People’s Republic of Vermont

While North Puffin joined much of the country in leaning more to the right, Vermont Democrats won the guv’s office and will continue to strongarm the Legislature. Dems will control the Senate, 21-8, and have a 94-47 majority over Repugs in the House. The People’s Republic of Vermont, long envisioned by Howard Dean and Cheryl Rivers, has finally come to be.

Turnout was high across Vermont yesterday; towns around North Puffin posted record numbers of voters at the polls. It didn’t help.

You know about all the states banning ObamaCare? In Vermont, Peter Shumlin and Company’s first move will be to pass the entire 12,000 page federal act as a state law. They will make some changes, though. None of the namby-pamby “you have to buy private insurance” rules. ShumpleCare will ban private insurers.

Don’t be surprised if your taxes go up a skoch.





Taxation with Representation

Guess what tomorrow is. Taxation with representation ain’t so hot either:

  • Every legislator gets elected by spending someone else’s money.
  • Every legislator stays in office by spending someone else’s money.
  • No legislator has left office poorer than when he arrived.

Got any other questions?


I voted Friday. Followed my plan not to vote for any politician who talked about his or her opponent.

Here in Florida, in addition to mainstream races for governor and U.S. Senator, we’re electing an Attorney General, a CFO, a couple of School Directors to replace the ones who hired the last set of (alleged) crooks, a state rep, two county commissioners to replace the ones who hired the last set of (alleged) crooks, two Mosquito Board directors to replace the ones who hired the last set of (alleged) crooks, and a Commissioner of Agriculture.

Charles Bronson who is neither Charlie Bronson nor Charles Bronson has served as ag commissioner since 2001. He was born into a ranching family in Kissimmee and has a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education plus animal and meat sciences from the University of Georgia. He’s retiring so the open seat has attracted the usual critters.

Agriculture brings in $102 billion/year; it is Florida’s second largest industry. Only Tourism does more. It is also the state’s lead consumer protection agency. One candidate for the job is a young career politician and former state rep and congressman, with support from the opposing party. A second candidate was said to “do to agriculture what he does to everything else, use it for his own good. He was a worthless mayor who managed to double his salary and he ran the Democratic party into virtual bankruptcy.” Another is called a “fake teapartier.”

It’s simple. If one guy in the race talks about the other, he’s probably lying. Vote for the other guy, no matter what. If they both do it (usually the case), figure they’re both lying and WRITE YOUR OWN NAME IN.

I may end up with a lot of jobs come January. Maybe even Public Assayer.

Over in Nevada, it’s hold your nose and vote as Harry Reid and his challenger Sharron Angle have the same problem. Voters don’t like either of them.

Here’s another story.

Founded 208 years ago in the Newton, Iowa, of 1893, Maytag was a $4.7 billion appliance company with the world’s loneliest repairman. It was headquartered there until 2006 when it became part of the Whirlpool conglomerate which moved the rest of Maytag manufacturing to Mexico and China. Newton residents are now the world’s loneliest people. This is a story about corporate outsourcing — Maytag probably would have moved with or without the Category 5 economic storm called the Great Recession — but the town remains depressed because no one else is stepping up to recreate those jobs. It’s a story playing out in every small town in America.

60 Minutes visited Newton last night. To a man or woman Newtonians don’t care whether Repuglicans or Demorats get elected tomorrow.

“I’m sick and tired of people going to Congress in Washington D.C. making a living at it while we starve to death.”

Exactly.


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