Shumlin’s Senate, Assisted by Campbell and McCormack, Strikes Out 
By Pete Behr

Is it possible to give the Vermont Legislature a minus score? Not only has it failed to respect campaign promises to address the cost of education and high property taxes, but it has passed a number of bills which would be downright laughable -- except that they add to what is already the highest tax burden in the union, shouldered by the good citizens of our fair state. 

In a bizarre bit of reasoning, Peter Shumlin, desperate to find a source for new money to fund his latest big government idea, a new "utility" to help save energy by insulating houses at taxpayer expense, has proposed a new way to milk Vermont Yankee. Until Vermont got the idea of providing a state service to advise people on energy saving, our utilities used to do so for free! If energy costs are high, why don’t people use common sense to conserve, by insulating and turning their thermostats down? Apparently this logic escapes our lawmakers, who prefer pretending they can solve global problems, like making our state "energy independent," which is impossible, unless they find oil under the golden dome. 

There is not enough wind or sunshine, or hydro, or geothermal potential in our state to make a dent in our power needs. Who do they think they are kidding? And yet they have ignored the biggest potential for saving energy -- actually the only significant one -- conservation. The state, our biggest employer, consumes heating fuels for its many buildings. Why haven’t they set the thermostats down to 65 degrees? The saving in fuel cost is significant, and by wearing a sweater, employees would be perfectly comfortable. Take my word for it. That’s what we do, and we save a bundle. But maybe the state employees’ union would object. Does their contract say the workplace will be heated to 70 degrees? If so, renegotiate it, in the name of global warming!

Back to Senator Shumlin’s effort to find a new source to fund his new "utility." Unable to concoct a new tax, he had to invent a way to finance his silly additional unneeded state service. "Let me see… where can I find some new money… why, my goodness, here’s a helpful suggestion from Vermont Public Interest Research Group. We can tap Vermont Yankee, our reliable home-grown source of low cost, clean power. VPIRG says they’re making more money than anticipated a few years ago, what with the increased value of energy and all. They should share their good fortune with all Vermonters. Never mind that we struck a deal with them several years ago -- I need the money!" And so the Senate passed the new tax 15-14. Among the dissenters was our Senator Alice Nitka, who also voted against the addition of universal pre-k to our schools. Good for her -- she recognized her promise to curb taxes. On the other hand, our other two Senators -- Messrs. Campbell and McCormack -- voted for these two measures, adding to their record of bad judgment on fiscal matters.

The farce is explained by the erudite Representative Mark Mitchell, from Barnard, Pomfret, Quechee and West Harland, who conveniently calls the new tax "rent," since tax is an ugly word. Mr. Mitchell goes on at great length in his Report from Montpelier in the May 3 Standard to justify reneging on the deal made with Entergy, Vermont Yankee’s parent, and then complains that Entergy is objecting! He also bleats that Governor Douglas objects to the proposed new tax. Read his column -- it sets a new high (or should it be new low) for fuzzy reasoning. At this writing, the proposal had not yet been voted on in the House, but we will be watching carefully the votes of our other local representatives, Alison Clarkson, Harry Chen and Steve Adams. If the Shumlin Tax goes to the Governor, he should veto it. 

In an interesting parallel, on the same date the Senate reneged on Vermont’s deal with Entergy, May 1, Hugo Chavez, the socialist president of Venezuela, nationalized oil concessions which had been awarded to international companies. The sanctity of a contract means nothing to Mr. Chavez. Nor does it seem to mean anything to the President Pro Tem of Vermont’s Senate, Peter Shumlin! 

Our politicians constantly prattle on about attracting more businesses to Vermont to create good job opportunities for our citizens, especially young Vermonters. But in failing to respect a deal and imposing an unfair tax, they discourage needed investment and do immeasurable harm now and far into the future. 
 

Pete Behr writes a regular column for the Vermont Standard