We seem to be just about done with the early, make-nice phase of things in Montpelier when the air is filled with dread phrases like "we were all sent here to do the people’s business, not engage in partisan bickering.” Now that the folks in Montpelier have gotten to know each other a little better, the gloves have come off and the claws have come out.
The noises coming out of the statehouse sound about like what you'd hear from the kids, in the back seat, on a long, dreary road trip.
"I'm increasingly concerned about the inaction of the Legislature on what I believe is the most urgent need of the people of our state and that's relieving property taxes," Douglas said. "I don't see anything that will substantially improve the situation on property taxes for Vermonters."
"In the meantime, the governor has failed to propose his bill, to actually put it in writing," Symington said. "He hasn't even introduced his bill. The deadline was today and he has the gall to stand there and say we haven't done enough work."
"Obviously, the governor is free to consider anything he wants," said Sen. Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee.
One of our elected (Sen. Vincent Illuzzi, R-Essex/Orleans) actually did say something that contained a grain of insight.
"It is a new program and any time you write a new program you have to worry about the details, the goals and the unintended consequences."
That one should be tattooed on the arm of every legislator on swearing-in day.
Truth is, six months is way too long. The legislature has had enough time to do the people’s business and the longer it stays in session, the more mischief it will certainly do. On the one big thing everyone expected from Montpelier this session nothing, so far, has been done. But we get promises. They are, we're assured, looking into it.
Ancel's committee is looking at an alternative to the spending caps. She would make it more difficult for communities to spend more than the statewide average in one provision. In another, a penalty could be imposed for spending above the state's basic level.
"We basically make it painful to go above," Ancel said. "We focus it on high-spending
districts."
Nearly two months to come up with that? They could have phoned it in and saved us the per diem. We expect that the legislature will inflict pain, but is itnecessary to drag it, sadistically, out? Still, there is always some fun at the circus. The legislature’s (serious) consideration of bills to make it a crime to gnaw on a hamburger while driving or to facilitate the tanning of a pasty teenager have been noted. But there is more.
Always, there is more.
At this rate, it is going to be a long, long time until June.
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