Gubernatorial politics and FairPoint’s attempt to take over Vermont‘s phone service were only some of the stories that in the news this week this week. Confirmation hearings began for the attorney general designate Robert Mukasey, we heard about health care workers stealing prescription drugs and a plan was announced to take a census count of Vermont barns.
Here’s a listen back to some of the voices in the news this week:
Leahy: Mukasey will be confirmed if he proves independence from White House influence
(Sen. Patrick Leahy) "Mukasey will have a very, very tough job to try to restore the trust that’s been squandered at the Department of Justice."
Douglas: Regulators should not approve Fairpoint deal unless strict conditions met
(Public Service Commissioner David O’Brien) "We want the boardroom of Fairpoint to be dominated by two measurements, their profit and loss statement … and the service quality metrics in Vermont that show that they are in fact meeting the demands of customers in Vermont."
State cracks down on prescription drug diversion, theft
(Asst. Attorney General Linda Purdy) "Sadly, it’s very widespread. Prescription drug abuse is on our streets, in our homes and it’s in our health care facilities.”
Real estate experts say houses will sell with the right strategy
(Brian Boardman, real estate broker) "I get it all the time. People say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe I have to sell my house now and I should have sold two years ago and I just can’t believe my timing.’"
National teachers’ union says Vermont budget law should be repealed
(Gov. Jim Douglas) "I don’t think we need some union boss from Washington coming to Vermont telling us how to design our property tax structure or school funding system."
Welch: Supporters must still fight to expand children’s health care
(Congressman Peter Welch) "I think we’re seeing the reality that families – where you’ve got a husband and wife who are both working, they’ve got a couple of kids – they can’t afford health care. I mean a lot of those working families – now they’re the ones losing access to health care."
State will use federal grant for a barn census
(Nancy Boone, Vermont Division for Historic Preservation) "The first step to really preserving what we have is knowing what’s there. And in the case of barns and other kinds of buildings associated with our agricultural heritage, we’re really talking about the whole Vermont landscape."