Just got back from a week on Martha’s Vineyard last night (we had to clear some space for the Obamas) and am trying to get caught up on what I missed.

But the best thing in the paper this morning came from Dennis Jensen in regards to “Pete the Moose”. For those in southern Vermont who may have missed it, Raised by a human, “Pete” is a moose who lives on an elk farm used for “canned hunts” – you know, Dick Cheney style stuff. The state is concerned about the elk, deer and moose all penned together in the property against state law designed to protect wild populations from illness such as chronic wasting disease. The fate of the moose – which could lead to being put down – has become a mini cause celebre thanks to coverage from the Times Argus’s Sue Allen and subsequent promotional efforts by the farm owner (including, apparently, a Facebook page for “Pete”).

Jensen cuts through much of the nonsense in play:

The moose is being kept as a pet illegally. Col. David LeCours, the chief warden for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, said that keeping the moose as a pet was illegal in Vermont. “You can’t keep any wild animals as a pet,” he said.

All of the formerly wild moose and deer in Dave Nelson’s elk farm, located in Irasburg, are being kept in an enclosure against state law.

Naming the moose does not change the fact that, while it has been tamed, it is still considered a wild creature.

[…] (Farm owner) Nelson holds canned hunts for these elk, some of which sport really impressive antlers. Some people – they will not be referred to here as “hunters” – shell out as much as $8,000 for a crack at a standing-still, fed-at-a-trough “trophy.” And he has opposed any move by Fish & Wildlife to have his moose and deer removed from his farm.

[…] The woes of the poor, the battered women, the number of young, unwanted kids looking for a home, elderly folks fading away in places no one wants to visit, American soldiers fighting and dying in two faraway wars. There are problems galore in our midst.

Yet we have 1,700 people (Facebook friends)  and counting who have nothing better to do but carry on about one should-be doomed “talking” moose – in captivity and in violation of the law – that could threaten a healthy herd of animals outside its domain.

I wonder where the concern over all of Nelson’s elk – fattened up to serve as nothing more than target practice and wall decorations for rich people – is. Let’s be serious – “Pete’s” champion is hardly a friend of the animal kingdom..

Today’s US News & World Report’s 2010 America’s Best Colleges ranked Champlain College #1 in its Best Colleges: Up-and-coming Baccalaureate Colleges (North) category.  Founded in 1878, Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont has a 2,737 member student body. US News

According to the Mission Statement featured in US News, “Champlain reacts quickly to changes in the business world to offer up-to-date academic programs–the latest include Broadcasting, Electronic Game & Interactive Development, Multimedia and Graphic Design, Digital Film, Mass Communication.”  

In addition to the aforementioned multimedia programs, Champlain also offers digital forensics, criminal justice and both both a BS and MS in mediation and conflict management, which sounds timely for today’s political climate, in addition to a MBA and a Master of Science in Law (MSL). Champlain College Mediation Program

(I didn’t have the chance to write this up this week, but I’m glad someone did. – promoted by JulieWaters)

On Thursday morning, 8/20, Sen. Bernie Sanders held a hearing at the State House in Montpelier under the auspices of his Green Jobs Subcommittee of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee. There was a panel of 10 pubilc officials, alternative energy entrepreneurs, educators, union officials and others, followed by Sanders questioning the panelists, and a half hour for public comments at the end.  The main focus was on documenting the potential for solar, wind, and energy efficiency in Vermont and the associated job creation potential.

There was also a focus on the potential for a large scale conversion to alternative energy in VT, with David Blittersdorf of Earth Turbines, and founder of NRG Systems, saying that 100% renewables is a realistic possibility here (including small scale biomass) if we are able to realize the potential for up to 80% reductions in energy use in buildings through conservation and efficiency.  The CEO of Green Mt. Power responded that we might be able to exceed their provisional goal of 10% in-state renewables. As usual, her focus was on promoting the VT Yankee nuclear plant and their contracts from Hydro Quebec for power from Quebec’s mega-dams.  There was also considerable focus on implementing new technologies in VT, from smart grid technologies to plug in hybrid cars, the limited availability of working capital for even the most cost-effective, short-payback alternatives, and the need for ongoing workforce training.

During the question period, I raised several questions around the focus on carbon trading (cap-and-trade) in the climate bill recently passed by the House, and soon to be addressed by Sanders’ Senate committee. I briefly outlined the likelihood of financial manipulation, the carbon market’s volatility and its negative effect on the investment climate for alternatives, as well as the underlying problem of corporate giveaways (more on these issues at http://www.zcommunications.org…  Sanders responded briefly by saying we certainly don’t want to give anything more to ‘our friends at Goldman Sachs.’  He pointed out that in ’07, around Sen. Lieberman’s climate bill, he spoke against subsidies for the coal and nuclear industries and insisted that funds for renewables at least equal those.  He also raised the analogy with FDR’s reorienting of the US economy toward war production at the beginning of US involvement in World War 2, saying that climate change is a national security issue.  (This is becoming one of the Democrats’ leading talking points, as reflected in recent mainstream media coverage.).  He also said that this year’s stimulus bill raised more funds for renewables and conservation than in all previous history.

Some other relevant statistics from the hearing:

* Vermont currently spends $2 billion/year on fossil fuels.  A third of our energy use is for space heating.

* With current state and federal subsidies and tax credits, a typical homeowner can get all their electricity from photovoltaic panels for around $10,000, with a payback of around 10 years. PV costs have fallen 30% in just the past year.  Still many homeowners can’t get the financing they need.  A home-scale wind system now costs around $25K, but the cost is projected to fall by half in 5 years.

* The renewables bill passed by the VT legislature this year aims to reduce energy use by 25% in 25% of VT housing stock (80,000 homes) by 2020, but much bigger gains are feasible, with savings up to 80%.

* Vermont gets more sun than Germany, which has the highest level of solar energy use in Europe.

* 2 medium-sized biomass power plants (such as are now being fought all over Massachusetts, for example) would consume VT’s entire current wood harvest.  We need to be careful in allocating how our forest resources are used, and favor smaller, more local projects (with adequate pollution controls, as smaller generators can be more polluting).

There’s a lot of headlines that could have gone with this post: “Tin ears in the White House”, “???????” or any other snarky stab at ironic cuteness. For today, however, I’ll simply point out that grassroots pressure is having some success.

In short … yes we can!

First the poll numbers:

SurveyUSA just released some poll numbers of great interest. The short version being 77% of respondents feel it is “extremely important” or “quite important” to “give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance”.

Most importantly this high level of support stretches across political party affiliation and ideology; and these figures are piggybacked on the numbers who are giving “a lot of attention” to this whole debate (73%).

And it seems the Barack “hug a right wing nut who’ll never support me anyway” Obama machine may be finally catching on (Pelosi already has for sure).

President Obama’s advisers acknowledged Tuesday that they were unprepared for the intraparty rift that occurred over the fate of a proposed public health insurance program, a firestorm that has left the White House searching for a way to reclaim the initiative on the president’s top legislative priority.

(Debate’s Path Caught Obama by Surprise, Washington Post, 08/19/09)

Of course the article goes on in the ever ridiculous ways of today’s bigger media and established political punditry by telling us that this isn’t about broad public support of a “public option” (as evidenced by the aforementioned SurveyUSA poll), but this whole argument is really about intra-party (ie among self described Democrats) squabble. Something from the “left of the left” according to some cowardly, unnamed White House adviser.

But in the end those who are too afraid to have their names in the paper are wrong … completely wrong.

All of use, independents and Democrats and Republicans and Progressives and conservatives and liberals and progressives and old and young and black and white and whatever else we may be .. all of us raising our voices is having the direct impact on our politicians that it should be having.

And when 77% of Americans are saying to include a public option, you can bet it will there in the end … unless we shut up.

Yes we can!

Gov. Douglas and Tom Evslin have decided to shun the Federal Recovery signs that Sen. Judd Gregg earlier sought national legislation to ban. “Axe the Stimulus Plaques” Gregg said and declared them “Simply for political self interest “. He introduced a bill in the senate “that would have prohibited the use of stimulus funds for signs that say a project is being carried out using those funds.”

It seems Vermont will as Gregg desired forego the signage. The savings are small in context and the symbolism high. Vermont’s Recovery Officer says “here in Vermont we decided that we’d rather spend the stimulus highway dollars on roads than signs. We have lots of projects but we don’t have signs. Once I explain almost everyone agrees with this decision.” For me this begs the question, would Jim Douglas stop his trademark aggressive ribbon cutting habits if it would save a few thousand dollars?

Obama’s Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood (R) says of the signage “Signs tell a story, and the story being told is hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being spent to rebuild roads, resurface roads, resurface bridges,”

I agree we should proudly display what our tax dollars are doing for us.

The new Federal Recovery logo and sign compare favorably to the Blue Eagle of the depression era National Recovery Act. It is a  visible symbol of what good government can do on a practical local level .The signs were to be posted for transparency and so the people that drive the roads know how and where their tax stimulus dollars are being used .They were to be the visible symbol of America back on the move. Florida, Texas and Virginia have not put up the stimulus signs.

Evslin claims the  signs cost $1500 each and you need at least two for each project. The exact form for the sign and the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) logo are spelled out in federal guidelines along with a”recommendation” that the signs be displayed. The Federal Highway Administration designed the recovery act signs in two sizes. Given the scope of the projects overall and the small savings in this seems petty. It has been reported that the cost of the signs can vary depending on size some running as much as the New York state behemoth of 84 square feet(about the same as three sheets of plywood )and costing $6,000 to $8,000 each to the diminutive and reasonably priced Illinois sign at about 45.5 square feet and costing $300.00.

http://recovery.vermont.gov/bl…

little birdies are singing a tune and it goes like this:

ECFiber (http://www.ecfiber.net) will be holding a publicity event at the end of the month to show and tell some really great news.

Governor Douglas is planning on attending this event.

End of birdie singing.

ECFiber is a grassroots organized multi-community effort to bring modern communications to the central Vermont area.

GOVERNMENT!

That’s right, according to a recent Public Policy Poll 39% of the poll’s respondents responded ‘yes’ when asked “Do you think the government should stay out of Medicare?”

I’m gonna go pound my head on some cement steps until I feel better.

PS. Thanks to Think Progress for the pointer.

[Cross-posted to Broadsides.org]

But, first, let’s begin with a simple multiple choice question:

Guess which constituencies have NOT been invited to the Obama White House?

A. Wall Street Criminals.

B. Health Insurance Industry Crooks.

C. Single-Payer Advocates.

D. Anti-War Leaders.

E. Military Industrial Complex Thieves.

Oh wait, maybe I didn’t word that very fairly. Whatever.

Time’s up. The answer is “C” and “D.”

Didn’t fool you, huh?

And if you’re wondering where the change is, try this: Insert hand into pocket and shake. No, no, not there. Yeah, there – where the change is. Feel it, baby. And then weep.

But now, as of today, we have a whole new right-wing constituency that is being fawned over by Obama himself: NASCAR nation.

I’m guessing that Team Obama was going down its list of whom it hasn’t abandoned yet and determined that the eco-global-warming-anti-noise folks hadn’t been properly poked in the eye yet. Solution? Invite NASCAR to the White House. Done – poke provided.

But Obama didn’t just invite the gas-hounds to the people’s house, he also spewed his own verbal petroleum out in a way that should have made Bill McKibben wonder why he lectured his global warming groupies to stick with the good Democrat. I mean, consider this quote from Obama today as he stood with NASCAR drivers in the White House driveway:

One of the core values of the NASCAR community is the belief that service isn’t just something you do once in a while when it’s convenient. It’s a way of life. That’s the face of America that you show to the world.

Huh?

Sorry, but the only “core values” I can think that belong in the same sentence with the term NASCAR are things like: Racism, waste, drunkenness, obesity and ignorance. Well, I do think it’s pretty cool when they shave the number of their favorite driver into their back hair.

Oh wait, did I say, “racism, waste, drunkenness, obesity and ignorance?” Oops, I forgot, in modern political speak that translates to: Votes.

In fact, the more I think about it, maybe they’re all Democrats. They do, after all, seem to have a lot in common. NASCAR fans and Democrats, for example, love to sit on their asses and watch their “leaders” go around and around and, in the end, get nowhere.  Worse, they all still cheer as if they won. Fuck yeah.

But Obama stretched it more than a bit too far today when had this to say about NASCAR races:

Families can go to the track and they can see these great racers and enjoy a good family event that lasts for a while, and it’s affordable. But part of it is also the fact that I think racing teams themselves are a family, and it’s a reminder that the guy behind the wheel is not the only person involved in this thing. That it takes a pit crew, and it takes the engineers back at the shop.

Oh no, Mr. President, your ignorance scar is showing. Pandering will do that, you know.

Because if you’d managed to check, NASCAR races are not family events and they’re certainly not “affordable.” Unless, of course, you consider $100 tickets affordable and viewing fat, toothless, drunken bastards with exposed ass-cracks as big as the ozone hole a good family event.



Oh Reverend Wright, where are you when we need you? I’m sure you could have set the Good Brother Barack straight on this one.

But then, as I studied the picture of the NASCAR drivers posing with Obama, I realized what the attraction was: the corporate logos. Of course.

But at least the NASCAR drivers are honest about the game they’re playing. When they get media face time they appear with corporate stickers all over them and gush about the great “Dupont, Shell, Exxon, Coke, Budweiser, etc.”

If Obama was that honest, he’d be similarly decked out in corporate logos when dismissing meaningful health care reform or bending over for the military industrial complex while escalating wars.

Once again, it’s the corporations, stupid.

Maybe NASCAR’s onto to something: Honesty.

Pass me a beer.

Just a short central Vermont public service announcement

The city of Barre approved tasers for their PD.

Barre’s police chief plans medical evaluations for the first 10 people tased by his police department.

Mayor Lauzon joked “We’re hoping that the first 10 people will take upwards of five years,”

Funny guy .

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

Kevin Kadamus of Lyndon Center pleaded no contest to killing his own son (involuntary manslaughter actually), and received a 3 year deferred sentence … and his record is expunged if Kadamus stays out of trouble for 3 years. Kadamus apparently mistook his son for a turkey.

John Boppel of Ashland, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to a charge of felony aggravated assault and received a sentence of 4 to 12 years with all but 18 weeks suspended along with a fine of $60,335 for restitution. Boppel had shot and wounded a gentleman who was sitting in the woods using a moose call. The victim lost one of his legs and is still in extremely serious condition.

Under federal law Mr. Boppel will never get to own or carry a firearm for any purpose (unless he receives clemency from an appropriate office). There will be some protection for us.

On the other hand, Mr. Kadamus can be back out in the woods in several years endangering more people.

Gotta stand by our Vermonters, don’t we?