What if Vermont could have a nuclear reactor that offered no possibility of a meltdown, generated its power inexpensively for all Vermonters, created no weapons-grade by- products, and burnt up existing high-level waste stored on the banks of the Connecticut River. And what if the waste produced by such a reactor was radioactive for a few hundred years rather than the tens of thousands of years for the current waste and stored waste? Would you want such a plant on the banks of the Connecticut River to replace VY?

It's a little known fact that the US branch for international voluntary service is another one of Vermont's treasures. Volunteers For Peace (VFP) was founded in 1982 and is located in Belmont, Vermont. Since that time they have created and fostered opportunities for hundreds of people every year to experience world peace.

I participated in my first voluntary service project in 1990 in Rutland, Vermont. We were a microcosm of the world; 12 volunteers from 8 countries living together for three weeks while renovating a huge house into a half-way house. The frequent conversations with Russians, Czechs, Germans, Slovaks, Italians and others about our dreams for the future, the environment, the cold war, the purpose of religion, and life provided a unique perspective for viewing local and international events throughout my life. Most summers I've found a new Vermont community to host a program and reap the benefits of international voluntary service. This summer my new group is volunteering at Shelburne Farms and living in a local church. The times may be different but the profound value of on the ground, person-to-person interaction can not be disputed.

Door-knocking with Marvin Malek (P/D House-Barre/Berlin) in Section 8 Housing was both exhilarating & disturbing. Exhilarating because, once learning of Marvin's commitment to getting universal health care, resident after resident responded with their story of urgent needs for essential medical services. Yes, most of these residents are on Medicaid, some on both Medicaid & Medicare, but all are subject to the profoundly disenfranchising bureaucratic process required. We heard stories of desperate need for adequate, safe childcare, summer recreation programs, each of which would allow the mostly single mothers to pursue available employment.

The case of using public money to line the pockets of private business, is an age old trick that is still being performed. The latest act of the scam is in the area of telecommunications. Last week, the Vermont Telecommunications Authority announced with baited breath that more than 75 million dollars had been awarded to various private telephone and IPS companies by the Department of Commerce thorough their BTop program. This is another way of saying that some of the stimulus money tagged for telecommunications has reached the state, so that these private companies can build more of the middle-mile fiber system (or non-system). Included in this bag of cash was money for the Department of Transportation to lay some fiber cable along I91. Mind you that in the design of our interstate, much care was given to put as much of the interstate away from villages, so the effect is that much of the interstate is five miles from the nearest village. Further, this Department of Transportation plan has no on or off ramps so that nearby villages can connect to this latest mad-cap design, and for that matter, there is no system as of yet which this project is starting.

VPR recently ran a story saying that this year, the Democrats will be turning down Entergy campaign donations, while the Republicans will be happy to accept them. (Full Disclosure: Progressives will not be accepting Entergy money either, and don't anticipate having to send any checks back.) The Repubs defend their acceptance by saying that they don't "tell individual lawmakers how to vote." I guess they will tell them as a group.

The Dems say they won't take Entergy money because it is "not worth the aggravation factor that would result."

Huh?

How about because corporations should not own our elected officials?

Third parties speak out publicly when the issues that matter are left off the table for discussion or left in the waste basket after discussion. Still, the American system of elections tends to work against third parties. Vermont is not immune from this. I and many others feel that there should be more options, not fewer, for voters. Last session, House Progressives thwarted an attempt to hamper democracy with fewer options, with a quick voice amendment to bill S.122 that came out of House Government Operations as a "strike all" amendment.

Fox News isn't news at all, it's propaganda. The ProgBlog is propaganda too. We may give you some news, but it's pretty clear that we have an agenda (the people's agenda). Fox News has an agenda but they pretend they're just a run-of-the-mill news outlet. They claim to be fair & balanced. I'd settle for just fair or balanced. They're not. They trumpet an extreme right-wing agenda telling Americans that government is bad, that anyone vaguely left of center is a socialist, that poor people just need to work harder and on it goes.

It's not that I mind them existing. I think those of us who disagree with Fox have plenty of opportunity to discredit their data and present our own side. My problem is that the FCC allows them to package their propaganda as news. My other problem is that they are increasingly influencing our political discourse. Witness the Shirley Sherrod incident at the USDA. Or last year's ACORN scandal. Both events came about through bogus "reporting" thanks to Fox News.

People should recall that last session the VT Legislature authorized the creation of “Clean Energy Assessment Districts” in municipalities that approve them. This allows Vermont cities and towns to create loan programs for property owners to invest in energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy projects (the full text of Act 45 is here. These would be long-term loans (far longer than typical 5- or 7-year home improvement loans) paid back through an assessment on the property. The main value of these programs – referred to nationally as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs – is that they assume manageable payments subsidized by the energy savings realized by the investment, and they are tied to the property (instead of the individual owner) through the assessment, which is incorporated into the property tax bill. This system will greatly increase the incentive to make energy investments, since the improvements – based on “an energy audit in and an energy audit out” - will most likely cover the loan payments. Owners who might sell their home in a 5-year span need not be concerned about taking on a 20-year obligation since it will stay with the property upon sale.

Good news for the unemployed folks in Vermont who have been out of work for at least half a year and still unable to find a job. The Senate advanced the unemployment extension bill today. Let's keep our fingers crossed as the legislation moves for a final vote in the Senate and clears the House of Representatives.

I recently received and invitation to attend a two hour forum in Essex where the evenings discussion was about "Vermont's and America's budgetary crisis and how average Vermonters can join the fight to fix it."

I was unable to attend the event but, the flyer indicated that Robert Maynard "will open the meeting with "a tale of two states"-- a brief discussion about how free market principles lead to better outcomes for the "less economically fortunate."

What do you think? Does the free market help the poor?