VTGOP “Back-to-School” Edition

VTGOP “Back-to-School” Edition

Ethics 101: Shumlin Skips Class

It seems that Peter Shumlin has been skipping Ethics 101. The list of Peter Shumlin’s ethical lapses just got longer when it was recently reported that one of Peter Shumlin’s top campaign contributors received millions in tax breaks from a board that he was appointed to by Peter Shumlin.  Before this is written off as a coincidence of small state politics, consider the history:

  • David Blittersdorf, a registered lobbyist, and his wife Jan contributed $76,000 to the Vermont Democratic Party between 2003 and 2008, and this year Blittersdorf gave $8,000 to Peter Shumlin’s campaign for Governor, while Jan supported Doug Racine.
  • Shumlin appointed Blittersdorf to the Clean Energy Development Board last year.  According to reports, Blittersdorf played a role in crafting the rules of how the tax credits were distributed to benefit his financial interest.  Blittersdorf’s companies were eventually awarded $4.3 million in tax credits. (AP, 9/7/10)
Campaign Money Questioned?

This isn’t the first time Shumlin has been questioned about the link between campaign contributions and his actions.

  • In 2000, then-Senator Cheryl Rivers (D-Windsor) testified before U.S. District Court regarding Vermont’s campaign finance laws.  In her testimony, Rivers told the court that Shumlin would not sponsor a food labeling bill that he supported because, “he didn’t want to lose campaign contributions. Rivers quoted Shumlin as saying, “We’ve already lost the drug money. I don’t need to lose the food manufacturers’ money too.”
  • “The bill passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 6-1 margin, but it died in the Senate Finance Committee because of Shumlin’s lack of support, she told the court.
  • Rivers, who chairs the Finance Committee, said Shumlin reasoned that the bill would have died anyway when it got to the House. She said Shumlin thought he could “claim credit” for killing the bill, “and there might be the possibility of a generous contribution from the food manufacturers.”‘ (AP, 5/18/2000)

Big State Politics

No wonder that even Shumlin’s supporters admit, as VPIRG Executive Director Paul Burns did, “He is much more similar to elected officials in bigger states…” (6/23/10)

Burns should know, his organization has been linked to some of Shumlin’s other ethical lapses.

  • “Vermont Public Interest Group Executive Director Paul Burns admitted it was a “significant breach of protocol” when Sen. Peter Shumlin jumped aboard the VPIRG float during Burlington’s Mardi Gras parade. It featured a “retired” nuclear cooling tower. And there’s more evidence that VPIRG might be too chummy with Shummy.
  • “In late January, VPIRG conducted an extensive VY poll to test various anti-VY “messages” on Vermonters, as well as gauging whom they trusted as a messenger. VPIRG asked about one key pol: Shumlin.” (Seven Days, 3/10/2010)

Respected Among his Peers?

It isn’t hard to figure out why Shumlin’s colleagues named him “Most Ethically Challenged” this spring in a survey conducted by Seven Days (Seven Days, 3/17/2010)
  • Democratic State Senator Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) said of his colleague Shumlin, “Just make sure you’ve parsed every word. The promise he makes may not be the promise you thought he made. There were times when I did not read the fine print. I won’t make that mistake again.” (Seven Days, 6/23/10)

  • Vermonters didn’t know what Senator McCormack knew when Peter Shumlin said, “There is no more tax capacity in Vermont. There is no more money in the bank.” (Rutland Herald, 2/1/07).  Most Vermonters didn’t read the fine print – found in Shumlin statements to blogger Phil Baruth a month later when he said, “I never said that we could not raise small taxes.” (Vermont Daily Briefing, 3/20/07)  If they had they wouldn’t have been surprised when, as leader of the Senate, Shumlin led the charge to override Governor Douglas’ budget veto in 2009 to raise more than $20 million in new taxes.

Do the Ends Justify the Means?

Vermonters expect their leaders to uphold high ethical standards.  For Shumlin, it seems the ends justify the means.
  • Even Shumlin admits, “I have this reputation for being a little bit of a politician, for kicking barn doors down.  You want results, right? I can deliver.” (Seven Days, 6/23/10)
  • To pursue his policies he has no problem accusing a representative of Vermont’s largest employer of being a liar (Vt. Buzz, 4/22/08) or misrepresenting facts about solar energy (Vt. Buzz, 3/22/10) or using his Senate ID to avoid a speeding ticket (WCAX, 6/28/10).

  • Even Shumlin’s supporters acknowledge that his hard nose tactics can be detrimental to the state’s future.  As Treasurer Jeb Spaulding said in 2007 about a plan Shumlin was pushing at the time, “It’s very problematic. It tarnishes our image as a reliable business partner.” (Burlington Free Press, 5/1/2007).
When it comes to ethics, it clear that Peter Shumlin has a lot to learn.  Hopefully he won’t play hooky anymore.


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