When the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant closes, cleaning up the site will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Entergy, the corporate owner of the plant and the company making all the profits off Vermont Yankee, should be responsible for that clean up. But, Entergy now wants to spin Vermont Yankee off into another company, which may not have the financial resources necessary to pay for the clean up.
Legislators, rightly concerned about the possibility that Vermont taxpayers — rather than Entergy — would be left with the tab for cleaning up the site, passed a sensible bill that would hold Entergy responsible for the clean up costs, if the decommissioning fund or the new company came up short.
Rather than joining the legislature and sticking up for working Vermont taxpayers, Jim Douglas chose to protect Entergy’s corporate profits and vetoed the bill. Working Vermonters deserve a governor who will fight for their interests, not one who would let a corporation walk out on its responsibility to the state.
Welch puts savvy to work for Vermonters
In “Savvy, Minus the Senority: Peter Welch isn’t the typical freshman House Democrat,” the Journal said, “At a time when many freshman House Democrats are worrying about a tough re-election campaign this fall — or are still trying to find their way around the Capitol — Welch acts like a veteran. ... He has already taken on substantial energy and environmental issues and procurement reforms that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and committee chairmen have highlighted in their agenda.”
In addition to highlighting important policy initiatives Congressman Welch has advanced, the article also points out how much other members of Congress have taken notice of his work. “He’s very smart, and he takes the initiative,” said Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Henry Waxman, D-Calif. “He speaks with a great deal of authority. He has a very bright future.”
But the praise and recognition Welch has received in his first term haven’t swayed his priorities: “My work is all about Vermont,” he says.
Happy Birthday Peter!
The Vermont Democratic Party wishes Congressman Peter Welch a very happy birthday. We appreciate all the work you do for Vermonters every day and we look forward seeing all the great work you’ll accomplish next!
D.I.R.T.: Green Up your community this weekend!
| Sign up to receive our emails | |
|---|---|
| Zip | |
The amount of great work our legislators accomplished on behalf of working Vermonters is impressive enough on its own. But the fact that our legislators accomplished such an enormous amount of work in the shortest session in a decade speaks volumes about the dedication of our lawmakers in Montpelier.
Nowhere is the distinction between Jim Douglas’ empty political posturing and the legislature’s thoughtful, diligent work on behalf of working Vermonters more evident than in economic stimulus measures enacted this session. Consider the following contrasts:
- Douglas proposed a tax credit for manufacturing companies that are already making a profit (ignoring those that are struggling and could lose jobs)
- Democrats produced a no- or low- interest loan program for manufacturing companies that are distressed and may shed jobs.
- Douglas proposed telling the retirement fund’s investment board how to invest their money by requiring them to invest in the Vermont Housing and Finance Administration (VHFA)
- Democrats produced a package that helped VHFA strengthen a proposal to the retirement board and preserved the board’s right to make decisions about retiree’s money
- Douglas consistently opposed additional bonding for transportation and then proposed to ignore the process by which the state set limits on how much to borrow
- Democrats pushed for more bonding to fix our roads and bridges for over a year and produced a plan for increasing bonding and preserving the integrity of our debt affordability determination process
- Douglas proposed an 800 number that does not provide much help for Vermonters facing foreclosure
- Democrats invested in credit counselors to help people make informed credit decisions when financing a home or to help them avoid foreclosure
- Douglas insisted on a sales tax holiday that won’t stimulate the economy and benefits people who can decide when to buy things
- Democrats produce a plan to invest in workforce training (to help employers looking for qualified employees and workers looking for better paying jobs), affordable housing and downtown development (to help create jobs, create housing and reinvigorate our downtowns and village centers), and energy efficiency (which will help lower fuel bills and create well paying jobs in the green economy)
Our office is handicap accessible.