Lieutenant governors never do anything. It’s the Joe Biden of positions, and I don’t mean in the sense that it’s comparable to the vice presidency. But if it has any value, it’s as a ladder rung in a political career, so people actually contest for it.
Scott suggests that a sign be hung from the bottom of this, reading, “Except wind people because we hate you.”
One such contest is underway in Vermont, where the incumbent Republican Phil Scott is being challenged by Democrat Cassandra Gekas. There aren’t any polls (that I can find), so it’s not clear who’s currently leading. But I have been able to figure out who’s leading the race for IQ points.
The future of wind power in the state has become a key issue in the race for Lt. Governor.
Incumbent Republican Phil Scott supports a two year moratorium on all major wind developments in order to study the environmental impact of these projects.
This is from the Donald Trump school of talking-out-of-your-ass.
Wind turbines are a scourge to communities and wildlife. They are environmental disasters.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2012
(Needless to say, that school lacks certification on this or any other planet.)
Opposition to wind energy is something of a pet cause for the hard right. In June, the Koch-founded group Americans For Prosperity held a protest against children flying kites because the kids were part of a demonstration in support of offshore wind. So a group of conservative protestors stood on the boardwalk chanting, the wind whipping their American and Gadsden flags around mercilessly. That’s the state of the debate.
The point isn’t about wind turbines or dead birds or how wind turbines cause climate change (which I cannot believe I actually have to mention). The point is that wind energy messes up Bill Koch’s view and is visible from Donald Trump’s golf course. Oh, and takes money from the fossil-fuel industry. Therefore, conservatives have no choice but to hate it, so Phil Scott hates it.
Oh, and here’s the kicker.
The two candidates also disagree on the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
In the 2010 session, the Senate voted 26-4 not to extend the license for Vermont Yankee. Scott was one of the four votes against the bill because he said lawmakers didn’t have the expertise to make the decision and that the issue should be reviewed by the Vermont Public Service Board.
Yes, God for-fucking-bid lawmakers who clearly have no idea what the hell they’re talking about start making decisions about the state’s energy systems. An elected official could certainly embarrass himself if he weren’t careful about knowing what he was talking about before he started playing politics.
We should eliminate the position of lieutenant governor in all states, starting with Vermont, or perhaps just make it honorary, to be held in two-year terms by adorable dogs and the state bird, alternating.
