Transitioning to New Management

This website/blog has been inactive for the last 5 years.  New management will be assuming control in the next couple of weeks and will post a notice when that has happened.

Senator Peter Shumlin on Chittenden County Democrats Show

County Chairman Jake Perkinson kicked off the new year by interviewing Vermont Senate Pro-Tem Peter Shumlin on the Chittenden County Democrats Show on January 4th.  Senator Shumlin and Perkinson discussed the direction the new legislative session would be taking as well as Senator Shumlin's candidacy for Governor.

You can watch this program on Channel 17/ Town Meeting Television, on Comcast Cable and Burlington Telecom systems at the following times:
1 Monday January 4, 5:25 PM
2 Wednesday January 6, 7:00 PM
3 Saturday January 9, 5:05 PM
4 Monday January 11, 3:30 PM
5 Tuesday January 12, 6:10 AM
6 Tuesday January 12, 12:10 PM
7 Monday January 18, 3:30 PM
8 Monday January 25, 3:30 PM

You may also watch the program on-line by clicking here: http://www.cctv.org/node/86717.

LCATV and VCAM also rebroadcast Chittenden County Democrats shows at regular times. See their schedules for those times.
--

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.
...

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.
--

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.
--

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.

--

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.

--

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
--

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.
--

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

--

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.
-

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

-

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.

--

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.

-30-

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.