Governor Douglas To Veto Marriage Bill

Governor Jim Douglas at a press conference on Wednesday.

The Vermont Legislature appeared to be headed toward passage of a Same Sex Marriage bill this year. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 26 in favor, 4 opposed. There were more Republicans voting for the bill than against, proving that civil rights cross party lines.

The House of Representatives is set to take up the bill next week, but in a surprise move by Governor Jim Douglas, he held a press conference to announce that he will Veto any such bill that lands on his desk. This is a huge set back to Vermonters.

I was shocked to hear the Governor say that he would Veto the bill. I personally think that he is trying to interfere with the legislative process by intimidating legislators to split along party lines and to support his personal beliefs. This is wrong. Let the elected officials representing all Vermonters the right to have open honest debate, hear testimony and then pass bills as they see appropriate. Once it is on the Governor's desk, then he can act on it.

I was so disturbed by the Governor's actions that I wrote him a letter and hand delivered it to his office the very next day. It is beyond me how he can not see this as a civil rights issue, and I have told him such.

Who is in a better position to stand up for Vermonter's civil rights than the Governor? If you have strong beliefs about the Same Sex Marriage legislation, please contact Governor Douglas's office.

Governor Jim Douglas

109 State Street, Pavilion

Montpelier, VT 05609-0101

Phone: (802) 828-3333

In VT: 1-800-649-6825

E-Mail: http://governor.vermont.gov/contact.html

It's Springtime!

One of my favorite times of the year - springtime in Vermont!

Every year I seem to get excited knowing that spring has arrived. And today, March 20th, is the first day of Spring! After a long cold winter we are now enjoying longer daylight hours, more potent sunshine, temps in the 40's and above, and mud - a true sign of spring.

Town meeting has passed, maple producers are starting to boil, and people are in a good mood. There is such good energy this time of year. The snow will soon be gone from my yard, the crocus and daffodils will soon be popping up, and the trees that have been dormant all winter will begin to bud. Easter will be here soon. Sping always seems like a new beginning.

I really enjoy this time of year!

Gotta Love This Warm Weather!

Wow! What a beautiful run of weather we have had for the past 5 days! It has been beautiful here in Central Vermont. Lots of sunshine, high temps hitting the 50's, and everone is in a good mood! There certainly is a sense of hope and optimism when the seasons first start to tell us that spring is on the way!

Sugarmakers are boiling sap and producing that fabulous Maple Syrup, and soon the crocus and daffodils will be in bloom. A wonderful time of the year - getting to see everything come back to life!

A few rainy days in the forecast, and perhaps more weather in the 20's and 30's, but we have had a taste of warm weather and know now that spring and summer really are just around the corner!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!

Wishing my friends and family all the luck

they could ask for!

Feeling A Little Blue!

It finally happened. I was sick. REALLY sick. There seems to have been a nasty flu/stomach bug going around, and I got it. I can't ever remember being so sick. Yuck! I was awake all night, very frequent trips to the facilities, and I had barely enough energy to stand up. I was feeling blue. It's been four days now and just starting to get my energy back.

I must admit, I'm not a very good sick person. I kind of like to whine about it. I don't like to have to get off the sofa or out of bed, and I really don't like to be told what to do to get better. My body tells me when it's time to eat, sleep and move. For a couple days I barely moved.

I was elected to the Selectboard!

I did it! Tuesday March 3, 2009 was Town Meeting Day in Vermont. I was on the ballot running for a seat on the Randolph Selectboard for a 3 year term. Although it was a cold blustery day, I stood outside the polling place from 7AM until 7PM, the hours that the polls were open, with the exception of the 2 hours for the town meeting itself. At the end of the day the residents of Randolph voted me into a seat on the board. The final vote count was 472 votes for myself and 281 votes for my challenger and incumbent, Ken Goss. Below is the article that was on the front page of "The Herald" on Thursday:

RANDOLPH BALLOT SURPRISE
Big Victories by Flint and Brown over Thompson, Goss

In a rare revolt against incumbents, Randolph voters tossed two sitting selectmen out of office Tuesday, perhaps reflecting a conviction that the selectboard had become too conservative.

At the same time, voters approved all town and school budgets by large margins, and they approved all of the requested "Special Appropriations."

Both Selectmen Del Thompson and Ken Goss were defeated for re-election, and by very similar - and very large - margins.

Carol Flint defeated Thompson by 465 votes to 291; and Dennis Brown defeated Goss 469 to 277.

Flint has been a member of the budget committee but has not held elective office in Randolph previously, though she narrowly missed being elected last year. Brown had been a selectman for four years in the 1990's and had been on both the Planning Commission and Development Review Board.

Speaking just after the results became known, Thompson said his impression was that voters felt the board had become too conservative. Both he and Goss pledged to continue working constructively with the town.

It was the second year in a row that two new selectboard members came aboard at one time. A year ago, the election of Stephen Webster and Joe Voci created a selectboard with a more conservative majority. The new board immediately took a different road than the previous one by electing Webster to be chairman instead of Jim Hutchinson, with Goss voting with the majority, and then by taking a different approach to improving the town offices.

The new majority block in the selectboard was solidified after the untimely death of Hutchinson, who was replaced by Thompson.

Carol Flint, who had been narrowly defeated by Voci at Town Meeting, asked to be appointed to Hutchinson's seat on the board, but she was never interviewed for the position.

This years turn out was far lower than last year - just 803 voters compared to 1380 last year. That 51% turnout was sparked partly by a hot controversy over where to build municipal offices. A 25-vote majority agreed to authorize moving to the former co-op building on Pleasant Street.

That sentiment, however, was set aside by the new selectboard, in an action that was much criticized at the time. Since then, good progress has been made to enlarge and renovate the town offices in the current site.

The various town and school budgets all passed by wide margins of two or three to one. That included the three budgets that had been removed from the main budget - the ambulance service, the library, and the cemetery department.

The special appropriations also passed, most of them easily, even though several were increased from last year and some were new requests.

The closest vote was for $5000 for the White River Craft Center. That vote was 392 in favor and 378 opposed.

The selectmen and Town Manager Gary Champy have predicted that, even with the approval of all appropriations, the town tax rate should not increase this year.

Note: The final vote count in "The Herald" was a preliminary number. The vote count that was certified for myself was 472 to 281 for Mr. Goss.