Update Blogging: Progs of War/Pollina’s Milk Fiasco
April 7, 2008
Progs of War: Thanks to Morgan Daybell at Vermont’s Progressive Party for sending me the official minutes of the Party’s State Convention on November 17, 2001. It’s the meeting I attended and wrote about earlier in which a “stop the bombing” amendment was introduced, passed, and then quickly tabled by the Party’s hierarchy. In order to put to rest any questions of “accuracy,” below are the exact, unedited minutes of that part of the meeting:
Amendment to the resolution by Jimmy Leas (the committee has this in writing) (to stop the bombing immediately)
Jimmy Leas motioned
Seconded by Steve Howard
Jimmy Leas: speaks in support of the amendment to the resolution, the bombing is affecting millions of innocent people who had nothing to do with the September 11 attack. The bombing will create rage that will inspire further terrorism.
Joe Hammond: Opposes, we are involved in legitimate military action, let’s just accomplish the goals quickly.
Karl Novak: Supports amendment, war wastes people, materials and environment, amendment is appropriate and moral
Erhard Mahnke: Opposes, the amendment makes it a divisive issue, and it will marginalize the Progressive Party in Vermonters eyes.Amendment vote: 63 in favor, 54 opposed
The resolution discussion:
Ken Eardly: Opposes, because of the amendment only
Steven Howard: Supports, we are here because of our principles, we can’t act out of fear of being marginalized.
John Gallagher: Opposes, this is poison for average working folk and will alienate us
Burt Townsend: Supports.
John Demeter: Opposes, this will alienate Progressives
April Jin: Abstaining, we can’t wait for the U.N. to make decisions
Mark Montalbam: Supports, American foreign policy is hurting people all over the world.
Andy Torres: Opposes, this is not the place to discuss why the fighting is happening, the resolution has admirable parts, but also naïve parts, we don’t really know yet what we’re talking about.
Ben Grosscup: Supports, millions of Afghans are dying because of what the U.S. military is doing.Carina Driscoll: makes a motion to table the resolution
Seconded by: Remy Gratton
The motion to table the resolution is passed.
And there you have it – a terrible lack of vision, leadership and courage from the Prog hierarchy.
–
Pollina’s Milk Fiasco: If the Vermont media would wake up to the mess that is the Vermont Milk Company, Anthony Pollina would be quitting his campaign for governor. Other than a few media mentions, much of Vermont’s mainstream media have given Pollina a pass for stiffing the farmers he was supposed to be helping. Think about this: Pollina’s Milk Company stopped paying its farmers the price they were promised beginning on December 1st of last year. In case you forgot, this was when Pollina was out bragging about how he was raising $100,000 for his political campaign. Got that, folks? Pollina’s Milk Company wasn’t paying its farmers while he was boasting about all the cash he was swimming in for his political campaign. No wonder the farmers at the Vermont Milk Company are so angry.
I also find it interesting that the Pollina campaign has said next to nothing about the mess. It might help, of course, if the media asked. But, so far, the only mainstream journalist to wade into the story is Ross Sneyd of Vermont Public Radio. Congrats, Ross. But Sneyd’s story soft-pedaled Pollina’s involvement with the company, simply calling him a co-founder. But, according to Pollina’s campaign biography, he “ran the company” until 2008. Moreover, company officials told Broadsides that Pollina “signed all the checks.” Well, except the checks that never got to the farmers…
Brian LaCoss, the acting plant manager at the Vermont Milk Company, told Broadsides last month that operations at the facility were “a complete mess.” According to LaCoss, the business guru that Pollina brought in to help set up the company, Peter Burmeister, “didn’t seem to know much about business or making good business decisions.”
When asked about the non-payments to the farmers, LaCoss declared that Pollina was out raising the money to “pay them off and make the issue go away.”
But, interestingly, Pollina was only moving on it once the Caledonian Record published a story on the company’s financial and managerial problems. Shortly after the Record’s story was published, Pollina stepped down from the company’s board of directors.
Late last month, Pollina and the Vermont Milk Company announced that they had secured a $200,000 infusion of cash from an “anonymous donor.” While it will certainly be a relief for the farmers who will now presumably get the money they were promised for their milk, the anonymity of the contributor gives rise to a host of other questions, not least of which: What are the contributor’s possible connections/expectations to Pollina’s campaign for governor? One can only imagine the (understandable) outrage that would come from the Pollina camp if an “anonymous donor” pumped $200,000 into – let’s say – a private business venture of Governor Jim Douglas right in the middle of campaign season.
Let’s hope the media wakes up to this story soon because Pollina’s got some explaining to do. And it would also be nice if he’d identify the sugar-daddy-or-momma who plunked down $200,000 for a little campaign damage control.
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15 Responses to “Update Blogging: Progs of War/Pollina’s Milk Fiasco”
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Love it. When are you doing your petition to get on the Prog ballot?
Or do you buy that? Buy me the Lt. Gov. spot. Someone will have to overthrow you in ‘09.
So, you were there? I guess the secretary forgot to include your comments. Why didn’t you speak up? We could have save 4 thousand lives!
Hey, I remember Peter Freyne writing about the suppression of the ‘01 war resolution. Must be easy to look that up. Yes, let’s look it up.
Michael doesn’t speak up because he’s shy–and has Tourette Syndrome. Notice his use of the word liberal–or liberal fuck, etc.
I was at the meeting as a journalist. That’s why I have such good notes and quotes from the Prog hierarchy. My favorite being from Pollina, who told me that the “war wasn’t a statewide issue.” I’d like to hear him repeat that today.
Hey
Where’s the muck? Are you being ’silent’ so’s not to ‘alienate’ voters?
“We Want Michael! We Want Action! Hey, Hey Candidate, How Much Dirt Do You Have To Relate! Give Us A P! Give Us An R! Give Us An O! Give Us A G! What’s That Spell?! ah…durh, Pollina?”
I know…you’re waiting to do the Colbert Report.
Where the hell are ya? In jail? Guantanamo? Doing a B.Traven/Snarky Boy thing?
Will await drafts of TREASURE OF GREEN MOUNTAINS & THE DEATH VIGIL
–John Houston
“There is no black or white–we are all just Americans”
—Barack Obama
“There are no males or females–we are all the same sex; Americans”
—Hillary Clinton
“There is no age, no young or old–we are all, young and old, Americans…JesusShit! My pills! Help me! helllllll…………THUNK!
—-The late John McCain
I think he took off for Maine again - it happens in the spring.
Mike…..Mike………Dude it is not April anymore. You started this and now your of following the ??????
Are you out looking for your own minister (what about Boots)??
Have you secretly joined the Hillary campaign–now in W. Virginia yelling at the poor people?
I know–you’re being held in Myanmar. Soon the junta there will become raving Naderites after they appoint you Laird.
Where is Michael? Does the Vermont Milk Company have to do a “Have You Seen This Lunatic?–Call 911!” label on its products?
Are you going to come out with a new blogsite entitled “John Wesley Harding?”
Say hello to Elvis for us. Tell him we all know he’s not really dead, and we know he wants to come out and beat McCain’s old tired ass.
I saw you on TV at Jena’s wedding. Good disguise, that bin-Laden outfit.
First Peter Freyne quits after an extended absence from cyberspace, now this big pause by Colby. Is this the end?
Well, this should should flush him out. If not, I guess I’ll have to just cry–or run for office myself. (Michael, you be NICE to Gaye now, she’s sensitive, don’t call her ‘Sweetie’)
Update Bloggig: Progs of March/Democracy Fiasco
Yeah…………maybe….maybe Michael will be Hillary’s June Surprise…
…dream along with me a while…
Senator Clinton: “My fellow Americans, blah, blah, today I am happy to receive the endorsement from Michael Colby, Progressive Party Candidate for Governor of Vermont. With this major endorsement I will go to the convention knowing that, not only will I be nominated for President, but that Mr. Colby will use his vast resources and influence to see to it that I am elected President for Life, because I’m entitled to it, doncha know?!?///?”
question from FOX News Geek: “Senator Clinton, we’re hearing more than an endorsement here. Insiders in the media, like me, are speculating that a deal has been cut here; that, in return for his endorsement, Mr. Colby will be your running mate this Fall, and also that Mr. Colby has pledged to cover any and all of your campaign debts by collecting a special ‘liberal-shit-trust-funder tax’ from all those Vermonters, especially, as we hear it, from those ‘phony-neo-fascist-liberal-progressive-yuppie-Nazi-mother-f’ers in Montpelier, Vermont who have opposed ‘his struggle’ since the time of the Munich Convention…….sooo…Senator Clinton, can you comment on how this will all impact, not only on the election in November, but on World Peace, the Economy, Organic Vegetables, the New York Yankees doing a September-October Surprise, and the coming re-invasion of Poland by the new German Wehrmacht?”
Senator Clinton: “Say Whhaaaatt? Am I hearing more sexist shit here? I thought we were passed that. I thought that now, with Mr. Colby’s support, we could bring a New Deal and a New Frontier and a Great Society and Victory in Vietnam and an Information Super Highway–no, that was that bastard Gore; I hated Tipper–excuse me, that we could have a Kinder, Gentler America. And, read my lips, there will be No New Taxes! We have plenty of Old Taxes that we can fuck around with, after I end that War, balance the Budget, give every American Single Mother a special $300.00 ‘Putting Up With Guys Like Bill All Your Life Remittance’ and pay off McCain…So, if the New Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton American Reich lasts for a Thousand Years, people will still say: THIS…was their Finest Three- In-The- Morning Hour…and eight more years after that, and hours and years and Ice Ages after that, when Chelsea and Jena are of age to assume the office of President, and their children, grandchildren, illegitimate children, and toilet seat blow-job progeny after them…as we march forward, not in Fear of Women, but in Awe and Gratitude and Hope and Change. To a day when all Americans, Black and White, Hard-Working and Lazy, Elitist and Match-Book- High-School-Diploma Holders, and every Health-Care-Aware Peace-Ninniy Trust-Funded Buddhist Support Group Sustainable and Diversified Same-Sex Vigiler for Whatever, like those good people in Montpelier, Vermont Mr. Colby oft-times refers to, can all come together on that giant toilet seat we call America and not have to worry about how to pay the dry cleaning bill on their daughters Going-Out-With Bill-Now-Mom-Fuck-You Blue Dress. I make this promise Today, to you, to All Americans, and if Tomorrow it is revealed that I lied, well…SO? I mean, chill out a little. Jesus, my mouth hurts. But that’s not in reference to anything aforementioned or to follow”
Fox News Geek: “Whaaa…t?”
Senator Clinton: “I think I’ve answered your question. Don’t bust my Balls, or I’ll send Carville after you. He still has the gun I used on
Vince Foster.”
Fox News Geek: “Thank you, Senator…ah, President…Supreme Commander…Our Leader. Thank you so much..whatever…for what you’ve just said, and what you’ve said and done in the past, and what you will, along with Mr. Colby, say and do in the future, here in America, in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Noth Korea, Cuba, Myanmar, Lebanon, Northern Ireland, the Sudetenland, China, India, Bosnia, the Second Vermont Republic and Freedonia. Thank you. Heil!’
Senator Clinton: “That’s better. See, I can be ‘Likeable’–I’m taking lessons from Michael.”
use this password to post your comments: “LiberalshitfuckpeaceninnymainstreamallAmericanassholetrustfundpervert”
and do it today……………………………………………………………………………………
Pete, you should just take over… you’ve written more this month than Mike has. Could you please come and get his body out of my closet now? It’s starting to stink a bit.
My pledge to The Federation does not allow me to intervene in a serious way with Earthling blogging, otherwise I would have taken over from Freyne long ago, not to mention what I would have done with GMD. As for Captain Colby’s body, we’ll have it transported to the planet where Federation heroes are put on ice in order to return in the future, say, after Pollina’s elected Governor, and fight for justice and snark. Energizing now…………………………………………………………..ooops!
Damn that machine!–it does that sometimes.
Okay, okay, I can’t take it anymore — your chatter, that is. Sit tight, I’ll have some lame words for you soon…