In addition to Governor Douglas’ announcement to not seek re-election, a Vermont soldier died in Iraq, a whistleblower called into question Fairpoint’s readiness to take over from Verizon and Patrick Leahy reflected on his many years serving with Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.
These were some of the voices in the news this week:
St. Johnsbury soldier dies in Iraq (8/25)
(St. Johnsbury Academy Headmaster Tom Lovett) "Many of the faculty members were close with Joey. He was just a great kid and they remember him fondly and the news struck hard among the faculty members today."
Whistleblower says FairPoint faked its readiness to take charge (8/24)
(Steve Wark, Vermont Public Service Department) "We’re going to be working with not only the attorney general’s office in New Hampshire, but we’ll be working with Maine and also we’ll be connecting with our AG here as well to really get to the bottom of the situation."
Douglas says eight years is enough; he won’t seek re-election (8/27)
(Governor Jim Douglas) "As any farmer knows, after many years working sunup to sundown seven days a week, there comes a time to turn over the reins to fresh arms. For me that time is approaching."
Leahy remembers Kennedy as a close friend and gifted legislator (8/26)
(Senator Patrick Leahy) "Ted believed in America, he believed in the promise in each of us, he believed in the necessity for health care, in education, he led on every one of those issues…I can say this of only a few I ever served with but he was ‘a senator’s senator’ and it’s a sad day."
"Every so often somebody would start oh we can’t do that and he would kind of laugh put his arm around their shoulder whoever it was, oh come on now save that for your supporters back home you’re talking to me now let’s see what we can do."
"I would have been happy to have spent the rest of my career being number 4 and had him ahead of me. I fully expected that Ted and I end our careers together in the Senate."