Senators downplay ‘affordability’ in favor of ‘prosperity’

By Guy Page

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) this week will make public its recommendations for implementation (or not) of the Clean Heat Standard, state house sources say.

The PUC is scheduled to explain the new report to the House and Senate energy committees on Thursday at 9 AM (see YouTube link). Details of the report’s recommendations are sketchy but insiders say it will conclude that the regulatory framework requiring all fossil fuel dealers to pay a carbon tax on wholesale fuel purchases may be too complex and subject to fraud, and that meeting the stringest carbon reduction timelines will cost consumers too much. 

Vermont’s new energy czar got his first taste of how things work in the State House in 1980 as an student intern for Johnson State College Professor and Senator Bill Doyle, Department of Public Service Commissioner Kerrick Johnson revealed in a WDEV Vermont Viewpoint interview with Brad Ferland Tuesday morning. Johnson, the former chief for ‘sticks and wires’ transmission utility VELCO, was appointed to replace June Tierney. Johnson also said he served in the U.S. Air Force as a translator in the 1980’s. He speaks fluent Russian. 

“Kicking the tires” on disputed Bennington race – House Government Ops took initial testimony on the Bennington-1 House race in which Democrat Jonathan Cooper finished 23 votes ahead of Republican Bruce Busa. Attorney General Charity Clark provided an outline of the vote count and process, including the apparent mistake that led to 56 Bennington-1 voters voting in an adjacent district.

Gov Ops will take more testimony over the next 2-3 weeks, Chair Matt Birong said. “We’re just kicking the tires for the first time,” he told VDC today. When it’s done, the committee will issue its recommendation to the rest of the House. The House is the final arbiter of disputed House elections. 

More money sought to treat substance abuse – Vermont’s local drug and alcohol recovery organizations and homes want more than $2 million more from the Legislature this year, according to Recovery Partners of Vermont, an umbrella organization that sponsored a legislative breakfast in the State House cafeteria this morning. The group also wants $2.325 million in appropriations from the Opioid Settlement Fund. 

“Recover organizations have seen a significant increase in demand for our services as Vermont continues to address the opioid public health emergency,” RPV statement said. “Many of our recovery organizations are well poised to make a lead forward….but lack the revenue to do so without state support.”

Moment of silence held for deceased House members – Friday, January 10 the Vermont House observed a moment of silence for former House members who have passed away recently, including grocer and Rep. Richard “Dick” Mazza of Colchester (1973-76), Real Vermonters Don’t Milk Goats co-author Bill Mares, Burlington City Councilor Bill Keogh, climate hawk and bicycling enthusiast Curt McCormack who represented both Burlington and Rutland in the House, James Colvin of Bennington, Longtime nurse Gloria Wing of Morristown (after whom the senior center was named), former GOP House leader, businessman, and spending control advocate John LaBarge of Grand Isle, and former GOP Minority Leader Don Turner, whose accomplished public service on the local level (Town Manager, Fire Chief, etc.) surpassed even his contributions in the State House. 

Public access TV seeks more funding – Bedeviled by declining public use of cable television, Vermont’s Public Access television stations are seeking a different permanent funding source. Stations making this hyper-local programming rely on a fee assessed on cable TV customers, who are in increasingly short supply. Last year the Vermont Access Network persuaded the Legislature to budget $1 million, but it’s looking for a more permanent funding source. 

Push for universal health care – The Legislature’s Universal Health Care Caucus will meet Wednesday 5-7 pm in the State House cafeteria. 

Senator rates ‘prosperity’ higher than affordability – Senator Becca White (D-Windsor) seems to be redefining what ‘prosperity’ means. 

In her nominating speech for Senate Pro Tem Phil Baruth, she stated (and THANKS to Tom Evslin’s GoldenDomeVT.com for easy access to this quote), White praised Baruth because he “called for the property tax increase crisis to be considered a de facto emergency” and “is poised to lead our chamber forward in a way that brings Vermonters collectively towards prosperity and not just affordability….To quote senator Wendy Harrison in a recent article, affordability is about getting by, but Vermonters deserve more than just getting by. Prosperity results from planning and saving and investing in our future.”

And what does White think prosperity looks like? She didn’t say specifically, but here’s a clue: “And he [Baruth] placed urgency on the issues that I have heard from my constituents that are facing them most desperately. Things like gun violence prevention, the climate crisis, affordable housing.”

Judging by the comments made by VDC readers in the last 12 months, White got at least one of three right; affordable housing. Gun violence prevention (AKA gun control) and carbon reduction, not so much of a ‘prosperity’ issue. To quote Inigo Montoya….