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.


[Image]





244

A list of Barack Obama’s 244 “accomplishments” in his first 655 days in office has gone viral amongst Liberals and Progs. Here’s one example. You can Google all the others on your own.

No, I don’t know why there are 244 and not 655 “accomplishments” on the list. Maybe he didn’t want to admit to the rest.

What, are they nuts? I can’t be arsed to do it line by line but these people are publishing party-line political doubletalk. It ain’t hard to refute and I didn’t even bother with the Armed Forces or ObamaCare.

ETHICS
• as much as possible
Government speak for “tell ’em what they want to hear as often as you need to.” Now that’s change I can believe in.

• limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House
Only our guys can get in; the other guys can pound sand. Oddly, that happens every four-to-eight years. Now that’s change I can believe in.

GOVERNANCE
• The White House website
Woo pee. The only 12 people hired last year with Stimulus money. Every government office has a better website this year than they did last year and the year before that. Evolution and learning and even user demands drive even government web designers. Here’s one of the best recources online, period: Library of Congress dot gov Now that’s change I can believe in.

• Ended the Bush practice of circumventing FDA rules
Sure. Now we have the Obamanation practice of circumventing LAWS. Now that’s change I can believe in.

NATIONAL SECURITY
• Announced Gitmo closure.
Cool. Oh wait. It’s still open isn’t it. Now that’s change I can believe in.

• Will house terrorists at a “super max” in the US
Cool. Oh wait. The’re all still at Gitmo, aren’t they? Now that’s change I can believe in.

• Cut the 1.4 billion missile defense program
Spent 1.4 trillion on pet Obama programs. Now that’s change I can believe in.

ECONOMY
• Authorized the US auto industry rescue plan
Washington-ese for “stole private companies from their owners and divided them among Obama cronies.” Now that’s change I can believe in.

• Housing rescue plan
Another great plan. Housing market stays in the toilet despite more foreclosures than ever. Now that’s change I can believe in.

• Authorized a $789 billion economic stimulus plan (2009)
Do you have a job? Does your neighbor? Now that’s change I can believe in.

TAXES
• Signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which provides small tax cuts for 95% of “working families,” 12 new jobs, and huge added debt for future tax payers.
The tax cuts were tiny and will be recovered just as soon as the earlier “Bush tax cuts” sunset. Now that’s change I can believe in.

• Convened an advisory board that is looking into simplifying the tax code
Is it simpler yet? Now that’s change I can believe in.

• Proposed doubling the child tax credit
Do you have twice as many kids yet? That’ll double your credit. Now that’s change I can believe in.





Premte Peeves

St. Albans, Vermont, city workers chopped up the jewel-like reflecting pool in Taylor Park this week. It will be replaced by a new moving water feature over the next couple-seven years.

St Albans Messenger news photo

“And why are they starting it now?” one resident asked. “Don’t they know it’s winter?”

More to the point, don’t they know they have a collapsing sewer system that might be a higher priority?

Truth be told, the project has been been in the works for 10 years but they had to wait until the old guard retired so no one would be left to call them airheads.