Let it snow...

Up and at 'em and in 2008 that means up and "online." And the word on WGDR out of Plainfield is here comes da' snow. Yes, indeed. Despite all the global-warming talk, we're about to set the record for snowiest February on record.

Click over to WDEV and catch Eric Michaels getting the Statehouse story out of a sleepy-sounding Kristin Carlson. Kristin's a one-woman capital bureau for Ch. 3 (remember Tim Lewis?) and she was the fill-in anchorwoman on the Six O'Clock last night. Busy gal.

So, let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

The presidential primary heats up in the Green Mountains. Got an automated "Vote for Hillary Clinton" call last night from none other than former Governor/Ambassador Madeleine Kunin. Then I got one from a live person, a male, calling from an Obama for President office on North Street who wanted to urge me to vote for Obama.

Last week, Queen Madeleine and House Speaker Gaye Symington and Rep. Kathy Keenan did a Hillary for President conference call.

This morning the Obama Campaign is hosting a conference-call presser with three women for Barack.

And yes, Progressive Anthony Pollina does exist!

In fact, Tony the Prog's holding a Statehouse presser today at 12:30 in the Cedar Creek Room. This arrived a little after 5 o'clock on Monday. Unfortunately, we can't make it:

Pollina to hold press conference on Douglas' budget and promises to take the Governor to task for false promises and increasing cost of living for Vermonters, especially low-income families.  "Jim Douglas has built a reputation on keeping taxes low, but his budget increases fees for poor families while giving tax cuts to those on top. Plus, he's decreasing services badly needed by Vermont families," said Pollina.

Comments

[JPC]

"but his budget increases fees for poor families while giving tax cuts to those on top"

Wow, Pollina is stealing Bernie's lines. Too bad he can't come up with anything of his own. Besides hey Tony, his budget increases fees for families on public assistance. The working Vermonter is going with out so that the non-working Vermonter can have more. Why should welfare joe have a cell phone when I gave up mine because it doesn't fit into my budget. With a looming financial crisis I don't think it is too much to ask those who get their money from the public to tighten their belts with the rest of us, or pitch in themselves. Of course there is always the option of cutting some other program, but there is no way that is going to happen.

"Plus, he's decreasing services badly needed by Vermont families,"

You mean like getting rid of 400 state jobs, or cutting some of the funding for land conservation? Here's a heads up Tony before you make an ass out of yourself, the governor proposes things ......the legislature then takes that into consideration and comes up with a budget. So to pin this on Douglas when a.) it isn't really his call and b.) hasn't even occured yet means Pollina is either a moron or is starting the partisan mudslinging. Neither of which we need. As bad as Douglas is, he is at least 20 times better then Anthony.

[Randomarrow]

Hey JPC,

Your posts are growing tiresome and totally predictable. Here's a thought, why not declare a one month posting moratorium? Perhaps, after that, we'll find your rants refreshing and amusing. For now though you come across as something akin to a joke!

Randomarrow

[vermonter]

I think JPC's observations are valuable, whether I agree with them or not, and I often don't. Since he's practically the only regular poster on this blog who expresses skepticism toward the prevailing political dogma here, his views may be predictable, but no more so than the usual pro-Bernie, pro-Tony, pro-pot views that get posted here every day.

[Bert Nernie]

"but his budget increases fees for poor families while giving tax cuts to those on top"

And yet it seems another reminder is needed (yet will be handily ignored) that those "on top" are financing those poor families through their hard work!

[Randomarrow]

Normally I would agree with you Vermonter but JPC's last post wandered just too far off the ranch. Do you really think that Anthony Pollina is a moron in spite of all the good things he's done for farmers and local communities? Do you have any objective scale to evaluate JPC's claim that Douglas is "at least 20 times better then Anthony"? If I want to hear ignorant trash talk I know where to find it. I don't need garbage cluttering up my bandwidth. Let's show some respect for all those hardworking zeros and ones!

Randomarrow

[JPC]

You mean like this post random arrow. You know hold on to something that happened years ago, that can't be changed, and has been posted multiple times now? Is that the type of predictable tired ignorant trash talk post that clutters up bandwith?

"The Connecticut River Dams were for sale. In a knee jerk reaction Douglas followed the Republick mantra and took Vermont out of the sale. We could have acquired a dependable, 24 hour a day, base load power supply that could have eliminated the need for running our increasingly unstable nuke in Vernon for another 25 years. Today the existing Connecticut River facilities are worth twice what we could have gotten them for just two years ago. Nice leadership Jim!"

And how does what Pollina has done for farmers mean that he isn't a moron? I didn't even say he was, he may be just starting to sling the political mud.

Besides, if you don't like the posts you could try to dispute them. Since you don't it sounds.....well "tiresome and totally predictable."

And frankly they make you come off "as something akin to a joke!"

If I stopped posting for a while then what would you have to post about?

[vermonter]

Randomarrow, I don't see what Pollina has done except run for statewide office at least three times already and lost each time, host a talk show, and now he's gonna try for statewide office a fourth time. Without ever bothering to try for lower office. To me, that's the definition of an ego-something-or-other. But I would agree with you that calling him a moron or an ass is not productive or civil. JPC's initial post was unusually strident, but I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt that he was having a bad day. I never, ever see some of the regular left-wing posters on this blog get called for their ultra-strident postings. Names like "Nazi" have been used on this blog to describe the Governor, and no one has uttered a word of disapproval.

[Randy]

Actually when JPC stops posting many other people post on ths blog. When JPC posts, only Vermonter and a tiny little handfull of people participate.

Proof is in the threads.

Why? Because JPC (AKA getbent) is not here to add any thought to the conversation. He is here only to insult. He has insulted every single poster as well as Freyne. Every post he makes contains some form of insult directed at somebody.

This is why people opt not to use the board. Other than Peter's posts, there is no content and no reason to even bother with it.

[JPC]

Randy please explain to me how my last post was insulting to anyone.

Secondly, it's easy to have a conversation with each other when everybody agrees, it seems that a lot of people may not respond to my posts because they can't. For example, Pollina complaing that Douglas is increasing fees for lower income people, when the reality is his increasing the amount that they pay and lowering the amount the public actually subsidizes. Further on decreasing services.....Douglas decreased that how much money was given to the state police, although they were given a 5million increase, he cut back on what is given to "conserve" land, and he is eliminating state employees rather then cutting welfare, wic, or state funded pre-k. Douglas is proposing to fund the services that lower income vermonters use and trying to trim the fat. You can dispute it if you have some other facts. I am simply pointing out that A.) Pollina is misrepresenting the budget, and B.) trying to blame Douglas for a "proposal" which ultimately is the Legislatures decision. Is basically outright lying. Douglas has plenty of points that could be made regarding his incompetency without resorting to lying.

Now see, the problem is that most people who come to this site know that by and large what I just posting is accurate, so what are they going to say? Further, it isn't insulting, but really should start some dialogue about the good and the bad of both of them. If other choose not to post that's not my problem. Still others like randomarrow, would rather just call me a joke then to respond, because the reality is he has no response and that pisses him off so he takes his misguided anger out on me. Vermonter tries to be reasonable but as soon as he says anything remotely postive about me everyone else attacks him. As for Peter .... well he is a columnist, but even as such he could at least attempt to try to be unbiased. I mean how much talk did vermont yankee get when the left was bad mouthing yet, no update on the fact that they won approval for a twenty year extension? Why? Because he knows have his readers heads will explode? And you Randy.....

"Why? Because JPC (AKA getbent) is not here to add any thought to the conversation. "

have the gall to post something like this in a post that contains no thought and adds nothing to the conversation. Maybe if you guys started trying to address points instead of name calling more people will post, but when they see a guy post and then 4 or 5 attack him for his opinion why would anyone else post.

Hypocritical bunch or crybabies....

[vermonter]

"Why? Because JPC (AKA getbent) is not here to add any thought to the conversation. He is here only to insult. He has insulted every single poster as well as Freyne. Every post he makes contains some form of insult directed at somebody."

I respectfully disagree. In recent months, the longest and most thoughtful policy discussions on this blog usually have involved JPC. There have been several long, thoughful ones involving JPC and mtbikevt, for example. Most posters on this blog do not agree with his views, but that is a different issue.

To say that JPC doesn't make substantive contributions on issues -- I just don't know where that kind of statement comes from. It's totally backwards. 99% of the comments posted on this blog are one or two-liners, and they're often nothing more than slogans, like "Impeach so and so."

On the insult thing, practically everytime JPC posts anything, Bigbradbrad and Sandy Ward, and sometimes others as well, immediately start calling him names. JPC is usually fairly restrained in dealing with that.

I think double-standards are being applied here because he has a more conservative viewpoint than the prevailing crowd here.

[JPC]

Vermonter thank you for appreciating the fact that I at least try and bring discussion about an issue. I realize that I am not going to change many minds, as it would be unlikely that I am going to change mine, but having the discussion should be enlightening for all. As for the name calling, yes I have engaged in some, not half so much as others, and I regret getting that frustrated. I do have a real pet peeve though with the hypocritcal nature of many. I am here to have a dialogue on the issues, make a point and hear someone elses, if people are offended by that then I think they should be the ones to question why they read this board.

[Curious]

JPC, you should realize by now that many people cannot deal with facts. Facts are scary things to people who form their judgments based on emotions. Good God, someone could be proven wrong when we begin using facts. It's much easier to name call. JPC, keep it coming.

[Randomarrow]

Tell me honestly JPC do really have the courage to come out from behind your initials? Would you have the cajoles to walk up to Tony or anyone else and tell them that you think that they a moron or that they are "20 times worse than douglas"? Why not 22.1437 since your are pulling the number out of where, hopefully, the sun never shines!

Finally JPC, do you have the balls to get out from behind your initials, take off your Batman and Robin outfit and let the world know who you really are?

I do.

Dennis Shanley
Jeffersonville Vermont

[Vermont1]

Touche Randomarrow!

[JPC]

Well randomarrow, all you have to do is look back through the post and you will find where my name has been posted. See the problem is the last time my email got bombarded with junk mail, which is why I stopped. Currently I don't think from the name calling and general hate I have seen lately with regards to me and my post I feel comfortable doing so.

As for the idea that I called Pollina a moron.....Here is my post

"So to pin this on Douglas when a.) it isn't really his call and b.) hasn't even occured yet means Pollina is either a moron or is starting the partisan mudslinging."

Notice I didn't say he was a moron, rather that he either was or he was engaging in political mudslinging. I have never spoken with Pollina to the point where I could say for sure, so I have to believe he is simply deliberately misrepresenting what is going on to stir up public dismay toward Douglas. The idea that I think Douglas is better the Pollina is certianly not a fact and I have never portrayed it to be, that is my opinion and is why it is twenty and not 22.1437 since I don't think Douglas is 22.1437 times better then Pollina. I think you are taking things a little personal here. And again if you would like to enter into some discussion of the candidates please feel free to post some of Pollina's major contributions to the people of Vermont and we can debate. But really taunting is in essence the same childish behavior as name calling. To which I try to refrain from, although admittedly sometimes fail, but alas we can all hope to be better people.

BTW is Angelina's still open, I used to love that place.