Wake-Up Call: Friday, September 5, 2008

With the PolitickerVT.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Vermont's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerVT.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Vermont's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Independent upstart hopes to take on Douglas via Facebook

Independent gubernatorial candidate Sam Young is asking supporters to write him in on the Republican ballot during the primary election on Sept. 9. But he is spreading his word through a newer and rather untraditional method: Facebook. (PolitickerVT.com, Jennifer DePaul)

Link: http://www.politickervt.com/jenniferdepaul/1595/independent-upstart-hopes-take-douglas-facebook

Release of job cut e-mails fuels debate

MONTPELIER — Allegations of bad faith about state job cuts flew Thursday, with Democratic lawmakers accusing Gov. James Douglas' administration of trying to hide the true nature of some of the cuts and a Douglas aide labeling the lawmakers and state workers' union dishonest. (Rutland Herald, AP)

Link: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080905/NEWS03/809050346/1004/NEWS03

Convention buoys Vermont delegates

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Vermont delegates might not see a crowd of Republicans as big as the gathering at the Republican National Convention for quite some time, but representatives from the liberal state are fine with that. (Burlington Free Press, Malia Rulon)

Link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080905/NEWS01/809050314/1009/RSS01

Vt. Lt. Governor: Costello vs. Freeman

Vermont has only two contested statewide races in next week's primary elections. We reported on the contest for Congress. Now the Lt. Governor's race: A pair of Democrats -- Nate Freeman and Tom Costello -- is squaring off for the right to run against Republican Brian Dubie in November. It's always tough for a challenger who takes on an incumbent. But first, Democratic voters must decide between two men with different backgrounds and different visions for the job. (WCAX)

Link: http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=8953361

Town in 4th try for school budget

Four times might be the charm for the only school budget in the state that has not passed this year.

School officials in Rutland Town are optimistic the proposed budget, up for a fourth vote on Tuesday, will pass on the merit that it is level-funded. (Rutland Herald, Patricia Minichiello)

Link: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080905/NEWS01/809050378/1002/NEWS01

Vermont delegates pitch in for hurricane victims

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nearly two dozen Vermont delegates attending the National Republican Convention spent an hour Wednesday working in sometimes haphazard but always energetic fashion stuffing hundreds of red-and-white Target "comfort" bags for hurricane victims. (Burlington Free Press, Malia Rulon)

Link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/NEWS03/809040320/1009/RSS01

Sanders announces $700,000 in grants for teen centers

MONTPELIER – U.S. Sen. Bernard Sanders touted the effectiveness of Vermont's teen centers Thursday as he announced $700,000 in federal grants to support programs aimed toward at-risk youth. (Times Argus, Daniel Barlow)

Link: http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080905/NEWS02/809050367/1003/NEWS02

Randolph firm garners $4M for land-mine work

RANDOLPH - Sen. Patrick Leahy announced a $4 million federal grant Wednesday for a high-tech company located here to continue developing robots and other technologies to safely locate and defuse land mines and other explosives. (Rutland Herald, Daniel Barlow)

Link: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080905/NEWS03/809040277/1004/NEWS03

Vermonters impressed at convention

MONTPELIER — Vermonters attending the Republican National Convention in Minnesota this week said Thursday the event has been energizing, exciting and historic. (Rutland Herald, Daniel Barlow)

Link: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080905/NEWS04/809050381/1004/NEWS03

Leahy skeptical relief coming for N.H.-Vt. bridge

LEBANON- A Vermont senator said he doubts Congress will act soon to help truckers who are inconvenienced by new weight limits on a bridge between New Hampshire and Vermont. (Boston Globe, AP)

Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2008/09/05/leahy_skeptical_relief_coming_for_nh_vt_bridge/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+New+Hampshire+news

State to conduct health insurance survey

More than 4,000 Vermont households will be surveyed this month about their health insurance coverage and medical expenses in a periodic study conducted by the state. (Burlington Free Press, Nancy Remsen)

Link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/NEWS02/809040316/1007/rss02

Governor's office did alert Symington to absence of Douglas, Dubie

The governor's staff did send word Tuesday to the House speaker that she would be acting governor Wednesday through Friday in the absence of the governor and lieutenant governor. House Speaker Gaye Symington said Tuesday she hadn't been notified. (Burlington Free Press, Staff)

Link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/NEWS03/809040319/1009/RSS01

Vermont delegation can laugh about crummy convention seats

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- If you're looking for the Vermont delegation inside the building where the Republican National Convention is being held, you might want to use a map. (Burlington Free Press, Malia Rulon)

Link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/NEWS03/809040318/1009/RSS01

With the PolitickerVT.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Vermont's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.