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09.19.12-09.26.12
SEVENDAYSVT.COM
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9/17/12
Snow Mobiles: Sleighs to Sleds On view through October 28 Extraordinary vintage snowmobiles from the experimental early days to the heyday of the 1960s and 70s. S U P P O R T:
Vermont residents $10 admission; children $5
12 FAIR GAME
SEVEN DAYS
M E D I A S U P P O R T:
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Who’s Chummy With Shummy
ov. PETER SHUMLIN got all hot and bothered last week when his Republican opponent, Sen. RANDY BROCK (R-Franklin), suggested in a Vermont Public Radio debate that the governor took campaign contributions in return for special favors. “Let me first say, Randy, that I don’t accept campaign contributions in return for anything,” Shumlin said. “This is not Chicago. Period. So to answer your question, no, I would never make a campaign contribution request — and I know you’re trying to make many of them and I’m trying to make many of them — in return for anything.” I should certainly hope not! That would 3:00 PM be, um, illegal. But despite Shummy’s insistence that he don’t do nothin’ for nobody in return for campaign cash, the special-interest dough keeps rolling in. Of the $161,000 he raised last month, a full $65,000 of it came from unions, issue advocacy groups and corporations — most of which are based outside Vermont. To put it in perspective, that’s more in special-interest cash than Brock’s entire $62,000 fundraising haul in the same period. Granted, Brock’s not doing too hot in the money department. Of the million dollars Shumlin has raised throughout his reelection campaign, $36,000 comes from issue advocacy groups, $54,000 from unions and a whopping $166,000 from corporations. Which is weird, since Shummy says he doesn’t think corporations should be running the political show. Just two weeks ago, the gov was telling liberal radio host STEPHANIE MILLER during an interview at the Democratic National Convention that “if the people vote, we win, and if the corporations vote, [the Republicans] win.” What he didn’t say: If the corporations give, here’s where they can send a check. To clear things up, we asked Shumlin campaign manager ALEX MACLEAN whether the gov believes corporations are people. “No, he does not. You’ve heard him and I say several times that he believes the Citizens United decision should be overturned,” she said. So why does he take all that cash from corporations? “Vermont law allows us to do so,” she said. “And we play by the rules.” But wouldn’t he rather corporations hold on to the dough and let the people own — ahem, donate to — politicians? “In Vermont, we think the $2000 corporation limit is fair,” MacLean said. “Again, at the federal level, he does believe they play an outsized role through the Citizens United decision.”
9/14/12 3:50 PM
OPEN SEASON ON VERMONT POLITICS BY PAUL HEINTZ
So just who’s sending the checks Shummy’s way? Last month, the gov took contributions from 30 companies; prior to that, another 72 had given to his campaign. Among them are a few homegrown Vermont businesses such as Handy Toyota of St. Albans ($500), Stowe Tree Experts ($250) and Vermont Farmstead Cheese of Woodstock ($2000). Others are a little less local: VISA ($2000), DISH Network ($2000) and Goshen Farms of Florida ($2000). Some are somewhat in between: Five Florida-based companies owned by PRITAM SINGH — a real estate developer who lives part time in South Woodstock — gave Shumlin a combined $10,000. Singh and his wife, ANN JOHNSTON, each gave another $2000 to the gov, for a grand total of $14,000.
SHUMLIN’S RIGHT: WE’RE NOT IN CHICAGO.
ONLY IN VERMONT ARE POLITICIANS IN THE POCKET OF BIG BONG. Divining the intent of corporations who give to politicians is always a tricky thing because, of course, they’re not gonna admit to currying favor. But a number of Shumlin’s recent contributors have plenty of business before the State of Vermont. Iberdrola Renewables ($1000) is seeking to build wind towers in southern Vermont. Rutland’s omnipresent Casella enterprises ($4000 between two companies) contract with the state. Corrections Corporation of America ($1000) takes care of Vermont inmates at a Kentucky prison. And Florida-based Rapid USA Consulting ($1000) hosted Shumlin at an EB-5 visa conference in Miami last November and, until recently, worked to secure foreign investment in Jay Peak ($2000). But if you ask MacLean why they’re giving to Shummy, she’ll tell you, “Many of them agree with the governor’s vision and agenda in Vermont to create jobs and more economic opportunities for Vermonters.” I bet! At least with unions and advocacy groups, you know what they’re looking for. From Shumlin, they seem to want booze, death and pot: Throughout the campaign, the gov has received $5000 from three trade groups representing alcohol wholesalers and distributors; $5000 from Patient Choices of Vermont, which supports physician-assisted suicide; and $11,000 from four groups that want weaker drug laws. And
that doesn’t include the $2000 he took from Weedmaps Media, whose website connects potheads with marijuana dispensaries. Which brings us back to that VPR debate. Brock was specifically criticizing Shumlin for his promise to push for the decriminalization of marijuana in Vermont in a fundraising call to the head of the propot group NORML, as the Burlington Free Press reported last month. In a blog post, NORML’s executive director wrote that, in his convo with the gov, Shumlin expressed a desire “to become a national spokesperson for cannabis law reforms before the Congress and Executive branch.” Shummy’s right: We’re not in Chicago. Only in Vermont are politicians in the pocket of Big Bong. Of course, the gov doesn’t see it that way. As Shumlin laboriously explained during the VPR debate, all he promised during that NORML fundraising call was to “go anywhere, anytime that I can get there, to fight for what I believe is right. Which is cracking down on drugs that are killing people — that are leading to crime and addiction — and decriminalizing and stopping the crazy resources and misallocation that we’re currently doing to fight small amounts of marijuana.” Sounds like at least one Shumlin donor is getting what it paid for.
Broughton’s Bucks
Last week, we told you about the mysterious new conservative super PAC that plunked down at least $70,000 on television advertisements backing Republican candidates and causes. With little to go on, political prognosticators speculated that the group, Vermonters First, was drawing funding from out-of-state sources, such as the Republican Governors Association or the Republican National Committee. As it turns out, the super PAC’s sole funder is one LENORE BROUGHTON, who hails from none other than the Queen City. Talk about buying local! According to the group’s first campaign finance report, Broughton donated $100,000 to Vermonters First late last month. Nearly all of that cash immediately went to a two-week ad buy: Two 15-second commercials back state treasurer candidate WENDY WILTON and state auditor candidate VINCE ILLUZZI — both Republicans. A third, 30-second spot, which debuted this week, rails against “the Democrats” and their rapscallion single-payer health care plan. But who is JOHN GALT, I mean, Lenore Broughton?