Wednesday

March 28 , 2012

HUM HOT LIST

* REST IN PEACE, GERTIE
Despite the fact that she could leap 12 feet out of her pen, outrun the fastest Vermonter, and deliver a lethal blow in under a minute, Gertie the Emu was pretty cute.

* HEY CVPS! JUST GIVE 'EM THEIR 76 BUCKS!
When one is making 190,000k a year or half a mil, or whatever utility high-ups make, it's easy to think that a check to some poor slunk wouldn't make a difference, but guess what?
 76 bones, for a lot of rural Vermont folks, will buy a cartload of kidney beans, or help with the exhaust on the '99 Town & Country, or even pay most of the, um, electric bill for the month. Regular people can use the coin right now.
Most people really don't want the weatherstripping, or the future savings as facilitated 20 months from now by an energy expert - they want the cash. Plain and simple. Fair and square.
So hey CVPS, you are already losing the publicity battle; the negatives are adding up. Just send the check. It won't hurt too much.

 FIVE CORNERS UPDATE
Dilemma at the Essex Junction Five Corners Light yesterday. We were stuck behind a dump truck with a big sign on the tailgate stating CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE - DO NOT FOLLOW. Yikes! What do we do? If we can't follow it, do we have to turn around? If we follow it, will we be arrested? And who made the rules about not being to follow this truck?
By the time the light changed, the sign on the truck had weathered and was unreadable so we didn't have to worry. Thank God, 'cuz it was just too much to think about on a Sunday.

Friday

March 23 , 2012

ESSEX JUNCTION FIVE CORNERS UPDATE
Screeched up to Essex Junction Five Corners light today knowing I had a few hours to kill.

I got on the cell and called my techno-guru, insisting he come up with a clicker for me, one that could change the Five Corners light system at my command, therefore allowing me to create a green light whenever I wanted. I was sick of waiting and I wanted answers!

My TG told me the technology to control the Essex Junction Five Corner light system was about a year away, and to hold on.

March 16 , 2012


SEE OBAMA IN VERMONT - IF YOU HAVE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET!
Vermont Hum was going to make a statement on Barack Obama's upcoming visit to Vermont but we found a letter to the editor (Essex Reporter) that took the words right out of our mouths. Take a few minutes to digest this:

Obama visit should be at Statehouse, open to all

REJOICE! For the first time in 17 years, a sitting President of The United States of America is visiting our beloved Vermont. This is welcomed news for a people who are recovering from a year of countless hardships. Furthermore, it debunks the notion that Vermont is an insignificant bump on the national road to re-election.
The subtext of President Barack Obama’s visit is nowhere near as sweet as the headline. Sure, the president will be making the trek to Vermont, but the odds are you won’t see him. Why? Because those who have arranged the event have placed it beyond the reach of average Vermonters. That’s right: Unless you can shell out 30 grand to break bread at the Sheraton, or $100 to stand at the back of a rally, you can dash any hope of joining in this momentous occasion. By my count, that precludes 99 percent of us.
I reject the premise set forth by the organizers of the president’s visit. It is not representative of the people’s want for democracy. By charging a premium to take part in history, the organizers are squandering a golden opportunity to engage the hopes and dreams of countless Vermonters.
An occasion such as this ought to be for all of us; not just those who can afford it. That is why I am calling for change. We can change the narrative. Gov. Peter Shumlin and Vermont’s Legislature are positioned to make this happen. They have the power to extend a formal invitation to President Obama so that he might appear before a joint session of the General Assembly and address Vermonters on the Statehouse lawn.
Imagine: President Barack Obama comes to the Green Mountains after a year of historic hardship. He disembarks at Burlington and travels 35 miles to Montpelier along an interstate flanked by well-wishers. Once in the capital city, the president arrives at the Statehouse and is escorted to the steps of the capital to give a public address, free of charge. Ten thousand Vermonters gather to greet him. This is the democratic way. Most importantly, it is the Vermont way.
You may wonder why this matters. First, I should inform my audience that I am an avid historian — self taught — but passionate all the same. Given my proclivity for sifting through the past, I am often moved by the incredible symbolism of the present. History is made every day, and despite what you might think, we each play a role in crafting our national narrative. Thus, the occasion of a visiting president does not need to be a private affair. History tells us so.
Starting with Jefferson and Madison, presidents have toured Vermont to meet the people. As a native of Rutland County, I learned of this vibrant history at a young age. The lore surrounding Theodore Roosevelt’s visit in August 1912 was legendary. Then campaigning for a third term in office, Roosevelt stood at the heart of Rutland to speak to thousands of Vermonters. The scene was repeated in Barre two days later. There was no fee to take part in this historic occasion. The only requirement was a healthy dose of civic engagement.
In the century since Theodore Roosevelt embraced the people of Vermont, how is it that we have lost the message he conveyed? His visit came at a time of great strife. Indeed, the similarities between 1912 and 2012 are many. The difference is that our politics have become too insulated, too exclusive.
Make a phone call and transform President Obama’s March 30th trip into an event that everyone can take part in. This needn’t be a fantasy. You can help make it a reality. Call Gov. Shumlin: (802) 828-3333. Call your legislator at the Statehouse: (802) 828-2228. Tell the event organizers how common Vermonters are being closed out of this once-in-a-lifetime moment. Together, we have the power to write a new chapter in Vermont history. All it takes is a little change. Your phone call. Right now. The numbers are above.
Dylan Giambatista
Essex
 
Editor's note : Dylan - great message! We forwarded this to our legislator.
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