Progressive to Step Down from Burlington City Council

Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak (Ward 2) will step down from her seat on the 14-member Burlington City Council on December 15, the first-term councilor announced late today.

Mulvaney-Stanak, who has been renting in Ward 2, recently purchased a home in Ward 3. She'll occupy the home as of December 15, and according to the city charter will need to resign immediately.

She was elected to the two-year post in March, besting Democrat Nicole Pelletier by a 447-173 margin.  Her seat was previously held by longtime Progressive councilor Jane Knodell.

"The charter is really clear about residency requirements, as soon as you move you're no longer on the council.There's no grace period, and no clause to even stay on to fill out your term," said Mulvaney-Stanak.

Burlington to Host Public Meeting on Moran Plant Plans

The public is invited to hear a status update from city officials on the Moran Center Project tomorrow night.

The 7 p.m. meeting will be held at the Burlington Electric Department on Pine Street, Mayor Bob Kiss announced today.

The meeting is roughly one month after the Green Mountain Children's Museum pulled out of the project as one of three private partners, and just one week after the city's Community and Economic Development Office issued requests to fill that tenancy.

The City of Burlington and project partners from the Ice Factor and Community Sailing Center will discuss current plans for the Moran Project and the process for selecting a new tenant, as well as provide an outline for how the public can weigh in at upcoming meetings.

Ice Factor representatives from Scotland will be in Burlington this week, and will take questions from the public during the meeting.

Last week the City issued a Request for Letters of Interest for a replacement tenant for the Green Mountain Children’s Museum.

Sen. Randy Brock to Stay Put: No Run for Lite Guv

UPDATED BELOW (5:55 P.M.) — Sen. Phil Scott (R-Washington) to make "important announcement" Tuesday at 5 p.m. in South Burlington.

The GOP contest to succeed Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie narrowed today, with the news that State Sen. Randy Brock (R-Franklin) will seek reelection in 2010.

Brock was one of several current and former senators contemplating a run for lieutenant governor — a job whose primary duty is to preside over the state senate while it's in session.

"As lieutenant governor, my role would be limited and I would rarely be able to weigh in on issues of importance. However, in the senate, I would continue to have the ability to introduce, advance and influence key legislation. I would continue to be able to speak out forcefully on issues that affect all Vermonters," said Brock in a statement. "The 2010 elections are now far away. We still have a legislative session that begins in January. That session will be a difficult one, and by not entering into the race for a statewide office, I will be free to concentrate on the business that Franklin County and Alburgh voters sent me to Montpelier to do."

With Brock out of the race, all eyes now fall to state senators Phil Scott (R-Washington) and Sen. Vince Illuzzi (R-Essex/Orleans). Illuzzi has said he’s going to wait until after the legislative session to determine if he’ll make a run for lite guv.

As of two weeks ago, Scott was 75 percent sure he would enter the race. Brock's announcement may be all he needs to make it official. 

So far there is only one declared GOP candidate — Republican Mark Snelling,the son of former Gov. Richard Snelling and Lt. Gov. Barbara Snelling. His sister, Sen. Diane Snelling, is currently the lone Republican in the six-member Chittenden County senate delegation. 

Vermont Couple Attends State Dinner

While high society gatecrashers nabbed the headlines from last week's state dinner at the White House, one Vermont couple was among the event's 400 legitimate guests.

The event was held under a tent on the South Lawn in honor of a visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (see second photo).

Michaele and Tareq Salahi, of Virginia, found their way into the dinner and eventually came face-to-face with Pres. Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The Secret Service has since admitted it made mistakes and said the couple should never have made it inside.

Jane and Bill Stetson of Norwich were at the event, and Bill Stetson snapped a few photos, including this photo, top right, of the Salahis. Michaele Salahi is in the center of the photo.

Bill Stetson told Seven Days that he and Jane Stetson entered the receiving line room to shake hands with Pres. Obama and Prime Minister Singh with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and his wife.

Bill Stetson said it was interesting watching House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell chat.

"It seemed like they were old friends," said Stetson.

But, not everyone in the room was a household name. "They didn't invite the usual suspects," Bill Stetson said of the White House.

While Bill Stetson was invited, in part, because of his environmental activism and policy work during the Obama campaign, Jane Stetson was on the guest list as she is the Finance Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

During the dinner, Bill Stetson was seated next to Lisa Jackson who is the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 "It was a very interesting dinner and very much like the briefing I had been to the week before that was presided over by Lisa Jackson," said Bill Stetson. "It was a total cross-section of the country — a lot of regular folks, even community organizers. These were not all multi-millionaires or cabinet members."

Stetson said there were top administration officials, along with other political and Hollywood luminaries such as Colin Powell and director Steven Spielberg.

In the opening few seconds of the official White House video of the event, you can see the Stetsons sitting down at the table at the center of the frame.

Photos courtesy of Bill Stetson.

Leahy Blasts Pres. Obama on Refusal to Sign Landmine Ban Treaty

UPDATED AT 4:45 PM — Obama administration backs away from statement that it won't sign international landmine treaty (see below).

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is blasting Pres. Barack Obama's decision to refuse to sign a 10-year-old international treaty banning land mines.

The decision, which supports the position of the previous administration, comes as representatives of nations around the world meet this coming week in Cartagena, Colombia, to assess compliance with the decade-old treaty.

“This is a default of U.S. leadership and a detour from the clear path of history,” Leahy said in a statement.  “The United States is the most powerful nation on earth. We don't need these weapons and most of our allies have long ago abandoned them."

For two decades Leahy has been a leading voice in Congress advocating an international ban on the use of anti-personnel landmines. Leahy-backed legislation, which included the world’s first export ban on landmines, was a catalyst in launching the treaty effort.

In 1997, the year the international treaty was signed in Ottawa, Canada, Vermonter Jody Williams won the Nobel Peace Prize along with the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines. The treaty went into effect two years later.

"It is a lost opportunity for the United States to show leadership instead of joining with China and Russia and impeding progress," Leahy said. "The United States took some of the earliest and most effective steps to restrict the use of landmines. We should be leading this effort, not sitting on the sidelines.”

Leahy said the Obama administration’s review “can only be described as cursory and half-hearted.”

Corm & The Coach Return to the Local Airwaves ... Tomorrow

UPDATED: TUESDAY 11:45 A.M.

It's official, Steve Cormier ("Corm") and Tom Brennan ("The Coach") will bring their morning talk show back to the Vermont airwaves — tomorrow.

In August, Cormier announced the pair would return to the air this fall, reviving their popular morning show that once aired on Champ 101.3 FM. Tomorrow, the new Corm & the Coach show will air on WNMR-FM (107.1 FM) from 6-9 a.m.

The show will differ from its previous incarnation, said Cormier. "This new show is going to be a talk show with very little music," he said. "That means we're going to have more guests and more listener involvement."

Brennen and Cormier announced the return of the show at the site of their last on-the-road broadcast — Burlington Bay Market & Cafe. That show aired July 1, 2008.

The revamped show's first guests will be Bob Ryan, sports columnist for the Boston Globe, and U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

State Auditor Answers Questions about DUI, Finances

In a wide-ranging and at times rambling press conference Friday, State Auditor Tom Salmon addressed a number of personal and public shortcomings that have come to light in recent weeks

He dedicated his Statehouse press conference to "the warrior in all of us."

For 45 minutes, Salmon walked reporters through his political and personal biography, offering his assessment of the state's financial condition and his own private failings along the way. Those include his recent arrest for driving while under the influence, and racking up nearly $30,000 in debt while living in Los Angeles and not repaying it until after he was sworn in as the state's fiscal watchdog.

"What I want to say to Vermonters is, 'I am sorry and I apologize,'" said Salmon. "I screwed up and made a mistake."

To get a sense of the variety of topics, and Salmon's comments, check out my Twitter feed. To read the prepared text of his speech, click here.

Salmon did tackle a few issues head on, including what prompted his own financial struggles, and why he is giving promotions and pay raises in his office while simultaneously calling for state government and unemployed workers to do more with less.

Salmon said a $48,000 stock loss due the collapse of Enron prompted his financial troubles. He also tackled questions about his DUI arrest, which came after a night of drinking with colleagues celebrating promotions and pay raises in the office.

Democratic Gubernatorial Forum: Follow Along!

Around 6:30 p.m., the five Democratic candidates for governor will take the stage in Burlington for an hourlong forum where each will answer four questions about Vermont's environment.

This is the second time the candidates will meet to talk about how they, as governor, would tackle various environmental challenges. The last time, however, Sen. Doug Racine (D-Chittenden), was out of the country at the time.

Tonight's forum is being hosted by the Vermont League of Conservation Voters, and will be streamed live on WPTZ. It's being held inside the Main Street Performing Arts Center in Burlington.

State Auditor to Host Wide-Ranging Press Conference Friday

State Auditor Tom Salmon announced today he is hosting a press conference Friday to answer a wide range of topics — from revelations of past personal financial troubles to his recent arrest for driving while under the influence.

The auditor also plans to talk about how his office is responding to the ongoing state budget challenges, what efforts his office is undertaking to save the state money, and how the projected budgetary shortfall of $88 million can be faced.

The press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the Cedar Creek Room at the Vermont State House.

Salmon said he also expects to take questions on his DUI, his comments at a recent unemployment insurance hearing, and how he personally plans to proceed as a result of the recent revelations.

Progressive Reaches out to Democrats in Race for Lt. Governor

Progressive State Rep. David Zuckerman (P-Burlington) is reaching out to Democrats as he contemplates a run for lieutenant governor.

One option Zuckerman is entertaining is running in the Democratic primary, in an attempt to garner the backing of both Democrats and his own Progressives. A similar approach was used, successfully, by former Burlington City Councilor Tim Ashe.

Ashe, a Progressive, ran in the Democratic Primary in 2008 for state senate in Chittenden County and won. He later won in the general election and now sports a "D/P" after his name.

On Monday, Zuckerman will meet with the Washington County Democratic Committee to talk about the common political ground shared by the two parties, as well as his possible run in the Democratic primary.

"Before jumping in, I feel it's important to discuss the issues and challenges that face our state.  Because part of my considerations include running in the Democratic Party primary, I feel it is important to reach out to the various county members to see what the reception is like," said Zuckerman. "This is all part of the bridge building process, we will see where it goes from there."

Jack McCullough, chairman of the Washington County Democrats, confirmed Zuckerman's appearance and said he welcomes the dialogue.