iBrattleboro.com - Brattleboro Election Results 2008

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Questions...

Authored by: Christian Avard on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 09:10 PM GMT+4

What percent of eligible voters actually voted today? How many voters
total came out? Maybe this is question for Annette Cappy but if anyone
knows, that would be great.

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"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory." - Steven Wright, comedian

One other important thing...

Authored by: Christian Avard on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 09:11 PM GMT+4

Thanks for the timely information. As always, you guys rock!

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"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory." - Steven Wright, comedian

Questions...

Authored by: cgrotke on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 09:35 PM GMT+4

4,249 ballots in the primary...

So let me get this straight...

Authored by: Christian Avard on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:01 PM GMT+4

4,249 primary voters. 3,807 voted for the indictment resolution. Correct
me if I'm wrong but does that mean approximately 89% of the primary
voters voted for the resolution?

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"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory." - Steven Wright, comedian

So let me get this straight...

Authored by: Todd on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:22 PM GMT+4

Apparently, and then the same group voted a conservative majority into control of the town they live in.

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: annikee on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 09:25 PM GMT+4

Well, that's all it for me! Where's the heroin?

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"Kindness and love being the core of human interaction rather than power and material gain is at the heart of everything worth struggling for"-SK-B

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: tiny on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 09:58 PM GMT+4

Wow, I am stunned.
The 3 year seat was very close as many predicted. But I am stunned by
the one year seats, pretty clear victories there. It would seem there
were quite a few that went with Ms. Garfield and then Mr. Corum and Mr.
Allen. It seems a good number of people liked the idea of Ms. Garfield
but not the idea of her plus two majority. That's my dime store election
analysis. Where are the rest of the iBratters' opinion on this election?
Are they that stunned?

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: larrybloch on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:11 PM GMT+4

Spoon, Dora, Kiah, and Ian combined, totaled 3,829 votes.
John and Jesse combined for 3,772 votes.
Just one way of looking at the result.

Look at it however you want Larry...

Authored by: Christian Avard on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:16 PM GMT+4

... the fact of the matter is Jesse, Martha, and John won tonight. Period.
They're going to serve Brattleboro. Not Spoon, Ian, or Kiah. ARGH!

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"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory." - Steven Wright, comedian

Look at it

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:29 PM GMT+4

I can't say I'm stunned, or even surprised. After years and years of the good ol' boys club, the progs finally wrested control of the board away in a pretty stunning victory. Then they proceeded to piss it all away on petty politics, personal agendas, micromanagement, and plain bad government.
Why would anyone be surprised that voters handed control back to the good ol' boys instead of another slate of progs?

-Maus

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Psyche!

Look at it/The nudity "issue"

Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:47 PM GMT+4

I really think the nudity issue (even though it was petty and stupid)
was the straw that broke the camel's back for many people in town,
but I want to emphasize that this was an issue of PERCEPTION for
most voters, not a concrete thing. Most people in the middle (talking
about those in between the most radical activists and the most
conservative old boys) would have preferred to have no nudity in the
public square, but could care less if people wanted to be naked in their
yards or at swimming holes. The fact that it actually got debated at a
Select Board meeting however instead of laughed off or put to a
special ballot to let the town vote on it was seen as absurd by many
voters, and this issue, rightly or wrongly, helped to polarize the voters
of the town and probably more than anything else gave us the new
composition of the Select Board tonight.

This is my analysis, as best I can figure out why the election turned
out as it did.

Look at all the issues

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 11:26 PM GMT+4

The nudity issue was just one of many issues, but I think you're right that it wasn't necessarily the nudity or the ordinance that made some people mad - it was how the selectboard conducted themselves.

But I definitely don't think the election turned on the nudity ordinance. It was everything all together. From micromanaging the work of volunteer committees, to mismanagement of personnel issues, to the general sense of "directionlessness." It seemed like everything had to be turned into a controversy, or a chance for a political score. I didn't get a sense that there was much pragmatism, and little compromise with the good of town in mind. Maybe there was, but not that I could tell.

It made for great reports here on ibratt, and I have no doubt everyone was sincere and honest, but nobody seemed to have a sense of shared vision. Not even a shared vision of the role of the selectboard.

-Maus

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Psyche!

Watch the Skies!

Authored by: annikee on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:31 PM GMT+4

Serve Brattleboro? Like "To Serve Man"? AAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!

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"Kindness and love being the core of human interaction rather than power and material gain is at the heart of everything worth struggling for"-SK-B

Watch the Skies! Open those windows!

Authored by: tiny on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:53 PM GMT+4

Wait, what do I hear reverbing through Harmony Lot?? Is that Annikee
yelling out her window, "I am mad as hell and I am not taking
anymore!"

Watch the Skies! Open those windows!

Authored by: annikee on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 08:47 AM GMT+4

LMAO! You crack me up, tiny. But I do love that movie. Maybe I'll watch that tonight with a tv dinner! Time for comfort...

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"Kindness and love being the core of human interaction rather than power and material gain is at the heart of everything worth struggling for"-SK-B

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: tiny on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:45 PM GMT+4

Ah, Larry that doesn't make any sense. Whatever, the 4 of them got
creamed. Ian was the only one who carried a district over Corum or
Allen.

Even if Dora's votes had gone to Ian he would have lost. Do you think
was the "Nader" of the election Kiah or Spoon? Lots of split votes here.

I'm not trying to be awful, I am just getting bored watching
CNN/MSNBC/FOX returns.

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: Todd on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:04 PM GMT+4

The one thing that instantly stood out as odd to me here:

So on the Presidential ballot in Brattleboro: 583 people voted Republican, and 3653 people voted Democratic. And then the same voter pool voted a clean conservative slate into control of the town? I've no clear opinions on the reasons behind this, it just struck me as a bit of a contradiction!

Ah well, this will help with divisiveness on the board. Because Democracy is supposed to be about everybody agreeing and having a common agenda, right? :-(

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: barbaralew on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:14 PM GMT+4

My first thoughts exactly - How did this happen!!! ?? It is fairly unbelievable ~

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If there is no wind, ROW!

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: johnll on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 11:43 PM GMT+4

Todd, I think it's kind of a Vermont thing. The same way in 2006 the state voted for Welch and Sanders for House and Senate, but a Republican Douglas for Governor.

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: JArchambault on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:09 PM GMT+4

To the 156 Voters who stuck by me; Thank you!

The Indictment Thingy

Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:33 PM GMT+4

3,807 total votes were counted both for and against on the ballot
initiative.

But of the total number of votes cast for all of the national candidates
was 4,249 (Dems, Republicans and Lib Union).

This means some people didn't even bother to vote for or against,
they left the initiative blank, either out of protest, indifference, or
ignorance to turn the ballot over. But the people voting FOR the
indictment made sure their votes got in. This leaves at least 442 votes
not cast either way, most probably against rather than for, because
the people voting for would have a greater incentive to check the
ballot.

If you add the 442 votes additional not voting to the 'NO' votes, you
get 2,237, or a majority of votes in the 'NO' column, making the
resolution a non-passing item on the ballot.

My take is that the absentees (most of whom would have voted 'NO'
but didn't bother to vote out of protest or lack of interest in the
initiative altogether) cancelled out with the active 'NO' votes to split
the vote and give the minority of 'YES' votes the number needed to
pass.

Just my observation.

The Indictment Thingy

Authored by: janed on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 09:59 AM GMT+4

FYI, there is a small story about the Indictment Resolution in this morning's Huntsville [Alabama] Times. It mentions that Marlboro's is not binding because it was not warned.

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janed

Kudos to Ian Kiehle

Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 10:39 PM GMT+4

He didn't win a seat in this election, but he was up against a tidal wave
of "Martha plus two" opposition, and he came close to winning.

I hope he will run next year again, and not give up trying. Sometimes
you have to lose your first race before you find your footing.

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: shaw on Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 11:53 PM GMT+4

My old friend and college classmate Tariq Chaudri: Trustee of public funds?!?!? Oy vey - GOOD LUCK, BRATTLEBORO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: cgrotke on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 12:03 AM GMT+4

Unopposed.

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: shaw on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 12:11 AM GMT+4

Unbelievable.

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: Terry Martin on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 07:40 AM GMT+4

Chris & Lisa,

Thank You BOTH for GREAT coverage of both the local and national elections! I know it's a labor of love, BUT you put a lot of time into it to keep us informed on all sides.

As with the many victories and losses felt here within the postings, not all my candidates made it either, BUT I feel we will see direction and growth that will be pleasing to all of us, in part or in full, but pleasing.

As for the changes in our Select Board, Lord knows I spoke and worked with the past Members and fully intend to work with the new Board to help resolve the needs facing them and us in the next year especially.

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"Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on." R.Kennedy

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: bluecat on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 10:04 AM GMT+4

AARRGH... I was hoping for a split. I was hoping for Audrey keeping her seat and John getting a 1 year and Ian getting a 1 year. I was hopeful that we would not return to a time when there was no debate.

There has to be a middle ground where we can have honest debate AND decisions made on.

ugh.

i fear this will be a long year

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: cgrotke on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 10:41 AM GMT+4

A split was a common prediction I heard in the days before...

Brattleboro Election Results 2008

Authored by: annikee on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 11:00 AM GMT+4

That was exactly what I was hoping for- Audrey. Ian and John. I'm very sad that there'll be no way for a full discussion of ideas with a board like this now.

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"Kindness and love being the core of human interaction rather than power and material gain is at the heart of everything worth struggling for"-SK-B

No chance to discuss ideas

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 11:35 AM GMT+4

Yes, although I wasn't surprised, it is disappointing. Too bad for Brattleboro. Ian seemed like a great candidate - maybe he can lead a new slate of candidates.

-Maus

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Psyche!

No chance to discuss ideas

Authored by: tiny on Wednesday, March 05 2008 @ 12:18 PM GMT+4

Interesting point maus. I hope Ian wins next time around. I still wonder about a "Nader" factor in this election. Ah, the what ifs of life...