The original intent of the bill was a good one - to expand the list of persons who would be listed on the internet sex offender registry, so that the public would have more information about sex offenders living in their community. Then some senators began to be concerned about branding teenagers as sex offenders for life, based on a relatively minor offense, and I have to acknowledge that concern to be valid.

But the Senate's solution is absolutely weird. As part of our criminal statutes, Vermont already has laws against using a child in a sexual performance (Sec. 2822), promoting a recording of sexual conduct by a child or lewd exhibition of a child's private parts (Sec. 2824), and possession of child pornography (Sec. 2827). The Senate's solution was to insert the following language into each of those sections:

"This section shall not apply if the person is less than 19 years old, the child is at least 13 years old, and the child knowingly and voluntarily and without threat or coercion, used an electronic communication device to transmit an image of himself or herself to the person."

Shumlin is right, but he doesn't seem to know it. It makes eminent sense to get education expenses out of the general budget and its reciprocal, get education income out of the general budget. And while they are at it, the Legislature should do the same for highway funds and expenses. For too many years, education and highway funds and expenses have been commingled in transparent attempted financial legerdemain to cover up one or the other by paying bills from the wrong pots of money.
 

Layoffs, tax increases, revenue shortfalls. And still a 2010 budget that increases spending 6.7% over what was spent in 2009 which is still not quite in balance. Even while spending some $160 million in federal stimulus money, the legislature has not been able to come up with a balanced 2010 budget. There is nothing left to "cut." Which is what the legislators say they have been trying to do even as spending increases.

Related Article: Getting Worse
 

Here they come. Early education advocates are pressuring for certified teachers only to teach publicly funded early ed programs. Is the reason better education for kids? No. Their attack is two edged. First, certified teachers almost immediately means new union members (and dues). Second, the union intends exclusion of private programs because VT-NEA cannot stand competition of any kind. If they are successful, they will have extended their public school education monopoly through the back door.
 

"So it's a long-term above-market arrangement that impacts our customers," said Brian Keefe of Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS).

CVPS says the renewable energy plan will increase electric bills by 2.5 percent. On a $100 bill, that's $2.50, but CVPS says in this tough economy Vermonters are already struggling to make ends meet.

"Anything that has the potential to increase the cost to our customers we are concerned about," Keefe said.

Some business groups are also opposed, saying for large power uses the money adds up. But supporters say power prices could come down as more projects come on line.
 

Something is missing in these propositions. Conservatives have some good suggestions for how to fix our runaway government -- but we have failed to convincingly address the issue of why the government needs to be fixed in the first place.

This article is all about the why. Understanding why America is America (and not some third world country) is crucial knowledge. The why of America is information that must be not only be understood by conservatives; the "why" must be promulgated and shared with all of our fellow citizens before conservatives can convince their fellow citizens the need for the "how" -- for adopting any specific conservative solutions.
 

NBC has been actively promoting green issues and this revelation by O'Reilly happens to fall during the NBC Universal networks Green is Universal week.

"Now think about this ladies and gentlemen - a failing corporation, General Electric might reap billions of dollars if the Feds OK the carbon deal," O'Reilly said. "By the way, GE is already getting taxpayer bailout money for its financial unit. So it's not a stretch to assume Immelt would want to help President Obama as much as possible." According to O'Reilly, the level of corruption is so big, it stands to make Watergate look small.
 

Between 2002 and 2006, the top Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees "each got complete, benchmark briefings on the program," said one of the intelligence sources who is familiar with the briefings.

"If Congress wanted to kill this program, all it had to do was withhold funding," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the closed-door briefings.