Yes, I’ve seen the polls. Lord god have I seen the polls. Yes, I’ve heard the reports of lopsided early voting. Yes I understand the whole underpolling-the-cell-phone-users bit. But the fact is, I’m still scared half out of my brain.

Part of it is that I’ve seen so many elections go the way they weren’t supposed to – sometimes despite the polls (2002 Vermont Governor’s race anybody?). And despite all the cavalier talk of “blowouts,” even an electoral vote “blowout” will, when all is said and done, be close in terms of the popular vote. Too close for comfort.

But the thing that really has me scared is the stakes. It’s always about the stakes. I can go downtown and challenge some pool-playing hot shot to a game for a drink, and who cares? It’s just a lousy drink.

But this election feels more like a game of russian roulette. Sure, the odds are 5 in 6 that I’ll come out okay – but the stakes are withering. And consider the stakes for this election.

A McCain win would mean another war of choice with Iran. A McCain win would mean throwing economic gasoline onto our global financial firestorm, just for the sake of letting the super-rich squeeze out every last drop of money they can from a middle and working class on the brink. A McCain campaign would mean throwing environmental degradation into high gear.

But a McCain campaign would also give us a president who would be likely to become incapacitated at some point in his term, which would then bring us another president who would waste no time using the power of the office to force her frightening religious beliefs into every corner of our Republic, and whose zeal for a culture war against me and my family would only be matched by her abject incompetence at steering the ship of state through uniquely troubled waters.

So while I objectively understand where the early champagne-poppers are coming from, witnessing such premature celebrations just scares me even more. It aint over til its over, and I can’t help but feel that pretending it’s all a done deal – even if it may well be – is to not truly appreciate the totality of what’s at stake.

So tomorrow I’ll venture out into the barrel of the gun, and do my part to tip the odds our way as the trigger is pulled. And if enough of us do, hopefully when that hammer falls as the polls close, it’ll fall onto an empty chamber.

After all – the odds are on our side, right?

It’s pretty far removed from the election but is relevant to fuel issues .Also it’s just damn cool. Some creatures are evolutionary throw-backs that have through some strange series of events avoided extinction .The Erie canal may prove to be such a thing in the world of engineering .With the high cost of transporting large and heavy stuff,not only is the use of rail transport increasing but shipping(real shipping) by canal is too.It’s also proving cost-effective.

“Sixty percent of the people I meet have no idea the Erie Canal is even still functioning,” Mr. Dufel said. He is assistant engineer on the tugboat Margot and an owner of the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company, one of the largest shippers on the canal.

After decades of decline, commercial shipping has returned to the Erie Canal, though it is a far cry from the canal’s heyday. The number of shipments rose to 42 so far this year during the season the canal is open, from 15 during last year’s season, which lasts from May 1 to Nov. 15.



Once nearly forgotten, the relic of history has shown signs of life as higher fuel prices have made barges an attractive alternative to trucks.

The agency does not have money for advertising, so this year’s growth happened almost entirely by word of mouth. Much of the interest comes from new energy businesses. An old building in Fulton that has been converted into the Northeast Biofuels plant sits on the shore of the Oswego River, which serves as the Oswego Canal and connects to the Erie. The site will also include a carbon dioxide recovery plant, which required moving four large metal tanks there, said Eric Will II, one of the owners of Northeast Biofuels.

Moving the tanks by truck or rail would have required cutting them into pieces and reassembling them at the site, adding tens of thousands of dollars to the cost, Mr. Will said. Instead, the manufacturer delivered the tanks whole by barge.

“It’s a nifty thing to do,” Mr. Will said, “and it can be a very cost-effective.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11…

The VT Democratic Party completed its “100 Days, 100 Reasons Not to Vote for Jim Douglas” list today, with its number one reason being:

1. With roads and bridges deteriorating, increasing pressure on the state’s health care system and rising energy prices, Jim Douglas proposed using scarce state resources to cut taxes for the wealthy. (Rutland Herald, 1/12/08)

The top ten rounds out as:

10. Even after more public vetting has revealed Sarah Palin to be increasingly out of touch with Vermont values, Jim Douglas says he still supports her pick as John McCain’s running mate. (VPR, 10/24/08)

9. Though Jim Douglas has campaigned for six years on the slogan “Jim = Jobs,” Vermont currently has fewer jobs than before the last recession. (Vt. Dept. of Labor)

8. Vermont currently has the slowest economy in New England. (Federal Reserve)

7. The unemployment rate in Vermont started trending up in 2005 and has increased 41 percent in the last three years. (Vt. Dept. of Labor)

6. The rate of private sector job growth under Howard Dean in the 5 years before the 2001-2003 recession was three times faster than the rate at which private sector jobs have been created since that recession under Jim Douglas. (Vt. Dept. of Labor)

5. Vermont’s rate of job growth over the past five years under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership has been half the national rate – 2.6 percent v. 5.8 percent. (Vt. Dept. of Labor)

4. As we face difficult budget choices and as more and more Vermonters are losing their jobs, Jim Douglas is using taxpayer dollars to campaign to keep his by failing to reimburse the state for campaign-related expenses like mileage. (Rutland Herald, 10/30/08)

3. Since 2005, under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, Vermont has lost approximately 40 manufacturing jobs a month. (Vt. Dept. of Labor)

2. After being publicly taken to task by protesting taxpayers for not reimbursing the state for campaign expenses, Jim Douglas changed his story and said he reimburses the state from his own pocket. He has produced no records to verify this claim. (Bennington Banner, 10/31/08)

The rest of the slightly duplicative, but still entertaining (and well-cited) list below the fold:

100. Under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, the gap between rich and poor is growing faster in Vermont that any other state but one. (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston)

99. Under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, 35 percent of Vermont’s 2,700 bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete — that’s eighth worst in the nation. (Federal Highway Administration)

98. Douglas’ so-called “Comprehensive Energy Plan” mentions the potential risks associated with radiation from Vermont Yankee only once. In a footnote. (DPS Energy Plan 2009, p.69)

97. Under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, good jobs are leaving the state: Vermont has lost 2,800 high paying jobs in the manufacturing sector since Douglas took office, a 7.3 percent drop. (Vermont Economic & Labor Market Information)

96. Douglas’ Department of Public Service has repeatedly fought funding increases for the award winning Efficiency Vermont (AP, 8/2/06; Rutland Herald, 6/25/08)

95. Though he promised Vermonters a cleaner and clearer Lake Champlain by 2009 during his first term, Douglas reversed course last year and admitted he couldn’t deliver a cleaner lake until 2017. (Times Argus, 9/10/07)

94. Under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, unemployment has increased to a 14-year high, from 3.7 percent in May 2004 to 4.9 percent in May 2008. (Vermont Economic & Labor Market Information)

93. In a time when Vermont desperately needs more affordable housing, Jim Douglas tried to slash the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board’s budget by 30 percent. (Burlington Free Press, 2/1/08)

92. Without real leadership from Jim Douglas, 81 percent of roads in Caledonia County have fallen into poor or very poor condition. (VPR, 4/3/08)

91. Jim Douglas supports the McCain gimmick to suspend the federal gas tax for the summer, which would cost Vermont almost $30 million and over 1,000 jobs. (VPR, 6/10/08; American Road and Transportation Builders Association)

90. In 2005, Jim Douglas vetoed a comprehensive health care reform bill would have set Vermont on the path to affordable health care for all Vermonters. (Burlington Free Press, 6/12/05)

89. In his 2008 budget proposal, Jim Douglas cut 20 percent from the fund to help towns maintain their bridges, which means towns would have to rely more on local property taxes. (Joint Fiscal Office)

88. Under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, the state’s workforce continues to shrink: the number of people employed dropped by about 2,000 and the labor force dropped by 1,300 between 2007 and 2008. (Times Argus, 3/12/2008)

87. In spite of his repeated campaign promises, Jim Douglas has not fully staffed the Vermont State Police in any one of his nearly six years in office. (AP, 2/21/08)

86. After nearly six years in office, Jim Douglas’ administration still doesn’t have a plan to clean up waterways damaged by storm water – the administration hasn’t decided how much work will be done, when it will start, when it will be finished or who will pay for it. (Burlington Free Press, 7/14/08)

85. In 2004, Jim Douglas passed on the opportunity to purchase the Connecticut River dams, which would have given the state over 500 megawatts of clean power. (AP, 12/10/04)

84. Job losses under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership have been widespread. Since May 2004, the following sectors have experienced losses: Manufacturing, Construction, Retail Trade, Financial Activities, Leisure & Hospitality, Accommodation and Food Services and Other Services. (Vermont Economic & Labor Market Information)

83. Even though the legislature funded special law enforcement units to investigate sex crimes two years ago, Jim Douglas still hasn’t fully established the program. (Burlington Free Press, 8/10/08)

82. With Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, 9 out of the 10 fastest growing jobs in Vermont don’t pay a wage high enough to afford a modest 2 bedroom apartment. (Vermont Housing and Finance Agency)

81. While every other New England state experienced moderate to strong growth in exports between 2006 and 2007, under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership exports from Vermont declined by 10 percent. (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston)

80. In 2007, Jim Douglas tried to raid $5.7 million from the Catamount Health Fund, even though businesses were promised the money would be used to provide coverage to uninsured Vermonters. (AP, 3/21/07)

79. Though he promised Vermonters he could leverage his close ties to the Bush White House to deliver results on issues ranging from the Circ to health care, Jim Douglas spent $70,000 taxpayer dollars on a short-term contract with a partisan D.C. lobbyist. (AP, 10/31/02; AP, 2/27/05; Rutland Herald, 9/8/07)

78. Douglas’ 2008 budget proposal slashed funding for town highway projects by almost 10 percent, which would mean local property tax hikes to fill in the gap. (Rutland Herald, 4/1/08)

77. Among many irresponsible budget proposals this year, Jim Douglas failed to fund the November elections, an expense that can so clearly be anticipated. (Times Argus, 1/25/08)

76. Jim Douglas’ 2008 budget proposal short-changed the state employees’ system $2.1 million. Not paying the bill on the retirement system costs the state more money in the long run, because the funds earn less interest. (Times Argus, 3/10/08)

75. Although the governor’s own Climate Change Commission laid out 38 concrete proposals to reduce Vermont’s impact on global warming, Jim Douglas ignored the bulk of the recommendations. (VPR, 11/20/07)

74. While Jim Douglas is quick to take credit when Catamount Heath’s successes are recognized, he continually tells Vermonters how much he dislikes the program, even going so far as to say he would have vetoed the bill. (Douglas Press Release, 12/19/06; Barton Chronicle, 10/3/07)

73. Even though the Bush tax cuts primarily benefited the wealthy and created a huge hole in the federal budget that shifted even more costs down to states, Jim Douglas said he not only supported the cuts, but he wanted them to be permanent. (Rutland Herald, 3/12/04)

72. The 2008 Management Report Card issued by the Government Performance Project gave Vermont low marks for long-range vision and leadership, citing the fact that “the dearth of talent at the top means that planning in one area requires a game of musical chairs in another.” (Governing Magazine, March 2008)

71. In 2007, 20 percent of Vermont roads were in very poor condition. With no leadership from Jim Douglas, that number is expected to rise to 50 percent in the next five years. (Rutland Herald, 4/1/08)

70. When asked if he regretted supporting George W. Bush for President in 2000 and 2004, Jim Douglas said no because he “picked the winner.” (Press conference, 10/4/07)

69. When a broad group of affordable housing advocates, homebuilders, environmentalists and legislators met throughout the summer of 2007 to work toward housing solutions, the Douglas Administration didn’t bother to take part in the discussions. (Burlington Free Press, 9/5/07)

68. While other governor’s aggressively tackled the growing foreclosure crisis, the Douglas Administration’s approach was to keep its “fingers crossed” that the crisis didn’t get worse in Vermont. (WCAX, 4/11/08)

67. Jim Douglas’ Corrections Department is staffed in part by temps with no corrections experience. (Seven Days, 4/1/08)

66. In 2003, Jim Douglas’ Department of Public Service tried to slash funding for Efficiency Vermont. (AP, 11/28/03)

65. Jim Douglas claimed that addressing global climate change isn’t critical, even though his own panel of experts said, “the climate change crisis may represent the most important and comprehensive global challenge of our lifetime.” (Rutland Herald, 10/25/07; Final Report and Recommendations of the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change, 10/07)

64. After promising workers in the contaminated Bennington Office in October 2006 that he would relocate them to a safer work environment within 30 to 45 days, it took the Douglas Administration almost 6 months to get them into temporary offices. (Vt. Dept. of Health, http://healthvermont.gov/local…

63. The Environmental Protection Agency slammed Douglas’ lackluster Lake Champlain cleanup efforts for “the lack of progress toward seeing water quality improvements … even after almost six years” of implementing the cleanup plan. (Burlington Free Press, 6/3/08)

62. Jim Douglas was chair of George W. Bush’s re-election campaign in Vermont in 2004. (Burlington Free Press, 8/29/04)

61. When Jim Douglas went to China to supposedly promote Vermont as a leader in energy efficiency, he didn’t invite efficiency companies and consultants to join the trade mission. (VPR, 6/25/07)

60. According to the Speed Matters annual survey of Internet speeds in the state, under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, Vermont is falling further behind other states in terms of Internet quality – dropping from 21st in the nation for Internet download speeds in 2007 to 38th in 2008. (SpeedMatters.org, August 2008)

59. To make up for its ability to fully staff the Vermont State Police, the Douglas Administration suggested the State Police recruit from local departments, which would serve only to shift the problem down to local communities. (Bennington Banner, 2/22/08)

58. Even though Jim Douglas’ budget proposals have shorted the Town Bridge Fund over $4.5 million since 2002, his administration blamed the closure of the Richmond bridge on the town. (Joint Fiscal Office; Times Argus, 9/6/08)

57. Toeing the Republican Party line, Jim Douglas said that the scandal ridden, anti-environmental, anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-pork Sarah Palin “shares a lot of the values of the people of Vermont.” (Press Conference, 9/2/08)

56. When the legislature worked to add $1 million to the weatherization budget this year to help keep Vermonters warm this winter, Jim Douglas grabbed the microphone and took credit for the work, even though his administration was slow to get the money in the hands of Vermonters. (VPR, 7/8/08)

55. While Jim Douglas claimed his so-called “New Neighborhoods” proposal would result in 400 new homes this year, expert testimony from the Vermont Realtors Association suggests fewer than 200 homes would be built and construction wouldn’t begin for 12 – 18 months. (H. Nat. Res. Com. Testimony, 2/14/08)

54. In 2005, Jim Douglas strongly opposed efforts to institute a Renewable Energy Standard, which would have required utility companies to incorporate a certain amount of renewable energy into their portfolios. (Burlington Free Press, 1/3/05)

53. To gain some good publicity, Jim Douglas announced in April a $500,000 grant to help keep Vermont Tubbs in Brandon. In July, when the company closed up shop, the administration admitted that Vermont Tubbs never asked for nor received the money. The result of Jim Douglas’ publicity stunt? 90 jobs lost. (Douglas press release, 4/15/08; Burlington Free Press, 7/11/08)

52. The Douglas Administration has failed to enforce laws intended to ensure that rental housing units are safe for Vermont families: In the six years with Jim Douglas at the helm, the did not bring a single legal action against a landlord, even though state inspectors have found over 4,000 violations in that time. (St. Albans Messenger, 8/28/08)

51. In his six years in office, Jim Douglas’ budget proposals have shorted school construction funds a total of $26 million, which would shift those costs on to local school budgets. (Joint Fiscal Office)

50. Just as he was Vermont’s highest profile supporter of George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, Jim Douglas is now behind John McCain, even though he’s voted against the MILC program and twice against LIHEAP. (Burlington Free Press, 2/20/08; S Amdt 3074 to S Con Res 83; S Amdt 2194 to HR 3010)

49. When, after six years of Jim Douglas at the helm, the bridge connecting Middlesex to Moretown was closed, the administration refused to take responsibility. Instead, it blamed “environmental, historic and archeological roadblocks.” (Times Argus, 6/18/08)

48. Jim Douglas’ Corrections Department doesn’t have enough staff to supervise all sex offenders. (WCAX, 7/16/08)

47. Under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, the top three occupations in Vermont with the highest projected number of annual job openings are retail salespersons, cashiers and waiters and waitresses. The average incomes for workers in these jobs in Vermont are $21,600, $18,050 and $17,160 respectively. (Vermont Economic & Labor Market Information)

46. Since Jim Douglas took office in 2002, state support for the University of Vermont has dropped from $5,003 per student per year to $4,624 per year. (Burlington Free Press, 9/9/08)

45. Internal administration emails about state job cuts revealed that high-ranking administration officials discussed changing social workers’ job titles to cover up the fact that the administration was trying to slash those positions. (AP, 9/4/08)

44. Jim Douglas’ budget proposal this year shorted hospitals $8 million – meaning hospitals would be responsible for making up the shortfall caused by the additional cost shift. Already, the Medicaid cost shift drives up insurance premiums an estimated 9 percent. (VPR, 2/25/08)

43. Under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, median household income dropped 4.7 percent between 2004-05 and 2006-07, down to just over $50,000. That’s the second largest decline in the nation. (Burlington Free Press, 8/27/08)

42. In spite of the fact that Vermont is ranked eighth worst in the nation in terms of the condition of our bridges, the Douglas administration only plans to fix 54 of Vermont’s structurally deficient bridges this year. That’s just 12 percent. (Burlington Free Press, 9/14/08)

41. While our roads and bridges are crumbling, Jim Douglas is using Agency of Transportation dollars to pay for communications positions in his own office. (Seven Days, 9/10/08)

40. The cost of tuition, room and board after financial aid for low and middle-income students at public colleges and universities in Vermont under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership represents over 60 percent of family income. (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2006)

39. In 2004, Douglas promised to deliver 90 percent broadband coverage to Vermonters by 2007. At the beginning of September 2008, final estimates of the amount of broadband coverage weren’t even completed, but experts said up to 50 percent of the state still lacked coverage. (Rutland Herald, 9/3/08)

38. As the legislature worked to write an affordable housing bill, Jim Douglas fought to increase the definition of an “affordable” home to $275,000 — not very affordable for most Vermonters. (Burlington Free Press, 2/18/08)

37. Earlier this year, Jim Douglas tried to lease the state lottery to Wall Street — specifically, to the now failed Lehman Brothers. (Rutland Herald, 9/16/08)

36. In 2005, Jim Douglas proposed a three percent tax on health insurance premiums. (AP, 5/12/05)

35. It was only after photos of the Vermont Yankee cooling tower collapse outraged Vermonters that Jim Douglas flip-flopped and followed Democratic leaders in calling for an independent safety assessment of the plant. (Brattleboro Reformer, 11/14/07)

34. In 2007, with roads and bridges continuing to crumble, Jim Douglas proposed 7.6 percent less money than the year before for summer construction projects. (Burlington Free Press, 4/10/07)

33. Six out of ten of the fastest growing jobs in Vermont pay below the federal poverty line. (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston)

32. Even with our roads and bridges further crumbling, the Douglas Administration resisted the legislature’s efforts to devote some of the $29 million budget surplus in 2007 to eliminate the deficit in the Transportation Fund. (VPR, 5/9/07)

31. Even as Wall Street is mired in perhaps the most significant economic crisis of our lifetime, Jim Douglas said he still supports Social Security privatization schemes. (VPR, 10/3/08)

30. Jim Douglas gambled $7 million in this year’s budget on the bet that the State Hospital would be recertified and receive federal funding. That certification and the accompanying federal funding were denied, creating another $7 million hole in the state budget. (VPR, 10/3/08)

29. Jim Douglas vetoed a bill that would have required Entergy to fully fund the decommissioning of Vermont Yankee, potentially sticking Vermont taxpayers with the $400 million clean-up bill. (Burlington Free Press, 5/8/08)

28. In 2007, Jim Douglas vetoed a bill that would have expanded net metering to encourage the use of renewable energy. A month before the election, Jim Douglas flip-flopped and announced net metering as a major component of his so-called economic development plan. (AP, 5/20/07; Press Release, 9/30/08)

27. Jim Douglas flip-flopped on whether the legislature should elect the candidate with the most votes should he or she fail to garner 50 percent of the vote. In 2002, Douglas said the legislature should exercise its authority to decide the election. Now he says the legislature should not. (AP, 11/3/02; VPR, 9/24/08)

26. Between 2004 and 2008, public sector jobs have increased 2.2 percent while private sector jobs have decreased .01 percent. If not for an increase in government jobs since 2004, Vermont would have experienced an overall loss of jobs under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership. (Vt. Dept. of Labor)

25. Rather than tackle the deteriorating condition of our roads, the Douglas Administration simply reclassified roads – labeling previously “very poor” roads as only “poor” and previously “poor” roads as “fair.” (Rutland Herald, 3/3/08)

24. According to one of the five members of the Vermont Yankee Oversight Panel created by the legislature to provide a thorough and public evaluation of the plant’s reliability, the Douglas administration continues to obstruct panel members’ access to critical information about the plant. (Brattleboro Reformer, 10/10/08)

23. The Federal Transportation Fund faces a multi-billion dollar shortfall. This year, Vermont received $203 million from the federal government to help maintain our crumbling roads and bridges. In spite of our heavy reliance on those federal funds, this summer, Jim Douglas supported a suspension of the federal gas tax, the primary funding source for the strained Federal Transportation Fund. (VPR, 6/10/08)

22. Vermont has lost 2,000 private sector jobs since Jim Douglas was last elected in 2006. (Vt. Dept. of Labor)

21. While Jim Douglas claimed last month that his administration has “made progress” in establishing Special Investigative Units to help investigate and convict sex offenders, a State Police detective this month described the unit in Rutland as still a “patchwork.” (VPR, 9/25/08; Rutland Herald, 10/12/08)

20. In 2006, Jim Douglas tried to pay for “Promise Scholarships” with money already promised elsewhere – namely tobacco settlement money intended to help pay for health care costs. (Burlington Free Press, 4/29/06)

19. Jim Douglas supports building wind projects and spurring the economy in Quebec – but not here in Vermont. (WCAX, 10/6/08)

18. A political science professor at UVM described one of Jim Douglas’ attack ads this year as “beyond bogus.” (VPR, 10/17/08)

17. Under Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, foreclosures rose 41 percent statewide and 74 percent in Chittenden County over the past year. Yet, as the crisis became more apparent earlier this year, the Douglas Administration said its approach was to keep its “fingers crossed” that the problem didn’t get worse. (Burlington Free Press, 10/15/08; WCAX, 4/11/08)

16. Over the past five years of Jim Douglas’ failed leadership, an average of 23.6 Vermont bridges have been built or reconstructed per year. The average over the five years before Jim Douglas took office was 36.6 bridges per year. (Agency of Transportation, 8/20/08)

15. Vermont today has fewer private sector jobs than when Jim Douglas took office in 2003. (VPR, 10/1/08)

14. Even after turmoil on Wall Street and learning that the Vermont Yankee decommissioning fund has lost $40 million – 10 percent of its value – Jim Douglas said he does not regret vetoing a bill that would have ensured the plant’s owners, not Vermont taxpayers, pay to clean up the plant. (VPR, 10/9/08)

13. Jim Douglas’ repeated attempts over the past six years to shift transportation and other costs onto towns would have raised property taxes by over $103 million dollars. (Joint Fiscal Office)

12. Jim Douglas has failed to develop a plan to draw down federal transportation dollars set aside for Vermont. His administration has left almost $140 million in federal funding for our roads and bridges on the table. (AP, 10/18/08)

11. After trumpeting his bipartisan work with legislature to make budget cuts, Jim Douglas’ administration sent letters to seniors blaming the legislature for reductions in services, even though the cut was one proposed by the administration in the first place. (Burlington Free Press, 10/24/08)

How much money does it take to run for the State House in Vermont? $1000? $2000? Legislative recruiters will tell you to aim for $5k or $6k.

So what is Rick Hube (R WINDHAM-BENNINGTON-WINDSOR-1) doing running on $30,000???

Hube (whose district includes Jamaica, Londonderry, Stratton, Weston and Winhall) is, of course, among the more hard right Rs in the state. He’s certainly no friend of campaign finance issues, even before he started raking in this kind of money – and in past years, although he’s done quite well, he hasn’t brought in this kinda coin ($10k has been his norm in recent cycles). Much of the money has come in a few large, out of state chunks. There are significant contributions flowing from his campaign as well, such as $2000 to the Douglas for Governor campaign, but there doesn’t seem to be any sign that there is any kind of pass-through laundering scheme going on. Unfortunately I’ve had no time to really get into this as a research project, but everything seems to meet the letter of the law, at any rate.

Anything untoward to see – at least in appearence – well, that’s another story.

Hube has given almost $1,000 of his campaign money to local charities throughout the campaign, including $500 to the Londonderry Fireworks Committee, $200 to the Jamaica Old Home Days Parade, and $308.48 to buy lapel pins for high school students going on an international trip. Vermont campaign finance laws specifically allow a candidate to make these kinds of donations with excess funds at the end of a campaign, but the law isn’t really designed to address such expenditures during a campaign. It sort of assumes a candidate will be  – you know – spending the money on getting elected. Still – it’s not outlawed under statute, but it does raise some obvious questions about the potential for a politician with a prodigious bank account to financially curry favor with local interests.

In fact, careful observers in the district might have noticed that after the $308.48 Hube gave to the Leland and Gray High School ‘Journey East’ program, Tom Connor, the Program Director, sent a letter to the editor to several Vermont newspapers in support of Hube’s re-election.

At the very least, it makes for an issue the legislature should look at more closely.

But what is the story? Why so much money? One might wonder if he hasn’t started fundraising and listbuilding early for a statewide run next time – raising money that he can carry over as excess funds for a jumpstart – possibly even scare other would-be competitors off with a warchest (modest as it may be). But what would that race be? Secretary of State? Treasurer? That might be a logical jump, but given that the Republicans have no bench – who knows? US House? US Senate? Or maybe Governor if Leahy retires and Jim Douglas makes a move to run against – perhaps – Peter Welch for the spot?

The mind boggles.

Hube’s opponent – Tom Buchanan – is a good guy who will have a tough time unseating him Tuesday. With any luck, he will and this mystery becomes moot as Hube becomes neutralized. In any event, Hube is clearly somebody to keep an eye on.

It is the Governor Douglas “hidden” tax hike, which will be assessed to every Vermonter.

Like every other state in the country, Vermonters are facing tough economic times.  Bush’s tax cuts to the wealthy and increased tax burden upon the middle class in the midst of escalating medical insurance costs, job loss, and the financial debacle facing banks and mortgage lenders have left the economy almost in ruin.

Vermonters are seeing those financial constraints first hand in cuts to vital social services as state jobs are cut to balance the budget, while Governor Douglas retains a $400,000 taxpayer supported PR staff, according to Shay Totten of Seven Days (http://www.7dvt.com/2008blame-game).  Now in the latest insult to injury, the Governor claims that he has the right to campaign on taxpayer dollars.  This story first broken by Shay Totten (http://www.7dvt.com/2008governors-free-ride), has been thoroughly expanded on Green Mountain Daily by Nate Freeman http://greenmountaindaily.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3521.  After being bombarded by rallies across the state, http://greenmountaindaily.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3532, Douglas suddenly claimed that he was repaying the state for his campaign phone calls and copying costs.  Of course in typical Douglas fashion, there are no records…

But wait, it gets worse, much worse.

Those issues pale in comparison to the Guv’s biggest whopper.  Yes, it is the Douglas’s unbridled support of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee LLC.  Read those last three initials again – LLC. Those three initials that stand for Limited Liability Corporation.  Aye, there’s the rub, to quote Hamlet as he contemplates suicide.   Talk about financial suicide, because ENVY is an LLC with no assets to support Vermont Yankee’s cleanup, Governor Douglas would rather add a tax burden of $1,000 to each and every Vermonter (yes, every man, woman, and child) than to tell ENVY it is time to fill the fund.  Take a look at this graph, and then say in unison, “THANKS JIM!”

The graph shows the gap between what Entergy has saved and what it will owe to dismantle Vermont Yankee’s carcass.  Why does Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee (ENVY) get to make over $150,000,000 each year and then leave us holding the bag for more than half a billion dollars in clean up costs?   Do the math.  That is a tax of at least $1,000 for each and every Vermonter. Lets all say in unison, “Thanks Jim!”

In April your Legislature passed a bill to requiring Entergy to fully fund Vermont Yankee’s Decommissioning Fund.  Governor Douglas vetoed that bill claiming that it would be an unfair burden for Entergy.  An unfair burden for Entergy?  Seems to me that his is just more Bush corporate economics… give to corporations and take from the middle class taxpayer!

Almost one year ago, when I did the original analysis regarding the lack of money in ENVY’s Decommissioning Fund, the Douglas administration claimed that I did not know what I was talking about and that my allegations were simply untrue.  I imagine the Douglas PR minions will make this claim again.  FYI, my allegations bore up under the full scrutiny of the Legislature.  In response, the Legislature passed the Bill that would have had Entergy put money into OUR fund.  Yes, it is OUR fund.  Each and every Vermonter paid into that fund.  And, Entergy has not added any of its profit to that fund since it purchased the plant in 2002.  Check that graph out again, and say “Thanks Jim!”

In response, the Douglas administration claims that the NRC will enforce Entergy’s duty.  Not true.  Entergy is already claiming that the responsibility is that of the Vermont Yankee’s original owners, thus Vermonters will pay for decommissioning and dismantling the carcass of Vermont Yankee, while Entergy continues to make its $150 Million in excess profit per year.

The Courts have sustained the fact that state residents must pay when a decommissioning fund is short.  Doubt me?  Ask the residents of Connecticut who had to pay more than $400 Million when Connecticut Yankee’s decommissioning fund came up short.  Ask Massachusetts residents who had to pay for the extra decommissioning costs of Yankee Rowe.  

Protect your family from hidden taxes, VOTE AGAINST Douglas on Tuesday.

Having recently moved from Vermont to Minnesota, I had the strange experiance of getting an email the other day from YOUR Pat Leahy’s Green Mountain Pac about MY Al Franken and his Senate race.  I’m sure many of you got it as well…

“After trailing his opponent, Republican Senator Norm Coleman, for most of the race, recent polls now show [Al Franken] leading by the narrowest of margins.We need 60 votes to finally pass the Consumer-First Energy Act, to roll back excessive tax breaks for oil companies.

We need 60 votes to pass the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, so that the federal government can bargain with pharmaceutical companies to reduce prescription drug prices.

And we need 60 votes to pass the long overdue Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to guarantee equal pay for equal work — regardless of gender.

These critical pieces of legislation, and many others, all failed because we couldn’t overcome Republican filibusters. And if elected President, many of Barack Obama’s most ambitious proposals could face the same fate, unless we act now to reach 60 Democratic votes in the Senate.

”

I’ve been knocking on doors for the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor party for the past few days and I can tell you that it is true…the support is really thin but it seems to be growing. The question is, will there be enough time?

And I think Obama is going to be facing so much in his first term that he is going to need all the help he can get.  

So, if anybody in the Green Mountain State CAN help with a donation to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, I think America will thank you for it…

Leahy’s fund-raising form is here:

http://www.actblue.com/page/gm…

Thanks.

Alex

First up.  Sarah Palin gets pranked:

This has to be heard to be believed.  I am sometimes surprised that she, as of yet, hasn’t managed to accidentally sell Alaska to Argentina.

Item #2:

While Bush is dropping out of sight to avoid hurting McCain, Cheney is, apparently, not:

Obama has a great response.

More odd and possibly interesting news after the flip.  

What’s on everyone’s mind tonight as the end of this election cycle is near?

Item #3:  

Apparently, Obama is to the left of Bernie Sanders.  At least that’s what John McCain says.  I think Bernie should challenge him to a duel.

Item #4:

Per the Reformer: Economy: Gov. candidates unveil their plans.  No rush there, I guess.

Item #5:

Just in time for Halloween, there’s a warning about tainted chocolate:

The Vermont Department of Health is advising anyone who may have purchased Sherwood Brands Pirate’s Gold Milk Chocolate Coins, recalled this month by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, not to eat or distribute the coins.

Oh, how I long for the days when pirate gold was a trusted commodity.

Item #6:

Company settles claim it mislabeled pasta sauce as Vt.-made:

The Vermont attorney general’s office announced Wednesday that it settled the first case of its kind under the state’s Vermont-made label regulation, charging that Bove’s of Vermont Inc. mislabeled its pasta sauces and other food products.

The attorney general’s office accused the Burlington-based pasta sauce company of violating the 2006 Vermont-labeling rule for failing to disclose to consumers that its sauces that were once made here are now made in New York.

What I like most about this is the outcome:

The settlement, known as an assurance of discontinuance, requires Bove’s to donate $50,000 worth of food to the Vermont Foodbank and pay a fine of $5,000.

Unbelievable.  A few months ago Lady de Rothschild attacks Obama for being an elitist, possibly one of the most ironic statements in modern political history.  Instead of returning to whatever estate she crawled out of, she comes back for more punishment:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…

I kinda get the sense this diamond-crusted windbag is angling for her own reality show or something….    

A great op-ed piece by Chris Curtis, chair of the Northfield Dems

My Turn: Are you better off now?

By Christopher Curtis • November 1, 2008

The central issue of this election is a variation of Ronald Reagan's famous line from his first presidential run: Are you better off now than you were six, or eight years ago? Unfortunately, for the vast majority of Vermonters, the answer to that question is “no.”

Monkton man called it early

By Sam Hemingway, Free Press Staff Writer • November 1, 2008

With three days to go before the election, there are plenty of pundits now willing to predict Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama will win Tuesday.

“I predict he’ll run, win the nomination, and win the presidency with the widest margin since Reagan,” Jensen wrote Oct. 23, 2006.