said late Monday there appears to be “a very large area” at the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor contaminated with radioactive tritium, and contamination levels continue to rise.

…and…

Williams said Entergy Nuclear investigators were working on a strategy for excavating the area next to the well with the highest contamination levels.

Let’s just think about that for a moment: they are “working on a strategy.”

How long has this been going on now?  Doesn’t it seem logical that we’d be at the point by now where someone actually had a strategy?

On the Eve of Their Beloved Saints’ Come-From-Behind Victory Over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV — and Their Annual 10-Day Mardi Gras Blowout — the Crescent City’s Most Famous Family Enjoys a Political Blowout of Their Own as Son of Ex-Mayor Moon Landrieu Wins City Hall By an Overwhelming Landslide, Becoming Mostly-Black New Orleans’ First White Mayor in Over 30 Years

Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu embraces his wife, Cheryl, after being elected mayor of New Orleans on Saturday, while his sister, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (far left), cheers him on. Landrieu becomes the predominantly black city’s first white mayor since his father, Moon Landrieu, left office in 1978. The outgoing mayor, Ray Nagin, barred by the city charter from seeking a third term, had become a symbol of voters’ frustration with the slow pace of recovery in the 4 1/2 years since Hurricane Katrina. Landrieu’s election was only part of perhaps the Crescent City’s biggest party ever, as its annual Mardi Gras celebration began — and its beloved Saints overcame a 10-0 first-quarter deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday night in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. (Photo: Rusty Costanza/The Times-Picayune, New Orleans)

(Posted 5:00 a.m. EST Monday, February 8, 2010)

By SKEETER SANDERS

Oh, what a time to be in New Orleans right now.

Not only did the Crescent City’s beloved Saints stage a comeback from a 10-0 first-quarter deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, their victory parade later this week will land right smack dab in the middle of Mardi Gras — the annual 10-day pre-Lenten blowout of music, parades, parties and rowdiness that this year began on Sunday and ends a week from Tuesday.

Four and a half years after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is in party mode as it’s never been before. The traditional purple, green and gold colors of Mardi Gras have this year given way to the black-and-gold colors of the Saints. If there was any place that needed a major morale boost after all it’s gone through since the agony of 2005, it’s New Orleans.

But that’s not all.

For the Crescent City’s most famous political family, the celebration — with the traditional Mardi Gras greeting of “Who Dat!” “Who Dat!” — got under way a day early as Louisiana’s lieutenant governor, Mitch Landrieu, scored an overwhelming landslide victory over five opponents to be elected mayor.

LANDRIEU WILL BE SECOND SON OF EX-MAYOR TO BECOME MAYOR HIMSELF

Landrieu’s victory is historic in that he will not only become the predominantly black city’s first white mayor since his father, Moon Landrieu, left office in 1978, but also the second son of a former mayor to become mayor in his own right. The younger Landrieu, a Democrat, racked up 66 percent of the vote in the nonpartisan open primary.

Landrieu, a former Louisiana state legislator who twice before ran unsuccessfully for mayor, will remain lieutenant governor until he is sworn in as mayor on May 6. It was not clear as The ‘Skeeter Bites Report neared its late Sunday-night deadline whom, if anyone, would serve the remaining two years of Landrieu’s second term in the largely ceremonial post.

The results marked only the second time since the city adopted its open primary system in 1975 that a mayoral candidate was elected outright without a runoff. The last time it happened was in 1998, when then-incumbent Mayor Marc Morial — whose own father, Ernest “Dutch” Morial, became New Orleans’ first African-American mayor 20 years earlier — easily won a second term over token opposition.

Marc Morial is now the president and CEO of the National Urban League, the nation’s second-oldest civil-rights organization, which this month is celebrating its centennial anniversary.

Exit polls found Landrieu drew unexpectedly strong crossover support from African-Americans, who make up a two-thirds majority of the city’s residents. Landrieu’s chief opponent, businessman and fellow Democrat Troy Henry, who is black, finished a distant second, with 14 percent of the vote.

In an unprecedented show of unity, Henry appeared at Landrieu’s victory celebration at the Roosevelt Hotel in downtown New Orleans to personally congratulate Landrieu on his victory.

“The people of the city of New Orleans did a very extraordinary thing today,” Landrieu told his supporters. “We decided that we were going to stick the pole in the ground and strike a blow for unity, strike a blow for a city that decided to be unified rather than be divided, a city that understands that where there is equal opportunity, there is equal responsibility. It is a city that really understands that we are ready to move beyond and into the next generation.”

Outgoing Mayor Ray Nagin, barred by the city charter from seeking a second term, declined to endorse either candidate in the race. But Nagin did join Landrieu and Henry in calling for unity.

LANDRIEU’S HUGE CROSSOVER APPEAL COMBINED WITH WIDE FRUSTRATION WITH NAGIN

For Nagin, it was perhaps a good thing that he could not run for a third term, for if he had been able to run again, he likely would have been defeated. Nagin had become a symbol of voters’ frustration with the slow pace of recovery from Katrina. More than four years after the hurricane devastated the city’s Lower Ninth Ward, much of the neighborhood remains a wasteland.

Much like Bobby Jindal‘s 2007 gubernatorial victory was powered by statewide voter frustration with his predecessor Kathleen Blanco‘s handling of the aftermath of the hurricane, Landrieu was able to take advantage of New Orleans voters’ frustration with the slow pace of the city’s post-Katrina recovery under Nagin, whose job-approval ratings fell to a record-low 20 percent, according to a recent poll by New Orleans television station WWL-TV.

But Landrieu also enjoyed very strong voter support across the board, especially among African-Americans, whose support for his family dates back to his father’s tenure as mayor, during which the elder Landrieu broke down decades of employment practices that discriminated against blacks — particularly on the city’s police force — and appointed blacks to many top management positions in his administration.

A pre-election poll conducted by Xavier University showed Landrieu with a strong overall lead of 54 percent, followed by Henry at a distant nine percent and a third candidate, multimillionaire businessman John Georges, with eight percent. Georges spent more than $3 million of his own money in his campaign.

The poll found that Landrieu enjoyed a solid 58 percent support among African-American voters compared to only 13 percent for Henry and six percent for Georges. Among white voters, Landrieu led with 66 percent, compared to nine percent for Georges and only three percent for Henry.

DID BOTCHED ATTEMPT TO TAMPER WITH HIS U.S. SENATOR SISTER’S PHONE ALSO HELP LANDRIEU?

But the 49-year-old Landrieu may also have been helped by a backlash triggered by a botched attempt last month by a right-wing activist and three accomplices to tamper with the New Orleans office telephones of his older sister, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Lousiana).

Activist/filmmaker James O’Keefe and three other men — one of whom is the son of a federal prosecutor — allegedly posed as repairmen from the local telephone company, saying that they needed to “fix” technical problems with Senator Landrieu’s phones.

O’Keefe, Stan Dai, Robert Flanagan and Joseph Basel are all accused by the FBI of “malicious tampering” of the senator’s phones. Earlier reports that the four were charged with attempting to wiretap the phone were denied by the FBI.  Flanagan is the son of acting U.S. Attorney Bill Flanagan, who is based in Shreveport, Louisiana.

O’Keefe drew national headlines for his video sting of the liberal community activist group ACORN last fall, in which he and a female accomplice posed as a pimp and a prostitute and shot videos in ACORN offices where staffers appeared to offer illegal tax advice and to support the misuse of public funds.

ACORN quickly retaliated with a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against O’Keefe, accusing the activist of violating a Maryland state law by recording its staffers — since fired — at its Baltimore office without their knowledge or consent.

‘WHO DAT NATION’ HAILS THE SAINTS IN FIRST MARDI GRAS PARADES

Earlier on Sunday, the Mardi Gras celebrations kicked off in earnest, but the traditional purple, green and gold colors gave way to black and gold, hundreds of thousands of revelers celebrating their beloved Saints.

Fans of the Boston Red Sox like to refer to themselves as the Red Sox Nation. In New Orleans, fans of the Saints call themselves the Who Dat Nation. And it showed in the opening Mardi Gras parades on Sunday. Members of the Krewe of Alla, in addition to the traditional beads, Moon Pies and other goodies, also tossed out NFL referee flags and Nerf footballs in honor of the Saints, during their parade through Jefferson Parish.

The Krewe of Push Mow transformed their parade through the New Orleans suburb of Abita Springs into a pre-Super Bowl rally for the Saints, with thousands of revelers decked out in the team’s black-and-gold colors.

SAINTS’ VICTORY PARADE WILL BE NEW ORLEANS’ BIGGEST PARTY EVER

But the biggest parade in the city’s history will now come later this week, when the victorious Saints come marching home after their stunning come-from-behind 31-17 Super Bowl victory over the Colts.

As soon as Saints cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted Colts quarterback Payton Manning’s pass for a 75-yard touchdown return in the fourth quarter to ice the game, the Crescent City went happily bonkers, with thousands of revelers jamming Bourbon Street, boogying to the strains of “When the Saints Go Marching In” and greeting anyone and everyone with the traditional Mardi Gras greeting that became a Saints rallying cry: ” Who Dat!” “Who Dat!”

By deadline time, the celebration in the French Quarter was still going strong — and was likely to last all through Mardi Gras week.

# # #

Copyright 2010, Skeeter Sanders. All rights reserved.

(Click here for the GMD gubernatorial primary candidate questionnaire part 1)

(Click here for the GMD gubernatorial primary candidate questionnaire part 2)

(Click here for the GMD gubernatorial primary candidate questionnaire part 3)

This is the final series of responses from the five Democratic candidates for Governor to the questionnaire sent to them by GMD. These, and all the questions we asked, had their genesis in this diary from last summer, as well as emails from readers. The questions were cleaned up and refined a bit, to streamline the process and make it as inclusive of all the suggestions as possible.

The final questions below are a bit more Democratic-voter “inside baseball,” as they concern the primary process – including how each candidate intends to help the winner, if in fact they are not the one chosen to face the Republican candidate in November.

And again, some candidates’ responded question by question. Other times candidates would take all the questions under a given category and write a collective response encompassing all the questions. In some categories, candidates would respond by combining some questions and not others. As such, the questionnaires are presented as follows: under each category, all the questions we asked are listed as bullets. At the end of each category, the candidates’ complete answers are presented (in alphabetical order by candidate). If the candidate answered each specific question, their answers are numbered accordingly. If their answers are not numbered, that indicates a generalized response to all the questions collectively.

In addition to the questions below, we also asked if the candidates would be willing to take part in a live forum or debate sponsored by GMD at some later date. All candidates indicated they would, so that possibility remains on the table.

THE 2010 ELECTION PROCESS:

• Many young voters in Vermont were introduced to politics by their involvement in the 2008 presidential campaign. How will the candidates transfer that momentum to the state level and address the concerns of young Vermonters? How are you going to use the internet in your campaign?
• What can you do to ensure that all the ‘big names” and the Democratic legislators get behind you if you are the Democratic nominee? How will you work to get prominent Democrats working for the candidate if its not you?
• In addition to unequivocally endorsing the winner of the Democratic primary, what special advantage will your support, endorsement and campaigning for the winner of the primary bring to the general election campaign. On the chance that you are not the nominee, why will you be the best campaigner for the nominee and why would a nominee want your support on the campaign trail above all others?
• What are some of the ways a hard fought and issue driven campaign can energize the party to victory and help the new Governor achieve a more effective agenda upon taking office?

BARTLETT:

1. I believe that young people are very concerned about the future of Vermont and they want a place that they can afford to live and a place that will have opportunities for them to raise their families.  They value not only good jobs, but our environment and our values that we show in so many ways.  I find that many young people understand that there are no simple answers and they want to truth about what we can and cannot accomplish.    

I have a website www.bartlettforgovernor.com

a face book page http://www.facebook.com/pages/…

a twitter account https://twitter.com/bartlettfo…

email susan@bartlettforgovernor.com

I have posted to GMD, vtdigger and ibrattleboro and plan to continue. I have submitted to Vermont Tiger and Vermont Daily News.

2. Every democrat and many independents I talk to are tired of the lack of leadership provided by Gov. Douglas. They view Brian Dubie as more of the same. I don’t think it matters which of the five democrats wins the primary, we would all enjoy the support of “the ‘big names” and the Democratic legislators.”

The real questions are: Who can beat Brian Dubie? Who is able to walk into the governor’s office ready to run state government, ready to lead on day 1?

I have served 16 years on the Senate Appropriations Committee, learning the ropes from Howard Dean and Jeb Spaulding. I have been Chair for 10 years, making difficult decisions balancing the often-conflicting needs of state government. Appropriations are the only place, other than the governor’s office, where you deal with every part of state government.  I have to know how all of the parts work and how they fit together.

I am ready to lead and confident that primary voters will vote for experienced, common-sense leadership and that I will be the nominee. If not, I am prepared to do whatever is asked of me to make sure a democrat is elected governor, and that we continue to control the house and senate.

3. First of all the best campaigner on the trail better be the candidate!  Only the candidate can answer the question of what they want the other 4 folks to do for them.

My message will not change as a result of the primary.

4. We have already participated in a half-dozen forums where each candidate speaks at length on various topics. While there are differences in style, experience and proposals, we are fundamentally expressing a consistent democratic message. This is good for the eventual nominee, who will enjoy having the principals of our party at the top of voters’ awareness.

Voters will choose from a spectrum of moderate to liberal candidates. It is my hope that supporters of the four candidates who are not elected quickly rally behind the winner and immediately donate time and money to win the general election. That is what I intend to do.

DUNNE:

In 1992, my home community sent me to the Vermont House at age twenty-two.  Inspired by that experience, I have consistently empowered young people in the political process.  Throughout my career in public service and the private sector, I’ve focused on engaging young people not just as voters every two years, but as democratic citizens who have much to contribute to our state government.  

As a legislator, I established and maintained an active internship program that utilized students from UVM, Dartmouth, and Vermont Law School in formulating policy solutions to Vermont’s challenges including brownfields legislation and the Vermont Film Commission.  After discovering how little objective information and research resources are available to the Vermont Legislature, I co-founded policy research shops at Dartmouth and UVM.  These efforts engage bright, energetic, and dedicated students in the governing process while also supporting lawmakers with non-partisan resources to improve policy outcomes.  Electorally, in my 2006 race for Lieutenant Governor, my campaign established a strong grassroots presence and engaged Vermont’s youth directly through “service politics”.  Through the primary and general election, we connected campaign volunteers and staff with communities around the state to provide opportunities for engaging in service projects such as building trails, stocking food shelves, and cleaning up parks.  The campaign provided hundreds of hours of direct service volunteer hours in Vermont communities and didn’t end on election day. Organizations and campaigns across the country have adopted service politics to engage young people, over the next several years I helped organize dozens of additional service politics events across the state and the people inspired by our approach in 2006 are excited to get involved again with this election.

Two years later on a national stage, the 2008 presidential campaign excited young voters who yearned not only for hope and change, but for continued engagement and a voice in the process.  As a result of partisan gridlock in Washington, many today understandably disappointed, but it is crucial that we continue to engage their talent and idealism in creating a better state.  Vermont is not Washington, and so I pledge to continue my approach of soliciting the ideas and inspiration from young Vermonters and encouraging them to actively participate in their government on both sides of Election Day.   A large part of that participation will be online, and my campaign and administration will continue to embrace new and innovative technologies that help connect people and communities with candidates.  Howard Dean showed the power of MeetUp and small-dollar online fundraising, and the Dunne campaign will strive to build on that legacy, utilizing Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, text, emerging on-line tools, and whatever technologies inevitably come next. As usual, I will look to those younger than me, digital natives, to identify the new ways to use technology to engage people and empower voters to take action.

I am not worried about the prospects for party unity following the Democratic primary. All of my fellow Democratic candidates would make better governors for Vermont at this time than the presumptive Republican nominee.  I know they feel the same way. No matter who emerges as the Democratic candidate, we will come together to support that individual.  I commit to bring my campaign’s organization, grass roots approach and energy to the general election campaign no matter what.  

However, I differ with some who believe we must reach a conclusion quickly.  A strong positive campaign, focused on the issues and solutions to solve them, is absolutely critical for success in November and in establishing the next Governor’s agenda. What Massachusetts taught us is that if we do not have a candidate who is willing to demonstrate a willingness to work hard for every vote, to effectively advocate for change, to champion new ideas, and to credibly articulate practical solutions to address citizens’ concerns, we will not prevail.

MARKOWITZ:

1. Among the nation’s Secretaries of State I am widely recognized as a leader in engaging young people in the political process.  The civics education program I developed – Vermont Votes for Kids – teaches young people the importance of voting to our democracy.  Many of you have seen our buttons and bumper stickers which say: Your Vote is Your Voice which we produced initially as part of our outreach campaign designed to engage college students and other young people in the political process. You can find out more about both of these initiatives by going to the Secretary of State’s website www.vermontvotesforkids.com and www.govotevermont.com.

We are already bringing that same energy and focus into the campaign by including college students and other young adults in our grassroots efforts.  Perhaps because I have visited Vermont high schools all across the state for over a decade, talking with students about how they can make a difference if they got involved, there are young people all across Vermont who have been volunteering to work with the campaign.  We are also reaching out using new media and more than 2,700 people have already joined our on-line community through our email outreach.    We have a great campaign website, Youtube channel, email updates, Facebook pages and Twitter.

2. I greatly respect all of my primary opponents and know that all of us understand that we share the same goal – to ensure that the next governor of Vermont is a Democrat. It will be of the utmost importance for all Democratic candidates, activists and leaders to come together after the primary to support the winner and I expect that we will all do so.  I have never taken anybody’s support for granted and that is why I have already reached out to Democratic legislators as well as party leaders – from town chairs to state committee members, and I feel honored by the endorsement of Governor Madeleine Kunin.  As the winner of the primary I will reach out to those who have endorsed other candidates and will ask them to help us beat Brian Dubie.

3. We are building a strong grassroots campaign and, once the primary is over we will be working hard to be sure that the winning Democrat is the next Governor of Vermont. Our future and our children’s future depends on changing the course of our state. That is enough for me to support a strong Democratic ticket.

4.  We have just suffered through eight years of rudderless government.  Vermonters are looking for a leader who can get things done.  A hard fought and issues driven campaign will help us show Vermonters that I have a positive vision for Vermont.  When our base voters understand the issues that are at stake we win. We saw the incredible energy President Obama grew in our country. I hope Democrats and all Vermonters see how much I care about the issues that must be addressed and they will help me win this election so I can deliver on my positions.

RACINE:

I am committed to a truly grassroots gubernatorial campaign. I have already begun developing a statewide team of volunteers who are working on the ground every day to invite people into the campaign and encourage their active participation. I am offering internships with the campaign as well, for young people who would like to gain specific campaign experience. I am also working to build a solid online presence – we already have a great website and a Facebook page, and we will soon be up on Twitter. We have a good email list that is growing every week, with good participation on that list.

My campaign is ahead of all of the others in the use of the internet. I showed my commitment to a statewide field campaign that uses technology in new and interesting ways with my recent Campaign Kickoff Party. We had 10 locations around the state with a live-stream video to the nine places where I couldn’t be physically present. We have received very positive feedback from the folks around the state who attended the party – the first of its kind in Vermont. I will be doing more events that provide opportunities for Vermonters to engage with me through the use of technology as the campaign goes on.  

I believe that a competitive primary can definitely energize voters, as long as we all focus on the issues and on the overall goal of doing better for all Vermonters. We must, and I will, encourage Vermonters to get involved in the campaign – by going to the debates and forums, by volunteering for a candidate (hopefully me), and by offering feedback and asking questions, and of course, by voting. When people feel welcomed into the process and they are encouraged to participate, we all get stronger, and so does our democratic process. I will not attack my colleagues who are running with me for the Democratic nomination, and I will be glad to talk with Vermonters about issues that are important to you. I will also work with the Democratic Party, the Progressive Party, and Independents to build a broad base of people who will be ready for action in the general election.

By doing all of this and working with Vermonters, I am hopeful that these same folks will be active after I am in office. I will need all of your help to move a positive, proactive agenda forward to ensure that all Vermonters have real opportunities to get ahead, as well as access to universal, affordable, quality health care. One of my first priorities will be cleaning up the damage left behind by the Douglas-Dubie administration. This administration has been cutting services to Vermont’s most vulnerable citizens, and there will be repercussions from those cuts for years.

We can all look to the national scene to learn a lesson that we cannot stop working together once we have won an election – we must continue our work to achieve the goals that are so important to us. I am committed to working with all of you in this way – now, as a Senator, and later as the Governor. You deserve more from your elected leaders. You deserve a governor who will lead in a way that shares power with you to achieve our common goals. I want to be that governor.

SHUMLIN:

1. Barack Obama was successful in motivating young people because he gave them a reason to vote by inspiring them with his message of hope and change.   If Democrats are going to get 18-25 year olds engaged in this election we must do the same.   I’m running for governor because I want young Vermonters to have the same opportunity that I have had to live, work and raise my family here.   All Vermonters, but especially young Vermonters, need to know that it does matter who the governor is not just for the present, but also for the future.  Decisions made today can impact the state 10, 20 and even 100 years from now.   I want young people to see a future for themselves in Vermont and that’s a message that I will articulate during the campaign.  

My two teenage daughters keep me up to speed on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and like many I use my hand held phone for everything (although not while I’m driving!).   The internet has revolutionized how campaigns are run and I intend to take advantage of all it has to offer.   I want my supporters to take an active role in my campaign.  I will use the internet and social networking sites to engage them, keep them informed and solicit their advice and opinions.   The internet will also be a valuable tool in educating undecided voters about who I am and what I stand for.  

2. I have pledged not to run a negative campaign against any of my fellow Democrats during the primary.   We all know that we need to work together to make sure that Brian Dubie is not the next governor of Vermont.   I think the best way to bring us all together during the general is to run a positive campaign during the primary that articulates a bold and positive future for Vermont.

3. I am committed to making sure that a Democrat is elected governor of Vermont and I will campaign as hard as I can to make that happen.   I hesitate to claim the title of “best campaigner” because I think that distinction should be given to the five Democratic candidates as a whole.  If the four candidates who do not win the nomination join forces as a group behind the nominee we will be unstoppable.

4. The stakes are high in this election and I think the more we talk issues the clearer that will be.   Voters will have a choice: move our state forward on a new path or continue in the same direction we’ve taken during the last 8 years.  I think voters want to be energized and excited about their government again and if we give them a reason to they will.  So I say bring on the issues!

A national survey released by researchers at Yale and George Mason universities  shows substantial levels of public support for the passage of federal climate and energy policies. Although there has been a drop in the public sense of urgency surrounding global warming, support remains. According to this poll majorities spanning party affiliation support many of these policies.    

The survey found support for:  

• Funding more research on renewable energy, such as solar and wind power (85 percent)  

• Tax rebates for people buying fuel-efficient vehicles or solar panels (82 percent)  

• Establishing programs to teach Americans how to save energy (72 percent)  

• Regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant (71 percent)  

• School curricula to teach children about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming (70 percent)  

• Signing an international treaty that requires the United States to cut emissions of carbon dioxide 90 percent by the year 2050 (61 percent)  

• Establishing programs to teach Americans about global warming (60 percent).  

These findings are reminiscent of polls early in the healthcare reform debate that showed broad cross party support. Healthcare support was never capitalized on effectively as the healthcare legislation lurched and stumbled its way through the legislative process.  

A similar lurch and stumble scenario may be playing out again with these issues.   This poll reports that majorities of Republicans and Democrats support renewable energy research, tax rebates, regulating carbon dioxide, and expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas.  

However it also shows that…

Sixty percent of Americans, however, said they have heard “nothing at all” about the cap-and-trade legislation currently being considered by Congress. Only 12 percent had heard “a lot.”