Every recipient on key House committee voted for S.259, too
by Guy Page
Last December, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group – a longstanding advocate for renewable power and other ‘green’ causes – publicly announced its ‘Make Polluters Pay – Support a Climate Superfund’ campaign, to include legislation creating a Superfund in which carbon emitters, including Big Oil, would be sued to pay for Vermont’s climate-change related damages.
More than a year earlier, VPIRG made campaign contributions to 2022 Vermont House and Senate candidates. According to data retrieved from Open secrets.org, VDC has determined that every House and Senate candidate elected with VPIRG campaign contributions has voted yes on S.259, which creates a Superfund assessing recovery funds from big past and present carbon emitters – most likely by suing Big Oil. The funds would then support climate recovery in Vermont.
Also, every Senate VPIRG campaign contribution recipient co-sponsored S.259 – except one, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth.
Also, every member of the House Environment and Energy Committee who received VPIRG 2022 campaign contributions voted Yes to send the bill to the House floor. The bill was voted out of the committee 9-2. Only Republican Reps. Paul Clifford and Brian Smith, who didn’t receive VPIRG contributions, voted no. This morning, Tuesday April 23, the bill was sent from the House floor to House Ways and Means, and is slated to return for full House consideration this afternoon.
Caveat: Not all lawmakers voted yes on S.259 received a VPIRG contribution. Rather, every lawmaker who received a VPIRG contribution has voted yes, when given the opportunity. Also, taking campaign money and then voting in support of a donor’s bill or campaign is not necessarily bad government. It’s possible that every legislator who took VPIRG campaign money fully supports the Superfund they voted for.
But in the interests of full disclosure and transparency, without passing judgement, VDC publishes the publicly-sourced information below. The information will be updated if/when the House holds a roll call vote on S.259.
| Date of VPIRG campaign contribution | Amount | Vermont House/Senate member Recipient | Vote on H.259 (so far) | Senate bill sponsor? | |
| 09-14-2022 | $500 | LEAVITT, JOSIE (D) | Rep. Grand Isle | ||
| 09-14-2022 | $1,000 | MACDONALD, MARK A (D) | Sen. – Orange | Yes | Yes |
| 08-05-2022 | $500 | MCCARTHY, MIKE (D) | Rep. St. Albans City | ||
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | WOOD, THERESA PERSONS (D) | Rep. – Waterbury | ||
| 10-13-2022 | $400 | CORDES, MARI (D) | Rep. – Lincoln | Yes | |
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | SMALL, TAYLOR (D) | Rep. – Winooski | ||
| 10-18-2022 | $500 | ARSENAULT, ANGELA (D) | Rep. – Williston | ||
| 10-05-2022 | $500 | SIMS, KATHERINE (D) | Rep. – Albany | ||
| 09-19-2022 | $200 | MROWICKI, MIKE (D) | Rep. – Putney | ||
| 10-05-2022 | $400 | GAROFANO, REY (D) | Rep. – Essex | ||
| 08-08-2022 | $500 | CASEY, CONOR (D) | Rep. – Montpelier | ||
| 10-16-2022 | $500 | CAMPBELL, R SCOTT (D) | Rep. St. Johnsbury | ||
| 09-23-2022 | $200 | WHITE, REBECCA (D) | Sen.. – Windsor | Yes | Yes |
| 08-06-2022 | $500 | SATCOWITZ, LARRY (D) | Rep. – Randolph | Yes | |
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | COFFEY, SARA (D) | Rep. – Vernon | ||
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | LYONS, VIRGINIA (GINNY) (D) | Sen. – Chittenden | Yes | Yes |
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | DOLAN, KARI (D) | Rep. – Waitsfield | ||
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | BARUTH, PHILIP (D) | Sen. – Chittenden | Yes | No |
| 09-26-2022 | $500 | ANDREWS, JULIA (D) | Rep. – Westford | ||
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | EMMONS, ALICE M (D) | Rep. – Springfield | ||
| 08-01-2022 | $500 | SIMS, KATHERINE (D) | Rep. – Craftsbuiry | Yes | |
| 09-21-2022 | $500 | DEMROW, CARL (D) | Rep. – Corinth | ||
| 09-14-2022 | $1,000 | GULICK, MARTINE LAROCQUE (D) | Sen. – Chittenden | Yes | Yes |
| 08-05-2022 | $500 | MIHALY, MARC B (D) | Rep. – E. Montpelier | ||
| 09-14-2022 | $400 | TORRE, DARA (D) | Rep. – Moretown | Yes | |
| 08-04-2022 | $500 | ANTHONY, PETER D (D) | Rep. – Barre City | ||
| 08-03-2022 | $1,000 | PERCHLIK, ANDREW (D) | Sen. – Washington | Yes | Yes |
| 09-14-2022 | $500 | BERBECO, DAISY (D) | Rep. – Winooski | ||
| 09-15-2022 | $400 | BLACK, ALYSSA (D) | Rep. – Essex | ||
| 09-15-2022 | $500 | CAMPBELL, R SCOTT (D) | Rep. – St. Johnsbury | ||
| 09-28-2022 | $500 | MASLAND, JAMES (JIM) (D) | Rep. – Thetford | ||
| 08-05-2022 | $500 | RICE, MIKE (D) | Rep. – Dorset | ||
| 08-01-2022 | $500 | PATT, AVRAM (D) | Rep. – Worcester | Yes | |
| 10-12-2022 | $200 | CUMMINGS, ANN E (D) | Sen. – Washington | Yes | Yes |
| 08-08-2022 | $1,000 | VYHOVSKY, TANYA (D) | Sen. – Chittenden | Yes | Yes |
| 09-22-2022 | $200 | HARDY, RUTH (D) | Sen. – Addison | Yes | Yes |
| 09-14-2022 | $400 | BRADY, ERIN (D) | Rep. – Williston | ||
| 09-30-2022 | $400 | POUECH, PHIL (D) | Rep. – Hinesburg | ||
| 08-01-2022 | $500 | MCGILL, JUBILEE (D) | Rep. – Bridport | ||
| 10-31-2022 | $200 | BOS-LUN, MICHELLE (D) | Rep. – Westminster | ||
| 09-19-2022 | $1,000 | HARRISON, WENDY (D) | Sen. – Windham | Yes | Yes |
| 08-01-2022 | $500 | WILLIAMS, JONATHAN (D) | Rep. – Barre City | ||
| 10-01-2022 | $200 | CHASE, SETH (D) | Rep. – Colchester | ||
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | MCCORMACK, RICHARD J (DICK) (R) | Sen. – Windsor | Yes | Yes |
| 09-14-2022 | $200 | HINSDALE, KESHA RAM (D) | Sen. – Chittenden | Yes | Yes |
| 09-19-2022 | $500 | PRIESTLEY, MONIQUE (D) | Rep. – Bradford | ||
| 08-18-2022 | $1,000 | HASHIM, NADER (D) | Sen. – Windham | Yes | Yes |
| 10-06-2022 | $200 | MORRIS, KRISTI C (D) | Rep. – Springfield | Yes |
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Categories: Elections, Energy, Legislation
Is this a case where a squeaky wheel distributes the grease??
Imagine being so low as to sell out your constiuents for $200, $500, or $1000?
One would think they would understand that this will cost them that in energy costs in their own personal life anyways…
Yup, this is what happens when we don’t have strictly public-funded campaigns. Again, no party will ever actively have a majority pushing this, since it means less $$ for them, regardless on if they follow the donors’ wishes or not.
Push comes to shove, even self-proclaimed socialists are all about that money.
I think, more to the point, this is what happens when the government gets involved in issues it has no business being involved with. It doesn’t matter whether campaign funding is public or private. When government officials, elected or appointed, can circumvent the free market, corruption always follows. Be it energy policy, education policy, healthcare policy, transportation policy, you name it.
“When government — in pursuit of good intentions tries to rearrange the economy, legislate morality, or help special interests, the costs come in inefficiency, lack of motivation, and loss of freedom. Government should be a referee, not an active player.” ― Milton Friedman
Not only do we have a super-majority of corrupt officials, we have a super-majority of corrupt voters who elect them. It’s not because campaign funding is public or private, but because these people are corrupt.
As Franklin opined 237 years ago… our Republic “…can only end in Despotism as other Forms have done before it, when the People shall become so corrupted as to need Despotic Government, being incapable of any other.”
When you live in a single-party state (for the sake of simplicity, lets just consider progressives and democrats to comprise a single party), elected officials no longer care what their constituents think, they are only responsive to their donor base.
The majority of voters in Vermont are just “self-hating white people who vote to punish themselves for our undeserved comfort and affluence, achieved on the backs of the oppressed”.
Ya Think?? VPIRG gets an excellent Return on Investment with it’s campaign contributions. Noticeably absent is christopher bray. D Addison- a veritable parrot of VPIRG’s now wide ranging agenda. Perhaps his deal is better than the rest. From Climate Change™ to Ranked Choice Voting, burns and his tax exempt crew spend and work to achieve VPIRG’s unpublished goal- to make money, increase power and influence legislation to increase money and power. VPRIG is a 2 Million dollar 501-(c)4 corporation-that in less than a year will be able to begin lawsuits against Vermont for failure to comply with the GWSA. See it now?- how the ROI is excellent?
AND THIS IS WHY THESE MAROONS DON’T REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE. THEY MAKE DECISION BASED ON WHO GREASED THEIR PALMS AND TO HECK WITH EVERYONE ELSE.
Guy,
Thank you for this list of ‘Bottom Feeders’ in the Vermont Senate. It’s amazing that their integrity and votes can be purchased for such a low amount. Then again, they are progressive-liberal-democrats…
How to buy a legislature, courtesy of Paul Burns and VPIRG. At least we know now who can be bought and is willing to sell their soul for the dollar.
Mr. Burns earned $121,138 running VPIRG in 2022 and almost $1 Million, more than half VPIRG’s revenues, go to pay its staff.
And why would this list surprise anyone, DemocRATs have no shame and will follow the agenda, but what surprised me was Dick McCormack (R) following this gaggle of fools bought and paid for as you can see.
You know they go where the money is, they don’t care about the financial concerns of their constituents, it’s all about themselves, if this bothers you, then prove it, vote the clowns out !!
I saw that “DICK” was purchased for a meer $200. I’d be ashamed. For sale cheap!
Legislators received VPIRG campaign contributions in various dollar amounts: how is that equitable? Wahhh!
Meanwhile, WCAX runs an article today titled: “The Impact of Single Use Plastic Bans in Vermont”
The answer to which is simply: zero. Zero measurable impact.
John, I just got back from a week in North Carolina, every store had ” free ” paper or plastic bags” your choice ” and every restaurant or bar has plastic straws…Oh my God.
Yes, Vermont charges $.10 per paper bag with ” no plastic bags ” available along with no plastic straws, so our state must be saving the world, I guess, or do we have fools
in charge?
Wake up people
The plastic shopping bag ban is just virtue signaling. Almost everything one buys at a supermarket is wholly or partially packaged in plastic. The bag would make no difference in the end.
VPIRG is a blatant propaganda outlet for Vermonters’ greatest enemies — progressive money-thieves. It should not be permitted any public funding, and yet because our democratic principles have been sacrificed on the altar of climate change, VPIRG continues with impunity. VPIRG though will starve with the rest of us when the economy implodes — something its membership (and hired legislators) appear to have forgotten is even a possibility. VPIRG is to the Vermont’s public interest what the mafia is to law and order.
Wait a minute…isn’t this election influencing, bribery , or some other illegal action designed to sway a vote? Oh, it’s not? My bad. Guess it’s just our democratic progressives acting out that the rules apply to thee and not me.
Tainted I would think. Now, if we could follow the money a bit further. Maybe we could have trial or two for our entrainment pleasure. Oh, we already do.
Speaking of elections, Balint must be derailed at any cost. She was aided in 2022 with $1,000,000. In ads with money stolen through Ukraine. Have you noticed Ukrain is getting lots of $ of from Congress.😡
All of those that received $1,000 were sponsors, but not all sponsors receive $1,000. If I was one of those sponsors, I would be deeply wounded ! Suckers !
VPIRG has been doing this stuff and working to control Vermont for decades. Their practice are destroying Vermont and working Vermonters, especially our low and middle income families.
We need you all to join us and defeat every Rep/Sen. and many other this November 2024. Please help us fight back.
#GregoryThayer4VtLtGovernor2024
thank you everybody/// i can not add any thing///
“The Vermont Public Interest Research and Education Fund (VPIREF) was founded in 1975 as the 501(c)3 arm of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG).
The common mission of VPIREF and VPIRG is to promote the health and well-being of Vermont’s people, environment, and locally-based economy by informing and mobilizing citizens across the state. VPIREF and VPIRG combine to be the largest consumer and environmental advocacy and education organization in Vermont.
To this end, VPIREF produces original research, policy analyses, and creative tools to educate the public and decision makers about critical issues facing the state. ”
Take a close look at their website. They represent the exact same agendas of the DNC/Progs. Climate change, rank choice voting, dei, “democracy.” Grifters gotta grift. It appears their definition of “locally-based economy” is non-profiteer grifting. A disguised political action committee does not serve the public interests at all. Considering the state of the State proves their mission is an utter failure, except their political mission and laundering services.
And they enlist well-groomed young skulls full of mush, college students as volunteers to go house to house to collect donations as volunteers at no cost to the organization. The Vermont voter has been bamboozled by these nonprofit organizations for decades. There is no profit made by these grifter organizations except for the well-connected employees who manage to consume 50% of the group’s income in very nice salaries and benefits.
Then, how much more is used to grease the hands of lobbyists and your so-called representatives. So, in the end, those who donate are being used to fund their own financial destruction in higher taxes and the green energy lie. We know that ignorant people can be educated but people who make decisions on feelings instead of facts are just plain stupid and the evidence proves that we have a lot of stupids in Vermont. Most of them came from somewhere else.