Early Bird VT Gubernatorial Election Poll

Try this audience polling system at Poll Everywhere

Try this audience polling system at Poll Everywhere

Poll: Ending Homelessness

This week I will be among those attending a meeting concerning human services outreach to people living homeless within Washington County.

Please check out and vote in the following poll (This poll closes on Jul 8, 2009):

Budget Cutting Exercises

*Updated*

In light of pending Vermont budget cuts and, depending on what happens with the state budget and, whose budget plan(s) hold sway:

List both ten (10) things you could not manage to do without as well as ten (10) things you could manage to do without.

Then, list both ten (10) things you believe Vermont could not manage to do without as well as ten (10) things you believe Vermont could manage to do without.

While for some, this may prove to be more of a theoretical exercise and, others who are faced with such prioritizing to one degree or another, it is important to weigh the fact that there are those who do not always have such choices.

What to do about such can bring about tough questions, often ones with no easy answers, save the priorities given both when it comes to meeting basic human needs as well as properly maintaining and improving upon the basic infrastructure we as a society collectively depend upon.

Let us hope our state's political leaders and we as a society choose wisely.

*Update*: Having submitted the above as a letter to the editor to various newspapers across the state late last week, it has thus far been published within the Barre - Montpelier Times Argus, here and the Burlington Free Press (found on page 2 of 3), here.

[original post cross-posted to Green Mountain Daily, here]


*Note*: posted an update; last updated on Monday, June 1, 2009 at 4:41 AM (ET).

Rep. Carolyn Branagan: "Beam me up, Scotty"

*Updated* (edited 1st paragraph)

Last evening, while covering and tweeting debates on the House floor and, after the vote on the FY10 (fiscal year 2010) budget, 7Days political columnist Shay Totten posted the following tweet (here):

Rep. Carolyn Branagan (R-Georgia): after seeing tax increases, asks "Beam me up, Scotty"

In honor of that quoted statement, the following banner was created, which people are welcome to use if anyone so chooses (as long as it is not for commercial purposes):




*Note*: edited first paragraph for the purpose of clarification after checking quoted statement timeline; last updated on Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 7:32 AM (ET).

FY10 Budget Veto?

*Updated*

The Vermont Legislature adjourned Saturday evening after passing various bills, including the 2010 budget.

According to 7Days political columnist Shay Totten via Twitter, the House approved total $4.5B state budget by 91-52 margin, 100 needed to override governor's veto, here.

Should Governor Douglas in fact deliver a veto on the budget bill, it was later reported that Democrats say they have 99 of 100 votes needed for budget veto override, here.

As I understand it, if either 150 or 149 members of the House are present at the time of a potential veto override vote, 100 votes would be required in order to be sufficient to override.

For some additional background about the goings on at the state house on Saturday, read Shay Totten's blog post about it posted yesterday morning, here (via Blurt; 7Days Staff blog).

When I was thinking about these matters, I wondered if anyone would come up with bumper stickers and Website or blog banners concerning such a veto override attempt, should Governor Douglas indeed veto the budget.

Then, what initially started out as more of a humorous thought and reflection, ended up prompting me to create the following different versions, which people are welcome to take their pick from and use if anyone so chooses (as long as it is not for commercial purposes).






The photo used within each is one I took back in November 2005 (i.e., shown above, at top of post), then cropped and stretched for use in the banner using the Paint.Net program to create them, which is what I use to create all my banners and the like.

*Update*: Two additional banners:





*Note*: posted two more banners; last updated on Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 8:01 AM (ET).