Having a part-time citizen
legislature – rather than a full time professional one – is one of the
hallmarks of Vermont politics and culture. We look at the pros and cons of
having citizen lawmakers – and how it affects the atmosphere at the Statehouse,
how things get done, and who runs for office – with Bert Johnson, an associate
professor of political science at Middlebury, Scott MacKay, a political analyst
for Rhode Island Public Radio in Providence and a former political reporter for
the Burlington Free Press and Providence Journal, and representatives Don Turner
of Milton and Kesha Ram of Burlington.
Also on the program, when
State Auditor Tom Salmon released a report saying that the town of Milton owed the state $3.4 million dollars in back taxes,
town officials were horrified. They responded by saying that the report was
flawed, the auditor had misinterpreted statutes, and that they didn’t intend to
pay the state an extra cent. We talk to Milton Independent reporter and editor
Courtney Lamdin, who has been reporting on this issue, for more details.