http://www.vermontnewsguy.com/221 Real News for Real Vermonters Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:59:26 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.vermontnewsguy.com/221/comment-page-1#comment-22 wdh3 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:42:39 +0000 http://www.vermontnewsguy.com/?p=221#comment-22 Great post. This statement: "This liberal state—sometimes called the most leftward in all the land—is governed by two center-right parties." should be shouted from every mountain top in the land until it gets across. Keep up the good work. Great post. This statement:
“This liberal state—sometimes called the most leftward in all the land—is governed by two center-right parties.”
should be shouted from every mountain top in the land until it gets across. Keep up the good work.

]]> http://www.vermontnewsguy.com/221/comment-page-1#comment-19 Bruce Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:10:43 +0000 http://www.vermontnewsguy.com/?p=221#comment-19 Having been Snelling's policy director back during the 1991 budget crisis, I remember full well how Snelling tried to blend fiscal sensibility with public sensitivity. His collaboration with Democratic Speaker Ralph Wright was an act of sheer statesmanship and public service by two strong, at times stubborn, and undeniable leaders. At the time of his death, Dick Snelling was working on an idea he called a "level of decency" that he wanted to propose at the national level. Basically, it would have used a revenue sharing mechanism to raise all states to a level of decency in terms of basic public services for the American people. He objected to the idea that some southern states, for instance, chose to restrict taxes below their state's true tax capacity and instead starved fundamental services to those who were less fortunate. Not many folks know this story. It is unfortunate that neither Snelling nor Ralph Wright left many heirs among our state's political figures. I guess the leadership gene both carried simply was not passed on. Having been Snelling’s policy director back during the 1991 budget crisis, I remember full well how Snelling tried to blend fiscal sensibility with public sensitivity. His collaboration with Democratic Speaker Ralph Wright was an act of sheer statesmanship and public service by two strong, at times stubborn, and undeniable leaders. At the time of his death, Dick Snelling was working on an idea he called a “level of decency” that he wanted to propose at the national level. Basically, it would have used a revenue sharing mechanism to raise all states to a level of decency in terms of basic public services for the American people. He objected to the idea that some southern states, for instance, chose to restrict taxes below their state’s true tax capacity and instead starved fundamental services to those who were less fortunate. Not many folks know this story. It is unfortunate that neither Snelling nor Ralph Wright left many heirs among our state’s political figures. I guess the leadership gene both carried simply was not passed on.

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