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Haik Bedrosian
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Lois The Hot Dog Lady
Secret Sandwich
Take two thick slices of Noonie's day old bread, smear Honey Cup honey mustard liberally over both. Cover both slices with green leaf lettuce. Then on one slice only lay smoked turkey on the lettuce, a tomato slice on the turkey and sprinkle it with shredded carrot. Then on the lay a slice of provolone cheese over the carrot then a green pepper ring on top of the cheese. Sprikle with sprouts. Cover with the other slice, lettuce side down. The letuce should be stuck to the bread with honey mustard so it doesn't fall off when you turn it upside down to cover the sandwich. Slice sandwich in half with a knife. Wrap in tightly in plastic wrap. Use too much wrap. Tape on label. Tadaaa! Weighs one pound. Costs Four Bucks.

Blasts from the Past!

Peter Brownell

Awodey Blast!

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Kurt Wright

Compton Blast!

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Hinda Miller and Joanna Cole

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Charity Tensel 2003 Blast!

Whatever things

Church Street Energy System

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"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

-Emma Lazarus, 1883




Dick Bove 1941




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***Your link 4-ever***
9-11-01

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by Marc Awodey

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The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

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"During the 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton sometimes spoke of a 'twofer' (two for the price of one) presidency, implying that Hillary would play an important role in his administration."
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Election Achives


Election Day was Tuesday March 3, 2009
All 2009 Burlington Candidates
2009 Mayoral Race

Bob Kiss (P)
*The Bob Kiss Interview
Andy Montroll (D)
*The Andy Montoll Interview
James Simpson (G)
*The James Simpson Interview
Dan Smith (I)
*The Dan Smith Interview
Kurt Wright (R)
*The Kurt Wright Interview

2009 City Council Races

Ward 1
Sharon Foley Bushor (I)
Jerri Kohl (G)
Ward 2
Gregory Knopps (G)
Emma Mulvaney-Stanak (P)
Nicole Pelletier (D)
Ward 3
David Cain (D)
Marrisa S. Caldwell (P)
Steve Ekberg (G)
Ward 4
Eleanor Briggs Kenworthy (R)
Nancy C. Kaplan (D)
Ward 5
Lisa Ann Oberbrunner (G)
Joan Shannon (D)
Ward 6
Mary Kehoe (D)
Kim Mason (G)
Ward 7
Ellie Blais (I)
Vincent Dober Sr. (R)
Eli Lesser-Goldsmith (D)

ELECTION DAY WAS

TUESDAY MARCH 6, 2007!

DID YOU VOTE?

Channel 17's Debate Schedule!!!***
Channel 17's Streaming Video!!!
(Zoning Coverage Up Wednesday 2/7/7)


***2007 Burlington Candidates ***

2007 City Council Races

Ward One
Sharon Bushor (I)
Ward One
Ed Adrian (D)
Ed Adrian (D) Blog
Dick Bove(I)
Megan Munson-Warnken (P)
Ward Two
Jane Knodell (P)
David Rogers (I) Blog
Ward Three
Tim Ashe(P)
Loyal Ploof (I)
Ward Four
Kurt Wright (R)
Jim Holway (D) (Private Site)
Jim Holway (D) (Party Site)
Ward Five
René Kaczka-Valliere (G)
Joan Shannon(D)
Basil Vansuch(I)
Ward Six
Andy Montroll (D)
Tom Licata (I)
Ward Seven
Ellie Blais(I)
Linda Deliduka (D
Craig Gutchell(R)

ELECTION DAY WAS

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2006!

DID YOU VOTE?

Senate Race

Bernie Sanders (I)

Steve Moyer (I)

Greg Parke (R)

Richard Tarrant (R)

Tarrant's Fake Fake Blog (R)

Tarrant's Real Fake Blog (R)

Larry Drown (D)

US House Race

Dennis Morrisseau (R)

Peter Welch (D)

Martha Rainville (R)

Governor Race

Jim Douglas (R)

Scudder Parker (D)

Lieutenant Governor Race

Brian Dubie (R)

Marvin Malek(P)

John Patrick Tracy (D)

Matt Dunne (D)

Chittenden County State's Attorney

TJ Donovan (D)

Ted Kenny (D)

Rob Backus (D)

Chittenden County Senate Race

Dennis Delaney (R)

ELECTION DAY WAS

TUESDAY MARCH 7, 2006!

DID YOU VOTE?


Our city's home page

2006 Burlington Candidates

2006 Burlington Ballot Questions

Mayoral candidate funding documents(From BFP 03.01.06)

2006 Mayoral Race

Bob Kiss(P)

Kiss's 7 Days Profile (Old Link)

Kiss's 7 Days Profile (New Link)

BFP on Kiss 01.28.06

BFP on Kiss 03.01.06

Kevin Curley (R)

Curley's 7 Days Profile (Old Link)

Curley's 7 Days Profile (New Link)

BFP on Curley 02.28.06

Loyal Ploof (G) (From BFP 01.21.06)

Hinda Miller (D)

Miller's 7 Days Profile (Old Link)

Miller's 7 Days Profile (New Link)

BFP on Miller 03.02.06

Louie The Cowman (I)

City Council Races

Tom Licata (I) Ward 6

Jeremy Ryan (L) Ward 7

Ellie Blais (I) Ward 7

Paul Decelles (R) Ward 7

Joanna Cole (D) Ward 7

Russ Ellis (D) Ward 4

Kevin King (R) Ward 4

BFP on Ward 3 Race 02.21.06

School Board Races

Amy Werbel ( ) Ward 5

Inspector of Election Races

Owen Mulligan (I) Ward 5

Ballot Questions

Question 9 (Yes)

Ward Seven Run-off Election

Tuesday March 21 at Hunt School

Ellie Blais (I) Ward 7

Paul Decelles (R) Ward 7

Link Graveyard

Kiss for Mayor


Blog for Burlington
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Zuckerman for Congress

Junktique's New Site

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Lake Champlain Regional
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Whatever things
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus.
Dan Smith
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Here is Dan Smith's Mayoral campaign Website

And here is a picture of Dan Smith...

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:59 AM   17 comments
More to Come...
Sunday, November 23, 2008
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:35 PM   0 comments
Winter Farmers' Market
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
BURLINGTON
WINTER FARMERS' MARKET
Saturday November 22nd
10AM - 2PM
MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM
Corner of Main Street and South Union Street

45 VENDORS
CHEESE - MEAT - EGGS - VEGETABLES - APPLES
PREPARED FOODS - MAPLE SYRUP & HONEY
PICKLES AND PRESERVES - BREAD - WINE
PLANTS - CRAFTS
Feature local food on your holiday table.
Traveling this holiday season?
Local wines, cheeses, and fresh baked breads
make great hostess gifts.
Support the local economy and enjoy the festivities!
OTHER MARKET DATES: ONCE A MONTH - ALLWINTER!

NOVEMBER 22nd

DECEMBER 20th
JANUARY 17th
FEBRUARY 21st
MARCH 21st
APRIL 18th
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 3:20 PM   1 comments
Council Brings The Stupid II
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
It could have been worse.

Now that I've read and heard a little more about the Monday's city council meeting, I realize that what the council passed vis-a-vis Burton's sexy snowboards could have been much worse. From Lauren Ober at the Burlington Free Press:
The resolution, a softer version of the one originally proposed, doesn’t force Burton to take any action, but rather encourages the Burlington-based company to listen to the concerns of community organizations that say that the boards promote self-harm and misogyny.

The original resolution, sponsored by councilors Kurt Wright, R-Ward 4; Joan Shannon, D-Ward 5; Clarence Davis, P-Ward 3; and Jane Knodell, P-Ward 2, asked that Burton withdraw the boards from the market, a request that city councilor Ed Adrian, D-Ward 1, thought was unnecessary.

“My personal opinion is that people should be allowed to make choices, whatever they are,” Adrian said.

Russ Ellis, D-Ward 4 said he wasn’t interested in having the council censor any business and likened the Burton issue to Burlington Telecom’s decision to carry the Al-Jazeera network.

“I don’t think we want to get into the issue of being a censoring board. It’s really not appropriate for the City Council to be dealing with,” Ellis said.

Adrian did recognize that the community groups, including the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Girl Scout Council of Vermont and the White Ribbon Campaign of Vermont, deserve to be heard and he said he hoped that Burton leadership would engage in a dialogue with these organizations.

Wright, council president, sponsored the initial resolution based on the concerns he heard voiced in the community about the boards. It is the council’s right to be able to weigh in on community issues, Wright said, and the council has a responsibility to put pressure on business to do the right thing.

“In a time of increased domestic violence, I think it is incumbent on leaders to speak out on this,” Wright said.

The discussion on the resolution lasted for about half an hour and in the end, the council passed the amended resolution. Paul Decelles, R-Ward 7, was the lone dissenting vote, citing a reluctance to restrict business.
Thank you Paul Decelles. I'm glad I voted for you. This ain't none of the city's business. That should be Obvious. Paul gets the gold medal in this event for casting the only correct vote. Ed Adrian gets the silver medal for offering a moderate and ultimately successful alternative to the original insane resolution. Russ Ellis grabs the bronze for recognizing Burton's first amendment rights.

I'd have to say the most stupefying part of this was Kurt Wright's role in it. You sponsored this thing Kurt? Are you kidding? Republicans are supposed to want to leave business alone and get the government off people's backs, remember? You're not supposed to pontificate from the council and use government to "put pressure on business to do the right thing." Government can regulate or not. Consumers and market forces have the "pressure on business" thing covered. Thanks.

And what if the original resolution passed an Burton took it to court? Burlingtonians have to pay lawyers to deal with this stupidity?

If Kurt is trying to strike a tone he thinks will be considered more centrist than his assumed default stance as a Republican, he's made a mistake. This doesn't look centrist, it looks unprincipled. It's not a good place to start if you're running for mayor. You're not Obama, Kurt. You're not going to lock up the nomination and then "run to the center" like you're on the national stage. This is Burlington. The population has been 38,000 since the beginning of time. Forget about the sexy snowboards. Fix the city's retirement system already. (Hint: attrition.)

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 8:17 PM   8 comments
Council Brings The Stupid
God. WCAX reports that the city council has voted to harass executives at Burton...
The council passed a resolution Monday night, requesting that the heads of the Burton company meet with city leaders and the leaders of agencies that deal with sexual violence, abuse and mental health.
Why?! This isn't the city council's business. Burton has the right to free speech and the free market will decide the success or failure of their sexy snowboards. If anything the council should be thanking the company for providing jobs and adding to the city's tax base, not hauling them before an inquisition. If they want to talk about something sexy, they could have Joe McNeil come answer a few questions.

This is infuriating. I don't know who voted which way, but the councilors who voted yes have shown incredibly poor judgment.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:56 PM   2 comments
Adrian Drops Mayoral Bid
Monday, November 17, 2008
The five day mayoral campaign.

Ed Adrian has sent an email to supporters announcing his decision to drop out of the mayoral race this year. Here it is...
"Fellow Burlingtonians,

Less then a week ago I announced my intention to run for Mayor of Burlington. I am writing to you again to let you know that this is no longer my intent. The thrust of my platform was to make Burlington a 21st Century city that would encourage families of all types to stay and move into Burlington.

Thanks to all of you who have reached out to me in the interceding time period. However, it has become evident to me that if I put 100% of my efforts into helping the families of Burlington, I will not be giving my young family the attention it deserves. This decision has not been made lightly, however it has been made that much easier in that I am confident that the only other announced Democrat in the race, Andy Montroll will be striving towards many of the same goals that I planned to work on. I will be working vigorously on Andy’s campaign and hope you will join me in that pursuit.

It is also evident to me that were I to start down a similar path in the future, there are a number of bridges I need to build, as well as some that I need to work on repairing. Over the months and years to come, it is my intention to reach out to those who share similar ideological interests, even if our partisan allegiances differ.

I hope to see you all at the Democratic Caucus at Champlain Elementary on December 3, 2008 at 6:30 PM.

Best,
Ed"
Well that was fast. What do you suppose that 'bridge building' paragraph was about? "..intention to reach out to those who share similar ideological interests, even if our partisan allegiances differ." Do you think he's talking about David Zuckerman and the bitter aftermath of the Chittenden 3-4 legislative race?

Well anyway... it looks like Andy Montroll is finally going to get his shot after losing the democratic mayoral nomination to "fusion" candidate Peter Clavelle in 2003 and to State Senator Hinda Miller in 2006.

Now it seems we'll have Kiss, Montroll, Wright and possibly Smith on the ballot for mayor in March. Let's see what happens next...
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:41 AM   1 comments
Radio Saturday
Friday, November 14, 2008
Can you people believe I am still doing a radio show on Saturday mornings? Yes you can catch it tomorrow (Saturday) God and technology willing, from 10-11am on 105.9 FM Burlington or streaming online at TheRadiator.org. It's a radio call-in show! Call the station at (802) 861-9666 and chat live on the air with me!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:04 AM   3 comments
Burlington Underground
Here's a new website designed to keep tabs on the entire Burlington Music Scene. It seems very well done and user friendly...

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:01 AM   0 comments
City Council Agenda 11.17.08
Here's an MS Word .doc of Monday's City Council Agenda

Highlights include...
11. RESOLUTION: Adoption of the Revised Comprehensive Personnel Policy Manual: City of Burlington Including the Burlington Electric Department
(Councilors Bushor, Keogh, Gutchell: Institutions & Human Resources Policy Committee)
According to John Briggs at the Burlington Free Press...
"The Burlington City Council will get its copy tonight of the city's updated employee manual -- the rule book for all city employees.

Among the changes is an addition to the city's leave policy arising from the paid suspension for several months of parks supervisor Adam Cate.

The new administrative-leave section says an employee can be placed on paid leave by the mayor, department head or human resources director when they determine "it is the in best interests of the city or the employee." It specifies that the paid leave is appropriate when an employee's conduct on the job is under investigation but must be reviewed for appropriateness every 10 days.

The council meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in Contois Auditorium at City Hall."
Briggs says the council is going to "get its copy tonight" and the agenda says they will adopt it Monday. That means all 14 city councilors will be reading the entire City of Burlington Employee Handbook cover to cover over the weekend, I'm sure, so they can make an informed vote Monday.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:01 AM   0 comments
Kiss Discusses Energy
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Mayor Bob Kiss has a post up today at Prog Blog about the city's energy future. Here's a clip:
"The City also continues to pursue the potential for a solar panel energy project, in particular at times of peak energy usage, and “district heating,” which would capture secondary energy from the McNeil Generating Plant and pipe it to other sections of the City."
Comments are off for that post however, because the site's administrator doesn't seem to pay attention to details like that. Three seperate times I've pointed out to site admin Morgan Daybell, that comments were off on his blog and he has fixed it each time. But it just keeps happening. There's really no excuse.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 3:58 PM   2 comments
Adrian Off The Blocks
For Burlington Political types, the first Wednesday in November marks the start of the local election season. So here we go.

The Democratic Party is holding a caucus to pick its nominee in just three Weeks. This will be a clash between City Councilors Andy Montroll from Ward Six, and Ed Adrian from Ward One.

Adrian is already organizing. Here is the email he sent out to supporters this morning...
"Fellow Burlingtonians,

It is difficult to begin thinking about a new election cycle on the heels of November 4th, however the results of that election give us hope. Many of you have mentioned to me over the past several weeks that you heard or read somewhere that I am running for mayor. This is true. The caucus for the Burlington Democratic Party will be held on December 3, 2008 at 6:30 PM at Champlain Elementary on Pine Street. That date is only three weeks away. Please set this date aside now. For those with children, childcare and dinner will be provided.

Together, rather then act as passive caretakers, we can help nurture Burlington into a dynamic 21st Century city. Together we can work to maintain Burlington's neighborhoods, while at the same time encouraging smart-growth opportunities for seniors and families. Together we can work, proactively and collaboratively with the School District towards strengthening our schools, thus providing an incentive for our current families to stay and for those looking to move, to put Burlington on the top of their lists. Together we can help provide our law enforcement departments with the resources and staffing necessary to protect all the residents of our wonderful community. Together we can make sure that the City takes the lead in helping to create green jobs and smart growth to provide opportunities for those now living here and those who want to make Burlington their home. Together we can make sure that the lines of communication between City Hall and our neighbors are always open, clear and responded to in a timely manner.

Please join our team and bring a friend, spouse, partner or child this Thursday, November 13th, 8PM at the Edmunds' School Cafeteria as we take our first step towards moving Burlington forward. Now is the time to unite for our community, for our families and for our future.

Please let us know if you will be able to attend by responding to this e-mail or calling 233-2131. If you cannot come, but know someone who might be interested, please let us know their e-mail or phone number and we will get in touch with them...

...Best,
Ed Adrian"

[Emphasis added.]
The paragraph in bold print is as much as we have this year in terms of any kind of agenda from the mayoral challengers. Let's review who may be on the ballot this year... Bob Kiss (P), Ed Adrian (D), Andy Montroll (D), Kurt Wright (R), Dan Smith (R or I).

Anybody else interested? If Deb Markowitz allows it, this will be our second IRV mayoral election. How IRV could affect this race is unclear to me right now.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 8:49 AM   0 comments
Chittenden 3-4 Aftermath Bitter
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Drama-Queen City

Blurt's November 7 2008 blog round up links to stories by Max Bookman on Zuckerman, Pearson, and Ram.

Most of the comments are in the Ram piece. The ones from David Zuckerman and Ed Adrian are interesting...

From Dave:
"...But I have to wonder...had Chris and I been Democrats would Kesha have run against us in a primary? Would people like Ed and Maurice worked so hard to defeat us? Do party labels matter that much? If they do, is that not a sad statement about our democracy?
From Ed:
"...Dave has also worked very hard at reaching out to the community and I applauded him for his efforts publicly on the FPF on October 30, 2008 where I stated the following:

"I have known Dave Zuckerman for over a decade when we shared a regular card game with a group of other folks. I am a founding member of his CSA, he came to our wedding and I consider him a friend. He has worked hard and I wish him the best of luck. Remember that each and every one of you in the Chittenden 3-4 legislative district can vote for two people for the Vermont House. I would encourage all of you to join me in voting for Kesha." *** I should note that as of November 5, 2008 I became, not due to my own choice, a former member of Dave's CSA...."
I hate when people assume we know what acronyms stand for. Ed mentions "FPF." That's Front Porch Forum, a neighborhood email update. He also mentions "Dave's CSA." CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Some kind of hippy-zippy food buying group thing.

But anyway. Is Ed Adrian trying to imply that Zuckerman kicked him out of a food co-op because he helped Kesha Ram defeat Chris Pearson? Whoa Nelly. Ed Adrian is running for mayor, by the way.

The last comment in that string is a zinger:

From "Who Stabbed Whom?":
""the stab in the back the Dems gave to the Progressive party"

Howabout the stab in the back that the Progs gave to the Democratic Party when Dave Z ran against Democrat Sandy Baird back in the mid-1990s. That was a waste of "civic energy."

Howabout the stab in the back that the Progs gave to the Democratic Party when Pollina ran as the third candidate in the Governor's race in 2000 and came close to putting Howard Dean under the magic 50%?

Howabout the stab in the back that the Progs gave to the Democratic Party when Pollina ran as the third candidate in the Lt. Gov.'s race in 2002 and handed that office to Brian Dubie?

Howabout the stab in the back that the Progs gave to the Democratic Party when Dave Z began a run for Congress against Peter Welch in 2006? Had Bernie not told Dave to get out, we'd all be saluting Congressman Rainville.

Yeah, stab in the back alright."
OUCH! Zing! Game set match. Checkmate. Burn! Et Cetera.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:43 AM   9 comments
Obama Wins
Friday, November 07, 2008
Wow. I knew the kids at UVM were celebrating Tuesday, but I had no idea the crowds were so big. Look at this picture of Main Street. Story from the UVM Cynic.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:57 AM   3 comments
Kesha Ram vs. Chris Pearson II
Thursday, November 06, 2008
OK, let's talk about what happened with Tim Ashe in this election. Looks like he won after some potential shenanigans. From Nancy Resmen at the Burlington Free Press November 5, 2008...
Corrected count gives Ashe sixth Senate seat

Tim Ashe of Burlington, who ran as both a Democrat and Progressive, will take a seat in the Senate, he learned Wednesday after a night of uncertainty.

An incorrect number in Ashe’s vote count for one ward had put Ashe in seventh place in the Chittenden senate district race. There are just six seats.

After the vote tally was corrected Wednesday, Ashe moved up ahead of Democrat Denise Barnard of Richmond.
Huh. Was that a block quote or did I just reprint the whole article? Man that was short. The Free Press piece does go on to report the "corrected" tally...
The six Chittenden senate winners and their vote counts are as follows:
Doug Racine, 44,675
Ed Flanagan, 38,927
Ginny Lyons, 35,801
Diane Snelling, 32,322
Hinda Miller, 31,395
Tim Ashe, 28,048
Yes. Quite. I voted for Tim Ashe, by the way, and no other senate candidate. And even though the ballot box in my ward (Seven) was illegally broken into three times last year, I'm confident my vote was counted "correctly" by Ben Pacy and Jonathon Leopold. And even though the people of Ward Five didn't have enough ballots during the primaries, I'm confident Ben Pacy and Jonathon Leopold counted the Ward Five ballots "correctly" as well. Why? Because according to the comment string at that Free Press article online, the trouble seems to be in Ward One this time.
11/5/2008 7:37:26 PM dcross wrote: That's an *awfully* big swing for one ward, especially since it would have to be people who voted for Ashe and not Barnard (another D). I'd be amazed if there weren't a recount.
Recommend (4) New post Reply to this Post Report Abuse

11/5/2008 6:29:37 PM jimmmy wrote:
There is certainly something fishy going on in Burlington. I spoke with an election official from Ward 1 who said that he didn't trust the folks he was working with.
Recommend (2) New post Reply to this Post Report Abuse
*****

So as I've been predicting since I first met her and learned about her candidacy, Kesha Ram (pronounced "Kay-Shuh Rom") has taken out Chris Pearson in her bid for a seat in the legislature from the student-heavy Chittenden 3-4 district. Kesha is a tough competitor who knows how to spin.

I think Obama joked the she would replace Welch if he didn't watch his step or something. Funny, but as a constitutional lawyer he must realize you have to be twenty-five to serve in the US House. Kesha is twenty-two. That was how old I was when I was elected to my first and so far only elected office. That was as a Progressive city councilor from Ward Three from 1995-1997. I digress.

Good job Kesha. I knew you wouldn't get Dave, though. Zuckerman is pretty dug-in. And that makes sense since he's a farmer. If the Progs had run Zuckerman for governor, he'd have bloody well done better than 21 percent by golly. Bummer for Gaye Symington though. She stopped me in the mall on Monday but I had such a cold I couldn't shake her hand because I didn't want to get her sick. I told her "good luck tomorrow" but that was just to be polite. I knew Douglas was going to win. How could anyone not have known that?

Also in the mall yesterday I ran into a current candidate for mayor who is not the current mayor. I told him if he wants to win he should attack Leopold, not Kiss. He didn't seem into that. He seemed more into focusing on Kiss and specifically focusing on what he hasn't done as opposed to what he has done. This is a weak strategy. If you can't go after anything Kiss has done wrong, you're not going to win. Serving three years and just not doing enough good stuff, is not enough reason for an incumbent to be kicked out. Just ask Jim Douglas.

If I were running for mayor I'd make a huge deal out of election integrity, if that wasn't already apparent.

Any-hoo. I got up at Five AM and I couldn't go back to sleep so I thought I'd blog. Oh one last thought. I'm already feeling the benefits of an Obama presidency. I made a $20 bet with a woman at work a couple months ago that Obama would win and yesterday she paid up. I tried to refuse twice in good humor, but she insisted. So a big Kramer Boo-yaaa for me. My co-worker was happy to lose the bet. President-Elect Barack Steve Obama. You gotta love it.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 5:59 AM   29 comments
Allen Rebuts Crane on Parks
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Text below the row of stars was forwarded from a reader. Thank you reader. I think it's from a front-porch forum posting from a neighborhood other than mine.

What I don't get about the whole penny for parks thing is why the money shouldn't come from the general fund instead. Parks are one of the most basic functions of city government. It goes Police, Fire, Water, Streets, Parks and Libraries. Parks is right in there.

Maybe the answer is in this post, but I'm not going to bother to read it. I'm too lazy and I've already decided to vote against the penny.
*****

PENNY FOR PARKS RESPONSE

A message from Steve Allen, Parks & Recreation Commission Chair:
A recent posting on Front Porch Forum (by Michael Crane), relating to Penny for Parks, includes a number of unsupported statements and misinformation. As a Parks & Rec Commissioner, I would like to respond to some of the specific points. I believe that if voters take the time to carefully consider the Penny for Parks proposal they will agree with the entire Parks and Rec Commission and every City Councilor that this is a good plan that should be supported.

Allow me to respond to some specific points.

1) The funds from the Penny for Parks dedicated tax are in fact dedicated with specific allocations budgeted for various capital needs, ex. playground replacement, parking lot and road repaving and improvement, building updates, waterfront improvements, bike path, community gardens, etc. The planned expenditures are specifically detailed in the proposal which may be seen at pennyforparks.blogspot.com or enjoyburlington.com.

2) A permanent dedicated tax is an accepted and appropriate method of funding these types of capital needs. We have dedicated taxes for the library, open space, fire / police, streets, and housing. An additional dedicated tax is being recommended for streets. Parks capital needs are no different and a dedicated tax will provide the long term funding to maintain this assets that will need to serve Burlington, for a very long time.

3) The Penny for Parks will be used for capital support for existing infrastructure. This is where there is the greatest need. There are other funds that are used for new facilities, like the Armory or land acquisition, like the Conservation Legacy fund, but these cannot funds be used to repair our existing deteriorating infrastructure.

4) Parks and Rec manages its budget and our tax dollars well. It generates $3M in revenue (75% of the budget), which is exceptional for a community of our size. These revenues are important to maintain because they effectively subsidize the cost of parks and rec facilities and services to residents. If we don't maintain the assets that generate the income, we will have lower quality services at a higher cost.

5} The Parks & Rec Commission has a very good relationship with the City Council. All 14 Councilors support Penny for Parks and their input in developing the proposal was critical. We are asking Burlington residents to support this measure because it is a tax increase which requires voter approval.

6) The Parks & Rec Commission is committed to providing an exceptional level of recreational facilities and programs which are affordable and accessible to all Burlington residents. In doing so, we will actively seek public input and consider all relevant issues, as we are doing in the case of the disc golf proposal at Leddy. Despite our best efforts, not every resident will be satisfied. But let's remember, Burlington parks serve all residents and the use and control of these assets should not be directed by those with special interests and/or who might be personally affected by a proposal for park use.

The Penny for Parks proposal is one that has been evaluated carefully. It is a good plan to maintain our park system. I hope you will evaluate the proposal on its merits. Thank you

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:34 AM   0 comments
Crane Against Penny for Parks
Monday, November 03, 2008
Reposted from Front Porch Forum Email (Three Virtues Neighborhood)
*****

IS PENNY FOR PARKS A SMART CHOICE?
By Michael Crane, NPA Steering Committee Member - Ward 4

Sat, 01 November 2008

Penny for Parks is poorly planned, unnecessary, and unaccountable. This November voters will be asked to approve or reject a change in the City Charter that will permanently increase our taxes to pay for capital improvements in city parks. This resolution should be rejected for the following reasons.

1) This is a dedicated tax that is not specifically dedicated. At the October Ward 4/7 NPA meeting a Parks Commissioner stated that there was no capital budget, no list of repair items and their associated cost. The most they have are photographs.

2) A permanent tax is an unconventional way to pay for capital repairs. Capital repair funding typically comes from voter approved borrowing (bonds) which are eliminated after the loan is repaid. With Penny for Parks, voters will be taxed even after all repairs are made. This amounts to a tax and spend policy with no specific goals and no end in sight.

3) The Commission currently controls or significantly influences several dedicated taxes already. The city’s Annual Report shows the Conservation Legacy Fund at $313,000; the Parks Greenbelt Dedicated tax at $58,000; the Goss Court/Leddy Park Capital Fund with $499,000; and the newly created Waterfront TIF district that is budgeted to generate $957,768 this year. These funds are restricted to these specific purposes but they can be used for capital improvements at these sites which should, with careful budgeting, relieve some of the repair pressures in other areas. In fact, two of these funds can be used for the two priority areas they identified, the waterfront and parts of the bike path.

4) Careful budgeting does not appear to be evident in the Parks Department. The City budget shows the Department’s 2009 revenues at $3.1 million, the largest it has ever been, yet they still can’t live within their means. If we gave a private sector recreation company Leddy Arena, North Beach, the bike path, the waterfront, Perkins Pier, and the Community Boat House, I believe they would be able to make ends meet. The voters should ask the Parks Department to make ends meet.

5) During the NPA meeting, the Parks Commissioner stated that they are going to the voters directly because the relationship between the Department and City Council “isn’t a great one.” That raises a red flag. I believe our Council representatives are there to represent us, and in turn, the public has the opportunity to hold them accountable during the election process. A city charter change to allow the unelected Parks and Recreation Commission to permanently tax us every year for unspecified expenses amounts to unaccountable taxation.

6) The Parks Commission has demonstrated recently on several occasions that they do not represent the will of the general public. In the south end’s Baird Park they made significant changes to its use without informing the closest neighbors who played there most often. In the Old North End the Commission voted unanimously against using Conservation Legacy Funds to buy a pocket park and small community garden. The Commission’s decision was so out of touch with public opinion that the City Council overruled them and the purchase was made. In the New North End, the Commission voted to not allow landowners who border Leddy Park to join a working group that will analyze the impacts of a new project that may alter 5-10 acres of woodlands and trails. Taxing the public is not a right but a responsibility and this Commission has not demonstrated that it deserves this privilege.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:54 AM   3 comments
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