Salmon Jumps Midstream: Leaves Democrats for GOP

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At a Statehouse press conference Tuesday morning Democratic State Auditor Thomas M. Salmon — the son of a former Democratic governor — will announce he is leaving his party to become a Republican.

That's according to a confidential letter sent by Salmon to key supporters, and obtained by Seven Days. Salmon issued the letter on Saturday.

In the letter, Salmon explained his choice as a need to align himself with the party that he felt most identified with his fiscal concerns.

"I am changing my political affiliation to align myself with the party closest to my core beliefs," wrote Salmon. "It is my belief that the VT Republican party is closest to accepting the realities of our times; and is therefore the party best equipped to manage the very real and troubling economic and social conditions which confront us not only today, but in the coming decade."

Salmon said he has been warning fellow Democrats about the need to do more to combat the coming fiscal crisis, only to be rebuffed.

"As many of you know, in the face of the enormous fiscal crisis we face, I have sounded the alarm for new thinking, responsible budgeting, meaningful long-term planning and painful prioritization," said Salmon. "When I returned home from Iraq, I witnessed first-hand a budget process rife with deficiencies and dysfunction. There was little balance in the debate."

On Friday, Salmon said he was consulting with friends and colleagues as he sought to make a decision. The state GOP said they will welcome Salmon with open arms. He becomes the highest-profile defector among Democrats in a number of years.

His father, Thomas P. Salmon, was governor from 1973 to 1977.

Salmon won his post in 2006 after a statewide recount gave him the victory over incumbent Republican Randy Brock. In 2008, he faced Progressive Martha Abbott, and won the endorsement of both Democrats and Republicans.

It had been rumored that if Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie opted not to run for governor, that Salmon could step in as a GOP candidate.

Salmon's press conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Statehouse.

Here is the full text of Salmon's letter to supporters:

Dear Friend,

It is an honor to serve  as Auditor for the State of Vermont. In 2006, I was elected as a Democrat. In 2008, I was re-elected on the Democratic/Republican ticket. 2010 will be different.

I am changing my political affiliation to align myself with the party closest to my core beliefs. It is my belief that the VT Republican party is closest to accepting the realities of our times; and is therefore the party best equipped to manage the very real and troubling economic and social conditions which confront us not only today, but in the coming decade.

As many of you know, in the face of the enormous fiscal crisis we face, I have sounded the alarm for new thinking, responsible budgeting, meaningful long-term planning and painful prioritization.

When I returned home from Iraq, I witnessed first-hand a budget process rife with deficiencies and dysfunction. There was little balance in the debate.

As a Certified Public Accountant, I recently completed my required Ethics course for re-licensing. The Professional Code of Conduct demands that I act with integrity, objectivity and independence. As Auditor, I have preached that Vermont is on an unsustainable track we cannot tax ourselves out of.

I believe the majority of Vermonters do not want to see tax increases as a consequence of poor planning.  However, without major restructuring of human services, corrections management and public education (which together account for some 75% of our expenditures) we are going to find that situation unavoidable. Removing even greater sums of capital out of our job-creating private sector and the budgets of Vermont families will only hasten the ill effects of the current crisis.

We all watch a healthcare reform movement focused on increased access rather than A) addressing the root causes of the problem B) fixing Medicaid and Medicare or C) promoting incentives and personal responsibility. The big losers are our young people, the vulnerable elderly population and the viability of Vermont's 1778 motto of "Freedom and Unity."

I am a believer in the America of hard work and "get oneself upstream" with a combination of personal commitment and external support.

I'm not a believer that all of our future tax dollars should go to interest on debt or "education, medication and incarceration." In the current form of these primarily government-controlled expenditures, this is a path leading to a dangerous imbalance of our "Freedom and Unity." Economic freedom is an essential component in achieving and maintaining political freedom. Over the more than 200 years of our nation's founding, too many of our fine soldiers have died for the protection of these freedoms.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you with full commitment and transparency. I promise to do my best to perform the job Vermonters have elected me to do.

Thomas M. Salmon CPA
Vermont State Auditor

Comments

[Older is Better]

Wrong decision at the wrong time, thus Salmon has won his last election.

[Right Decision]

It was a good move. The intolerant Dem leaders have already told him he is no longer welcome in their little elitist club anymore.

[milton newport]

Salmon said something more profound that it was funny - living in Vermont should be about "swimming upstream on your own power, with some external support." That is the spirit of the Old Vermont I knew and wish could return again. Government empowering, or at least not impairing, individual initiative. Instead of the Nanny State, the Personal Trainer State. And that is why Salmon said he didn't leave the party, the party left him, and many other Democrats, including this (former) Democrat.

[Ghost of Jim Douglas Past]

Right, the Dems are intolerant and elitist. That's why they have 3 soon to be four candidates running for governor that range from conservative dem (Bartlett) to raging liberal.

Oh, and by the way its hard to call the super-majority little.

[Right Decision]

Only in your delusional socialist world would anyone say that the Dems running for Governor range from "conservative to liberal." So now tax-and-spend Bartlett qualifies as a conservative, eh? That's ridiculous.

[Dale Tillotson]

The fact is that several years ago Gov. Douglas pointed out to all vermonters that a serious fiscal crisis was looming. Democratic leaders chose to ignore this warning and now we are left with the fiscal crisis which is only going to be made greater by Obamas bailout everyone philosophy. How does Rep Bartlett fit into these last comments. A few years back when the legislature was working hard on finding early solutions to the problem,Rep. Bartlett one of the most powerful people in Montpelier on budget talks, was out of country on a pre-planned fact finding mission, that was her words. Really it was a vacation. In order for Rep Bartlett to get any credibility in this race,all of the people she claims that told her it was ok to go need to officially come forward and support her for Governor.

[Mark Shepard]

My hat is off to Tom Salmon. I sure hope that this move helps wake Vermonters up as to the real problems that the far left have brought on to Vermonters.

Not long ago, when I served in the Vermont Senate Finance Committee with Peter Welch, Peter pulled me aside during our discussions on what became Act68 to ask me which tax I preferred raising, income or sales? I replied neither, to which he replied, "then you are irrelevant.” That statement is truly the legislative leadership’s unwritten motto.

I was in the vast minority with my no votes on Act68, yet only two years it was clear that raising the sales tax did not result in lower property taxes. It only resulted in higher sales tax, just as Democrat Governor Madeline Kunin’s state economist Art Wolfe had testified before the Senate Finance Committee.

Those leading the Senate then and both chambers now seem to have no regard for people with understanding, like Professor Wolfe. Catamount Health passed without the votes of the two members with experience in the insurance industry. And now that is becoming another albatross around the neck of Vermont’s dwindling number of taxpayers.

Times are dire, and real leadership with understanding is needed. Thank you, Auditor Salmon for creating an opportunity for Vermonters to take a harder look at the reality of our situation, most of which is not a national economic problem, but a legislatively-created problem with the only solutions being put forth by legislative leaders is to do more of what created this mess.

Vermonters need leaders who will put the long-term well-being of Vermonters above catering to out-of-state big-money interests that only use Vermont as a beachhead for furthering their national agendas. God help America, if America goes as Vermont has gone, not to mention such as outcome would surely end the national aid that has been propping up the failed policies in Vermont.

[Ghost of Jim Douglas Past]

@ Right Decision - "So now tax-and-spend Bartlett qualifies as a conservative, eh? That's ridiculous."

Please cite examples of the exact policies she recommended that allows you to cast her as a "tax-and-spend" liberal? My guess is you are simply parroting what you read on Vermont Tiger.

You all want to rewrite the political spectrum to fit your ideology. A person is not a liberal or a tax and spender simply because someone does not behave the way you wish them to.

[Ghost of Jim Douglas Past]

@ Mark Sheppard

A question for you. Are Vermonters stupid or smart? We elect them and continue to elect them because we like their policies. This is the exact same theory to why your political career went up in flames. We do not like your policies. This is pretty straight forward, if we are electing people that are working against our best interest we must be dumb?

Please let us know which you believe it is.

[Doug Hoffer]

Mr. Shepard said "Vermonters need leaders who will put the long-term well-being of Vermonters above catering to out-of-state big-money interests"

I had to stop laughing before I could respond
You mean like when Jim Douglas refused to buy the Conn. River dams but supports (and accepts money from) VT Yankee, which is owned by "out-of-state big-money interests"

seriously, who writes your material?

[Right Decision]

Hey, snarky-ass "Ghost":

Bartlett, as the Senate Chair of all things budget, was part of the legislative leadership team that came up with the state budget that increased state taxes 6% during a recession, rather than cutting spending. Then she co-led the effort to override the Governor's veto of that budget. So, yes, she IS a tax-and spend-liberal, and I don't give a rat's ass that you want to quibble with that.

I've never even visited the Vermont Tiger website, you pompous arse.

And as for your comment to Mr. Sheppard, it is inherently illogical. The very same people you praise for being so smart as to elect a Dem. legislature also elected Gov. Douglas 4 times over his Dem. rivals. They also re-elected him while casting a vote nationally for Obama.

So, to use your snarky phrase, does that make the voters stupid or smart?

Public policy is a lot more complicated than your simplistic "we elected them, so we must be in favor of whatever stupid thing they've done" analysis.

[Ghost of Jim Douglas Past]

@ Right Decision - My taxes and a ton of people I know did not have their taxes go up 6%. Where are you coming up with this number? Your arse. Oh so English of you. You are also probably familiar with the word cuckold.

I did not praise them for being smart but then again I'm not telling them how wrong they are like Mr. Sheppard. If you must know I think the voters are smart for both electing the Governor and re-electing the legislators. Mr. Sheppard seems to think they are stupid. pretty much his words not mine.

Essentially what you are asserting is that they are too dumb to figure out that the person they are electing over and over and over again is harming them. Again your words and Mr. Sheppards not mine.

"Public policy is a lot more complicated than your simplistic "we elected them, so we must be in favor of whatever stupid thing they've done" analysis."

I understand this nuance which is exactly why Senator Bartlett is not a tax and spend liberal. If you had a clue you would know this too. Here's a suggestion. Take a look at her recommendations as a member of the JFC and tell me if you really still think she is a liberal.

Personally I just think you have a partisan ax to grind and could really give a dam about any Dems political leanings.