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the Democratic primary for attorney general. Lindley says his party plans to file a complaint next week alleging that Attorney General Bill Sorrell illegally coordinated with the Committee for Justice and Fairness, a Washington, D.C.-based super PAC that spent more than $184,000 backing Sorrell’s primary campaign. Lindley believes that former governor Howard dean, who told Seven Days he advised the super PAC on its media strategy, served as an intermediary between the two entities. “We need a full investigation,” Lindley says. Sorrell and Dean both denied illegal coordination last month, with Dean telling Seven Days, “I know the campaign laws.” With whom will Lindley file his complaint? Sorrell’s own office. “It’s going to be awkward for the attorney general probably, but they can’t have a double standard on that issue,” he says.
project — all of which the council sent to voters Monday night. Despite the lopsided vote in favor of Weinberger’s bonding proposal, councilors expressed plenty of grievances. The body’s three Progressives and independent councilor SHaron BuSHor (Ward 1) sought unsuccessfully to add $3 million to the bond to invest more in the bike path. “Everybody I spoke to was way more excited to spend money to get something more concrete than financial stability,” said Councilor racHel Siegel (P-Ward 3). “I feel that we can sell it better if the bike path is attached to it.” Bushor and Councilor Paul decelleS (R-Ward 7) expressed frustration that the process was rushed and that, as Decelles put it, the council had “no serious time to address this.” In the end, though, only Decelles voted against the bond, while Weinberger’s other proposals passed unanimously. Voters will have the final say in November — assuming they get past the pot question.
Bonds, Bongs & Bikes
Barre-Montpelier Times Argus reporter KeitH Vance quit his job last month, citing low wages and the rising cost of daycare. But barely a week later, he was back on the beat, reporting for a new media source: his own hyper-local, online news organization called Voice of Montpelier. “Financially, it made more sense for me to not work for the Times Argus anymore, stay home, watch my daughter during the day, freelance write and work for myself,” he says. Vance, who worked for the TA for a year and a half, hopes to fund the nonprofit through grants, donations and sustaining memberships — not unlike the model pioneered by fellow ex-TA staffer anne galloway at VTDigger.org. But can a town of just 7855 sustain another local news outlet? After all, it’s already got the Times Argus and the Bridge, a biweekly paper. “That’s the question! I don’t know. Talking to people, I think they’re looking for something fresh,” he says. “People seem to be really interested in a modern, 21st-century news organization for Montpelier.” m
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FAIR GAME 15
That hopey-changey guy won’t be the only thing on the ballot this fall in Burlington. By a vote of 13 to 1, the Burlington City Council on Monday night asked voters to approve a $9 million “fiscal stability bong” in November. Shit, bro, did I just say “bong”? Must’ve confused the council’s bond vote with another burning issue: its 11 to 3 approval of a nonbinding reeferendum asking Burlingtonians whether they support “the legalization, regulation and taxation of all cannabis and hemp products.” Don’t think we’ll need the Castleton Polling Institute to tell us where Burlington’s stoners, er, voters stand on that one! While the council spent plenty of time tittering over toking — Councilor ed adrian (D-Ward 1) went so far as to say he’d be “shocked to find out that the vast majority of the council hasn’t tried out marijuana at some point in their life” — the real debate Monday night centered around bonding. Two weeks ago, Mayor Miro weinBerger proposed the $9 million fiscal stability bond to shore up the city’s finances in the wake of the Burlington Telecom debacle and reduce its reliance on short-term borrowing, which could grow more expensive if the city’s credit rating continues to slide. Weinberger also proposed a half-cent tax hike to pay for bike-path repairs and a $7 million waterfront tax increment financing
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