Secretary of State Deb Markowitz on Chittenden County Democrats Show

An interview with Vermont Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Deb Markowitz was recorded on December 3, 2009.  Former County Chair, Mike Yantachka, hosted the half-hour interview.  The topics of discussion ranged from Sec. Markowitz's work for the past 11 years in her current office to her positions on economic development, Vermont Yankee's relicensing, environmental concerns, agriculture, and other issues.

You can watch this program on Channel 17/ Town Meeting Television, on Comcast Cable and Burlington Telecom systems at the following times:

1. Saturday January 2, 6:45 PM
2. Monday January 4, 5:40 AM
3. Monday January 4, 11:40 AM

You may also watch the program on-line by clicking here: http://www.cctv.org/node/85268.
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Chittenden County Democrats Show Viewing Times - Party Leadership Turnover and Other Issues

Senator Ginny Lyons and newly elected Chittenden County Democratic Party Chair, Jake Perkinson, co-hosted the Chittenden County Democrats Show at the CCTV studio on November 2nd. They discussed Vermont Yankee, Health Care and other issues legislators will be tackling this session. Jake also talked about some initiatives he is planning for the Chittenden Dems as he takes over from outgoing Chair Mike Yantachka, who will be running for the Vermont Senate in 2010.

The program will be rebroadcast at the following times by CCTV:
Thursday November 5, 7:00 PM
Monday November 9, 3:30 PM
Monday November 16, 3:30 PM
Monday November 23, 3:30 PM
Monday November 30, 3:30 PM.

The program can also be streamed online at http://www.cctv.org/node/83730.
LCATV and VCAM also rebroadcast Chittenden County Democrats shows at regular times. See their schedules for those times.
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Chittenden County Democratic Committee Reorganizes

The Chittenden County Democratic Committee convened on October 20th to reorganize as required by Vermont law. Chairman Mike Yantachka called the meeting to order shortly after 7 PM with more than 70 delegates present. The first order of business was the election of officers beginning with a new Chairperson. Jake Perkinson was nominated by Milton Town Chair Reg Godin. With no other nominations for the position, Jake was unanimously elected, whereupon, Mike Yantachka turned the meeting over to him.

The two positions related to representation on the State Democratic Committee were contested. Selene Hofer-Shall and Robyn McGuire were both nominated for the position of State Committeewoman, and Ed Adrian and Robert Hooper were both nominated for the position of State Committeeman. Hofer-Shall and Hooper won those elections by secret ballot.

The other officer positions were not contested and were filled by Vice-Chair Bob Hooper, Secretary Robyn McGuire, Treasurer Jesse Bridges, and Assistant Treasurer David Cain. Mary Sullivan, Marcella Chiarello and Joanna Cole were elected Alternate Delegates to the State Committee, also without opposition.

Following the election of officers, outgoing treasurer Ken Brown gave his final financial report and offered his help in transitioning the duties of Treasurer to Bridges.

In acknowledgement of the early start to the 2010 campaigns, Perkinson invited declared candidates for county offices to introduce themselves to the Committee. Philip Baruth, Ralph Montefusco, Andy Montroll and Mike Yantachka each spoke as candidates for the Vermont Senate, and Charles Delaney spoke as a candidate for Assistant Judge. Chittenden County Senator Doug Racine, candidate for Governor, was also invited to address the Committee. All candidates were limited to two minutes.

During the meeting several door prizes were raffled off as a fund-raiser. The raffle netted $130 for the treasury. The meeting was adjourned just after 8 PM.
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Correction: Chittenden County Democratic Reorganization Meeting - October 20, 2009

The biennial reorganization meeting of the Chittenden County Democratic Committee will be held on Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 7:00 PM, at the South Burlington High School cafeteria, Dorset Street, South Burlington.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

1. Election of Officers
2. Report of the outgoing Treasurer
3. Introduction of declared candidates for county and statewide office
4. Other business

The meeting is open to all, but only County Committee Delegates will be eligible to vote on matters before the Committee. An Alternate Delegate from a town may vote if a Delegate from that town is not present. Each town will have no more voting delegates than the number of delegates allocated to that town. Non-delegates will have observational privileges only.

Nominations for all officer positions will be open from the floor. Candidates may nominate themselves or have someone else nominate them.
Several persons have announced their intention to run for a position:
Chair - Jake Perkinson
Vice-Chair - Bob Hooper (incumbent)
State Committeewoman - Marcella Chiarello (incumbent)
Alternate State Committee Delegates - Mary Sullivan and Joanna Cole (incumbents)

The offices of Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, State Committeeman, and a third Alternate State Committee Delegate are open. Anyone interested in running for any of these offices can contact me ahead of the meeting.

In order to improve the state of our treasury, several door prizes donated by current officers will be raffled during the meeting. Tickets will be sold at the door.

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Shelburne Gubernatorial Forum Postponed

The South Burlington and Shelburne Democratic Committees, has issued the following announcement today, September 30th:

Due to unforseen circumstances, the Democratic Governor Candidates Forum scheduled for Thursday, October 1, in Shelburne, has been postponed to a later date. Please keep your eyes peeled for the rescheduled date.

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Chittenden County Democrats Show Viewing Times - Labor Discussion

The Chittenden County Democrats Show was pre-taped for the Labor Day broadcast, since we could not do a live show on the holiday. I was joined by IBEW Local 300 Marketing Director Matt Lash and Carpenters Union representative Bryan Bouchard, and we discussed a number of issues important to working families. You can view the program online at http://www.cctv.org/node/79789. It is also re-broadcast according to the following schedules:

CCTV Ch 17 (Burlington, So. Burlington, Winooski, Essex) - Mon 3:30 PM

VCAM Ch 17 (Shelburne, Hinesburg, Charlotte) - Mon 5:00PM, Wed 12:00PM, Sat 6:30PM

LCATV Ch 16 (Colchester, Milton) - Mon 5:00PM & 11:00PM, Thur 4:00AM, Sat 12:00AM & 11:00AM
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2009 Democratic Party Reorganization Caucuses Scheduled

Pursuant to 17 VSA 2302-2305 the legal voters of the following municipalities are hereby warned that the Democratic Party will hold reorganization caucuses for the election of Town/City Democratic Committee officers and delegates to the Chittenden County Democratic Committee at the following times and places:

Burlington

9/22/09 6:00P Champlain Elementary School Cafeteria

Charlotte

9/16/09 7:00P Town Office

Colchester

9/26/09 10:00A Town Meeting Hall

Essex Jct

9/22/09 6:30P Essex Free Library

Hinesburg

9/22/09 7:30P Town Clerk's office

Jericho

9/22/09 7:00p Town Hall Conf Rm

Milton

9/22/09 7:00p Middle/Senior High School

Richmond

9/30/09 7:00P Richmond Free Library

St. George

9/22/09 7:00p Town Hall

Shelburne

9/22/09 7:00P Town Offices

So. Burlington

9/14/09 7:00P Audette Public Works Bldg

Underhill

9/22/09 7:00P Town Hall

Westford

9/16/09 7:00P Town Offices

Williston

9/22/09 7:00p Dorothy Alling Memorial Library

Winooski

9/15/09 6:00P Winooski Senior Center

*** Details including contact information are on the Chittenden County Democrats calendar on the right-hand side of this website.
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Statement from Vermont Democratic Party on the Passing of Senator Kennedy

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont Democratic Party has issued the following statement regarding the passing of Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy.
Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy of Massachusetts passed away late Tuesday night following a courageous battle with brain cancer. He was 77.
In his 47 years of service, Senator Kennedy was arguably the United States Senate's most renowned and recognizable Democrat. In keeping with his family's legacy of political activism and advocacy, Senator Kennedy worked tirelessly to better the lives of everyday Americans, to give a voice to those without one, and to end the various forms of discrimination that have plagued Americans over the past half-century.
While physically absent from the public eye during much of the last year, Senator Kennedy shocked many on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in August when he appeared unannounced and delivered a speech that garnered a standing ovation.
“My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here, and nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight,” Senator Kennedy said. “I have come here tonight to stand with you to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States.”
Senator Kennedy's influence in Washington has been especially apparent recently, as Congress debates the largest overhaul of America’s health care system in decades. The quest for quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans was an endeavor that Senator Kennedy referred to as “the cause of my life", one that he remained devoted to even in his final days.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which Senator Kennedy chaired, passed health care legislation on July 15, and the conflict over the proposed reconstruction of the flawed current system is presently the central focus on Capitol Hill.
Senator Kennedy was beloved by many Americans, and respected by his Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He was admired for his compassion, vigor, sense of humor, and steadfast devotion to serving the greater good of the American public.
We send our deepest condolences to Senator Kennedy's family and friends as our nation mourns the loss and celebrates the life of such an extraordinary man.

DFA Chairman Jim Dean meets with County Dems

Jim Dean, Chairman of Democracy For America, was the guest speaker at the Chittenden County Democrats meeting on August 18th. Jim spoke to the 28 attendees about the DFA effort to influence the health care debate across the United States. The "Stand with Dr. Dean" campaign has been working to get senators on the record in support of a strong public healthcare option. It provides an opportunity and online resources for constituents to register their support for a public option for health insurance. "DFA has also been lobbying Senator Max Baucus and the so-called "gang of six" to include the public option provision in the Senate bill under consideration by the Finance Committee.

"This is like any other campaign but without a candidate," said Dean. It consists of "field operations, door-knocking, and letters to the editor to persuade the public and members of Congress that the public option is necessary for health care reform," he stated.



Governor Howard Dean has written a book called "Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform" which can also be ordered via the "Stand with Dr. Dean" website. Dr. Dean writes, "If Barack Obama's healthcare plan gets changed to exclude a public option like Medicare, then it is not healthcare reform. Legislation rises and falls on whether the American public is allowed to choose a universally available public option or not."

Also in the meeting Chairman Mike Yantachka described the process that town and city Democratic Committees will be following in September for their reorganization caucuses. A schedule of caucuses can be found in the calendar on the right-hand side of the Chittenden County Democrats website.

The County Democratic Committee reorganization meeting will be held on October 20th at the South Burlington High School. County Committee delegates will be elected at the local caucuses. These delegates are allocated based on the number of votes cast in the municipality for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gaye Symington in 2008. Click here to see how the delegates are allocated.

The meeting also heard from Charlie Delaney, who announced his candidacy for Chittenden County Side-Judge in 2010, and from Philip Baruth, who is running for a State Senate seat from Chittenden County. Chairman Mike Yantachka also announced that he will not be running for re-election as Chair and that he also intends to run for the State Senate in 2010.

Senator Sanders Unfiltered

Senator Bernie Sanders has collaborated with Brave New Films to bring a series of video commentaries to the internet. "Senator Sanders Unfiltered" is the name of the show. Watch the first episode.

A Petition to Support a Public Option for Health Insurance

Senators Patrick Leahy, Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin have issued the following call for support of a health care plan that includes a public option:

Nearly 50 million Americans -- one-in-six of our fellow citizens -- lack health insurance. Even those families lucky enough to have health insurance have seen their premiums triple in the past decade. America's health care system is in a crisis, and it's time to do something about it.

"This month, Congress is working on new reform legislation that will make quality health care available and affordable for all Americans. We support a public health insurance option that would foster greater competition in the marketplace, create more choices for consumers, and lead to lower costs and better quality for all. But we know the forces of the status quo will battle us every step of the way. Please sign this online petition, showing your support of Congress' work to reform America's health care system now.
Thank you,
Senator Dick Durbin
Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator Chuck Schumer

You can show your support by signing their online petition at this website: http://ga3.org/campaign/healthpetition

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Chittenden County Democrats Show with Sen. Tim Ashe

The July 6th Shittenden County Democrats show featured State Senator Tim Ashe. Tim and County Chair Mike Yantachka talked about ways in which the Democratic Party and Progressive Party can cooperate on the state and local levels. Sen. Ashe was a "fusion candidate" in the 2008 state senate race. As a Progressive Burlington City Councilor, Ashe chose to run for a nomination in the Democratic State Senate primary race. He won that contest and then was elected by a 400-plus vote margin to one of the six senate seats from Chittenden County.

Tim and Mike both agreed that the two parties share similar goals at the state level. Ashe acknowledged that those who identify themselves as Progressives tend to be a bit more liberal than the average Democrat. the most contention comes at the local level, especially in Burlington. Both Yantachka and Ashe agreed that it will be necessary for both parties to support a common gubernatorial candidate in 2010 to have any chance to unseat Republican Governor Jim Douglas. A caller reminded the panel that Gov. Douglas won by a 55% to a combined 45% margin over Progressive Anthony Pollina (who ran as an independent) and Democrat Gaye Symington. While this is true, Yantachka stated that the difficulty Democrats had in announcing a candidate combined with the way Pollina's request for endorsement by the Democratic Party negatively affected voters perceptions of both candidates, as bourne out by the overwhelming Democratic victories in every other statewide and national race.

The program will be rebroadcast at the following times by CCTV:
Friday July 17, 12:10 AM
Friday July 17, 5:10 AM
Friday July 17, 11:10 AM
Saturday July 18, 1:00 PM
Monday July 20, 3:30 PM
Monday July 27, 3:30 PM
The program can also be streamed online at http://www.cctv.org/node/77221.

LCATV and VCAM also rebroadcast Chittenden County Democrats shows at regular times. See their schedules for those times.
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Chittenden County Democrats Hear From Majority Leader Nease

Chairman Mike Yantachka called the meeting of Chittenden County Democrats to order at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 9th, at the IBEW Union Training Hall in South Burlington.

In the absence of Treasurer Ken Brown, Mike announced that we currently have $628.80 in our treasury. He suggested that we have a fundraiser.

Mike then explained how the upcoming political party reorganization works. Local Democratic Committees will reorganize in September, followed by the county reorganization in October, and ending with the state Party reorganization in November.

Charlie Merriman, a candidate for Secretary of State, took a few minutes to introduce himself to the two dozen people present.

House Majority Leader, Rep. Floyd Nease, reported on the just-ended legislative session. He discussed the two veto overrides and some of the other major achievements of the Democrats. While the veto overrides were a positive outcome of the session, Nease stressed that the passed budget was far from ideal and that there would continue to be challenges ahead for the state. When asked about the upcoming session, Floyd said he’s not sure what the agenda will be for next year, that it somewhat depends upon what happens to the economy during the rest of this year.

Robert Dempsey, the new Executive Director of the VT Democratic Party, introduced himself and gave a brief outline of what is currently happening at Vermont Democratic Party headquarters.

Charlie Delaney, a member of the VT Commission on Native American Affairs, reported on the frustration of Native Americans with the lack of interest from the Governor’s office in trying to work out a way to recognize Vermont’s American Indians.

-- Submitted by Secretary Sherry Mahady

Sen. Racine Comments on Health Care in Vermont

The Chittenden County Democrats Show recorded on 2009-06-01 featured County Chair Mike Yantachka and County Senator Doug Racine. The discussion focused on the the state of health care availability and the effects of the budget on state-supported programs. This discussion took place before the historic veto-override session of the legislature on June 2nd.

You can watch this program on Channel 17/ Town Meeting Television, on Comcast Cable and Burlington Telecom systems at the following times:

1. Saturday June 13, 6:00 PM
2. Monday June 15, 3:30 PM
3. Monday June 22, 3:30 PM
4. Monday June 29, 3:30 PM
5. Monday July 6, 3:30 PM

The program is also rebroadcast at various times on LCATV serving Northwestern Chittenden County and on VCAM serving southern Chittenden County. Check the schedules for those stations.

You may also watch the program on-line by clicking here: http://www.cctv.org/node/75546

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So. Burlington Dems Elect New Chair

At a caucus on Monday, June 8th, the South Burlington Democratic Committee elected Karen Ryder as Chair after the resignation of Bob DiFerdinando due to illness. Ms. Ryder had been the Vice-Chair and had assumed the position of acting-Chair the previous month. Kathy Anderson was elected to the position of Vice-Chair vacated by Ryder.

Has Your e-Mail Address Changed?

If you had been receiving Chittenden County Democrats e-mail notices and no longer are receiving them but would like to continue, please send Mike Yantachka an e-mail. It may be that we no longer have a valid address for you. Prior Verizon and Comcast customers are particularly affected, but anyone who has recently changed service providers needs to send us an updated address. Thanks for your assistance and continued involvement.

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Chittenden County Democrats Will Meet on Tuesday, June 9th

The next meeting of Chittenden County Democrats will be on Tuesday, June 9th, at the IBEW Union Training Hall at 3 Gregory Drive, South Burlington, at 7:00 PM. House Majority Leader Floyd Nease will be our featured guest. I hope you will take the time to come to the meeting to meet Floyd and hear his take on what worked and what didn't during this session and where we need to go from here.

We will also be looking forward to 4th of July events, a possible fund raising social event, and the reorganization caucuses that will be held this year.

Check the calendar on the right for other important events.

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Chittenden County Democrats Show with Rep. Terry Macaig

The Chittenden County Democrats Show featuring Rep. Terry Macaig and Mike Yantachka was recorded on 2009-03-02. The topic was how freshman legislators adapt to their work in the legislature.

You can watch this program on Channel 17/ Town Meeting Television, on Comcast Cable and Burlington Telecom systems at the following times:
Saturday March 21, 6:10 PM
Monday March 23, 3:30 PM

You may also watch the program on-line by clicking here: http://www.cctv.org/node/71238.

Essex Junction and Town Elect New Chair

The Essex Junction and Town Democratic Committee elected Paul Craven to replace outgoing Chair Chris Loso, who resigned due to the demands of his job. Paul is president of Paul Craven & Associates, a program development firm in Essex Junction.

House Speaker Shap Smith to Speak at County Dems Meeting‏

With the passage of the Obama Stimulus Package, a.k.a. the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Vermont legislature is in the process of integrating its financial provisions into our state budget. Not surprisingly, the goals of Gov. Douglas differ fundamentally from the goals of Democrats and Progressives. Many of us will have a chance to hear from our local legislators this week at Town Meeting. On Monday, March 16th, we will have the opportunity to hear from Speaker of the Vermont House, Shap Smith, at our Chittenden County Democrats meeting. This meeting will take place at 7:30 PM at the IBEW Union Training Hall, 5 Gregory Drive, South Burlington.

Also, the Chittenden County Democrats Show on CCTV Channel 17 in Burlington and surrounding towns taped on Monday, March 2nd, features freshman representative Terry Macaig of Williston. We talked about his experiences adapting to his responsibilities as a legislator. You can look for rebroadcasts of the program on CCTV, LCATV and VCAM later in the month, or you can stream it online at http://www.cctv.org/node/71238.

Sen. Ginny Lyons Discusses Budget Implications

State Senator Ginny Lyons joined Chairman Mike Yantachka on the Chittenden County Democrats Show last week to discuss the effects that the tight budget will have on Vermnters and the alternatives that can be considered. The program will be rebroadcast on CCTV Channel 17 on Monday February 9, 3:00 PM and on Friday February 13, 2:00 PM.

Viewers served by LCATV can watch it on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays on Channel 16. Check the schedule here: http://www.lcatv.org/Channel%2016/page1.html.

Viewers served by VCAM can look for program times here: http://www.vermontcam.org/vcam%20schedule.htm.

You may also watch the program on-line by clicking here: http://www.cctv.org/node/70024.

Petition & Demonstrate Against Budget Cuts

The State of Vermont has a budget shortfall and Governor Douglas says it should be done without raising new revenue but through program cuts that will primarily affect children, the elderly, and low income Vermonters. Join the Vermont Workers' Center (VWC) and other organizations across the state opposing proposed state budget cuts which will be devastating to thousands of Vermont families.

1. The Burlington Livable City Coalition will hold a Candlelight Vigil to Stop State Budget Cuts on Monday, February 2nd, 5 PM, at 108 Cherry St (near Church St), Burlington. Similar vigils will be held throughout the state. For a listing see http://www.workerscenter.org/calendar/.
2. On Tuesday, February 3rd, 7 PM, there will be a Community Forum w/Chicago Republic Sit-in Strikers at the Billings North Lounge, 48 University Place, UVM, Burlington. In December, 260 workers at Chicago's Republic Windows occupied their plant for six days, a sit-in strike launched in response to the closing of their plant with only 3 days notice. The Vermont Workers' Center and other Jobs with Justice coalitions along with other community, faith and labor activists from across the country mobilized in support of these workers, helping them win a settlement from Bank of America and Republic owners including severance pay and compensation for unpaid earnings.
3. Liz Schlegel, Waterbury Town Chair, has started a news site with a petition to mobilize support for using taxes as one mechanism to address our budget problems. It will be great if we can generate a lot of signatures for this. Here's the link to the web site: http://countmeinvt.wordpress.com/.

New Vice-Chair for Chittenden County Democratic Committee‏

Congratulations to Bob Hooper of Burlington on his election as Vice-Chair of the County Committee. I look forward to working with him to keep the County Committee relevant and effective in promoting Democratic values and goals. Bob has a long record of labor activism and serves as Vice-President of the Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA).

The minutes of Monday's meeting at the Albert "Sonny" Audette office building in South Burlington are being written up by our Secretary, Sherry Mahady, and will be posted on this website when ready.

-- Mike Yantachka
Chittenden County Democratic Committee Chairman

County Democrats Meeting on 1/26/09 + other info‏

Chittenden County Democrats,
Here's an update to January happenings.

1. The County Committee meeting will be held on Monday, January 26th, 7:00 PM, at the Sonny Audette Office Bldg, 102 Landfill Rd, South Burlington. This meeting is open to everyone, not just County Committee members. The agenda will include:
   • Election of a Vice-Chair -- Our Vice-Chair, Robert Ready, resigned back in August, and with the County Fair, the primary and general elections and personal commitments, I was not able to properly schedule an election to replace him. Nominations will be open from the floor. The Vice-Chair will assist me with keeping the website current and help with organizing meetings and other events, including fund-raising. Anyone planning to run for this position is welcome to contact me at any time via email or phone (233-5238). Only County Committee members can cast a vote in this election. (Click here to see a list of County Committe members. If you see an error, please let me know.)
   • Report from the legislature -- I hope one or more legislators will attend the meeting to fill us in on how the session is proceeding with regard to the important issues.
   • Inauguration experiences -- Anyone who attended the inauguration is welcome to tell us about their experiences so that we stay-at-homes can enjoy them vicariously.




2. Inauguration Watch Party - Watch the Inauguration of Barack Obama and Joe Biden on January 20th with friends at Nectar's in Burlington. This event is sponsored by local DFA chapters. Click here to get details and RSVP.
   

3. Local elections -- There is still time to submit your petition to run for local office. The upcoming Town Meetings are an opportunity for Democrats to run for positions on School Boards, Select Boards, City Councils, etc. It is not only a way to further the Democratic Vision of serving our communities in a progressive way, but also to build a leadership base that can provide future candidates for state-level offices. The deadline for submitting a petition to the Town or City Clerk to get on the ballot for a municipal election is Monday, January 26th, 5:00 PM.
4. The Chittenden County Democrats Show recorded on Monday, January 5th, featured Sen. Hinda Miller and Rep. Mark Larson talking about the current budget crisis Vermont is experiencing. LCATV and VCAM as well as CCTV will rebroadcast the program at various times throughout the month. Check their schedules for broadcast times. Previous shows can also be viewed online at the CCTV website: http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/live-at-5. The CCTV Channel 17 rebroadcast schedule is
   Sunday January 18, 9:50 PM
   Monday January 19, 2:50 AM
   Monday January 19, 8:50 AM
   Monday January 19, 3:00 PM .

I hope to see you at the meeting on January 26th.
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Regards,
Mike Yantachka
Chittenden County Democratic Committee Chairman

Happy 2009!

I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season enjoying time with friends and family and that 2009 will prove to be a healthy and prosperous new year for you.

Now that the elections and recounts are over, the real work is beginning. We are looking forward to the new Obama administration in Washington while we wonder what will be done in Montpelier to weather these difficult economic times.

Here's what's on the burner for the month of January.

1. The Chittenden County Democrats Show will be broadcast Live at 5:25 once again this Monday, January 5th, from the CCTV Channel 17 studio in Burlington. Appearing with me will be Sen. Hinda Miller and Rep. Mark Larson, and we will be talking about the current budget crisis Vermont is experiencing. Residents of Burlington, So. Burlington, Winooski and Essex Junction can view the program live. LCATV and VCAM as well as CCTV will rebroadcast the program at various times throughout the month for other Chittenden County residents. Check their schedules for broadcast times. Previous shows can also be viewed online at the CCTV website: http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/live-at-5.


2. A County Committee meeting will be held during the week after the inauguration of Barak Obama. The time and date is not yet certain, so I will send out a follow-up notice. The agenda will include:
   
   
   • Election of a Vice-Chair -- Our Vice-Chair, Robert Ready, resigned back in August, and with the County Fair, the primary and general elections, and personal commitments, I was not able to properly schedule an election to replace him. Nominations will be open from the floor. The Vice-Chair will assist me with keeping the website current and help with organizing meetings and other events, including fund-raising. Anyone planning to run for this position is welcome to contact me at any time via email or phone (233-5238).
   
   
   • Report from the legislature -- I hope one or more legislators will attend the meeting to fill us in on how the session is proceeding with regard to the important issues.
     

   • Inauguration experiences -- Anyone who attended the inauguration is welcome to tell us about their experiences so that we stay-at-homes can enjoy them vicariously.
   
   

3. Local elections -- The upcoming Town Meetings are an opportunity for Democrats to run for elective office. We need Democrats on School Boards, Select Boards, City Councils, etc. It is not only a way to further the Democratic Vision of serving our communities in a progressive way, but also to provide a leadership base that can provide future candidates for state-level offices. The deadline for submitting a petition to the Town or City Clerk to get on the ballot for a municipal election is Monday, January 26th, 5:00 PM.
   

I look forward to seeing you at future meetings and events, and I encourage you all to stay active in your local Democratic committees. If you can't find any events or activities in your town, email your Town Chair (you can find them listed at the website below in the righthand sidebar) and ask them what's happening, or light a fire under them. Let's use 2009 to build a strong organization at all levels so that our success in 2010 will be even greater than our success in 2008. I welcome any feedback and suggestions you may have.
Regards,
Mike Yantachka
Chittenden County Democratic Committee Chairman